In 2005, Roger Brien closed Auto Kraft, his auto shop in San Bruno, Calif. The master mechanic and custom-car builder planned to use his retirement to build cars and trucks for himself—rather than his customers. As a lifelong car guy, Brien has been collecting unique auto parts that one day he hoped would become a work of automotive art. Well, he achieved his goal of building an over-the-top rat rod dubbed “Juz Junk.”
The creation started life as a 1950 Ford F6 two-ton truck. Brien took the cab, channeled it to sit lower, and put the cab on a shortened reworked custom chassis. The original Ford 300 cubic-inch inline six remains. It’s mated to a Ford four-speed automatic transmission and Ford F100 differential. An air cleaner fashioned out of a child’s bedpan tops an Edelbrock four-barrel carburetor and high-flow intake. A 1920s high-voltage blade switch disconnects the battery (if necessary) and dual side stack exhausts complete the drivetrain. The paint and rust on this rat rod are original— with the patina buffed just enough to remove the worst clumps of rust.
The suspension is custom-made with a four-bar link suspension with disc brakes on the front, and a conventional four-spring leaf suspension with drum brakes in the rear. The wire wheels are from a 1934 Ford Model B deuce coupe, and wears Coker 15-inch tires. Fenders for Juz Junk are from a 55-gallon oil drum, unmodified in the rear, and sectioned to fit in the front.
The signature look of Juz Junk is the front grille from a 1937 Hudson Terraplane sedan. Brien bought the Terraplane front grille at a swap meet and hung it on his shop wall for a few years. In that time, when asked what he was going to do with it, Brien would say, “I’m going to build a rat rod out of it with all of the parts I have in my shop.”
The hood is from the original Ford F6, which was sectioned and molded to fit the Terraplane grille and topped with a hood ornament from a 1956 Oldsmobile. The sectioned hood now opens on either side for access to the engine.
The pickup bed is from the original F6, but was shortened to fit the revised chassis. The tailgate of the bed is a work of art itself—fashioned from sewer grates with the center Ford logo pulled from a 1928 Ford running board. The storage box in the bed was originally employed on a trunk box from a 1934 Ford. The box features a genuine foxtail and a bottle opener strategically placed at the right rear corner of the bed.
For security, Brien fashioned a junkyard dog named Scraps out of scrap metal to sit in the bed.
On the inside, license plates from the 1950s now do duty as sun visors. The headliner and doors are finished in 100-percent original potato sack burlap, and a genuine vintage Mexican blanket covers the bench seat. The steering wheel is constructed from motorcycle chain, but is so gnarly and hot to the touch that it requires heavy-duty gloves to properly operate. The rat rod has a heater, but air-conditioning is provided by rolling down the windows.
Sadly Roger Brien passed away last year, but the current owners—Jim and Lynette Journeay of Castro Valley Calif.—are the proud new owners. “It’s definitely old school, but it drives great for being just junk,” said Jim Journeay. As caretakers of the rolling museum of auto parts, the couple plans to show it off at as many car shows as possible. They want future generations to appreciate Roger Brien’s artistic and historic rat rod as much as they do.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.