RATIKI 1.0: THE ORIGINAL BUILD

 

The year was 2000. I bought a 1965 Chevvy Suburban from a gentleman in Kentucky. It was the nicest starting point for my dream truck that I could find. I didn't want to work backward.

The main attraction? The vehicle had spent the majority of its life in AZ. Translation: dry metal, and therefore, less rust. The ideal candidate. A running, driving Suburban with a presentable paint job. 

The body was straight, it had the preferable clamshell rear door configuration, and besides having a little rust in the typical places, it was a well-cared-for vehicle.

Being a brown and gold color combo, my wife nicknamed it. "The Turd". It appeared to have been repainted at least once. Subsequent media blasting revealed a gold paint job was the original color.

At the time of purchase, the truck had a 2" drop spindle front end, an Early Classic Industries disc brake conversion and retained the factory 6-bolt pattern which made wheel selection limited. 

The truck also had sway bars front and rear and aftermarket wheels I didn't much care for. But it was clean. correct, and a real-world driver as opposed to a project vehicle. 

Its engine and trans, a 350/Turbo 350 combo, were added somewhere along the way. 

Seven years later, Ratiki, AKA the HouseOspeed shop truck, graced the pages of Classic Trucks magazine. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement. 

This blog is my attempt to honor all the folks who helped me build it and retail the renovation I'm performing on the suspension and drivetrain. 

WHY THE CHANGES, YOU ASK?

Twelve years is a long time to have anything. Mononucleosis. A dirty little secret. A chemical addiction. 

That's how long my 1965 Chevrolet Suburban has been built and on the road. Of course, much has transpired in that time. Trends have come and gone. 

My dear friend, Cindy "CRASH!" Rashcke who poured her tiki-love and talent into the numerous details on my trucks passed away. I had no idea how profoundly saddened I would be to know my co-conspirator was gone. 

Simply put, I lost my groove. Fortunately, with COVID-19 in full effect, I've found the inspiration to renovate Ratiki's drivetrain and suspension and turn it into the daily driver it was always meant to be.

In doing so, I'll be changing things that we didn't get 100% right the first time. Things that don't matter much for a recreational show truck but matter greatly in a daily driver. 

And so it begins. Ratiki 2.0. 

I only wish CRASH! were here to enjoy it with us. RIP, my talented friend.