Hi, I'm Brad, I'm 24 and this is my 'Rod. I'm fairly new to the traditional rod scene so bare with me. I picked her up off eBay I guess 1 -1/2 years ago and haven't done much to it. 68 302/c4 with a 4 link '56 9" out back and a half started mustang II ifs. Very rust free (imho) body but a horrible hack chop job. Here's the list of stuff i got with it and stuff i've picked up. New walker rad, 2 grills and hoods and a Clear Delaware title (now in my name). Front glass and frame. Here's what I've pick: 682-c's, King Bees, straight and curved light bar, new repop splash pan, NOS friction shocks, '38 beam and wishbone w/brakes, 6 Holley 94's, 1 Holley 1-1/16 (Off a fire truck), 4 97's, Rockey Mnt Aluminum heads (just for the garage), Spare un chopped rear section to replace the bad spots. So now I'm at the point where I ask myself what do I do with it. Keep paying to store in the a storage unit until I find time to work on it (I live 2 hours from it), pay a small local shop to build it as i can afford, Sell/Trade for a 40s-50s truck or wagon (reliable),,,???? Its my first rod and I love the fact that I have an all steel beauty in my name but I have people that are interested in it (since 2 hours after i bought it). What would you do????
If you like the car and have patience, hang on to it. You'll never replace it for what your gonna get out of it right now in the future. Yeah the welds look like hell, but anything can fixed
just get yourself a proper frame/chassis and go to town. Don't know what the minimum window height requirement is in DE, but you might be able to rid yourself of those wretched welds as well with a healthy chop...
Good advice right there! Hack out that nasty welding, hell, I don't even know what you'd call that... A shit sandwich? And give it a good chop, doesn't even look like it needs too much a chop to get rid of the bulk of it. I'd ditch the whole frame, what the hell is that out of (I'm sorry, it looks like hell under there)? A frames aren't hard to come by and a fairly cheap, lots of guys ditch them for duece rails (I'm using A rails personally, but I'm going to be channeled to the bottom of the frame so you won't see it anyway). If you crap the frame, do, at minimum to get the welds outta there, a 2" chop, you actually have what I would call a really good project car there. I'm not big on really anything from late 30s to early 60s (thats just my style though), so I'd stick it out with the Model A. But do what you want ("but don't do it around me, Idleness and dissipation breed apathy. I sit on my ass all goddamn day"... Sorry, its my favorite Bad Religion song, so everytime I hear the phrase do what you want, I go into the first verse in my head) Anyway, what you have on your hands my be ugly now, but ditch the frame and get those welds outta there and you're as good as gold. I woulda bought that car too, with the intentions of doing those things, but I woulda bought it. Dunno where you're from, but in my neck of the woods that is an incrediblely nice project to work with.
You're on the right track. Biggest priority for me would be relocating it to somewhere handy so I can do 2 or 3 hours work each night after work. A little and often beats infrequent bursts any day. Ditch the MII front end and replace it with an I beam, and the rough panels and welds will be good practice for the hammers and dollies you're about to purchase. BTW: my 28 tudor was a lot rougher than that when I started, and the body is close to finished now.
What would I do? I'd lose the IFS and build a traditional Hot Rod. Teach yourself how to do body work. Paying storage? Bring it home and park the daily on the street.
You dont have to chop it more to lose the welds. You could just cut out sections replacing it with new metal. Lose the IFS and I think your good to go. Leave the fenders I think!
The frame is actually quite good. The front end was only tacked in place. There are a few section that were boxed-in with punched plate. And no the welds weren't like the body, which in case you thought that was stick welded you are wrong, its MIG.
True... I don't know where in PA you are, but if you're at all close to Pittsburgh or vicinity, I'd be more than happy to give you the "chop" when I chop my 30's top... It'll be like 4 or 5 inches, Start at 4 and go from there. <i>EDIT: Just saw you already have a "chop" and don't need one, nevermind. But if for whatever reason you'd need another, you can have mine, I figure if I can't find something to do with it, it'll go to Weasel the Junkman (seriously... Here in Fairmont, there's a dude name Weasel and he'll pick up whatever random old metal shit you have. You can't even call him, you just have to FIND him).
I don't have a home (I rent for 6-12 months and then move on), I'm a contract engineer/designer and go were the work is (or isn't, lol).
let someone else have it if you don't think you'll do anything with it. if it were me, i'd repair that "chop" and stick less gay running gear under it.
Clean up the chop, replace the front end with a dropped axle, leave the fenders on ...get it runnin' and drive your new hot rod!
if it was me and I didn't have a place to work on it, was 2 hours away, didn't know if I could do it all myself, I'd sell it to somebody else and get me a prodject I could drive and do little stuff to. to do this car up you are going to need a garage and tools or lots and lots of money.
Sorry to say you won't get anywhere without a permanent home to set up shop. Sell it for something you can drive and can tinker with or wait until you have your own garage. You'll spend way too much storing this for years and dragging it from place to place...not worth it.
If it's someting you really want to keep and build then find a way to do so.. and i agree with everyone else.. ditch the mustang II ASAP..
I would do what beetlejuice suggested. It's not too late to save her, and have a cool traditional rod.
Kinda feels like a Pre-For Sale post........ What is it worth....... You know what needs to be done, I hope.
I say sell it, mainly because you only stay in one spot for half a year. you need much more time to get it RIGHT.
if you don't have the time for a serious build...sell it. you could be missing an chance to have fun with a "driver". commitment is for marriage. you can't take the thing with you when you die, and it might just sit that long. i'm not trying to shit on your dreams, but life happens and not everyone has time on their hands.
I say keep it, and keep collecting parts until you get everything you need, and then put it together. They aren't making bodies that nice anymore, and if it is what you really like, build it. You could pay a shop to put the car together just enough to drive it, and then tinker as time goes on.
I'm sure I speak for a couple other folks that I would give my left nut if I hadn't already auctioned it off to have as solid a starting point as that is. If you keep it, save it, get it running and driving ... you will never regret the decison. Paying someone else to do it all will lose a lot of the magic for you and selling it off ... well, you'll regret that before you even sign it over. I mean, you ARE asking, which tells me you have your reservations. Sure, there are other cool rides out there ... but that fendered tudor sedan with most of the tough stuff done already is not only cool, but fucking cool.
I don't want to sell it unless I absolutely have to. And even then it would be for a neat old pick up that i could drive. I know that not doing the work your self doesn't truly make it yours, but then again in 50 years that little shop might be "the shop". At least that's how i look at it. not for sale at least at the moment, at least at the moment.
If you want a cool rod, keep it. If you want an old drivable car now, sell or trade it. If you want a shop to work on it to have it ready for you within the next year or so, contact Clark on here. Overall it is up to you to decide what is more important to you. If you were able to get it closer to you you would have a better chance of working on it but I do not know your situation there. If you get a drivable car, can you have it there with you or will it need to be in storage as well?
Sell your first ....might regret it Let someone else build as you have money...only you ca answer this, I'm having Rusty build my frame cause i just do not have the skills right now to do it myself, so i will do what i can but the chassis is the backbone and i want it solid I would definately get rid of the mustang and go with a drop axle, if ya don't want the fenders and other stuff, then sell them to help fund what you do want. Good luck...you have a damn nice shell to start with..keep us posted and it will keep you motivated... if not sell it here so you know it will be done right and you can see what could have been :~)
Thought I posted this before, but you might find a local HAMBer with some room for you to store/work on it?
with your living arrangements.(work related).or lack of a steady house, or shop... what would happen if you put it into a shop to do it ..and you moved too far away to supervise? if you sell it..you have money. if you trade it..you have the same situation or very close to the same situation you are in right now..just with a different project, and no place to work on it. I think selling it collecting up your money, than going to buy something that is closer to being finished, or one that is already finished is up your alley.. my .0002 cents
If you sell it, you'll regret it. We've all got a story about the car that we should have kept. I say take it to a shop. The money you're spending on storage is a complete waste. Spend it at the shop and get her up and running!