Page 29 - Issue 38

His ’45 3-ton Military Diamond T still has
the proof if its military service by displaying
a star on one of the doors. It was in pieces
and languishing in a thistle bush when he
acquired it. Josh had done some airbag
work for a customer when he was offered the
truck’s remains as a partial payment. It’s been
chopped nine inches, and another foot or so
has been whacked off the bottom. Did we say
that this was a big truck? Out back is the bed
from a ’36 Dodge pickup.
Power and most of the drivetrain and
suspension come from a ’72 LTD that was crashed
and left for dead behind a friend’s house for 32
years. The 429 engine was super crusty and seized
up. But long hours spent cleaning and freeing up
everything rewarded Josh with a surprisingly powerful rig. He
added a new carb and an electronic ignition and that was it.
The zoomies were made from fence tubing, which is “cheaper
and lighter,” per Josh. So how does she run? “It’s amazing,” he
says. “It moves the car very well.” The C6 tranny and 9-inch
rearend complete the bulletproof combination.
The frame is all custom made with an 18-inch kickup in the
rear and features a simple two-link setup. Up front is a Josh-
designed cantilevered arm front suspension.
It’s bagged all around, with the
ones in the rear coming from a
mobile home, and
the fronts are from
an unidentified
source. But that’s
the story on a lot
of the parts in this
build – it’s just
stuff that was
lying around. Or
maybe acquired

ratrodmagazine.com Rat Rod Magazine 29

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