Projects Building your hot rod or custom

I kept mine figuring I could use the info to validate the car's value. I never tallied up the bills, so I have no idea what I spent. I do know I have more time invested in the project than it will ever be worth.

The upside is I get at least 20 smiles to the gallon whenever I'm out driving, so it's all good!

 

Never kept a receipt, mainly because I rarely bought anything new. So when I buy car/truck for 1500, engine and tranny for 500 and put it together, I have 2k into it. I figure stuff like brake lines, seeals, bearings etc is just a maintenance type thing and don’t keep track of it. So I guess I only keep track of larger expenses, 30 dollars here and there I forget about over the years when I sell it

 

I never keep receipts for parts, seems like useless trivia to me, but I guess they may come in handy for an insurance claim? I keep part numbers in a notebook for each car.......and keep the original "bill of sale" there also.......titles in a safe.

 

I save all the receipts as it is part of the history and have a good idea on what was spent, but seldom add it all up. Having receipts can be useful for part numbers and remembering what was done and when.

 

This has probably been said before...If I got back all the money I spent on cars...I would buy more cars!

 

That would make a great bi line. HRP

 

I owned an OT Camaro for 43 years, and kept every receipt for everything I ever put in the car, including the original purchase of the car. When I sold it about 4 years ago I gave the huge box of paperwork to the new owner. He casually looked at it, but seemed unimpressed. Even considering there was a receipt in the box for a dealer installed 427 back when the car was new, the original build sheet, owner's manual, warranty book, and metal warranty plate too!
After that I asked myself why did I even bother? So I've built 3 cars in the last decade and kept zero receipts. I can tell anyone who cares what every part came from, and the total I've got in each car within probably $500. But I don't waste my time keeping receipts anymore. Don't care.

 

I have always kept all my receipts, part numbers, brands and as said earlier even box ends/packages if need. Pictures of almost the entire build or rebuild. Sometime I may or will need to replace something or maybe someone else when I'm gone. This way I can just look it up instead of searching and piecing again. All the vehicles have their own file. I purchase what I need if or when I need it. I have never actually ever totaled any build price. I just hope that when the time comes that my guns, cars, etc are sold or whatever, they sell them for what they are actually worth, not what I told the wife I paid for them.....

 

I started out doing that when I started building my 56 Chevy. Then one day I decided to figure up a running total of what I had in it. After it went over 10 grand I quit doing that. Now, I just don't want to know, that would take all the fun out of it. Like said above, to me, its a hobby. Better than wasting money on booze, crappy movies or entertaining some skanks.(I am single so I can say that..).

 

Oh,I got a ton of receipts in a folder . Never tallied it up. I don’t want to know.lol. It’s just for reference and has come in handy a few times. Snowman

 

Never kept anything. Didn't care. It was/is just a hobby to me. Knew I wasn't going to be keeping the car long, so why bother. It was either going to be cut up for parts on the next project, or sold to finance the next project. As far as letting the future owner know what was used, I felt it was up to them to figure it out, just like I had to. Considered it part of the fun/learning process of hotrod ownership. Just hand over the money and enjoy the ride.

Do know a guy who keeps receipts on every part of his build right down to the nuts, bolts and consumables. Then he adds 35% for his labor and that determines the worth. All I've ever seen this accomplish is create a miserable SOB who whines about how buyers have no clue when he's offered 50 to 60% percent less than he figured.

 

Dang, I finally agree with you. Don’t expect a Xmas card tho

 

K13, I just started following your posts. I am just about to start the upholstery on my truck so have been reading a lot on abs and pvc foam board. I am not very good with conversations on these posts cause I just don’t follow them enough but do a lot of reading on them. Thanks for all your posts on your build, especially from a local person.

 

My first car was a T bucket, I kept all the bills, even the nuts and bolts, this was 40 years ago, I was shocked when it reached ten grand, as I built shit myself, made every effort to keep it cheap cause we had little money, vowed to never keep bills again.
But, I have kept all the bills since, on every car, along with a build sheet and part numbers, its helped to sell my cars. My ot pickup will go up for sale soon along with a service book with times, dates, costs of paid repairs, and part numbers. It'll help me get more for the truck, as the future owner has a documented history with the truck. BUT, now I never total the costs, I really don't want to know, just like a drinker, golfer, gambler, guy who bets on team sports wants to know what their hobby costs. It's nice to know, but also nice not knowing.

 

Yes I do. I use my old car to pick up materials, look at jobs and advertise... Its part of my business..

 

I stash the receipts in a file, but don’t really look at them. I keep track of parts and part numbers in a notebook for reference.

 

I keep a folder for every car I build/own. Not for the spent part but to know where I bought parts in case I need to replace something.
The folder also has drawings / plans for parts I fabricated. Everything else related to the car is in the folder. I have always done this. New owners are also appreciative. Here is an example of some shock brackets I made for my coupe.




Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.

 

I started on the 38 in about 73 and have most of the receipts for purchased parts in folders. The same for the Stude, granted swap meet parts and cash purchases to individuals don't get included. I've never added them up.
I had a chopped 49 Ford that I purchased chopped, did a fair amount of fix it stuff that didn't really show (like brakes/engine/etc) and kept track of what I bought. I sold it and only lost $3000 cash on the deal as well as many hours of time. The only upside to that was I learned a lot doing it.
On all of the cars I keep a folder that goes with the car so I know what shocks/cam/brake shoes/ hoses. etc.....that I've used as well as when I've made changes and what they were. The folder is about three inches thick on each car, and I reference them often. I guess I am a little OCD
I am very fortunate that my wife looks at my car stuff as a hobby that I need for "emotional stability" She's asked a couple of times since I have the Stude pretty well done "what's your next project"?

 

Just keep needed info for warranty on parts and part numbers used. Info is in small book and when installed. Don't want to really know cost as it is therapy from life.

 

Yes, I keep receipts. I have never added them up on a car I've restored or built. I know it always ends up being more than I thought it would.......but it makes me happy.

See my footer for my philosophy on that.

 

CJ and I are pretty good at making sure we at least break even on cars we build/flip, lol. Last couple were the first in a while to turn a profit.

 

I'm kinda anal about costs and keep every receipt in numbered order and a log sheet with the number. If I want to find out where I bought a certain part, what I paid for it and when, or what it cost, I can scan the log sheet and find the transaction number to look it up in a few minutes. Guess I should have been a CPA.

 

I keep the receipts to protect myself if anyone questions where the parts and supplies come from with me being a shop teacher.
I never have added up what something cost to build for me other than in my head calculations. My builds are a hobby.

it’s also hard to keep a receipt for stuff ya trade for. And then there is the scrap yard. If I take $100 worth of scrap then spend $150 at the scrap yard that sane day, did I spend $150 or $50?
If 2.5 hours of labor is traded for an intake that I trade for front clip then trade a set of heads I bought for $20 30 years ago for that same intake back, then sell for $150. How does that figure in!

or a tow for a free parts car that the tow was traded for by repairing a dent for the tow truck owner

or the 33 front and rear axle (plus a truck load of other parts) traded for installing an engine

 

Say hi to CJ for me.

 

Last two projects, I started a sheet with everything on it, car cost, engine, transmission, wheels, tires, and anything I bought off eBay like a intake or headers. Kept a running total for a while, then got slack and quit writing stuff down. After a while, I lost the sheets. Never did know what I had in either of them, probably good thing.

I do find myself saving box ends with parts numbers on them, I’ll write a note as to what it fits. They usually get lost, too.....

I’m just not too good at keeping records. Tax time gets interesting around here when I have to find my expense receipts for the year.....

 

Aw heck, I kept darn near every receipt. As a former scientist, I put the information in a spreadsheet and categorized it by date, purpose (engine, body, etc.), vendor, and so forth. Big surprise, the build cost more than I had figured at the start, but I like knowing this type of stuff.

As far as comments about the wife knowing what it costs to build a project, I was able to show her it was less than she thought (we’re good either way, but any time you can win a contest it’s a good day).

john

 

I've got tallies on my last two cars and I'm keeping a spreadsheet on my current project (yeah I'm gettin' all computer fancy nowadays).
I was shocked to see how fast this current project is adding up when I glanced at the totals yesterday; I usually don't look until I'm done.... ouch!

 

Back in the 80s (remember them?) I built an off topic car. I bought a lot of used parts, and did everything except the paint and refinishing the front bucket seats. I kept track of every nut and bolt that went into that car. I totaled it up just before the paint job, $3500 in 1980 $$$ all within 6 months. Caught me totally be surprise, I had no idea I spent that much! That was money I earned working on things after I worked all day for the paycheck that covered the bills.

After I opened my welding shop, the Hot Rods were part of the business, so every receipt was kept and totaled up every year. One year I "rebuilt" my old truck. It was a running driving truck that needed some upgrades. I replaced the glass, redid all the brakes, bought new tires, new exhaust, did the body and paint myself with cheap paint. As far as the drive train, I think I tuned up the motor and bought a used carb and a carb kit, changed the ATF fluid, and put all new U joints in the driveshafts (4x4). All that added up to over $5,000! That info came in real handy 6 months later when the truck got totaled when someone turned right in front of me. I had receipts to prove what was done, and the lady's insurance paid me for the repairs I'd done, + some. The business write off was a great deal when I was working, I sure miss it since I've retired.

A couple years ago when I built the 39 Dodge pickup, I kept receipts (old habits die hard). When I sold it, I got about 3/4 of my money back. That money is building the current truck, but I've been adding to the "truck fund" every month. I'm still not sure I will get it done before the truck fund runs dry. I started with around $8,000 and have been adding $300-$400 a month to it for the last 6 months. I've been keeping receipts, but I'm not sure I'm going to total them up. Gene

 

When I bought my 37, it came with a file folder of receipts. Looking through them, some were for other cars and house expenses. Many were faded to unreadable. So, not real helpful.

Since then, as I have figured out the various pieces, I’m keeping track of part numbers, sources, and original application. With that, I keep receipts as well. I don’t care about the cost as much as knowing where and when something came from.

As an example, upper radiator hose is a NAPA BH-9070. That’s an ‘02-‘14 Cadillac Escalade hose. If I need another one for some reason, I won’t have to figure it out a second time.

I track the 37 the same way I do our OT vehicles. Simple spreadsheet of dates, prices, part numbers, and notes. Receipts are scanned. All the paper gets tossed after scanning.



Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I keep the receipts until I install the part, after that they go in the trash. Usually I can tell you with in a few hundred bucks what I've got in any given projects. I'm not in this for profit, just like to tinker with machinery.