Page 11 - Issue 36

Using a secret process (that we promised not
to divulge) he gave the finish texture to look
like everything was falling apart, yet is rock solid
underneath.
“Rat rods are modern day art – it’s folk art.
I love the mechanical look of the cars. The
ingenuity of it all is so artistic. The guys from
Welderup talk about it all the time and I carry
that same torch. It’s avant garde… it’s how a car
can tell stories. I hear a lot of purists say how
real rust is better than faux rust. Well, I’m not
just trying to do the patina thing. Like I said, I’m
trying to do something different with the paint,
and with the collage and the image and all that.”
Which brings us to Joe Nagio and the build
of the car. Starting with an insanely clean ’31
Chevy five-window coupe that had been sitting
in dry storage in a Kenosha, Wisconsin barn for
30 years, he proceeded to build a very clean and
simple representation of an early hot rod. Well,
except for the carbed L92 6.0 liter LS motor that
was pried from an ’05 Escalade. Aside from the
carb and intake it’s pretty stock, but then again,
it doesn’t need much extra oomph to push 2300
or so pounds around in quick fashion. It’s backed
by a Turbo 350 with a full manual valve body.

RATRODMAGAZINE.COM RAT ROD MAGAZINE 11

8x13_JoeMorris.indd 11 2/25/16 3:30 PM