all of this affects everyone in a different way - some were born with a crescent wrench in their mouth, while others had to learn along the way - some will just build a bigger barn/shop - some will reach a certain point and decide to downsize - but, the best part is there is a place here for everyone - live, learn, share - try to have fun but, at times it can all be very frustrating
I begin projects with the best of intensions and a plan, then the "see something shiny syndrome" kicks in. I don't waste money but I become a really crappy time manager.
This is a really great topic, so props for bring it up. The waste is sort of the "dirty secret" of the build that is never really discussed because it's not accounted for on the car. It's funny too because we account for it in other regards. My wife and I are renovating a bathroom right now, and we know 10% of the tile we buy is going to be thrown in the garbage. But we don't really take the same mentality in the automotive realm. Having an open time frame with no deadline is one of the easiest ways to keep costs under control. "NOW" costs money, as does "easy". The old saying of "Good. Fast. Cheap; pick two" really does ring true, and the reality is that you can get exactly what you need quickly, provided you can pay for it. Knowing what you're doing is probably one of the best things in terms of keeping costs under control. I mean this as it pertains to a certain job or task. When I'm fumbling my way through a project and I'm learning as I go, I tend to order parts to try to do something, then see that there is a different or better way to do it, which negates the purchase I just made. When I know what to do with a job, I order what I need and the project goes smoothly. I try to avoid "overkill" when it comes to performance but not reliability. Do I really need a $200 high flow fuel pump for a 200 hp street engine that will never see abuse? No. The $60 pump will do just fine. Where I'm not going to cheap out on is in instances that affect reliability. That's paramount. I've also looked for different suppliers for parts. Rock Auto has been a god-send. Amazon is also an incredible resource because their return policy is so liberal and made so efficient. Where Amazon really shines is with their free shipping. Traditional suppliers like Jeg's, Summit and Speedway need minimum orders of like $150 to get free shipping, which usually takes several days by standard ground, and is seemingly always $30 or more for basic orders. Amazon Prime is free and it comes in 2 days max.
I guess I`m the opposite. I work on every aspect of a car at the same time. Looking for parts for the entire build. Only buying if I really need it, or if it`s very hard to find. And the price has to be good. Bought a 2 carb manifold before I had the car. Same way with the bumpers. I know what the final build will look like when finished. That way I am making progress on the entire build and not just one thing. Don`t have to have this part this week sort of thing. It can wait. Just got a good deal on a set of skirts even before I have the fenders. Get it running, driving, steering and stopping before trying to make it perfect and shinny.
Yep, that's exactly how I do it. It's probably experience but I know how I want the car before I start...so it's just a matter getting the parts I need to get it there. No particular order...just when the price is right or they become available
Also, while you may want to save receipts for warranty purposes, never (and I mean NEVER) add them all up lest you see just how much of a sink hole our projects often are. This also gives you plausible deniability in case your significant other asks questions.
I work for the government in a project management office that supports some of the biggest ($$$) projects our government has. Costing/ budgering are never right from the start, but that is expected because in the beginning we can’t envision the final solution. As we progress through the project phases, things become clearer and expectations of accurate costs become higher. The real problem arises when costs go higher AFTER a cost/budget has been approved. Unfortunately this is an all too familiar situation. Accurate detailed planning is essential to accurate costs, and where there is unclarity, that is when costs increase. Some of this is unavoidable and it’s just the nature of things, so we have contingency funds. having said that, do I apply strict project managenent principsls to my projects - no, but we all apply some form of project managenent in our own ways. The more rigour you apply to your “project” plan, the more likely you are to succeed in staying on budget and maybe more importantly on time since our “lost” time can never be bought back. Oh, by the way, anyone need some ARP head bolts for a flathead? Lol!
I'm a scrounge, junk yards, swap meets, local ads, I'm always looking for parts and tools......but for the right price. I figure if I don't use it someone else might. I work on too many things at once and stay up way too late. I horde, sell, give.......I have fun.
I try to use the leftovers that other people replaced with 1-800 parts. A few years ago it used to be that everybody wanted a 350 or 383 instead of their 235/283/327 and a TH700 instead of their PGs and TH350s, so I picked them up for cheap and stored them away. I sold a core 1961 283 w pp heads to a corvette guy last fall for €1200 and he even paid me to help him rebuild it. The times of cheap early small blocks are over now I guess. When I start a project, I make notes of what parts I´m going to need and see if I can find them here. The parts I cant find here will have to be ordered from the US and to avoid shipping costs I try to get as much as I can from one supplier. If I´m lucky I find a friend that just bought a car in the US or has a container there and safe on shipping costs. It´s not always easy and has a lot to do with networking, but that´s also part of the fun. And you also have to plan ahead a few months, because it can be 6 or 8 weeks for a container to arrive. After 25 years of fixing old American cars I´ve become pretty good in this. For example, if I quickly need a gasket set from Rockauto I know it´ll be a big box, so I can aswell buy 2 or 3 for the same shipping cost and fill the rest of the box with smaller stuff. In the long run it´s better and cheaper to have it on the shelf for a year or two than to need it quickly ship when I´m in a pinch. Plus most guys around know that I usually have a few spares around and I can help them out once they need a simple pcv valve , a grommet, sbc rod bearings or a gasket set.
If you deck across those pallet racks you’ll have a mezzanine to “organize” more stuff. 2x6 flat works pretty well.
I am so strict about putting stuff away in it's proper place. I figure if I'm not going to put it where I can find it later, I might just as well throw it away right now! Why stash it away under something and go buy another when you can't find it? I can't get that thru my wife's head. Sometimes I will leave something out in plain sight, on purpose, say on a table in the dining room. She will have some friends over and instead of telling me to move this part to the shop, she will move it onto a shelf say under the night stand, then papers will get piled on it and it's forgotten. LOST! The I get to point I need it, Yup, can't find it. Ask her if she has seen it, of course not... Go buy another. Months later looking for something else, find it under the papers!! UGH!
I try not to purchase anything for a project until I am ready to install it because sure as hell if it sits around long enough I will forget I already bought it and order it again. The exception would be the hard to find swap meet stuff. I buy that when the opportunity presents itself.
Some good ideas but it’s also important to remember that this is a hobby and hobbies by their nature waste money. The most important part of our hobby is to have fun. If the money is more fun to you than the Hot Rod maybe you should consider another hobby. Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
I am in the middle of a "set budget build" so this topic is very close to home for me right now. I have a one car garage with all my tools and my "finished" '30 avatar in it. my work space is limited to say the least. I am fortunate that i have friends that have specialty tools and equipment that i have access to (Mill, Lathe, lift, hydraulic press, etc.) I am a list guy so the first thing I did was make an outline on the white board. Each major system in the order I planned to work on it; engine, trans, suspension, frame, body, electrical, etc. As I think of parts or complicated processes I write them down under the relative major system section. The next thing I did was to get a journal/planer/note book that is specific to the project that I keep with me most of the time. I got it from the "promo" guy at work...trade show give-away item. I use this to write down ideas, keep a running list of parts costs that I keep subtracting from my goal budget total. Doing this really keeps you focused on the necessities and stops the impulse buys and side track parts purchases. I also use this to track the parts used (INCLUDING PART NUMBERS). Every hose, bearing, belt, pad, gauge, sender, seal, gasket, etc. has the manufacture. make model and part number recorded. Every resource I find for parts and knowledge gets recorded. I sketch ideas I have for modification, or custom parts that need to be built later on in the process right when I have the idea, . Doing this keeps me focused and organized and will be a huge help 3 years from now when I need that random wheel bearing or other part. Physically there are only three places that I put parts 1. The "needs work" shelf 2. On the bench/floor while being worked on 3. The finished goods shelf, for all the refurbished and new parts that are not physically attached to the car yet. of course all of these parts are grouped together and the box labeled on 5 of 6 sides. I.E. one box with front brake shoes, wheel cyl, brake springs, backing plate bolts, bearings, seals, flex hoses, king pin kit, castle nuts, cotter pins and grease caps. For me the other big items to prevent waste is organization and cleanliness. Because of my limited space things must be in their proper place unless I am actually using them/working on them. And because I am working in such a small space, dirt seems to migrate to every place I do not want it to. I also feel that generally speaking you should only get dirty once per part... and that is during the cleaning/striping process. You should never get "dirty" moving, test fitting or during final assembly. Keeping the dirt at bay and keeping organized does a couple of things. It reinforces where everything is because you are touching it and thinking about it regularly and it keeps you from ruining something or redoing something because of dirt, overspray, etc. Additionally, because I currently store my finished car in the same garage as I work in I have to pull the car out to do any particularly large or dirty projects. So I must clean up very well before pulling the car back in. Right now, on this project, my biggest money waster is lack of knowledge. Buying a part that wont work because of some small little detail that I was unaware of or couldn't find mention of anywhere I.E. early top-loader 3speeds cases won't fit over a 10 inch clutch and the flywheel on my flathead is drilled for a 10 inch clutch. Not so much a money waster as a trade was made for the correct parts but a time waster for sure. So, for me, the biggest things to keep me from wasting time a money are organization, a solid plan/list/outline, cleanliness and as much budget self control as I can muster.... YMMV Chappy
I end up spending money on parts I may not use because if I do need it a few years down the road they might be hard to find,when it warms up some I am going to spend a day getting pulleys and brackets and other parts from a old junkyard I buy from since they could be gone in the next 10 years and where will I get them. I like to have plenty of spare parts.
Another way to save cash is don’t spend money on any other hobby. I don’t golf, fish or hunt. Crap, I don’t even drink. That leaves money left over to fund the junk habit. As far as not buying stuff until ya need it, I often trade for parts I don’t particularly need. This has paid off many times. That part isn’t eating anything sitting on a shelf.
When I used to go to Hershey about 45 years ago I always look for 50 Mercury parts & when I found some & the Price was Right I would Buy! and over the years I have picked up a lot of Part's for my Car and I know from experiance that when you sell something You need that Part, so I don't sell anything.! When I can't Drive anymore I will Sell my Part's. Just my 3.5 cents Live Learn & Die a Fool
During my shop clean up, the wife asked me if I needed all this stuff. I said not yet. She understands
Shelves, rubbermaid tubs, and boxes. Keep all parts for one thing in one area. Redoing my T bucket i didnt have shelf space, so I built a new shelf just for bucket parts. Got it all done and managed to only lose 1 seatbelt. Lost it so good I even bought a new one and still havent found the old one. All about organization and keeping track. Id make lists of parts I needed, go over them a few dozen times and keep them in a doccument in my phone, as I got things i mark them off, makes it handy for swap meet shopping too.
Money saving rule #4 Visit the scrapyard. I haven’t started a build with a banjo rear axle but the one I picked up for $10 will come in handy. Rule #5. Trade labor for parts. I will just waste the cash on stuff like food. If I trace for a part I will have that later. Money saving rule #6. Use technology. Lot of cheap stuff shows up on the sites most you guys don’t use. A pair of drop spindles just came up I can use on my 56 for less than half new. Money saving rule #7. Talk to the people at car shows and cruises that drive new rides, tuner cars or LS swapped. They have lots of old parts they don’t need. money saving rule 8. (Similar to rule #5) Help out the older guys. I installed an engine for a old hot rod friend of mine. He paid me by filling up my truck with a shed full of old parts. Including a 34 ford front and rear axle with juice brakes. When a friend needed help updating the suspension for a 33 Plymouth, I got to keep the axles. Those wavy tube axles are cool.
LMAO Sounds all too familiar. I did see the top of my workbench...once. Gravity is in charge of organizing tools and parts. I want to change, but who am I to mess with physics.
Over many decades, and many builds, the biggest money saver for me has been the access to the internet we have today! Back even 20 years ago it was not nearly as easy to check pricing, or buy car parts online as it is today. And the ability to find parts today, whether they're new or used, is amazing! And even more amazing is the ability to double check pricing. I've caught myself numerous times getting ready to buy a part that I needed, but didn't need that day, and double checked the price online, and discovered I could save 10%-30% buying it elsewhere. Sometimes it's only a few dollars difference on smaller items, but when you're talking a complete build the savings adds up. Another thing I've done that can either save me, or hurt me, is buying parts well before I need them. If something is a great price, and it's towards the end of the year, or a limited time on sale, I'll buy it to save before the sale is over, or prices jump after Jan. 1st. But I've also bought early, and not needed the parts for 6 months, and later seen them cheaper, or I changed directions, and didn't use them at all. I don't often lose a part and have to reorder it, but I have done it a couple times on small parts. I've gotten to where I clean off a set of shelves, and everything I buy ahead is put on the shelf. So I might search the shelves awhile, but I don't totally lose parts now. And one thing I can't stress enough! Check the parts you get as soon as they arrive! Go through them as thoroughly as possible, so if there's anything damaged or missing, you can address it right away. Good sellers have no issue making it right while it's fresh off the shipper, but most wont allow returns, or replacing parts you've had for 6 months or more. There are places like Speedway that I've found will make it right many months later, if you contact them about a few small bolts, or pieces missing much later. But they're the exception to most.
Maybe just buy two of everything in the first place and hide the second part. Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I like having a warehouse full of parts "I'll never use" because someday, you might actually use them. You cant just run down to the local salvage yard and get that special bearing cone found on the top of a 1948 F1 steering column. But I can walk into my pole barn and dig thru the 1/2 dozen columns I've been saving and grab one.
Got a great deal on a free 454, good friend delivered it. And a 350 TH, and a set of rebuilt heads (extra!) and 2 HEI distributors, and, and... Another BB Chevy deal, two 402s, low mileage. More heads, and 2 intakes. Just roll them into the garage, under the 354 Hemi. Son gave me a low mile 455 Olds, lots of speed parts. A friend donated another 455 Olds engine/400 T.H. That one's alongside the wall, opposite my large duplex toolbox (2 rollaways on a chassis) My 406 (gift from my son) is ready to assemble, but its steel work table is in the car port, (a STEAL from Payless Shoe Source: heavy 3 ft. X 7 ft. work table is capped with .125" sheet steel) ALL the free and reasonable engines have suddenly stolen all my garage space, and are working on my shop space as well! There was a time all were planned, but some deals were too good to pass up! Then there's all the parts... I have a planning and space problem.
I've got so little money these days, it's difficult to waste any. So that helps... LOL Good luck with your big organizing project, @anthony myrick
The Jalopy Journal
