Hot Rods How do you plan to finish your projects with rising costs.

I’ve saved a ton of money on paint by not painting them

 

I may have to go back to work!.

 

Sold my Corvette pre Covid and bought all the big parts, The antique Jd Mt tractor is next to be sold.​

 

Sorry @bubba55 ...we're already leaving the "estate" to these guys

 

I was doing better , making A LOT less in the 70's

 

Don’t forget train robbery as well.” Do you think you used enough dynamite, Butch?”

 

Scrounge,horse trade.

 

Not keeping records

 

I've got a bike so I adapt pretty easy when the car becomes a pain.

 

I still don't see how you're getting others to pay for it. How is paying for something and then hauling it away making somebody else pay for it? Isn't your labor worth something?

 

Where does it say anything about making someone else pay for anything ? I said instead of paying retail for new steel I buy used steel from the local scrap metal dealer. Nothing more. But yes, my labor is cheap since I'm retired and have nothing but time so if I have to remove a little rust to save a lot of money I'm ok with that. I think you were replying to the post before mine.

 

Macco, In and Out, Earl Shieb paint jobs and put them on yourself seat covers, pull out engine trans and rearend, doner car wiring harness, best used tires from your favorite tire store. You can be driving around for 3 - 4k maybe even less.

 

If you check out my build thread, Hot Rods - Working on the Vicky body, a build thread with pics | The H.A.M.B. you'll see I really simplified my build. I'd rather have something on the road so a revision of the build plan was in order. SBC instead of the tripower Pontiac, Marketplace tires and wheels, some 'caps I've had for years along with a much simplified body style. By eliminating a lot of glass and expensive body panels I've got it down to where I can actually work on it. Also I've been buying a lot of tested parts off the HAMB classifieds. Some amazing scores to be had on here.

To be honest, I actually think I'm going to have a much cooler car than my first vision at a third the cost.

 

I’m waiting on that big cost of living bump from social security next year.

 

If you want something bad enough you just make it happen…no whining.

 

Not building anymore and cut back racing. Starting to sell off parts I’m not going to use and there are planting of them. Sold an intake and frame for a 40 Chevrolet this week, that will keep my sons dirt car in tires for 5-6 races..

 

Truth but I'm not looking for chores these days, if it becomes a chore it isn't a hobby.

 

Maybe I will actually take all the stuff I have in boxes and hanging on the wall of my garage I bought because I thought was cool but didn't fit anything I had and sell it. Funny thing though, every time I go to a swap meet to sell I end up with more boxes of stuff than I brought with me in the first place.

 

Like many here I do as much as possible by myself. Outside shop labor kills many items/projects from being completed and just not automotive related but many different fields.

Yes watch craiglist for deals but don't shop out of your driving comfort area. I don't need to see that great deal in Ca. , buy it and then find out I cannot afford to get it to Wi. so just watch your own area. I know I don't always follow my own rule here because I am in the process of bidding on a truck in ky. but I have a business partner down there that has a rollback at the same auction so I have it covered to get it to his place 20 miles away.

I don't buy new vehicles anymore. brought a rust free jeep last year in Ky that needed an engine and just put my engine in it out of my Wi. rust bucket and hopefully doing the same with my off topic truck soon.

Like others here I do shop online and have the parts shipped here. Rockauto comes up frequently and is a go to site for many but don't forget to shop around. Yes, RA quite often is cheaper but sometimes car parts or geek parts come in $20-$40 cheaper than RA. so you still need to shop around but it is lot easier in your own comfy chair in your undies. Don't forget to go to retailmenot site and get the 5% off RA code for that day.

when I do buy at a store I try to stack up on gift cards I buy online from those discount sites before hand when they offer a decent discount. Just the other day I brought a $200 autozone card for 20% off and a harbor freight card for 15% off. plus I get another 1% off by going thru rakuten and then another % off by using my one credit card to pay for them. Yes, you never know when you might need something but at those % off , I buy in advance, you are money ahead versus the interest you earn at the bank.

Pay credit card off in full every month.

Keep hood close so you don't need to buy chrome goodies.

Don't be afraid to buy tires from like Walmart. people claim they are old, seconds or china junk but I brought a set of 2 for the daily driver and according to the date code they were just made this year and they are USA. I brought 4 of the the same ones 5 years ago and they are still doing good.

Some people will argue with this one. I build more than 1 at a time. My buddy has more in 1 vehicle than I do in 5 of mine because when he gets to a stage he just went and did it no matter what the cost was just to get it done. I move to the other vehicle when I don't get my parts for my price and when I get burnt out on doing a certain project I move to another one and let that one sit until I get the parts at the right price or get motivated again. my buddy when he gets burnt out, he sells them for a loss to get something else.

Another one people argue about. When you go to town, buy more than what you need and stock up. I live in the country and I am not going to town to buy 1 item and find out 2 days later I need something else and half hour after getting home I need another one. Neighbor saw me outside and stopped over the other day and wanted to know if I needed anything from town because he had to head back for some more brake lines and unions because he broke another one putting the first one in. took him to the shop and told him help himself just replace them with identical parts some day. he was pleased I saved him a trip. Even gave him a full gallon of brake fluid too.

I know some will say they are trying to save money so no need to herd parts and supplies but I grew up in a family run business and you learn you actually save money by buying things in advance and in bulk purchases. waste of time and money running after 1 item when you were just there the other day.

the one neighbor drives me nuts. he will stop at a gas station every day and throw a few bucks in for the day. then he complains when it goes up everyday a few cents. Just fill it up and be done for the week. he claims he cannot afford that but he only gets paid once a week so it doesn't make sense to me. I just shake my head at him but he does the same with me and my life style how I can afford to buy things and not have a job. we don't understand each other.

Eat at home. I can have steak twice a week now by making it at home and still be money ahead.

Bypass the bar too. If you need to, drink the neighbors cheap beer.

And some of you guys do have some pretty nice looking wives so worse case scenario you can always put her on the street corner and pimp her out.

 

"Dreaming, dreaming is free
Dreaming, dreaming is free"

Blondie

 

Retired disabled & on a fixed income, I do pretty good.
While I have not really worked on my project for the past year. I replaced the engine in the wife car, then when inflation hit I bought a deep freeze for the garage & stocked it with meat & veggies.
Last summer the wife & I started canning veggies from the garden .... Just basic things my parents & Grandparents did.

Now I'm ready to start working on my project again .... While I already bought 90% of parts needed to get it on the road, today I need a gallon of primer. I have some welding to do and am out of gas for the welder.
While I have been holding back on welding until I fill the bottle, I decided that much of the welding can be done by using fluxcore. 2 fender brackets, 1 gas tank mounting bracket, 1 small body patch.

I hate welding body panels with .030 wire. This patch is the back of the cab at floor level.
By fixing the 1 patch now, I can get the back of the cab painted, the bed installed ... I can get another 100 miles down the road on this elephant .... by scrimping here on a bottle of gas.
While I have the money set aside for the gas, I'm going to sit on it. I may use it for wiring bits or maybe mirrors .....
Next month some more $$ will be added to it.

Just saying inflation is real & it effects everyone in some way. Take care of your personal responsibilities at home first, then work on hobbies & have fun.

 

One major drawback to living in a small town is lack of available used parts especially when it comes to performance parts.

Another major downfall is no local metal reclaim, no local junk yards.

The closest salvage yards is almost an hour away with no one allowed in the yards, it's a call and if we have it we'll pull it, so no walking around and looking for that 1 part add to the sad fact they pretty much crush anything over 15 yrs old.

I miss the good old days when we had 2 pull it yourself junk yards and a major metal reclaim yard.

.

 

Sold off the race car project, now I'm down to one car to focus on that's already a driver. Working on small stuff.

I make money when there's money to be made, and stash it for my use. When it comes time to buy something, if I have enough stashed, I buy.

Devin

 

Selling weed.....serious.

 

Let me know how that works out for you Don...I can always use a little extra $

 

.......You're ready.....

 

How soon we forget.

 

^^ This right here! These things don't have to cost 20 grand to build. My old beaters still get waves and thumbs up every time I drive them and I don't spend a ton of money building them.

 

By providing shelter for families that like having a roof over their heads, and small business owners brick and mortar storefronts where they can hang out their shingles. I won't ask how you fund your project, because personally, I really dont give a damn.

 

I've hustled to make "hot rod money" or for whatever else I've wanted since I was young. There is so much opportunity out there right now and so, since one source has all but disappeared, I'll figure out a different way to get all that chrome I need (yes, NEED!).

Other big expenses, like paint and interior, I'll take on most of it myself.