Wild Rat Rod 1958 Chevy Truck Embraces Aviation
Beneath this Chevy rat rod’s patina’d exterior lies a cabin laced with landing gear and various airplane equipment.
Rat rods, in essence, typically aren’t what you might call subtle. Generally, the idea is to leave as much patina intact as possible and instill as much additional character as you see fit. But when it comes to pegging the far end of the “wild” scale, this 1958 Chevy truck we found over at Leake Auctions clearly takes the cake. Because it might just be the craziest, most over-the-top rat rod build we’ve ever seen.
Most of the exterior on this Chevy truck looks pretty textbook, however. Loads of patina, a lowered stance, steel wheels – you know, normal rat rod stuff. But there are a couple of interesting features here to note, namely the bumpers. Out back, the rear bumper is nothing more than a log. Up front, this Chevy uses a propeller ripped from an airplane to guard it from obstacles.
That little slice of aviation is also a clue to the madness that lurks within the cabin of this old Chevy. Open the door, and you’ll quickly see that this is more cockpit than cab. There are a total of 18 aircraft gauges to monitor the truck’s vitals, along with 15 toggle switches that start the engine. And if that isn’t ridiculous enough, this Chevy also incorporates landing gear from a Cessna aircraft and even an overhead seating console complete with lights and a button to summon a flight attendant.
As wild as that is, the mechanicals of this old Chevy are pretty mundane. Just a nicely dressed 350 under the hood, TH350 transmission, and later model subframe. But if you’re in the market for something truly different, this pickup takes the cake. If nothing else, you can bet nobody at your local car shows will have anything like it!
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