Rat Rods, by definition, are unfinished, rough around the edges, and well…ratty. They are commonly built from found materials, cobbled together, and fueled on pure inspiration. Rusty though it may be, this trophy-winning 1931 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan (a.k.a. “Hated”) raises the concept to a higher level. Its chassis and drivetrain were executed with great care and skill—proving that it takes more than a hatchet, a claw hammer, and a screwdriver to pull off a high-caliber rat rod.
The Z frame is custom built from scratch with quality welds throughout. Safety was fully taken into consideration. There are disc brakes up front, with a firewall-mounted dual reservoir master brake cylinder fitted with slinky-like copper-nickel coiled brake lines.
This is a pavement scraper. The roof is chopped six-and-a-half inches, the body is channeled three inches, and the patina is authentic. The Tudor sits on Firestone airbags, filled with a Viair 444c compressor and two-gallon air tank and controlled with a Little Larry’s manual valve body. It rides on 1935 Ford wire wheels wrapped with Coker/Firestone whitewalls. The headlights are Guide 628C units and the unique custom-built tail lights combine 1959 Cadillac lenses, 1934 Dodge housings, and 1950 Pontiac bezels.
With approximately 4,000 miles on the build, this beast was built to rock the roads.
Motivation is supplied by a 350 cubic inch Chevrolet V8, mated to a Turbo 350 automatic transmission, controlled by a 12-inch American Shifter. The small block is dressed up with finned components—valve covers, oil pan, and oil filter cover—and fed by a tri-power Offenhauser intake manifold, equipped with three two-barrel carburetors. Spent gasses exit through insulation wrapped open headers, just ahead of the front doors. A 12-bolt Chevy rear with 3.08 gears sends the power to the pavement.
The interior is functional and frill-free, with a dashboard that features a trio of tasty AutoMeter gauges (speedometer, oil pressure, and fuel level) along with a Braukmann gauge to monitor the suspension air pressure. The bomber-frame bench seat is upholstered in alligator print material. There’s a two-speed heater, but no air conditioning. The flip-out windshield and side windows are operational, as are the locking door handles. Dynamat insulation helps to reduce road noise and heat. Modern conveniences have not been forgotten, with the interior incorporating custom door handles, cup holders, interior lights, a cigarette lighter, and a phone tray. A vintage GMC steering wheel points it all in the right direction, while a Hornblasters Train Horn clears the way.
It took a year of love to build Hated. The quality shows through.
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