Last spring we spotted a 1946 Oldsmobile at a weekly car show.
A ’46 Olds is worth a story on its own accord, but a post-war Olds with dual tires on the back is a can’t-miss for us at MSCC.
The reaction of the people at the show to this unusual ride confirmed we needed to get the story.
Owner Mitchell Mcarady is a welder by trade, but he loves to work on cars as a hobby. He tackled a big project when he decided to put the antique Olds body on top of a 1992 Dodge truck frame with a Cummins diesel.
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Mitchell is a young car guy who was heavily influenced by his car guy father.
Mitchell told us he “had the body, had the truck and just thought it would be cool to put the two together in a project.”
You have to be young and motivated like Mitchell to tackle a complicated hot rod project that includes a large Cummins diesel and an old car.
His welding skills helped because he had to shorten the frame by 4 feet to match its length with the Olds body. Mitchell also had to re-design the engine and radiator mounts to accommodate the new combination.
The car is slightly lower in the front end and the alteration gives the Olds a slightly rakish look which enhances its overall appearance. The stock front seat is gone because Mitchell replaced it with Toyota Tacoma truck seats.
Mitchell told us the biggest obstacle in the project was the wiring because he had to gut the original 6-volt wiring system on the Olds and figure out how to wire in a 90s diesel truck electrical system that would run when he fired up the car.
The duallies definitely draw attention to the car because we have never seen dual wheels on a passenger car specifically designed for the street before we saw Mitchell’s Olds. The rear wheel choice was “something different” and “made a statement” in his words. We strongly agreed with his viewpoint about the dual rear tire choice.
Mitchell still had future plans for the car and will put a hitch on it so he can pull a trailer with it. Its Dodge truck frame and Cummins diesel power train will ensure he can pull a pretty big trailer behind his Olds.
In fact, we can imagine how he will surprise other drivers on steep hills when he pulls out to pass them and leaves them behind in a hurry.
Obviously, an antique car with a Cummins diesel under the hood is not a typical hot rod combination and makes a good conversation piece whenever Mitchell takes it to a show. We noticed most car guys are fascinated with the car when they take a look under the hood.
They realize how difficult it must have been when Mitchell started his unusual project with a what-if idea that he has taken from concept to reality in 4 years.
He is a young car guy with considerable mechanical and fabrication skills as evidenced by his very cool 1946 Olds.
Jim Sutherland
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