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Wheeley Big Show
(1941 International Harvester K1)
(1941 International Harvester K1)
Sometimes, that find can be right in your backyard, or in John Ducharme's backyard, about a mile down the road from Hildebrand's home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ducharme, a member of the River City Rat Rodz, is well known amongst the local scene for his '41 Nash, and his ability to attract vintage tin. The K started life in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, according to the hand-painted lettering that had almost worn away from the sheet metal. "I was instantly drawn to it," said Hildebrand. "The gears started turning, and I knew what it could become."
What would eventually turn on the K's chassis was already in the works before Hildebrand sparked the torch. "I didn't want to be just another guy with red steelies and whitewall tires," said Hildebrand, who had originally planned for a revised artillery equipment wheel before he got a case of the splits. Hildebrand stumbled across the 1929 International 20-inch split rims during his first day of hunting. "Scrap metal dealers are the best place to find wheels like these," said Hildebrand. "If the scrap price had been higher, these probably would have been melted down by now." Removing the drums was an immediate facelift for the six-spokers. Making them work meant a visit to Ken Hunter's team at Winnipeg Wheel Works, who fabricated the 1 ¾ inch-thick mounting adapter pucks from 10-inch diameter aluminum stock. The lug nuts feed into the holes that originally held the one-ton brake drums. The remnants of the spindles are the ultimate center caps.
An obvious advantage to the split rim is the ability to swap skins and tubes with simple hand tools. "I feel very confident working on them myself," said Hildebrand, who found that many local tire dealers were too spooked to assist with the ancient twenties. After a few hiccups with pinched valve stems, the folks at Coker Tire set Hildebrand up with custom tubes, fitted with brass stems. Nylon lock nuts keep the split rims from loosening up at speed. The subdued spray combo starts with gloss black rims, with bronze powder coat on the spoke centers. The skins are Coker's repro Firestone Deluxe Champions. Fenders are a must-have on the equipment books in Manitoba, so Hildebrand fabricated his patchwork design from the inner portions of the original fenders.
The Nitro Speed Shop signage is a not-too-subtle throw to Hildebrand's shingle; Nitro Graphics. The regular gig made it a cinch for Hildebrand to mock up the upswept front frame rails for the K. He printed the design on a full-size decal, which was then applied to corrugated plastic sheets. A quick swipe of the X-Acto knife, and Hildebrand had his full-size templates. The pieces were laser-cut by Heart-Fab Limited, near Hazelridge, Manitoba. It may sound like your regular metal fabricator, until you discover that Heart-Fab is one of the business ventures that sustain the Heartland Hutterite Colony. (Think of the Pennsylvania Amish. Now imagine them with power tools.) Dave Copp Steel of nearby Oakbank gets the nod for the frame assembly, a design which required zero channelling into the cab. Hildebrand turned to the mags for the how-to on his first chop, a four-inch slice.
What would eventually turn on the K's chassis was already in the works before Hildebrand sparked the torch. "I didn't want to be just another guy with red steelies and whitewall tires," said Hildebrand, who had originally planned for a revised artillery equipment wheel before he got a case of the splits. Hildebrand stumbled across the 1929 International 20-inch split rims during his first day of hunting. "Scrap metal dealers are the best place to find wheels like these," said Hildebrand. "If the scrap price had been higher, these probably would have been melted down by now." Removing the drums was an immediate facelift for the six-spokers. Making them work meant a visit to Ken Hunter's team at Winnipeg Wheel Works, who fabricated the 1 ¾ inch-thick mounting adapter pucks from 10-inch diameter aluminum stock. The lug nuts feed into the holes that originally held the one-ton brake drums. The remnants of the spindles are the ultimate center caps.
An obvious advantage to the split rim is the ability to swap skins and tubes with simple hand tools. "I feel very confident working on them myself," said Hildebrand, who found that many local tire dealers were too spooked to assist with the ancient twenties. After a few hiccups with pinched valve stems, the folks at Coker Tire set Hildebrand up with custom tubes, fitted with brass stems. Nylon lock nuts keep the split rims from loosening up at speed. The subdued spray combo starts with gloss black rims, with bronze powder coat on the spoke centers. The skins are Coker's repro Firestone Deluxe Champions. Fenders are a must-have on the equipment books in Manitoba, so Hildebrand fabricated his patchwork design from the inner portions of the original fenders.
The Nitro Speed Shop signage is a not-too-subtle throw to Hildebrand's shingle; Nitro Graphics. The regular gig made it a cinch for Hildebrand to mock up the upswept front frame rails for the K. He printed the design on a full-size decal, which was then applied to corrugated plastic sheets. A quick swipe of the X-Acto knife, and Hildebrand had his full-size templates. The pieces were laser-cut by Heart-Fab Limited, near Hazelridge, Manitoba. It may sound like your regular metal fabricator, until you discover that Heart-Fab is one of the business ventures that sustain the Heartland Hutterite Colony. (Think of the Pennsylvania Amish. Now imagine them with power tools.) Dave Copp Steel of nearby Oakbank gets the nod for the frame assembly, a design which required zero channelling into the cab. Hildebrand turned to the mags for the how-to on his first chop, a four-inch slice.
Whether it's a project or pristine, tell us about your dream. Email Michael Clark at The Carport today. carport@mts.net
Oh great; another custom with 20-inch wheels.
Those numbers on the spec sheet of James Hildebrand's 1941 International Harvester K1 might start stirring up images of donks and Dubs, but don't skip ahead just yet.
Click image to see larger size.
Think back to those grainy pics of commercial vehicles from the Twenties and Thirties. Handling the load back in the day meant massive castings, with spokes as thick as a sewer pipe. It also meant oversized spindle mounts, split rims, and brake drums that had little hope of looking right on a half-ton traditional rod. "A lot of people said they were dangerous, even calling them widowmakers," said Hildebrand, who recently logged over 900 trouble-free miles in his split-rim Special K to attend the Back To The 50's weekend in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Hildebrand had cut his teeth on Mopar muscle, opting for clean restorations. Like most gearheads, Hildebrand had long considered the prospect of a spot-on '32 Deuce, until he started doing the Math. "After getting quotes of twenty to thirty large for a frame, I had to re-think things," said Hildebrand. The New Math came in the form of a raft of snaps from friends who regularly attended the Back to the 50's weekend. "They kept showing me pictures of rat rods," said Hildebrand. "After that, I was glued to the side of the road trying to find something."
Hildebrand had cut his teeth on Mopar muscle, opting for clean restorations. Like most gearheads, Hildebrand had long considered the prospect of a spot-on '32 Deuce, until he started doing the Math. "After getting quotes of twenty to thirty large for a frame, I had to re-think things," said Hildebrand. The New Math came in the form of a raft of snaps from friends who regularly attended the Back to the 50's weekend. "They kept showing me pictures of rat rods," said Hildebrand. "After that, I was glued to the side of the road trying to find something."
The box has been shortened 3 ½ feet, with what appears to be weathered barn boards covering the coilover rear suspension. They're actually new oak boards that have been heavily sandblasted and stained, with the original hood handles locking the deck in place. Hildebrand stumbled across a neat trick for antiquing his new headlamp pots, taillight housings, and side mirrors; Rustoleum lawn furniture paint. "It kicks it down a notch," said Hildebrand. "It adds patina, texture, and dullness."
Inside, the seat deck has been lowered 2 inches, with a re-stitched Mopar Magic Wagon bench courtesy of Tim Hiebert from Mr. Teez Upholstery. Hildebrand tossed the original rectangular cluster for a '52 Chevy truck speedo head, to accompany the new school gauges for the important stuff. A '56 Pontiac wheel wears a Hildebrand Original suicide center. The base for the Lokar shifter started life on a Harley-Davidson, as did the brake pedal.
Opening your mouth about your build to your friends can sometimes mean a windfall of parts. The headers are part of the Extreme Performance Automotive contribution, with a history that included a fenderwell address on a '55 Chevy. The radiator is a Pay It Forward gimme from Bob Semkiw at Logan Radiator, with copper tubing cool instead of rubber spring hoses. The vintage Cal Custom valve covers? "They were bouncing around in the back of a friend's half-ton," said Hildebrand. The 327 mill breathes deep, with Edelbrock dual quads, a Competition Thumper cam, and a Pete Jackson gear drive. The dummy intake on top of the quads started life as 4-dollar tailpipe extensions. "That's rat rod think," said Hildebrand. "Take something that wasn't supposed to be there, and make it look like it belongs." And belong it does, especially when Hildebrand takes the K out for a cruise. "When someone will follow me down the street until I stop to ask about it, it's an incredible feeling".
* * *
TECH SHEET
Owner: James Hildebrand
Builder: James Hildebrand, Dave Copp Steel, Extreme Performance Automotive
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Occupation: President, Nitro Graphics
Year: 1941
Make/Model: International Harvester K1
Body Custom Fab: Shorty box, 4" chop cab
Color: Prairie Sunburn
Paint Type: Odd dab of Rustoleum
Painter: James Hildebrand
Graphics: Nitro Graphics
Engine: 1967 Chevy 327
Tranny: Turbo 400
Exhaust: Fenderwell-style headers with plugs, 3-inch pipe, Street Legal mufflers
Intake/Carb: Dual Edelbrock quads
Ignition: Mallory
Rear End: Chevy S-10 4.11 Posi-Trac
Suspension: Front; Speedway Motors split wishbone, rack and pinion. Rear; Art Morrison two-link coilover with Panhard bar
Brakes: GM front disc/rear drum
Wheels/Size: 1929 International Harvester 1-ton 20-inch tall, 4.5-inch wide
Tires: Front: 6.00 x 20", Firestone Deluxe Champion. Rear: 6.50 x 20", Firestone Deluxe Champion
Seat: 1985 Dodge Caravan
Upholstery: Leatherette, Tim Hiebert, Mr Teez Upholstery
Dashboard: Upgrade to round gauges
Steering Column: Speedway
Windows: Bronze tint tempered, by Best Auto Glass
Taillights: Speedway
Opening your mouth about your build to your friends can sometimes mean a windfall of parts. The headers are part of the Extreme Performance Automotive contribution, with a history that included a fenderwell address on a '55 Chevy. The radiator is a Pay It Forward gimme from Bob Semkiw at Logan Radiator, with copper tubing cool instead of rubber spring hoses. The vintage Cal Custom valve covers? "They were bouncing around in the back of a friend's half-ton," said Hildebrand. The 327 mill breathes deep, with Edelbrock dual quads, a Competition Thumper cam, and a Pete Jackson gear drive. The dummy intake on top of the quads started life as 4-dollar tailpipe extensions. "That's rat rod think," said Hildebrand. "Take something that wasn't supposed to be there, and make it look like it belongs." And belong it does, especially when Hildebrand takes the K out for a cruise. "When someone will follow me down the street until I stop to ask about it, it's an incredible feeling".
* * *
TECH SHEET
Owner: James Hildebrand
Builder: James Hildebrand, Dave Copp Steel, Extreme Performance Automotive
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Occupation: President, Nitro Graphics
Year: 1941
Make/Model: International Harvester K1
Body Custom Fab: Shorty box, 4" chop cab
Color: Prairie Sunburn
Paint Type: Odd dab of Rustoleum
Painter: James Hildebrand
Graphics: Nitro Graphics
Engine: 1967 Chevy 327
Tranny: Turbo 400
Exhaust: Fenderwell-style headers with plugs, 3-inch pipe, Street Legal mufflers
Intake/Carb: Dual Edelbrock quads
Ignition: Mallory
Rear End: Chevy S-10 4.11 Posi-Trac
Suspension: Front; Speedway Motors split wishbone, rack and pinion. Rear; Art Morrison two-link coilover with Panhard bar
Brakes: GM front disc/rear drum
Wheels/Size: 1929 International Harvester 1-ton 20-inch tall, 4.5-inch wide
Tires: Front: 6.00 x 20", Firestone Deluxe Champion. Rear: 6.50 x 20", Firestone Deluxe Champion
Seat: 1985 Dodge Caravan
Upholstery: Leatherette, Tim Hiebert, Mr Teez Upholstery
Dashboard: Upgrade to round gauges
Steering Column: Speedway
Windows: Bronze tint tempered, by Best Auto Glass
Taillights: Speedway
