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Rat Rod Nation General Area => Rat Rod Nation Intro's => Topic started by: 39 ALF on January 19, 2013, 05:09:01 PM

Title: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: 39 ALF on January 19, 2013, 05:09:01 PM
Hey all, love the club and all rats to boot. Keep this short as not hard wired and lost my last intro to verizon wireless. First time rat rodr long time machinist with a 39 american lafrance v12 truck made in N.Y. (sorry detroit) more pics to fallow after it gets here. Thx
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: oldskool49 on January 19, 2013, 09:12:09 PM
Welcome to the Nation. And for those that don't know, Texas is the Truck Capital. More owners of trucks. Your build will be awesome.



 8)
Title: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: Dustin Arnett on January 19, 2013, 11:26:35 PM
Welcome to the nation.... That truck looks mean!!


~Dustin
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: Greybeards Customs on January 20, 2013, 09:35:41 AM
That is cool , never seen one before
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: zpi28 on January 20, 2013, 09:59:47 AM
Thats cool, and already looks chopped. Welcome to the Nation.
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: lowboy on January 20, 2013, 10:16:45 AM
WOW thats a kool truck and welcome to the nation 39 alf
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: hotwheels on January 21, 2013, 05:42:40 PM
Welcome to the nation 39 ALF, it's really great to meet ya and i think you will really like the site and it's members.
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: 39 ALF on January 21, 2013, 09:40:32 PM
Thanks guys, You inspire me on this 5 ton project. I want to put it on an aluminum diet in all the right places like the bed, door panels, seat ect. Id like to know what the most popular antique finish for aluminum would be ? Thx 39ALF
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: bigj on January 22, 2013, 10:16:08 AM
if you need to use new aluminum you can wash it in acid like toilet bowl cleaner to distress it then coat it in heavy salt water. best money spent would be on an old reefer box truck box it will have a super cool aluminum floor and tons of sheet aluminum.
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: 39 ALF on January 22, 2013, 03:25:29 PM
THX Bigj for the budget solution as Ive reconed the hi price of some things Ive seen on da net. Metal magic as shown here is sweet but costly when you have two sheets (64 sq ft) in the bed alone. The refer truck sounds interesting but 100 sq ft is a lot and one huge truck at a time is my limit. Besides diamonds are forever and Im now Looking for buyers to get the excess parts like the 500 gal water tank (1000 lb). The original 20in tires with authentic cracks of questionable safty. Cant wait to price out six 8ply 20" tires, thats gona hurt as it will be more than what the truck cost, never bought used tires befor but anything is possible in this economy at my age.   
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: 39 ALF on January 22, 2013, 03:57:38 PM
 I keep thinking about this weight problem for this 24' truck. The frt fender are still questioned but the best solution is to pull the 2000 lb bed off.  kick the drives back a foot and drop an ol 12ft aluminum framed dump stake bed on there to make it a tru 26ft hualer. In texas size matters, so she keeps teling me no matter how much I beg.   
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: hotwheels on January 22, 2013, 06:18:58 PM
Some guys when they work with aluminum will light sand the aluminum and then add a product called Liver of Sulfer, which will age the look of the aluminum.
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: 39 ALF on January 22, 2013, 07:28:11 PM
Thx hotwheels, sounds good and affordable like most things we do.Does it come in black ? After thinking about this 39 amored looking fatory gangser truck from NY it might be best with all flat black. Is ther such a thing as flat black widow tint ? I Wonder if a set of Tompsons mounted on the sides of the upper hood would get more attention then the open V12 uderneath. Tompsons are on sale this wk in Tx for all to come and enjoy. 
      It dawned on me if were on a run, and someone broke down hard, we can use this ride as a rat rod hauler, maybe a 14 ft bed is the one size fits all answer.  An old set of semi super singles on the back is the sweetest solution, on flat black powder coated ALum wheels of course.  I think this vision is up to 30 ft now and 1000 lb lighter already.  Add one air compressor and 500 lb of tools and we got the nations mobile rescue unit for us and  those stranded hotties in shiny new cars who are willing to convert to the dark patina side. OK no more beer tonight. Gotta go anyway THX.   
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: hotwheels on January 23, 2013, 06:26:03 AM
Not sure if it comes in black or not, i just know that it gives you a really kewl antique look.........I love your other plans too, sounds like you are gonna have a bad ass rat rod hauler. I think that is a great vision.
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: oldskool49 on January 25, 2013, 02:14:10 AM
On the side if it is not a honey needing assistance then maybe there preppy brother that cringes over a hangnail, so baby bucks can pay out big time for his over priced foreigne pos to be hauled. Ah the vision. Then it could be used as a party truck at the summer runs. Small pool in the back with hottie's hanging around.



 8)
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: streetrat on January 28, 2013, 07:19:35 AM
welcome to the nation. that is one bad-ass lookin' truck.good luck with the build. keep pic's comin'
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: 39 ALF on January 28, 2013, 10:06:14 PM
Just added a couple pics of this V12 with horizontal valves to my profile. Man what were they drinking in 39 !!  Talked with my engine shop and its like the picture shows, only one head !!!!!!!
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: hotwheels on January 29, 2013, 06:16:36 AM
LOL, probably a bunch of moonshine......
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: brewrat on February 10, 2013, 09:31:29 PM
i would love to get an old fire truck
Title: Re: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: 39 ALF on February 11, 2013, 06:36:27 AM
It has just been explained to me that fire engines are sold with little miles because there run hard before they even warm up and thats not good. My V12 only has 26k miles and its a drag looking for parts. I found a potential buyer for the engine so I might upgrade to the new 6.6 aluminum block GM diesel. Anybody else looking for a Lycoming V12 used in the used in the Dusenburgs, cords and fire trucks ?  3k obo 281 608-0353
Title: New dude from houston (truck heaven)
Post by: warejn on February 11, 2013, 09:13:04 AM
That thing is awesome. I work as a fireman and yep, they get sold with low miles but high hours. We get in them, start them drive it all out for 10 min then park it. They run on the scenes all the time so it may have only gone 20 miles in one shift but it ran for 20 hours.

We just sold a 1988 GMC Topkick with 16k on it for 18k bucks. I was thinking about buying it for the ultimate pickup/ toy hauler.

Good luck on the build, I will watch this one for sure.