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The Six

Writer's picture: Chris HunterChris Hunter

Updated: Nov 1, 2024

It can be described as military, tactical, apocalyptic all in one doom day machine!



The Story


The first thing I thought of when I first saw “The Six” was the build off shows on the Discovery channel in the 2000’s such as Monster Garage and Orange County Choppers (along with several other shows) amazed at all the theme builds the artists created.   

 

From the monstrous stance, the insane tires, several Gatling Guns fabricated into the build, and of course that Ma Deuce that sits onto of the Rat this truly screams custom theme build… but I am getting ahead of myself.

 

As I travel around the Midwest and talk with people about their rides, I realized that almost every build has a personal story attached to it and The Six was no different. I first meet Paul at Ratstock 2024 that is the biggest rat rod show in Illinois and is put on by the team at Rat Rod Magazine (Click Here to be redirected to their page).

 

Paul Fenwick owner of Grounded Kustoms had been dreaming up and planning this build for over 17 years but like many of us the project was put on hold due to family obligations and running a business.

 

Then out of seamlessly nowhere Paul became sick. As an Army Veteran Paul had been shot in the face and recovered (more on that later) while on tour but this was different. The doctors couldn’t figure out was going on as Paul’s lung capacity dropped to 26% and his organs began to shut down. Four doctors gave the same grave diagnosis that he had only 5 months to live and probably wouldn’t make it past Christmas.

 

This was driver to start the build. Unfortunately, Paul was in a toxic relationship with his wife at the time and their marriage was on a downward spiral after nine years. His wife at the time didn’t want Paul spending money on car and thought it should be saved to cover any funeral related expenses and to leave behind income for the family.

 

Luckily Paul decided to stay fuck it and was tired of building everyone else’s dream out of his garage. So, if he was going to go out it would be in true warrior fashion in a blaze of glory! Paul moved forward with the build. His wife at the time held true to her word and ended the marriage.

 

Many men would drown themselves in a bottle of whiskey or retreat to drugs, but Paul put all his anger in the build keeping his mind distracted from all that was going on with the divorce and his health. He was so focused that he quit taking his medication and instead of his health deteriorating he got better!

 

Paul would later find out that for reasons only known to them, one of his stepsons was poising him which was causing all the medical issues. So, in a way ending the marriage The Six had Paul’s “six” and saved his life!


The Engine and Transmission


Other than having Paul’s six, the build has a recurring theme with the word “six” starting with the car itself. The body is 1930 collaboration build between companies Essex and Hudson that created the Super Six model.



As we start to discuss the custom fabrication of the build the first thing you will notice is the giant “Cow Plow” out in front that has been wielded directed to the frame.

 

The concept is simple and inspired by trains that use the same technology to remove any debris or organic material that ends up on the train tracks.

 

The idea came to add the cow plow while this country was going through a moment in history where our “leaders” took a more liberal approach to reducing police presence and allowing the voices of a few to disrupt everyday living of law-abiding tax paying citizens.

 

These relaxed laws promoted activists in the 2020's to stage large protests that would shut down major highways and roads. Paul’s military strategic thinking kicked in and easily came up with a solution to solve the problem by adding a “Protester Plow” to the rat. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing the plow has not been used in real world applications.

 

In addition to protest removing the plow also protects the front steering assembly. This is a big deal because many rats use a straight axel set up front often referred to as a suicide front end with good reason; very few people walk away from a high impact collision with this type of set up.

 

The integrity of the plow was tested accidently against a concreate parking block. Still getting accustomed to the rat Paul accidently hit a block destroying it in the process sending his face into the steering wheel, so it is safe to assume moving a blue haired fruitcake won’t be an issue.


As your attention shifts from the plow up to the top of the car you will staring down the first set custom gatling guns and housed within those guns are the ferocious Dragon Eyes lights.

 

At night the halo rings of the lights produce a shit ton of illumination. Inside the assembly the lights resemble what one can only described as a galaxy and the high and low beams resemble a face looks like a skull

 

The rat still has the factory straight six-cylinder Cummings turbo charged engine. This 12-valve hunk of metal was rated at 215 horsepower but has a staggering “shit ton of torque”. I wasn’t familiar with this rating system; Paul said it just means it’s a lot.  

 

That turbo charger is still the factory 63 mm HX Turbo. Paul fabricated the tubing that takes the hot exhaust from the turbo to the inter cooler to greatly reduce the heat.


The cold air then is forced down another custom tube that forces the cold air down the throat of this beast.


Originally the exhaust traveled along the bottom of the ride however after Paul adjusted the power output of the engine the EGT’s were too high. To fix this the exhaust was changed to a stack configuration were the exhaust sticks straight up the passenger side like a raging morning boner.

 

The two holes left from the previous exhaust made the perfect excuse to add two more gatling guns poking out the rear bumper.


Paul admits that the power output is nothing to rub one out to but what is impressive is that the engine has been bio converted and can run on almost ANYTHING that is oil-based including, but not limited to; vegetable oil, motor oil, transmission fluid, kerosene, even got-damn jet fuel!


The choice of fuel is contained in two... well actual 5-gallon tin gas cans attached to outside of the car on both sides. To avoid fuel leaking from the overflow only 3 gallons of fuel can be put in each tank luckily the rat gets 40-45 miles per gallon!


Even the pastiest EV lov’n vegan will appreciate the impact The Six has on the environment! Well probably not but fuck'em.


The transmission is still the factory 47 RH stage 3 hydraulic factory torque generator that provides all the pulling power of a college girl giving her first hand job. Ugh, I still have the mental and physical scares...


As with any custom vehicle there will always be hiccups and surprises that require the imagination that could only be solved skilled fabricator and The Six was no different.


Thinking nothing of it, Paul placed the rack and pinion hydraulic steering set from a 2000 Honda Civic (yeah you read that right) up in front of the axel instead of behind it. Then when he was backing up the car turned to the left when it should be going to the right!


The Fix? Paul made a custom gear assembly using Chevy 350 timing gears to, I guess you would say "re-reverse" (I made that word up) steering so that it steered correctly!


Between the Civic rack and pinion along with the custom gear assembly the giant wheels turn effortlessly!


Suspension, Brakes, Wheels, and Tires 

Paul always fabricates the frames on his personal builds and prefers making frames for his customers opposed to using a stock one whenever it fits in the budget of the project.

 

When starting a frame Paul doesn't use any jigs or blueprints because the overall vision is in his head. Like an artist creating their masterpiece with brush and canvas he just lays down the material and starts to cut, weld, and bend to the desired outcome.

 

Attached to the custom frame is a front end was taken from a 95’ Dodge 1 ton and Paul cut out the pumpkin from the 4-wheel drive essentially making it a straight axel. Paul went with a parallel four link in the front and at the end of each axel are 15” drilled and slotted rotors providing stopping power.

 

In the rear is a Dana 1 ton is a triangulated suspension with drum brakes that was purposely picked because it was designed for a dully set up but as you are about to see, Paul went with a single big ass tire.

 

The rat has a full air suspension ride that adjusts the ride height and can be dropped all the way to the ground resting the frame on the Earth.

 

Now this is a daily driver that is also used to tour the country doing shows, so Paul wanted to make the ride as comfortable as possible, so he added shocks (but no springs).

 

Typically, a ride has one or the other as the shocks slow down the rise and fall of the vehicle. In addition, even high-quality shocks have their life span greatly reduced with constant use and will need to be replaced often. To solve this issue Paul went with off road nitro shocks that have survived over 16,000 miles of use that includes rises and drops for spectators… the result is a rat that rides like a Cadillac!

 

Each axel has a Hard Rock wheels attached that are typically used for off road vehicles that gives The Six that predatory stance of a large jungle cat about to pounce on its prey!  


 The wheels are wrapped in 35x16 R22 rubber that are a one-off tires, not available for commercial purchase, and made just for The Six!


The custom rear fenders Paul and his crew built give off an optical illusion that the rear tires are wider than the from but actually they are the same size.

 

Now I have heard of custom builds when a shop has wheels made for a theme and to fit a specific tire, but this is the first time, I heard of an owner having a custom TIRE made to fit a rim!

 

Between the brakes, rigged frame, and big ass tires this rat has more than enough stopping power for this 5,000-pound beast that needs to be respected when slamming the pedal to the floor in an “oh shit moment” so that you don’t find yourself flying out the windshield landing at the business end of that protester plow!


Body 

So, we know she has a great personality, likes to work, and fun to ride in but let’s talk about that body!

 

As discussed earlier the shell from the 1930 Essex and Hudson Super Six that was picked up in Arizona. Once back in the shop the body sat for seven years taunting Paul like that hot high school sweetheart that got away but still drops a text here and there to check in, leaving one to wonder “what if” waiting for him to be back on the market.

 

Well, that time was now and with his newfound lease on life he hooked up, tied down, and pounded away on her!

 

As you walk around the car there are so many small details the team at Grounded Kustoms put into document here, and I am sure I even missed several. You just have to see it for yourself to get the true experience but let’s talk about that gun attached to the roof!

 


You can immediately tell the build was heavily inspired by his military service as .50 cal. Gunner in the Army during his Afghanistan (8 months) and Iraq tours (15 months). In addition to the gatling guns in the front and rear is a decommissioned Browning Ma Duce sitting on a Humvee mount with a Word War II period correct ammo can.


During his time in the Army, Paul often found himself behind the .50 cal. It was during one of his deployments that he took a round that hit him in the mouth causing severe damage. Most men would want to forget something like that but this hard mother fuck'r made an entire build centered around that incident!

 

The freedom seed thrower can be accessed from popping up the turret from within the back seat. Once you wrap your fingers around the handles the 1/2-inch lead throwing cannon can be moved and turned with ease.  I can tell you from firsthand experience you feel like a god standing behind that weapon!

 

In event The Six needs something with a little more punch it carries shoulder fired rocket launcher in addition to 1/2-hole puncher.


The appearance of this rat gives the feel that you are in a Mad Max film and The Six is the rust monster that you want in the front leading the charge to take on Immortal Joe taking the Citadel as your prize!


The Interior

As stated earlier this is a daily driver so during the concept phase Paul was determined to make it ride as comfortable as possible without sacrificing the aesthetics of the build.

 

The ride would be used to drive his family across the country for shows so Paul fabricated the seats from medal and cushion that feels like you are sitting in a giant hug. I was really surprised to find out that these were the FIRST seats he fabricated!

 

On top of the rear deck sits the compressor for the air rides. The rear seats currently are missing padding but once finished they will provide a lot of leg room.

 

The interior was fabricated from 14 and 16-gauge steel that have been outfitted with Dolphine gages to keep him update on the heath of the engine as goes on those long rides.

 

One thing that stood out is that he threw out the speedometer cable and opted instead for GPS for monitoring his speed.

 

The Future

 To date, the build has logged in over 160 hours but as many of you custom fabricators will contest to.... is a build really ever done?

 

Between family, the business, shows, interviews, and being a daily driver it has been hard to add to the build but that will change over the winter.

 

The Six will be getting some major updates to prepare for the 2025 season as it is put away for the winter.

 

The single turbo will be swapped out for a larger compound system effectively making it a twin turbo set up.

 

With the added power and the rigged frame that was not designed to crumple as in newer cars, protection for the riders will be added with a roll cage and 5-point harness keeping the occupants in the rat.  

 

Currently the front seats are welded to the frame but will be updated with glides so that they can moved forward and back adding a little more comfort for those long rides and the rear seats will get a much-needed cushion addition that match the front.

 

The guys at Grounded Kustoms will be grinding the company logo into metal of door so that it rusts different color than the rest of the car, I can’t wait to see how that turns out!!!!!

 

Contact

Are you looking for a custom build or restoration project?

 

Grounded Kustoms (spelled with a "K") is a Veteran company that is located in Bardstown, Kentucky with over 17 years of building cars and more than capable of taking on your project.

 

While Paul loves making themed Rat builds, his company has a lot of other capabilities that include LS swaps, classic car restorations, as well as body and paint services.

 

Currently there is no website, but I highly suggest that you clink this Facebook link and be sure to like and

follow the Grounded Kustom page on the projects his shop is working on.

 

About Us

Outlawed Ink first and foremost is tribe of like-minded dudes that loves hot chics, fast gas guzzling rides, and rebels against over governance that just happens to sell apparel.

 

If you like our content, I am confident you will like our shirts even more so the best way to support us is to buy a shirt!




Do you have a cool ride or story that other dudes would be interested in reading??? E-mail Chris at info@outlawed.ink.

 

Feel free to leave any comments you have on this blog!











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