? how much ya got in that thing??

just curious here,

was wondering what you guys got in your current project?

wondering how many hours you have into it, or will have in it, when it is done to your satisfaction? and how much money do you suppose you will or have wrapped up in it?

got me to thinking about the average hamb guy or gal as opposed to the gold chainer "i bought it all" type of guy or gal.

perhaps this isnt a fair question, or maybe i am just being nosey,, but i still wonder.

i figure to have about 2500 bucks in my 55 when i have it done to my satisfaction, and maybe around 750 hours.

how about some of the rest of ya

bob

 

I have about 15 hundred into My truck, and I had about 12 hundred in My old 36 Dodge panel, I try to keep build time to between 6 months and 1 year, that is to say I wanna drive the thing in that time period, it may not be "done" but I want it moving around. I can't get involved in some loooooong drawn out project, life is just too short, I wanna get My kicks now, after all no one knows what tomorrow will bring. Von Doc

 

I'll bite. 12k. Of course its a lot more bells and whistles to deal with than your average rod. Lacking tools, a garage, and time doesn't help the budget one bit. Doesn't really matter, the passion is there. It is and always will be one of my top priorities.

-Goldchainer

 

Good post, Brutus- I've no idea how many hours. I've had mine for close to 2 years, outside of the $1800 I bought it with, I put in 1000 for the rebuild of the motor's upper half, the paint project, when done, will have costed about $1500. Those are the biggies. Sometimes I think I shoulda kept all the receipts for sandpaper, prep/metal wash, the "little things" of body prep that run out quick but surely stack up. The prep work has taken me nearly a year, and am not done yet.
I really have no idea how much I will have put in total when the project's done, since this is my first really-deep-into-it project, but it's hella fun learning.

 

4 times its value

 

12 grand in the 32 and $400 so far in the T

 

Wife's chopped 49 Merc, about $3200 and never count the hours, as I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it.....OLDBEET

 

all my spare change and all my spare time.

my main project has sat idle for months at a time while other stuff comes up, but I'd have to say about an average of a thou a year for 15 years..

lots of other cool stuff along the way though.

Paul

 

total for all my cars hmmm aprox 40.000

 

I never even TRY to keep track of the hours...because I'm working on them even when I'm NOT working on them! (I can be sitting in a resturant or something, and I'll be thinking about ways to change something, or a new idea!)

I only loosely keep track of the coin, but I generally have a rough idea of what a project will cost, and how much I have into it when it's done. I'm strictly a low-buck Hack, so my figures incorporate lots of scrounging, bartering, begging, and doing stuff myself!

For the Blue Bitch mini-bike, my most recent running project, I have about $75 into it...it's still not "done", but I spend way too much time riding it lately to add the finishing touches I want!

The final cost of my hated Vickup project will be determined by how much I have to pay for a 32 Vicky body...or a portion of one. I've made a few running design changes, and it will be even CHEAPER to do the new way! I estimate about $5000 or less by the time it's done.

The Hack Wagon will be a total low-buck rat built from free or dirt cheap junk. I don't plan to buy ANYTHING new, except for spark plugs, fluids and filters! It's gonna be THAT kind of build! Less than $1000 for damn sure!

I tend to build things with stuff that others don't want. Like free used engines and trannys, and other odds and ends. Also, buying a 60s or 70s era parts car for a couple hundred bucks keeps project costs down. You buy a 1977 Ford or Chevy with a small block V8 in it, and you get alot of stuff out of that $300 beater...motor, trans, axle, battery, engine electronics, steering column, shift linkage, wheels, tires, brake parts, and a huge assortment of fasteners, hardware, sheetmetal, wire, and bulbs!

Having a close circle of car guy buddies to network with also helps to keep things cheap. One buddy of mine has been a constant source of great used parts for free since high school! Him and his brother build cars all the time for themselves and others, and always end up with piles of stuff that they don't need or want...I raid their junkpile on a regualr basis!

Sure, I spend alot of time driving all over and hunting up parts as opposed to just ordering up new stuff, but that's how I keep costs down...and to me, scrounging parts is all part of the fun! Just a nice bonus that it saves me cash, too!

 

About $11,000 in the 32, about $400 in 54 GMC PU. Will be years in both before finished.

 

I'd tell ya but my wife may be reading these.
The hours are irrelevant. I'd rather be working on em than anything else. Sometimes even enjoy it more that driving it.

 

Well, I bought my 51 Chevy as a project that the previous owner started but never finished. It was a running / driving car, but it needed a shit load of work.

I bought it for $3400; so far, Ive probably put another $2000 in it. When its done I will probably have under $9000 in it. I do all the work myself, except the bodywork. By the calendar, its been in my garage for about a year, but true wrenching time has probably only been about 6 months.

 

I figured my 46 Ford at about 200 hours work so far; $6500, in the entire project, tools and all. The engineless carcass was originally bought for $1000.

I've had it for 6 years and it's far from done, but done be me.

Trying not to be a Tampon starer.

 

I`m trying to stay on a budget of $4500 on my T, thats including every piece of sand paper and hose clamp I buy, and I`m trying to have it completed in 6-7 months. So far I`ve got $750 into it for the body, A frame, baby Hemi and other stuff

 

I have a penny for every smile and lotsa laughs for every mile.........Shiny

 

My 31 on 32 rails roadster is a roller that looks drivable.
Provided you sit on a box....

American Stamping frame rails & Model A re-pro crossmember.
My own crossmembers, boxing plates etc.
Chris Alston chassisworks 4 link in the back.
Narrowed the rear axle my own self.
New Dutchman alloy axles.
Brookville 30-31 A roadster body new in December 99.
Brookville Deuce grille shell.
SoCal grille insert - good quality, best deal at the time.
Rootlieb hood top, no louvers, plain, custom length ($50. extra) - (the hood top is 32 3/8" measured down the middle, the stock 31 A's are 31 5/8").
Home made hood sides with Dzus buttons on the bottom edge.
Camaro front disc brakes on Magnum Axle bracket. (The brackets & kit donated by a friend which is what got the whole project started.)
SuperBell 4" drop beam axle.
SuperBell steering arms.
Recycled Posies super slider front spring.
SoCal chrome front and iridited rear spring shackles.
Transverse rear spring - SoCal main leaf, 40 Ford spring pack on the remainder.
Deuce Factory sway bar.
My own design hairpins up front.
Built my own panhard bars including mounts front and rear.
Built my own tie rod and drag link.
Built the UHMW plastic/aluminum motor mounts.
Built the aluminum gas pedal which pivots on a combination of UHMW for spacers and Teflon for the bearing.
Built the ball bearing aluminum steering column.
Brookville Deuce dash panel.
Owner built aluminum panel insert with 5 gauges.
Tach on the steering column like the good ol daze.
New steel wheels, (5" & 6" front and rear) powdered blue.
48 Ford style hubcaps.
Narrow 85 series blackwall radials - look like bias when rolling and at a stop if you don't look too close.
Bobbed rear fenders.
Cycle fenders up front are on the agenda.
Speedway stainless Deuce windshield posts.
Home-made Deuce style windshield frame of which I have the rolled lower piece, but need to get started on the sides and top. (Model A's have round tubing windshield frames, Deuces have rectangular tubing frames.)
Cut down Harley rear view mirrors.
Deuce Factory brake pedal bracket, pedal (and a clutch pedal hanging on the wall just in case) Torino master cylinder.
53 Ford brake pad - donated by Enjenjo.
Home-made coil type brake return spring and adjustable brake pedal return stop.
Home-made stainless steel/aluminum Heim joint throttle rod.
Home-Made Teflon/aluminum heat guards - for want of a better term - on the throttle rod, brake pedal and will be on the hood release rod.
Home-made 1/2" thick flat aluminum column hanger which was removed and replaced with an aluminum connecting rod and adapter piece to the aluminum steering column.
Tubular transmission cooler (skin effects radiator) replacing the front spreader bar.
B&M comp shifter recycled from another car.
455 Buick engine.
T-400 trans.
4.57 Detroit locker donated by little brother although it gets changed to a 3.25 or 3.50 Auburn locker.
39 Ford re-pro taillights by Drake. Nice pieces.
Dietz chrome headlights.
SoCal stainless headlight mounts.
SoCal stainless front shock mounts.
SoCal chrome front shocks as recommended by AV8.
Rear chrome shocks from Speedway.
And a Vega steering box recycled from another car.
Sold the new Deuce radiator, but have the $$ socked away for another one - chopped 1" - which will fit correctly. Most of you know the story on that one.

I listed all this stuff, both owner built and aftermarket to show that buying some of the stuff is not prohibitive cost-wise.
Especially if you build what you can which saves a whole lot of money.

Right now, the car is just under ten grand.
Another two grand should see it on the street, in primer with Mexican blanket upholstery, rebuilt engine with fresh stuff, big cam etc.
Many of the engine parts are already in stock.

Since some of the prices have gone up over the last three years - Brookville body etc - you could add about $2500. and come up with the same car.
In fact cheaper if you bought a good running Chevy parts car and could use engine, trans and rear end out of it.

So far, the 31 is a nice little car and I like it.

As a small bit of added information, I've figured out how to run a Deuce top on it.
Deuce folding tops are a little slinkier looking than a Model A top.

This is going to be a roadster different from most, but will still fall into the traditional arena.

Aluminum stuff or not.

It ain't billet if you make it yourself....

 

Just checked under my seat cushions, found $2.43.

 

The cost is Top Secret.......if I tell ya,then I'd have to kill ya........Hours? Funny you should mention that....I use my projects as "remedy" for all the other bullshit thats comes along. Rough guess? 6000 hours and counting.......

 

my '55 belvedere-
bought it for $1300, total basket case... came with a 383 and a 360. Sold the 360 for $400, so guess that brings the cost of the car down to $900. Added up all the reciepts and parts this weekend, came to almost exaclty $400.
Came with a new interior and all new chrome, too.
It's all together now, runs strong, drives pretty well (after a couple little "adventures").
Still needs: Registration, paint, different wheels/tires, side glass, and it's possibly gettin airbagged. Not counting registration, that'll all cost me roughtly $500. Less sans bags.

$1800 total for it to be done to my quasi-satisfaction.

A total of 60 hours are currently into it, probably another 80 to complete (most of that body work).
The price is so low cause i do all my own work (too cheap not to), it was a project with a lot of work and parts into it, and I scrounge, beg, barter, wheel 'n deal, and wait for parts.


My C-Cab'ish project... Got $37 and 6 hours into it, but it's just rails, some mahogany, and a small pile of parts.
Hey, it's a start. Making a great deal of the parts for the car... hope to have under $2300 into it at completion, and maybe 160 hours.

 

Accepting other peoples cast-offs, using old Ford parts , and a few ( very few ) new parts , along with alot of fabricating by owner. I have just a little shy of 2 grand in my running and driving 32 five winder. I mean for ya ta take the running and driving lightly. If ya seen it ya know what I am talkin about.

 

lets see...700 for the car, sold parts I wasnt gonna use for 1100, rolling chassis 1600, ebay windshield 25, dollar store spray paint 8.00 total so far $1233, but still a long way to go...Scott

 

I just roughly added it up and came up with a total between $4000 and $5000 TOTAL cost for my Fairlane. That includes EVERY nut and bolt, paint, wheels, tires, initial cost of the car..etc.

For my minibike "Fang" I have invested a grand total of $90. I got the mini bike from my nephew for $75 and a FREE engine from the Brooding Swede Add $10 for seat material and almost $10 for bearings and stuff and thats it.

Now for my SECRET mini bike project....Well, thats just between me and myself. The Swede saw it, and if he spills the beans.....well, it will be a dark day in Morehead, Kentucky.

Good thread by the way. It seems like most HAMB cars are under $5000.

JT.

 

My '69 D-100
Bought it for $100 and put another $100 worth of used Cragars and BFG's on it cuz I didn't take the ones it had at that price. Polished up the candy green and drove it for 5 yrs(it did come w/ battery). Since then I've got about $150 in steel and maybe 150 hours in construction time in on it. Gave $50 for a 72 Newport with 400/727 combo and 486 rear carrier, and the subframe that STILL isn't welded to the new frame sections I've built. Spent $100 on fenderwell headers and double roller t/chain. Free tan leather interior from a derby Lincoln. AND assorted other freebies from friends who for one reason or another didn't want stuff that I ended up being able to use. SO, that's $500. Figure it'll be repainted in the candy green and driveable again for around $2,000, no labor costs included as I do my own work and don't count it. Labor=Love anything less and your in business.

34 Ply. 2-sd. $100 body and frame w/51" bp-bp Dana44 and stcok front axle.
Have procured front fenders and grilleshell, and hood pieces for patterns that I'll hafta buy a bead roller to reproduce(which won't be included in the build cost) so-far for free. Need many pieces and parts yet but will be using the IRON DUKE and 3-spd. from the D-100 in it which will significantly add to my FUN factor and reduce costs.

62 Eureka Landau, Cadillac hearse. $2,500 delivered to my yard. Have I mentioned that Mike Landwehr RULES?!!!? $69, new rocker repair panels. $52, gas tank repair coating. More to follow as absolutely necessary.

'71 Rivi. $1,000 for car and partscar I haven't needed,...yet. $80 to have carb rebuilt and modified. $10 for the ET flat 5-spoke 15x7 I spent 4yrs. lookin for to match the other and 2-15x8 reverse's I got for FREE. $180 on new and used BFG's. $100 for '87 LeSabre T-Type seats. $6.50 for NightProwlers bullet(dome) to cover horn button on leftover AMC steeringwheel. $21, RO tierod end. Whatever it cost for a gastank repair stick. around $15 in steel and rubber fuel lines. $80 in new rear swing arm bushings. $65 for Airshocks from NAPA. Several hours were spent welding in floorpan patches from a leftover Ford PU hood, FREE. $25 Toshiba head unit. FREE MEI 200Wx2 Amp and Kenwood rear plus Pioneer front speakers by way of friends leaving shit lay at my house toooo damn long. $20 for exhaust turn-out to mate up w/my FREE 1-yr old HURST sidepipes. FREE Smiles and thumbs up from every kid who likes it and wants it!

Guess it gets to be expensive when ya add em all up. Good thing I'm not adding these for a total! I just LOVE my cars. I don't care what I've got in em really, just figured that I've got less in than the average guy around here and have spread it among Several Cars! so I wrote it out for ya's.

I don't buy anything that I would mind dying in a fiery crash in. NOT that I have deathtraps rather that I carefully consider what I get for older iron and only get those I hold a passion for. Money isn't the object, though if I paid more for what I've got I doubt I'd have as much fun playing with them as I DO...