What's a real steel body go for these days?

Only if the string is straight.

 

OK el.

here's what you've been waiting for.....!!! 1932 Henry Roadster or Brookville Roadster. But since I'm the FNG....how do you post pics again! I'm trying...!

 

At the Monroe Swap Meet last weekend, I saw a 1931 Chevy 3 window Coupe for $3,400. It was a complete body and running gear. I am not sure if it ran, but it was a car with potential. It was painted pink, but of course that can be fixed with $20 worth of Walmart flat black spray paint.

 

bought today! have a brookville that will be here in two weeks and this one middle of next week....one must go.....WHICH ONE? ASSUMING SAME MONEY! Let's here some opinions!

 

Just wait for the next couple of years and you'll see you were about right.
______________________________________________________________
Like I told the kid, "Your music's not too loud, it just sucks and so does OKC!"

 

I hear you loud and clear,.....

andyg, The way I look at it, your original body is what looks to be 40-50% Brookville already with a ton of work to go, so it's not 100% original henry anyway,.... if your not hung up on telling people it's a original body,... (well 50-60% is anyway),.... go with the Brookville.

I prefer original bodies, but I have never been hung up on the reproduction verses original body drama, Original Ford steel (read that Briggs or Murry) fiberglass or steel reproduction, If its got the look and stops me dead in my tracks, It's a Hot Rod in my book.

 

For the time, money, and aggravation, I'd have to just go ahead and spring for a Rod Bods roadster. No fuss, no muss, no bother...it's new, straight and all steel. By the time it's all said and done, you'd be bucks ahead...

 

I think you did good. Here's my 34 I bought in the fall. I paid 1100.00 with paperwork. I think I got a good deal, but it's a very bare cab. No dash, latches, windshield frame, window regs, needed patch panels all the way around and I had to make new inner door bottoms and the bottom of the b pillars. So time is money both searching for parts and time in the shop.
Mat

 

Hello Reldridge, A couple of years ago I paid $4000 dollars for a 32 three
window. At the time I was not sure if I made a decent buy or not. The body has all garnish mouldings, door latches, and window mechanisms. what it did not have was a chassis or sub rails or firewall. The purchase
of these items has ran my investment up quite a lot. I feel I could probably recoupe my money [about$8000] if I were to sell the body and the acquired parts. [no chassis] Recently I bought a 31 model A in California
for about $8000. This is a complete running vehicle, however I once again
wonder if I made a reasonable deal. The one thing that is certain is the fact that all parts are present and if I decide to hotrod this car, which is
what will most likely happen, I will be able to spent time and effort and
funds on the modifications rather than rehabilitation. The point is the
more complete your project is in the begining the better you will fare out
all around, thats how it seems to be working for me anyway. MickeyC.

 

I 've had 5 original deuce roadster bodies over the years, and I would really like to have another. But the realities of life set in and when I can buy assembled Brookville bodies for a round 9 grand to me that's the way to go. Just got a pair the other day from another hot rodder that was ready to get off them. I just sold a deuce 2 door but over the years I have had several and have another. I've had a 3 window for 30 years, and dam sure couldn't afford one today either gennie or Brookville. I have always treated my deuces as an investment and they have rewarded me over the years. I have no problems with building a hotrod with a new body, but maybe someday I'll get lucky with another real roadster!

 

I'll probably get hammered for this, but.... Personally I can't see spending a rediculous amout for a rust bucket henry 32 and then having to put more time and money into it. If was prepared to spend that kind of money for a project I would start with a brookville body. It would probably end up cheaper and certainly would take less time to complete and ejoy. Also it would still be worth pretty big money. Just one man's thoughts.

 

I'm sorry if this offends, but personally I don't see any difference between a Brookville body and a fiberglass body. I don't have a problem using a fiberglass body in certain situations, and I wouldn't have a problem using a Brookville, either. But, neither one has the soul and mystique of a Henry Ford original.

 

Huppmobile is a quite obscure car maker. In '34 and '35, Huppmobile used 1933 pattern Ford bodies (three window coupes and sedans) for its lower line of cars. They are *almost* identical to the Ford bodies.

 

I agree. My point I guess is. What's the difference between a henry body with 80% bookville panels in it and a brookville? I know 20% ha ha. Just saying you still basically have a brookville I'd save the time and effort if I was set on running steel.

 

So, if you take an original and replace 50% of the body and finish it, then re do it and replace another 20% later, then sell it and the guy who buys it replaces the last 30% on a rebuild, can he claim it's an original? If not, at what point did it stop being original?

Sounds like some Historic Race Car stuff I've heard of, where there ends up being two cars, both claiming to be the original.
Larry T

 

Or, a Brookville body with 20% original Ford panels on it? That's too philosophical for me! My brain is starting to ache.

 

None taken. Again, I didn't start this thread because I'm shopping for cars. If that was the case I would shop around quietly until I found a car for me. It's common knowledge you can buy a built car for less money than you can build one. The reason why alot of people still build is because of the experience of starting a project and seeing it through, having a vision and making it your own and all that. If we were practical people we wouldn't be Hot Rodders.

I just was trying to get an idea what a real steel body was worth these days and if anyone had beat out and sold, and/or purchased anything interesting lately.

I don't have any illusions about money, time, skill, commitment, passion, etc.

I just wanted some numbers, rough or ready to go, original or repo??

 

Yep, were do you draw the line in guess. I guess I'm a freak and like the old beaten Ford metal and just like a "restorer" repo just don't cut the mustard.
So when does it become a KIT car 80-90% after market

 

Great timing on this post topic. I finally found me a 1934 Ford truck for $4000 that is all complete but torn all apart and scattered in a guys backyard....torn apart in 1967 mind you It's my Uncles Cousins and I've yet to see the truck but my Uncle said it's really clean just all in pieces.

 

Thats the thing. The hobby's gettin' to the point where there are truly few "real" cars out there. The aftermarket will have to support the entire hobby at some point. Which is why I was interested in how much a real "Henry" would bring nowadays in the first place.

 

I picked this 34 3/W body up last summer, with the intentions of building it and keeping it until they pried it from my cold dead fingers,..... But there has been a couple different guys that keep pestering me and keep talking increasing amounts of cubic dollars for it, I keep telling them NO!,.. but it gets harder to say it as the numbers keep escalating,....

Two issues that stop me.

#1, It is promised to a friend of mine here on the HAMB and if it goes anywhere he gets first right of refusal.

#2, These buggers are really hard to find, and just like the Deuce 5/W I posted earlier, If I did sell it, where would I find another one ? and could I even buy one in the same condition for the money I got ?

#2b You can buy brand new steel 34 3/W bodies now,... BUT THERE 30
GRAND !!! , And I think thats insane,... well it is for me !

 

My personal favorite is "It's an all original '32 Ford that had it's body swapped out for a fiberglass replacement in the '70's"

I've heard this more times than I can recount... There's nothing wrong with a fiberglass body, if that's what you've got then that's what you've got. The only time there's something wrong with fiberglass is when people try to make up lame excuses as to why they have one.

I give credit to anyone who's out there building them and driving them, weather it's old metal, new metal , or fiberglass. Making do with what you have is better than sitting on your ass wishing and hoping in my opinion.

 

Sounds like the Farmer at the "antiques road show" that tells the expert,
" This Ax came to this country with my family on the mayflower !,.. It's had two new heads and five new handles through the years, and it's still in the family !"

 

hope you don't want a 5W.....

As for roadsters, most of the newly aquired 'origionals' end up 3/4 Brookeville anyway. The line has been blurred between all origional steel, some patches, mostly patches, etc. In the end it's bragging rights and the ever important "soul" of the car you want to build. Mine is 100% origional steel, verified, and plenty strait enough to make near perfect without any Brookeville. But what that means is nobody will believe me anyway when I someday beat it out strait and give it a tits paint job. And I have a friend that did a Brookeville back to origional with all of the little details - you'd have to be a metal man to know it's not the real deal.

I vote for Brookeville, then someday if a deal comes along on a body snatch it up and throw it on. In the meantime your driving.

 

It's like anything else that is old.
The USS Constitution "Old Ironsides" is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat BUT experts say that by their estimation only about 10 to 13 percent of the original ship remains and the rest is replacement parts. Basically the keel is the only original piece on the ship which is alot like someone's 32 having the original axle and rear end and everything else being replaced.
Wp

 

Just out of curiosity, how does the body create the soul? I always felt that the soul was given by it's creator. Basically a chassis can be whats known as a skelton-foundation. The body is the skin-(beauty is only skin deep), wheels/tires are the shoes. Engine/trans the heart. and we give it the soul by it's design/build.

I've done glass, steel wood,even some aluminum alloy. All have had the soul that I or the owners before bestowed upon them. When I am in them(which seems to be pretty rare these days), Their mystique,soul, nuances and personalities as well as their problems always seem present when I slide behind the wheel.

Have done a couple of steel roadster that utilized replacement panels on original chassis. When I look at pics of the one we sold and the the companies car now, I dig where the've been and where I'll take the new one. I'm not in a hurry to get it done and I am glad that an option is there for people that want to build a car that can do what they feel it should do.

As for it being an investment, That just may be much better than a 401k,junk bond or a multi hundred thousand bank account.
So one has to pay what the market will bear. I've bought 34 3W coupes that were basket cases as well as old 40s hot rods, some just bodies and others full on roaches. As I look back on it all, they all have been great deals and I am glad that I have had the opportunity to own them.

Still have lots of tin, glass and even wood that need attention and eventually will make a decission whether I will do them or pass them on to someone with a desire to bestow their interpretation of what a soul is upon them.

 

Somebody wanted to know what a Hupp was:
Here Ya Go! There is also a 34 Hupmobile post that one can search for.

 

Soul? yea maybe, from the builder putting his or her heart into it. The sacrifices he or she made-time, money ,fun or even family.Yea they sure all have some soul. Now a chunk of tin that's stamped out 75 years ago had alot more hands touching it. The great stories of were it has been or how it made it to the year 2009. Thats is a ton more soul then a body made last week. My one rod has a Pray Card from the old owner in the door,I put it into a plastic bag and think Bob still riding around in the old gal. The other rod has stories of his youth in the 1950's hot rodding around. The kids growing up in the rumble seat in the 1960 and 70's parades partys good times and I followed the same with my kids.
I think they are ALL hot rods made of what ever? It's still a hotrod and still fun as hell . I love them all!
Real is real and you can call a glass or repo steel a hotrod. but not a real Ford. I'll quote BJ " Recreation" Capo,1932, hemi,Shelby or Cobra.