Feelings on doing a car yourself or buying one done

i didn,t do any body work on the car i currently own a simple reason for that all off the body work and lines off the body where all ready perfect in a way i woudl do it

 

As much as I like picking out the details on my car, I would have had no problem buying a done or nearly done car as I (a) don't have time to work on stuff, and (b) don't paint or weld. For some cars I've had over the years I've swapped suspension parts out and done basic mechanical. At the same time though, with how specific the look I strived for with my car, there would be very few done cars I would have purchased, I would have done something similar to what I did, bought a done or restorable custom and worked it from there. I would prefer next time to buy something that was not painted.

 

It would have to depend on the car. I traded a 57 Chevy Belair for a rumpety rump red 40 Ford p-up w/327, 3-deuces, ran like a bat out of hell, and was already "done". I drove that truck all over and up and down the east coast for several years, never modified it other than lowering it some, and never laid claim to having built it. I did lay claim to loving it, though. Sadly, it went down the road to finish my avatar and the present owner is none other than Jerry Burger of Street Rod/Street Rod builder fame. The love of that truck has prompted me to build one of my own though, and this one is all mine from the ground up. I only hope I love it half as much as my old red truck - a bought done truck vs the one I'm building.

I really do believe the car picks you and not the other way around .... I hope this new truck picks me ....

 

It is really simple......If you can, you do. If you can't, you pay.

It doesn't matter if you are talking about cars, haircuts, landscaping, or breast implants. It doesn't matter why you can or cannot. It doesn't matter if you bought one done or paid someone to build it or did it yourself in the garage.

Donny

 

I wonder how many folks have the skills needed to COMPLETELY build a car themselves?

build the frame, build the suspension, build the engine, do the bodywork, install the glass, finish the sheetmetal, sew/install the interior, do the plumbing and wiring, etc., etc.

if you do, you are amazing. But most likely don't, or recognize they can enlist the skills of others to perform the work at a higher level/better value than they can do themselves.

I have built a few, with the help and skill of others. I have purchased many.

There is satisfaction in being part of the creation, but it sure is fun to buy/enjoy/sell numerous cars.

I have tremendous respect for the craftsman that can do most of the work him/herself. However, I dismay about the years and years it takes to complete the project. When I see folks showing a car they have owned for forty years, I compliment them for their dedication, but wonder about all the fun they have missed by never having the experience of another hotrod.

 

At 69 I am too physically f***ed to do a complete build any longer, but that doesn't mean I should be denigrated or denied the pleasure of having a cool car that speaks to me. Those who feel differently can bite me. Besides, I don't care how much time, effort, and creativity the PO put into it, I know in my own mind that these cars are never finished ... the PO just ran out of time, money, energy, or ideas! So I'll putter with this and that, gaining great pleasure with every change I make, regardless of how small it might be, and not giving a damn how my approach measures up against some totally arbitrary standard.

Barry
Trading Social Security $$$ for heavy lifting since 2006

 

Either way for me. If I build it, sure, there's more pride felt. But, also more sweat and aggravation too. Sometimes...if a car takes too long to build, or provides a degree of aggravation, I expect too much of the final result. That sometimes leaves me wondering if I wasted my time. I like putting "space" between builds with cars I just tailor to my tastes. The 38 in my avatar is a good example. It was an unfinished, but painted project. I finished welding in the front suspension. I wired it, plumbed the brakes/fuel, put running board rubber on the smoothie running boards, put stock door glass/vent windows in place of street rod one piece ones, put stock stained glass/stainless ring headlite trim instead of some weirdo street rod landing lites, had vanilla tuck and roll interior instead of the velour stuff, and replaced the Boyd style whels w/chrome reverse and fat whites. Relatively small jobs, but made it "mine" and vastly improved it's appeal to me.....

 

I have done it both ways.
Doing it yourself gives you the satisfaction of knowing just how the car is built and what parts were used.
When my 62 was done, I tore it down to the frame, and when it was re-assembled, I used new parts where I could, new stainless fasteners, and hired the body and paint, as well as the interior done.
I was quite pleased when it was done. It was just like a new car, even drove like one.

I traded it for a completed 32 Victoria, and traded the 32 for a older 47 Plymouth coupe out of California.

I have found it is much cheaper to buy one already done, and enjoy it.
Ownership is ownership whether you build or buy.
I have enjoyed all, but driving is fun no matter how you get the car on the road.

 

thank goodness for guys who do buy cars they didn't build or I'd have 40 or more old modified cars sittin here!

 

How about a third option: an already built car that was a backyard build by a previous owner. How would you look at the car if it was not built in a professional shop but the current owner didn't build it?

Most finished cars that people buy were NOT built in a professional shop; they were built in some guys' backyard and when he was ready for a new project, he sent it down the road.

 

A friend of mine built his own house. He designed it, did ALL of the work. Over the years he has heavily modified it. I go over to his house and marvel at his skill. He can do anything.

For those of you who didn't build your own house, do you think you'd appreciate your house more if you built it yourself rather than buy one already finished or have someone build it for you?

Where's the pride in building your own house? All you're doing is writing the check.

When I see a house someone bought rather than build, I feel different about it because the owner doesn't have his own blood, sweat and tears in it.


That's how stupid this thread is. And I was stupid enough to post on it!

P.S. My same friend also loves to build cars, but when he's finished, he usually sells them so he can build another one. For him, the fun is in the building. Not to mention the fact he designs and builds jet drives for boats (Nomera, formerly Jacuzzi)

 

I've done both, built a few and bought a few and put my own mark on them. By the time i've been over them i know every nut and bolt either way. Pros and cons to both. Building your own car is a great feeling. Can cost alot, take years to do but you can say you built it. You can buy something built and put your own mark on it should you not have the ability to do certain parts of the build or want to be stuck in a garage for years. Some folks may say "thats Bills old car" which it may, Bill built a great car, it's mine now. Really don't think it matters, not for me anyway. Sometimes its circumstances, money etc that may come into it. Any cool car on the road is a bonus, owner built or not.

 

Cast that quote in bronze and it would sell. I just remembered I bought a finished '56 Ford Step side in LA and drove in across the country in 1975, nothing I've ever built has been driven out of the state.

 

Ahhhh...the age old battle between owner built and bought cars. My two cents worth on this is, it shouldn't matter how the vehicle came to be...as long as the owner is enjoying the car and sharing it with the rest of us.

 

You know I am just going through those emotions. The Panel truck you see in my avatar, I had for 14 years. It went from a Junker to Best in Show Truck over that time. Knew every squeak and rattle. But I had grown tired of driving a truck and sold it. Not wanting to begin all over again I bought a finished car. But I made an even bigger mistake by buying a restored original 1938 Ford Sedan. After having been involved with street rod for so long. I have been unable to appreciate the original car. Not a lot of power, no power assist, no A/C. And am now trying to sell it. Didn't realize how well off I was with that unique truck.

 

I will be 61 in a month. My opinion has changed in the last couple of years.

How long of a project can I start at this age and complete?

Now I would strongly look at buying a finished (or close) car.

 

Depends on weather you enjoy the trip or the destination. I enjoy the trip and therefore build even though my skills are terrible.

 

I'm going to go the other direction this time. I think the pride of building thing is a bullshit excuse for poor bastards like me that can't afford to go and buy what they want, so they have to piddle trash together like I do.

 

I've done it both ways. Outright purchase and 99% did it myself. And a couple somewhere in the middle. Far and away, I have the most sense of accomplishment in the one I did myself. Partly because I can brag a little but mostly because of all the things I had to teach myself to do along the way. I was OK with being a care taker of someone else's work but there just never was the connection there. I doubt that I'd feel much affection toward the Doane Spencer '32 if I owned it. A lot of responsibility but not much affection.

 

If everybody built their own cars and did everything, then a lot of people would be outta work. The body and paint guys may have a one up on the mechanics, but they would be welding and painting on wrecked Camrys and the like instead of cool, old cars.

 

I know there are pros and cons of doing it each way.

Yes it's cool to say I build the car myself but if you look at it from a business point of view right now you can buy a car cheaper then you can build one for sure.

I have many friends who have built cars and I know how much they have in them and the truth is unless you just enjoy the building it yourself thing you can buy one cheaper then you can built one.

I see cars that the guy's buy every year over at the Daytona Turkey Run show and for $25,000 grand you can drive home a car and head right over to your favorite car show that night.

When I see the guys put $60,000 into a 40 Willy's to make it a show piece and then they see another guy buy one as nice as theirs for $40,000 their jaw drops.

Just my opinion. Jimbo

 

I've done it both ways. The t bird I have now, I bought off e bay and theres no way I could have built it for what I paid for it. I've always been the first to admit it was bought (I'm not going to take credit for someone elses build) but I still feel wierd telling people I didnt build it. Im 55 years old now and working on my 65 truck, just did a engine swap and going to try my first paint job in over 30 years. After two days of sanding, my back is giving out, I know it wont be as nice as the ones I did when I was 20 and had lots of ambition. I've seen nicer finished trucks and the asking price is cheaper then what I have in my unfished one. Some times buying is the way to go.

 

I can't imagine buying a car that was built by someone else (aside from the assembly line workers who originally built it). It just wouldn't feel right.

 

There's a lot of pride in building/modifying your wheels, BUT, how could one not have any pride in being the caretaker of a car that someone else put their time, effort, money and pain into??
Grey Baskerville's 32', Spencer's 32', all the old iron that was built in the back alley garages in the 40's,50's and 60's, hell, even to this day.. there's no way that anyone who has brought them back to life and now cares for them doesn't feel pride in knowing their keeping the builders dreams alive.

 

I never felt bad about any car I ever wanted to own and drive. More people have NO skills than DO have skills. There is no shame in buying a car and enjoying it any more than feeling bad because you didn't build the home you live in. Arrogance comes in many forms. You're no more guilty of anything because you didn't build it than you should be for not doing your own dental work or removing your own cancer. Blowing yourself up because you can do something carries with it the obligation to be thankful that you're able to. The Second Place of Ugliness goes to the clown who buys it, and then lies about building it. We've all known a couple of those too......

 

I've done both and enjoyed them both. The real issues that I see are:
Time: you have the time to devote to getting the car done to the level you want it? It's a couple of year process at best, but it's great when it's done.
Goal: Are you a driver or a builder? What do you enjoy the most? I know lots of guys that just build, sell, build again. I like driving and building both, but driving is my goal-I'm not a show guy, so I prioritize getting things on the road.
Skill:What can you do yourself? Welding, body work, fabrication, upholstery, glass, etc. are all skills that take time, money, or both. The more you can do, the less it costs and the faster it's driving. You can learn them all, but it takes time and effort, and life does get in the way of these things.
Look at these things and then decide what kind of project you want. Every car is a project, driving or otherwise, but some are achieve your goal easier than others. Figure out what is the best fit for you and go for it. There will be more if there is one, so you will get to go through this again.

 

I don't think it matters anymore .Buy or Build . Trailer or Drive Chevrolet or Ford etc.
Tastes Great or Less Filling .
My only thing is "BE Honest "

 

I would love to build something....but since I'm only 15, don't have money, parents don't have money, etc. Finding a decent car is just half the problem. Plus I don't have tools. And everytime I think I could do one, I get discouraged after my dad goes to tell me every nut, bolt, piece and part I'd need to rebuild, but or replace....

In fact I know of a 56' Ford Customline (my favorite car is the 56 Ford) that's been restored for about 10 years, good paint, body, Motor has been freshened, etc, for $5k. WAY cheaper than I could ever build one. Heck, ever since Barrett-Jackson came on tv, every one thinks their junk is worth 10k, so even finding a decent 56 to restore might could cost you money too.

-Cody

 

I think it has to do with time and know-how. Money can come and go , but the guy who can build from scrap will always be happier in the end. A certian sence of pride is put into the car that was home biuld. Just buying doesn`t do it for me....