Projects finding a decent body is frustrating. Need advice

Well, not to drag up an old post, but I am back and finally have enough income saved up to start my build. Hope to have it driving under 15k. I decided to do a model a pick up, with a boling brothers 0-5 frame. I have a rebuilt 302 in a ford bronco I'm gonna yank, throw a lumpy cam in, and put some edelbrock heads on it, just haven't decided on carbs yet. Going to route it through a 4 speed or a t5, haven't decided yet either.
Can anyone school me on front ends? I'm thinking I beam and springs appear to be the way to go, but I'm sort of lost. My fab skills aren't the best, so I'm trying to get the frame set up with critical brackets and mounts the best I can. I'd rather not make my learning curve be on something critical like that. Boling brothers shop has been more then awesome on working with me, just want to make sure I have everything thought of.

 

Have you found the truck to start with yet? What kind of $$$ is the ch***is going to cost you?

 

Axle is the way to go. HRP

 

The one I had listed? Or?

 

My dad has a friend that has a 30 cab collecting dust. He is going to contact him about selling it, if not I can always scrounge one up when I get back to the states and out of the navy in december.

With body, and engine ****** mounts the frame is 1550. I'm just trying to figure out what other brackets or mounts I could ask to have added to save me time always d frustration. I think the 50's style is what I'm after. A 302 and a t5 or or 4 speed won't be period correct but it's kind of what I have to work with.

 

If you have a running driving Bronco why wouldn't you sell it as a runner and buy a more period drive train with that $$$ and have some left over? You started out wanting a Roadster and now you doing a closed cab truck. Is this just about the $$$ involved?
The Wizzard

 

I had originally wanted a roadster more then anything, but alot of the metal work involved needed to restore one was a bit more then I wanted to tear off. The pickups seem to be simpler. I built a moto guzzi cafe racer and it satisfied the need for something old school until I got t boned by a drunk driver about 5 months ago. Came back here to bahrain for one final year and I'll be out of active duty and into the reserves in washington come mid December which conveniently gives me a 7500 dollar up front bonus. I'll have a minimum of 6k saved up by july, and hopefully another 6k by December.
My little brother has taken these deployments and me being gone hard, and i was hoping to catch up on alot of these missed memories with him and my father by building a rod since my college is paid for etc. I won't lie, a top down roadster is still my ultimate goal, and brookville has a great price on the body, I'm just not sure about the hidden costs that may be involved going that route. If my budget seems realistic for building a roadster, definitely please advise. A nice smokey burnout in anything I put together would surely be a great feeling. Admittedly, my fab skills are not up snuff for anything structural. So while I won't be able to say I built it from scratch, it still won't be all necessarily bought

 

You should be able to do for 15kish if you do most of your own work, build it as a Hiboy and scrounge for parts rather than ordering everything out of catalogs. You already have a rebuilt SBF.

Boling Bros. do great ch***is work. Ch***is-$1550.
You can get an un***embled Brookville 28/9 roadster body-$5500
That's $7000.
You have suspension, brakes, radiator, etc. left.



Personally, I'd start with a pr. of 32 rails, radiator shell and 28/9 Brookville roadster quarters and doors and add original cowl, deck lid, etc. To me, building out the floor and ***embling the body would be far less work than the body work that would be typically be spent on a standard, full fendered old car build.

To save $$$; Use a wrecking yard rearend, steering box, cut down a seat to fit to save money. Mustang radiator. Do your own wiring, Paint or at least all the body prep. Get little Brother involved. Don't go all chrome on the front suspension (you can always pull a few items during a future Winter and send them out for chrome. Order brake parts (master cylinder rebuild kits, etc.) from Rock Auto...
You can start shopping now, looking for deals on good used or unused parts left over from projects in the HAMB cl***ifieds, swap meets, etc. now and have them shipped home.

 

Good point on shopping ahead of time.

You can save a lotta money buy making a build plan and a complete list of parts and then buying those parts when you find them at bargain prices. Stick to your plan or the end product won't match your original original dream.

 

The thing I've noticed in the car hobby, is that if ya' wait long enough...the ''right one'' always seems to come along (I waited 5 years)....I bought a 29' Ford coupe body (with ***le) and complete with goodies at a yard sale of all places 2 years ago...for $150!!! The guy thought it was a model t, and it was covered in old tarps and cobwebs....it had sat in a barn for 50 years....he was just glad to see it go. Patience is the main thing.....it's not common, but every once in a while, things just sort of 'work out' ...seen it way to many times....many car guys I've known, ''collect'' parts in the mean time, and it all adds up, till that ''deal'' comes around.....workin' on old cars is a test of patience much of the time, especially with a crew of only ''me''....but, good deals are still out there

 

this is what is in my mind, not just a tad lower

 

I've got about 15k in this down to the bits and bolts. Bought it stock, running and driving. And built from there. It isn't as radical as you want. But it has some very rare and valuable parts on it and I certainly wasn't careful with my spending, though I got very lucky on some of the speed parts. I think you can build a car for 15k, but I wouldn't start with a expensive fabricated frame

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Before you decide on a pickup, sit in one. I found an A pickup cab too cramped for my taste.

I have a pile of tin that was a '32 Studebaker here to do something with, it was cheap, it's a 4-door, but I can turn it into something I fit into comfortably too.

 

Thanks everyone! I've Emailed brookville and decided once and for all for the roadster. I'm glad there's an awesome community here to guide me along. I may readjust my budget as needed, but I'd still like something that moves under its own power for 15k. I can add more later right?

 

if you do go for a Brookville body get it ***embled,
the money "saved" by putting it together yourself is minimal compared to doing it yourself
especially if this is your first major build.

 

That's my idea. I'd have more in it fixing mistakes then getting it ***embled from factory. I need to search around the northwest part of washington, and pick the local guy's brains for help once in awhile. I'm more and more excited thinking about cruising to college my second year in a hot rod. I guess 4.5 years and 3 trips here is going to eventually pay off

 

I think you can be on the road for 15k if you are careful with the spending...it may not be 100% done, but certainly well on the way. It's all the little stuff that's gonna kill the budget. Don't go out and spend crazy money on all new front end parts from speedway or where ever and instead hunt and rebuild original ford stuff and you'll be good. I'm up in Seattle if you need anything. I've got a huge parts collection I have been known to sell out of as well. Good luck and have fun!

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A kiwi konnection 32 bare frame boxed and tig welded is still under 2k , Junk yard and swaps for the rest 15k is very do-able you need to make a plan, a parts list and stick with it , hunt if you have to ... For instance , new wish bones are 250. 00 old ones on eBay are 150.00 ... I know they can be bought at swaps for less than 50.00... Your job is to scrounge , find and buy the reasonable price stuff this car was fabrication heavy as I used all garbage and throw aways but was done for about 6k as you see here.. Sold it for 17k... Was a fun little car... So yes totally do-able you just need to stick with a plan... No $500 dollar do dads here and there ... That ruins the budget quickly

 

Not to be rude but, have you been in a coma since 1960? That is about when the supply of good, cheap Ford roadsters dried up. Why do you think people have been building oddball makes all these years?

 

Check the cl***ifieds. I think $5000 is a good starting place.

 

Use www.searchtempest.com.

I look for "street rod", g***er, 1937, coupe, race, drag, sbf, bbf (I don't do bowties), trade, project, and Anglia every day. Search any word that could possibly describe what you want. The advantage to search tempest is you can set a radius of your home base you are willing to drive and it will search every CL ad within that radius. It will also pull EBAY and amazon stuff. Just don't let it limit you to "Automotive or Car Sites Only" as it sometimes gives you that option.

I also go to specific CL sites when I'm traveling to/thru areas that might have something I need. It's still out there, you just have to be patient and jump the second things appear. I search around noon and again late at night.

Good luck and thanks for your service,
SPark

 

After building 2 gl*** cars. The only different in the build is usually cowl back. Wait till you find a deal on a steel body. The build will be worth more down the road. IMO

 

thanks everyone! hoping to order the body in july, and do as you all suggest and search for original stuff. i think that will be half of the fun!

 

Well, some really, really good news today. Some back pay that my command has been fighting to get back for me has finally come in. 6,323.00. Which means, project is a go. 28/29 roadster body is going to be ordered this friday, and frame is next. Kind of a blessing, basically now my minimum budget climbed to 17k, and i think I can save at least another 5 on top of that. As of now I only have 10, but it's a good of a time as any to get something on the way and motivate me. I might look into an alternative power plant depending on the budget before I order the frame, something a bit more period correct and sell my 302. I don't need a monster motor. Just something that has three pedals, has a nice lumpy idle when I cam it and can dry the tires off once in awhile!
Again, a huge thanks to everyone here for the advice and suggestions. You guys rock

 

You built a very nice looking roadster. Just curious, are Kiwi Konnection and Blackboard Hot Rods owned by the same person. I have called Blackboard several times and never get a live person. I have seen their frames and they are very nice. Maybe they are just busy.

 

Gary Maxwell owes Blackboard and used to work for Kiwi Connection. I think Gary is a one man shop, so he may not answer the phone every time. Very nice guy and good quality product.

 

Just gotta know where to look and get a bit lucky. I hauled home a complete 23 touring car for 500 bucks, body is very useable just a couple of panels that ill be getting replacements for

 

Those Ford Small blocks first came out in the early 60's so it wouldn't be that far off year wise for a traditional engine if you dressed it up as an early engine.
I'd still ponder the wisdom of pulling the drive train out of a good running and driving rig that could be used as a daily driver/parts chaser to put it in the rod rather than buying and engine for the rod though. That was a great idea back when you could pick up a good running but rough looking car for a couple hundred bucks, drive it home and tune it up and stick the engine and trans in the hot rod and sell off the hulk to someone needing parts. I did that several times with good results but those same beaters are now thousand or two thousand dollar rigs.

 

Squid--
Reading your newest post reminds me of the giddiness I felt when I started the process on my roadster, except I went at it a little differently; I knew I wanted a real hot rod i.e. 3 pedals, 4 speed etc. but i also knew my weakness for needing (too much) horsepower.
Back when I started this project there were not all the current high horsepower crate motors that are being offered nowadays. As with your finances (and most everyone elses') I too came up a little short of my plan so I spent my money on building the ch***is and drive train first and saving money as I went for the rest.
I just new if I did it the other way around; I would run out of money for the engine and just end up putting anything in it to get it on the road (just not how I roll I guess).
My avatar shows the car the way it looked just before I blew it apart for the next phase, but I ran out of money again so here I am sitting in front of a keyboard giving moral support to my fellow HAMB members. Just don't cut corners on things you won't be happy with later.
Good luck and have fun throughout your journey.
Doug