Hot Rods Price of original parts, just venting

About eight years ago I put together a Model A pickup.
Frame - free from a driver someone put an aftermarket frame in. Came with hood, steering column, some other parts.
Axles - old hot rod parts, free from someone else
Body - $300 AA truck out of old salvage yard
Bed - $300 A sedan cut down to a pickup, same salvage yard
Same yard I cut up an F1 for a crossmember and a steering box, and got the shock mounts, for like $100.
The rest was bolts and I had it up and rolling. Then someone waved money at me and I sold it.

Now old salvage yards don't grow on trees anymore, but Model A stuff is still pretty cheap. No reason you can't do one of these.

 

Oh, yes it was. Channeled 34 3-window rolling project for $100, 29 RPU stock bodied with flathead, Fenton heads, Harmon & Collins dual coil. Drove it home for $320. 39 trans at junkyard for $10 or its weight in scrap metal. Those days are but a memory. But more on topic - Supply and demand doesn't account for hoarding which I believe is far more common that many would expect. I've see Cragar 4-cyl OHV, Smith Jiggler, ten feet of shelf space with flathead intakes, dozen or more pairs of aluminum heads of brands I've never even heard of. Heard about a hoarded Wayne head. Doesn't seem to be pride in ownership like a stamp collection. Hoarders don't want to show it off. Don't want you to know they have it. And I doubt this is serious investment because those I've seen are living **VERY** well and that's a precondition for hoarding this kind of stuff.

 

In 1955 when a lot of us started building old hot rods, the population of the U.S. was 165 million, about half of what it is today. People weren't importing our stuff in foreign countries. Lots of guys were starting families and had to put their projects on hold for 20 or 30 years. Now, everybody wants a cool old vintage, classic, antique car so naturally demand increases as supply decreases. I'm just glad I lived in the day when you could actually build an old rod for cheap.

 

When was this? I remember when $100 was a lot of money. It's not much now...

 

[QUOTE="Chili Phil, post: 11020539, member: 1993"

The hot rod & custom hobby is not cheap. It never was. [/QUOTE]

It was when I first started messing with them. Sometimes you could get stuff free just to haul it off. But then everybody got into it and the money guys like the auction people drove the prices up in my opinion.

 

That's for sure. When I sold my flathead powered Model A coupe in '59, I got the equivalent of 2 weeks pay for it. Can you imagine spending 2 weeks pay for a car like that today?

 

Rat Rods have helped some of the younger people to get involved. They also have driven prices through the roof. Look on ebay or CL, they stick that ratrod label on there and the price doubles. I'd like to find a early 40's truck cab, found a 42 chev, cab and frame. The guy wanted $2500 and it wasn't worth bringing home. It might have been before they started working on it but they pretty much scrapped it. It was worth at least that because it was a good start on a rat rod.

 

coupe was 1957, RPU was 1960. $10 trans was late 1950s

 

Well, there you go.

 

I have a 75 year old buddy who spent 30 years selling at restorers swap meets, but gave up 3 years ago, due to cheapskates and their whining.

 

mama got me a colt python for christmas. talk about expense! but like the man says, something is worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.

 

Hoarders are great for the auction after they kick off. You just go and see if you can catch folks not paying attention.

I went to the last day of a three day one of a guy who had Corvettes and jukeboxes. Over 150 jukeboxes. Big metal building packed full of stuff. I missed the start of it and a guy I know bought a Tucker car engine - for $50. He caught everyone sleeping I guess, that has to be worth a few grand easy.

I bought a batch of cheap things and everything I bought is worth more than I paid for it. I even bought 10 boxes or so of 45s and it looks like I can sell one and have it pay for them all.

And yes, as a swap meet seller, people are cheap, cheap, cheap. I did the usual Memorial Day weekend event and sold more $1 Hot Wheels cars than anything else. Guy wanted to give me $5 for an old Chrysler shop manual I wanted $10 for, I finally told him $10 or I'd toss it in the rtecycling bin when I got home, I didn't care which.

 

Funny thing is most of this people buying unreal priced parts don't have the ability to actually finish their build. They watch these tv shows and get somewhat motivated and we all know what it takes to complete it. There are those that do. Most don't.

 

You can't really compare "then" prices with "now" prices unless you factor in hours worked to buy the same item then and now.
On the other hand I see the same guy carrying the same overpriced parts to the swap meets around here year in and year out and seldom selling those parts while they still move parts with an honest price on them.
I think there are too many guys out there and at times I have to include myself that just flat get tired of hunting certain parts that are on the "must have" list and end up paying inflating prices for them. Then you have the guys who have no clue as how to hunt, scrounge or otherwise source parts without paying top dollar.

 

Seems I touched on a hot button here. I am not bitching about the guy just wanting to move some old parts in an effort to buy still other parts that he deems more necessary. They are entitled to sell those parts for whatever he deems is fair. Maybe my bitch is the speculators and flippers driving prices. And who ever said it, is correct, the internet is both a blessing and curse to our hobby. Ebay drives prices through the roof and frankly sets the asking price whether we like it or not. There is a difference between being plain cheap and damn foolish but in the end of the day you pay what you can afford

"In any event I have a 32 grille for sale, lots of patina, needs a dozen bars and the bottom is completely gone ....my price $3000.00" Kidding of course!

 

As late as the 70s, a nice muscle car could be bought for around a grand. My father, my brothers were always buying old cars and parts for cheap. Yes, cheap even for me. When I started buying parts for my Nomad in the late 70s, I had no problem buying parts that I needed and I didn't have a lot of money. I was still in high school and worked part time after school. And yet today, I have more money, but it's harder for me to buy the parts I need for my truck because everything is so damn expensive now days. I can go on and on about how easy it was to buy and fix old cars (mind you, I am not talking about a full blown show car) Yes it was cheap once upon a time.

 

If the rest of the 32 was with the grille & a 3 window in same condition of grille what might the whole car fetch $ ? I'm sadly numbed to the $ of stuff selling reman starters for $129.99 to folks that can't understand why their few year old $40,000 suburban or escalade starter isn't 39.95. . But I to walk on by that's just silly, but if I found one in a barn for cheap I sure wouldn't let it go to a fellow swap meeter that's gonna buy it mega wholesale n walk over n double his $ ! How many of you guys seen these rare grilles actually sell ? If so then that's what most sellers are gonna shoot for. Flux

 

The deals are out there, sometimes when you least expect it. I answered an ad for a '40 ford frame for my truck project on CL and the guy had a '42 1/2 ton ford cab, doors and front clip, hood. He said his son picked it up at a swap and it was sitting around on a snowmobile trailer for a couple of months. He said " You can have it for $100 if you want it", "I don't want it layin around". Needless to say it's layin around at my place now.

 

Wow. The OP gave me a good laugh. If you don't like someones prices at the swap meet just keep walking. I love how people want something for nothing. If you want your parts served on a silver platter expect to pay for it. If you want good deals you have to bust your ass. Go bitch somewhere else.

 

True, as far as it goes.....the average hourly wage then versus now. But, there is more to the story.....as mentioned in another post....more people chasing fewer parts is a major factor.....aka..."supply and demand", which people frequently mention, but seldom really accept the reality of it. "Yeah, I know there is supply and demand....BUT........"

There aren't any "buts" about it. Combine inflation and lower supply/higher demand for any commodity and the price rises. That is what drives innovation and alternative solutions.

Ray

 

When I got out of the Army in '87 I went to spend a few dollars at my favorite bone yard. It had been chocked full of 50's and 60's cars. The yard was still there, but the vintage stuff had all been scrapped out. Replaced with Hondas, Toyotas, etc. A lot of what we want just doesn't exists anymore. If your chasing popular stuff be glad. If your looking for the more obscure, though once common, good luck.
-Dave

 

The way I see it is ... E bay made everyone lazy... Buyers and sellers ..

,antique stuff has always been a treasure hunt, now you just click a mouse and there it is....

Well that price is usually premium... You want deals... It's still a treasure hunt ....

 

I'm so sad that my misfit sister dropped my crystal ball and broke it. I used to be rolling in dough after just an hour seeing the near future through it. Sadly I've spent all that easy money on stuff at today's prices. Just sayin...

 

I totally agree,Any original Deuce parts always command top dollar,they always have and they always will.

In 1962 I bought a 1932 Ford 5 window coupe..I payed a whopping 75 Bucks!

I could have bought a nice Model A from a neighbor sitting behind his barn for 25 bucks. HRP

As the late Deuce Roadster was fond of saying.." You never pay too much.......just buy a little too soon..."

 

NOW NOW, everyone want the part NOW, plan ahead for the cars you want to build and look for deals, sometime takes years . 27 T im working on now took 12 yrs getting right parts i wanted w/out a mortgage. next a 34 rdst. finaly have all parts,15 yrs. have sold parts on ebay, NO reserve and got 100X what i paid for it.????

 

I just looked at eBay, completed listings, for 1932 Ford parts. Most did not sell. I did NOT see prices "going through the roof." If one pays any attention at all, one would see that eBay sales are down, the sell-thru stats are not good at all. The owner of a part can ask any price he wants. Doesn't mean he will sell it at that price. I guess I don't understand threads like this that are basically, "It's not fair, I want the parts for less money than other people are willing to pay." It took me 19 years to finally be able to get a '56 Nomad. From the time I saw my first one (when I was 15 and the asking price was $800) until I was finally able to buy one, prices had gone up exponentially. I didn't whine about it. I bought it.

 

When I found my roadster on the Ford Barn 7 years ago I thought it cost too much - rust free, all steel, mostly complete, less upholstery, paint & a few other things. I guess every one else thought so too, as the seller had listed it a couple of times with no results. I sold a lot of the original parts that I wasn't going to use for what I thought were far prices, some on eBay, here, Ford Barn, CL, swap meets, etc. I could easily sell for 2- 3 times today. As much as I would have liked to build it my self, I knew I couldn't - tried all the things necessary but determined a long time ago I was no good at most. I can turn a wrench - the rest ends up half-assed. So I bit the bullet & paid the talented guys their price. Do not regret it. Thanks to my late wife who took good care of a soldiers pay & raised 3 great kids who have asked very little since leaving home able to care for themselves, I am able to enjoy this hobby. I have been lucky over the years. Started selling left overs at Charlotte Auto Fair after retiring in '89 & made a few bucks selling the parts I found in the trunks of abandoned projects & buying what I needed early on Thursday mornings. I still go but take very little - too much work for my old body. For the most part this hobby has been a joy & mostly self supporting, except of course for the '34 Roadster but the smiles & comments of the young kids & my own grandchildren make it worth it.

Before & After!!

 

Yeah, but you were making 50 cents to a dollar an hour. The OP needs a reality check.

 

There are some parts whose price is justified by supply and demand, and some that aren't. I've made the same fuss as the OP in the past, and every several months, so does someone else. I think it's much more complicated than that now, though.

I'll be the first to admit that my A coupester looks like a post war jalopy, and some gold chainers here would call it a RR. It's a work in progress, though, forever improving that which I can do better now. The problem that I see is more of those who have hoarded or have larger supplies of the stuff looking down on guys like me who have kids, family, and jobs with no company provided retirement, govt SS to have confidence in, etc.

Since politics isn't allowed, I'll keep it simple. Yes, the real old timers struggled, but those between the old old timers and me lived in an era where the dollar went further and supplies were large. Things are different now with corporations and banks squeezing us all....all I'm looking for is a little respect, and then I will likely analyze it, suck it up, and buy that one expensive part that I really want to put on my jalopy to get it closer to a cleaner looking machine, more akin to what I'd like and see in my vintage 60s magazines.

When the old guys get all uppity and flash their gold chains and rev their rods paid for with govt checks and company store retirement accounts, I give them duck face and keep on walking. I know that's not a majority of the older crew by any means, but it's there.

 

What I do is just wait for them old hoarders to die and watch their thoroughly uninterested kids sell the cache of parts on the cheap. Sounds kinda insensitive but usually that's the only way.