Start lookin'
Do you know what you want? Truck, Rod, Muscle Car?? I have always wanted a street rod so I started looking at all street rods that I found for sale between 1930 - 1940. I don't have $30K to spend, so I was looking for a decent car with the right bones and that I felt was priced right. I kept narrowing it down until I picked 6 to go look at. These were all steel cars and were all built by hand by owners with varying levels of skill. After looking them over and driving them, it was obvious that within this price range(I was looking at $13 - $18K)I was not going to get everything I wanted, and in some cases, you weren't going to get much. I found a 34 Chevy Sedan with a 440 mopar, disc brakes in primer on some kind of AMC frame that had a huge amount of potential for $8,500. Made an offer that was accepted and was ready to leave to go pick it up in Missouri. Owner called and apologized but a guy showed up with cash and a trailer and he sold it out from under me. I found a 39 Chevy businessman's coupe(which I really wanted anyway) in Detroit on Craigslist and called and called until the owner answered. Made him an offer based on pictures and his description and drove to Detroit to pick it up.(This is a RISKY way to buy a street rod, I KNOW!!!) But, the price was right and it had a lot of great stuff and a few probs, but it was definitely a great deal (under $15k) It supposedly had a 383, ford 9", turbo 350, Mustang II, four wheel power disc brakes with booster under drivers side frame. Decent paint and interior, but needed some love. I got it home and took it to get aligned and the mechanic gave me my first set of bad news. No way to align front end. The Mustang II was an original junk yard mustang II but it was welded in at wrong angle, one side was higher than the other, etc., etc. etc. So, I was faced with buying a new front end. Bought Heidts Mustang II IFS on Ebay and had a fabricator that works for our company install the front end. My ttl cost was $2500 including front end(Rod shop in area wanted $3500 - $4,500 to install). After 6 months,(that's what happens when you work with friends), I got the car back. Three weeks later the motor crapped a distributor gear and it ruined the bearings. I spent $1500 on new intake and engine rebuild. My 383 turned out to be a two bolt 355, but it did have aluminum heads and forged flat top pistons. BUT, I do still love the car. It is a blast to drive and has a wicked sounding comp cam with electric cutouts that are too much fun. I have a long way to go before it is finished and I now have about $17,500 in the car. So, find a car you LOVE, be careful when you are inspecting it, and start pricing things and I mean everything so you will know what a failed tranny, rear end, motor, paint job, interior, front end, disc brakes, A/C etc. costs. It ain's cheap but I still love my 37.