saicow

So...I already have a moderately modded TCM xB with an art-house/comfort-cruiser/slight-VIP look (Tein H, 4 Konis, 15" flat black 5 spoke Rotas and black lugs with 195-70-15 Goodyear Comfort Treads, intake, strut, cruise, Webasto ragtop, permanent satin black roof rails, satin black painted alloy RS 2 grille, Ichiko headlights painted TCM, stoplight style tail lights, in dash touch screen for PC, infared backup cam, subwoofer, Zeta storage armrest, custom fitted charcoal sheepskins, lots of interior customizing like hand woven uniquely designed carpets, custom made trick AT handle, silver foil and lacquer center console, JDM crystal AC *****, hand made silk curtains, rear seat removed and maple wood floor installed with another custom made carpet over that and more...)

anyway....I want to make another style xB (and keep the one describe above) from a salvage xB - turn it into a true Rat Rod styled rig (but still comfortable, economical and safe)....so....I was thinkin' with $5000. for a (rear hit) salvage xB and another $5-7,000 or so I could make a nice-n-rough "Open Deck" style xB.....

cut that back out and make a bed leaving a nice closed space behind the front seats, eliminating the rear doors....
doing some metal work and then using wood to make the bed and trim the whole thing out...
the bed gate and bumper (leaving the underneath structure intact) could be fashioned/covered with wood also....do the same to the front bumper to match.....
mke the fender wells much larger to accomodate bigger wheels and tires (no ricey low profile rubber, but fatter old school looking wheel/tire combo....
maybe work out some open cockpit roof idea with canvas/wood panels or just as huge a subroof as possible for the front......
paint the whole car "Satin" flat black...
and totally modify the interior to be stylishly rough - whatever that means.....
not high gloss finishing throughout the car, but rather matte/metal/wood/nuts-n-bolts.....

the resulting xB has a much higher profile (which no one has ever done to my knowledge) with a usable truck bed (albeit a tiny one ala the Open Deck model)....looking mean and truly original but retaining all the original attributes (OK - it will handle differently being higher with larger wheels/tires, but in a fun way I think)...far from Monster Truck, rather.....Rat Rod meets small pick up meets econo-box meets......whatever....

Anybody have specific ideas that could go with the above plan? I would greatly appreicate any workable suggestions to apply toward the project......mucho gracias in advance....B-ford

hotbox05

it's be cool. i'd like to make an xB truck with like suicide mini rear doors and a back seat that got moved forward. and then have a mini bed leftover. sounds like a plan man

Sid_xBicious

thats a very cool idea. but you do know what ratrod means right? its like making a car runs without spending or a little expense on the car, and doing everything on the car by the owner, sometimes gettho job as long as the car runs. at least thats what one ratrodder once told me.

bBlover

sounds good

Max

I like the idea. Since you are tearing apart the entire rear end, and a wrecked one will be pretty damaged, why not extend the thing a foot or 2? Not just adding it behind the wheels, but extending the wheelbase.

bB2NER

GothBox already has a Rat Rod style xB. It's Chalk Board Black with red steelies and white wall tires.

grizzly_choppers

Hmmm, lots of work there and I'm not sure how it will turn out.

One thing to remember is that a wrecked xB will probably run closer to $8K and THEN you will need to fix whatever is wrecked (most in the junkyards will be front end collisions and the rear enders will likely need major suspension work). It MAY be cheaper in the end to simply start with a higher mile used one off of ebay or something and go from there.

Maybe one like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004-...QQcmdZViewItem

I would expect that to get around $12K and it wouldn't need ANYTHING! Then you can get hack happy and go for this:



Good Luck!

-Alex

RTon20s

I was going to say that if you really want a "rat rod" build the real deal. You can get away for thousands less, and end up with a much nicer, "truer" vehicle on the end.

Just start searching your local area for a set of frame rails and a cab/body. That is really all you need to start. Everything else can be found eventually. And the beauty of a "rat rod" is that it doesn't all have to be one make or model. Get what you can, where you can, and slap it together. What matters in the end is "the look." You can spend a $100k on a custom hot rod and have people tell you it looks like crap if you don't get it right. "The look" has nothing to do with what you spend.

All you have to do is get the stance a proportions right. And I'll tell you right now, it is something you will be hard pressed to do with a wrecked, or even used xB.

As an example I just saw an old 20s Nash in a magazine over the weekend that looked perfect. You want to know what it was powered by? An old (70s or 80s) TOYOTA inline 4! And it looked sweet. You could build yourself a pristine "rat" for well under $5k. Juts be patient and learn who the right people to talk to are in your area.

I was actually trying to get a '29 Dodge to swap the drive train out of my wrecked '65 Chrysler into, but it sold a couple days before I call on it. Including the purchase of BOTH cars I could have had a big block powered '29 for under $4k!

saicow

my idea was to do an xB - Rat Rod version....not just any combo of body, drivetrain, etc.....

why? Because I lOVE my xB and its economy, reliability, safety (air bags, etc.) that aint in no "real Rat Rod" no way never....so - the perfect result I feel is taking both concepts and putting them into a blender......

then it becomes something else....for example, I have always liked the Open Deck model and the Rat Rod look....

yeah, will it be an actual credible down and dirty old school backyard spit and glue Rat Rod?...no...and that's ok with me....

it will be unique, fun and practical too....we'll see, eh?

RTon20s

I highly contest your comment that a "rat rod" can not be economical, safe and reliable.

First, lets look at economy. To begin with, they are way cheaper to build than what you are proposing. Insurance will likely be significantly cheaper because whatever you build will be so old. And you can build a rod that performs well and still sips gas. Just look at the example I listed above of the Toyota powered Nash.

Then there is safety. A custom built car has as much safety as you put into it. Sure you probably won't have airbags. But you can install seat belts and provide yourself with excellent braking and steering to help avoid accidents in the first place.

Lastly we have reliability. Rods can be reliable as the day is long. Bottom line is that the reliability of a car is what the builder makes it. I would bet that that Toyota powered Nash is dang near bullet proof. It could run strong for over 200,000 miles and get 30 mpg while doing it. The same could be said for just about any motor and transmission choice. And the beautiful thing is that you probably have something that can be fixed on the side of the road with a couple of hand tools if something should ever go wrong. Try doing that with your hacked up xB's 64 bit ECU.

Now this isn't to say you shouldn't build what you want. It is your money and your car. That is the beauty of customizing in this country. We are pretty much free to build whatever we want. Build what you like and be happy with it. Just don't be surprised when folks like me use our freedom of speech to voice our opinions.

saicow

Yo...we be on the same page.....RTon20s....I liked your opinion...really....and you had a good point as I said in the previous post....

Rat Rod is a recent phrase anyway....so a precise definition aint going to be easy, right? they were called Hot Rods before....

I am just "borrowing" the phrase to descibe a look that I happen to love...flat primer colors...cannibalized cars....wide white walls....exagerrated features....etc.

and simply applying the look in my own way to a very unlikely candidate...a newer xB instead of piecing together what you described before (which sounds very cool indeed!) and for sure cheaper in the long run - your suggestion is....

but it aint no xB....

so there you go....da proof is in the finished project, right? It might sing and it might flop....one fun funky experiment from my view.......

SO...any specific suggestions for the project anyone???....B

singleshot

Hot rod, Rat rod...lol....

Rat, refering to the big block chevy motors of the late 50's all the way to present day... Rat Fink.. Ole Ed Roth
see:
http://www.edroth.com/Main_menu.html

Mouse motor.. small block chevy

The phrase rat rod has been around for decades depending on what group you are hanging out with.

I think your idea rocks.. If you can find one, go for it.. Why go mainstream? who gives a crap what other think and their opinion of your idea. It's yours.. don't stray

A square box has tons of potential because it can be formed to any shape you want.

Now if it was my dream... I'd build a chassis for it, cut the cab off a foot behind the drivers seat, close it off and have a custom fab'd mid-20's truck bed built for it. Just as square as the box itself. Then I'd find the hottest v-6 I could find stuff it in there, cut and channel the floor for a 6 speed tranny and make it a rear wheel drive....

In the mean time, I jerk every last bit of computerized crap out of the dash. Mount some autometer halfmoon gauges in the billit aluminum dash board that replaced all that plastic creeky crap. Actually have the speedo behind steering wheel where it belongs. And for the final touch... a 6 inch tach attached to steering column with a hose clamp.

Then I'd paint it flat black primer (always keep a can handy for touch-ups)

but that is my dream...lol...

Go for it man..

singleshot

RTon20s

Personally, I have never cared for the term rat rod. They are hot rods just like any other hot rod. The only difference is budget really, and personal style choice.

Now if I were to try and apply hot rod principals to an xB, and go for the look you described, here is how I would tackle it. (Very similar to what Singleshot suggested.)

Step one, which is always step one is chassis. You already have a body to work with. I would build a whole new frame from 2x3 square tubing using front suspension and a rear end from an early 90s Toyota pick up. If it were a more traditional build I would say Mustang II front end with a Ford 9". But hey, Scion is Toyota by heritage, so let's stick with it. You might even be able to save some time by picking up an old Toyota pick up with a wrecked body cheap. You could source your rear end and suspension, and maybe even the motor. You could even save money by using the stock frame and just doing a sub-frame in the rear.

And for the right look you have to suspend your suspension with air bags. The nice thing is that the Toyota truck suspension lends its self to this task quite easily. And you can use a 4 link to hang the rear end out back with bags back there as well.

Then you have to think about how you want to power this Frankenstein. You could go the easy route and pull that 4 banger from the pick up you sourced. Those 22R engines respond quite well to build ups. Or you could get really crazy and hunt down one of the straight 6s they used to use in the old Toyota Land Cruisers. Essentially it was a metric version of the old GM straight 6. Tons of torque and lots of potential there as well. Your choice of transmission would probably hinge on your choice of engine, but I would say a manual is essential.

So now you've got this chassis laying flat on the ground and looking sweet. You also have a 5 lug bolt pattern which opens your wheel choices up significantly. Nice thing is the lug pattern matches up perfectly to the old Ford "small 5" pattern. Hello old school steelies with baby moons, trim rings and wide whites. Now how in the world are you going to make your wrecked xB fit on this chassis? The wheel base is way longer, and there is no way that motor will fit under the hood.

Step two, locate the position of the "cab" for your new truck. If it was me, I would build a two door with a little extra room. I would essentially remove the back doors and mover the quarter windows from the rear right up behind your front doors. Of course you are going to have to fabricate the entire back of your cab, and choose a window. The nice part is, most if that "wall" will be hidden by your bed. Don't forget to roll some beads in there for strength.

So now you have your cab located, and a back wall built, lets hang the core support so you can mount your headlights, grill, bumper and fenders. Oops, that's right. Those fenders will never work. No matter which motor you chose, you need longer fenders to get all the way back to the cab. Time to order a second set and start cutting and splicing.

Once that is finished you have an xB with a long front end a squished body and half a chassis for a tail hanging out the back. So how do you build the bed? However you want. But since the stock Scion body shape is so simple, I would just duplicate it on a brake. And make the top of the bed match the top brake (body line) of the cab. In the rear your options are limitless as well, but I would just match the bedside profile. Keep in mind you are going to have to fabricate wheel wells as well. Tail light options are up to you. But I would try and stick with the Toyota heritage. Something old and clean if I could.

And while you are at all of that fabricating, you know you can't run those cheap plastic stock skirts right? So what to do? Oh yeah, body drop the whole chassis so you don't need them! Same goes for the front. Lay that stock bumper without the lip flat on the ground. If you don't like that look, you can always fabricate your own custom bumper from sheet metal.

Then you can mount your fuel cell under your stained wood slat bed floor. I did mention the stained wood slat bed floor right? Well you have to hide that chassis work some how. And then, just for good measure, you have got to chop the top. We can't have you running around in something THIS CUSTOM and have the wrong proportions. With those ugly skirts gone, somewhere around 3"-4" should be about right.

Then all you have to do is your interior. You could keep the stock dash if you like. But clean it up, smooth it out and paint it to match your exterior. Swap the stock speedo out with something like the Tetra series from Classic Instruments and mount the additional gauges to the right of your speedo. Throw in a nice bench seat with either white tuck and roll or a mexican blanket and door panels to match and you are ready to roll. Pretty much anyway.

Not bad for only a couple years worth of work. You'll have the most unique, head turning xB ever built.