Brian's RotRod

Steinegger & Eshenbaugh Car Show

Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:35:00 -0500

9:00 am nothing to do : ( So I go to cruzin arizona.com and look to see if I can find something happening on my day off. Wouldn't you know theres show just a few miles down the road! I grab the kids and my camera then head out the door. The kids scream "were are we going"????? I tell today is national bring your kid to a car show day...."yea write" they reply. Well were going any way.

I have to say I was glad I went. The demand of our work day 6:00 am to some times 6:30 pm and my growing family, I have to admit I don't always want to work on my own projects (or should really Jason's cars that I just slide to side and hopefully get away with) yet alone go to car shows every weekend. But the weather was great and it was time for some car insperation. When I got out of my truck I instantly felt like a 8 year old at the foot of Disney Lands front gate. Anticipation is fueling my body to get close the smell of hot rod exhaust, chrome, and all other great stuff car show have to share. I came around the corner it was pretty quite with maybe 20 cars and most of the people there seemed to know each other pretty well as they all complimented each other on there projects and talk horse-power and muscle. I made my way threw my first run, as I always try to make a quick pass before I take photos, and realize "wow theres not that much here"? But just then it was like an earthquake shacking the ground and the most awesome scene when all these hot rods come around the corner almost as if it was scene in a movie were, the sound of the custom exhaust could distroy your ear drums ( but in good way) pulled in 1 by 1. A tall gentleman ( I was assuming the head guy of the show) just stop up, waved his hand in the air and it was like he done this a hundreds of times, and every one parked perfectly were they needed be with no confusing. I was like ok they had to have practice that at a parking lot some were cause that was just to easy. But engines died hand shacks were given and they spectators got a closer look, so did I.

It turns out that show was to help get the team from Steinegger & Eshenbaugh to Bonnyville to set a new speed record. Man I have always heard about Bonnyville and I need to attend, any one want to give me ride? As I started to walk around I heard a distant voice come on to the p.a and give a few words about the event and also to invite every one to come into there workshop and take a look around....I didn't hesitate at all. Man what cool place. Everything you need to build something fast! Not to mention the history hanging on there wall of all the years they have competed in racing, all the old photos, I mean I got to stand in same spot were magic was made. The spectators were treated to a cool little extra as ( I can only guess) that one of the team members all decked out in there drag gear get in to one of the 4 drag cars they out on display, get into the car and starts it up. Let me tell you it was loud! But it was the coolest thing, they almost made it appear as if you were in the pits of some drag coarse with them as they were getting ready for race, they made some fine tune adjustments and best all, let the motor roar its it growl for all to enjoy.... it was cool. So a hot dog for D, some chips and soda for girls, I got my camera in hand at started to take photos. All in all it was a small show but I kind of like better then some of the larger ones I have been to cause I got take in more of each car and what it had to offer then just walk by and take photo thing. Then I got to hang out with a few of the owners and talk about the cars and come to find out, a few are our customers. So all in all it was great show and I (not sure about the kids) had a great time!

Enjoy the pics.

Final Chapter to great build

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:47:00 -0500

This is the last entry for old Nasty Nancy. The build is done....what, are they ever really done? Lets face it. There is nothing better for us car guys/ladies that don't have million dollar restorations to tear apart a car in a weekend just to put it back....there our toy's So the end or should I just say a new start we had a lot fun. All the crew here had there hands in on this and I can for one that building something really gets every one motivated on there own build that Im sure our next build (32 Ford) will not see the day of light for some time. But it's only time write?

Here are the specs

39' Chevy truck cab and chassis. Cab was chopped 6" frame "Z" in front and rear, then shorten 50" and then boxed

Rear axle: From 78 Granada, rear suspension is custom ladder bars with coil over shocks

Front suspension: is from a 94 Ferio....fit like glove

Interior: seat was made from a roof out of a 58 Ford 4dr bent to perfection or at least out butts, dash is from a 38-9 Linc, Speed-o is from a 65' Wildcat and the oil n temp guages are from a 65 T/bird

The shifter was custom made from just random metal found in the yard.

Motor: 68 Camaro 302cui, tranny turbo 350. After market intake with 4bc carb, headers were hand made from just flat stock steel.

Paint: Mother Natures best.....rust!

Misc: Bed floor is from a 64 GM station wagon, fuel is from a 72 VW, gas tank straps....this is good. A Mexican style belt found in some random car : )

Well thanks for reading and posting comments. This is my first blog and I still don't know what heck I'm doing but I will be trying to do more soon. So much changed around here. We have so many new cars, new employees and the owner is filming a TV showing airing soon on Discovery channel

so there is plenty to blog about.

~B~

Just a little of the top

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 16:07:00 -0400

So much has changed since the last time we have updated the blog. The tv show is going great but we haven't much time for anything else. Trust me, a reality show isn't all that easy..... or at least Dog the Bounty Hunter sure can make it look easy.

Back on track. We took a little of the top of Nancy and this is the story.

First, we had to decide on how "much" of a chop we wanted to do, then how to do "it". It seems every one we talk to knows how to do a chop but the inconsistencies in the "how to" were so off that we weren't sure which direction to go. So once again we gave Mr Kerkle a call and just as always he came down to the yard to give us a lesson in hot-rodding. Some times when he comes down and starts teaching us the things he knows..... its like reading the Rodders Journal or even watching the Speed Channel..... the knowledge never ends and this guys knows everything. But the best part is he doesn't just tell us he makes us do it!

So after a little deliberation amongst us dogs we said OK lets cut it up. First we agreed on a 6" chop. So we found a square piece of metal (6") made our marks, and cut away. At first I was really nervous cause this cab we have been hanging onto was perfect and here we are cutting into it like it's a piece of chocolate cake. Cutting, grinding, pulling....it wasn't nice to watch. but after the few, almost heart attach's, the roof was off.

With the roof off we cut the center of the roof skin out knowing the roof size would change as we "lowered" it into the new chopped position and we wanted to maintain the nice arch the roof had from the factory. We also cut on each side of the roof dead center so really we have 4 parts to the roof that looked like an unsolvable puzzle.

Next we made a few "pie cuts" on the back glass area on both the roof on the pillars cause the metal needed to stretch a bit. A few tac welds were made along the joining areas and the moc up was done. Once we have the back lined up we found out the same "pie cuts" are needed in the front pillars as well to force them down a tiny bit. It all worked out and Tommy Tom spent a few days on the finishing welds to make everything what it is.

Once the joing areas were done, we moved to the roof skin. Here we have a sun roof for a top which wasn't to attractive but we found a donar roof to cut from, 1948 Ford truck. Although it wasn't a Chevy it was 100% radius and size???? It worked perfectly. This was the hardest part of the job just due to the fact that the area that was in need of welding was such a large are and we didn't to warp the skin. But after a few days here and there Tom nailed it out and the chop was done.

The next step was chopping the doors. This went pretty quick. We needed a few inches from another set doors to compensate the strecth but over the doors went toghter with out any hitch. I might add just in case readers want to know, we welded the door shut during the process to insure geometry wouldn't change due to the roof being cut off, a tip given to us by Mr Kerkle that paid off big time....man would that have been a mess if we didnt do : )

New BlogEntry

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 11:30:00 -0400

Change of mind: We were going to do the front suspension but we went to exhaust for a change of pace. Brian isn't to keen on the norm so we set out to come up with something odd. After getting with the "T", and lots of advise from Tom, Andy and Kris the blue prints were made (marker on cardboard).

First the crew rounded up some old header's found off in the back cars and trucks in which T started to cut into smaller pieces. He then cut out a template that Brian drew from cardboard and put together the main port which is flat and square. After a few adjustment T just started putting together the pieces that he cut into the shapes and flow design he wanted. Then end result ( 18 hours later) was pretty cool we all thought. It's sits pretty low and looks load and mean, we can understand why custom headers cost so much.....what a lot of work, but T gets look at them and say that was all me....and some card board : )

Dvap Arizona Junk Yard

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:52:00 -0400

Dear Diary, to play catch up Im going to update today about where we are at, Arizona....198 degrees! After avoiding spontanouse combusten and 3rd degree burns from leaving our tools out, we were able to get done both axle placment and installation. The facts. REA is from a 78 Grandad 8" and we also used "ladderbar" from another truck out in the yard. Why? Because it was the easy to get it and it was the closet to the dim's we needed for the Rat.

We have the truck on some what of a square rig, and we made all the needed measurement and guess, then started to cut, weld all the fun stuff. Note to self, for the next project have your rea axle assy and front suspension picked out before cutting the frame : ). Since the "ladder bars" came off some sort of late model truck we had to make our own brackets from attaching them to axle housing as well as the frame. This wasn't to hard but we still have some finsih work along the welds to do there. We my self and self other were fighting for room on that project the other guys were cutting and putting the needing metal box in the rear of the frame. We were told to do this for added strength, after few carb board templets were made that went pretty quick.

Next we will get the front end, which is 98 Ferio?

Venture of Dvap's First Rat Rod Build the "Nasty N"

Thu, 13 May 2010 07:00:00 -0400

Well here we go, my very first blog. Will any one follow? Will any one read? Not sure but I wont let that stop me from trying something new after all isn't that what life is about? Let me start the blog by saying those of you who do know who we are and what we are about will know that at heart we are hobbyist in the industry's and we love what we do, but we are not one for the whole new "social networking" thing (i.e., facebook, myspace) but we are.....social networking..... go figure, something new.

Now about this blog 'Brian's Rat Rod" Brian and his crew have been bugging us to allow them to build something from the yard, so when they came up with a "rat rod" we had know idea what they were talking about. When explain that (in a nut shell) it's something that looks un-safe and is rusty, this just flat out made no sense to me at all. Then the owner went to Hot August Nights in Reno and brought pictures from that event and things took off from there. We had a lot of help from both customers (the "judge") and other out side sources but the most import guy in this was Mr. Kerkle. He pretty much walk us threw every step, from tear down to chop he was there and he made us do it all. Everything you will see threw out this build was used from the yard, our yard. The only thing new was the drive line, wiring harness, dyno matt, materials, bulb replacements, and misc hardware. I have first give you the rules that were laid down by the law (Jason McClure Preston esquire the III).

1. You can use anything in the yard ONLY if it has been here for more the 4 years

2. DVAP will not spend a dime!

3. All work has to be done of the clock ( I snuck in a few hours in there...shhhhhh!)

4. Its for sale when it is finished : (

With this guidelines but aside, the game was one. I will start by sharing what it was that we started with and go from there....

The project, after finding something that has been here that long wasn't easy most, complete projects don't last but a few months before some one buys it up, but we managed to get up to our north yard in Black Canyon City were we had a 1939-40 Chevy P/U that has been in that yard since I was a kid...I'm old, trust me. Some sort history: The owner's father started his first antique wrecking yard in the 80's at this location in which one of the employees was Mr. Kerkle who sold this truck Ron way back then ( I didn't learn this until afterwards so I will go into detail later) which was pretty intact with the exception that some one cut off the rear spring hanger....not to big of a deal I thought, so on a tow truck it went and brought to the yard to start tear down. The above picture is our model just before we started to take it apart. Please note; no animals were harmed during the process.

My Hot Rod

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:35:00 -0500

Almost done.