1928 Ford Model A Rat Rod

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Issue

June 2025

Owner

Mike Bowe

Ride

Wally
(1928 Ford Model A)

Meaning Behind the Name

That was my dad's name and he was a farmer and an inventor with little money, so he had to make things work. The bulldog on the hood was from an old ashtray that Wally used.

Ride Details

Original Cost

$4,000 for a 1997 2500 Dodge Dually, $1500 for Model A Sedan

Build Cost

$40,000 without labor, probably at least 3500 hours building and about 1,000 hours of no sleep thinking about it.

What was the inspiration?

I saw Welder Up's train car on tv one night and said I'm gonna build something like that. I always like looking at rat rods at car shows. My dad and I owned a junk yard and about 20 acres of used farm machinery. A lot of Wally's parts came from that yard - tractors, combines, etc. I have always been a "gadget guy" and fascinated with how things work, so anything I could add to this car in that respect was done.

How long did it take you to build?

Approximately 3 years from the first idea to the end. There were many things that we made, put on the car, and then took off or modified. It almost never just stayed the way it was the first time we made part of it. We made every single part of it from other parts and pieces.

How long have you been building?

My dad, 2 brothers and I have been making things for probably 60 years! After that it was me and my 4 kids. When I was a teenager, my brother made a dunebuddy from a '66 Corvair and I made one from a '66 Volkswagen Beetle --- not a kit -- homemade! We made an old pickup truck into a hauling truck for the farm. We called it Wally's Wonder! We took an old snowmobile and put wheels on it for the summer. We made go-karts, always something!

Club Affiliations

None

Your future plans?

I am working on another rat rod. It is a 1937 Plymouth Coupe and will be named Ann after my mom! We narrowed it 10 inches, cut off 4 inches from the bottom of the body. It has a 9 passenger Ford van rear end that we chopped and made dual wheels for. It has a 4BT Cummings diesel turbo. I just took it for the first road test this past summer. Now getting ready to paint. It won a trophy the first event I took it to!

Vehicle history

Wally's body came from South Dakota. The motor transmission and rear end came from a 1997 Dodge Dually with a 5.9 Cummings diesel 12 valve. It was overhauled by a truck puller, which means it puts those nice black marks on the road easily.

Thanks to

My sons, Billy and Andy for helping me with the build. Anytime I needed the plasma table they were there. Andy wired the whole thing.

Previous Rides

2022 Back to the Fifties in Minnesota. Drove 725 miles.

Engine Details

Make

5.9 Cummings 12 Valve Diesel with Turbo 1997

Cylinders

Driveline Details

Clutch flywheel

Automatic 47 RH

Gears

355

Chassis Details

Chassis

Made from scratch in the shop.

Mods to Frame

Chain drive steering in two places. Ran to a '96 Chevy truck steering gearbox.

Frame Builder

Bowe Built

Drop or lift inches

11"

Front Shocks

Front end came out of 1987 F350 Super Duty - we narrowed 10"

Rear Shocks

Rear end we cut 16" out of it.

Airbag Info

Ridetech

Wheels Details

Front Wheel Type

We had 2 aluminum plain rims and drilled 10 bolt in front.

Rear Wheel Type

We had 4 aluminum plain rims and drilled 8 bolt in the back.

Front Wheel Size

19.5 x 8"

Rear Wheel Size

19.5 x 8"

Front Tire Size

225/70R/19.5

Rear Tire Size

225/70R/19.5

Paint Details

Color

Rust Patina

Painted By

Scott Keller Auto

Graphics By

Body Details

Body Drop

Hood

1945 Dodge 2 ton truck

Grille

1945 Dodge 2 ton truck

Body Mods by

Bowe Built

Interior Details

Dashboard

Bowe Built

Steering Wheel

Came out of forklift. We added double chain.

Console

Bowe Built

Shifter

Out of a race car.

Seats

Metal tractor seats

Trunk or Bed

Bowe Built

Upholstery Description

Iron and wood.

Upholstery By

Bowe Built

“Wally”

Owner: Mike Bowe

Photos by: John Mumaw

Meet “Wally,” a wild, one-of-a-kind 1928 Ford Model A rat rod built by Mike Bowe—a man with grease in his veins and a passion for fabrication that spans generations. This head-turning ride isn’t just a build—it’s a tribute to Mike’s dad, Wally, a farmer and self-made inventor who taught him that when you don’t have money, you make things work.

So Mike did just that. With parts sourced from a family junkyard and a little inspiration from a TV show, he spent over 3,500 hours building this beast from scratch—and probably lost 1,000 hours of sleep thinking about it.

Why Call It Wally?

The name honors Mike’s late father, a man who knew how to turn “junk” into something useful. That bulldog hood ornament? It came off Wally’s old ashtray. The soul of this build is stitched together with love, grit, and a whole lot of family history.

Built From the Yard—Literally

Mike and his dad owned a salvage yard with about 20 acres of used farm machinery, and that’s where “Wally” got its DNA. The goal? Build something like the train car rat rod from Welder Up that Mike once saw on TV.

And boy, did he nail it.

Body: 1928 Ford Model A (from South Dakota)
Engine: 5.9L Cummins 12-Valve Turbo Diesel from a 1997 Dodge Dually
Chassis: 100% handmade, Bowe Built
Frame Mods: Custom chain-drive steering, narrowed front/rear axles
Ride Height: 11” drop with Ridetech airbags
Wheels/Tires: Custom drilled aluminum 19.5 x 8s, front and rear

A Rat Rod With Grit and Gadgets

Mike’s been building for over 60 years, starting with go-karts, dune buggies, and farm truck conversions as a kid. Wally is just the latest (and loudest) chapter in a long line of wild ideas turned real.

And the interior? Think metal tractor seats, a forklift steering wheel rigged with double chain, and a dash made by Mike himself. The whole thing screams “function meets creativity.”

Even the paint job is raw—with a rust patina finish and a roofline chopped so low the rear window shrank from 30 inches to just 5 inches.

What’s Next for Mike?

He’s already deep into the next project: “Ann,” a 1937 Plymouth Coupe named after his mom. So far, he’s chopped it, narrowed it, built it with dual rear wheels, and stuffed in a 4BT Cummins diesel turbo. It’s already snagged a trophy—and it’s not even painted yet.

Long Drives & Big Thanks

This 1928 Ford Model A Rat Rod isn’t just for show. Mike drove it 725 miles to Back to the Fifties in Minnesota. And he gives major thanks to his sons, Billy and Andy, for helping him fabricate, wire, and dream the whole thing into reality.