The Lawn Dog 1929 Rat Rod

A Ratty Mopar Becomes a First-Rate Hot Rod.

- Scotty Lachenauer

When William “Kid Billy” O’Brian started collecting castaway speed parts for a budget-build 1929 Dodge, he never imagined that rat rods would become such a sensation. O’Brian just wanted to put together a cheap ride with all his swap-meet finds, but along the way he learned a ton about hot rod history, and by looking at the car, we can too.

O’Brian was born in a quiet town in northern New Jersey. By the time he was a teenager, he had acquired a job at the local grease-pit repair shop doing tune-ups, oil changes, and tire changes. His first car was a 1970 Chevelle that was known for its weather-changing burnout clouds. How did he afford to keep replacing the tires? He’d keep all the old tires from the customer cars. This penchant for recycling rejected car parts would serve O’Brian well as he got into the custom and nostalgia scene.

Through his job, he met hot rodders Rob Iulo and Rich Conklin and began hanging out with them and the Dead Man’s Curve car club on Conklin’s car-covered property, the Hot Rod Farm. On the “Farm,” Conklin and Iulo built and sold various gassers and customs. Unwanted projects ended up in the field with the nickname “lawn dogs.” It was one of these automotive pups that caught O’Brian’s eye: a chopped 1929 Dodge coupe. He wanted that castaway coupe in the worst way, so he struck a deal with Conklin. O’Brian would get Conklin’s newly acquired 1934 Ford on the road, and the Dodge would be his for the taking. Two days later, the Ford was ready to hit the streets and O’Brian was the owner of a Dodge with a sweet 33⁄4inch chop and a big hole in the floor. And by big hole, we mean, no floor at all.