Words: Tommy Parry

When Jason mentioned casually to his friends that he wanted to build a Cummins-powered rat rod, they probably had no idea of the lengths to which he would go. In fact, the ‘31 Ford he chose as the platform was a beauty even with its insides rusted and corroded. Over the course of three busy years, Jason would take a weathered piece of metal and shape it into a work of art.

Still, Jason started this phase of his project with a pretty machine. Even the most pessimistic would describe the car as “having potential.” Plus it had some style – who doesn’t want a few 9mm and .45 casings intentionally riddling the robust front suspension? It would have to support half a ton, so it would help to look as tough as possible. In fact, Jason wanted to line the front end with chainsaw blades, but they wouldn’t fit, so he went with bullets.

The 4BT had a limited upgrade list, but thanks to its force-fed nature, the few would go far. A bigger turbo, larger injectors, a better fuel pin and spring and a second fuel pump would provide all the needed push. Since the Cummins would be exposed, Jason felt it needed a little zing. So, he pulled a can of Rustoleum Hammered Copper Paint out of the garage and gave the engine a few rusty touches.

For increased safety, the increased boost pressure was complemented by the addition of massive disc brakes at all four corners. At the rear axle, Jason notched the frame and modified it to support a set of airbags for a fairly plush ride. The set of scuba tanks sitting over the rear end gave the interior a definite sense of occasion, as did the bike chains holding the bottles to their shelf.

Then, with the same finish as the bottle shelf, Jason started to form the custom dash, complete with a line of Auto Meter gauges and a boost gauge cantered towards the driver. Keeping the driver in touch with all the pertinent data was a priority with this build, as was a clean aesthetic.

Next, Jason gave the Ford a 6” snip off the top for a slightly slinkier appearance.

As noted in the photos, Jason wrapped his smokestack to keep the cabin from becoming a sauna. He had an eye-catching roller at that point. However pretty the Ford was, though, it was far from complete. He had another two years of work ahead of him, but the foundation was there.

Over the next two years, Jason laid the floor, installed a pair of stunning bomber seats and mounted the wing mirrors with a few extra bullets lying in his bandelier. Next came a coat of brilliant silver paint, a functional roof and all the complementary blue fittings to give some stylistic continuity throughout. With so much style you could bottle it, a turbocharger the size of a melon and a mile-high smokestack, there’s no denying this car had presence. It had speed torque too – so spinning those whitewalls was a cinch. Without question, this Ford turns heads wherever it rolls.