Most of my stuff I build for myself is build on a budget. I enjoy build something out of nothing. No fun in buying a bunch of new parts and bolting it together.Some nice budget build on this post. Love the T roadster.
including nickel and dimes got about 2300 in my galaxie inc purchase price. the car is a long way from being custom yet but its a start. having 3 kids under the age of four makes it tough to build anything but luckily i'm a cheap ass. as long as you take your time and do quality work your "cheap" car will get just as much attention if not more than richie rich and his freshly painted t.v. dinner he bought off ebay
i set out to build a model a for 5k. nothing fancy, or even painted. so far im going to be around 7k and thats using a used motor and also having freinds help on heating and bending and such
well i just finished a very high $$ build so my next has to be CHEAP!!!, i just picked up a 1955 chevy series 5700 LCF $free, next i placed an ad on craigs list for what i am looking for and that i want it for free or very little money, well so far i have found a 32ft motor home that this guy just wants it to go away, so i have it now, $free, next i found a 22ft rollback bed and a 454 that runs great $900.00, i think i will end up having it on the road for around 2k with what i have allready , it will be safe and it will be a blast, i also found a giant sleeper for around $450.00 14ft of sleeper. they can be done, but like others have said labor $$ well labor of love . once i get everything started and mocked up i will post some pictures.
I'm trying to build something cheap. But not put a budget goal on it. So far in my A coupe I have about $3000.00 in it including gas to collect parts. But I would have to add up all the recent recites to know the total. It rolls.....I have lots of extra parts but I still need lots of parts too. Hopefully I can be in to it around 7,000-10,000k when it is done.
I gave $3k for my truck and I'm sitting right at $5450 today. Saved all the receipts from mail order junk (front discs, steering, crossmembers) and a billion trips to the 'zone, the tow dolly rental to drag it home, title fee, everything. And have them all written on a whiteboard as I do it. Still need some stuff, but I have a fairly strict $7k cap on the whole project and I think I can pull it off with some clever shopping. $41 worth of electrical connectors, wire, and grease hurts though! Tools of course don't go the list because they're not car specific.
Keith, send me a PM, and I'll be glad to show you where damn near every penny of the little over 5k was spent. Here's some of the "Cliff Notes": TCI Model A chassis,-used, from the HAMB... $500.00 (okay, I didn't include gas to go get it, ya got me there... probably around 25-30 bucks.) Model T Tudor body, (was complete) $1,200, sold the fenders, running boards, splash aprons, hood sides, seats, steering column, gas tank, and everything else I wasn't gonna use, for right at $1,000, so I figure I got around 300 in the body (I know it should be 200, but I had to buy a few patch panels from Howell's) Maverick V8 rear end- bagged from my neighbor's garage.. free. Tru-Spokes- 200 bucks from Chopped50Ford on the HAMB a long time ago. Tires- I know a guy at our local tire store... these were "new car take-offs" that he squirreled away for me. Traded him a tune-up on his Ford Exploder for them. Chevy Vortec V6 roller lifter motor and TH350 trans- 600 bucks, came with Gennie shifter and e-brake. T steering wheel- had for over 30 years, just waiting for the day.. VW steering column out of the junkyard--free. radius rods, Vega box, Super bell axle, disc brakes, spindles tie rods, drag link, panhard bars, master cyliner, brake line, etc, all from Speedway, all the suspension and etc came to around $2,000 (Like I said before in another post, if I f**k up a tune up, I can call a tow truck. if I f**k up the brakes or suspension, someone calls the morgue...) Cheapo Dolphin gauges, 200 bucks Now I'm at around $3,800 The other roughly 1,200 has been chewed up in the top, seat (I only have the one front bench seat out of a wrecked Jeep so far) misc. Nuts and bolts, horn, wiring, gauges So, if you are patient, in no hurry, wait for deals, scavenge in your buddy's garages, and trade what you don't want, for what you do (another example... new in the box Edelbrock 1406 carb... traded it for a used VW Weber 44 IDF carb that I snatched out of a car that was literally going to be in the crusher in less than 3 minutes from the time I rescued it, a little big for the V6, but it works okay...) And yeah, I've been "Hidey-Holing" stuff like the tail lights, headlights (which were another HAMB score, 50 bucks and about 8 bucks postage) for a few years, and I've been building on this thing for over 5 years. What I don't have is money. what I DO have, is patience, and time to look for deals. It can be done. <edit> I forgot the CA 1926 plates... 20 bucks at the Eureka CA swap meet, and lotsa hours in the garage with a picking hammer, and file, and sandpaper... I "splurged" and bought the three bar spinners for the Tru-Spokes new, think I paid 40 for them? Don't really remember now... Lug bolts for the wheels (since the above poster reminded me about them) had them in my toolbox, they were too long, so I went to my buddy across town that has a lathe, and he chucked 'em down for me for a 6 pack of Coke Glass -100 bucks, but I helped the guy get his car running, and gave him some parts, he supplied the (used) auto glass, and cut it to fit) Radiator- ebay score-- 75 bucks Radiator shell-scratch and dent sale @ Speedway- 50 bucks (yep, it has scratches, but they don't bother me, it's gonna get banged up when I drive it, so what the heck...) So yeah, there "ARE" things we tend to forget, but I still think I am right at, or a little over, $5k. Paint and body is gonna be a tough one, I expect 600-700 in materials, maybe a little more (getting it at my local Napa store, somebody came in and ordered it and never picked it up)
Budget is the key word these days. Truth is it takes, time, skill and paitence. Then you hope you have some buddies who can help with the rest.
I have just less that 5K into my Avatar truck, most of that buying the truck. It has a sbc 350/350 with a 10 bolt rear. After tires and all, I expect to be around $5500 or so. Of course, it's taken me forever to make any progress due to the typical time vs money dilema...
Guys, it's not an impossibility to build something for less than 5k but, in my opinion, it has to be either an earlier era-type build, a less desirable car, or a cast-off project that the seller loses out on. I do agree with Tman that people don't include things they have that, perhaps, came from other builds and such. For example, I didn't include the cost of fuel I spent running all over creation picking up parts... It'd probably be something like $400 by the project's end. However, this car is 100% parts I had to get elsewhere. In parts alone I've got a little more than 2k into it, including nuts, bolts, consumables and such (the parts are all older than 1940 and another thing I think is key --- no 32 parts). I paid my buddy for his time and materials to do the welding. As well, I had some other things done for me, sandblasting my frame and wheels and some sheet metal work by Salt Flats Speed Shop. I couldn't have done that stuff myself to get the quality I was after. All said, it's around $3750 to that point. Then I got some finish materials and supplies, paint, and leather, which is another $250 (actually a little less). I had to be savvy. I made a plan and stuck to it. It took me about 4 months to figure it all out while I researched. All the parts I bought are being used, I did trade off some parts too, nothing major, but. I didn't buy stuff I didn't need and lose $ by doing so. Things like my Model A frame (which came with all the axle and brake stuff I needed) I am using on the next project but if I sold it, I'd knock the $ off the price I paid for the whole shooting match. I don't know if you'd agree with that, but that's how I am figuring what I'm spending. [Edit] I lied, after looking at my sheet, I see I've got a few parts that I bought and am not using: a hand pump, 36 rear radius rods, and a pressure gauge. So, what I'll end up with is an early era car running Model A running gear, meaning it'll go and stop like a Model A. It's not setting any records. But to me, it's a hot rod. I've got about $600-800 of stuff to pay for to finish it. I'm getting the intake and exhaust plated in nickel and the drive shaft shortened. I've got to also buy glass, new bearings and some stuff for wiring and lighting... oh and a battery too. Other than that, there are some small incidentals, stuff like thread, foam and a few tools to do the leather work. I'm like Hitchhiker, I am not trying as much to keep it under a certain number rather than keep the price down. My 26/27 roadster I plan on keeping the price down too. Although that project is newer and, like I said, earlier/less desirable projects cost less. So... this project will cost more.
Brent and Hitchhiker got it right. How many folks posting in this thread will drop $50 for a concert or $100 at teh bar in a night? All about priorities. Chatting with Datinman jay tonight. Building a plug for the nose of my lakester this week. I had some evercoat Rage in the cabinet and HAD some leftover foam. Shit cost me money whether I want to admit it or not. Reality, that and the fresh roll of DA paper and I got $100 spent with shit I "already had" See you at the salt Brent.
I can't comment on your situation in PA But, like many have said, picking up abandoned projects & careful shopping goes a long way towards a low budget build. i got a 68 f-100 project for 1700.00 it donated a fully rebuilt 9in with new brakes and drums, new clutch/flywheel, steering column, and a fully rebuilt & balanced 300 motor with a new clifford intake and jethot coated header(with reciepts for almost 5.000.00 in parts) sold off all the extra stuff and came out ahead by 200.00 headlights and mounting bar 40.00, sold the bar for 50.00, kept the lights. free seats, free body wood through 3 different guys in my club, etc. etc. like most guys, i can't just dial 1-800-build-a-rod for parts. i did have to sell my soul to the devil for the weber set-up though my car will be on the road for less than 5k, but i'll upgrade things as the bargains come along. seems like too many guys start by buying lots of "bling-bling" type parts and then get stalled/run out of money at some point.
My 32 Roadster better be in budget, I'm Retired and don't have a bunch to spend. So I am building it with parts off the shelves of my shop from bargain parts collected for many years. Hope to be well under when I get the chassis finished and ready for the body. Then will have to sell something or barrow against the house to buy a new roadster body. Pic's are of a couple of my collector cars I have restored thought the years. A 1927 Ford T Roadster Pick Up Paid $125 and drove it home. Well over when finished The other Maroon Nd silver one: It's a 1930 LaSalle Fleetcliffe Roadster. It cost $350 with a stuck engine. 48 years later, spring 2010, it is finally finished. Was well under 5000 until I got to the top & upholstery. That blew the 5000 out the window.
I'm retired and so have to watch the $$$ but I know when I do a 40 coupe it is gonna cost me a least $30-35K--I keep track of every dime--uph in leather is $8K, paint and body another $9K then we go from there--thats' $17 and I haven't bought the car yet nor the rest of the junk to finish it
You can build for far less than 5k. you have to be willing to barter your talents and you really have to make an effort to stay out of the parts store/ ebay. IE; instead of a flaming river steering column, put new bearings in your stock column and repaint, or use the tilt column from your donor car that you bought for $200. Instead of a crate motor for $2800 +, use your 305 with a gm alum intake and new rings, bearings and gskts + krylon. Instead of $1200 disc brake kit, use the stock brakes from your donor car with fresh pads and a new coat of krylon.
My caddy is slightly off topic, 1968, but I picked it because it had a solid body with no rust through anywhere. I spent 550 on it, everything was there even if some of it needed to be replaced. I spent 93 dollars to have it towed. On misc small parts, tools, supplies, etc say maybe 100 dollars to this point. Another 60-70 dollars for some junk tires to make it a roller. So right now I am looking at maybe 825 dollars. I can easily turn it into a driver for less than 1500. That is my goal. Now that does not include the paint/body and interior work I am going to have to do myself, but 1500 would get it on the road. The real budget buster is going to be the interior. Dash is good, but dirty. The real problem is the driver's window mechanism is messed up, so it let rain get in. The door panels are trashed, the headliner is mildewed, rear seat is crap. I can easily spend another 1500 getting the interior into shape. Body has a few dents and needs either trim removed or replaced. But I hope to be able to enough to get it ready for paint. Given that it will never be a show car, I can probably do the paint or get my ex brother in law to do it. So I hope to have a decent car for about maybe 4500 or a little less. It will not be a show car, but a decent cruiser. If I wanted shiny paint and a ton of trophies I dont think I could do it with my skill set for under 5000. It is not the 1950 buick I wanted either, but it should give me some more skills and make me ready when I find the buick of my dreams.
i have about $3.800 in my 51 including purchase. find a runinng driving car, then you and your buddys do the fun work.
My off topic 67 will be done for less that 2 grand easy. Trying to build a 20-30s RPU I'm sure I can do it with out much problem just the availability of a affordable body in the area that I live is the frustrating part.
I think 5k is the new 3k, seriously. After reading a lot of these posts, I'd say you could be hot rodding for 5k. No you will not be into a 32-36 three or 5 window or most 26-31 Roadsters but there are posibilities, for sure.
Many great comments , Brent and hodroddreams ..... Off brands and or less popular, half or all complete and don't change direction ( easy to say ) half way through it, makes a huge difference. Not to mention the cost of body work and paint. My 59 f100 started out as an original paint, fairly straight, less popular $ 500 purchase. With the help of bud, Tim !! ended up a pretty cool, rubbed out and lowered f100. Original 6 and 3 spd, new upholstery ( seat ) ...... ended up at about $ 4,800. The slicks ( $ 700 ), put me over the $ 5 k mark and were $ 200 more than the cost of the truck originally ? ? Y block in the future, but likely down the road.
1500$ all it needs is interior, and a whole bunch of work. have invested 300$ in new front brakes ( went from 9" to 11.5 ) and 5 bolt etc. and front wheels to match the rears other stuff as well, building thread... - taking all advice - http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=544686
I want to add a few things to this.... 1) Know what prices the different parts in your area go for. I am always researching prices so I have an idea if something is a good deal or not. For example....I've been looking for a affordable 1936 Dash for almost a year. found a old timer parting a rough 36 coupe.....I asked how much he wanted for the dash. $150 he said. Does that have gauges and the waterfall? I asked. No, those are $200 extra. I'm think I really need this...where will i find another? But I passed. I waited a few months and bought a complete dash for $130.00. that leads me to my next tip 2) Don't get caught up in the "Need this"factor. Sometimes it's better to go another route than overpay for a part you don't really need. For example.....I would really like A original unmodified 32 shell for my A coupe....But I can't afford to pay almost as much for a grill as my whole body cost. So I will go another route. 3) When ever possible I like to buy parts I might need in a group. It generally allows me to buy the part I need plus some other stuff I might not need, but has value. Then I can trade this for stuff I need or sell it when I am done and know I won't need. This helps offset the cost. I probably have $1000 dollars in parts in the "don't need pile" that I could sell off. That would really cut done my total invested. This isn't about building a cheap car for me. At least it wasn't. I never intended to budget build, it's just that finding the best deal comes naturally to me. I obviously don't want to over spend. But I'm not cheaping out either. I think I have some desirable parts, Nothing really rare. but the makings of a good hot rod. Here is my break down. 30-31 A model coupe w/ frame and title. $1500 5 1935 16 inch wheels and tires $ 175 1940 rear end w/ brakes & bones $ 150 1936 front axle and bones $ 125 1936 rear bones $ 125 pedals $ 50 front juice spindles $ 100 Front Brakes $ 100 set of 4 steel wheels 2 16x4 2 16x41/2 $ 100 F1 crossmember free front windshield $ 50 Subframe kit $ 100 Guide headlights $ 80 1936 Dash $ 130 Ford F1 column and box $ 100 that's got me at around $2900 not including gas.....I've got a line on a 1939 Flathead v8 and trans for $200 bucks......I think I could have a pretty cheap coupe if I cut some corners. But I think the collection of parts deserves a little nicer finish than a $5000 dollar budget would equal. I do intend to do all my own work though. and I think I can have a really decent car for my original estimate of 7,000 to 10,000k.
I have to scratch my head once in a while I hear people bitch about the price of gas here in Cali less money for builds, but the same people attending events wait in line to pay $1.00 to $2.00 for 16 ounces of bottled water. I guess it is all perspective. Anyhow I built my last 31 model A coupe for under $4,ooo. It can be just dont skimp on brakes and suspension were your life depends on it.
1941 Cadillac, nice survivor w/bad engine $3,000 1971 Cadillac for donor engine/trans $ 500 Misc. stuff, radiator, overflow tank, brakes, driveshaft, shocks, carb, etc. $1,500 total $5,000 sold original parts, $400, donor car, $300 Net Total $4,300 running and driving. Still some stuff to do, but reliable. The car was pretty good, but not everybody dreams about owning a large 1941 Caddy sedan. A solid, cheap car is the secret to success.
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