Hot Rods SELL MY FIRST HOT ROD OR NOT?

4speedwagon, just saw yours and yes the truck in my profile... Wherever that is lol

31vicky- yeah, totally agree, with this one exception- I am not and was not a tech. I was a trim/tile/hardwood floor installer until I was 26. I know most shops are different than ours but I really can't do much as far as mechanical work. Rotates, brakes, a water pump or plugs maybe. I manage the staff, watch the margins, order parts, communicate with customers, make estimates etc. I'm ase g1, lol... First hot rod, like first car I ever did anything to other than plugs, oil change, little maintenance stuff. I am by no means a diagnostic technition, and I have become much more aware of the existence of a diagnostic process due to this truck. But when I first dropped this motor in, I couldn't test anything. My diag up until recently was no spark? Condenser, then check. Still
no spark? Points, recheck. Still? Coil, recheck. Oh shit... I didn't have the hotwire to the coil switched "on". I literally own two "spare" coils- one new, and one used. Plus the one on the truck!!!! Summary- I had no real diag experience. I just threw parts at whatever problem I had. Stupid, but I had to learn somehow. Anyway, didn't want that to seem like a rant but I wanted to be clear, and I still don't have shit for a diagnostic procedure now, in case that was unclear.

 

Curbfeeler, #1- by my definition, yes, but I will say I know more think its not than do. I've said, not on this thread but in this forum that most people would probably call it junk. That's my opinion
#2- oh come on that is a timeless, fluid body style man. I know some don't like them but its not a butt ugly car or anything
#3- because my wife adamantly wants me to keep it but I think it's time for a car we can all ride in, maybe go to car shows in if my kid is interested in that stuff.

And I reread this thread, just so people know- this isn't my daily driver. I just hate drivin my wife's Kia when we all go somewhere and the 3 of us don't fit we'll into the s10 lol

 

LOL!

 

You can't keep them all, but I am sure glad to still have my first car. It was fifty years in non-op, but is again licensed and running. Kids do grow up and then you don't need the extra seating and space. Now I am making it a quality build that I had no time (or money) for the first time around, when I was in high school.

If you can, keep it, and have no regrets.

 

Ok, I can appreciate that, and I'm not questioning your abilities. We all have the things we do, things we enjoy, and the things we know- unfortunately they always aren't the same things.
But I was trying to put things into perspective and highlight the perceived level of frustration is really not that extensive and actually very very minimal when spread out over the time you've owned it. Keep in mind this one you currently own is EXTREMELY easy to work on. The 20 year old impala you are contemplating is a much more complicated and sophisticated animal relative to the current one, not to mention the access is non existent. You are kidding yourself if you think a 20 year old GM product won't need attention that dwarfs the items you've mentioned.

Ok, now don't take this the wrong way, but the diagnostics you are having trouble with are simple simple simple, and the special equipment needed could be purchased at the grocery store gadget isle. I could teach you all that you'll ever need to know about that thing in less than a week.

 

When I got my first hotrod, many people told me they wished they had never sold theirs so here I am 47 years later and I still have my 1947 Mercury

 

I would guess most people on this site, wish they had kept their first Hot Rod.
Opportunity knocks..are you listening?

 

Life's a bitch

 

31vicky- many very valid points there. Things I have thought of but not all in one connected thought process like that. I concede that it would be a much more sophisticated and irritating animal to diagnose, but I could plug a borrowed solus into it and get data, use identifix, etc. that bein said, it's way more complicated, but way more reliable too. No more rebuilding a carb four times because some jackass (me) didn't know 9psi was too much for an edelbrock. I mean we both know 98% of the time the MIL will come on way before you have any real problem. Intermittent signal loss, misfire, there's warning most of the time with an obd vehicle. With my truck, as far as I know, if it idles good, revs like it should, and I can lug it down to 400 rpm feathering the clutch it's driveable.
I'm sure I could be taught all I need to know about the beast in a week, problem is I got nobody to teach me man.

 

Rhetorical or not, of course it's a hot rod. It has a swapped motor, it's modified in every way but the brakes- as ignorant as that is. The only reason it is considered by anyone not to be a hot rod is they don't get it. They see these shiny cars at shows and go buy a "numbers matching" whatever and think they do. Never get the first stripe of grease on their skin unless they're toppin off their oil burnin piece of shit because the guy down the street put a junkyard dog together and shot some factory lookin paint on it. I know, and am responsible for every moving part on my ride, that's why it's a hot rod. Yeah it's old and fast, but some adolescent with a little money and a big goal started on a path to make a curve-carving, Harley chasing, 10 second pickup. And that was me.

It's close, but the problem is that it's a fucking needy old bitch and I'm gettin tired of giving to it. Yeah it can run 11s, last time I drove it a couple weeks ago, I actually raced a Harley. Had a girl on there with him. I'm sure that was really embarrassing. But the trouble is I went to drive it today and it seemed fine, ran it in the driveway for an hour. And then stranded me. No warnin, no sputter, just died.

 

Keep it, My first car was a 1965 Corvair vert... I bought it with a loan from my Dad when I was 12 and it took me over a year of working at his hotel to pay him back... After fixing it up, taking it to shows, being in a few magazines, tv interviews and it ending up helping to start my restoration business, My ex emptied my bank account and took my son... I HAD to sell that car to someone that had been bugging me for years about her in order to get a lawyer, get back on my feet and get my son back... 2 years later my Dad ended up buying the car from the girl I sold the car to... He drives it about everyday and refuses to sell it back to me...
It was just a Corvair and nothing I would say "special" but to me it got me into this hobby, my career, and everything that I have now... Im glad that my dad fanagled it from her, but I think ill have to wait for him to die to get it back... And then ill probably have to fight my brother for it...

Moral of the story, sometimes you really need to weigh both sides of selling a car, specially when it comes to your first... Once its gone its gone, if you cant decide if you want to sell it or not, than dont...

If having an HEI dizzy will make you want to keep it, send me a few bucks for shipping and ill give you one. I just took one out of a customers car the other day and he doesnt want it.

 

Plain language no BS

A family needs a good pickup truck.

From your posts I do not think you have a great deal of mechanical skill on early 60s OEM ignition systems. Remedy...put down the Summit catalog and pick up a Factory Shop, Chilton or Motors manual. You have to know the basics and have that stuff right. Without that skill and baseline you're just a parts changer.

Get the brakes functioning well.

Consider a higher gear ratio.

Ditch the buckets and put in a factory bench with proper seat belts. The kid can ride in her seat properly fixed in the middle.

Ditch the headers and put some ram horns or other factory manifolds. Previously you said you liked em' loud but in this post you wanted mature advice. Ditch that "high school redneck" crack the sky crap and put on a proper exhaust system.

Return the ignition to 1962 specs or upgrade to electronic. I would run 62 points.

If need be replace the cam to a more stock or factory Power Pack grind.

Match the carb to the engine.

Is it low and useful or is it ruined as a truck? Can it be returned to a more factory stance?
It it is too low to be useful or the workmanship was poor in the lowering job you might need to sell.

For a family as I said, you need a good truck Can this truck do it? If not you need to sell it or store it.

In 62 you could take a 283 powered vehicle across country and back. So some of that reliability should be your goal instead of zipping down the track in 11 seconds. The only way you can get this reliability to build it closer to stock.

 

You don't need a scanner to get data out of yours, that's my whole point.

Ill bet you 2000 bucks the guy riding that old harley could fix it

 

Truer words.........................
Hang onto it. As one who was stupid enough to let his first hot rod get away, you will surely regret it.

 

Mate, if your wife wants you to keep it, ..............you have no choice.
Happy wife, happy life.
Just do as your'e told and get on with your life.
Rod