Hot Rods Do you think you could build a NEW deuce coupe for less than $50k?

It's been 30 years since GM offered a traditional sbc and 40 years since they made a TH350 so s****yard ones will need a rebuild. It is a '32 so a slipping smoker won't do

 

Unrelated but I just bought two '33 Tudors, original Henry steel and will be selling one plus what I don't need on the one I keep to partly finance the build. Should end up with the start to a 15oz Coupe-style Tudor for almost zero dollars once I sell everything off. Scrounging is the answer when it comes to doing this stuff lowbuck nowadays...oh, and I have a small stash of cool stuff already saved for it - Halibrands, ETIIIs, vintage Firestones, QC, hairpins and a low-mile late-60s smallblock...

 

Like they say in racing when asked "how do you end up with a small fortune in a car"..........
Start with a large fortune!

 

Shop smart. Be patient.

paid $200 for this 283 power pack.
Owner said is was “built”. Well, had a fresh crank, bearings, timing chain, lifters, and a l79 cam. The heads have been worked. Really just needed a thorough cleaning to remove the old white lithium ***emble lube.
I picked up another 283 pp that had finned edelbrock covers and intake, bellhousing, flywheel, fork and a Saginaw 3 speed for $100. Guy was going LS and wanted this old **** gone.
So my hypothetical low buck 32 could have an engine and trans set up really cheap, a vintage intake and nice valve covers and I could clean up a set of old freebie rams horn manifolds.

A 26k body with a 0.5k period correct engine and trans
Or use the t5 I got from trading some leftover light fixtures from a house remodel.

 

so your saying your a very wealthy man . how many of them 15k 32 fords do you turn out in your head in a day

 

Budget build example

this 350 came in well under $1500.
Those valve covers came off that $100 283 I mentioned earlier. The intake was $30.
Free alt with a $30 rebuild/one wire conversion kit. The pulleys are from a junk yard. The balancer came off a free busted boat engine. Headers were $50 ish off FB with free header wrap. The ugly blue wire looms were freebies.
picked up a MSD distributor for $75. The brackets are $100 new. My one luxury item.
The block was free, bore still well in spec but .060 over.
New bearings, rings, turned crank, cheap Elgin cam, lifters, springs, push rods and rocker arms
The heads were $45 from a pic-a-part.
New hardened exhaust seats, guides, and worked for $300. Traded the 882s that came off the 350 for valves.
The WCFB was $20ish from a pick a part with a $40 kit.
The air cleaner came off a 63 ford. We converted it from oil bath and cut holes in it.
Picked up a th400 for $150. Did an external re-seal and fluid/filter change.
I’ve got over 30k miles out of it and both still going.

 

Please don't try to put words in my mouth. What I'm saying is that a 32 Ford can be built for way less than 50k.

 

We all know the way to accomplish it.

But I have expensive taste or what parts interest me are $$$... so, probably not me.

Like a 5w version of the Tom McMullen roadster, could that be done for 50k?

 

Wow, its amazing how heated this topic has become. The fact is that you can build a car for 25000$ less body. To do this you will need to shop for good deals, use some used parts, and do the work yourself. If you are not capable of this, then buy a finished car and change it to meet your taste. I have built literally hundreds of cars in my life. Some of these cars were very well do***ented for price, and many of them came in well under this budget. I have also built cars that the ch***is budget was higher than what is allotted here.
If you are building a budget 32, start with a fibergl*** body, or an abandoned project and save yourself a little money.

 

The OP said "So do think you could build a brand NEW traditional deuce coupe hot rod for less than $50k?"

I read that as built with all new parts, not build one with parts i have already, friends i can tap up for cheap stuff or junk yard finds.

 

It can be done , as of today , But not if you have to go to wish books for 70% of parts & pay average $145 hr rate .

3 yrs ago was part of a UP 5w body parts , every part UP made except doors,
around 11 ish , UP found out about the build out side of there shop, they where not happy !!! It was a compleat roller full fender steel minus motor & trains , less then 20 ,no paint or interior Original seat ( there are a few here have seen car)

There is another Guy knowing about 5w
wanted a BV 3w , he had ""No Parts"" to contribute (not even a motor or lug nut) & wanted all new he is into it over 65 with no labor , & there is quite a few bling bling things he wanted did not get because the SW gauges where around 1,500-2,000 .. he could of bought close to same Henry car around 50-60ish ..
Just since this thread started We have looked up parts for UP 5w , parts are all most tripled , So today pretty much the same amount of $$ in parts(skill to do) what a complete body from UP would cost As of Dec 22.
The body's is the big expense 30, the rest can be done with other 20,
@ 50 limit what era of traditional build.That would play apart of 50 buget. Ardun heads 10 thoe

 

It all depends on your standards and the quality you want

 

Helped a buddy that built a UP 32. There is just as much bodywork on this as an original, you just skip the rust repair stage.

 

Thereby lies the answer to the question, and what people appear to be arguing over, whether the build is truly all new, or built using parts/components scrounged/salvaged/horse traded for/etc. With the former it probably cannot be done for 50 large; with the latter maybe so.

 

My two cents worth, maybe it could be done, but what about the time. The clock doesn't stop, by the time you get finished 50k will become 80k. Build or buy? When I was young money was the enemy, now time is.

 

Next we will hear someone say that with a stack of sheet metal, an English wheel left from the studebaker wagon shop, a forney, tin snips, Craigslist rebuilt flathead and trans donated by their uncle’s cousin’s friend along with all the parts left in their friends estate, xyz car could be built with Starbucks cards and green stamps. Using the original posters parameters and ***uming an average homeowners supply of tools, a budget build would be akin to two consecutive days of power ball jackpots won. Not to discourage the original poster but there are unrealistic expectations posted here and good advice as well. Pick the level of build quality achievable with your skill set and time. Consider what you could do otherwise if you found someone else’s dream and bought that instead. I built a show winning off topic car while raising 3 great daughters. If I had a do over, the car would have waited until they were grown.

 

Majic tractor enamel is about 49.00 a gallon, available in spray cans for touch ups, (not a huge color selection), add some hardener it might not be a Grand National Roadster Show paint job, but you could definitely have a respectable paint job for a fraction of the price!

 

It depends on the person and their tastes, skills, friendships and what they have access to.

Personally, I don't mind hunting the swapmeets for deals, or using parts that other people don't want or are unpopular for example-55/56 57-64 Chevy rears. Some people want all new.

How much of the work do you have to farm out?

Ch***is, welding, fab, mechanical ***embly I can handle myself, I do have to farm out finish body and paint, if I wanted full upholstery that would have to be farmed out.
I also need to farm out machine work however I am able to trade welding/fab work for machine work.

I work in a large fab shop and can dumpster dive for material. If I need a full size piece of steel or aluminum the company buys directly from the mill, and we do enough business that we get wholesale prices.

When I was building my roll cage, I was buying 1 3/4" .090 wall tubing at half to threequarters of the price of the local oval track ch***is builders were able to buy it for.

 

You can’t use this. It unrealistic to think a $50 per gallon paint will adhere to 32. a model A, yes.
If the OP wants a simple “back in the day reliable cruiser” he has to spend tens of thousands on body work and paint to pull that off. Plus bargain or free parts scrounging isn’t allowed for a “back in the day” build. Has to all be 1-800-1932

I’ve used that tractor store stuff. Even cut and buffed it. Did a test panel about 4 years ago. Still looks great today. I could shoot that new shell with that stuff and look good. Would I recommend that as a product I’d use on a 27k shell? In all seriousness, no. However I wouldnt turn my nose up if a guy did because that’s all he could afford. I’d at least spend a tad more on enamel or single stage urethane. Still economical and fits the budget.
I painted an all over full size truck in bc/cc last year with under 1k of liquid material, a student shot his car for $400 but I provided the sealer to save him a few$$s. Would I use these products on a high end build? No. But it’s probably better quality paint than what was used on Milners ride mentioned by the OP
One thing is certain, those that say it’s impossible have a very high probability they couldn’t do it.
Those that believe it is possible, have a much higher chance to pull it off.

would my old shop touch a car with a 50k budget? Not a chance.
That budget would get an as delivered body with doors fit and shutting attached to an unpainted roller ch***is…..maybe. But that wasn’t the question.

Around 2017, we finished my “show car”. It was part of a 5k challenge between other schools. To build a running and driving, licensed, insured ride for 5k. We did that. That includes the purchase price of the project, a completely rebuilt engine, overhauled trans, brakes, suspension and new wiring and all that other small stuff.
Sourced from s**** yards, marketplace, Craigslist, friends, homemade, local parts stores and a couple 1-800 parts
Then dove it nearly 500 miles to the challenge/show.
I’m not comparing a junk yard bus to a new 32 shell. But the cost of the engine/trans, wiring, brakes and suspension doesn’t cost a dime more to do for a “reliable cruiser”

but I’m unrealistic anyway.

 

Ok, 4 pages long and still going. The nay's have it so far. Let's readjust shall we? Can you buy enough parts for $50K? All new, probably not unless import m*** production stuff is the standard.

 

We all have opinions on what can be done, and for how much. The determining factors rest on the individual, their abilities, their networking skills and circle of friends. Someone totally plugged in, with their ear to the ground will be much more successful sourcing parts and managing the budget.
Getting things done is another story altogether, depending on shop/build area, available tooling, available time and most importantly, the individuals mindset and continued focus.
Sticking to a clear pre-determined build plan will help to eliminate or at least minimize backtracking, parts duplication and order of build sequence.
Overall, there is no blanket answer.

 

Yep. Unrealistic with a touch of ridiculous optimism.
As one of my students once said. “The chic is half naked, no half dressed”
(Gl*** half full/empty interpretation)

my youngest has a budget build Willys.
He needs probably $1200-$1500 worth of panels to build the tub.
This $325-$500( depending on US or overseas built) floor and x-members cost 1/2 a sheet of 18 gauge to build. Or $80.

Ordered a new sheet of 18 gauge yesterday. That price was up at tad at $180.
We will build that $1200-$1500 worth of panels for around $300
He will learn a skill and be able to spend $$$ on his project elsewhere.
I’m enjoying time with the kid
Cost of tools to do this? A $100 Woodward Fab bench shear, a $125 HF bead roller and a marketplace sheet metal brake I stole.
The same hammer and dolly that metal finished 6 and 7 figure builds, hammered this bolt recess for $0

You either need to be very wealthy.
Or have a few skills, common sense and a few tools to enjoy this hobby.

 

I would need to hit the lottery to be able to build a Deuce for $50k.

 

There is a really good deal on a running and driving henry ford 32 in the cl***ifieds for 36000$. That would be a hard task to build for the price he wants.

 

If you're spending over half your budget on the body alone and don't forget shipping, have you priced truck freight lately?? Add in the cost of having access to a means of going to a distribution center to pick it up because no trucking firm that I have ever encountered is going to pull a semi up to your house and wait while you and a dozen buddies try to figure out how to get a crated 32 body shell out of the back of a semi-trailer. And all the other components that would have to be shipped. And for you scrounger guys how about the "I found a small block on Market place for $300. but its 3 hours one way to get it, but he is pretty sure it was rebuilt at one time! cost to travel only to find out it has been sitting in the corner of the shed for 10 years! Have any of you guys' priced gaskets, bearings, rings and machine shop work lately. I am retired but I run my friends Napa store on weekends. Prices are changing on a weekly basis. Availability ****s and a lot of the basic parts that we consider traditional like starters, water pumps and such are nonexistent because in order to get a rebuilt someone has to have a core. Hell, I priced out a common GM battery today for a customer, what was a $100.00 battery a year ago is now over $200.00. $50,000.00 today doesn't buy jack ****.

 

here’s a running, driving sedan.
money wise, what would the sedan body bring?
Use this ch***is, hood, grill shell bead lights and whatever other parts swap.
Sell the leftovers.

 

Ahh teenaged optimism.

 

It's not steel but it's not 26K either https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:a5f2b979-eac0-46f1-bae6-82cb25ba701f

 

Driver 32, hell yes, under 50k no problem. If you want a Riddler contender, probably not. Everyone has different standards. Some like drivers, some want to show off.