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Do you "build your hot rod" or "buy and drive"

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by clips221, Nov 6, 2011.

  1. carlos
    Joined: May 2, 2005
    Posts: 1,387

    carlos
    Member
    from ohio

    If its and old car it WAS some one elses.You have to make it yours :D I have built several baskett cases got 2 of em in the garage now my 55 I bought from funds from a car I built and I like it allot,but when you build em and it has exactly the look you wanted and you stand back you know you did it your way and if something screws up you know exactly whats wrong cause you know every nut and bolt thats in it.But if I sell a car I will be on the hunt for something else maybe a done car maybe a basket case does not make a big differance:D
     
  2. knotttty
    Joined: Sep 2, 2010
    Posts: 422

    knotttty
    Member

    I would have to agree with the consensus ... for me its also a social thing.. my buddies come out..we do some work.. sometimes..not.. just sit around yakking about life.... but its the car that gets us there.... build for me...

    Roy
     
  3. pug man
    Joined: Apr 9, 2007
    Posts: 1,010

    pug man
    Member
    from louisiana

    To me it's all about the "BUILD"..... If it wasn't then what would be the purpose of the H.A.M.B?......
     
  4. Mark Hinds
    Joined: Feb 20, 2009
    Posts: 616

    Mark Hinds
    Member
    from pomona ca

    When you do it yourself and somebody comes up and tells you what a great looking piece you have you can take pride in what YOU have created.
     
  5. 39 Ford
    Joined: Jan 22, 2006
    Posts: 1,558

    39 Ford
    Member

    I am 67 and often feel like 80, (great days like 67) I still like working on the car and thinking and planning how to do something. It gets harder and harder to get things done, but I will keep trying as long as I am able. Buying a car has never been an option.
     
  6. Also when you are thousands of miles from home in a car you built yourself the feeling is mystical, not the same in a car someone else built....At least thats my experience with it all.................
     
  7. mashed
    Joined: Oct 15, 2011
    Posts: 1,473

    mashed
    Member
    from 4077th

    Could never afford to buy one done much less pay someone else to do custom work. Never had anything valuable enough to trade. Only one other legal option.
     
  8. Rogueman
    Joined: Jan 18, 2011
    Posts: 301

    Rogueman
    Member

    If you drop in a crate motor. Did you really build the whole thing?

    I bought a 55 chevy Hardtop back in the early 80's it was in a Head on. the firewall was crushed. I drug it home, put it on another frame and welded in a complete firewall dash and all. there is a seem in the floor pan and I had to cut the windsheild post. I drove it for years. Painted it Hena Red myself. It had black dimond tuck. I didn't do the tuck and I never had the back glass out. So did I really build the car?

    I still think it is a dumb question!
     
  9. 68hillbilly
    Joined: May 10, 2007
    Posts: 158

    68hillbilly
    Member
    from KENTUCKY

    there are benefits to both sides. alot of people should buy something that is at least partially finished . there are bunches of projects sitting in barns, garages etc. that will never get finished. best of both worlds, buy a decent runner or original car to enjoy while you build your hot rod.
     
  10. OldTC
    Joined: Aug 18, 2011
    Posts: 770

    OldTC
    Member

    I'd be ok to "buy and drive" any one of a couple of cars that my buddies have built.
    They've built really nice cars,.........but so have I. ;)
     
  11. As a lot of guys have said, I don't think that I could just buy one and be happy. Now if money were not an issue, I can think of several people here on the HAMB that would get hired to do some of the work to make a vehicle they way I wanted it. But since my kid needs to go college, I will perform all the labor on my project.

    It is wrench therapy after all. :cool:
     
  12. I have always bought piles of crap and fixed them up. My friend always buys fixed up and running. I'm starting to like that idea as it seems my projects are becoming bigger and bigger and time is getting harder to find working on my cars. So its just how you personally want to do it. My friend trades his cars and has at least 3 at once. In his stable he has a 1957 Buick Roadmaster , a 1948 Buick custom, a 1953 custom Chevy, a 1956 Parklane. He got rid of his 1958 Impala, 390 4 sp powered 1957 T bird, a 1962 slammed Caddy, a 1948 2 door sedan delivery, a 1940 Ford 2 door sedan. This is just in the last few years, so he gets to drive alot of cool cars and ten just trades them for something different. Thats cool by me but I just can't sell my cars I build.
     
  13. Hot Rod Jerry
    Joined: Oct 23, 2011
    Posts: 205

    Hot Rod Jerry
    Member

    I hear you 39 Ford-----I worked on my 31 coupe off and on for eightteen years. What a great feeling to drive that little yellow coupe down mainstreet for the first time. Did all the work in the 18x30 garage out back.Even learned to sew up the upholstry with a borrowed machine. Not a perfect car, but got nearly 7000 miles in less than two years, with no problems. Never had any money, hence order something, get them in, put them on, wait tiill we had some money, then put them on.Takes a long time to build a car but the finish.ed project is so much fun
     
  14. Steves32
    Joined: Aug 28, 2007
    Posts: 1,280

    Steves32
    Member
    from So Cal

    Here we go again. Build vs bought.

    I've built cars from the ground up for close to 50 years now. As I get older. I get less & less excited about ground up builds. In the last 10 years, I've bought 2 turn key cars.
    My problem is.....I can't leave them alone.

    I bought a very nice finished 55 Chevy for close to 35k & drove it for about 5 years. Then the unthinkable happened...............
    ]Stripped it to bare metal & wound up doing a full rotisere nut & bolt restoration.

    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]


    Turn key cars..... who am I kidding? :eek:
     
  15. dawford
    Joined: Apr 25, 2010
    Posts: 498

    dawford
    Member

    I have never seen a Model A Ford built like I am building mine.

    I want my cars to look as stock as possible and run as reliably as I can make them.

    I like to stick with 4 cylinder engines but do not want to use early bangers because in order to make any real hp they require a large investment and the reliability usually goes down an the HP goes up.

    I don't want to use small displacement high performance engines in them because they do not sound or look right.

    I also do not want disk brakes or fancy wheels.

    I will only be satisfied if I do it my way. If I sound kind of opinionated about it I probably am.

    I can admire other peoples cars that are well planed out and appreciate the craftsmanship that went into them.

    I also see many cars that I wouldn't drive on a dare.

    What makes this hobby fun is the individualism that it affords.

    Pontiac clubs, VW clubs or even Woodie clubs are fine but they restrict members to more or less the way the cars were built by the maker where as Hot rods give the builders as much liberty as the law allows.

    I have thought that if I could afford it I would like to be like Jay Leno and would hire people to do the work that I would do myself but I would supervise the design specifications and the actual build.

    Dick :) :) :)
    .
     
  16. Thorkle Rod
    Joined: May 24, 2006
    Posts: 1,392

    Thorkle Rod
    Member

    My 64 truck was kiind of turn key, after I redesigned and rebuilt the cooling system and wiring system installed AC (Im in Texas). It's actually cheaper to buy than build in the long run. Having said that I have been tinkering with my 36 truck for .... well I won't say how many years but it's going on twenty years and still along ways to go never have driven it. I also have my Model A that can be driven but needs lots of fixing. I got tired of going to events in my daily and saying I have one of those in Garage and blah blah blah. Now at least I have one or two that I can actually drive.
     
  17. hillbilly4008
    Joined: Feb 13, 2009
    Posts: 2,924

    hillbilly4008
    Member
    from Rome NY

    I prefer to build em.
    Heres why: 1- because I can, 2- I don't want to go back and fix someone elses F^ck ups, and end up tearing down a "turn key" car, 3- I can't afford to buy a "finished" car .
     
  18. GassersGarage
    Joined: Jul 1, 2007
    Posts: 4,727

    GassersGarage
    Member

    Grouch. here on the Hamb, had a one man shop years ago. He restored a '68 Camaro in 2 weeks. Frame off. I did my '32 3 window in 3 years and a '65 Biscayne in a year. After sell my cars, I bought my last 2 cars but they still need work, but one is drivable.
     
  19. Hdonlybob
    Joined: Feb 1, 2005
    Posts: 4,115

    Hdonlybob
    Member

    I am not a veteran at this, but over the years have built several Harleys, Trikes, one Semi hauler to tow my 5th wheel, and about three cars.
    Most (other than the semi, which I did the full back bed etc. on) have been from pretty much scratch, or total rebuilds...
    My most recent is the '63 Biscayne in my avatar, which was a total rebuild that took almost two years.
    All the above was done to satisfy my love of fabricating and making things different, as well as lack of funds to buy completed.
    However at my age now (67) I would not do another one...Body and patience can't take it again...:eek:
    So, after rambling on, my answer to your question is at my age, I would buy one complete, or at least mostly complete (as in maybe needing paint, or interior).
    Now if I was in my 50's again, I would gladly build one again, cause there ain't nothing like the pride and stories to tell when all completed and driving it!! :)
    Cheers......
     

  20. amen brother well said
     
  21. I almost always build my own. On the rare chance of me buying and driving, the driving part is usually from the sellers home to my garage. Where my dumb ass will find something not quite right , which turns into two and from there the full snowball effect is in full swing. Upon which a full rebuild will usually happen anyways. Hey, I never said I was real smart.
     
  22. nickk
    Joined: Feb 2, 2011
    Posts: 762

    nickk
    Member

    dang, this was my life story tonight, ive been working on a engine swap for the last 4 hours. HOLY CRAP it drove me nuts, no real good help but i appreiate what help i had a lot! the last truck i built i was able to do whatever i wanted bc I built the frame and everything, so it was fine and fun, but to have to motify something existing absoutley blows. but aslong as i can build from the ground up id rather build then buy but some of these stupid little things just drive me up the wall
     
  23. stimpy
    Joined: Apr 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,546

    stimpy

    only cars I ever bought running where daily drivers , all but one of the toys was built by me ( it started out as a daily driver but evolved into a rod , slowly ) , its a learning experiance , and I built it my way and know whats in it , seen too many built cars and rods that where sold with supposed good parts only to find out the person who built it was a cheat , and used stock or used parts when they claimed they where new or such and such .and the buyer has no Idea what is what in it . and acts like he built it himself ( alot of posers out here ) but doesn't even know what brand of carburator is on it . or type .
     
  24. BigChief
    Joined: Jan 14, 2003
    Posts: 2,084

    BigChief
    Member

    These guys nailed it. Everybody has different situations, abilities, funds and interests. Do what you gotta do and have fun along the way. I build my own because I've always had to but in my eyes a "Visa rodder" deserves no less respect and is no less a hot rodder than the guy who's a car builder.
     
  25. BigChief
    Joined: Jan 14, 2003
    Posts: 2,084

    BigChief
    Member

    Yeah....but thats a different thread. We all know, regardless of if its bought or built, that they are never really 'done'.
     
  26. 36Delux
    Joined: Nov 18, 2009
    Posts: 58

    36Delux
    Member

    To me, it's all about building the car myself. It's taking a car and making it something that is individual. It's learning as you go, challenging you talent and skill. Sure you dream of the day you can drive it, and even think maybe I should have just bought one and drive the wheels off it, but that would be somebody else's car. This one will be mine, warts and all. It's not the cheap way to go, but garage therapy is worth the difference.
     
  27. Bar Ditch
    Joined: Aug 1, 2011
    Posts: 272

    Bar Ditch
    Member
    from Tacoma

    If I didn't build it, then I wouldn't know the car. And knowin is half the battle!
     
  28. <-----Built it and drive it
     
  29. I feel the pain................ Ive been waiting nearly 18 yeaqrs to get the car ive always dreamed about. I finally have it and I building it how ive always wanted it. Ive been working strong on it for a year today. I bought it november 6 last year. It is nowhere near driveable. Time will come soon
     

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