So I'm a stupid kid..

"So I'm a stupid kid.. "

you just got smarter, didn't ya?

 

Look at it this way... these old cars are easy to work and maintain there value. For the time it takes to track down and replace one bad sensor in a Civic, you can can pull your whole drive train out. Just spend some time browsing through all the tri 5 threads on this forum. You'll be inspired and ready to work in no time. So much can be done on these old cars for so little money. Just takes some grease and blood.

 

gaskets to fix leaks are cheap & easy as pie on that car.

it overheats? i got a $160 e-bay radiator keeping my car running at 160 degrees.

the shock mounts broke? no kidding! all tri 5s do that. good thing they sell a bolt in crossmember to fix that.

horns & switch are like 20 bux & it's automotive wiring 101 to install those.

wood floors? who cares!? the aftermarket reproduces every single inch of sheet metal for these cars!

so as far as your "list" goes. you're in pretty good shape.

 

Listen to Roger and ask lots of questions here. Also as mentioned, NETWORK with HAMBers and other locals, you will be surprised the friends you make.

 

take some good close ups of underneath this diamond in the rough so we can all see what ur up against. Believe me kid it will be ok we've all gotten hosed at least once. Any questions were all here to lend each other a hand and learn from each other. so just ask if you get stuck.

 

Dude don't sweat it. It's cars like yours that take regular schmucks and turns them into real car guys. No money? I dragged an old washing machine home from the neighbors house and cut it up with my dads B&D jig saw for the floors in one of my first cars. I learned a ton from fixing that pile of junk, skills that I still use today 30+ years later. you don't have to build a show car, just your own car. Good luck!! Have fun.

 

My 56 was in much worse shape than yours, and didn't even run when the transporter had me drag it off his truck with a chain attached to my truck cuz the brakes were seized. The seller I bought it from told me "it goes down the road real nice" and "no bondo in it". In reality the block was cracked and from the firewall forward was not even patchable. Anyway between this site and trifive.com I was able to take that pile of dump and make it a respectable car. It took me three years because of my budget but it was worth it. You have any questions feel free to pm me. Luck for you 56s are easy to work on. Good luck!

 

I feel for ya. But hold on ***e, wait and see what happens if you wonna go to paint with that thing.

 

Your avatar is gonna haunt me for a week.

 

sounds like to much complaining on here, and not enough fixing out on the car, There like women some give you a few more problems to deal with than others but there all fun to ride

 

Good judgement is the result of experience.

Experience is the result of bad judgement.

It's called "paying your dues," and I think you are well on your way to having a *****'n and practical ride. Watch, study, ask, and don't be afraid to work. And remember, that all adventures with long-term bragging rights and storytelling potential **** while they are happening.

 

Welcome to the School of Hard Knocks....best education anywhere. Looks like a good start from here.

 

You got a ton of great people here that will help you with just about question about cars you can think of. I'm an old fart myself...at least by your standards...lol and I have a lot of questions. I'm learning a lot, believe me. And look at it like this, this schmo who sold you the car, and by the way is a good looking car, wont believe his eyes after you put some work into it. Drive it up to him one of these days and say to him, "Remeber his car?" He'll probably shoot himself in the foot for ever ****in with people.

Like everyone has already said, breathe, make a list, take your time and by all means ASK questions. You'll do alright kid! Good luck and welcome to the H.A.M.B.!

 

That's a nice little driver. I don't think you got poked too bad. Most old cars leak something, hell most old people do too. Just drive it and enjoy it. I would.

 

I don't think your in it that bad i live in Utah and people here think there cars are made of gold or something for 6k you would be lucky to get a motor and trans with it..... don't get to frustrated with it just take your time and hopeful its a fairly solid project

 

Oh yeah, and those wheels are awesome......

 

Buy a pair of hardtop doors, make it a 2dr, cut the roof off, make it a permanent roadster.

 

Don't worry man, you can fix it. It's probably not as bad as you think, you're just pissed because you had this vision of what the car was supposed to be, and it turns out it needs more work than you thought. Just be patient, accept the situation for what it is, and use it to learn.

Now sack-up and roll up yer sleeves and get that **** fixed up!

Good luck.

 

You just graduated from "Horse Trading 101".
Now you are equipped with a good "shield" of skepticism that
you did not have before, plus a pretty *****en' looking '56 Chevy to learn on!
It don't have to be a 383 to be cool. Non-stroker small blocks
are much more affordable to fix if you're on a budget.
Take it from a dinosaur kid...you did fine on your first buy.
The ****-head that lied about everything will likely regret that
he let it go for $6K some day.
Dry up the leaks,try to figure the overheating out before summer and drive and smile!!

 

I love this place......whid

 

By the pictures you didn"t get burned to bad,the 4-door 56s do go alittle cheaper but looks like you got a hell of a start.For $6000 A 56 ain"t going to be perfect. Just by looking at the picture get rid of that electric pusher fan and get some air moving through that radiator. Does it have another fan on it or just that one.19 years old with a drivable 56 Chevy,hell you should be on cloud nine.

 

well, the good part is they make almost everything for a 56 chevy. Just look at it as a learning experience. Now you know what to look for when buying a car. And now you can learn how to fix what is wrong with it. Its a 56 Chevy, its fixable.....

 

You don't want to hear about my first car, a '41 Chevy I paid $65 for in 1966. I worked all summer for a beekeeper to get that money. I was 14 at the time. We used it the next summer to move to Arkansas, then I took the bus back to Colorado to work on a ranch. My mother got the '41 stuck in a mud puddle, burned up the clutch, and traded the car for a ringer washing mashine. Wouldn't even get brave enough to tell me who she traded it to.

Yeah, I've been burned on a few cars. I just missed a '55 back in '69 for $75, and couldn't raise the last $150 on a $395 55 the next summer, lost the first $250 I'd already put in. Keep in mind that $250 at that time was a month's pay for me, spraying lacquer at a cabinet factory.

Ah, the good old days!

 

6K for a running tri-5 Chev is not an awful lot, even if it does have an extra pair of doors . It runs, it drives, you're only 19, it's got potential and you have time. Besides, what kind of used car can you buy for that, an 8 year old Huyndai? Replating the chome on one would cost more than that, and your's looks p***able.

You've gotten loads of good advice, just be patient and do one thing at a time. Don't tear it completely apart, do one thing, finish it, then move on. Fix the shocks, fix the cooling issue, fix the floors, and so on.

Don't feel bad, you didn't get totally hosed. It's a good start.

Brian

 

dude you should see how much I got hosed on my first model a.... thats a nice looking car

 

Sounds like a good plan here.

I'd also be terribly tempted to cut a coil or two & install some lowering blocks. Just to make it look cool while the other pieces are addressed.

Certainly don't give up on it or get discouraged. You aren't in it too deep & it is a good looking car.

JH

 

I think the ride looks great man. If your anything like i was, i only learned how to fix things or make things better when they broke on me. The best advise comes from your elders, there are tips and tricks to everything in this world. My phone blows up almost everyday with somebody askin "how do i fix this?" or "How do i fix that?" I have had the pleasure of turning wrenches on some pretty neat rides in my opinion. And again i have only learned because i have had to figure it out myself once, so when they ask i can recall a funny story or two of "When that **** happened to me".. keep your head up. much better than some sideways *** motor ****.. You just bought yourself an education on wheels and stories for a lifetime....its only the beginning....

 

Go ahead and try buy some sheet metal and a cheap mig welder and youll be surprised what you learn. Once you get the car a little more structurally sound as in the rear floors the rest will come. Any problems you have just post up on this site and youll get any answer youll need.

 

don't look back. focus on what it will take to get it the way you want.

 

the school of hard knocks has a harsh mistress in charge , dont feel bad first car i was into was a rip off to was still in high school and got burned on it , what a heap , good luck with it ,