Hot Rods Have you been guilty of buying parts for a car you hope to build someday?

True, but then there is the mindset of people that were smart (unlike me) of investing and reaping the benefit of large returns, then buying the rare and/or expensive parts as needed.
There are certain segments of society, even a few here that can pay the big $$$ for those parts as they need them, and contrary to the term "hard to find", unless it is a "holy grail" part, there isn't much that can't be found.
You hear people say "I can't find" this or that but in reality they have set a price limit based on their budget and as stated prior that is not an issue for a select few.
Like people that have invested in the markets I've made a killing here and there over the years on some items but I had to hold onto them for a number of years.
Ultimately it allowed me to spend the big $$$ on that part that I personally thought was overpriced, I don't have that luxury anymore but it sure felt good when I treated myself to them on occasion.

 

Guilty, I have a 1971 429 Ford block and crank, a pair of 1970 429 heads and a flywheel just hoping for an old '50s or early '60s F100 to give them a home. I think they cost me $50.

 

Yep I have been, cars on the road and some of those parts are still on the shelf.

 

That's fine if you are retired, have a lot of free time, or place little or no value on your time.

My average work week is over 90-hours, and often involves being on the other side of the globe. My time is very valuable. If I spend 4-weekend days looking for a "good deal" on a part, or to find a rare part, at-all, then I have wasted enough in billable hours to just buy the expensive rare part.

Of course, I find that many of these parts should neither be expensive, nor rare, but are so, as the supply has been throttled by hoarders.

I used to be Wayne's neighbor. He's a Capitalist. If there were no money in what he did, he would not do it.

 

John, do you know something I don't? HRP

 

Absolutely, Danny! I have a current and active 57 Pontiac project going on. Been collecting parts for it for about 2 years. So far I've gotten a NOS tailight lens..........................

 

G'day, I have been a packrat for many years. Not just things I would need but just cool stuff. I have a stand in the shop with 18 engine blocks on it. These are the ones for my projects. There are two vans full of bare blocks that I will never use. Sitting between the two vans is a P30 full of transmissions. In my garage there is my collection of BBC and SBC intake manifolds. Mainly unusual stuff you would have trouble finding.

However, a couple years ago, we were bench racing at the local machinist's establishment. One of the guys was laughing about how all the young guys were building and running "ricer cars." The machinist who built engines for all of us standing there set everyone straight. He compared the stashes of parts that each of us had and then added "How can young guys get a start."

I sold one of my project cars and parts the next week to a young friend with a Honda. He had my car running in about a month and has been driving it every year since.

I sold another friend some of my 4 bolt 350 and 400 blocks not long after. And I even parted with a crate L88 427 to a drag racing friend.

I recently found out that I need open heart surgery and am a little scared about it. I lost an uncle and an aunt having the same surgery. My wife won't know what to do with this crap. My brother will help her get rid of the Snap On tools but he isn't as into the hot rod parts. I don't think he would have much idea of what an SY! Smokey Ram is worth much less one with an autograph.

 

I’m 65 years old I sold 56 chev truck yesterday to someone that will use it, it’s been sitting in my yard for 3 years and sat another 10 where I got it from time get it on the road. When I’m building something if I can’t find a part when I need it I will use something else I’m not stuck on having to have that exact part to me that’s what I like about building my vehicles, use what I can find when I need it


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I bought a set of 6 hole 60's slot mags just because they were too cheap to pass up and I like slot mags. The only thing I have that they remotely might fit is my 52 Chevy pickup, and it's more of a stock restoration project, so it'll never see them. My wife asked "What are you putting those on?" when I tossed them into the '46's bed. "A shelf in all likelihood".
I also scooped up a front axle hub to hub of a 52 F1, along with the rear end and all four stock wheels, just because I had been told they would be useful should I ever want to convert a Model A to juice brakes. I've never owned a Model A. But they were free..
Most of my parts I have acquired for future projects were picked up solely because they were too cheap to pass up, and if' I'd have passed them up, I certainly would have been looking for them. Case in point- Corvette Ralleys. Got rid of and passed them up for years. Now, I'm buying a reproduction set for my daughter's OT C3 plastic fantastic, when I gave the last set away for free.

 

You had me right up to the L-88 part.

 

This reminds me, Last year I was in a Wal-Mart in China where I spotted these stainless steel oval serving trays that sort of resemble the headlight doors on the 1960 AMBR Emperor which I think has the best grille shell of all time. Just had to buy them. Am I going to build an Emperor clone within my lifetime? Probably not.

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I still do it.

 

I suspect we are all guilty of collecting parts, for future or on going projects, parts are purchased as and when needed or simply when they are available, what we need or think we need have to be purchased when the price is right and available.The parts situation has improved dramatically in the UK over recent years, but there are many other factors common to us all, that may or may not allow purchases for future use.

 

Ummmm... I'm trying to sell stuff so I can finish projects right now. This junk is just "inventory".
I keep the parts for projects separate.

 

I bought my '33 Ford grille years before I ever had the car...but I always intended to own one...

 

No..Cause I never finish the three cars I have..The 69 year old I've had for 52 years, the 73 year old I've had for 17 years and the 48 year old [bought new] I've had for 49 years..Always doing something.

 

So I had you up to the L88 427. What do you think powered the Two Lane Highway and American Graffiti cars. Warmed over L88 427's. If these cars are not part of the vintage culture what is.

 

If you mean things like the M/T small block Chevy
cross ram I bought last week for the motor that has been in my shed for the past 40 years. Along with the
Frankland Quick change and a myriad of similar
"stuff" I am indeed guilty!

 

Some start with a part and build a whole car around it.

 

I've got a 1928 ford lug nut...want to start a car?...lol

 

Yes. Especially the difficult to come by parts. In the past five years when I lost my ambition, I still bought parts. Now, I'm working again and when I'm ready to build the 322 nailhead replacement engine for my '37, I already have the Buick Export adjustable rockers, Isky solid lifter cam, manual flywheel, and trans-dapt Bellhousing, Latham supercharger, etc. Acquiring these parts over time spread the cost out too.

 

Uh....yup.....about 25 years ago I had rounded up nearly all the parts needed to build an A coupe....body, frame, front and rear axles, everything but motor and transmission. Came home one day, went around back of garage and all was gone...seems the local metal collector asked my wife if we had anything he could get from us to scrap and she told him anything behind the garage he could have. So around the back through the alley he went, all my stuff was gone...she forgot about the car parts back there. But I still love her.

 

Hello,

When we had our Lions Dragstrip accident in August, 1960, it was a huge setback. Everything we had been doing since late 1959, building our first hot rod/drag race coupe was no more. It was sitting in a scrapyard in Wilmington, CA, near the dragstrip. We had taken all of the stuff we wanted to keep at the coaxing by my brother from his hospital bed. (“take it apart, replace the worn stuff and put a canvas tarp over everything.”)

Atts Ono and I took it apart, but not at our house. The accident was tragic enough. But, this recovery episode made us look and accept the smashed Willys Coupe, as we brought it out of the fence at the drags and home to Atts Ono’s house. There was no way that we were going to take it apart at our house with our mom staring and weeping at the same time.

We got everything off of the wrecked Willys Coupe. Now, we trailered it over to the scrap yard and pondered what to do with the stuff. Atts Ono covered the stuff left over in his garage with a tarp. My brother, from his hospital bed, told me to let it stay there for a short while. Then little by little, take it home to our small backyard garage, keeping it under wraps the whole time. He said that we can’t stop with this set back and needed to build something else with what we had left.

At the time, we had a set of bigger M&H slicks ordered and were waiting in a garage in Los Angeles. Our appointment for the installation of the B&M hydro was put on hold. The Hilborn Two Port Injectors were also in the same garage in L.A. along with a set of big Halibrands for the M&H and small Halibrands for the front wheel application. All of these parts were ordered and paid for until we could go pick them up. We even had a local upholstery shop and a painter setting aside a day or two for the finishing part.

Jnaki

From August 1960 to January 1961, we kept the old parts under the tarp in our garage. My brother wanted to keep the new stuff in Los Angeles, but decided that they can wait until we are ready with the next build. So, we cancelled and our friend had them restocked. The upholstery and paint was also put on indefinite hold. The idea that my brother had was to get to the stage in our next build (Model A Coupe or Willys Pickup), then reorder those necessary parts.

Finally, as it was nearing the winter season of 1960, my brother had this epiphany about our next build. There was not going to be another build. His hands were a mess and recovery was going to be a much longer thing than originally planned. So, he told me to wait until after Christmas to write up a parts list for the sale items section of the local weekly, Drag News paper.

I had been cleaning and maintaining the “under the canvas” parts and motor. Now, I had to get everything done before we actually put in the advertisement. We did keep some new stuff that I had bought, plugs, case of oil, a carton of STP and some new tools. When I showed my brother the printed ad from Drag News, he was relieved and smiled. It took several months for everything to sell. The 671 SBC motor was complete and it sold first to a guy from the Midwest area. The rest of the parts went to local hot rodders for their needs.

There were many typing errors from the Drag News, AD lady. It was a 292, not 283 and a 41 Willys, not a 49.

But the key, almost, hidden item was for the future big, M&H slicks…a set of 15” wide Chevy rims that my brother had made at Henry’s Machine Works in Northeast Long Beach. (9” WIDE !!!) He obviously was looking ahead to a future addition to our Willys build…or possibly a new build…

 

Yes. If the price is right, I have the money, and I think I might end up using it in something.

Just picked up a dual quad tunnel ram intake for a BBC. No project for it right now, but just in case.

Get while the gettin's good.

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Well I have the 327 (out of a 65 vette) I have been dragging around foe 40 years, the muncie 4 speed from a 66 gto I have had since 1972, the 32 axle I have had since 1975......

 

Generally speaking, I don't buy parts for cars I don't already own, but if someone has parts their getting rid of, I will take all they're giving for early '70s and older. If I can't use it, I'll try to find it a home, unless it's for a project that's on my list of cars to own.

 

I'm at the point where I "know i have one of these already" but, end up buying another, just because it would take forever to find it in the pile

 

What the hell? Self discipline is apparently not my strength.

 

I do the opposite and sell parts that are needed for cars I already have. I get on a roll when I am selling, sometimes it is hard to stop.

 

I wish that was all I had