Spent some time reading the whole thread again the other night, and wondered if there had been any progress made. We're all looking forward to seeing the Rat again...it's a legendary car here on the forum...

It looks like I'll be picking up the project. It wll be a few weeks before I can pick it up, but the Rat isn't "dead". More to come... Wish me luck!

Greg

------------------

Congrats and good luck! Look forward to seeing the rat reach its full potential

Nice to hear you're taking it over....where are you picking the Rat up at? I'd like to see it again too

wow what did i miss ???

Congrats gtguy.

jaymelk i did not know you had given up ? Sounds also like you had sold it previously and gtguy purchased it from someone else ??

Did i get all this right ?

I might be mistaken... I was thinking the one in the Mall "Shueglue's Home Brew" was the targa Rat. Too many owners to keep straight. The rat was the only Targa chop I was aware of. It's in Michigan, and oljoedad (Joe Welch is helping me decide if it is a cost effective venture. I hate seeing projects incomplete. I just had CommanderKeen's GT delivered, and the shipper damaged the custom rear bumper. I'll see what I can do to get as many back to their former glory.

Thanks,
Greg

------------------

The Rat and Shueglue737's cars are two different cars. Both were chop tops, both were made into targas, they even had other simarities but they are indeed two different cars.

Here is when the Rat was converted to a Targa (in April 2004 - In FL):
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...110502-1-040339.html

Here is when Shueglue737 announced his car officially being a Chop Top & Targa (October 2004 in MI):
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...050119-1-046567.html

Shueglue was even considering doing chop top/Targa combos for other people and competing with Archie:
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...050818-1-046721.html

[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 04-27-2014).]

So jaymelk2, what about the real rat ? What is new ?

[This message has been edited by exoticse (edited 04-27-2014).]

Sorry Guru and Exotisce...I didn't see the other thread that this all came from until yesterday. I just saw that GT guy was picking up the Rat or at least what he thought was the Rat, and after I ran to the garage to make sure she was still snug in her cradle I figured I would play along and see where it was going.
I know I've been lacking in updates on the car but she is doing well...mechanics are pretty much done and right now I'm trying to finish the body mods. I've hinted a little bit at what I'm doing but I'll let it all out now. I completely disassembled the car...then put it all back together except for engine and interior. I am presently doing a widebody on it...have put in a hood extractor from a legacy I believe...reshaped the archie sides to blend in...redid the 355 bumper to be more in line with the hood...have the targa pretty much completed...oh yea...the front fenders were widened to match the 355 bumper. Its been a long road and I'm doing my damnest to get it done but got slowed down by our winter here.
Again , I'm sorry for not updating but it just seemed like most people had lost interest in the car...I will be sending you and Guru some pics later this week.

GTguy....sorry about the confusion...I thought you were pulling my leg at first. I'm not going to try to persuade or dissuade you on the other project car...if it's free it will at least be fun to try. However....from what I have seen that car is nothing like the Rat was when I picked her up, and it was so close to being a scrap pile itself. The Rat had a full underbody frame welded in under it and it still flexed almost 3/4 of an inch in and out. The car you are looking at doesn't look like it has anything under it and that is VERY VERY important. n addition I welded in gusset plates in all four corners of the cab...plus more steel underneath...and then I also still need to fabricate a bolt in plate for the bi axial strength of the car. (guru knows what I'm saying here} twisting doesn't really matter on a convertible...at least where the top is concerned but on a targa its very important...the car has to be almost completely stable for the top to operate and not bind or damage anything. The firewall on a fiero is very flexible once you cut the top off and this has to be taken into account. Again I'm not trying to steer you one way or the other just want to let you know.
There is a reason that the Rat was the only chopped targa....as with anything, if you have enough money or time it can be done...but it is a LOT of work. I have upwords of 1500 hours in the car now and am still not done with it yet. The only reason I thought it might even be a good idea was because the Rat is such a well documented car on not only this forum but the internet in general. It was and is a legend...a car that had more than 50000 invested in it and was never finished....I personal have receipts for over 20000 myself that I got from Chester and that's not for the engine or any of the stuff I didn't get...that's only for the full tube suspension....the full coilovers...the chop...the targa....archie sides ...355 front...it goes on and on.
To all who doubt it will be seen again just give me a little time...I firmly believe that the Rat will again emerge as the only choptop targa...v8....widebody fiero that will ever roam the streets.
Gt guy...Even though I have severe doubts I still wish you the best if you take this on....I just don't want you to think it's an easy endeavor.

Jaymelk2

------------------
87 GT....SBC...fast as hell...
Proud new owner of....THE DIRTY RAT

Glad to hear you still have it and continue to make progress! Someday I will get up there to take a look at it.

Hey Jay - Chester wants to know how you're coming along with this...

[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 09-15-2014).]

Bump for an update ?

Hmmm

It's a bit pecular that there is many post of progress on this car in this thread over the years, and not a single picture. Not counting the rusty frame pics.

In another thread dated 12-06-2015

quote Originally posted by jaymelk2: ...but to any of the crowd that knows the story and what I've been up to...the Rat is alive and well and should be out and about by spring.

Looking forward to it...


------------------
My World of Wheels Winners (Click on links below)

3.4L Supercharged 87 GT and Super Duty 4 Indy #163

[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 12-26-2015).]