Hot Rods What kind of car should a young guy start on?

OP - Ask a simple question, you get answers! Much respect to all who serve, and have served. We owe you.
Old Wolf got me thinking of the '60s panel and pickup I junked 30 years ago. They were worth so little, scrap value prevailed. Useful, too. Great parts chaser for an ''A'' project.

 

Those running driveable 47-54 trucks in florida start at about 5k. They usually need everything but a new vin. I looked at a 53 f100 the other day that did not have a good panel without rust non running and this idiot wanted 3800 bucks for it. I told him if he gave me 100 bucks I would haul it off.
That did not go well.
I did buy a good straight Model A 2 door sedan a few years ago for 1200 bucks. Then found out the title did not match the car.

 

As I said in my previous post, at least double your budget. Here are four of the items you have on your list that are currently listed on HAMB parts for sale. We are already at $14,500 and you can double that to finish. This is not to discourage you, but for a first project, your have picked the cream of the crop. But, the J-2 engine looks like a pretty good deal. I just picked these because they are complete and don't require mush more work.

Warren

Cadillac transmission $3500
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...shift-transmission-for-flathead-ford.1085861/
J-2 engine with tri-power $1300
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1958-olds-371-3x2-complete-engine.1090492/
rough but starter A coupe $7700
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1930-model-a-sport-coupe.1085853/
quick change $2000
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ick-change-with-aluminum-hubs-brakes.1057071/

 

I'm only 15 and I'm building a 49 ford shoebox that I've chopped and bagged


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Be careful, you'll be drowning in pussy by the time you're in high school.

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I'm in highschool


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This is my car


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That's pretty slick, what's going in it?

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My 1930 Chevy is listed with a lot of parts to go with. Cool project, $6500 with a lot of stuff. Several engine options I can set you up with. I have my eye on a tri five 2dr gasses.

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If it were me, I'd build a Tri 5 to mid year 64 Chevy. The resale market will always be there.

 

Lots of good advice for you
My ride is a 64 tbird you can get them at a good price I got mine running and driving when I bought it
All I did to it when I got got it was lowered it by cutting coils and wheels and tires on it you can find a nice clean car
Save your money and don’t lose your dream
Welcome


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I have not read every response but find one that is complete,all the junkyards do not have old stuff any more.

 

Okay, let's back up and look at the bigger picture.

My general advice:

Find a cool car (by your standards), that is running and driving, complete (or really close to it), and has a full body, so you can drive it year-round, and when it is raining.

Don't take it apart. Keep your modifications conservative, and none that take the car off-the-road for more than a day or two, except for things you aren't doing, like having a transmission rebuilt, or something similar.

Part of what makes a car cool is the ability to actually drive the thing.

 

find the most rust free, complete car you can. that should come before make/model. I'm one of the young guys building a 57 chevy on here, picked her up for $1500. The rust that's on my car isn't enough to be worried about safety, it's in non structural areas. I can't stress enough how important it is to get a non rusty, COMPLETE car, especially if it's something more obscure. I got lucky buying a tri five. If you can find a tri five chevy, buy it. you can buy every single part you need to rebuild these cars. extremely easy to swap in a small block, modern suspension, good looks, and you can always resell a tri five chevy if you lose interest, seriously these cars never loose value. if you get bored with it, put it back together how it was and sell it for what you paid, possibly more.


Edit: get a car with an easy to work on, common engine, in this case, a small block chevy. they made these things from 1955 to 2003 so parts are everywhere! and a small block is a small block. you can mix and match heads and cams and come up with all kinds of combinations for torque, top end power, high revving 283s, all kinds of stuff.

 

Exactly. Out here, you 1990 is considered old in a yard. Anything older gets crushed immediately.

 

you said you wrecked a 62 falcon, why not get that back on the road? the best car to start with is the one you already have.

 

I'm not sure where you live but around here the old stuff gets kept until it's completely stripped. there's a few yards here that have had 50s-60s cars/trucks sitting for years. I know of a 64 biscayne 2 door sedan completely stripped minus the grille that's been there since 2012

 

I live in San Francisco. Nothing is kept here much over 120-days, unless it is a high value vehicle, in which case it goes to a specialized recycler, about 100-miles inland. Vehicles that go there are mostly parted out, and then crushed.

Your 64 Biscayne would have not ever made it to a yard here, unless it had severe crash damage, and had already been parted-out.

Real estate prices here are 11x-25x here, compared to where you live, depending on the 'hood.

 

I already posted on here but I haven't really seen people saying this. Buy the nicest car you can. Spend as much as you can in the beginning, the more complete car you buy initially will save you money. Chrome, body parts, ECT will nickel and dime you

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Good point. Falcon parts are cheap, and plentiful.

I drive a '60. I have a 2-3 spares for most everything.

 

I've got an'64 Galaxie and while parts aren't as prevalent as falcon stuff, it sure is nice having a complete parts car.

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I can fix that.

 

All the more incentive to go with something that has reasonably common parts.

Leave the esoteric stuff to the retired guys that have time and money.

 

Put me on that list of guys wanting one, too!

 

When I first got into the hobby a little younger than you I did exactly what the guys in the '50's did... I bought the cheapest make of car (Ford) in the cheapest 2 dr. model (Maverick in the '80's) in the '50's it was model A's & B's $50-100 pulled the six banger and wimpy drivetrain bought a V8 4 dr. parts car ($200.) and swapped everything over....then I did it again and again until I came across a Falcon did the same thing except now things were getting a little rarer and pricier,repeat repeat until a Mustang came along once again things got more rare and cost more, repeat repeat.....then I finally realized that I didn't really want '60's cars I started this whole thing over the love of Hot Rods....so 4 yrs ago I sold everything and started looking for one. First I networked with a bunch of people buying and selling old stuff on Craigslist the prices and parts varied wildly and I began to grow depressed about it especially since I now had no old car to enjoy driving Then a good deal on a '52 F-3 with a running flatty came up still not my style but OLD! I began buying bits of scrap from the local Model A guy and odds and ends here and there and ended up with most of a Model A roadster body shell/frame etc. Then I sold the F3 body/frame (kept the flatty), my last 289 '63 Falcon V-8 conversion, and a square body 4x4 for my dream car a '57 Chev 2 dr. sedan! I've also got 2 rough A roadster bodies a flathead for one and a nailhead for the other ....so long story short if you want to spend the next 29 yrs and not end up with a complete car you love do as I did for 25 yrs. ....if not do what I've done for the last 4 yrs wheel and deal buy sell and trade! go for the brass ring not some '48 chrysler 4dr. that is cheap to buy but you hate

 

Hey Rockarolla...check your conversations...might a have a lead on a cool project starting point near you.

 

Enlistment bonuses are sometimes offered if a position is in dire need of staffing, so essentially the extra money is just an incentive to take the career paths nobody else wants to

 

That is a beautiful delivery, but I don't think I have the skill or tools for a build that extensive yet. And my fiance saw this thread and threatened to force me into driving a Honda Civic with an automatic!

 

Sounds like you might need to be looking for a car and a new fiancé! If she talks like that before the wedding guess what it will be like after the ceremony.

 

X2 Life's to short to unequally yoked. My last one didn't like cars, made fun of my old cars, her father looked down on me too. The day I dumped her she was begging me to stay, she even offered to paint my old car.
My new girl who i made my wife understands and don't get in between my passions. Plus her grandpa was a Buick man like me.

They only get worse, my uncle once told me when you meet a girl you meet her representative, then when you lock her down you meet the real her. Your only looking at the tip of the iceberg.

What cars are you leaning towards now?

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