I hear folks complain about how much it costs to get involved in our hobby pretty often. Then I see this ad in the classifieds for a 39 sedan and extra parts for $1500 and I wish I were 40 again. A very inexpensive start. The ad has been bumped several times so it is not a new listing. I don't get why someone wanting to build a car would pass this up. Even if it is not their dream car, it could be a stepping stone to their dream car. This is exactly the type of cars I began my involvement with. It could be this with not much expense.
I've never understood the guys that complain about what project cars cost,granted the sedan shown is not a Model A or a Deuce but I believe I am not the only one that started out with what I could afford and worked my way up to my dream cars. The only negative part is the lack of a title,in some states (South Carolina for one) not having a title is a nightmare. HRP
There are reasons and there are excuses. Some guys want to build cars. Others only want to be seen driving what's currently most in at cruise night this year. jack vines
Really! It seems green 39 fords are cheap! My buddy, Gary bought this car for a song. Got the original flat motor running and buffed out the 60s re-spray job. If a guy shops around and spreads the word he is looking for an old car project, there will be someone come forward with something for sale. BTW, I traded a really rusty 54 stude [paid $450 for it] for this homemade woody mounted on a NICE 34 ford chassis... then I paid $1500 for a really rusty old race-car 34 five window body. BOOM! I have a 34 ford project for less than $2000, complete with a bunch of parts to sell [56 foird steering wheel, 57 chevy rear axle, some gauges, new headers, junk 350 motor] at the local swap meet to help offset the initial cost. After selling off stuff I didn't use, my 34 project was probably less than $1000. Plus I kept some or the choicest pieces from the original "woody" buy. I kept a lakewood scattershield, a nice pair of chevy 886 heads, a really cool old Stewart Warner tach, dropped heavy-32 axle, 40 spindles and that imaculate ['cept for exhaust holes in the side rails] 34 frame.
I don't usually spend very much for a project. Some times they are pretty rough and others they are not. deals are out there. Hell I was offered a pretty solid '57 Ford post car the other day for 300 bucks. Its not pre'48 but it would probably make someone a good start.
Ohhhh... a '57 Ford... I shouldn't look but I will. Can't hurt to have the next one waiting in the wings. But it would have to be real nice...
I thought I made a good buy on my roadster project, but you hit a home run on that if you got that body for $1500!
Agree it looks like a very reasonable start to me .. At my age (71) and with some serious back and leg problems I can no longer take on projects like this, but in the past have found them very rewarding. However it takes a lot more time and work that I ever thought or planned. Here are two recent projects I have built.. the '63 Biscayne being my current ride. Note that these are drivers, not professional by any means, but I did basically all the work myself, which makes it worth it to me when I drive them..So yes I agree that way too many car guys and gals today just don't want to do the work involved anymore.. Sad in my opinion.
If I read all the ads on Kijiji I could probably bring home a cheap project at least once a month. That's why I have to be careful not to read them. Latest acquisition, last summer, was a 1942 Chev sedan, running and driving, for $1200. The owner was moving to a smaller house without a garage and had to get rid of it by the end of the month. I probably could have got it cheaper but didn't want to be mean. And I live in an area where good old cars are scarce, and expensive. The point is, they are out there. O ya, last week I sold a 55 Dodge, I would call a parts car, but more complete than the Ford that started this thread. Price $350. Someone could make a car out of it if they wanted to do the work (I have fixed worse). The big problem is not getting the cars, it is finding room to keep them and time and money to work on them.
I have talked myself out of several deals the last few years. Like it was said earlier, if only I were younger with more time to devote to it I would have jumped on a few of them. Twenty years ago I was buying everything I could find, only to realize I couldn't build them all and decided to sell them all off. But I still can't stop myself from looking.
Yep, a lot of it depends on how much work you want to do. I don't mind doin the work, even at 70 but I have become pretty selective (biased) about what I want car wise. I'm looking in the 32-34 coupe roadster or sedan slot and they don't normally come cheap. Now and then you can "luck" up on a deal but rarely. Tim
You and me both buddy. 20 years ago I was buying and trading cars and parts like there was no tomorrow, then my legs went bad and I have really slowed down, like in almost to a crawl slowed down. The upside is that I have been known to hoard things, it made me really selective about what my current project is and it was traded for primarily with being able to use a big piece of my stash to out it together. I am not sure that I am in cheap as far as the condition of the vehicle is concerned ( I am guessing about 1500 give or take) but I can and no doubt will use a lot of my stash of bits n pieces on this one so my big ticket items are pretty well covered, it should come out in the wash.
I agree.....I had to limit my car project population...I'm sure most would know what I'm talking about...it can get out of hand, and then damn if I didn't see another ''fantastic deal'' and I try to rationalize in my head how to go into it....I can't anymore, and in my mind I would love the ''idea'' of building a few more, but reality kicks in, and myself & my wife's idea of ''space'' isn't the same....I kind of had to stop my 'new projects' when I built my 3 stall garage, and it's already got cars in it ....the 'mentality' is there, but the funds and 'get go' just lags-------I have noticed a LOT of late 30's and early 40's cars can be had complete for very reasonable prices (Colorado)...and 4 doors are even more value-added....estate sales are awesome!!!...the projects are still out there, and worth the effort, but all in all, it's the outlook and what a person really wants at the core.....I am an avid ''curious about the car'' deals, because I may just one day, find that ''there is that car I dreamed about all my life'' reminder....and so the vision treads lightly and hush-hush...
I agree Tim, I am in the same situation as you. I was really speaking about the younger crowd who belly ache about the cost of getting involved. Joe
One nice thing about being older is you learned how to manage money and appreciate what you had. I don't remember that it bothered me much when water splashed through the holes in the floor just that it got me where I wanted to be. I've been playing with Hot Rods for over 60 years and I don't think I ever said "this is my dream car and I can stop now". It also seems to be true that if you aren't looking for something they just pop up, and if you spend all of your time searching on Craigs List or Hemmings they don't exist. That '39 would make a good beginner project and finding the rest of the parts would be iceing on the cake.
The thing I noticed about the younger crowd, who have never really 'considered' an older car/hot rod, in that my conversations with them, is that they literally ''don't know how to start a project'', or ''what to ''think'' while doing it"...is it dealing with modern peer pressure, that old hot rods represent something from the past and not worth modern considerations?...they spend money on 'new' gadgets for their newer cars, but then hesitate to think of building something to their own liking...maybe the history isn't there, or the nostalgia is different for them...they don't seem to have a ''vision'' of something old, or 'from the past' so-to-speak. Not all, but most I have talked with here in Colorado. They love the 'rides' and looking my cars over, but they don't grasp the 'potential aspect' of what they can actually do themselves...I get the feeling they almost feel 'guilty' about trying something and failing with 'hands on' considerations, and try again. It is interesting, and I have tried to talk to the younger folk, and they like the idea of it all, but when they see a partial car, old, and rusty perhaps, they envision it only in a 'throw-away' modern computer operated car....buying something 'old' and seeing a great deal is two different ideals that doesn't seem to be taught in school I suppose. I talked recently with local old car parts yard mechanic, and he was 'young'...loved the old car hot rod scene, and I asked him: "How many young people buy old cars from you?"...and he replied: "They don't, ...they are sorta waiting to enter the old car scene when enough time has passed, and it can become ''theirs''-----not sure if there is any truth in that statement he made, but I can kind of see his point. I get the feeling he meant that young folk do not relate to the older set, and the cars they build...time has to pass so they can ''jump on the bandwagon'' at their own timing and discretion. I have tried to talk, inform, and offer an outlook, but it's interesting that it just doesn't register. Maybe I'm doing it all wrong, but I would love to 'show' a younger person the ability: ''yes, you can do it too!"....I can only keep trying. There are still good deals out there, but they aren't as numerous as they used to be.------great post!----Ray
I love building cars. Started in 1958. Still, if I don't like a particular car, I'm not going to mess with it no matter what the price. The car shown would be a good deal and a good start for someone. For me, I never cared for any of the sedans of that vintage so would pass at any price. So much the better for the guy who wants one.
I think there are two sides to this one. First are the guys want to do minimal to no work and are looking at near to finished cars that are priced accordingly. There are also the guys that have way more ambition than skill. They are the ones that find the 'really good deals' on abandoned projects. You know the ones that experienced builders would call parts cars at best or just boxes of parts. Once they get into the project, they realize just how much work they've got themselves into and that the parts cost WAY more then they paid for the car itself. Partially because they don't have the tools or experience to make them themselves and are buying every part out of a catalog.
I really think you are onto something with the younger generation being afraid to try something and fail. I think a lot of it comes from the younger generation's addiction to social media, which in turn leads to cyber bullying and all of that. For example, a lot of the younger generation have grown up having everything they do being shared instantly to everyone they know via social media. That in turn results in instant criticism for everything they do. Therefore, a lot of the younger guys are gun shy to try anything new in fear of the potential backlash. I tell my kids all of the time that you can't learn anything without screwing something up first. I also never hide the mistakes I make from them either. Instead, I show them how to learn from them. Back in the day, what happened in the garage stayed in the garage. Unfortunately, that isn't so much the case anymore.
I agree....it's an odd 'haze' that I rarely seem to ''get thru' to them''....it's okay to fail, and everyone learns from their mistakes...I know I've had enough of them! I really do think it's a totally different mindset these days, and I hate to say ''generation gap'' for lack of a better word, but it's definitely there. I've known quite a few 'young' folk who really 'dig' the old car vision, but most of those I do come into contact with, don't seem to get the whole point of it....saying ''that's nice'' or ''how old is that''...without thinking anything about a skill set to get a car to actually ''look like that'' and it's actually done as far as I am concerned. I do try to talk and listen to the 'young' point of view of today's youth....but it's hard, because they don't really know anything about hands-on skill sets...unless a computer is attached to the vision. I will keep trying to ''talk'' and just maybe....they talk endlessly about 'gadgets' and computer websites, but introduce anything about actually learning welding, fabricating, or minimal wiring...it's like a wall has gone up....and then a ''good deal'' doesn't ring true to them. Mind you...I'm talking in 'general' about today's youth, because I've known some young folk who are totally cool with it....it's the one's who ask questions, and then go blank. I'll just keep on talking, offering rides, and keeping the flame alive at any chance I get----Ray
The logical approach is to save up and get the car/project you want. Not something to fill an urge. The logic being, a great number of projects you see for sale are probably being sold by people who bought something to get in the hobby quickly and when things got rough, they bailed. No love lost. Save your coins and wait or search for a ride that you love. It's about being driven, even when the going gets tough.
The cost of a full blown project is the same now as it was twenty years ago. Still takes every cent you've got.
I'm 39, so in between what you guys are talking about and yourselves. Seems like a lot of guys just want to talk about building cars but are either afraid to do, don't know how, or their wives won't let them. There's a whole generation of guys from divorced families that never learned how to do shit except call someone when things broke. There's a whole generation of guys that have never been behind the wheel of a vehicle with a carburetor, it's like black magic to them. Fantasy football is a lot easier than getting out in the garage and making something happen. The guys who do build cars are doing it. My own projects have come to a crawl with 2 young daughters, but I'm making progress, and wouldn't trade that time with the girls for anything. Kind of a rambling post but I hope it makes sense.
Man I wish I could hang out with you guys at car shows and get-togethers! In my experience since I've been going to shows and events (age 16 to now 25) I have only had a handful of people offer advice/rides/knowledge and that wasn't until just the last 3 years or so. Everyone's experience is different. I'm so thankful for the people who have helped me learn. I know personally the true hot rodders or old car enthusiasts were very intimidating and still are to this day. With that being said, it was always difficult to know the right questions to ask without making a fool of myself and people not giving me the time of day. I have a lot of learning left to do and I always will. With my experience I have now I am able to approach people more confidently, ask the right questions and truly get an awesome experience and wealth of knowledge from the true hot rodders. I do agree the MAJORITY, NOT ALL, of the younger generation seems entitled to everything and don't like to put forth the effort, time and money into a project. My personal project has only taken $2k of my savings to be a running/driving hot rod. It doesn't fit the HAMB mechanical criteria but the aesthetics are a fairly good representation. Thanks to everyone who motivates and assists us younger generation hot rodders. It is greatly appreciated more than you know. I know I'm not alone when I say that.
I'm a few weeks away from 65 and I look at that '39 Tudor as a good start for a young guy, but a bad investment for myself. I have all the projects I need, and buying that '39 to flip just wouldn't be worth the space it would take up. NOWEVER: if all the missing pieces were in a garage somewere I be all over that deal. Parts and pieces are easy to store and sell to people who need them. Bob
It sure is true that you can "good deal" yourself broke right fast! I live out in the woods,so I can just stick the surplus in the back yard.As far as young guys,until this June I was teaching people to repair H.D motorcycle engines and had been doing so for the last 40 years.I am amazed at what the computer has done! In say, 1975 most of my students were 16-25 and almost all had some mechanical background.By 2005 the age range had changed some-average age probably mid 30s and many of them had literally never held a wrench in their hands,can barely read and cannot spell or do basic math but they can do anything with a computer. Some of them are able to learn but a lot of them just give up if they don't get it right the first time.It is really odd,they are almost a different race.I got questions like "why do we have to learn about these engines? They don't really repair them in motorcycle shops anymore do they".I am not making this up.
This car is actually in the neighborhood where I grew up and I've seen it in the local craigslist for a while also. I too was thinking that's not really a bad deal, even for a parts car. Problem here is with getting the car titled in this state is an absolute nightmare, they really have their heads up their asses when it comes to getting a classic back on the road here. So I occasionally glaze over the ad every once in a while thinking that if I knew anyone that needed a '39 for parts, even at $1500, would be a good deal.
If you look at his pictures you will see he has all the parts and some extras. I am 70 and if I did not have the 40 sedan build I have in progress I would sure take a hard look at it. As far as waiting until you find the care that turns your crank, had I done that I would not have had a clue where to start on the first 40 coupe I bought. I started with several buy em cheap, fix what I could, then sell em, before I had learned enough to do any justice to a 40. Should I end up broke at this stage of life I would go buy whatever I could afford and start messing with it. No way I could just set around until I could afford what I really wanted.
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