History How many years did it take to build your current car or truck?

The 1954 Ford Ranch Wagon project was started on 2-20-2003 and finished and driven on 3-22-2012.





And to be honest I never intended the car to take that long, a thousand and one things got in the way but now that it's done it was worth the effort.

How many of you have finally finished that long term project or are you still hammering away on one? HRP

 

11 years and still no paint or upholstery -- probably never will.

 

My F-100 was a 3 year project starting in 1993 and finished , fueled and driving in 1996. If I'm honest I always intended for it to be a driver (I'm not big on trophies) , and after 30 years I know it was worth the effort.


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8 months. Get a 40, take it to my friend, remove body etc from chassis. We bring chassis home and complete then back over to him and mount the body, rear fenders, doors and decklid after paint and bring home. Complete all other items (a,c.,wiring exhaust, fire it) Then go get front clip and install-then color sand and buff-off to upholstery after getting the "bugs" out. Usually in Uph for 4-5 weeks--all done within 7-8 months.

 

been working on my 59 pickup since 1977, but I've been driving it most of that time...except after I wrecked it in 2005, it took until 2012 to get it back on the road.

My 57 suburban I started on in 1998, didn't finish it til 2013, but I've put 50k miles on it since then.

My Chevy II was quick, started in November 2013, and was driving it the following summer. And it was the most complete redo job I've ever done, including finishing the underside of the entire floor, etc.

There are a few other things sitting around here that I haven't really started on yet, so they don't count.

 

6 years? Seven? I dont even remember



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My O/T car, a 60's muscle car started in 1986 and was finished in 1998. Three years it was stored 1700 miles away though. Present mid 50's car, started in '09, stalled in 2011-12, restarted this winter. Hope to have it on the road albeit ugly this summer. Wiring, cooling system, carburetor and exhaust is all needed.

 

Too many to list, a CURRENT one, range from few months to 31 years(car parked in storage)

 

Three years its gettin close now though

 

Approximately 4 1/2 years. Purchased in 2006.

 

It'll be 10 years in December....too long!

 

49 Chevy pickup 4 years start to finish
36 Dodge O/T pickup 8 months start to finish
40 Ford Coupe 14 months and working to complete the interior now

 

Two years and counting. It'll never be "done," even after I get it on the road.

Problem is, I only have a few hours on Saturdays to work on it.

 

51 Pontiac started in 73, driving in 76, updated in 79, updated in 86, updated in 89, parked in 2006, will be back on the road this summer.
34 Ford 4 Door started in 87, project stalled in 97, lost interest and re-evaluating what I am going to do with it now.
54 International(s) patiently waiting since 94. Collected pretty much everything I need now.
Life just keeps getting in the way.

 

Laid down chalk marks on the garage floor in August 2005. Went for maiden drive April 2009. The avatar shot is it leaving the garage that day for the first time under its own power. I have been turning wrenches, supervising wrenches, or teaching people to be wrenches. This was my relaxation therapy. Whenever it felt like real work, I walked away until it was fun again. As everyone knows, there are only 2 types of cars hot rods and grey fordor sedans. They can have 2, 4, or more doors. Be any shape or color, but if it isn't a hot rod, it is only a grey fordor sedan. Grey f odor sedans pay the bills and hot rods are fun. Never confuse the two!

 

My roadster, one winter, all my others, 9 so far average three years.

 

24 T
Approx. 1900 hrs with all work as done for the '40 (time approx. as I was dealing with diminishing parents at the time and found the project to be very therapeutic)


2400 hrs from taking every piece of frame taken apart to the finished blown flathead for the 40. All body, paint and upholstery done by yours truly. (timed logged daily)


Fourdy

 

Hmmm. Bought my '34 in Feb of '69. Adjusted the valves and looked at the new engine- on a stand- today. Guess I'm not done with it yet......47 years and counting......so far.

 

And it still isn't finished and I don't see it being to a "finished" state for at least two more years.
Built originally to go to the 1973 Street Rod Nationals in Tulsa and went painted and upholstered but no where near finished.
Sold a year later and traded back for a year after that if that long. Came back with a red paint job with crappy yellow flames that came off in the car wash. Ran in primer from 1975 until 1982 when it got painted and a sort of an interior after being chopped in 1981 and suicide doors put on in 1982 before it got painted. Pulled the cab off the frame and cut the frame up because it had a tweak that got built in when we welded all of the stuff to do the coil spring rear and it sat until August of 1989 when I decided to put it back together in a mad rush to go to the Kustom Kemps mountain High Nationals at Chehalis Wa that year. Went from bare 54 frame in my buddy's field to a running driving truck in a little over 3 weeks.
Wrecked the 70 Chev truck that my son had had before he passed away and ended up using the 48 as a daily driver for most of the next 15 years. It got a fresh coat of primer once or twice a year and usually my buddy and big brother from another mother Ron Moore mixed up a fresh batch of purple primer for that years freshen up. Sprayed the primer in another buddy's driveway most of those years.
Ran it until the 250 died and would not start and had to be towed home because it didn't have enough compression to run.
I've actually been gathering parts for the redo since before that having held on to some of them for over 20 years and buying pieces and a donor rig as they pop up for a decent price.
I don't really want to drive it again until it is completely finished because I know if I do drive it before that it will be another decade before it gets finished and my daughter will be the one who does it then.

 

Never had a finished car, and it is getting too late to worry about having one. Bob

 

This cab has been sitting right there, just like it is, since Jefferson Swap Meet April 2015. Hopefully I can get it done this summer!

Coupe? When was it "done"?
Purchased 3/2011
1st driven in 4/2012
upgraded, and driven each year 2013, 2014, & 2015.
Driven to Co in 2016
From bringing it home in 3 of 2011 to driving it in 4of 2012 means it was a year to build, but it wasn't done to my original vision for a couple more years. Gene

 

The 63 Impala is a nut and bolt frame off restoration started in 2009. It was an original 300HP 327 verified by VIN # and engine stampings, PG with A/C. The engine has been highly modified with all new goodies. HP should now be in the 375 or better range. The PG was replaced with a Muncie M21 four speed. The A/C is now a VA Sure Fit Gen IV. It has a complete new Cars Inc interior that was professionally installed. The flawless Ermine White paint was done long before the car was reassembled. That leaves a long time for flaws to appear that never happened. It has an absolute show quality paint job. There is over 7K of chrome plating done to the exterior trim. This is one nice car that is in the final stages of completion. It has way more then mentioned I just got tired of typing. It has less then 500 miles on it. Would sell it for 45K firm which is about half the build price.

Gary

 

13 years.

 

I've owned my Autocar for 13 years, and have worked on it as time permitted ever since. I think I'm past the halfway point now. (pic is 2 1/2 years ago)

My MGA was bought for me by my new bride 43 years ago this summer, haven't touched it for 42 years. I'm afraid it will never get built, because it must be perfect and I'm not a perfect kind of guy. (No pics)

 

From idea,





To finished project,


about 7 years.

 

Are you telling me that you can actually finish your car, no way! are you sure?

 

I'm lazy, 16 years.


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Are they ever really finished?

 

My 32 - 8 years.