Hand-Built Madness: The Duke Rat Rod Runs Compound Turbo Diesel Power
By: Hank O'Hop (HotCars)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Hand-Built Madness: The Duke Rat Rod Runs Compound Turbo Diesel Power
This 1930 Model A rat rod is a monster of legend. With a mighty Cummins at the helm, it's a full-blown monster.
Building a rat rod isn't for everyone. Slamming together one of these radical machines requires an out-of-the-box thinker. Someone who's willing to commit years of work to fabrication and craftsmanship to put together a car that turns conventional thinking on its head. It's a venture into uncharted waters, where you create a problem only you can solve, which is turning your vision into a reality. No, it's not the kind of thing just anyone can do. But when you see a machine as insane as "The Duke," you'll immediately understand why someone would.
Model A Rat Rod: The Duke
"The Duke" is a rat rod that's unlike anything you've ever seen. It's based on a 1930 Model A sedan, but the shell is about all it shares in common with that line. Every square inch of it has been modified. But you don't need me to tell you that. One look at this thing is enough to know it's an absolute freak, in a really, really good way.
This rat rod was built by Duke, otherwise known as Bluecollar12valve on Instagram. What's particularly insane about this machine is that he set out to hand-build it without knowing how to weld. He didn't take classes, he taught himself the skill of welding while building a rat rod from the ground up. That's an incredible feat considering how professional the work here is.
Duke built a custom frame for this project, which means every bit of the steering and suspension has also been custom-made. If that's not a tall enough order, he decided to get a little out of the box and power this absolutely insane monster with a diesel engine. While it's not the first diesel rat rod you've ever seen, it is one of the few. That further reinforces the point that Duke isn't just an artist with a wrench; he's dedicated beyond belief.
Underneath the twisted steel and tubes sits a mighty 5.9 Cummins 12-valve engine. It's been worked over in every way imaginable, even breathing fire through a compound turbo setup. The presence of this engine is absolutely menacing in this rat rod, and the sound it makes seriously cements The Duke as a monster of legend.
Ultimate Rat Rod
We can sit and stare at this machine for hours. Everywhere you look, you'll find an incredible detail that's worth marveling over. Duke seriously built a masterpiece here, and we can't commend him enough for it. That said, consider this your reminder to get off your phone and out to the shop. You have your own dream machine that needs building.
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No, this is not a joke. BUT I've never seen anything like this before, and I'll bet there are only a very few who have. It may not be a classic car, but it sure as hell is one of a kind, and fun to look at.
We were in dealings with a customer who, with our help, take one of the early 50's R190 International dump trucks we have and build a rat rod, that fell through, apparently "our help" was we would do and put in everything and he would get the vehicle. We still have a working dump truck.
Why are they called "Rat Rods"? Do you know?
Unfinished and unpainted just a rough appearance.
Using the R190 would've been a great one, tandem drive axles w/duals, the cab about the same as the one above, just shorter, with the overhead markers, and the three transmissions/gear boxes, and the large inline six gas engine. Only drawback, with the way the truck was equipped, it would probably never top 55 MPH.
Actually there was a TV reality show called "Vegas Rat Rods" that ran from 2014 - 18, so there may be a few more peeps than you think (including myself) who have seen vehicles like this
I would assume that they are more likely to be seen in the USA tlhan in Canada.
Well I've seen some rez rockets that could maybe be compared, but yes I would assume you are correct
The guy who made this must’ve had a lot of miscellaneous parts lying around and a love for tinkering.
(I’ve known people like that . . . )
I'd say he's about as innovative as one could get.
He taught himself to weld to build it, That's determination
Determination and and a unique creativity.
The front suspension is a bit crazy. It's a cantilever design that raises or lowers the frame with airbags (you can see the airbag and shock in the photo of the side view of the car and the rest of it in the front view photo). It must be a tight fit in the passenger compartment because the center tunnel contains the tranny (look how high the shift levers are) and the driveshaft must be at hip level when your seated in the car. Because they dropped the frame and cab so low the engine and tranny sit very high in the frame and through the cab (those cabs are narrow to begin with). I imagine the frame just sits on the ground if there's no air pressure in the air bags. I'd like to see the rear suspension but most likely it's just trailing arms with airbags.
Then the guy who built it could not possibly be a typical Walmart shopper.