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Technical Things to try an avoid on a rod build

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by dana barlow, Aug 24, 2016.

  1. PHIL COOPY
    Joined: Jul 20, 2016
    Posts: 409

    PHIL COOPY
    Member Emeritus

    Try to get the best body you can find...I've spent an enormous amount of time pounding and patching on the rod on the left. After I bought it I saw one for about $1000 more...and I've spent that much easily in time with the original.
    Phil
     
  2. I'm a fan of Big Headlights on some rods, as for the light issue, just convert to Haligon, it's really easy.
     
  3. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,345

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    I once told a buddy I was freaking out because I had around 500 bucks worth of parts I thought I wanted but never used on my car after it was done. His comment? "That's all?" So... don't buy it until you are sure you will need it. Gary
     
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  4. WOODEYE
    Joined: Feb 21, 2010
    Posts: 375

    WOODEYE
    Member

    Lot of good info here. A lot came from your real life experiences. Thanks to all for sharing.
     
    dana barlow likes this.
  5. Yep, thanks Dana, I'm with all that.

    Don't shave the rain gutters. And mount an up-to-date fire extinguisher in the kickboard or trunk.
     
    Last edited: Dec 26, 2018
  6. atch
    Joined: Sep 3, 2002
    Posts: 5,625

    atch
    Member

    bttt for more good tips...

    (and Dana; thanx for posting this)
     
    dana barlow likes this.
  7. Here some advice since we are sharing
    As a youngster I wish I would just saved for a few years and bought a nicer running car and just had a nice running car that I can make my own over time. Basically a project that drives.

    Being a bit older. Having had a couple cool drivers.
    I would also recommend saving up over time to get that big wish item and quit spending money on a bunch of non-running projects that you will never get in your lifetime. That not to say I would not buy a running car if available, it would have to be something that check all the boxes on my list.

    I know this happens a lot here. Buying too many projects. Nobody ever preaches it, don’t buy what you can’t finish. There are tons guys here that can list you how many cars they “own” but are really just large paperweights they they never have time for. Instead step back, walk away, tuck that money for another day. Do this 5 or 6 times and your cheap project money will become a significant balance to buy a nice driving car.
    Don’t buy to flip, buy to own. Flipping is a bad drug.
    If you are not a good used car salesman.
     
  8. GasserTodd
    Joined: May 15, 2009
    Posts: 499

    GasserTodd
    Member

    Dayum theres some very very good advice in here, and to be fair, I have heard most of it before and applied almost none of it, despite having hung around old cars for 50 years.

    So many thanks to Dana and all the others who have contributed their wisdom. Maybe in my next life I will be smart and apply good advice maybe 50 years earlier in the journey.

    And my contributions are:
    1. if you have zero skills (that would be me) then just go to folk with skills and buy a finished car or a project thats almost done.
    2. having projects that never get finished (and no usable hot rods) means you and your kids miss out on a lot of cruising and rod run fun
    3. collecting a 40ft container full of parts you will never use, will never be a good idea
    4. having a drag racing t bucket isnt much good for family fun if you have 4 kids
     
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  9. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,213

    sunbeam
    Member

    I learned early a 400 hp engine in front of a 100 hp drive train is not the way to go. Just because they make an adapter doesn't mean you should do it.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2022
    Driver50x, X-cpe, jimpopper and 4 others like this.
  10. Ned Ludd
    Joined: May 15, 2009
    Posts: 5,025

    Ned Ludd
    Member

    People have mentioned the timing of purchasing tyres, that it doesn't make sense to buy them too early. However, the choice of tyre sizes is really one of the very first design decisions to make, if not the very first one. In many kinds of build, everything else flows from that decision, and changing the tyre sizes might necessitate chains of knock-on design changes. As the range of available tyre sizes keeps changing it's a good idea to do an internet search for your chosen sizes every so often as your project progresses (or doesn't, as the case may be) so that any necessary redesigns can be done.

    There were more options for 275/60R15 tyres with decent speed ratings ten years ago than there are now, for instance. For a while there were none, barring drag radials with possibly impractically soft compounds, and then a few new ones emerged from unlikely sources. It's always good to keep your eyes open.
     
  11. ekimneirbo
    Joined: Apr 29, 2017
    Posts: 4,216

    ekimneirbo

    THINGS TO TRY AN AVOID ON A ROD BUILD

    First thing that came to mind was ...........Ford Engines :D









    C'mon, lighten up..........it was funny! :p
     
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  12. F-ONE
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 3,271

    F-ONE
    Member
    from Alabama

    You know, you do have a point. I'm a Ford guy. They changed something every-dang-year especially since, Ahhh 1909?!!
    Nothing interchanges yet everything can interchange if you find the right combination. This sounds nonsensical but Ford guys know it be true.
    Heck some stuff only exists in the manuals.
     
    dana barlow, ekimneirbo and jimpopper like this.
  13. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    I suggest dont consult arm chair experts for advice.
    Most of them are know-all, fuck-alls...
     
  14. jimpopper
    Joined: Feb 3, 2013
    Posts: 321

    jimpopper
    Member

    It will take three times longer than you thought and cost 2 times your highest guess of cost to build. Don't build it faster than you can pay for it. It will cost enough without interest tacked on at high rates. When you need help, be prepared and ready to make their time count. Most folks don't mind lending a hand when you keep things short. Since tires and wheels are important in your build, used tires for sizing purposes are fine as new ones will be too old if you get delayed and the money you save has a dozen other places to be spent. Don't consider starting a build without total commitment to see it through. Partially done projects are a great way to save money if you are buying and lose money if you are the seller. No one values your plans as much as you do. Buy instructional books and study them. Referencing material and planning is better than redoing poor design. You will need tools. Some can be borrowed but only for short times and not too often. Your spouse will still expect you to keep up all of the normal duties you do regardless of your build goals.
     
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  15. Avoid anything to do with paint
     
  16. Harv
    Joined: Jan 16, 2008
    Posts: 974

    Harv
    Member
    from Sydney

    Decide early-on what you will use your finished car for:
    A weekend warrior need not be comfortable, but a daily driver probably does need to be.
    A daily driver with show-quality paint-and-panel will break your heart when someone hits it with a shopping trolley at Walmart. If it will live in the driveway, even under a cover, that showpaint will suffer.
    White leather trim and children require either iron-discipline or a lot of forgiveness.
    If you live close enough to a strip, succumbing to the temptation may be inevitable. Quarter miles and banjo rear ends/crashboxes are not good partners for long.
    If you can afford it, a second car (even a beater) makes owning a modified car easier. When you break the modified, or a job takes longer than planned, or you just want to watch football instead of wrenching it is nice to know the beater will get you to work Monday (instead of wrenching to 2am). The beater is kinda handy for towing the modified home... teach your kids to use a towrope.
    Long distance highway driving and 4.5:1 rear ends do not make good bedfellows. If you do both highway and strip then one will be a sacrifice. If you can't live with the sacrifice, think about a quickchange.
    Yes, you can drive start/stop city traffic with drum brakes. It's just very hard to do it whilst driving like Mickey Thompson. If you want to drive aggressively in traffic, them think about disks.

    There are varying degrees of era-correct. Choose the degree that suits the above, your wallet and your patience.

    Some people like to win trophies voted on by 50 people at a show twice a year. Other people enjoy more the complements handed out at gas stations every time they fill up (except maybe "nice dune buggy" :D).

    Cheers,
    Harv
     
  17. Koz
    Joined: May 5, 2008
    Posts: 2,699

    Koz
    Member

    Reading through this thread again make me remember how much I enjoyed FalconGeorges' sense of humor, (or lack thereof! on occasion).

    Much as this thread covers I have taken to heart in getting my stalled Vicky back under way. Lots of timeless advice here.
     
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  18. Mo rust
    Joined: Mar 11, 2012
    Posts: 827

    Mo rust
    Member

    I'm not sure if I'm more obsessed than most about playing with old cars. I love the fabricating steps and I don't mind starting a project and getting it to a point and pushing it aside to start another one. I do keep everything inside, clean and organized.

    Also I've learned to not wait until I need a part to buy it. (used parts)

    I'll either spend my retirement years finishing and selling parts one at a time or will have one hell of an auction or I leave a mess for my kids.

    I do have a few rules to live by though.
    Never buy used tires expecting to put them on anything to go on the road.
    When buying wheels or tires, figure out the size you want and don't buy something that is "close" to what you want
    Never pull parts off of one of my finished cars to put on a car I'm building.
    Stick to a kind of car to build. I build 32's and Model A's on 32 chassis. I have however, broken this recently by buying a couple tri-5 chevy's. God help me.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2022
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  19. Rickybop
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 9,606

    Rickybop
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Thanks, Dana.
    And everyone else.
     
    dana barlow likes this.
  20. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki

    Hello,

    Despite the suspension, brakes, and wheel alignment in most cars is a given, the necessity of getting the right tires to be round starts off the whole ballgame. If the tires are not round, then it may look good with the wheels you have chosen, but in the long run, driving will not be fun.


    All tires are supposed to be round but for some reason, they are a little off and on some hot rods, can be felt at higher speeds and not just a low speed cruise. The whole suspension needs to be given just as much thought as everything else. New parts and installs would be preferrable. Then the whole front end needs alignment and the tires are a part of the process. Low speed the hot rod may not show wobbles or funny handling. But, at freeway speeds or normal 50 mph driving may show something that was not obvious at low speeds.

    Tire truing has been around since the early days and it may not be as common as it used to be, but everyone is amazed at how much rubber is left on the ground after a session on the truing machines. A wobble check for the wheels should also be done before mounting the new tires. Then the whole thing needs to be mounted and checked for roundness and straight rolling action.

    Jnaki

    Again, if the rims are not straight, it won’t matter how much truing a tire gets. So, like it was mentioned earlier. It all is part of the whole picture to do it right the first time. Safety first, then make sure it all rolls evenly and the suspension will handle the set up.

    upload_2022-10-25_3-41-30.png
    When my wife and I bought this project sedan delivery, it had what we wanted in the overall look. 327 power, A/C, upholstered full interior, even in the back cave. So, we thought it was a roller and daily driver. Once we got it home, we noticed that braking and handling were not up to our standards. No one should go through life with a little shake on the steering wheel at any speed, let alone at freeway speeds or open highway speeds. The front end should not make noises when turning or going around corners and should be able to stop quickly when necessary.

    What turned out to be a nice looking 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery ended up being a long term project for braking, handling and replacing a ton of suspension + steering parts for a total project repair. We thought it was going to be an instant start up and cruise to where we wanted to go for fun. But, it took several long months and different shops for the things we could not do to repair the sedan delivery. My wife liked the sedan delivery as it had v8 power, looked cool and had A/C. But, her old Corvair handled better in everyday driving. Ha!
    upload_2022-10-25_3-43-17.png
    Once the project was complete, including a whole new front end repair and trued/balanced tires, my wife was the primary driver on many days and I was driving around in a funky automatic 62 Corvair, rain or shine. That is/was another story. YRMV
     
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  21. X-cpe
    Joined: Mar 9, 2018
    Posts: 1,958

    X-cpe

    Putting a high horsepower engine in a low horsepower chassis is just pissing away the most expensive part of the horsepower.
     
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  22. A less than perfect hot rod that runs and drives is a lot more fun than one that doesn't and is taking more money and time. This means take a realistic assessment of your time and budget. Does not mean build it improperly or deliberately rough. Just consider that show chrome and perfect paint may not be needed.

    Hot rods are for fun, and driving them is a big part. Less than perfect lets you have fun sooner and less cash spent.
     
    Driver50x, X-cpe and chopnchaneled like this.

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