Hello everyone! I have a little bit of a problem. I am turning 16 soon and want to build a hot rod. I have a few options but need to know what would be easiest and best. I have a $1000 price limit for now, but i also already have cars and frames! I have a 1988 nissan hardbody pickup truck frame, a 1990 something chevy s10 frame, a ford f100 that runs decent and then that doesnt include the extra $1000 that i have to spend. what should i do. i have the garage and the hydrolic lifts and just about every possible peice of equipment necessary for this from my family. i just need to know if i should start from a frame or what i can put on one of these frames or if i should just take the f100 and mix it up. please help much appreciated! something major i did forget to mention is that i have a few good motors laying around
forget the Nissan and the S-10 nonsense. what year is the F100? i suggest you spend some time checking this site out to see to see what we are all about
$1000 ain't going to build much anymore, but it might buy a whole car to get you started. While not traditional an AD ('47-'54) Chevy truck body and bed goes on an S10 fairly readily.
Get one of the others you have running, save your $$ till you can get into something else. 1000 isnt really going to get you anywhere. it might buy you a project, or a handfull of parts, but its not going to get anything roadworthy.
i can basically get any of them running but what body could i put on there? or what could i do to make the f100 into a rat rod
Sell off all the Junkers and buy something worth building. Pre 65 is what this forum is all about. And please don't build a rat anything. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Since you're 16 soon, and new to the forum or cars, please don't be put off from building a car. But don't get started down the ratrod path either. In case you didn't read the intro area for new users, this site is pretty anti-ratrod. I'd save my money and keep building your skills up, so someday you can build a traditional hotrod instead. Rules: 1. No profanity in subject lines 2. No political/religious/racial posts 3. No Porn. 4. All personal information listed on this board is private and protected. The HAMB does not sell this information and you are not privy to use it for your own reasons. Test us on this one and we will bite. 5. New Users must fill out thier profiles. Every bit that you can. Simply click on "User Cp" above and get to work. 6. New users must introduce themselves in the intro forum. 7. We cover traditional '65 and older cars only. 8. Traditional is not / does not include Muscle Cars. Mustangs, RAT RODS or VW's. 9. No Motorcycles - check out the Jockey Journal which is dedicated to cycles.
ok. i could probably get one easy but my grandpa has 3 1965 chevy c10's and i can find them farely easy. would that be good?
ok. no i did read it but not really rat rod. i am really wanting to get an old body like 40's or 50's truck and put it on a newer frame so i can get power brakes and steering put it in there so my term for rat rod just means not all original like finding a 50-59 chevy and putting it on a new frame.
If I were in your shoes, I would develop the skills by fixing up the cars you are already in possession of and selling them off, saving your money until you can do something that would be acceptable here. I'm pretty sure the cutoff is 63 or around there. Just trying to be patient with you since the rules for here have been tightened up a bit and HAMB friendly is more focused on the rules Ryan and co. set out. A cheap way into the HAMB friendly market would be an old Falcon or 57 and up Ford pickup. Much easier to get parts for and much more accepted here. I'm a Ford guy but any brand you are inclined to but not so old that you can't readily get parts for. As an example, I wouldn't start with a Model A and try to restore it.
ok sorry for any impatience just looking for more experienced peoples advise. thank you for the advise.
Plenty of cool projects can be started for under $1000. I paid $500 for my '55 panel, but I have invested a few grand in it since then and still have a ways to go. I probably could have spent a lot less, but I have been learning as I have been going. Mistakes cost money. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Also realize that modern is not necessarily a lot better. Drum non-power brakes, 4-60 a/c (4 windows down, 60 mph) and big steering wheels are really the only thing different from 60 years ago. When maintained, the stuff worked and it worked well. A well built 50s era vehicle will be a pleasure to drive and work on. I'm pretty sure a/c and power steering were kinda common in cars by the late 50s so even needing to install "modern" stuff is not necessary.
if you build a 65 c10 you can buy bolt on everthing for it and no frame swap needed, 1k might get you on the road if you get the truck free?
99.999999999999% of us started out doing it that way, most of us still do it that way. Get it running, safe, registered and insured, then work on the rest as you go.
Patience is a virtue. i made the "cheap" old car mistake when i was 14 when i convinced my dad to help me drag home a $600 Willys. thought it would only take a couple months to get it back on the road. I'm now 24 and a couple thousand $$ in. Still havent driven it. save your money and wait till you are done with school and have a decent job or career. trust me you will enjoy the hot rod hobby a lot more. that being said dont give up
just take some time, which believe it or not you have plenty of. as stated sell what you have and get something '65 or older or just lurk here and gain knowledge without posting questions about something newer. place an ad in Wanted Classified here. also, keep your eyes on the streets and garages in your town. might find a unfinished project, or something that runs good enough for now. craigslist, advertising booklets that show up in the mail, etc. are couple of possible sources for stuff. if there are any car shows, evening cruises, car swap meets in your town check them out too. don't be afraid to ask people information about their cars, a good way to learn the basics. if you find a possible deal don't tell the seller up front that you have $1,000. don't be in a hurry to spend your money. have fun.
I would check on grnadpas '65 C10's first. An excellent first project, good parts availability, no initial adapting of frame, body, suspension... First project? Hey, they can be a fine rod to have at any stage.
I built my T Bucket a piece at a time. Started with less than $1,000 and DESIRE. It took a couple years, but I learned while doing it that way. I already knew what I wanted to build and it was something that I had always wanted. Passion will get you through the lean times. It almost sounds like you really don't know what you want. If that's the case, we can't really help you. Only you can know what your passion is. When you figure that out, get it and get going. Come here for help on stuff you can't figure out. Trying to toss a body on one of the frames you mentioned is not the easy way. There is no easy way. There's no cutting corners. The cars that had that done are sitting in scrap heaps. Broken dreams. I'm trying to ignore the rat rod thing you mentioned because I don't think you've really checked out this place. If you had, you'd know they get little to no respect here. Maybe it's a term you heard tossed around. Either way, sit down and read what's going on here. Not trying to discourage you, but at 16, your futures wide open. You've got plenty of time to get into this hot rod thing. Barring the zombie wars, old cars will be around for a while. Find what you LOVE and start saving money. Do research on it. Build 5 or 6 in your head. Watch and listen. Good luck.
Welcome to the HAMB. If you can get a '65 any brand vehicle, truck or car, and have enough money to have it be your "first car" do it. It is way cooler than most people have as a first vehicle, especially since you should be able to get any parts you could need. FWIW if he has one that has the straight 6 in it, it would be a good place to start, not that a small V8 would be bad, just might be a little easier on gas, allowing you to save up a touch faster for your preferred "improvements." FWIW my preferred vehicles from your year range (40s-50s) are the 1950-early 55 Chevy & GMC 5 window pickups and the 53-54 Chevy cars.
Yeah, If you could get one of the '65 pickups in running shape for a small investment, then use it as basic transportation and hauling project stuff around, you'll be in good shape for starters. Sell off or part out most of the newer stuff. About the S-10 frame, if you're anywhere near Montgomery, I could connect you with an older guy who mounted an early '50's Chevy 1/2 ton on an S-10, and did a nice job of it. That said, these S-10 frames are not a universal replacement for whatever Model A or '37 Desoto or '48 Hudson you might happen to end up with. It just ain't that easy. On the rat rod thing, I'll understand that you're new to this stuff, but too often that R@! R*# phrase has been evidence of stupidity and dangerously bad workmanship, and has nothing to do with what this site is about. We like hot rodding and customizing as it was done from the mid '40's to the mid '60's, and the vehicles and equipment that was a part of that era. Not all builds are 100% on this point, but its a good standard to shoot for. Stick around, read some & look at pictures, this old hot rod stuff is contagious. Later, Kinky6
I'd say, most importantly, stop asking other people what's 'cool' and just do what you want. On the other hand, money is tight. If you dig the '65 pickups, thats cool, grab one of those and start picking away at it. One piece of advice I'd give is that, for a first car project don't get something with a bunch of rotted out panels. Mechanical stuff is much easier to fix than body damage. Also keep in mind, this is just one forum. If it turns out that you actually like playing with S10's better, go join the S10 forum and do that. I'm not suggesting that you should go away, but don't let these guys make you think that it ain't s#$% if it's not 1963 or older. Although imo, there are so many things cooler than an S-10 haha, I owned one of them once. That was one boring, soggy little truck.
Id fix up the 81 f100, drive that, make it cooler, because it is still old it will be easy and cheap to work on, and make it cool enough that someone else buys it from you and you can buy something more what you want.
I'll go against the grain. Spend the $1000 on a reliable 4 cylinder car with low miles. Cheap to run, insure etc, reliable and relatively safer. Have your son get a job (if he hasn't already) and start using the money he earns and the cash from selling off all the other late model stuff you have to either a) Get grand dads 65 and slowly do it up properly and SAFELY (for example if you dont know how to do it yourself get a pro to do the brakes and steering work. A mechanical failure may leave you stranded, a loss of brakes or steering may kill others) b) Start collecting parts for a build. That way he can take his time building a cool ride whilst still chasing chicks, parts etc. Please do understand you wont get any love for anything after 65 here but you will get help and support for a build that is pre 65 and it would make a great father/son project.
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