Art & Inspiration How many hot rods have you built in your hotrod life?

I have built 5. My first was a 47 Ford coupe in 1988, I got my T modified on the road in 07, the 32 sedan in 16, my single seater was on the road in 19 and the last being my sons 63 rambler on the road this summer.
when I was 14 I got a 49 Chevy. My dad and I swapped in a 235 for the 216 that had a rod hanging out the bottom. I never got to drive the car so I’m not counting it.
And at the moment I’m building a 26 T roadster as a father son project and a non H.A.M.B. friendly 59 gmc lcf transplanted on a late model Chevy 1/2 ton chassis.

 

according to the HAMB....None. But I like hanging outside the ladies room.

 

Fir myself, 2 that I actually drove. the T bucket and the 48. The 48 has been redone from the frame up three times so far though. Not to a Billy Bandit state but to a get in it go on a 5000 mile road trip state. Simply meaning that he truck has never been finished to my satisfaction and it may never be.

 

0.95 ……although most things were done twice……
I did start here though….

 

2, so far. I restored several other cars before the hot rod bug bit me. I am working on #3 & have a 4th in the back of the shop.

1. 41 Plymouth
2. 49 Buick
3. 34 Ford Tudor Sedan
4. 37 Packard Coupe

I have and have had other cars that I didn't build but refined. I doubt I ever buy another one that someone else builds.

 

Three and working on a fourth with plans for two more

 

————- 8 ————-

 

I've owned, modified and driven twenty or so old cars and trucks, built or modified six or eight for others, built five or six to rollers before selling them
but only built four traditional hot rods from scratch to more or less finished drivers.

 

If you are being specific to traditional hot rods, built myself, from start to finish, I must say two. My HA/GR dragster and my 57 Chevy. I’ve started several. I’ve had plans for hundreds. If you broaden the definition and era, I have built a bunch of off-topic stuff.

 

Good! It says built not finished.
The answer is one. I have been working on it for 30 years.
So I guess it just means I am monogamous.
Wait, I had a fling with a 1962 chevy C10 in my early 20s. Does that count, it was before me and the 27 coupe met?

 

Built my first one when I was 12-17. My 36 pickup(twice, working on a 3rd version) then a 53 F100, a 23 T, the Fly, a 56 9 pass Chevy wagon, restored the old drag car the Apache, a 50 Fleetline, a 35 Ford Pickup, and currently working on a 29 Roadster and a 55 Ford Custom.

 

37 hump, 37 cabriolet, 40 coupe, 39 coupe ,32 coupe,40 coupe, 33 coupe,40 sedan and helped on several others for friends. All mine were body off builds.

 

I would say 7 for myself and at least that many or more for friends, probably near that number for customers .

 

10 or 12 for myself, and about 8 for others. Not all were HAMB friendly hotrods. Maybe half of them.

 

Hundreds in my head. Reality would be two.
Both were ‘55 Chevy’s.
I fall in and out of love with every vehicle I have bought,usually out of love when trailering them home.
I basically run a old vehicle rescue service.

 

1/2! All sorts of ot cars, but just started the first real hot rod, a t bucket, 2 years ago. And am I slow...

 

Started this far down, on the third one.

 

I've had a good life, and still getting greasy. Have or had 10 Hamb friendly cars, and so far
15 OT cars. Cars kept me broke and out of drugs and alcohol. Thought I was missing something
back then, (50's 60's 70's ) but thankful now.

 

3/4ths of one so far, and it has taken me 48 years. If I win the lottery . . . Okay, that's not going to happen, but money is my chief impediment.

 

19 from basket case to finished drivers.

-Abone.

 

and that was just last summer....

 

None yet.. working on my 1st a 41 Ford business coupe ..finding out it is alot more work & time comsuming than expected.. not to mention $$$$..Thats OK enjoying the ride +++--..

 

I've had a lot of cars I modified for myself and others. When I was about 17 my buddy and I dropped a 348 tri-power in his 55 2 door sedan. Did some modification to most cars I've owned over the last 60 years. However, I've only "built" two cars from scratch. The first was a 4 bar sprint car to replace my old spring front car back in 79. The second is my current Model A.

 

29 cabriolet ‘62
29 Tudor ‘64
57 BelAir Tudor ‘65
29 glass A/SR roadster ‘67
29 street roadster’68
29 closed cab PU ‘93
51 ford coupe ‘98
29 cabriolet second time 2012
A long dry spell 1968 to 2012, life got in the way: Vietnam, grad school, marriage, kids, houses, work, etc., . The last 3 cars have been in a near constant state of one or more being modified at some level. I semiretired in ‘96, built my 2300SF shop in ‘05, and kept getting more and more fully retired ever since. Life is good at 75, building a new four banger motor for my ‘29 cabriolet as this year’s project.

 

6 for me

 

on one side not enough, on the other too many - sometimes while deep into a build with too much money & time invested see a ride For Sale that is much cheaper than could be built for and runs & drives and I wonder what the Hell am I doing?

 

Over the past 60+ years of adult-hood, I've"fixed up" dozens of old cars, but never really been able to build one from frame up. Always wanted to, but never had the time or money to do so. Kids, family, job, etc. always came first.

I finally retired and got the car of my dreams, a '36 Ford 3w coupe needing everything. During the 12-years I've been building it, I've lost 5-years with health problems - surgeries, cancer, etc. I'm close to completing it now and I hope to be able to drive it sometime soon. It's kind of a personal "final exam" I set for myself to see if I had learned enough over the years and surprisingly, it looks as if I did. Graduation day will be my first ride. Not gettin' any younger, so wish me luck on my first (and last) ground-up build.

 

After (and not counting) 20 years of building my own dirt track cars (I couldn't afford to by one from someone), there were:
70 Plymouth Road Runner (from about as far apart as a unibody car can be)
35 Dodge 2 door sedan
54 Dodge pickup
50 Dodge truck (son's 1st)
50 Dodge 4x4 pickup (not my son's truck)
56 Dodge panel van (son's 2nd)
39 Plymouth coupe
52 Dodge pickup (customer)
69 Chevy nova (with a full frame, customer)
65 Dodge Coronet (customer)
80 Jeep J10
86 Dodge D50 (on a jeep J10 frame, customer)
47 Plymouth coupe (son's)
48 Plymouth coupe (#117)
A Dirt track car (customer)
55 Roles Royce (ground up customer don't think he ever finished it, I go it to the lot driving stage)
57 Dodge wagon (son's)
39 Dodge pickup
57 Dodge wagon( sons, after the flood with different drivetrain, complete rebuild)
49 Dodge truck.

There were several frame clips (front and/or rear) and several particle custom modifications over a 25 year welding shop ownership.
There were also a few scratch build racing lawn mowers, and custom pedal adult tricycles.
I'm sure I missed a few. Gene

 

I have built more than i can remember, but then again i have trouble remembering where i put my shoes or if i brushed my teeth this morning.

 

If you count race cars, 4 dragsters and one altered