More Ambition Than $$$ (Low-Buck Customs)

I've got less than 3k into my chevy, but I sold enough parts off it and a parts car to pay for the initial purchase. I'm planning on dumping more money into it to make it a bit more friendly to drive...

 

Love this thread -- I bought my car pretty cheap too . . . the fun part about cheap/old/non-rare cars is a lot of people have fond memories of them. My father-in-law has a car and people go walking by and say "I didn't know they even made that", but my car is like "my dad/grandpa/brother/etc... had one and here's a story". Kind of interesting at times.

 

That's Hot Rod Scott next to the car.

 

im 5k just in redoing a running car....and its no where NEAR a showcar. and the body work isnt done. i could have been patient and waited for deals, but i ended up buying new things. **** gets expensive.

wood for a sedan just he top is expensive, top kit, new brake master, steering box, new tires,

you know how much those steering ujoints are?
gastank, headers,

granted i could have sold some things but ended up just giving them away to friends who were willing to help out with it.

im wierd in a sense that i dont like having extra car parts laying around.

 

I am currently into my 49' Fleetline for about $700. I think it will be roadworthy around 2g's total.

Then I start the interior and making her pretty...$$$

 

I've seen some pretty nice cars built for under 10 grand, but I definately don't believe it's something just anyone can do. In mine and my friends' position it isn't terribly difficult. First of all one of the guys owns a wrecking yard so a lot of parts are very reasonable. Second of all, none of us has all the tools in the world, but we all have a very good selection. It works out to where if one of us doesn't have a tool that we need, someone else usualy does. The next thing is none of us knows how to completey build a car, but all of us have skills and we share our skills. The next thing is we have several rural areas around us that still have a few old cars sitting around so we usually don't pay a ton for them from the start. As a result, between us, we have built a Tbucket, 2 model A roadsters, 2 model A coupes, a 36 coupe, a 38 plymouth sedan, plus a few others. In spite of all this, I honestly cant see a 32 Ford of any kind being built for less than 10 grand because the bodies and frames are so high.
Doc

 

under 10K, not by much..

 

ok i guess ill talk about my 61 comet
$700 for car w/ new gastank
$75 break parts
$50 for junk yard leaf springs and coils
$30 nappa shocks
$150 for new carpet
pathced the floor pans w/ 2 old hoods
$30 head gasket
$200 of other little stuff inc homemad door pannels

drove it 1300 mi in the last 3 weeks

 

here is mine @ $5535. (but also got free parts. bout $7000 (if I bought everything))
37chevy pu cab June 2005 $300
metal for frame and other $400
front and rear springs and parts $1000
grill $45
radiator $130
vega box $250
seats $45
taillights $45
exhaust $220
breaks and clutch $500
misc hardware $350
engine total after freshing $1400
fees to get it ***led $300
drive shaft $150
front axle and head lights off of part car that I bought $400 for the car (and still have parts for other cars)

rear axle FREE if I were to pay bout $225 around austin
bed FREE bout $150 or less
4 speed trans FREE I am guessing $800 through catalogs
gas tank FREE unknown price if I bought
alot of recycled items also: wood in bed off my car trailer, old jumper cable for batter cables, tie down and steering support from connecting rods from a s**** motor, and other misc from around the garage.

 

$600 purchase
$150 register
$1500 engine build
case of beer for rear springs
$180.00 for de-arching said springs
$300.00 exhaust work.
$150.00 misc sheet/bar/tube steel
maintenance over the last 10 years minimal...
A little under 3000.00 total

Not gorgeous but the bones are there.

 

I don't have it all broken out, but I'm still well under $3000 on this one. Lots of free parts went into this one, including the "Multipower" intake. I just picked up a good '53 flattie (probably rebuild it this winter) and steering wheel (going in it next weekend), all free, last weekend. It pays to have connections! (New WWWs go on the back next weekend also)

 

i had 'bout $2500 in to this caddy (with the dumb *** 20's) drove it year round for a while! and yes it was bagged

 

I do! And what ****s is for my build, there wasn't much of an alternative.

Certain things I shelled out the cash for...brakes, steering, tires. And bolts?! Jeez! My build's still under 10 grand...not bad in my eyes for a custom with an MII and bags.

Bryan

 

are you kidding!? that this is beyond gorgeous man. i just fell in love with your car!

 

Spraybombed with bumperchrome rattlecans then rubbed with 00 steel wool

 

2000.00 with insurance and reg

 

Yes it has a rear step notch/four link and full are ride. Thanks for the kind words. Dustin

 

Good question everyone has put some cool projects on here. It's really good to see what's being built.

 

$4500 purchase running
New water and oil pumps $50
Carb $230
Power Pack heads $60
Machine heads / valve job $300
Cam, Roller tipped rockers, timing set, springs, retainers, push rods $300
Aluminum slots $200
Skinny whites $230

 

Heres my Stude, I figure about 2500 with purchase price, a lot of donations and a lot of help!
(Hell I paid more for the lawnmower in the background than I did for the car!)

 

NOW !!! This is LOW BUCK..........but you got to start somewhere !!!!!

 

Here are a few I picked up over the years.

$2000 for this one - shoebox

$1500 for the plymouth

$2500 for 41 Plymouth coupe and rebuilt 292 hemi.

Most of the work done myself. That's what its about right?

 

Got about $6k NZ in my 55 Plymouth. Will have about $8k NZ ($5k US) by the time its on the road and legal.