[Nightfire]

Hello;

Alright.....I would like to know for how cheap I could build a rod; this case probably a rat rod. I am on a extremely tight budget and I would like to know for how cheap I could build a rod considering the project car will be 500 bucks. What I am talking about is engine overhaul and paint, bodywork by removing rust and spray can primer with flames and can clearcoat, engine copartment painting with spray can paint, new interior from junkyards and maybe new headers. How much do you think it would cost to build a road worthy rat rod beater? What is the cheapest hot rod you ever built? Please state if can. or us. dollars.

thanks

Mike

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

The answer is in how good you are at shopping and horse trading and what kind of fabricator you are. Way back when I built a "T" bucket for less than $800.00. Traded a garage sale chain saw for the glass body. Got the tubing for the frame from an industrial scrap yard for twenty cents a lb. Bought an old rusty Chevy 4 dr. for $75.00 and an old junk 48 Ford sedan for $50.00 and with these basic parts assembled a car. Drove it for two years and sold it for $4000.00 (that was good money for a bucket in those days). Never had it in any shows but I have seen much worse at the shows. JUST HAD FUN!!

[HemmiGremmie]

Get on Ebay.
You can find tons of things that people have gave up on in there. HG

[poncho62]

Be smart and do all the work yourself, and you can do it cheaper than you think.

I paid $250 for my truck, did it all myself. I have less than $2000 invested. It ain't perfect, but its decent.

[Buick In A Bucket]

I'm in the middle of this myself right now...

I got a rolling chassis with bare body for $900.
Buick 425 + Turbo 400 for $500
(Obviously I could have done this cheaper if I went with a 350 Chevy, but theres simply no comparision to the Buick for cool factor)
I scored free wheels, vintage headlights, and a set of huge rear bias plies.

One of the best things you can do is use as common a part as possible, because that kind of stuff is super cheap to buy new. For instance, I am using a '84 Horizon master cylinder... $20 remanufactured at A & A. Ford truck brakes... $160 for everything brand new for rear brakes. It's worth paying a bit extra for safety with a car like this.

[mikeweyman]

rod out a pre 92 chevy s10 truck,you can drop a sbc in it with little changes,will be quick.and cheap.

[FASTCHEVY]

I drive home stuff for $500 all the time.

There is a 52 Chevy 2door, running, good int, needs trunk lid and brakes, $700.

Or a Olds Dynamic 88, good body and int, needs the 350 cleaned up. $1000. At this junkyard I go to.

If you don't need a old car or truck I say go with a 78-83 G-body.
Malibu, Regal, Lemans, El Camino...
Or a 73-87 Chevy/GMC truck. Or a 73-79 Ford truck.
Can't go wrong with any of these.

[Nightfire]

Thanks guys for the answers so far.

Poncho, sweeeet truck for under 2 grand. Looks great.

The vehicles I am looking at for resto are:

1949 Dodge truck with body and motor running
1938 Plymouth with rusty body and no engine but rear end
1954-1957 Chev Bel Airs

Which one is the best to restore for cheap? I'd really like the bel air.

Mike

[FASTCHEVY]

How much for each one?
What does the Dodge look like in the int, and the body, and what kind of engine. If it's a Power Wagon buy it as fast as you can!!!

How much rust do those projects have?

[Nightfire]

They're all around 500 canadian. The truck is 450 bux. What is a power wagon?

Mike

[FASTCHEVY]

A Dodge Power Wagon is a big honkin 4x4 military truck. Big time cool and worth big time money! Let's just say it makes a Hummer look like a mini van.

Again, what is the condition of those cars/truck?

[Nightfire]

sorry, forgot bout that one;

well, lets see.......

1938 Plymouth has some rust at the door panel but its minor. Interior is bad but full of parts for the car. Definitely needs new interior and it needs an engine to. I guess it's more an advanced project.

The Dodge truck I havent seen yet. I talked to the guy on the phone. The engine is running and tranny still works. All glass and interior there. I think there is some rust around the rear view window and the bed.

I also just seen in the adds that there also is a 1965 mustang with interior stripped except rear seat. Comes with engine, tranny and rear end for 500 bux.

Mike

[FASTCHEVY]

Unless those Belairs are in better shape I would get the truck.

The Mustang might be a pretty good deal too.

[73chevyhelp]

you could part out the belair for more than 500 bux easily,i used to go to the local junk yard buy parts for nothing and sell them on ebay and to people in my area,old parts are hard to find here in darlington.i bought volkswagons since i was 12 for 100 bux a pop running or not wish i had then now sold the bodies for 400 to 500 and the motors for 150-300.even found old cars than ran for 100 dollars what a steal but they were volkswagons and not old chevys or mopars.

[rs]

Power Wagons are usually civilian,
http://www.dodgepowerwagon.com/wwwboard/index.html

<--- M37’s are military.