RANT: I'm pissed and frustrated and I need advice!

There's cheap cars everywhere here. Maybe the problem is where you live. There's been times when had I $3000 all at once I could buy 10 cars with it. And surprisingly buildable ones at that. My '50 Chevy cost $200 and I still don't have $1000 in it. Although that's mostly because I keep buying other cars to get them away from scrap dealers.

But you have to get out and look, they don't leap out of the internet through the screen into your lap. What the heck does a you-pull-it out there pay for a car? If I lived near one and I couldn't find anything, I'd hang out at or near one and offer $200 more than the junkyard will pay when someone turned up with a decent car.

 

I understand the need for a project. I have one that all I have invested so far is under 60 dollars = the frame is 2 x 3 thin wall tubing with a 1/4 in X 3 In liner for extra strength. the body ( scaled from pics ) is a 25 Dodge - no bed yet but the bucket skelaton is ready for start of glass - Front axle is a 59 ford P U straight axle. I will post pics soon as I figure out how to. Kept me busy Good luck . Jaxx

 

I understand the need for a project. I have one that all I have invested so far is under 60 dollars = the frame is 2 x 3 thin wall tubing with a 1/4 in X 3 In liner for extra strength. the body ( scaled from pics ) is a 25 Dodge - no bed yet but the bucket skelaton is ready for start of glass - Front axle is a 59 ford P U straight axle. I will post pics soon as I figure out how to. Kept me busy Good luck . Jaxx

 

Good advice. I learned alot by hanging out at a local rod shop. I was straight out of college too, no money but wanted to learn. I was fortunate to find some guys who were talented and and didn't mind me hanging around. I picked up skills that some guys never learn how to do...the right way that is. Welding, sheetmetal work...the list goes on. Read some books too, I've picked up alot of good information through piles of books and even magazines. Just relax, take your time, save what you can.

 

Man I hear that, I'm more or less in the same boat, I make half as much as you and everytime I start to save some money my daily driver shits the bed or something and my toy money goes away. It ain't easy for sure. If I still had my own place I'd probably have had to sell my three projects (all daily drivers which aren't anymore for various reasons) I want a real hot rod like no body's business, and at this point I've realized it really does come down to workin your ass of and saving, even if its 20 bucks a week. If I made what you do I'd have mine already. Connecticut ain't cheap either, but in college I learned to live fuckin cheap, thats how I have the toys I have now. So save up and sooner or later luck will shine her eye on you and youll get your ride. Just watch out for those volkswagens, they like to jump out and take your cool rides away from you.

 

Would any of these work?Do you have a place to work on a car,neighbors a problem? They are cheap maybe they won't work for you,I don't know?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/car/617340595.html

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/car/615063338.html

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/car/614835402.html

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/car/611783489.html

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/car/611542164.html

 

I think most young people blow most of their money on eating out because they don't want to waste time making their own food at home. If you add up all the little Carl's Junior and Kentucky Fried Chicken meals, it comes out to thousands of dollars a year. When I was young my friends thought I was a cheapskate because I'd save my dough for hot rod parts, while they blew their dough eating out about 90% of the time. They'd be wasting their dough on yuppy crap like Sushi, and I'd be at home eating cheap stuff like peanut butter. I had one old car after another and just kept working my way up to something a little better each time.

Start out with a cheap running project. Something that you can use as transportation while you slowly work on it. You can have fun driving it while you work on it, and when you get tired of it, you can probably sell it for more than you paid for it and start on something else. If you get some car that's not everybody's favorite, but something that's sort of cool and you like it anyway, you can get a good deal. Some early '60s car with a really crappy paint job or a fender that's bashed in. It won't look like your dream car, so you have to imagine what it could look like someday. It sucks that with all these crusher programs and stuff that all those old cars are starting to disappear though.

Good luck!

 

Hmmm...Okay here's my advice on your delima?!

1.Stop dreaming
2.Save what money you can...anyway you can think of?!
3.Plan a trip to an old salvage/junkyard.
4.Buy what you can afford, even its just a carb or a set of rims.
5.Start hang out with people who have or are doing the same.

No one ever built a rod or kustum, by setting around and complaining!?!

 

Lots of good advice here. I'd say be patient and focus your time on things to improve your financial situtation now and in the future. I'm 37 and I bought my first project 3 years ago. When I got out of University I worked my ass off 60-80 hours a week to finish my designation and get promoted. There was barely time to sleep let alone a hobby. A hobby is something you do in your spare time. I started by buying tools and parts about 6-7 years ago for a shoebox Ford project I wanted in the future. My car buddies called me nuts, but it gave me hope. The hard to find pieces never come easy or cheap. Without tools, a place to work on the car, time or money no project is going to go anywhere period.

Focus on getting a start, not by blowing money on a hobby IMHO. To make good money these days you need to work hard and live in bigger cities that have a high cost of living. In Toronto, post-secondary education is expensive, the average house price is just below $400K and that includes condos and townhomes. Most of my co-workers commute 1-2 hours each way to work to areas that are "affordable". It's nuts but its reality. It's also a lot harder to build a traditional hot rod and in my case early '50s kustom in 2008. Just price desirable grilles, chrome plating, engine kits, etc. This is not a cheap hobby anymore. Most of the guys I know with lots of tools and cool cars are 20+ years older than I am. I make good money, but with a house, mortgage, 2 cars, a 2 year old and the wife working part time I have little time or money to spare even now. I have to see progress on a car, even if it's restoring a hub cap or getting new guages. Progress is slow, but steady.

My advice: Focus on your career, getting established and plan on what car you ultimately want. Save and go to swap meets to buy parts/pieces and start or expand your tool collection. A project will come along sooner or later. Starting out with some POS undesirable 4 dr that was cheap to fix up wouldn't make me happy. This is an expensive habit. That's why so many kids in my neighborhood put bling wheels on their 10 yr old Honda Civic 4dr, add a fart can muffler and get a Maco paint job to build their "hot rod". It's what they can afford. Just my 0.02.;

 

I work three jobs to save enough dough to move to austin in july..9am to 9:30pm 6days a week and 2:30-9:30pm on sundays...buckle down and it can be done...save enough money for a project. and move to a cheaper area....wait, you make 48g a year?? fuck you, quit whining. I make less than half of that with three jobs!

 

Im 22 iv got a porsche 911, 2 other cars and 70g's in the bank and i didnt go to college. Heres the secret. I still live with my parents

 

"So, as I said I am pissed and frustrated and confused!

Any thoughts?"

Yes........face your situation like a man without throwing a tantrum. Figure out how to cut expenses and get a part time job...or two or three if need be, to increase your income. Very few of us here got anything handed to us. I went 15 years without toys so I could support my family. Do what ya gotta do to get what you want.

You have a college education, a job paying pretty good bread and you live in one of the best countries on earth. 80% of the human race would gladly change places with you.

 

Jeez, quick whining and do something about it. I'd hate to think I had to live on 48K in the bay area, MOVE, you could make that much anywhere and the cost of living may be 1/3 of where you llive

 

I bet that impresses the pants right off the ladies.

No wonder you have so much shit... & $$.

JH

 

Single dude^^^^^

Something is not right about the pissed off guy's finances. I have never made 48K in a year, and I'm pushing 40. Thats combined income with my wife working off and on..I have PLENTY of old cars, a house payment, 2 kids in private school.. we don't go out to eat or drive new cars.
If you bugeted out even 2 or 300 a month, you would have a project within a year.
My stuff is not all finished, but my wife has a nice 55 ford she can drive, and my truck needs tags and lights to drive. We also have dailys. I can do alot of the work on the cars myself, which saves alot of $$.
It depends what your priorities are. If you like to go out all the time, you are probably eating and drinking your way OUT of a Hot Rod.
I know guys that spend at least half of their income on restaurants and bars.
when I was in my early 20's, the shop I worked at used to get pissed at me because I didn't cash my paychecks for months at a time. I just saved them in a drawer until I needed money.

Its easy to fuck away alot of money without even realizing it. I have to assume that is your case since I can't fathom having that much $$ and not having some lying around.

 

I have a young child, a wife, a nice home to keep said wife happy, and a rental house that is occupied by my mother in law ( no actual income there ) Those are just some of the reasons why this car has been a project for almost 10 years. I have built and sold other cars in the meantime, but I never stop looking for the right part, I will buy parts when I can afford them, and pass if I can't. It's frustrating to know that if I could just spend $1000 right now, I could be driving this thing in a few weeks, but I'll be driving it sometime this year. You can sit around and whine if you want to, but I say buy something and get started.......even if it's just a cowl, or a frame, or a front axle......quicherbitchen and get started.

 

welcome to the real world , hang in there , things take time .. you have already gottin a ton of excellent advice from everyone ..

 

You have a very good point here! All to often it's easy to roll thru a drive thru and get some cholesterol on a bun. It does add up and you don't realize it.

I have a habit of saving every receipt I get during the week and at the end of the week I add things up.
In one week I spent close to $50 by going thru McDumpsters or Wendy's etc..
I smoke so I figure up $3.25 x 10 packs a week = $32.50
That's one habit that is hard as hell to quit! I've been trying but no luck so far.
FL is considering a $1 per pack tax hike. That'll make me quit, but I'll put that money into my car fund instead of in my lungs.

Also figure the drinks, magazines, lotto tickets that you pick up on a whim.
It's easy to spend a bunch of money on little shit and not notice it until you count the cash in your pocket at the end of the day.

I make roughly 60K a year with 3 kids and a stay at home wife.
We do pretty good and there's always vacation/ eating out money.

It's possible if you watch your expenses.

 

Shoot most of the cars I've had were bought after tax returns, then up sellin and up gradin, helps you move along. The IRS hit me pretty good one year and had to dump some stuff that hurt. I just recently traded 2 RC electric 1/10 trucks for a real deal 53 ford truck.

If you want I might be able to help you get a 26-27 tall t coupe for $600 minus doors and fenders.

 

Just get something and start. I fell in love with 63 Meteors when I was in high school, now buliding my third one. Done it in stages, Front nrakes, rear brakes, cam/lifters intake carb/ electronic ignitgion. Electric fan one wire alternator. now have the interior upholstred and stiing in my spare bedroom. Will put in floor pans next month. then istall the interior and ride. Will wait to paint for a couple years.

I like Meteors they are not a high demand item and parts are cheaper than some and certainly dont look like every other SS clone or Mustang clone on the block!

Arkabilly

 

WHAT YOU GOTTA DO IS GET YOURSELF A BIG GIANT JAR OF PEANUT BUTTER ON SALE AND LIVE OFF IT FOR A WHILE. GOT ONE? OK, NOW THAT YOUR FINANCES ARE ALL SQUARED AWAY DO WHAT I DID.

build up an old mini bike and a 5hp briggs&stratton. park it in your living room. baby steps. every weekend take it out and thrash it as hard as you can, ensuring that you'll have to work on it during the week. the rest will just come in time.

 

www.daveramsey.com

"Live like no one else so you can LIVE like no one else!"

 

Dude
You've gotten some very sage advice here . I'm 60 , was born and raised in SoCal . I left , the place sucks now . But that aside , we'd all like to start out with a model A coupe that could make the cover of , dare I say , " Street Rodder". I've bunches of old cars and all of them together hardly cost what trick " A Bone"osts . Start with a beater mid 30's or 40's Chevy truck . There is one for sale on every street corner and they are cheap . I drive a Studebaker truck that looks pretty ratty but will blow the friggin' doors off anything you've ever had . Studebakers are cheap too . Here's the biggest point of all . NETWORK !!!!! Without friends you won't make it in this hobby . I'm working on a roadster pickup - Cowl - free from a friend . Backend of cab - $20 at Pamona swap meet . Frame and differential- $100 from a Datsun truck . Radiator shell - free from a friend . Pickup bed $30 from a friend . Complete '40 Ford front axle - $100 from newspaper ad .. Core engine and trans $400 . Add it up I got a whole car for less than you are looking at for body .
There are hundreds of guys who can tell the same story here

 

Amber alert Amber alert we have a missing child goes by the name Hans. He was last seen with 48 grand in his pocket and whining about not having a car. If you see him walking around the bay please give him your cherry 32 ford roadster as he belives he deserves a hot rod just cuse. Sorry for being so tough but life ant easy dude.

 

That is right on time. Fuggin a Tagman.Im only 22 as well, but i work my balls off and put hot rods in front of everything but the bills.My shoebox is going on the road this summer and the only thing thats making that happen is putting in the hours.

 

Seriously, it has very little to do with the money. I see seriously bitchin cars built on very little money. I am 30 years old, have a blue color job (wouldn't have it any other way), have a family that I support, all the usual bills plus more, and I have a bunch of cars. None of them are Barret Jackson material, but I love them all. I also have a couple bikes, and other hobbies. I make money for my hobbies doing side jobs, I set my over time money aside, and I buy CHEAP. It takes time, but the right deal always comes along. And the more people you know and are in touch with, the more avenues open to you for deals. If you want it bad enough, you will do the required work to get it.

 

buy 1 part at a time, cancel the cable, bring your lunch to work, drink at home not at bar,don,t give your money to girls,find an apartment for 1000 or less (i know its hard but its possible) and don't spend your money on anything accept your important bills and car parts and remember you have to do these things cause we live in california we're already fucked..............

 

Move to Texas. The rest will fall in to place.

 

Hans what did you think of my craigslist finds,any good?