Rat Rod Candidate: Barn Find Cushman Truckster
Rat rods: we think of the gassers, the T-buckets, even sometimes the occasional air-cooled VW Beetle. But sometimes the “rod” part of the equation isn’t much in the performance department and it just comes down to the looks. Couldn’t you make a similar excuse for this well-aged Cushman Truckster? Paint like that only comes naturally. Find this well-patina’d Cushman here on craigslist for $1,000 or trade near Lodi, Ohio, and go here if the ad disappears.
It’s amazing to think that Cushman still exists today and has built a legacy on manufacturing three-wheeled vehicles used for urban duties like community policing to giving retirees an easy to use conveyance for gated communities. What once may have drawn a chortle from a passer-by now exists in a very specific niche of heavy-duty commercial vehicles, golf carts and motorized carts used by universities and the hospitality industry. This well-weathered Truckster is a long way from returning to duty, but it’s not hard to see how useful it could be.
With just a single seat, the Cushman was intended for driving duties where only one passenger was needed, not entirely different from the airport tugs they sell today. Whether this was used by a municipality or a small business is unknown, and the seller doesn’t let on about its history. And yes, the mail truck idea has been done – Cushman already thought of that with the Mailster, specially designed for courier duty. Give Cushman credit: what began as an engine manufacturer grew to incorporate many types of vehicles and survives today because of it.
The seller believes the motor is original, which would be a major selling point given the importance of the Cushman “Husky” engine in the company’s earliest days. I know of another one of these located in the same salvage yard I bought my Toyota HiAce out of, if anyone’s looking. These days, Cushman is owned by Textron Corporation, based out of my humble abode of Providence, Rhode Island, where it’s part of a portfolio of transportation products ranging from helicopters to surveillance systems. Who wants to give this little Truckster a home?
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Comments
I just don’t get this fad of leaving a classic vehicle looking like a bucket of $h!t. This little truckster would be sooooo! Much more if it were properly restored. I’m a welder fabricator and a mechanic. I am not an auto body repair man or professional auto painter but I know that this body work is not that hard to do, and there are plenty of ways to educate yourself on how it done. I’ve used several avenues to learn from on line videos, to trial and error, to picking up pointers from professionals. A project like this is perfect for someone wanting into the hobby and want to learn how to do it. As for rustina it’s just a fancy word used to upsell something that is in rough shape. Rust is rust it keeps on invading until there is nothing left so rat Roding something is a cheep out way of working on any car. Sure it can be expensive to restore but if your willing to get your hands dirty and willing to learn restoring somthing can be very rewarding and doing it yourself can really cut cost and not all your expenses have to happen at once. JMHO.
My dad had a nearly identical former mail truck that was made by “WestCoaster”. It had a ‘glass body and an Onan engine. Ideal little vehicle to putter around the 8 acre homeplace. When the time came to deal with his estate, the body of “Half Pint” and another parts vehicle were still on the property.
Having a penchant for small commercial vehicles, I have the Cushman Mailster on my collection’s hit-list (along with the Piaggio Ape), but would like to find one in better shape, if possible.
The cost of getting it to New Zealand would probably be more than the purchase price, but I’m loco enough to buy one, anyway. LOL
It would go nicely alongside my TGB Express 50, which is my daily transport around the small town I live in.
Just googled the TGB Express 50 & Piaggio Ape.
Interesting vehicles. The Express should be a great grocery getter.
Just goes to show that BF is a great learning centre.
I think this is a Rand Westcoaster not related to Cushman at all. It has an Onan flat twin of 750cc. Rand was purchased by Otis later on. Many companies made mailsters. The CL ad says Rand Cushman because most people think all of these are Cushmans.
This is pretty funny. In my small town in central Colorado, I inquired about a Cushman Truckster, a bit newer than this ( square headlights), in much better shape, and he wanted $1300 for it. Has been sitting a while, and had different motor, OMC I think. It was really very automotive like, with a 3 speed on the column and live rear axle. The front suspension ( can’t see it here) looked really complicated, and decided, there’s better classics to buy.
not my idea of ” rodding” looks like it needs all glass , IDK the height in the back as far as standing in it goes might be good for a hot dog vendor? or have the ” goods” in back and an awning with a unique paintjob and design for the vendor “POSSIBLY” A large motorcycle engine and chrome wheels .. looks like a lot of work to me might better get a ” new” one over doing the above
I always thought the Cushman vehicles were really neat, always wanted one.
I think the patina thing is a couple of things. Laziness is one. If I want to see decay, I’ll visit a scrapyard. The second is money, or lack of. To put a decent paint job on even this Cushman will cost more than the thing is worth – before you even deal with the mechanicals.
Then you’ll see it on CL with “25k invested, just testing the waters but will sell for 10k firm or trade for a 4×4 and guns”. And no takers.
Not a Husky engine and doesn’t look like an OMC either. I tend to agree with Paul that it is not a Cushman.
the idea of rodding this fairly solid and complete example of a service vehicle (of unknown origin) would be a waste and requires a ton of extra engineering. This one is worth saving
I think it would look sooo cool with two wheels up front and a fiberglass hood to make it look like a diveco milk truck