Rude and Crude

Josh and I have been working on this pick up for the last year and a half. Growing up in my Southern Minnesota hometown was like growing up on the set of "American Graffiti". The downtown main street was called Broadway and it was 3-4 miles long. On the south end was the A&W and a perfect place to turn around and cruise back north on Broadway. At the north end was a park and a turn around to head back south to the A&W and you get the picture. People out cruising looking for some fun. There were a handful of stoplights interspersed on Broadway and this made perfect conditions for streetlight drags. Not real high speed because it was only a block to the next light and it was red so stopping was as important as going. One time two friends, Bob and Ronnie were at the stoplight revving their motors and doing brake locks because both cars had slush boxes, automatic trannies, not the very desirable 4 speed rock crushers. Ronnie was staring at Bob when the light turned green and Bob took off and Ronnie took his foot off the brake and punched it. Ronnie had forgotten the VW in front of him and climbed right up it's back. Ronnie also thought he was invisible if he turned his lights off at night and drove by moon light. There were 3 major car clubs in town, The Ram Rods, oldest and most elite, The Scavengers, the coolest cars and guys and chicks, The Ventures because there wasn't room in the Ram Rods or Scavengers and a couple of wanna-be's, The Clutchmen and The Talismen. We all had a garage and paid dues to pay the rent, lights and heat. The garages also had cribs for hanging out in. Many of us gear heads have carried on the tradition of hot-rods and street-rods and now nostalgia drag racing is back and hence our 61 Ford PU. Gassers and the gasser look were the trend in the 60's and early 70's. A gasser was jacked up high in the front for weight transfer and traction. They had straight axles in the front and big ladder bars on the rear. Often these cars were driven to the drag strip and then raced and then driven back home. We picked the 61 PU because it came with a straight front axle that we will drill out. Also pick ups are cheaper than cars. Since Barret Jackson went to TV everybody that has an old car thinks they have a treasure. Plus the PU comes built truck tough with a strong frame and drive train. We did put four inch blocks in the front to jack it up and put Torque Thrust TTO's with 5:60x15 www's for the nostalgia look. The pick up also comes with a Ford 9 inch rear end that is very desirable for racing because it has a 4:11 and built strong and easy for working on. Also with the PU we got the big rear fenderwells so we didn't have to do any cutting to fit the Firestone 10:00x15 www's cheater slicks. Finding rims for the rear was a challenge. The look back then was mixed rims and often the back ones where steel rims with the slicks mounted for racing. You had another set with street tires for the road. One thing many guys did was paint the steel rim the body color or half white and half black so you could see what kind of wheel spin you had. Now bare steel rims cost more that "mags" or chrome rims. We ended up with a 15 inch chrome reversed rims with 3 1/2 inch back space. They fit perfect and only cost $53 each. Another nostalgia item is the rear bumper. The gassers often had a big rear bumper made from black pipe. It was heavy and hollow and guys often filled them with lead or cement or sand to put more weight on the rear for traction. They usuall had a push bar on them too. Josh is working on the bumperin the red neck blue collar picture. Notice we already have our KAXE bumper sticker on. The PU had a 351c2v and a rebuilt C-6 when we got it. We have since found a 429 Ford and are putting that in with headers and rebuilt carb and we are gonna see what happens. Have a very nice 351c and 351m motors for sale and a rebuilt C-6 if anyone is interested. Our goal was to have it ready for the Shifters' Car Show in Hibbing on the first Sunday in June. It ain't gonna happen because I am leaving for California and The Run For The Wall. Next goal is to have it ready for "Back To The Fifties" show at Minnesota State Fairgrounds Fathers' Day weekend. I think we can do it. If not we will have it ready for the Show and Go July 4th weekend at Brainerd International Raceway. Our goals are to do a nice burn out, a low 13 or high 12 time and maybe a little wheelie. It is a rude and crude race vehicle and that's its name..."RUDE & CRUDE". Our old friends, The Scavengers, are racing a 53 Stude called Rude Stewed. They have deeper pockets and a ready to race vehicle. Look for us out on the streets with the 61 when it is finished and at the strip or a car show. If we have any money left we hope to find an old Dodge PU and paint it orange and put a Rebel Flag on the roof, dump a 440 and torqueflite in it and race it. Josh grew up with the Dukes of Hazard and the General Lee.