You can do it, but if you're even asking this question you most likely don't have a ton of experience. That usually translates to doing things more slowly and needing new tools. Its a lot easier for someone that's been doing this a while to get things done cheap. The op said he wanted a driver and didn't want to spend a long time building it. In my mind that means drop the 10k on the best driver you can find and do the body+paint urself. 4 doors should be considered.
........................ To me this is a very traditional Rod--built on a budget by a homebuilder and a scrounger--I don't care that it's glass--I'm sorry but somewhere here lately traditional has taken on a meaning that I don't seem to understand
Well I sure plan on spending well under $10,000 to do mine! I searched until I found a really sound rolling chassis, and I'm gathering running gear now and beginning to tear things apart and clean. I always start a project with a basic outline, and a list of "wants", then I modify it as I go along. I rarely end up exactly as I planned in the beginning, but close enough to stay near my budget.
I paid 9700 for a 33 fenderless ford pu. Perfectly chopped fresh suade paint. V8 automatic Oldsmobile rear end wire wheels etc. No side or rear glass no interior other than seat an dash. Had cornball valve covers and crappy tires and such but in the year I had it I upgraded something's and added tri power cheater slicks. Pinstriping an such. Turned out to be a real cool truck that I just sold. I have had a great time with it but really other than glass it was a real driver when I bought it. I think you have a great plan and you objective is real doable. Try to get hooked up with some hot rod enthusiasts in your area that can steer you and help look for fair deals. Good luck joe
model A 5 window body, 32 rails from kiwikonection, a 350 chevy and some kind of 4 or 5 speed tranny should get you a little under 10k spend 2k in the rest and im sure your budget should be under 12k easily....I would prefer a flaty instead of the 350, so if you can find one cheap and rebuidable for chevy350 prices then that would be my prefered option. but their is nothing wrong with a 350..im sure craigslist and ebay will be your best friends for this build if you dont have that many buds...oh yeah, and of course, the hamb classifieds!
Things you must decide on before you spend so much as a single Dollar, what do I want to build and how much do I want to spend (good idea to double that figue staight up ). Once you start your project DO NOT change direction - it WILL cost you money!! Every project I have gotten myself into has cost way more than I budgeted, simply because I changed direction half way through the build. This has then led on to the project being abandoned because it now cost to much and wasn't what I wanted to build anymore. Want to know what I did 3 months ago? Changed direction with my build again, cost me a heap of cash, but the build continues - again and I still like this one. Nothing like an old fool I guess. The stuff I managed to on sell from this direction change should still bring me in under budget, hopefully.
Buy a running and driving stock Model A sedan or coupe and start by changing it over to juice brakes and maybe a dropped axle, lower the stance with new wheels and tires. Drive it around for a few months until you know how much you're going to want to drive your hot rod, then start in on making major changes like new motor, transmission, rear end, body work, chopped top etc.... Don't start a new build from the ground up if you're just getting into the hobby, you'll easily get overwhelmed, frustrated, and burned out, Ask me how I know this?
I'd start with a parade A, a 3 or 5 window. They can be had for as low as 6K. Pull the fenders and drive it. Pic up an A frame to build on for like around 100 or less and get your roller going. Source your favorite flavor motor off the local list and when you're ready, swap the body and sell the stock roller. Boom, done! It'll take some time and searching but will be well worth it.
'37 Ford coupe (no rust) with 9" rear, vented disc-brakes on original front axle, telescopic shock fitted, coupe was a 'driver' with 350sbc and Muncie (motor/trans did not come with car however) - $6,500 '68 460 Ford (with C-6 which is not being used) - $1,400 Wieand tunnel ram (polished) with two 600cfm Holleys - $460 Big input 4-speed top-loader - $330 Steel bell-housing - $65 Verti-gate shifter - $290 And these are NZ 'pesos' - only worth US 70 cents per Kiwi dollar. So it gives you an example that with time and crafty buying you can keep costs down. Of course I still need some body-work paint and upholstery to be done...
THIS... is the true spirit of hot-rodding! I wouldnt mind 'glass if it looked like that!... People forget that rodding is an art form in itself. How to do it, cheaply if you need to. You dont need $25K to buy a built rod... Decide what you want in a car, and at what budget. Keep in mind if you dont build it yourself, you wont have the satisfaction of knowing it was done right... (or at least how you were imagining it.) There are LOTS of decent, running 40's and 50's rides out there reasonably priced... first, find a couple you like body wise... look at prices for starter vehicles (running driving cars) and if youre more capable, look at the non-running ones... Make sure you can title the vehicle where you live... if youre gonna start from scratch...
Damn guys, didn't expect this much and I appreciate every bit of info and thought put into the answers. I do have experience but mainly with muscle cars and a couple years ago I fell big time for traditional hotrods. That is where I am headed and there is not turning back. They are so much more than the typical muscle car but I just don't have much knowledge with trads right now. I have a large garage for the build and I do have plenty of tools. You guys are right, I just have to decide on exactly what I want. Pre-war is where I'd like to be but not ruling out a little later. Right now I am in Afghanistan and I am putting my game plan together with the help of this great forum. When I get home, I'm going to jump right into the project that I will be deciding on while here. That project will be my welcome home and my decompression from this place and the only banging I want to hear is my banging on sheetmetal and tools. I read as often as I can here and you guys give great advise. Thanks for all the input and ideas and hopefully I will be posting my stuff when I start.
There sure are a lot of opinions on this. What is A Traditional Hot Rod? There sure is a lot of Non Traditional stuff listed on Hamb.
Have you thought about a T-bucket? I am into my project just over $1k now. I have custom frame/fiberglass body/axles and all suspension/tires/ and running 350. I plan on being around $4k, and it will not be a R.R. Take your time find good deals on Craigslist and through local club guys and you can build a very nice car.
my wife is a fan of the 60's cars, personally I find them much more of a pain to work on than my 30's cars. You got some tools and a garage, like I said earlier think about what your ability is and what isn't, that's truely going to dictate your budget and what kind of build you can afford.
eh, that works for some, alot will depend on where you live both in terms of town proximity to towns, and what type of building you are in. Me personally I don't have any where to rent said equipment from. Also I wouldn't spend 450 a month on something if I can own it for 1000, and have it available to me for future projects. Same with the engine/body/bed pulling why build a pine stand, mount something to the two story roof of the building i'm renting, and do something similar to pull a truck bed when I can buy one portable tool to do it all for around 200$. It's better to spend 200$ once, then 40 dollars 5 times. Personally It's enough of a struggle to get things done right, with the right tools vs trying to make things work with the incorrect equipment, but then again I was the kid who would get glue on all the windows of his models.
Go to a place that sells pickup campers, new & used...Buy a used camper hoist from them. (free standing, wide enough to drive a F150 Ford pickup under; should be wide enough to drive a hot rod chassis under) I like tools & equipment that are free, reasonable, or fixable. There are many flea market deals that are easily made into useable machinery for the enterprising rodder. And what you learn while modifying tooling to do those special jobs! As for 'Street Rodders' & 'Gold Chainers': I don't talk to them. They have their own agenda, which is usually an ongoing argument with their peers..."I got more money in my car than you do yours!" It's like a contest to see who's the most stupid.
Because every time you spend $200 to buy a tool you will use a hand full of times rather than build something cheaper you take money away from your build. The one thing that is free is your time and I know you will say then it takes longer to finish your build but not having any money because you are buying a new tool everytime you need one will slow your project done even more because you won't be doing anything towards getting it done but wait for funds.
hahahaha, man, that one hung out there for a long time, no one else picked up on that, it took like 20 posts, finally someone saw that goofy gem.
It's a viscous circle man. Either spend money on tools, but not have the funds for parts, or spend time figure out how to do with out the tools, and not have the time to install the parts. That may work for some, but not for me me. I'll end up spending all day building some funky spring compressor for a one of clutch removal deelio almost loose a finger in the process, and still make no progress on the project! Although I must admit it did work and I didn't cave and buy the tool.. but. well case in point ps. and what's this hand full of times nonsense.. you must be one of them darnfangled experts that get stuff done right the first time hehehe.
Wrong. About 8K. Shop, shop, shop, and start with something nobody else wants. Be creative, stick to a plan, and you can be famous too!
As for 'Street Rodders' & 'Gold Chainers': I don't talk to them. They have their own agenda, which is usually an ongoing argument with their peers..."I got more money in my car than you do yours!" It's like a contest to see who's the most stupid.[/QUOTE] I don't want to waste time talking to you either. Brian
In my mind, the best way to build a rod cheaply (relatively speaking) is to know what you're looking at when you are pawing through piles of parts, be it at a swap meet, a junkyard, or someone's garage. For all of the whining I hear about how swap meets just aren't any good any more, here's a quick list of some of the pieces I've purchased over the past couple years: stock model A frame in good condition $60.00 F-1 steering box and column $35.00 old dropped '32-'36 axle $75.00 '42-'48 front brake assemblies, complete with drums and spindles, very recently removed from a running car $50.00 '51 Olds 303 engine, complete, with '53 4 bbl setup and standard shift flywheel, '32-'48 ford trans adapter, and Hurst mounts. An Ebay purchase for a high bid of $202.50---no one likes to have to pay shipping on an engine, and it was about 100 miles from my house, so throw in $25 for gas to go pick it up Trans-Dapt Olds to '55-up Chevy 3/4/5 speed adapter----free, since I bought it along with two other adapters at Englishtown for $100 and sold the other two for more than that Saginaw four speed transmission----vendor sold it to me for $25.00 because it was "no good". I took a chance on it, and found that it was just in two gears at once. Anyway, you get the idea. In a case like this, the body will most likely be the most expensive single purchase, unless you really luck out. Try to be the first one through the gate at swap meets, move fast, and if you find something you need for a reasonable price, don't think about it......BUY IT!
The Jalopy Journal
