FrankenJeep

Oh yeah, I found some pictures of my arch nemesis, and mortal enemy: Kamikaze.

Now, he doesn’t know he is my mortal enemy, and it does not take up much of his time, but he will rue the day! No. Probably not.

But, does this not look familiar? A right hand drive, open wheeled, flat rod style vehicle with no top… And it was built in my own back yard!! Well, not literally, in my own back yard. This guy has his shop in Mesa, AZ. But that is only 20 minutes away.

Is it not funny? Life? I mean, here I am, a guy trying to “do his own thing”, and I take up an obscure project: a 1972 AM General Dispatcher Jeep – a right hand drive mail delivery vehicle, and I plan for it to become a rat rod. Why did I choose rat rod (excuse me – flat rod)? For the simple fact that I did not want to become another 4WD DJ. And, here we are, someone beat me to the punch! A RHD flat rod… of sorts.

I went to do more research on this guy, and I have seen other pictures of him. I must say, I do admire the workmanship. Not too shabby!

So, now that I have an arch nemesis, what will I do? Get some ideas, and build my rig. Just like I would have, before I found out I had a mortal enemy.

After all, I did get the original idea, sparked from Randy Ellis, in Phoenix (he made the green Army flat rod I showed you pictures of in Genesis – The Revelation). Besides, isn’t that what this whole hot rod / rat rod / custom / kustom scene is all about? Do what you like, and who cares what others think. Hopefully, your build will inspire others to come up with their own creative ideas, thus continuing the cycle, and keeping the spirit of building rods alive!

I mean, as long as you aren’t just finding old iron, and rolling it into a shop to have them do all of your work, from conception to completion as you write checks and sit back, saying “Look at what I have done!” I think, so what? Fuck ’em. Who cares what your rod looks like. Do you love it? That is all that matters. Do what makes you happy. Show what inspires you!

You want to put a V-Tech Honda motor into a ’32 Ford, do it! I don’t agree with it, but I have seen it done. I believe that it is the idea, others will interpret it differently, just ensure it brings you joy. Whether it be hot, rat, volks, flat, or traditional – build what makes you happy, and if someone else likes it, great. If not, oh well, I am sure there is a Porsche dealership nearby that they may drool all over the new Panamera Z. (Really guys? A four door Porsche? I am sure that Ferdinand Porsche is rolling in his grave right now. Or maybe not… what the hell do I know. I’m building a right hand steering, two-wheel drive, diesel powered, lowered Jeep on 33 inch tires!)

But, back to that point of, do it for you. Do not worry about what the other Joe is going to think about your build. After all, do you think he cares about your opinion?

And remember this: Just because you paint your car, truck, or van flat black… That does not make it a rat rod. When a guy spends $150k to have an old car “built”, and it happens to have a patina finish… It is not a rat rod!

In the most purest of terms, “Rat Rod” is simply “function before beauty“, meaning, take what you have, and make it work. You still need to actually put forth an effort, because life is not “Build a Car Reality Series“. You do not get paid commission, and there is no reason to put out shit, just in the name of “Rat”.

 

*Disclaimer: Kamikaze is not really my arch nemesis, I do not even know the guy, nor does he know me. I was looking for ideas on what to do with FrankenJeep, when I came across this. The fact that his rod is an open wheeled, roadster, with right hand drive is purely coincidental. The fact that it just so happens to be a Suzuki Samurai, is just mean irony. I hold no ill feelings toward this rod or its builder, and I hope to get FrankenJeep done in a fashionable time, enough to meet him in person. It would be fun to have these two vehicles side by side – mortal enemies, Jeep and Samurai.