Building A Rat Rod - What Tools You Will Need To Get The Job Done

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Your staring at your new Rat Rod project and are contemplating where to start. The question you should be asking yourself is do I have the tools to get the job done? Here's a brief outline of what you will need to complete most builds.

A basic set of hand tools is essential to doing anything on your Rat Rod, so if you don't have any, you at least need a set of wrenches and sockets. 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" drives and american sizes are sufficient enough. It's nice to have metric tools, but most of the older cars are american only. A good set of screwdrivers and a couple different hammers will help.

Every good Rat Rod build will most likely require some welding. Cutting and welding after all, it what makes these vehicles "custom." A small 110V welder is great for sheetmetal and some frame repairs. A 220V is better for heavier gauge metal, but is often larger and more expensive. For cutting, cut off tools, sawzalls, air saws, or even grinders with cut off discs. The greatest thing would be to have a plasma cutter, but they do not come too cheap, but if you have lots of cutting to do, it's not the wrong thing to do to ask and borrow one.

An air compressor is necessary to paint, run air tools, and even blow the dust off of a job. The bigger the better, but the price will obviously determine how big you want to go. If possible, locate it in another room so not to drive yourself crazy with the noise. Be sure to have a tank large enough to run a dual action sander. They consume a lot of air and in order for you to work steadily on your Rat Rod, you need to be able to store air.

Paint guns start at $50 and go up to $600. A decent gun can run about $200. Be careful where you spray as fumes and neighbors can cause problems. The optimum thing would be to rent a spray booth. This way you can see what you are painting, and keep the piece with the neighborhood while building your Rat Rod.

What we are trying to say here is that to do most of the work on your Rat Rod, some tools are necessary. Other specialty tools are optional and in time, you will find yourself making you own specialty tools to get the job done.

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Ford Mustang - The First Generation Models for Your Restoration Project

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1964 was the banner year that Ford Motors unveiled a new breed of car at the World's Fair in New York. With the belief that a small sports car would be the next hot ticket, Ford made strides to make it one of their automobiles. Understanding that true success would come with volume sales, a two-seat design was dropped and Ford introduced the 1965 Mustang based on the Falcon with numerous options to give buyers the opportunity to customize their purchase. At the base price of $2,320, the Mustang racked up over 22,000 in sales its first day, 417,000 in the first year and surpassed the one million mark in March of 1966. The attention was now on the pony car, and is the only class of muscle car that still exists today. The Ford Mustang is the only original pony car to remain in uninterrupted production.

1964?-1965

The first Mustang model, the early 65 or 64?, available as a coupe or convertible, featured a base 170 cubic inch six-cylinder engine with a three-speed floor shift transmission. Optionally a 260 cubic inch V-8 engine in addition to a four-speed manual transmission or three-speed automatic Cruise-O-Matic transmission was available. 1965 was also the debut of the Shelby GT350 Street, a high-performance Fastback 2x2 Mustang, featuring a modified K-code 289cid V8 engine with 306 hp. Engine replacements were made and are often referred to as late 1965 models, switching out the 170 cubic inch with a 200 cubic inch version with increased horsepower. The 260 cubic inch was replaced with a 289 cubic inch with 200 hp, with an optional four-barrel solid-lifter which produced 225 hp, or the "Hi-Po" which generated 271 hp.

Identifying an Early 1965 Mustang

An Early 1965 Mustang, or 1964? to enthusiasts, was built between March 9th and July 31st 1964. Identifying features are a factory-equipped generator starting system and a generator charge light (later 65 models used 'Alt' light), a 170 ci V6 (U-code), a 260 V8 (F-code), or a 289 V8 (D-code) engine, large horns mounted on the frame behind the radiator, a brake light pressure switch on the master cylinder, a two-speed heater with center 'off' switch, and the front hood features angled edges that are not folded which were modified in the later 1965 models to a rolled front edge. Another difference is that the passenger seat in the early 1965 models was in a fixed position.

1966-1968

Slight moderate changes to the 1966 Mustang were to the grille and wheel covers, along with a new instrument cluster and revised side scoops featuring chrome trim and three wind-splits. 1966 was also the year that the millionth Mustang was sold. Changes to the 1967 Mustang were major going for a more muscular and aggressive look and feel. Changes include a full Fastback roofline, longer nose, triple tail lamps, a wider chassis and bigger grille. The release of the Shelby GT500 with a 428 cubic inch V-8 with 355 hp was also in 1967. 1967 was also the last year the Ford block letting appeared across the front edge of first generation Mustangs (The lettering was re-added in 1974). 1968 saw the release of the 302 cubic inch V-8 engine to replace the older "Hi-Po", with a mid-year release of the 427 cubic inch engine, along with the 428 Cobra Jet engine aimed at racing enthusiasts. Front and back side markers and shoulder belts were also added to the 1968 model in accordance with Federal regulations, and this was the first year that the rear view mirror attached to the windshield instead of the frame.

1969

Body style changes in 1969 included a longer body for a more aggressive muscle car appearance. The title Fastback was dropped and Sportsroof was adopted. A new 302 cubic inch engine with more than 220 hp was released, and a 351 cubic inch Windsor generating 250 hp with a two-barrel carburetor or 290 hp with a four-barrel. Special-Edition Mustangs available in 1969 were the Boss 302, 429, Shelby GT350, GT500 and the Mach 1, all with performance engines.

1970-1973

Changes to the 1970 Mustang were minimal with only the addition of a ram air Shaker hood scoop. The 1971 model was a foot longer than earlier Mustangs making this the biggest Mustang and heaviest by 600 pounds. The Mach 1 was the only special edition Mustang to make the cut and remain in the line-up. 1972 saw no changes to the body style, while the Sprint model, featuring red, white, and blue exterior paint and tape styling was released. In 1973, the fuel shortage and newly introduced emissions standards brought an end to the muscle car era, designers moved away from the Falcon platform and discontinued the convertible.

This is seen as the end of the first generation Mustangs and what are now referred to as Classic Mustangs.

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More About the Honda Auto Accessories

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Honda cars are known for their unmatched performance, sleek looks, clean designs, attractive functions, sophisticated technology and much more. All over the world, the Honda cars are recognized as the superior range of the cars, which do not compromise on quality and offer the best to their customers. This is also the key to building long term relationship with their customers. Seldom will Honda auto owners whether they own a new Honda auto or an old one would exchange this brand for another. However, cars do get damaged due to the conditions of the roads, the humidity and other factors, which require effective maintenance regimes to sustain the productivity of the cars.

The different accessories for the cars are available in the markets, which will help the cars in curbing the effects of the damage caused due to the various reasons. One of the most popular car accessories in the world, are the Honda auto accessories that can be obtained through the genuine retails, workshops and the dealer offices, established in the various parts of the world. However for those living in the areas, where they do not have the access to the complete range of Honda accessories the World Wide Web, is the apt platform to manage their procurement through, in a smooth manner. Since the Honda car-accessories offer durability and functionality, they are preferred even by the car owners who do not own a Honda car.

When opting for the basic auto accessories for your Honda car, one has versatile and numerous options to select from. Even the car accessories like the floor mat for the Honda cars are available in a number of shades and hues, with variety in texture and material that offer, complete protection for the interior of the car and are extremely easy to wash and clean. When buying the Honda car mats for cars other than the Honda, make sure that they fit the space of the car. Even the dash board trims of the Honda autos can be matched to the colors of the Honda floor mats, to give a revamped and comfortable look to the interior of the car.

Selecting accessories like the dashboard trims will help lessen the damaging effects of sunlight and humidity from deteriorating the car. One can look for the Honda auto accessories to buy the perfect one that best matches their needs and the preference in style, without the fear of spending on these accessories frequently from time to time as the Honda autos accessories offer premium quality for their users all over the world.

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Two Best Used Hyundai Cars

Classic Cars The leading source for self Two Best Used Hyundai Cars. Free self Automotive Classic Cars resources. Includes sites related to self Classic Cars you can access from here!

Hyundai is the second largest carmaker in India. Presently 30 variants of Hyundai passenger cars are running on the roads of India. The company always tries to bring modernity through looks and technology. Presently, the demand of Hyundai cars are also increasing in the Indian used vehicle market. Among the people also Hyundai is the most preferred brand when it comes to buying cars. In India many people who can't afford the new car then they go for the used cars.

In used Hyundai cars section the top most selling cars in India are used Hyundai accent car and used Hyundai Santro. If anyone is thinking of buying the used Hyundai cars the first car comes in our mind is Santro. In India Santro has made its remarkable position in the market. Santro has beaten all the sale records and become the number one small car in India. The main attributes of this car are its excellent keep up, good fuel efficiency, amazing engine performance.

A good and well maintained used Hyundai Santro is embedded with all same features with all luxurious accessories as you get in new Santro car like bigger and brighter clear headlamps, smiling radiator grille, power operated rear windows with child lock, instrument cluster rear parcel shelf. In simple words we can say that one can get all luxury in one small car. In used Hyundai car all six variants of Santro Xing are available such as XK Non AC, XK, XL, XO, and AT.

Used Hyundai accent is the second preference car in the used Indian car bazaar. The car are designed with latest technology and advanced engineering techniques. It is available in both petrol as well as diesel variants and also now it's available in LPG variant. The used Hyundai accent car is also embedded with the all classy interiors and exteriors. Both used Hyundai cars are well to buy and require low maintenance cost and also best for the Indian roads.

By Surfing different websites you can get the full information on used Hyundai cars. It covers all the relevant details about various Hyundai models, its key features, engine capacity and lots more. This is the one of the best place where you can get a used Hyundai model of your taste and budget.

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How To Build Your Rat Rod Your Way

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So you have seen hundreds, even thousands of pictures of Rat Rods and you have had enough of ideas and you decide to build what you want in a Rat Rod. Here's a couple of ways to get some ideas flowing for your Rat Rod.

Everybody seems to have the idea of flat black and steel wheels with baby moon hubcaps. There is nothing wrong with going with a flat metallic silver or a flat metallic maroon. Using full moon hubcaps give it the "salt flats" look, and actually makes it look a bit sleeker, without taking away the Rat Rod look.

Engines and Transmissions are readily available. If you want to be able to drive your Rat Rod year round, there is nothing wrong with aftermarket fuel injection. Just disguise it a bit so the wiring is not so obvious. Use some metal conduit or other sheathing to run wires through. Hide computers and electronics under the dash. Electronic transmissions are not readily spotted as they sit under your ride.

Interiors are always another topic for argument. Most Rat Rods have no interior and have the most basic "boat" type of seat. There is nothing wrong will a full interior, just keep it relevant. I would not have a rolled and pleated interior with bright vibrant colors. Mexican ponchos are great to wrap around or even to glue to existing interior parts. The fit the bill perfectly for your Rat Rod.

Add-ons and customization is where many people's opinions are different. Swapping out dashboards from other year vehicles is cool, but some want to keep their Chevy all Chevy. This is a matter of personal opinion. Same goes with headlights and taillights. Fenders and body work is best swapped with similar years as putting a fifties fender on a thirties car would look a bit funny. Use common sense here. Just because it looks old and ratty doesn't make it a true Rat Rod.

Windshields and roofs are a matter of driveability as well. Local bar hopping is ok if you chop the roof and windshield. Only the die hard Rat Rodders drive them state to state. Removable hard tops are optimum, but some experience is necessary to cut off a roof and make it bolt-able. It's not too hard, but you should have knowledge of welding and metal fabrication.

What all this means is that variety is the way to go when building your Rat Rod. Take note of what people say, but you determine what the final outcome of your ride will be.

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Buy Vintage VW Parts That Are Available - Some Require Repair

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Anyone who has repaired and or restored Vintage VW Beetles and Karmin Ghias, knows that they disassemble easily. The "peoples car" was designed for easy repair and restoration. The car can be disassembled down to it's chassis fairly easily. If the goal is to restore the car to original or better condition, your restorer will have to deal with some rust. The most typical problem areas are the galleys that channel heat from the heat exchangers into the cab and onto the windshield to defrost and defog during bad weather.

The galleys are problematic because they are the only source of heat, and windshield protection. If the galleys are perforated from rust and corrosion, the holes will bleed off the warm air being blown into the car from the engine. They are also difficult to access, unless you remove the floor panels. Attributable to the thoughtful design of vintage VW parts, the floor boards are separate removable parts. If the galleys of your car are rusted through, it is likely the floor boards are perforated as well, and should be replaced. Once they are removed, access to the interior side of the heat galleys, is more convenient. The repair is truly dependent upon your goals for the car. If you are restoring to show quality, you will need to repair metal with metal by cutting out the corroded sections, and welding into place new metal. If you are looking for a quick less involved repair, fiber glass can be a good solution for repairing holes in the galleys, since they will not be particularly visible.

If you decide to replace corroded metal with clean metal, be aware that the welding process will expose metal to accelerated rusting, if rust protection is not applied. There are several methods for applying rust protection, and it is important to remember that the galleys will be passively transporting heat into the car so it is important to rust proof with compounds that will not contribute chemicals, and odors into the air stream.

Spray application using a wand will effectively manage rust protection. There are products now available that are non toxic but very effective at stopping and preventing rust. Coating the complete interior surface of the galleys is a good idea because the continual hot, cold environment of the galley interior is a rust haven.

Short driving trips can pump warm air into very cool galleys causing condensation. Unless the galleys reach full operating temperature they will condense moisture on the inside, especially in winter. The nature of the heating system, deriving the heat energy from exhaust heat exchangers having air forced over the cooling fins to first cool the exhaust manifolds, and secondarily heat the interior, and defrost the windshield, makes condensation inside the galleys impossible to prevent during cold weather and short trips. Therefore it is critical that rust prevention inside the repaired galleys be effective.

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Mahindra Xylo

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Cars are known to flaunt and represent an individual style statement. Mahindra is a famous brand that is seen growing by leaps and bounds by introducing automobile models one after the other. It is a popular Indian brand that has gown to heights since decades.

This was a company, previously associated with tractors and jeeps and catered to the rural segment, but today it has evolved into India's leading auto manufacturing company having its products on the top such as Scorpio, which is India's highest selling SUV.

Talking about the next striking car models introduced by this brand, we have the new Mahindra Xylo. This is a simple yet ultimate MUV (Multi Utility Vehicle) that has set Indian market on fire. Enwrapped with best features, and adequate power, this car model is competitively priced. Xylo sports a powerful 112 bhp mEagle, which is very smooth, and is coupled by 2498 cc engine cruises from 0 to 60 in 5.8 secs. It has a dual pilot injection that helps drivability of this vehicle in a major way. Further, it has a slight body roll which is observed with the Xylo and is not an issue unless one likes driving rashly through the corners.

Taking into account the comfort & convenience, you can think to buy Mahindra Xylo as it has scored really high on these grounds. It is much talked about its flat-bed seats which are extremely comfortable to rest in the car. Further, its tilt-steering and ergonomically designed seats along with 3-position lumbar support are set really good that make it a favorable car model suited for long drives. It has a foldable flight-tray, under-seat storage and the ambient lamps that impart it a luxurious feel.

How can one forget to mention its advanced Digital drive assist system that shows the current speed, gear information pattern, instantaneous mileage pattern, internal & external temperature and humidity and the distance that has been covered before one run out of fuel. This car has served a genuine care to its passengers as it has ABS due to which the wheels don't get locked up, and one doesn't lose steering control, while hitting brakes.

Mahindra car price is set reasonable is affordable as compared to other car prices. So, if you are looking for an advanced, powerful, spacious car and holds a shoe string budget, Mahindra Xylo is the best option to freeze.

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