Technical Is a low budget hot rod even possible?

Fender for a guy your size the T is out and the A's and 32's are a tight squeeze. Unless you just want to do short drives.

I'm thinking the best thing you can do is keep working on your Caddy. You say the door rubbers are very expensive. There are generic rubbers you can buy by the yard off a roll at swap meets, if you can find one that matches yours there is a saving. In any case you don't have to buy everything at once. Do something on it every week or month as you can afford it. After a while you will have a real nice car. I notice around here the nicest cars are ones the same guy has owned for years, and keeps working on. You don't have to spend $20000 all at once to have a $20000 car. $1000 a year for 20 years will get you there lol.

 

Have you set down and read this? :http://www.tbucketplans.com/how-to-...-roadster-for-under-3000-kickin-it-old-skool/

Also call Ron Pope: http://www.eztbucket.com/main.sc

If you "modify" your must-have's list, and pick-up a dirt cheap donor S-10 or similar 4 cyl / 5 speed and use all of the components, you will be surprised on what you can build and have a great time in.

If you live in the Charlotte area, your surrounded by 1,000's of Hot Rodders and Hot Rod Shops.

 

Why not building something like this cheap !
I think it's way cool. You could use a dirt cheap T bucket body and do some mods to make it look this way. Make a hand shaped aluminum hood out of some 3030 aluminum, easy to bend and shape.

 

1940 front axle 20
1940 rear axle 20
8BA Flathead and 39 Tranny 300
28 RPU Body 300
Frame (with front and rear springs) and subframe 200
F1 crossmember and pedals 50
Cowl 50
Sill plates 75
Windshield and stanchions 175
9 inch clutch and pressure plate 50
Generator rebuild and 12V conversion 75
Starter rebuild 50
Fuel pump, plug wires, coil, air cleaners, voltage regulator etc 150
Flywheel 50
Flywheel drilling for smaller clutch 80
35 wire wheels 80
wire wheel adapters 40
Patch panels, door latches, etc 300
Master cylinder, shoes, wheel cylinders, lines, etc 300
Radiator 500
Tires 500
Mount and balance 50
Gauges 300
Gas Tank 180
Seats 400
Steering box 50
Steering box rebuild parts 50
Steering wheel 50
Radiator shell 75
Battery 50
Headers 300
Wiring 100
Shocks 150
Kingpins + install 70
torque tube baffle 40
paint/sandpaper/filler 100
Plywood floors 30
Parking brake cable 20
Headlights 50
Headlight bar 20
Stoplight 30
Seatbelts 15
Mallory dual point dizzy 200
Pertronix ignitor 100
Strombergs and rebuild kits 200
Thickstun Intake 0


Total 5995

 

You could sell your daily driver and buy a junker. Then use the monthly bank payments and full coverage insurance payments on your hot rod.

 

My daily is 13 years old with minimum insurance already haha

 

The bodies without trunks look like bathtubs on wheels haha.....sorry, not to knock those that have them.....theyre undoubtably lots of fun Im sure

 

I have enough stuff laying around to build a quick and dirty banger powered speedster. However, that collection of stuff has a price tag that is easily forgotten when discussing the project on the HAMB!

 

When I build my first non-HAMB-friendly rod, I bought a 20 foot container, a crawlspace and a medium storage room.

There are parts for my other 3 (non HAMB-friendly)
Projects, and some of them will go in to my tow truck my Chevy rod. The parts I don't need to use I sold or swapped for parts or help I do need.
I broke even on the container and the crawlspace. And the rest I'm trying to move on to somebody else, or swap for other parts.
All the parts I bought I used in the first build I counted in to the first build, including special tools I bought to complete the first build. Not including my hand tools.

At what point are the rest of the parts I have actually free?

Because my '29 dry lake Chevy build will be as low buck as they get, and so fare
I have swapped for the frame (w/ papers), Chevy TF front axle, Artillery wheels, springs, seats and engine/transmission.
So fare I bought the Nissan hard body rearend and the master cylinder, both was on the Danish Craigslist and had to be now before someone else got them.

I will order no new parts before I'm done with the mock up, because then I know beyond reason of doubt what I need and don't have to re order or use parts that I'm not satisfied with, just because I made an mistake ordering them. And that means the shipping cost half way around the world is a "one stop to shop"- shipping discount deal.

It's all possible if you got the skills, tools and time. If you struggle with either price will sky rocket.

 

I have $7,500 in my 31 and I haven't even started it yet!
$2,000 31 Model-A coupe body
$2,300 1956 354 Hemi
$2,000 for 32 frame rails, boxing plates, X-member and assembly, used my own 31 front and rear cross members.
The other $1,200 is in misc crap.
This is not a cheap hobby, at least for me, unless you have serious connections to cheap parts, here in Florida everything that's not rusted away is expensive.

 

Even the rusty crap is expensive here!

 

Yeah but any time you say HEMI or 32 the price tag jumps 10x over other options. You're doing REALLY GOOD with the spend on that combo!

Swap that HEMI for a SBC and the 32 frame for a decent A frame and some DIY boxing plates and the price tag comes down by about $3k or so!

 

Yes, check my build thread in my sig. Very low budget, I did buy some new parts, but many are used, cast offs that street rodders don't want because they're not show quality pieces, but perfect for my car.

 

I was very lucky, my best bud found the hemi, complete pan to carb under 40,000 mile running survivor. I have cheaper options, both runners, a 65 300 hp 327 and a 62 401 nailhead. I have less than $500 in both of them so there is $2,000 back in the wallet if I used one of those.

 

I skimmed through this and don't think anyone brought up something I came to realize when I first started building cars- it's not going to get done overnight. For 6 grand you can get a body to fix up , a frame set up on wheels, and a motor to freshen up or rebuild.

That takes care of the first year or two if you're working on the project part time and weekends.

During that year scrounge up MORE parts to the puzzle- talk it up to people- you'd be surprised how many real hot rodders will give you a deal, or give you parts outright to help you build your car. Then you reciprocate when someone needs help- an extra pair of hands is needed for a lot of this car stuff.

The cost will be spread out over a period of time as the parts and/or money show up- there's ALWAYS something to do, and it doesn't all cost money ( sweat equity). Cleaning everything takes LOTS of time.
It's almost like having a savings account- when you're done investing, you'll have something to show for it.
Rome wasn't built in a day- enjoy the ride AND the destination.
Good luck with it. Mike from Mass.

 

it's totally doable. you just have to be patient, keenly observant and cheap. lol. you'd be surprised what a deal you can get on a project where someone else has done most of the expensive legwork and burnt out or realized they're in over their heads.

 

The difference between a nice low buck car and a similar car that costs twice or three times as much in some cases is:
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Patience, the ability to scrounge, trade and bargain, Not getting carried away with "have to have or else" items plus the ability to do the majority of the work yourself or swap work with someone.

Lack of patience is costly in most cases as the person doesn't hold out for the right price and buys because he is afraid he won't find another ______________ any time soon.
The ability to scrounge, that may be digging through the less traveled wrecking yards, and generally hunting down that needed part at a low cost. Cleaning up a 5.00 alternator rather than buying a shiny chrome one from Summit, hunting down the wheels or hub caps you want one at a time rather than paying a premium for a full set at a swap meet. Trading a part you don't need for a part you need. Buying street rodders cast offs because they pulled them and put the latest trickest item on.
Not being stuck on the " I have to have or else" thing when that item will run the ticket up in a hurry.
Running a common engine rather than running an ultra trick but extremely spendy to buy parts for engine.
Running a basically stock engine with simple machine work rather than running the mega dollar custom built by the name engine builder trick engine that puts out 800 hp but isn't all that streetable and calls for trailering the car rather than driving it because the fuel mileage is non existent.
Not springing for the mega dollar wheel and tire set and running something less costly.
Not buying every bracket and widget new from one of the rod trinket shops but fabricating your own except where safety or the law of time spent says it's more productive to spend on said item.

Spending time rather than cash. The extra few hours to turn a so so part into a great part are well spent and don't cost anything out of pocket.

On the roadster I'm putting together with plans to take it to TROG at Pismo Beach. The most expensive part of the car is going to be the tires. The engine was donated by a fellow Hamber a few years ago, the front axle came from one friend and the rear axle from another, I actually paid 50.00 for the transmission and then got in a rush and paid 200 for the frame because I got tired of looking for what I wanted. The cowl cost 10.00 at a swap meet 20+ years ago and was bought on a whim. The 18 inch Chevy six lug wires were bought one at a time at swap meets over the past ten years. Dash cost a few bucks at a swap meet because the seller didn't want to take it home again. I have no idea what it is but it looks right. Traded a set of 54 car drums and backing plates for a set of 49 pickup Huck drums and backing plates because the Huck drums work with the wires. Body is mostly salvaged hoods and sheet metal. Gauges are some old mechanical gauges that were in a three gauge panel under the dash of one of the two 1-1/2 ton trucks I bought for 100 about six years ago. A few other pieces will come from digging in the back of the sheds to see if I still have that part I stuck there 35 years ago and if it still is usable. Right now the time for the degree of fit and finish I want for it is a big issue as I don't have a lot of spare hours to work on.
As it stands I think I have about 200 in actual new bought for the car parts right now and that is mostly king pins, bushings for the springs and a set of wheel bearings. It's not going to be an expensive car nor is it going to be a fancy car but it will be a fully finished car that is painted and hopefully striped and lettered when it makes it's debut.

 

The patience thing as explained above is very true.

Also knowing how much things are worth, what the "going rate" is for them. When bargains come up, you have to act fast, you can't dilly-dally. And when you find deals on stuff you don't need, you can buy them to resell. Every swap meet and junkyard I go to, I buy some stuff to resell to recoup the money I spent that day. A lot like how Rachel and I did the $1 car. It takes a lot of time and effort but very little money.

If you have enough money, you can buy one done, with no time or effort spent. If you have enough time and effort, you can build one with no money invested.

 

Exactly. It can be done but requires patience, networking, patience, being in the right place at the right time, patience, always looking, patience, knowing your material, and patience.

My budget build started when I needed a new block for my current model a. I found one and worked a deal for the better part of a whole car. Sold a bunch of stuff, came even, and still had the block I needed and a good '29 A frame and suspension. Next came drivetrain, which presented itself when I was hanging out at a hot rod shop where a guy was street-rodding a '41 ford. A simple, "whatcha gonna do with that stock stuff?" Netted me everything from the bellhousing to the rear axle for three hundred clams. A full set of rare hubcaps that took me a year and pocket change to complete were traded for a juice brake setup. Buying and selling at swaps, on ePay, and on here has netted the rest of the basic parts for a roller chassis for little to no money.

Did I mention patience?

 

On my 29 rpu I spent around $3000 on small nickel and dime items, and that doesnt include gas money for all the trips back and forth to the parts store/junkyard ect. I thought once I had all the big pieces I was set, but that small stuff sure ads up in a hurry.
I could have built mine for a lot cheaper, but at the time I wasnt confident enough to build a frame or set up suspension, so I ordered most of my front suspension new, and bought a new frame from brookville, also I bought a lot of chassis brackets that I could have easily built if I had known better. Because I am from Canada the cost of shipping + the exchange rate really hurt my budget, with all the aftermarket stuff I ended up spending an additional $2500 over what someone in the US would spend (and I bought all this stuff when the Canadian dollar was on par with US).
To save money I cobbled my body together using a combination of very rough parts and handbuilt pieces. The majority of time on my build was spent cutting welding and hammering on rusty metal that no one else wanted.
Like others have said you can also save money by using a donor vehicle for the engine/transmission/rearend and other small parts. I used a mid 80s ford ranger with a 4 cylinder and 5 speed. I thought it would be more cost effective than an sbc, but apperently none of the parts stores around here have parts for a 25 year old truck, so I ended up having to order almost everything, fuel pump, distributor, gasket set, and a weber carb to get rid of the ugly factory computerized carb. So in the end it would have been cheaper to find and sbc donor vehicle, although the 4 banger/5 speed setup is a lot of fun for cruising around town with.
The other problem is the days of finding a non computerized donor vehicle that doesnt need a complete overhaul are coming to an end. The ones in good shape are now considered collectible, and everything else has been crushed or is completely wasted.

Oh and I had around $17,000 in my model A to make it a safe running driving car ( I have put a lot more in it since) but that was for a no paint, no interior, no frills car. I bet someone in california could build the exact same car for $10,000...and If I were to build it again I think I could do it for 14 or 15 grand by using less aftermarket parts.

That being said I have seen some cool running and driving hot rods pop up lately in the 9,000 to 12,000 dollar range that appear to have a lot more invested in them. It might be cheaper to just buy something thats done rather than spend the next 5 years building a car.

 

Just ran across this on CL, seems like a decent start. Take your 8K and make this a nice presentable Coupester.

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/cto/5549172276.html

 

I'll echo patience. I've been collecting parts and wheeling and dealing for 8 years. my goal was under 10k out of pocket and I'm on track even with lots of the new parts I'm unwilling to compromise on.

Sent from my SM-G920R4 using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Sure wish I'd have seen deals like that when I was looking. I found lots of basket case "ready to drive," junk for $25,000. That car in the add is at least worth a closer look to see if it's safe at least to start with.

 

Summer is coming, go to every local car show in your area, find some contacts, talk to people about their cars, ask what they've got for sale, get phone numbers, save them. If someone's building their own cars they have spare parts. Don't count out muscle car guys, plenty of engine drivetrain components, and everyone is building a new engine.
I used to buy and sell a lot of cars and kept a notebook of contacts, If I ran into a guy that was into pontiacs, I'd call them first when parting a car, or building a pontiac.
Car guys in your area know what other people have too, they can help you find stuff.

 

Everything is possible!

Sent from my SM-N9005 using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/5525568621.html

 

^^Thats a good deal!

 

It's a hell deal , especially for a hot rod. There is a bunch of stuff to sell or swap...but better still if you read the ad he has lots of T 'n A for sale...the mind boggles..it's got my interest and I am only 9000 miles away.

 

i remember seeing a 1928 ford roadster body and frame,nice shape for $4500.00 in east los angeles 2 years ago,while stopping at a yard sale.....deals are out there...

 

I know you don't like them without a "trunk" but I bought an A cowl and pair of sedan doors ,made the rest from tubing and a station wagon roof. I put a peekup box on it (home made),boxed a $40 A frame and a $100 donor car with a 305 and 700 R4. Used wide five wheels.Total as a driver was $3000. Was it crude YES ,was it fun YES. Just stay away from the catalogs and new parts dealers.