Termites and Bowties- Early Chevy Group

post a photo of the gmc bed, if you can. a good gmc tailgate is hard to find.

 

Next time I get over to our farm and the weather is nice I hope to get it cut out of the tree line, and I will put up photos then. I also have a fairly good 64 GMC tailgate here at home from a project I scrapped years back. Never thought it to be worth much with the repros out there.

 

I did not realize they make a repro' late 30's G.M.C. tailgate. who sells them?

 

Didn't mean late 30's. I meant on the 64 one I have. Pretty sure those are repro.

 

Hey guys. So quick redirect here. I’m curious as to opinions on hoisting the body of my ‘31 5 Window by the roof I’ve got good supports up in the rafters and a large beam I can attach to. Im wanting to hoist the body up in the air for mock-up purposes as well as to add support as I remove the floor for the channel. I’m sure this makes some of you cringe while others like myself thing that if there’s a will there’s a way!

I will of course beef up the existing temporary structure and bracing I’ve done on the inside of the cab to keep it together while I removed it from the frame


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Get all the pictures you can find. See what works and what does not. Mixing different era body styles is pretty iffy. I once owned a '40 Chevy pickup that had a Ford F100 bed and rear fenders. It was that way when I got it. It really didn't look that bad and the Ford bed was more useable than the original. I left it but I would never have done it in the first place.

If the basic lines and proportions don't work everything else you do just make it worse. if the wheels and stance are wrong NOTHING will fix it. The older the vehicle the harder it is to get a modern wheel to look good in the wheel well. Sometimes it is hard to be honest with yourself and say, "My idea doesn't work. That's why no one did this."

The Spurgin/Giovanine roadster kicked everyones ass at the dry lakes in the '40s. A '25 Chevy with a highly modified Chevy four. Bob Ruffi's Chevy four powered streamliner made a one way pass at 146 mph in 1940. No Fords could touch them. I think two things gave Ford the popularity edge. Both companies sold a lot of cars and at one point Essex out sold them both. First Ford used less wood so their bodies were easier to keep together. Second Ford used better steel. Chevy made their cranks, cams and rear axles out of the same steel they made their fenders out of. The 4,6,8 cylinder thing wasn't really that important early on. Even today at Bonneville Ford/Merc flathead V8s are protected by their own classes. Other brands have to fight it out. The vintage four cylinder class rules are built around Ford specs but a few Dodges and Chevys give them Hell.

 

Personally I would get 2 ...4x4x8, slip one under the body in the wheel well area and lift it onto custom made saw horses, having a friend help you while wife positions the 4x4. Then do same to the front right under the firewall cowl.
Removing the floor to channel body over frame. You better figure WHAT your going to attach the body too while you butcher it. Look at it, doesn't just slip OVER THE FRAME. It sits on top. Put your thinking hat on before you get in a position of no return. Thousands of cars have been wrecked because owner did not see the forest for the trees.

mike lynch

 

I agree. You are much better keeping it together than putting it back together. There are many measurements that are easier to maintain than to recreate or try to find when lost. My '26 roadster body though almost complete came to me disassembled with only a traced outline of the bottom on an old sheet of plywood. There is not much our there on these older Chevys.
I'd try to lift it from the bottom after it was as securely braced and cross braced as I could get it. Over kill is your friend. I would not trust the old wood on the top to lift it no matter how good it looks. A couple of loose joints can provide for a lot of movement.

 

Last question I promise until if I actually do something. Which way should a guy turn to get a title for these oldies it they don't have one? I have done a little reading on it with options from getting it basically title as a auto you built which calls for records kept of every penny spent, inspections, etc. to selling to someone out of state so they can sell back to you with a certificate, to buying a title. The truck I have been scoping out doesn't have a title. It was purchased by a farmer back in the mid 60s from a Woolin mill that shut down. Sat at his place for 25 plus years until the guy who owns it now bought it 35 years ago, and has sat in his shed since with little work done to it. No title changed hands. The Woolin mill history with it being a local town near me is part of the reason for leaning toward this particular truck. Did find an Iron Duke on CL for 300.00 was supposedly rebuilt 25 years ago for a project, and never used. Doesn't look like it was ever rebuilt, at least wasn't cooked out and repainted.
David

 

I believe if you fill out your profile as to your location information it will then show up.

 

67 cougar.
I would think you would best inquire to the D O T in your particular state ?? about what they require about getting a new REPLACEMENT title for your antique car. Different states have diff rules.
A GM vehicle will have a firewall build plate giving the year, model , serial number of motor , original colour and upholstery colour.

The purpose of the title of coarse is to catch cars that have been stolen and if you have a car /truck that is stolen it protects you against buying it .

There are people who have original titles which they sell for $$$$ ? on hemmings motor news ? Or just type in TITLES FOR ANTIQUE CARS AND TRUCKS. ??? Never looked.

mike lynch

 

Getting a title largely depends on the laws where you live. Some places are easy some impossible. Nevada used to be easy until Californians started coming here to title their stolen cars. Some states allow you to title a new build by the year it most resembles but there are often a limited number of titles per year. Some states also require up dated "safety" equipment on new builds. Some states will title an old vehicle that is no longer in it's records with just a bill of sale from who you got it from. Several years ago my son bought a old Studebaker. The owner said he had a title and would send it to us. We got a bill of sale at the time. Years went by and I no longer knew where he was. I searched the cars history and sent registered letters to all the previous owners and addresses I could find. None were answered most returned. Although that was the law at the time the DMV wouldn't accept it. I found a company in Vermont, I think, that would title it for me. I had sell them the car and to send them a bill of sale. They titled it sold it back and sent me a signed title. It cost $125. A very short time later we got the original title from the original guy. So we nave two for that one. I know a guy in California who has 4 Triumph motorcycles and one title. They all have the same number and since he can only ride one at a time he has had no problem so far but that seems pretty risky in the Peoples Republic.

 

Just stumbled upon this ‘31 5 Window.

Is this a H.A.M.B.’er ? The article says it belonged to a John McCluskey. I’d love to hear a bit more about this car.











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Not sure unless he steps up to the plate and identifies himself. Or do a search here to see if he made any posts. Looks like a later grille shell - '33/'34? Neat looking! Another good looking Bowtie!

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No connection to me, I just thought this was a pretty kool driveline setup.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/223...64544213770892/?sale_post_id=2764544213770892

 

The FANTOM WORKS TV show out of Virginia, does anybody know what their shop hourly rate is ???

mike lynch

 

Last I knew it was $80.00

 

wow , so that means the 5000 hours he charged the guy for the 61 METRO that took 4 years plus parts to do, was $80 x 5000 = $400,000 in labor.

So I guess BITCHIN RIDES is around the same, joys of having funds.

mike lynch

 

According to their web site, their rate is $78 to $98.

 

Mike $80 per hour seems to be correct with that FantomWorks Shop build rate! That seems like a fair rate plus you need to look at the overall overhead that these shops have!

I am sure KindDig build rate it is more than double that of FantomWorks Shop!

I have a few friend’s car building shops here on the South Shore of Boston get anywhere between $120 to $150 per hour build rate!

Plus we are in the 2019 year of cost across the board thru the roof with expenses!

On your article about that FantomWorks shop is finally stopping to an end of that TV program Dan had mentioned that he and his wife were at a loss of $1M with their shop!

Here is one thing about owning a company business!

Hey if you make $$$$$ that is great if you break even that is still great but to go into the hole minus $$$$$ one can only do that for only so many years and then it is time to get out and change into another field!

Just my thoughts from my past experiences!

Rory

 

KROL............interesting spread of $20 on door rate. Went to FAQ and found what you replied, did not find it first time. thanks ........mike

 

The cool thing about this is that it is capitalism. Only those who want the service pay for it. If it's too much shop around or learn some skills. If their work wasn't worth it to someone they'd be out os business.

 

Labor rates, according to my old accountant, should be a minimum of three times what you pay the worker. So if you pay your technician 25 per hour you need to charge at least 75 per hour for his work. If your overhead is out of control you need to charge more or you will go broke. I have done several six figure builds. Hobby members were happy, but my profitability wasn't.

 

from what we see on tv shows and the amount of vehicles in the shop waiting to be done, there is no shortage of GOT"S. Only real problem you see is once the high $$$ project is done and driven, the amount of recoupable money of lets say $500 grand quickly drops to $200 grand and then $100 grand where it might sell. Lots of cars out there seeking new homes and pedestals to be placed up.

I know a guy who spent $550 g made the Detroit Ridler great 8 and car is sitting in florida with no buyers at $125.000 sad but true. A trip thru ebay motors or WWW.HOTRODHOTLINE.COM will turn some up. For some reason people with woodies seem to have grandiose dreams of what their termite buckets are worth.

mike lynch

 

If your doing a job at STRAIGHT TIME and keeping proper track of that time, figure in overhead of taxes......hydro....materials of what it costs to run a shop for a month, before you know it your charging $70 hour +
mike lynch

 

rorys 34 Chevrolet roadster, Australian HOLDEN body, out with the old driveline and get ready for new SBC with 400 TH.

mike lynch

 

Looks similar to this Ozzie bodied car over in Oregon now and LHD. Disregard the wheels

 

very pretty 34-35 std chevy. Looks small without taillight arms and bumpers, and also chopped 3 inches ?

Looks round over the body behind seating area, never noticed that before. Great color.

mike lynch