At 61 I still can't afford to buy a rod that's finished, and although it's not as easy now I'd rather build one still. Cheaper and I've got time now that I'm retired.
If you have the "3 T's" which are the tools, the time and the talent, I think most guys would say build it. If you're lacking in one or all those areas, for many people it's cheaper and easier to buy one that is done. I know a guy who has incredible amounts of all 3. He has (or will have) 2 super nice cars that he can proudly say are homebuilt, and get MUCHO attention at any show they are at. Instead of paying others to do the work, he has invested the money into buying all the right equipment and spent ALOT of time learning to use it VERY well to build them himself. At 40 years old, he has a well equiped shop, and many years of building cars ahead of him. Another guy I know had a car built for him by a shop. When his car was done, it was nice, but not a standout, and was worth probably half of what he spent to have it done. He has bought another O/T car and is having the same shop do a bunch of work to it. Unfortunately, the work he is having done, will probably LOWER ther value of the car! As far as myself, I KNOW I'm lacking on all 3 areas, and will probably just buy a driver and "Make it mine" when the time comes for another car. Doing things like changing wheels & tires, stance, minor "weekend" type projects seem to be about all I have the "3 T's" for!!
I have ended up rebuilding or having much help rebuilding cars I have bought. I bought cars that were and are incredibly rare because I figured that was the only way to acquire them. My builds always end up invoking lots of outside help and chasing perfection. Any budget quickly becomes a joke. The best advice I can give is never buy a car you cannot live with - especially the color and paint. If you do you are pretty much going to be faced with tearing it apart for a repaint and that's where the 'I'll just fix this and that while it is apart' begins. Before you know it you have spent years and $$$ fixing it. If you want to build, buy a restored stocker painted and upholstered and change the drive train brakes and suspension, wheels and tires to your taste. That way you get it on the road quick, save a bundle on paint and upholstery and still get the pride out of building it. Fixing somebody else's botched work means first you have to tearit apart and then you have to redo it. This is far more expensive than doing it one time and doing it right. All of this is based on actual experience and the worst thing is to pay full market value for a car only to tear it apart, and so you do not get to enjoy why you bought it in the first place. Then countless years and $$$ later the car is still not worth a dime more than you paid for it as a 'going concern' in the first place. The definition of a pessimist is "an experienced optimist"!
If you dont have the time or the space there is nothing wrong with buying one. Just make sure that once you get it that you make it "yours" and enjoy it.
I am 71 and enjoy the building process but I would purchase one I could drive and change as required to meet my standards. I have seen some great cars for sale in this economy that could be purchased for a fraction of what it cost to build a car today. When I turned 70 I kept one project to work on (when able) and one to drive. That keeps my sanity and focus on my love of hot rods. This forum features lots of very talented builders to help you complete your project or repair the one your drive. Whatever your choice don't give up on your dreams. Dreaming is O.K. by me./B]
I brought my first rod - then the next day (due to trans failure) strip it to a rolling body and re-build it. I swore then that the next rod I had I would build from a chassis up.
If I were to look for another project I would try to find one that was started and not completed,that way it could be built the way I wanted but not have to start from the frame up.
I have always enjoyed chassis work, welding, etc but my health isn't what it used to be and can't do much now. I have a project that I am going to have to sell and then I'll look for a car to buy that might just need different wheels, etc to make it mine. I know it won't be the same feeling as if I built it though.
Buying a half finished project in this economy is probably the best way for me to go. Looking for the 32 or 33 will be my next one. thanks everyone.
bought and sold and traded into my 35, I don't have the place or the means to build a car ( would like to learn) So I do alot of my small stuff, with the hand tools I have.. My hat is always off to the person who builds it from start to end... it's truely yours when you've touched every bolts yourself and built everything.. But some of else like myself luck into the right deal..
I say trick question. Seems that in most cases one has to do the first thing to do the second thing your asking about.
I'd have to say build it. Even though my health is shot and I have very little mobility, I'm considering just buying a frame, and starting work on building a car from there....nut and bolt at a time. I'd probably never get it finished, but I'd have fun getting it as far as I managed.
Life is a consequence environment.Live every day. Not that I like him,but,Richard Simmons made the comment "I might walk outside and get hit by a Sarah Lee truck,I'm living today." You don't know when you're gonna head for the "dirt nap?" Build it! Of course,if you can afford to buy it completed,go for it and change it to suit your taste?
I'm 63 and building the avitar on the left. I have several unfinished projects going at the same time. I believe it's because I enjoy the creative process. So what if you don't get it finished. Having said that, if you have the money you could be driving now. Tough decision.
Build it - I'm 64 and started a 62 F100 in December 2010 and expect to be done in 2013. True I'm not driving it yet but I'm still working on it at least as many hours as if I was driving it. Take your pleasure where you can.
I bought my first rod, a '23 T-bucket, as a finished driver. I drove it for a year then tore it apart and fixed a lot of the problem areas on it. My second rod, a chopped '48 Chevy pickup, was built almost entirely by myself, outside on a gravel parking pad. I had a ton of fun building then driving that truck. My current rod was another one that was bought "finished". It was an old street rod that was built by friends in the late 70's. Right now I'm up to my eyeballs in a complete ground-up rebuild of it. The only things I kept were the frame rails and the sheetmetal. I have no problems with people who buy their rides. If people didn't buy them, who would WE sell them to when we want to move on to something different? Food for thought.
I say if you have time?...build it. But I say that at 37 and just beginning my project. I will get back to you in a year or two! I say this because I didn't win the big Lottery! Because if I would have you'd be damn sure I would have bought quite a few rods man!!!
I've built a few. I'm slowly going blind so I'm into my last one, a 35 coupe. Things go a whole lot slower with age. I can't weld anymore so I have to wait on a local kid to come over and lend me a hand. BUT, I'm still out there almost every day, crankin up the tunes of my past and it's 1960 all over again.......Rodder friends stop by and bench race and swap stuff. These things you can't buy....................It never occured to me to buy a hot rod.
I'm 63. Sometimes it's tough getting up off the cold concrete floor or fumbling around for a wrench due to the arthritis, or trying to see the weld puddle with bifocals. But I just keep on building them because that's what floats my boat.
I used to be a "build" kinda guy, but when you get older and get kids, wife, dog, house, etc. you don't have time to waste building shit an buying something makes a lot more sense. People say that it's not yours unless you build it, but thats stupid.
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