Building a hotrod (and pleasing nobody)

Well, I must say that, although I am not even close to completing my hotrod, I have learned that EVERYONE has an opinion and EVERYONE thinks that they are right.
First, lets start with the drivetrain.
I have heard everything from "fix the factory engine" to "Supercharged 504 crate motor". I wanted to go with a big block Caddy and my heart was really set on that. My father tried to convince me that a SBC was the way to go since it would be the easiest on parts and the cheapest way to go. I thought that mounting the SBC would be a nightmare. We just dropped a SBC in my brothers car however and, I was wrong. It was a peice of cake.

Now, we can get to the style. Some wanted it chopped, some wanted it flat black, some wanted it flamed and some wanted it stock with brand new chrome.

Wheels. I have heard everything from chrome mags to sombreros, to stock hubcaps to red painted steelies. Wide whitewalls to thin redwalls.

I think the end result is, screw it, I am going to do what I want and thats final. Well, my wife has some say in it also but, thats it.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

 

well acctually doing it your way is the ONLY way to do it,,because YOU are the only one you need to please with it..its your money and your time..so screw everyone else..

 

Good for you!
I was one who worried what everyone thought anout my car.
It has paint so the Traditonal i.e. Primer people think it is a street rod, the interior is not finsihed and it isn't a show piece so the street rod crowd thinks it's not nice enough, so screw em all, All I care about is the view from the drivers seat.

Although the best reaction is from non car people who really get a kick out of seeing it, and not trying to pick it apart but just digging on an old car.

Good luck.

 

Your money, your time, your hard work, your sacrifices...
Why wouldn't your vision and ideas be on that list also?

You're building it for yourself, not your family, friends, the HAMB, etc.


Now get in the garage and tell everyone else to piss off for a while


- Matt

 

a big cube caddy? no way, put in a pontiac. seriously you have to please yourself or you probably will never be 100% happy with the project. someone is always ribbing me about putting pontiacs in all my cars, but at least its not a sbc.

 

do it your way , its really the only way .. pics dude , we need pics!!

 

Finally, someone that gets it... the only person you have to please with your hot rod, is yourself... It's your car, build it the way you want it!!

 

The only way you should listen to other peoples opinions is if they are willing to pay for it. Tell your dad you will put a SBC in it if he buys it for you.

 

Trust me, you don't want to own a car built by a commitee! It won't be yours, and it will probably never get finished because you'll keep changing stuff to make SOMEONE ELSE happy.

When I hear someone at a show say, "I don't like that", my answer is always either, " it's a good thing it's not yours then" or "you don't have too, that's why they call it a custom"

Good luck with your build.

 

Only REAL requirement, because it affects everyone, is to build it safe. No sense in putting everyone on the road with you AND yourself in Jeopardy just to prove your independence from conventional thinking.

Frank

 

That's the attitude I adopted with everything. House, land, projects, tastes.
If someone wasn't there to contribute they have no right "straighten me out" after. If they don't pay for it they have no say in it.
Now.. it doesn't mean I won't listen to their opinion. I'm not ALWAYS right. PLEASE don't ask my friends, family, my students... They will tell you I think differently.

 

Franks right on safetly. Seeking out knowledgable people on good construction techniques is different than what color, engine, style, etc..

 

It's one thing to bounce options off of someone and hear positive and negative feed back and it's a whole other thing for someone to push there ideas off on you. Do what you like and do it right. In the end all the decisions are yours and you get all the praise for it.

 

I'd do the caddy, just like you. Build it how you want it, and it will make you happy.

When its completed, you're still going to have people say you should have gone 350/350, chopped so you cant see out any windows, lowered so cant drive it over potholes, flat black and red so you can blend in.

Just to be different, I'm doing my car metallic pearllecent flat black.

 

Well... Here are my decisions (it IS my car....)
1: Engine... I am going with a SBC since I can not only get it for free but, I now see how friggen easy it is to install. If I can swing it, I will probably get an LS1 that I have been looking at out of a 2001 Trans Am. I can also get the wiring harness and computer for free. It is a bit more work to run the cable but, tons of HP.

Body. No chops. Side chrome spears are going in the garbage as they are garbage anyway and the holes are getting filled. Grill, bumpers, window trim and the rest is all getting re-dipped...eventually.
It will be a nice high gloss black (undecided on the EXACT color) and I will have "nose art" on both front fenders.

The interior will remain stock with the exception of a new steering column to accomidate the new shifter. I am going to put in a radio and hide it somewhere and I will put in an aftermarket AC unit. The controls will go where the current radio delete plate is located.

As many have mentions, first and foremost is safety and I agree 100%. It would suck to have the car finished just to drive it into the back of a dump truck.

 

Like you said....... ITS YOUR CAR ....... But ...........

NOSE ART ? REALLY ? LIKE A WWII AIR PLANE ?

Hmmmmm, Glad it IS your car & not close enough to where i would have to see it, My opinion its a bad idea...

But hey, Im nobody and it dont matter what i think

 

Correct.. Nose art like an airplane.
The name of the car is going to be "Li'l Billy" painted in red freehand and below that (try to picture it) is going to be a little cartoon boy about 5 years old.
He has a WWII Army helmet on which is obviously WAY to big for him and comes down over one eye.
He has this really "tough guy" look on his face.
He is holding a wooden rifle with a cork on the end with the string hanging down and attached the the barrell.

 

okie dokie!

 

If you never plan on selling it, you are the only person who has to like it.

If you ever plan on selling it, you have to find one other person that likes it (and has $$$$).

 

When I built my 32' 3 window, I built it the way I wanted. It was a highboy with a stock height roof. The rod was gloss black with a bright yellow engine and a white with yellow insert interior. Very little chrome and a lot of black powder coat. It was built to be a driver. On its maiden voyage (shake down run), I drove it to a local car show. At the end of the night, they announced "Best in Show". They said the 32' 3 Window. I looked around for another 3 window. Then the said the black 32' 3 window. I started asking around, "Who has a black 3 window?". Then someone said, "Its you dummy!".

I was flabbergasted, there were a lot of nice cars there. Then one of the judges came up to me and said, "When you pulled in and I saw that yellow engine, then saw that the yellow inserts matched, It was all over for me".

Everyone had said, "Don't paint your engine yellow!".

 

If you were the only person who was ever going to see your car would you build it any differently? I think way to often cars are built by peer influence and not what the owner really wants. But think about how different most hot rods would be if the owner knew no one was ever going to see the car but him. I'll bet a lot less frills and never any "keep up the jones" and "wow" parts. Steve

 

yep, your car, do what you want and stop asking people for their opinion.
I don't ask and don't worry about it. Stop wasting time ranting about it too and get to work it.

 

Well, the paint will have a "code" for it (such as the paint code for the 2005 Mustang) or something like that so, painting the fenders to cover the art should not be that big of a deal.

The only body modifications I am doing is filling in the holes for the chrome spears on the side and, if I do it right, you will see where the holes used to be from the back end or from the inside door panels.

The Engine... well... Maybe I will just keep the car.....
resale value is not really a major concern at this stage. In fact, if I do it right, I will have less then 3 grand invested in the car.

 

IMHO, I say, build it, love it, drive the wheels off of it. I built mine for nobody but me. I have caught hell from guys on here about some stuff on my car but some of them like it too. I put a Ford in a Ford which isn't very common either with all of the SBC engines out there. Do it you way and F@#$ everyone else. CTJ

 

Have you been looking through Christmas photos of me as a child? On a serious note, I can visualize what you're talking about. It would be a neat vacation from the standard sexy pin up nose art. I do love a good pin up though, but that's not the point. I know your thread is about doing it your way, and I salute you for it. But running an engine with a computer is kinda street rodder-ish. That's just my opinion though, and it's stinky just like every other asshole on here. I'm glad you do realize that you gotta build it for you and nobody else. Look forward to seeing some progress pics.

 

Yep.

 

There are several things I need to take into consideration

1: I cannot argue about the Horsepower of the LS1. I mean, compared to a "normal" 350, it is night and day. Keep in mind that this will be a FREE engine so unless I can get lucky and find a free 427 in this junkyard...

2: Fuel injection. Down the road, I might decide to put on a turbo and it is my understanding that turbos go much better with Fuel Injection.

3: "What I know".. I have rebuilt two LT-1 engines and one LS-1 engine.
I attempted to screw with the current 331 in the car and discovered I don't know how to set timing manually, I don't know how to adjust a carb and I had to learn about points. I am comfortable with modern engines...

 

Hey, build it the way you want and enjoy the hell out of it.......like the "nose art" idea, but I'm into old aircraft too, so it works for me.

As for the computer stuff, my theory is if you can't fix it on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, I don't want it in my car. I'm a big proponent of the keep it simple school.

Than again, I'm living in a points and condenser world and the new cars don't even have freaking distributors.

 

its like burger king have it your way! dont listen to anyone build a safe car and drive it like you stole it!!!!! i know, i have a car that everyone has had there imput on and its a real pain in the ass. congrats on your build.

 

Do a good job.

We all like well done stuff.

Half-assed don't cut it most places and it sure as hell won't cut it here....