Sam’s 1952 International Harvester COE Rat Wrecker

Today I’d like to share some images of a 1952 International-Harvester COE Rat Wrecker that my friend Sam Humston is building. Sam has a fertile imagination and likes to build cars that are rather offbeat. His latest project is this 1952 International-Harvester COE that he is making into a mid-engine rat wrecker. This is by far the most unusual vehicle Sam has undertaken but, as with his previous cars, it will undoubtedly be roadworthy and fun to drive.

Sam Humston standing beside his latest project a mid-engine 1952 International Harvester COE truck.
Sam Humston standing beside his latest project, a mid-engine 1952 International Harvester COE Rat Wrecker. Processed as a HDR image then converted to monochrome using onOne Perfect B&W software.

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For the portrait above I first took my three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures into NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where I created the HDR image. After that conversion I opened the resulting image in onOne Perfect B&W and applied a preset I made a while back for a completely different situation. I wanted to give the photo an old time feel and Perfect B&W did the trick.

Sam's mid-engine powered 1952 International Rat Rod Project 3/4 view.
Sam’s mid-engine powered 1952 International COE Rat Wrecker Project 3/4 view.

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The image above gives an idea of the unusual approach Sam is taking with this vehicle. The International-Harvester truck cab was originally used on a COE (Cab Over Engine) which is a large commercial truck designed for pulling forty foot long trailers and other heavy duty work.

Below are a couple of snapshots Sam made when he first bought the truck.

 

The original International Truck Sam found in Kansas
The original International Truck as Sam found in Kansas
The original International Truck Sam found in Kansas
The original International Truck as Sam found it in Kansas

As you can see from these two snap shots Sam sent me he was really thinking outside the box with this vehicle. When he first described his idea to me I couldn’t see where he was heading. Now that he has the cab mounted on the new frame and rolling I can see that this is going to really turn heads when he finishes it.

Sam's mid-engine powered 1952 International Rat Rod Project
Sam’s mid-engine powered 1952 International COE Rat Wrecker Project

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This side view of the vehicle give a better idea of what the final result will be. The frame is also designed to accept a Class 3 Reese Trailer Hitch so that the truck can double as a tow vehicle. Sam also plans to build a wrecker boom over the engine with a winch and cable to make it into a 1952 International Harvester COE Rat Wrecker. Once again this image is a HDR shot created using my normal HDR process.

Sam Humston's Garage and his International Truck project.
Sam Humston’s Garage and his 1952 International Truck Rat Wrecker project.

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This shot of the truck up on stands in Sam’s garage started out as a HDR image that I then took into Topaz B&W Effects 2 and applied a preset of my own creation. When I created this preset I wanted something that felt like an old time post card. By using a HDR source image and then applying this preset I can give an image this look while still showing the detail in the scene.

The next three images are all HDR images that I used different effects to process

International Harvester Truck Interior Detail Shot processed as HDR and then processed in Topaz B&W Effects.
International Harvester Truck Interior Detail Shot processed as HDR and then processed in Topaz B&W Effects.

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International Harvester Truck Dash and Horn Button processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 followed up by processing in NIK Silver Efex Pro 2.
International Harvester Truck Dash and Horn Button processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 followed up by processing in NIK Silver Efex Pro 2.

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International Harvester Truck Horn Button processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2.
International Harvester Truck Horn Button processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2.

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Thanks for stopping by and taking time to look at my latest work. Though I am very committed to chronicling the Ohio River Bridges Project I still love to look for new and unusual subject matter as I explore the world around me. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I do and that you will return to Speeddemon2 Photography to see the world through my eyes in 2015.

Any of the images on Speedddemon2 can be purchased directly from me using the contact form below.

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