[1Gary]

I can't tell you guys the number of times on here and other forums I read about a guy building something and the words "cheap and budget" creep into the post.I come from a generation where if you building a car,that was the number one priority.That you would skimp and work two jobs and do side work to afford the best out there.Now today's hot rodder tell me things where so much cheaper back them.The is just pure horse hockey.When I was coming up as a hot rodder,what we made for wages was kind of the same relationship to the cost of parts as it is today.The idea of a "budget" never came into the conversion as building a car.In fact it was a joke.


As I try to advise guys(and no I don't accept a game plan of a budget),it almost like I have to be a life's coach.All the frills of cell phones-texting-150 channels of cable TV that they just can't live without certainly makes we wonder about their level of commitment and when you tell them they have to work maybe two jobs,it like your talking a foreign language.When you tell them about the shiny parts ads for bottom of the barrel parts is more ad money then substance in the parts being sold,they reply like it just can't be,because the brand name is being advertized in a car magazine.Yeah those imported cheap junk(not because they are imported,but the quality is really substandard)

I have fought my whole life to keep my mind youthful.After all a 1/3 of it was making money mixing music for heavy metal/rock bands on tour.You had to have that outlook in order to make a living.

But damm it,today's hot rodder is a different culture wanting quick answers and short cuts and cheap,cheap,cheap.Not at all willing to pay the dues to get-er-done.Not at all willing to take on a long term project investing when money is available.Not at all willing to work harder like a second job.For those who have no money at all and not a prospect of getting any anytime soon,they shouldn't be messing with cars in the first place.Survival should be the priority.But for those who I am critical about,my advise is to take up:

BOWLING.IT TAKES A BALL AND SHOES AND YOUR ALL SET.

Sell what ever project you have and parts for it,walk away never to return.This just isn't for you.......................

[1Gary]

Buttttt-for those of you who enjoy setting back looking at that perfect panel you just welded on you project or looking at the fresh engine setting in a engine stand you just got done building,hang on.It's going to be a life's bumpy ride with memories at the end you wouldn't trade for anything.

[NEW INTERIORS]

I agree 100%...

Times are changing for sure.. Kids today just don't want to work for ANYTHING... Sad but true... I just don't see the changes for the good..

If your going to do sometime.. Do it right the first time..

[dinger]

Be prepared for a good blast of opinions.

Hot rodding started with budgets. Guys with a little bit of money wanting to be faster than their neighbors. Cheap came from wrecks in a wrecking yard, late model engines into older cars. Buying the oddball parts and making them work. Something that is more difficult to do in these days with electronics, computers, specialty items.

Generalizing today's kid always bothers me. Sure they have different interests. Look around though, there are plenty of kids hot rodding their cars. Sure, many are doing it on Daddys' dollar. But keep in mind, there are plenty of kids out there making their own way. I wonder sometimes how many of us older guys would have the passion for cars if we would have had computers, video games, cable TV, etc. when we were kids. I was a pinball, pool and Foosball freak when I was a kid, I spent a lot of hard earned change on those games.

Guys with money buying their cars. Good for them. It makes the hobby more affordable for the rest of us, keeps shops open, and they could be spending their money on a new boat, Rolex watch, airplane, you get the idea. Pretenders sometimes, yes. Not too many real rodders are fooled by them, though.

Bottom line for me, passion for the auto is cool to me, no matter who, what or where. I belong to a car club, we share our passion for cars once a month and at our get togethers, shows, and cruise nights. I don't belong to the book of the month club.

I guess you could say there are various degrees of the passion for a car. Sometimes life gets in the way, raising a family, buying a home. Every extra dime I made working 2 jobs as a young man went to pay bills. Go to a car show, look around. The guys with nice cars are generally older guys, the kids have gone away, they have a few bucks extra to spend and an understanding spouse.

[poncho62]

Not good to condemn a whole generation on the actions of a few......It seems to happen in every generation. In my generation of the late 60s, it was the long haired hippy drug culture thing.....I too had long hair, but never touched drugs in my life. The ones that did gave the rest of us a bad rep. Same today. On some of these forums you see a young guy saying how he has to drive some pile, yet he has hundreds if not thousands of dollars of tattoos all over him......Priorities, I guess.....the "culture" or the "scene" is more important. Gives the hard working kids a bad rep and that's all we see

[NEW INTERIORS]

Both of you made some good point's.. I guess I should have worded it different.. I see the kids different today. then When I was younger.. And I do have to agree a lot of it is because they have so much in front of them.. I didn't mean to make them look bad.. I guess I posted it with the wrong words.. (I do that sometimes)..

[texastomeh]

they have a few bucks extra to spend and an understanding spouse.

Well, in MY case, you are HALF right!!!

Tom

[69 widetrack]

Originally Posted by dinger

Be prepared for a good blast of opinions.

Hot rodding started with budgets. Guys with a little bit of money wanting to be faster than their neighbors. Cheap came from wrecks in a wrecking yard, late model engines into older cars. Buying the oddball parts and making them work. Something that is more difficult to do in these days with electronics, computers, specialty items.

Generalizing today's kid always bothers me. Sure they have different interests. Look around though, there are plenty of kids hot rodding their cars. Sure, many are doing it on Daddys' dollar. But keep in mind, there are plenty of kids out there making their own way. I wonder sometimes how many of us older guys would have the passion for cars if we would have had computers, video games, cable TV, etc. when we were kids. I was a pinball, pool and Foosball freak when I was a kid, I spent a lot of hard earned change on those games.

Guys with money buying their cars. Good for them. It makes the hobby more affordable for the rest of us, keeps shops open, and they could be spending their money on a new boat, Rolex watch, airplane, you get the idea. Pretenders sometimes, yes. Not too many real rodders are fooled by them, though.

Bottom line for me, passion for the auto is cool to me, no matter who, what or where. I belong to a car club, we share our passion for cars once a month and at our get togethers, shows, and cruise nights. I don't belong to the book of the month club.

I guess you could say there are various degrees of the passion for a car. Sometimes life gets in the way, raising a family, buying a home. Every extra dime I made working 2 jobs as a young man went to pay bills. Go to a car show, look around. The guys with nice cars are generally older guys, the kids have gone away, they have a few bucks extra to spend and an understanding spouse.

WOW Dinger, I hear the passion and I love it...There are so many people that want but don't have the knowledge...Are they to be shut out...Passion isn't always about doing it all your self...different people have different skill sets and most often need to farm out part or sometimes all of a project and pay for it. Where do we draw the line? How many people on this site can do everything themselves...I feel I'm a respectable painter and Body man, I can build drive trains, and I am trying to learn to do interiors better than I can now (I'm not that good compared to a lot of people I know). So what do I do, I try and learn more about what I don't know and try to get better at what I do know.

I try not to criticise the people that don't have the skills and have big wallets to build their Dream Ride, as long as they have the passion for the hobby and give the proper credit where credit is due. That's how I try and eek out a meager living. I do however get irritated when somebody lays out a pile of cash and tells everybody, "look at what I built". They didn't build a damn thing and those are the guys that should Buy shoes, a ball, and fork out another $25 for a gaudy bowling shirt.

The hobby is about passion for the automobile and making what's out there a little different to their own liking. First time I saw a rat rod I thought what a waste, but then I said to myself, it's not for me and as long as the people who own it enjoy and are passionate, all the more power to them.

Ray

[MARTINSR]

I think one of the biggest differences between today and years past is we now have an option, we can spend boat loads of money building something out of catalogs or we can build it as cars were built decades ago using passion and ingenuity. It's hard to compare today's car builder from one 40 or 50 years ago when today EVERYTHING is available from so many sources it isn't even funny. You don't have to make ANYTHING, you could open up a catalog or hop on the net and find just about anything you would ever need for your build, be it a fan shroud to a chopped top 32 Ford body.

Years ago a car was built from what ever you could find, and your passion and ingenuity. But there wasn't a choice, you did that or you played a guitar or grew roses, there wasn't a choice. So it's awful hard to compare the two eras.

Brian

[John long]

Sorry Guys, I disagree. There is nothing wrong with having to do it on a budget. I have been building cars since the late 60's and always had to do it on the cheap. My first responsibility was to my family. Providing my children with a good home and education is far more important than my car. This is why I have a home made English wheel and Taiwan tools. I can buy a 600 dollar '57 olds hard top and make something out of it. I am 67 years old and love to see the young guys building the low dollar traditional cars. They are a whole lot closer to what we had in the old days than the high dollar street rods being built by the baby boomers that have arrived at financial independence. I have a good deal of money in my roadster and certainly do enjoy it but God bless all the young guys who are doing the best they can with what they have to do with. Good Lord willing someday they, like me, will be able to spend a little more but until then I will be glad to see a little primer.

John L

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by 69 widetrack

WOW Dinger, I hear the passion and I love it...There are so many people that want but don't have the knowledge...Are they to be shut out...Passion isn't always about doing it all your self...different people have different skill sets and most often need to farm out part or sometimes all of a project and pay for it. Where do we draw the line? How many people on this site can do everything themselves...I feel I'm a respectable painter and Body man, I can build drive trains, and I am trying to learn to do interiors better than I can now (I'm not that good compared to a lot of people I know). So what do I do, I try and learn more about what I don't know and try to get better at what I do know.

I try not to criticise the people that don't have the skills and have big wallets to build their Dream Ride, as long as they have the passion for the hobby and give the proper credit where credit is due. That's how I try and eek out a meager living. I do however get irritated when somebody lays out a pile of cash and tells everybody, "look at what I built". They didn't build a damn thing and those are the guys that should Buy shoes, a ball, and fork out another $25 for a gaudy bowling shirt.

The hobby is about passion for the automobile and making what's out there a little different to their own liking. First time I saw a rat rod I thought what a waste, but then I said to myself, it's not for me and as long as the people who own it enjoy and are passionate, all the more power to them.

Ray

Ray, I will scream that over and over, I don't give a rats behind whether the guy built the car or not, is a cool car? Does it light my fire, I am going to walk over and check it out a the show and I don't care who built it. I don't care if he had it built, I don't care if he bought last week, he and I dig it, that is all that matters.

I have posted the photo before of my friend standing with his Model A at a Goodguys show, about three months before he died of cancer. He was most certainly a "car guy" he LOVED these cars and went to every single show and enjoyed it so much, and he couldn't turn a friggin wrench. That wasn't his thing, my brother and I built his car and he honestly didn't do much but pick the color, he listened to us on the way to do things and he gave the ok but we suggested just about everything on the car as far as changes. He went with it, liking it but he just wasn't the type with an eye, he didn't know how to do this stuff. But he LOVED it just the same. It's no different than being a music lover and going to all the concerts and plays and what not but not being able to carry a tune or play an instrument, does that make them any less of a music fan?

Some people have the bucks, they always have, some done and never get to enjoy it because they don't have the skills or talent. My friend Steve in the wheel chair is a good example. He IS a "car guy" right thru to his bones. He goes to WAY more car events than most anyone on this forum. He rolls around in his wheel chair at every Goodguys, all four every year here in Pleasanton and not only one day but every day it's open! He would love to have a custom van, with a chair lift. He dreams of them, he looks at vans at shows and dreams of it. If he had the money to have it built, would he be any less of a "car guy" because he didn't do it himself?

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by John long

Sorry Guys, I disagree. There is nothing wrong with having to do it on a budget. I have been building cars since the late 60's and always had to do it on the cheap. My first responsibility was to my family. Providing my children with a good home and education is far more important than my car. This is why I have a home made English wheel and Taiwan tools. I can buy a 600 dollar '57 olds hard top and make something out of it. I am 67 years old and love to see the young guys building the low dollar traditional cars. They are a whole lot closer to what we had in the old days than the high dollar street rods being built by the baby boomers that have arrived at financial independence. I have a good deal of money in my roadster and certainly do enjoy it but God bless all the young guys who are doing the best they can with what they have to do with. Good Lord willing someday they, like me, will be able to spend a little more but until then I will be glad to see a little primer.

John L

I don't think you disagree at all John, that is what we are saying, there is a budget built car and there isn't at the same time. There are PLENTY of budget built cars out there, mine are that is for sure. I have to sell old stuff or tuck 20 bucks in my wallet every week to save up for stuff. There are just two different mindsets when it comes to this, but there are PLENTY of low budget builds and always will be.


Brian

[NEW INTERIORS]

A budget built car is one thing.. But cutting corner's on saftey is another thing..That's where I draw the line..

[gearheadslife]

come on.. the ole days.. people where cheap also.. people didn't open a catolog they looked around for parts on the cheap in the junkyard..
or someones backyard..
todays hotrodder has many bills that in the good ole days.. you didn't have..
todays rodders has a different mindset.. and to sum it up.. I'll quote D/F
"don't let perfect get in the way of done"

some have selective memories.. they forget that a junkyard big block was cheap.. hell 50 bucks would get you the whole car...
so they had more money to spend on goodies..
today that same 454 will be 800+ for a good solid running core..
a th400 rebuilt was like 400.oo in 1991 when I bought one..
today a 700r4 rebuild is 900-2500+
yes todays rodder is different.. most instead of a car that sits for 10 years in a garage, they build it and drive the wheels off it..
we've gone from fairground trailor queens to crosscountry runners..
I'll take todays rodder over the older type that's more than happy to have a big block with a blower and and drive it like a new mother that has the newborn in the car... and then sit in a yawn chair.. or.. are afraid to drive it because it might get a rock chip or hit..
back in the good ole days.. if you where a hard core rodder with a family.. you had some of the same issues with money for car and family needs.. the difference today is.. kids sports are a big cost.. that most towns used to fund , today you want your kid on a hockey team.. some area it's big money.. my neib. it's 700.oo a year+ equipment, then football is another 600.oo
times have changed.. wifes will not put up with a gearhead spending every last dime on a car..
today. people are lucky to have one job nevermind a 2nd for their toy..
allot of people have two jobs just to get by..

times have changed.. for the better.. todays rodder/gearhead are not afraid to use their junk..

[John long]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I don't think you disagree at all John, that is what we are saying, there is a budget built car and there isn't at the same time. There are PLENTY of budget built cars out there, mine are that is for sure. I have to sell old stuff or tuck 20 bucks in my wallet every week to save up for stuff. There are just two different mindsets when it comes to this, but there are PLENTY of low budget builds and always will be.


Brian

You are 100% correct Brian. My point was directed at 1Gary's feeling that guys need to sacrifice more to build a quality car. When you are young you have to balance the responsibilities of life. Sometimes we have more passion than time or money.

John L