Exactly. I was always taught, excuses are for loser's. If you truly love this old stuff, you will make it happen. I drove some nice cars, or what I thought I liked, until my 40s, then woke up one day and realised, if I don't go for what I've wanted since I was a teenager, it would never happen, realised that all the cars I'd owned were not what I truly wanted, and that I could have what I truly wanted, just by applying myself, and doing it. Only took me 3 years, and I was scooting around in my 29 Hudson. I'm still working toward an A RPU, but enjoy the Hudson so much, that the RPU can wait a little longer. No where near as hard as I thought it would be. Just Gotter apply yourself, and do it.
I'm also 39. My first real old car project looked almost identical to the one in the first post, a standard 40 Tudor. I was 19 years old. It took about 7 years to get it drivable. Both of the posts I quoted ring true to me. I constantly hear people talking like a "project car" is one that just needs like one thing. Paint, or re-wire, or whatever. That is just a small part of a project to me. I'm used to needing to do everything down to the last bolt. The instant gratification isnt there on a car build. It doesn't happen in 7 days like it does on TV and that is a deal breaker for someone who just wants something to have fun with compared to someone like me that enjoys every aspect from hunting parts, building, driving, just being about old cars.
I'm mostly a lurker but want to "make it happen" soon. I have a list as long as my arm detailing all the ways I'm not ready and how it's a bad idea. I feel in order to do a car right, it needs a good home. That means space to work, financial security, storage, tools, time and freedom for hobbies...all things that are immeasurably more expensive and difficult to obtain than a $1500 starter project. I'm tempted to start anyway. I "don't know how to do shit"...but it's amazing what you can learn off the internet. Every time my 90s daily driver acts up, I try to do the work myself. I'm no mechanical wizard, but I'm learning. I have the privilege of living in a place where I can leave the car half-assembled while I figure things out. Many, many people do not have that kind of space, especially young people. This thread reminds me that I could do more with what I have. With a fullsize truck for hauling and a flatbed trailer with a winch, I'd really be cookin' with gas. Or just amassing my own private junkyard. Oh boy.
There is not a base line on the cost of a project car. I have seen on this site prices all over the place. You can tell when someone really wants to sell or get rid of something because the price is listed to fit most of our pocket's. some ad are just form "flippers" who are only out to make a few bucks, without getting their hands dirty and their prices are usually high and seem to hang on this site for a very long time. For example, someone is selling a 1950 something Olds station wagon (since 2007), way over the price that most of us would even pay, and at the same time, other cars of the same style, make and model, are price within the reasonable price, come and go. So you have project cars from flippers and then you have project cars from guys who have excess inventory, and are willing to let it go at a reasonable price. I believe that is you are going to flip something, do something to improve the item, and at that effort to the asking price of the car, in other words, "ADD SOME VALUE".
Hey,that's my Olds Wagon, and it's one of 1830 built. probably less than 3 dozen left. try to find another as nice cheaper, i'll buy it.
I agree that there are a ton of worthwhile projects available cheap right now. I'm right with the other guys who already have too many "good deals" laying around and are trying to narrow it down to the favorites, I'm making good progress and I turn down new "good deals" constantly, it seems like. I have to remind myself though that there was a time when having $1500 in my pocket and a place to park a new project was very rare. Then, once I had a bit of space and money, I bought stuff like it was going out of style. Now I'm ferreting that collection out and I'm on the selling end. You hear the same complaint about how someone can't afford a paint job, how nice paint costs $10,000. Of course that's not true, anyone can buy a couple gallons of paint and primer, some filler and sandpaper for way under a tenth of that, but some don't know how to do it and don't want to learn, and they don't want to be criticized for a less-than-perfect job. That's why roadworthy drivers, even rougher ones, spike in price, especially around spring. Tax returns are back, people never finished their winter projects, or they see others getting finished cars out and they want in, instant gratification, jump in and go. I've been guilty of that, too.
I to see adds and think I can really make something out of that, then I remember I am 79 years old and that is why I sold Wastedchildhood.
What you say is true but most people who want a 50 Olds are ether dead or thinking about it. Me included. olds
I wonder how many young guys we scare off with our 10 year old ongoing projects we won't drive until their perfect, attitudes that make newbees afraid to ask simple questions, a total lack of tolerance towards something different then building something the way its always been done, and expecting top dollars from our old junk because no one is making it anymore? On top of that, we are expecting them to come out of their shell with a working knowledge of welding, fabricating, engine rebuilding, and a whole list of other skills they have never had an opportunity to use, experience, or may not have even seen performed before. Then we expect them to have working knowledge of mechanical parts that haven't been used for 10 years before they were born, because we never learned how to use the stuff that has been around all of their lives. A case in point, the last year a carburetor was factory installed on a new car in the USA was 1989. That was 26 years ago! Yep, I just can't figure out why these young kids are not interested. I suspect there are few under the age of 40 (even on this site) that are capable of building, or would even know where to begin to build, the car in the original post. Gene
Gene, Maybe for some of the "young" you are correct. Also for some of the "old" you are correct, but I mostly call BS on the rest. I;m 39. So I am a "tweener" in this context. I have had great mentoring and help from older guys as well as provided mentoring and help to younger guys. The only way to learn anything is get your hands on it, immerse yourself in it, and now days, you tube it. Those that want to are doing it, the rest are either too lazy or too impatient. Everyone on this planet has some interest that really gets them going. Some love golf or knitting. I choose cool old mechanical things that serve as transportation. Today there is such limitless things to choose from so it makes sense fewer are choosing old cars.
I keep,myself in check by only allowing myself one project at a time. The comment on not knowing where to start,I was ask once by a couple of young ones "how do you know where to start" My answer is always the same, "I sweep the floor, and I keep on sweeping until I figure out where I want to end up .The start is then easy"
If someone thinks a project car is expensive, remind them that their new $30,000 car is going to cost them $15,000 in lost value over the next 3 years. When my wife breaks my chops over projects, I remind her that the project cars are the most valuable cars we have.
I think the quote is; "every thing gets more expensive for every day passing, except racing. 30 years ago it cost all you got, and it still does!" But regarding project pricing, I restaured a 1968 Volvo, to a late sixtys road/street racer style. And I bought a Volvo gasser in gonna re build, later. And between those two cars extra parts, I've swapped parts for a low bucks dry lake build. And there is som cheap to fair non-fords out there. But that car from post 1, it look nice and very build able.
I've been shopping around and trying to find driver quality stuff for my T. So far I'm in it at $1300. Not driving it yet but when it's done I'll be cruising for less than $2500 and that may even be an overshot.
i have 2 Bays worth of stuff that i collected over a year or so and haven't paid a dime for due to a well honed sense of the hustle. all in all i have one steel 23 roadster, two glass buckets and a 24 c-cab. i have enough stuff to build 2 complete cars. then i picked up a 50 chevy coupe for $1200. i actually was money ahead on my hustles so it didn't come out of my bank account. its doable if you do it.
Most of my pockets have holes burned in them. My frontal lobe doesn't cooperate when I have some cash and have some difficulty with impulse control. "Oooooh! Another project!" Trying to stick with one at a time but....things happen.
The price we pay down here can make you cringe, similar to UK & Europe. Distance has disadvantages, shipping is a major cost! My 35 Chevy (Ozzie) cost $8K and my 46 Olds (US) cost $10K. Both were complete and in fairly good condition. The the last thing I wanted to do was search for those hard to get parts and then ship them here so I was happy to pay a little more. All the parts not needed were sold off to restorers to defray costs. I'm nearly 57 and fortunately can do most of the work myself, that's part of the fun and experience. I've seen lots of good OS cars that would be easy to turn over down here however by the time I get them here I would have incurred additional costs that I would rather put into the Olds at present. Maybe later when I retire in 3yrs. Plenty of others doing it now down here, many involved in business and can write things off against the business whereas I can't as this is only a hobby to me.
It only took me 43 years to learn that you buy THE BEST QUALITY CAR YOU CAN AFFORD in order to make the rest of the project AFFORDABLE. If you drop $10K on a rust free Model A coupe you're about $5K ahead of the game before you start. And as far as cost, affordability, actual pricing, I hate to be so blunt about it, but before you start to complain grab a nice big cup of shut the fuck up. There's not a single person reading this topic that wants their stuff re-priced at .25 on the dollar. Am I wrong? Of course not. I want to know that when I've had all my fun that I didn't lose a dime, maybe even made a few percentage points, or if I did lose a little money that it was simply the cost of the experience. That cost is usually way less than a cruise or some Wally World sort of vacation. I'd rather lose $1,200 on a single car after having it 5 + years than spend $2,500 getting trapped for a weekend in a tropical resort. Make sense? How much does the average Joe spend on golf? Bowling? Hunting? Bass fishing? Stamp collecting? And never forget this, YOU DON'T NEED ANY OF THIS. Again, YOU DON'T NEED IT! But we want it so bad, right? I do. Fuckin eh my fellow hoodlums, right hand raised I want it as much as I want that fresh cup of morning coffee. I'm not even remotely normal without it. Now there's some here that will read this shit from me and say, "Wait a minute, that's his normal?" Yup, so be glad there's always something on the burner, back or front. And as to the degree of this affliction I also do this shit for a living. There's a hundred ways you can make this happen for you. There's networking, clubs, bartering, flipping parts n cars for a profit, and with some imagination and each individual personality or desire you can surely come up with 96 more. And never forget that some things have been and always will be uber desirable. No, I don't mean a mini van! Wrong UBER!! I mean there's 100 times more folk that want it than what's out there for purchase. I won't bore myself and my brethren with any market analysis, but that is something you can do now and then to figure out when to strike. I know this was about project cars and prices. Projects are a hard sell to begin with unless it's something in that uber group. Surely you can dump a Deuce 5W project faster and for more $$$$$ than you could a 31 Essex sedan. No disrespect to Essex lovers, just the reality. Maybe if Milner drove an orphan car in AG it would be different, but the car they used was for all the right reasons. I hope things in our world and market continue to rise a little. That means interest is up, more stuff comes down from rafters and attics, more inspiration and earnings if you're all in. I wouldn't be happy if that rise went out of control. We saw what can happen when it does not long ago so I'd never recommend that anyone go "on the arm" for too much of this stuff. Too easy to get hurt and that just spoils the whole life style. And make no mistake, engaging is extra curricular activities and making things happen for you is a life style change. It really helps if the family supports the efforts so get the kids in on it, show the Mrs that you can do it, let her pick a color or upholstery material, make a swap meet a family event. All of a sudden the cost isn't so bad, right? Better than paying $7.00 for a large Coke at (fill in your amusement park). Being realistic is a given. I'd really like a Duesneberg Murphy Roadster, but I don't see that happening any time soon. I'll settle for working on em. Don't give up, don't look at the price with the wrong mindset, do consider the intangible rewards and experiences and you can't go wrong. Sorry for the rant, just sayin...
It also depends on what you can do youself. It is hard to believe but Dad's little traditional RPU was under $8,000 complete. AS IT SITS.
In the last year I have bought two cars off the Hamb classifieds,A 56 Olds and a 63 T Bird. Grand total for both was $3100. The Olds was sold off for a profit to help pay for some equipment and the Bird will be fixed up and driven come spring time.Both were found in the listings on Saturday mornings.Not perfect cars and in need of work but for that price I did very good. I think you also need to be ready to pull the trigger because good deals are here and gone fast. Also in my opinion some cars are just over exposed and have over rated price tags to go with them.
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