The goal for this project was to take a 60 year old Farm Truck and make it into a reliable running pickup, while adding a few hidden updates along the way. This 1956 Ford F100 was extremely solid; it had been repainted in 1981 and looked to have some mechanical repairs along the way. The […]
Custom Aluminum Rolled Pan to Replace Stock Bumper on 1953 Pontiac Chieftain
March 7, 2015 by
How to Fabricate a Kustom Rolled Pan aka “Roll Pan” for a 50’s Passenger Car Bumpers are one of those things that everyone sees first when they look at a car. From the factory they stick out a mile and take hours of fabrication and modification to make them fit in a manner that reflects […]
Pancaking the Roof on a 1957 Chevy
November 12, 2014 by
For many “chopping the top” is the pinnacle of coolness, and proof that you’ve built a real Hotrod or Kustom. As much as I love a good chop, it’s not always what the car needs, and that’s the key (in my opinion) to a perfect build. You should do what the car needs to be […]
Custom Power Steering Reservoir, Coolant Overflow and Brake Fluid Reservoirs
July 24, 2014 by
Whether you’re upgrading the original engine in your Model-A Ford, dropping a big block Chevy in your Deuce Coupe or swapping in a radical modern engine into your 60’s muscle car, if you’re working in the engine compartment, the devil is always in the details. Sure the engine placement and transmission angle are key considerations, […]
Building a Custom “Z’d” Frame for a 1953 Pontiac Chieftain with Camaro Suspension
May 10, 2014 by
Blending an original 50’s frame with modern suspension for a low ride height, while maintaining safety and performance – all on a budget! When building any car from the 50’s the first thing you notice is the ride height, these things had the road clearance of a modern day 4×4 and if you could only […]
Hot Rod Rust Repair on a 1953 Pontiac Chieftain
April 28, 2014 by
Removing the rotted edge on a ’53 Pontiac hood and repairing with a hand made piece Sheet-metal modifications are the glamorous side of building a custom car. While they usually get the most “ooohs” and “ahhhs” they still account for only a fraction of the metal work involved on a Custom build like this ’53 […]
Chop Top Complete
February 8, 2014 by
“What’s the chop look like?” and “How’s the ’53 project coming’” have been common questions lately so I thought it’s time to address them. With the roof successfully lowered, and stretched the 2 1/8″ to get the roofline we’re looking for, you can finally see the finished product. The “A”, “B” and “C” pillars have […]
Fabricating the World’s Coolest Fantasy Football Trophy
December 22, 2013 by
So, like every other dude on earth I play in a Fantasy Football league, our’s happens to be called the “Outcast League.” We’re just days away from crowning our inaugural champion, and we’ve got no trophy. I couldn’t bring myself to buy a cheap plastic thing on a wooden base, so I headed out to […]
Dayton Hot Rod Fabricator – Custom Aluminum Fender Fabrication
December 8, 2013 by
I was recently asked to build a set of free-floating fenders for an extremely unique vehicle. The request was for “lightweight, aluminum fenders for a Subaru powered rear engine race car to be considered street legal.” Challenge accepted. Since there were budget and timing considerations I decided to simplify the design from past fenders which […]
Window Channeled
August 13, 2012 by
Creating a Custom Window Channel for a Chop Top 50’s Pontiac Now that the “A”, “B” and “C” pillars have been fully fabricated and welded, the next step is to create the custom window channel for my 1949 Pontiac glass to fit a 1953 opening. Some would say the next logical step is to create […]
