[rj57]

One thing to realize about building any project is to have some flexiblility to you plan. Things can and do pop up you didn't count on happening.

It does take a lot of time and money to build a project. Even if you start with a decent enough base line. I tore my very first car apart in 1986/87 planning on doing a body off the frame and have it back together (for the most part) in a year's time. I know other people who've done similar projects. My car had been painted before my parents bought it for me but it was a bad paint job that whoever did the work washed the body down with gas before spraying.

Paint used to peel off the car in long strips. Some good friends and some not so good freinds would make what they thought as "Friendly" comments about the patchy paint work my car had from me trying to save it's appearence. This was a large part of my deciding to pull the body off the frame.

As luck (or not) would have it I got tendonitis in my right wrist at work and got fired after 8.5 years. After surgery I tried to go back to my job but my employer's son decided he wanted to put me through even more h--l if I wanted to come back. So I put myself through college with money I'd saved up and got a degree. Even with this degree I could not find steady work for over 10 years.

Fast forward to today and my very first car is still setting in pieces.

I had 10+ years of catching up to where other people my age were. I had to buy cars ready for the Salvage Yard, rebuild them and drive them daily during this time. And I had other cars I was keeping running and on the road besides this car. Something I did on a zero budget.

One thing I know that helps quite a bit I didn't see mentioned is when doing a tear down, take pictures. Plenty of them! Notes help too.

If I have one ace in my pocket it's that I also own another car the same body style as my first car. So ..... WHEN I get to the point of building it I have something I can go to if I have answers?

Next year 2007 is the 50th anniversary of the '57 Chevy and I'd love to have my first car back on the road. Maybe not completely built like I want it, but at least to the point it can move under it's own power again.

If I'd leave the other cars alone and not work on them it could happen.

As for buying a cheap project, there is some merit to this. That's how I got my project. The car was this guy's very car he got at age 15 in 1975. He let it set at someone's house for almost 30 years, then decided to have a local body shop do the build on it. But he and the body shop must have had a falling out over the car as they sold it for what they had in it.

With a bit of luck I got the complete engine/transmission out of a '79 Camaro a guy was parting out. He also included the headers off the car, the drive shaft, engine compartment wiring, and a few other small parts. All for $300.

[Mike Britton]

Don't ever give up.......I'm 58, and just now getting to build my dream'29 roadster. Don't ever give up.........

[joeford]

I'm 60 and into the second year of building my first street rod...a 36 Ford Coupe...At the rate I'm going....I've probably got a couple of more years in front of me....

[Brian_B]

Originally Posted by rj57

One thing to realize about building any project is to have some flexiblility to you plan. Things can and do pop up you didn't count on happening.

I know that about as well as anyone. I was finally able to purchase the 56 f-100 (which I have wanted since I was 14) last fall only to end up on dialysis this summer. Definately a set back.

Originally Posted by Mike Britton

Don't ever give up.......I'm 58, and just now getting to build my dream'29 roadster. Don't ever give up.........

I will be 40 soon, and the truck is on hold. I am not giving up on my health stabilizing enough to get back to work on it. Never give up on your dreams.

[MustBnuts]

Originally Posted by joeford

I'm 60 and into the second year of building my first street rod...a 36 Ford Coupe...At the rate I'm going....I've probably got a couple of more years in front of me....

Joe I'm 62 and just starting a 30 sedan...therein my handle...but determined ..the good lord willing to be driving her some day

Good luck

[joeford]

$7 grand not bad....so help me out....where do I find a free 530hp motor? And, is $7 truly all you've spent???? Did the wheels come with the car?

[madebadd]

hello, i have a one car garage and a 68 chevelle with a 69 350 that i want to pull. the car does not run at this time and i would like to know how to pull the engine with limited space. no room for a hoist. should i break the engine down to the bare block the have a friend and i muscle it? any ideas would be appreciated. thanks.

[Centerline]

Originally Posted by madebadd

hello, i have a one car garage and a 68 chevelle with a 69 350 that i want to pull. the car does not run at this time and i would like to know how to pull the engine with limited space. no room for a hoist. should i break the engine down to the bare block the have a friend and i muscle it? any ideas would be appreciated. thanks.

Ask your question in the engine forum for a better response.

[williw50]

Well, Centerline, I am going to take your advice and see how it goes. I still haven't chosen wich truck to build, either the 55 or the 57 chevy ss. Do you have any suggestions for a starter, since I have both trucks. I want a nice ride and don't care about the speed as much as the luxury.

[hotrodjim30]

I really liked your 66. I have a 30 ford coupe and just purchased a 73 monte carlo.Hope to get some pictures soon. got some but have not posted them yet. Just wanted to let u know i liked your car; looks good and something u can enjoy

[paul wallace]

great advice for us novices!

[Ditchdoctor]

This will be a new thing for me. I have a 93 ford crown vic police interceptor that I was thinking about using as a platform for a build. I wanted to do a old style rod that I could do with my kids, you know NO EFI or PCM's just a basic carburetor dump the clutch get n go. The vic still uses the body and frame concept along with a beefy 4.6. My question is what type of body to put on the frame? I do like the RAT ROD look.
OK let the juices flow.

Thanks, Ditch.

[bentwings]

I thought I could add a few cents worth of experience.

I use MS Excel to make spread sheets. For most of the younger guys I would think you got the basics in school. The older guys well just take a night class and you can do the basic stuff really easy.

Why???

Well most of the budget stuff there is a lot more time than $$$ so use it.

I make endless spreadsheets. I keep adding things summing things and completing items or deleting items. Quite often I simply start over as the sheet had taken a turn that is not easily recoverable. But do remember that the data is still useful.

I have very detailed spread sheets for the construction. I add notes as needed. I have suppliers and costs and alternate suppliers and costs. I fill in what I really paid. One thing I now do is hide the final cost. haha My project Willys is so far overbudget that I'm going to retire just to finish it off.

One thing that has saved me a number of times is the good old "Barter trade" I now have the interior paid for by trading labor. I had quotes from $2k to $5k to do the interior. I have traded a lot of welding for parts, built a couple motors for parts. The list goes on. I even have a place on the spread sheets for this. Time will come to call in favors. haha.

Anyway the spreadsheet allows you to really look at the overall project. You can break it down into "do this first" items or in my case "cost to complete". Which has evolved into "cost to complete..must have" haha

Typically I look at an item such as the rear end. I itemize every last part required. You can always add items. I usually organize into my labor items and purchased items. I add columns for estimated labor time and actual time spent. I add columns for $$$ required and $$$ actually spent. I sum these but hide the result so prying eyes can't see them . haha There is some medical complex for this aversion. Anxiety something or other.

You would be surprised at how many things you forget about or had not considered. When you add a $$$ and time to it, they can count up fast. You can even plan your evening or weekend work schedule around the spreadsheet. It helps to keep you focused too.

I keep track of tools required and those I need to purchase. I hate buying one time use tools but sometimes you can be stalled without the right tool. If you put the tools in the right spaces you won't get caught without them in the middle of the project.

There has been many nights when I simply didn't have $$$ to do what I wanted. I looked at the spreadsheet and began searching for alternatives. Other suppliers, maybe make something instead of purchasing, trade something, maybe sell something I don't need. The end result usuall saves me time and $$$.

good luck.

[Beastman]

This is all gold to me. I have a basic understanding of mechanics but i know nothing of building a rod, am so glad to have found this site am sure it will be my bible.

[38Dodgebiz]

Great post - even though it has lived here for some years now. I have done countless projects and knowing your goals, your limitations and your budget are all critical elements.

BTW: the longer projects go along, the more they tend to morph. Just a fact of life