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National Street Rod Association (NSRA) events are always a pleasure for car aficionados to attend. A wide range of vehicles, from accurate restorations of factory offerings to outrageous custom builds, can be found. Typically, the custom builds are the most interesting and draw the most attention at these car shows. Fabricators love to see what others have done and how they did it.
Not ones to overlook any rod that obviously had a lot of hand fabrication done, we spotted the Rat Gasser hiding among some very expensive customs. It was clear that a lot of work went into the building of this rod, and we appreciated it.
You’re never too old to have a happy childhood. – Buckshot’s grandpappy
One of the largest car shows in the area, the NSRA Bakersfield event draws cars from Nevada, Arizona, and as far away as Washington state, making it impossible to see all of the vehicles in a single day, and almost as impossible for the vehicles to stand out. Separating as a standout from the crowd is pretty easy for Buckshot’s Rat Gasser because there were no 1943 Ford pickups ever manufactured by the factory.
What The Hell Is A 1943 Ford Pickup?
Ford Military Trucks
Under strange and difficult circumstances, Ford produced a variety of military vehicles during World War II. Just as the war effort was reaching its peak, Ford Motor Company was dealt a crushing blow with the death of the company’s president, Edsel Ford, in May 1943.
Henry Ford came out of retirement at 80 years of age to take over the company but was not really up to the stress and strain of the job in war-time efforts. Ford was a vital part of the war effort, so the government pulled Edsel’s oldest son, Henry Ford II, out of the Navy and assigned him as vice president of the Ford Motor Company.
Ford’s military trucks were basically modified versions of Ford’s 1942 model, with military upgrades. Once the company was allowed to resume normal civilian production in 1945, the company boosted production of their pickup truck lines.
Military versions of the 1942 model pickups were manufactured until the end of the war, and some 1942 vehicles were retained as stock and sold in subsequent years, titled by the date sold. Meaning, that a 1942 Ford truck sold in 1943 was often titled as a 1943 Ford pickup. Buckshot’s Ford was one of the rare military versions made by the Ford Motor Company.
“About five years ago, I found this old 1943 Ford pickup headed for the scrap yard,” he said. “Since it was a World War II veteran, I couldn’t let that happen.” As the story unfolded, Buckshot offered the owner $100, which was less than the scrap yard would probably have paid, but the old truck had a reasonable chance of getting back on the road.
“My wife was dubious, yet sympathetic to the plight of the old soldier,” he continued, “but after it sat in my backyard for a few months, she started giving me not so subtle hints that it was time to do something with it. Most of which started with “Get that …”
Buckshot paid 100 bucks for the hulk and brought it home because it was a veteran of World War II, and he couldn’t stand the thought of the old war horse heading to the scrap yard.
Getting Started
Buckshot spent more than 26 years as a construction equipment technician and mechanic for the City of Fresno in California. Prior to that, he spent several years at maintenance shops. “Now that I’m retired, after spending over 50 years turning wrenches for a living, I had the time to build a hot rod, but not the big budget that most rods require,” he declared. “My old grandpappy always told me ‘you’re never too old to have a happy childhood, so, undaunted, I grabbed my computer and went to work.”
The frame was butchered and rats had taken up residence in every nook and cranny. Buckshot clearly had his work cut out to make this old warrior street-worthy again.
Most business owners and car show promoters don’t realize that mature enthusiasts like Buckshot Cake are very good with computers. We’ve often heard complaints about the age of current hot rodders and lack of computer knowledge. Let Buckshot’s story stand as a evidence that our older hot rod and street rod devotees are as computer savvy as any generation, and they have the time to get online and do research.
Gassing The Rats
Assessing the new project, Buckshot was disappointed in the foundation of the old truck but out of that disappointment came the project’s name. “The frame had been terminally butchered back in the mid-’60s by someone who was enthusiastic, but untalented, and every nook and cranny was full of rats,” he continued, “I had to gas them to drive them out. That’s where the ‘Gasser’ part of the name came from.”
No one in their right mind would call a project vehicle a gasser without having some form of a classic gasser built into the final product. “I’ve always wanted a gasser-style rod since I was a kid back in the ‘60s,” he said. “So, I gently nudged the build in that direction.”
The drivetrain and chassis came together in short order. With the addition of the body and steering components, Buckshot was back on the street in no time.
“After some internet research on frame width and wheelbase, I replaced the original chassis with one from a 1997 Ford Ranger that I found on Craigslist,” Buckshot explained. “I had to channel the cab down five inches in the rear, but it’s all hidden under a modified floor section. It’s all beneath the Chrysler mini-van third-row seat — also a scrapyard find that fit perfectly.”
Buckshot channeled the cab five inches and created a new floorpan to accommodate the drop.
Time For The Drivetrain
Buckshot had recently picked up a Blue Oval engine, which is the absolute correct thing to mount in the engine bay of a Ford truck. “I’d just picked up a Ford 302,” he said, “So after a trip to the wrecking yard for an AOD transmission and a serpentine belt set-up from a wrecked Crown Vic – in they went. I built the core support and aligned the front sheetmetal for proper fit. Then, I made a new transmission tunnel to clear the AOD transmission and the B&M shifter that was a $25 swap meet jewel.”
Showcasing his fabrication skills, Buckshot did some fancy work and horse trading to complete the bed and fenders. “The bed was a utility trailer for over 50 years when I obtained it in a trade for an old oxygen tank.” Explaining how he converted it for use in the truck, “I took a foot out of the length of the trailer and 10 inches out of the width,” he said. “Then I made the rear fenders, which are widened trailer fenders, and added the fender braces and steps.”
He started to work the body and trim the fenders to fit the new body lines.
Putting On The Final Touches
Ever the consummate fabricator, with a stash of parts ready for reuse, Buckshot repurposed some steering components and swapped for others. “A Corvette tilt/telescopic column I had stuck away fit like a glove,” he claimed. “After several months of trading for parts, including a Ranger power steering pump and power brake booster and master cylinder, I was on the road.”
The final result was an old truck that looked like a traditional hot rod, drove like a custom hot rod, but didn’t cost as much as a modern custom. “I didn’t want a hot rod that was too pretty to use and abuse,” he said. “I told my wife that I could spend another year doing body and paint work, or I could spend that year driving and enjoying it.”
Swapping for some parts that would fit his new creation, Buckshot finally put together a complete rod that he could enjoy, without breaking the bank, and without sacrificing comfort.
“I did a bit of panel replacement work and bodywork where it was needed, then shot it flat black with a candy lemon-lime dash and trim. I added a belt line to break up the black panels a little bit,” he said.
“This old truck drives like a Ranger, has an unbelievably short turning radius, and has more than 15,000 miles on it with no problems at all. That’s including its second trip to the NSRA West Coast Nationals, Cruisin’ Morro Bay, and other events around the state, he said. “This proves that if you do your own work, hit the swap meets, and trade smartly, you can have one-million dollars worth of fun for less than $3,000, which is what I have invested in the Rat Gasser.”
It is hard to argue with that logic.
