oh man... and maybe put a floor in it while you have the welder out!! that is a pretty ambitious project there
I have seen completely home built floors,some that are completely aluminum in race cars etc. also seen tri fives draped onto chevy caprice etc. floors and running gear, not that I would want to do a tri five that way but I have seen it and it is possible.
Still gathering parts...this is gonna be a (very low) budget build, mostly based on parts I've collected over the years, and stuff I've traded for...alot along the lines of scoggman's Tetanus Tornado build... ...I want to ask you guy's, how do you figure the amount of money you have into a project? If you purchase something new, its easy, but, do you count parts that were given to you for free?...what about parts that you traded for, where you had very little in your own parts, and traded for something that has a higher market value? ...Example: I traded a free front fender, a pair of free chrome valve covers, and a pair of wheels that I had $40 into, for my fiberglass frontend, which is probably worth several hundred dollars...when adding up the amount of cash I have into the whole project, would you count the above example as $40, (the actual amount I have into the frontend), or, the several hundred that I could sell it for? Also, the '55 itself was free too, a guy I bought some wheels from was going to scrap it, and he cut it apart like that to make it easier to transport, I just happened to be there before he actually trucked it away, and when I asked about it, he told me I could have it, if I got it out of his yard... It came with doors, a front clip, & deck lid...no floors or chassis...it cost me $25 to get a title, (this was back in the early '80's), so, I just figure I have $25 into the body...
Wow, this is going to be great, imagine showing people pics of what you started with, after the build is done. As they say here, "pics, or it didn't happen". Even then, some people still won't believe it.
I always figure how much I actually have into the part if the car was free and the title was $ 25.00 then you got $ 25.00 into the car people can make unrealistic prices of what stuff could be worth. just my 2 cents. besides knowing you got little out of pocket into a cool ride is pretty cool
I've found it a much better practice to NEVER tally up monies spent on Hot Rod or Boat projects. Prevents cardiac arrest, and does not provide ammunition to significant others to use in a pissed off state. :-0
I don't know if you're currently on Prozac or not, but if not, by the time you finish this, you will be (tongue-in-cheek). It's just a model car, only jumbo sized, right? If you have the skill, time, tools, dedication, and $$$, then go for it. I'd say start with a "more complete car", and use this one for parts. I'm a die hard Tri-Five Chevrolet guy, and I would't even think about attempting it. I know a lot of the 20's-30's rod guys, start with almost nothing, so why not a Tri-Five Chevrolet; maybe even a 4 to 2 door conversion with the parts? Keep us all posted! And, you did't include your TIME/LABOR in your budget concerns! I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Butch, I've saved several '20's-'30's-'40's cars with not a lot more than this '55, I'm not afraid of it...and I actually have a couple decent '57 2-door sedan quarters & doors I've been saving to do a conversion, as soon as I find a deserving 4-door!
Great project- save that car! ( "all the hard work's done"- great sales pitch, HaHa) On my own stuff, I figure the amount I have into something by keeping track of all receipts until they add up to an amount that makes me question my sanity. Problem is, by the time you're in that deep you've already set a precident as far as build finish specs. ( beater, driver, nice paint, interior, etc.) and it's too late to reverse engines. So you either sell it as a project and get burnt beyond recognition, or you eat peanut butter and jelly for a year or so and finish the damn thing. Easy choice ( I hate peanut butter, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do). And stop adding up the cost- it is what it is. ( but of course keep your receipts). Time for labor is out of the equation unless you can factor in all the hours chasing down parts, fixing broken shit that was "a deal", and all the gas and crappy food you eat on the road. Cold pizza and Dunkin' Donuts at 3:30 am; "Only 3 more hours and we'll be loading those parts from East Bumfuck and heading back" ( 12 more hours- return run). Tumms, anyone? But it's worth it when it's fired up and you go for the maiden voyage. Like they say in those ads "Priceless!" Keep posting, and best of luck with it.