Page 46 - Issue 38

In 2013 they found it in Mosinee, WI. It was
a basic running, rolling, blank canvas. A 1938
Chevrolet truck. They drove it back to Green Bay,
(before living in MN) switching off, taking turns
driving the one and a half hour haul toward home.
Immediately they went to work welding and
refi ning the frame and mechanicals, later moving
on to the details. Alison was the driving force
in the creative department pushing Cody in the
fabrication area.
They developed a skull and military theme
refl ective of each of their careers. As a county
Death Investigator, the image of the skull is
symbolic to Alison and her career. Cody is currently
a U.S. Army Reserve and an Iraq veteran. We can’t
forget the mascot dog, Tank, who goes everywhere
the truck goes.
As the ideas piled in, fi rst up on the list was
the Gatling gun cross under exhaust with fl ame
throwers. (A late night addition of which prompted
a visit from the local PD...) That was followed up
with an artful feature that really makes this rat stand
out, the laser cut door panels, a tangled gathering
of skull silhouettes cut into steel. The truck also
features ammo boxes and bullets throughout with
an ominous looking steel skull as a hood ornament.
Not all the transformations they made were
aesthetic. The engine they bought the truck with
was a mild Chevy 350 that lasted the fi rst year
or so but gave it up at a rat rod get together one
summer night in Wisconsin. Cody and Alison’s
friends pulled together and had a new 355 small
block dropped in and running a in a matter of days.
The new engine features a high rise tunnel ram
with dual Holley carburetors and a healthy cam all
backed by a TH350 automatic. The truck rides on
a 1989 Chevrolet Ð ton chassis which was Z’d 18
inches in the rear. The rear axle is a matching 14
bolt on leaf springs and 3:73 gearing to turn the
massive 29x15.5-16 tires. The front is a parallel leaf
I-beam with the original drum brakes. The cab was
channeled six inches to sit just right over the frame
along with a shortened box to complete the look.
Cody and Alison drive the truck any chance they
get when the Minnesota weather allows including
weekend grocery runs with plenty of space in the
box to haul it all home.

46 RAT ROD MAGAZINE ISSUE THIRTY-EIGHT

44x47.armed and deadlyFIXED.indd 46 6/14/16 11:38 AM