Projects The long process of finding a project car and adventures of the new guy.

Well a new development to my tread: going to look at one of my favorite cars of all time tomorrow. Its rough but i dont usually see them for as cheap as the guy is asking


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

It would go great with the metalflake blue amt model i have of this car


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

I love this thread. Reminds me of the car hunts I went on constantly as a young dude. Looks like fun. Get both, you only live once! Then comes mortgages, children, student loans, full time jobs...ugghh

 

There are a lot of guys who think they want to start out in hot rodding and soon realize they are in over their head. It's easy to buy a cheap field car, easy to tear it apart, and easy to have big dreams. Some guys can't build cars. That's fine. Some guys can't fabricate or trouble shoot. That's fine too. The classifieds everywhere are full of torn apart, started on, unrealized dreams.
If you don't have the budget for a $ 2000 driver with a title, you don't have the budget to turn a $500 field car into a driver. If you can't do everything yourself, you can't afford an old car. If you are wanting to see if you enjoy/ are capable to build a car, find a cheap( or free) mini bike or lawn tractor. Tear it apart and see if you can do rust repair/ paint/ welding/ engine work / wiring etc. Don't spend much money and see if that is what gives you enjoyment. If not, save up some money and buy a complete/ titled/ running rod and enjoy the crap out of it.
Best of all, hang out with car guys and help them on their cars. This hobby for most of us is more about the people who dig old cars than the cars themselves anyways.

 

I'll agree; but don't lose all hope.

I'm 20- and I have been working on my project for 2 years now. Every spare moment of my time; no vacations, no "breaks", etc. I do not go out and spend money- all of my working goes towards raw metal and parts (and tools!). I can happily say that I worked for everything I got, and I have not been 'given' anything (btw, thanks MikeBowling for the occasional freebie!)

It takes a lot of cash- more than I am willing to tally. I work 40 hrs a week and it goes quick.

IF I WERE TO DO IT AGAIN...

I would have just bought a bike. They are super fun, and super customizable. They also aren't super repetitive (lefts and rights of a car can get old). You can build a bobber, cafe racer, dual sport, and so on. I bought a bike before my 'A' for 250 and had it on the road for under 800 with the gear to ride included. Was a blast, and consider it.

 

Well stated and good advise.

 

Be sure and check the rear frame rails, from just ahead of the rear axel to the rear bumper. This is a bad place on 58 - 64 Chevys.

 

That sure looks like a fun project. Don't get too discourage. Hard work and ignoring the ones who tell you that you can't do it go a long ways to being successful.

***WARNING:*** Rant of unsolicited advice to follow....

It is possible, I have seen myself and a number of other younger guys do it. I got bit by the Old Car bug in high school. It was easy then, I could use Grandpa's shop, tools and knowledge and Dad's money to build my cars, and I built my '51 Ford PU while in high school. Everything changed when I moved away to college, I found a 20x40 heated shop to rent on the edge of town for the projects. I worked at a pallet factory every afternoon after class from 3 to 11, to pay for the apartment and shop and life. Tools I would generally buy as needed or borrow if I could not afford them. I joined a local car club and made contacts with guys that had full shops. I worked 40 hrs a week in addition to going to engineering school, it can be done, don't let some jackass counselor with tenure who doesn't know how to spell "work" tell you otherwise. I tried to schedule classes in the morning with time between them to do homework. My grades suffered a bit since I limited my study time. But few employers give a shit whether you got a 3.1 or a 3.9 GPA. I got the 3.1 and I can fabricate damn near anything with 120 V welder and a hammer (which trust me, is a much more desirable skill set in engineering then the kid who lived off college loans, got a 4.0, and can't tell the difference between aluminum and steel without opening a book). I chose a reasonably priced, land grant, public institution. It may not have been MIT, but it was a hell of alot cheaper, and I got a pretty damned good job after school too. Scholarships and work programs covered a big chunk of my tuition (about $3000/semester in 2000). I busted ass, did as much during the week as I could so that my weekends were generally free to work on the cars at least one day, if not both. Plus, staying out of the bars saves a ton of cash.

It is not easy, you can sleep when your dead, but it sure can be rewarding in the end.

Good Luck.

 

In case I was misunderstood, in no way would I want to discourage anyone from getting in to this hobby. My first car was mostly in boxes (70 cutlass W31) with a seized engine. My dad had no mechanical interest or ability, but my buddies and I figured it out, did all the work, and that first drive was awesome.
It's just most people don't have any idea how much time and money it takes to do this, and the less money you have, the more time it takes. If you're unprepared, it's easy to be overwhelmed.
10 minutes a day on a project in the garage has way more value than 10 hours of video games. Just don't get overwhelmed by getting too big of a project to finish your first time out..

 

Don't buy a car you can't be excited about. Buy the best you can afford, even if it means delaying the purchase to save money.

It appears you are on the right track. You've looked at several and haven't bought yet. I'm guessing you will run across one that when you see it you will know you HAVE to have it. The hunt is part of the fun, don't be in a hurry and save your money while you're waiting.

Bringing a car back from the grave can cost a pile of money, resist the temptation unless it's the ONE. There are a lot of cars sitting in shops out there that people have lost interest in or the owner has died. Keep your eyes open for them and get to know more car guys. They are the ones that know where a lot of these cars are.

Keep looking.......you will know it when you see it.

 

yeah i passed on the chevy but told the guy i would call him back if i decided i wanted it. The car needed all glass except the rear, it needed completely new floors, and the doors and skins were disconnected and the hood was the same way but it was unusable. The section below the trunk lid that has the gas door on it was rusted throughThe frame was good but it also needed all new interior (rats in the glove box and in the seats) and of course an engine and a tranny. Guy wanted $1500 for it.

Fast forward a day later... I decide shit i made a mistake i want the car. I call the guy up, and its gone. Damn. I missed out on this one but in all honesty it wouldnt see the road for another 4 or 5 years. Oh well.

 

and yes i am extremely picky when it comes to finding a car. I've been very close to buying a few times but always telling myself it's not the right car for me. The day i find a 58 or 59 that isn't rusted to hell is the day i buy a project.

 

You may not buy a car then
Just Kidding I am driving a rusty 61 Chevy wagon

 

Im also playing with the idea of a wagon. It would be more of a surfer style than a hot rod or custom though. Not sure where i found this originally but its cool


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

A friend of mine has a 57 Ford Sedan Delivery wagon. He had grand visions of what it would be one day when he gave $1500 for it. He hasn't even gone to get it and reality has set in! He questions himself when he looks in the windows and see the ground.

 

Read Abe Lugo's post again. Buy the best car you can get. Spend the most money up front, get a car that needs very little. You will save years and 1000's of dollars. If it takes an extra summer to get the money or find the car, so be it. And study up on what you REALLY want. Just because its a cheap old car , it doesn't mean it's the car you WANT. Sin in haste, repent in leisure.

 

Very good advice there, especially about saving money on the car.
When I bought my car it was in "almost" running condition. The previous owner had been piddling with it for 18 years before he passed away. I bought it for about half what they had spent in those 18 years. If you consider inflation over those years I gave much less than half. I bought it in June and had it on the road in August. It wasn't a grand plan I had, I just lucked into this one.

 

Life is about balance. You are on the right track. None of us know at any age when our time will suddenly be up. Work hard at the future some and also work hard for the now. You wont get as rich as the guy who only worked for the future and luckily got there but you also wont die never getting to do the things you wanted too like the others who never gave a thought to some security.

 

Well, i regret not buying the 58, but as if life wanted me to buy it, theres another for sale on my local craigslist right now. Its a bit more complete and its a Biscayne but it needs a lot of sheet metal and the seller says hes not sure about frame rust. We shall see.


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

What'cha got in there, kid?

 

Are x frames prone to rust? Should i expect it to be a bad frame?


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

X frames do tend to have rust. I've seen them be fine when I expected rot, I've also seen them rotted out on cars that looked good. Get under there and poke around with a screw driver. They tend to be full of dirt, so really check at the kickup over the rear end and any corners. If it's bad, don't expect to be able to fix it easily.

 

Alrigt im gonna bring a floor jack and heck it out. If its rusty, im not going to buy it


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

Judging by the picture, does it look like its probably going to be rusted? The guy says it needs a trunk pan but the floor isnt completely rusted out


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

Save your money. Whole lot easier to start with good car than a rust bucket. It will cost more on the front end, but be way the hell easier and cheaper on the tail end.

 

I would if i had $30,000 to throw out the window. Unfortunately i have $3,000 and im going to build it as time goes on. It might take me 5 years but again i dont have $30,000


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

http://chattanooga.craigslist.org/cto/5643656545.html
I know this is probably out of your budget but it might be something to think about

 

Congrats on jumping into the classic car world! You'll learn a lot with a rust bucket, more than you would if you bought something complete. Have fun!


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So tell us more about the 6 cylinder '58 Bel Air. Looks rough, usually when the quarters are that far gone, the floors are absent.
Glass is present, trim intact, is the bumper hit or pic angle makes it look that way.
Another vote here for the running driver.

 

Don' be in a hurry. And look for cars in the southwest. A rust free car is gonna save you years and thousands of dollars. The hassle of phone calls and a trip will be well worth it. And what year/make are you SPECIFICALLY interested in? Get to know their value, problems and strengths. If you like the 58, fine. But MANY parts are one year only, so you need to factor that into the "cost" of owing a 58 (chevy). Remember too, that while it takes money to build a car, it also costs time and interest - enthusiasm. When the $$ run out, the project stalls and/or dies. Same deal with enthusiasm. A one or two year build isn't bad, but a 5 year build is hard to remain committed to for most folks. When the fire goes out, it's hard to re-light. Get a car you can finish, not just acquire.