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Decent deals, storys welcome

2K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  silentpoet 
#1 ·
Im here to ask a qeustion. Yesterday my heart was broken. Maybe its just me you can call me crazy i know i am. Literatly. But i wont tell why unless someone asks. Theres been some pretty practical people on this site, id like to welcome them to this thread as well. As ive been looking around, playing what should i have, what kinda play toy would be my best first hot rod. I havent even gotten that chance.

Question is

Anyone here ever buy a car that needed more work than what you bought it for? I know thats the thought maybe the reason this site is here.. Please tell me a story, rusted, pitted and how much you payed. Spare no dirty details
 
#2 ·
"Anyone here ever buy a car that needed more work than what you bought it for? "

That totally depends on a single fact, who's doing the work. If it is farmed out, I'd bet 100% would be the answer.

Most lie about what they paid for their cars anyway, it's the american way.
 
#3 ·
pick'n ur first rod

first u need to be a little informed when choosing what ur looking for.. research.... if this is somewhat unknown area, get someone that more knowledgeable. for a first rod i'd be looking at something that pretty much done.. maybe some updating, but nothing big... i did this when i wanted a t-bucket for my first rod. it needed headers, tires, brakes, interior work but nothing crazy. sold that and built my current one. took clues from likes and dislikes on first one and made changes on 2nd.. so look at the project, take note of needs and ck the on line catalogs for pricing and u'll get a good idea...
so i'll ask... why are u heart broken ?????
 
#4 ·
Are you kidding? I would have to say every single one of us have done that to some extent, if they don't admit it, well that's another story.

There are a few different ways we end up with a car. The two classics are..


1. We fall in love with the thing for one reason or another and buy it ignoring it's flaws.

2. Buy it because it falls in our lap.


I know my Rambler was both of these. I honestly bought it thinking I was going to stick the motor back in and drive it. A year and a half later after getting a parts car and rebuilding the flathead in it and rebuilding all the brakes and repairing the rusted holes in the cowl and on and on, I am driving my car that was "restored" when I bought it. I sure didn't plan on this much work or money but I am still very happy I bought it.

Brian
 
#5 ·
delawarebill said:
first u need to be a little informed when choosing what ur looking for.. research.... if this is somewhat unknown area, get someone that more knowledgeable. for a first rod i'd be looking at something that pretty much done.. maybe some updating, but nothing big... i did this when i wanted a t-bucket for my first rod. it needed headers, tires, brakes, interior work but nothing crazy. sold that and built my current one. took clues from likes and dislikes on first one and made changes on 2nd.. so look at the project, take note of needs and ck the on line catalogs for pricing and u'll get a good idea...
so i'll ask... why are u heart broken ?????
ok the reason my heart was broken, a buddy of mine offered me a truck for 300. 78 scottsdale chevy, 2wd, Stepside bed(love a stepside) which he said was running. But he also has his own 72 pick up used it on it.. So he just recently laughed at me and said you know the only reason im givin it to you so cheap is because the carbs off and the brakes and tires are crap. I was angered. I was thinking bout telling this guy id give him junk price 150. Of coarse he wouldnt want to take that offer. Were real good buddys too i dont understand why he laughed at it.
 
#6 ·
Spent $600 on a '65 Rambler. Spent $800 getting it road worthy ( still not restored ). drove it for 3 months and sold it for $1200

Beetle is a bit worse. Spent $1,500 cause I wanted a Beetle and it was 1 I could afford ( needed work ). repaired it into a reliable driver. Drove it until repairs came too fast to keep up with and it has sat ever since.. Tags on the windshield now for $750 and I'm just sick of looking at it
 
#7 ·
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.
 
#8 ·
I bought my 78 firebird about 3 or 4 years ago for $900. It barely ran but the body was in good shape with minimal rust. I spent a good amount of money to get it driving and used it as my daily driver for a little iver a year until i realized i was never going to be able to finish it. I sold it for $1300. I could have gotten so much more for the car if i would have focused on the interior which was completely shot, instead of focusing on power and going fast. I regret it all the time and i probably would still have the car if i did the interior. But no worries, i got my eye on a 72 nova. Just have to finish and sell the audi.
 
#9 ·
I was in a catch 22 on my El Camino. I got a good deal to begin with as I only bought it as a parts car and used the parts I bought it for on another project.

Then I decided it would make a good home for a 500 Cadillac I had laying around......and somewhere along the line decided to add the Monte Carlo front end. I figured as I was experimenting and had most of the parts on hand if I didn’t like outcome once the mockup was done I really wouldn’t be out anything. I ended up really liking what it turned into when the mockup was done, but at that point really wished I had started out with a better body to begin with as it would have saved a lot of time and money in body work to get it in shape.
 
#10 ·
I think we have all done this. I was about 20 years old, just married, a kid, no money to speak of, I bought 2 41 Fords, a coupe and a sedan for 75 bucks. Basket cases, visions of grandeur, I sold them later for $125, after my Dad said get them out of his driveway! But, on the other hand, I have made some killer buys. Go in with your eyes wide open. Labors of love help sometimes, if you don't just love the car, it will be a sliver in your backside that you just can't reach.
 
#11 ·
To me there are two different kinds of cars. Practical ones that you take the dog to the vet, your wife isn't ashamed to be seen in and needs little maintenance. Then there are fun interesting cars. I can't ever remember buying a fun vehicle that didn't need a complete restoration. That's where the fun is! Building is the fun, driving is the pride of accomplishment.
 
#12 · (Edited)
boothboy said:
To me there are two different kinds of cars. Practical ones that you take the dog to the vet, your wife isn't ashamed to be seen in and needs little maintenance. Then there are fun interesting cars. I can't ever remember buying a fun vehicle that didn't need a complete restoration. That's where the fun is! Building is the fun, driving is the pride of accomplishment.
see now all of your guys comments have been very helpful.. Im not the only one thats caught off gaurd.
But speaking of which i just got to see the vehicle im going to buy in person. Ill post it, itll be at the bottom of my post.


ok well im still buying the 78 stepside. Gonna go in without doubts. It really was me over reacting.
It has a Great interior.
I forgot to mention the carb that was on it, he used on his 72 just to move it. So its got the carb with it.

Luckily my brother in law had bought a 92 G20 chevy van, and pulled the 350 outta it to replace the 305 in his camaro. The tranny is shot in the G20 van. Long story short, hes planning on junking it, except hes giving me a list of parts for the truck... For free...
Rear end is 3.42 limited slip? Drums come with
3500 pound leafs and shock absorbers.
Brake booster, ABS, and some door pins
rims and tires (good tires)
Front callipers, which idk how big those are but ill compare.
Serpentine belt drive!! Ill make it work some how. And abs switch... Which i have no idea where its at.
Vacuum ball.
And some else is getting the factory hitch, which are ford lovers... LOL let em put one of those on a ford.
Any way the fenders on the bed have holes in it and i figure i could patch with fiber glass. And the wood at the bottom of the bed shouldnt be hard if i replace all of it..

And the 78 stepside has another feature. Shes fully loaded with wasps!!! :D LOL


Keep em coming!!!

heres a picture of said vehicle.
 

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#13 ·
I bought a 79 stepside about the same condition as yours.

I changed the box, cab, doors, fenders,inner fenders, bumpers, hood, interior, motor and transmission.
The chassis was surprisingly in great shape.

Put about 25 G's into it and sold it later for 9.

So yeah, I always lose on my rods. My latest project which I paid 4000.00 for will get about 40 G's into it and will maybe be sellable for 25.
 

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#14 ·
Yea im gonna throw money into the original body. Ive got replacement cab corners to come with. If you noticed the dog house is totally redone, just gonna pick up where they left off. And i already got a 406 sb project laying around so its going in the truck.. Im hopin the tranny pans the same shape of Illinois
 
#15 ·
chevy302builder18 said:
Yea im gonna throw money into the original body. Ive got replacement cab corners to come with. If you noticed the dog house is totally redone, just gonna pick up where they left off. And i already got a 406 sb project laying around so its going in the truck.. Im hopin the tranny pans the same shape of Illinois

Good Luck with you step side and I mean it I hope you get to build it. :thumbup:

Just dont give up and your chevy should be easy to find what all you want to do. :D
 
#16 ·
General Martok said:
Good Luck with you step side and I mean it I hope you get to build it. :thumbup:

Just dont give up and your chevy should be easy to find what all you want to do. :D
Thank you i really need all the support i can get with this.. next week ill post more pics on my project in the journal, you guys should follow it, ill show some pics of the interior. The guy selling me this truck is kickin himself but hes getting what its worth, $300. He was gonna make it a pro street, big block chevy blown alcahol.. I just shook my head. Id like to see more of these cruising the street getting whistled at instead of being throwed into a life of full out drag racing... My dream is to keep it intil i have a boy. Or a girl. Pass it on to them. LOL imagine how much these would go for in about 25 years. Who knows when ill settle down
 
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