So, Im 17 and I picked up a 32 coupe last weekend for 1400 bucks. Now, I have no idea what to do first. Im tight on money so I cant buy a frame now or anything. I have a model A frame???? I need suggestions on what i should do! I attached some pics of how I got it this weekend before I brought it home. Dan
Congrats and good luck man...with a small budget it will be awhile , but be patient it will come together..
Hell yeah, good score! Even if it takes you 3 years to finish, you'll still only be 20 with a sweet car that you built yourself. I'm 30 and I have friends who are my age who don't even have a car....any kind of car! Just be patient and hang on to it...they don't exactly depreciate in value.
good score, thats a hell cheap start, now spend some time taking a panel beating or similar course in night school or somewhere then you should be in a position to start putting it back together, hell its not really a whole lot worse then the A parts I'm starting with.
That looks great for an experienced mechanic but... for someone starting out i suggest selling it. You would be surprised what someone would give for that as is. Take the money and buy a more complete project or save some more and get a great early 50s custom type car. You did real good buying it, but without alot of tools and alot of experience that thing might break your heart. Either way Good Luck!
Before you try to do anything you really need a frame. So save your dough and spring for a set of American stampings. In the meantime hook up with the local greybeards, and volunteer to help out with any tasks they undertake. Someone they know will know someone with a 5w and will let you take measurements. First task is to build a floor pan. All your pieces need to be referenced from a very true and accurate floor. I have a 5w body too, but it helps alot if you can see another with your own eyes to see how you are going to proceed. By the way congrats on your score......
You're a punk!!! Sorry, that's just the jealousy and beer talkin'.... Congrats on the almost Holy Grail find. Hang on to it, take your time and keep an ear to the ground for stuff you can use. Also, keep some smelling salts on you at all times. That way when you faint at the price of the rest of the parts you'll need someone can revive you. 17 and a Duece owner. You are a magnificant *******. Congrats again.
Great score. I'm 40 and I've never owned anything that cool. Don't be in a hurry. Just take your time, learn, do things right ask lots of questions and don't start cutting corners just because you're excited to get it on the road. You'll have a damn cool car some day.
I think you should have the pieces acid dipped or carefully star blasted and sealed up really well as a precaution against any more rust. Once the pieces are all de-rusted, sealed and stored, I'd get yourself a beater car (old or new, doesn't matter) and start practicing bodywork/welding/fabrication. When you're good enough at it, start in on the Deuce. Even though it's mega rough, that's about as highly sought after as cars come. I don't think you should start in on it full blast until you have some training/experience under your belt. But a hell of a score. Now you can look down your nose at people and tell them about how you have a REAL Deuce and how that makes you better than them! That's what the other Deuce guys do. I know I'd be rubbing it in every chance I got. You done good.
You are the coolest 17yr old ever. You already know that right? Just don't be in a hurry...thats the car that'll keep you young forever, kinda like the holy water. Keep us posted, and if you ever decide to sell it can I be first in line?
Yeah, but you're still a punk... Holy **** I really am jealous today!!!! J/K - Everything Squablow says is good advice. What you have is only going to get more valuable as time p***es so don't be in a hurry to start what you may not be reasdy to finish. Good luck and keep them pics coming.
What a pile of ****. Seriously, you've gotta be the first 17yr old Deuce owner in the last 40 years...
You'll never be able to replace the car. Hang onto it!!! - even if you hang it up on your garage wall - looks to be in enough peices to do that already. There are probably some guys around you that are going to s**** thier original frames for nice new Pete&Jakes Rollers or whatever - sniff around you can find a decent deal on a frame. My buddy got a '34 frame for $200 cause the guy bought a Pete&Jakes Roller for $9k I also agree with the other guys here - get some stuff to practice on first. Go to the junk yard and get some "Late Model" hoods - or go to the local body shop and see if they have some they are sending to the s****per. You don't have to buy a whole car to practice - when your ready to start slinging mud - you can do it the same way - just dent up a nice big thin panel and then work it out and mud it up. and besides mud work is easier to grind back out if you screw it up - metal work is not so easy to fix. Practice welding on hoods, doors, trucks, roofs - whatever you can find that is THIN - which is why I said late model. See if you can have someone teach you how to O/A weld or Tig weld on sheet metal. It takes time and patience - but the finish work will be alot nicer. - from everything I've seen MIG is the fast and easy way - but O/A or TIG is Beautiful!
Very Cool! Congrats. I'd wait untill I had all the parts before I'd start working on it. You'll need a nice straight Ch***is, if you want it to be a nice straight Car. You'll also need The Firewall, Hood ( if you are going to use one ) Grilleshell, Decklid. Take your time, so what if that takes you 10 years. You'll be a 27 year old with a Deuce Coupe... Some pics of the Deuce Coupe that belongs to Hot Rod Ron. It was worked on before all the parts were there, and we had to cut it in 5 pieces to make everything line up again.
Ace, What a great find for a 17 year old! Welcome to the HAMB! DO NOT sell that body unless something better comes along. I still have the 1930 A Roadster I found when I was about 13 sold it once and bought it back 25 years later. Point is times goes by quickly, learn body work skills, save some money and buy the parts you need to put this back together. SAVE the rear fenders, you'll need them to help mock up the body once you get a frame and firewall. Nobody asked yet, how did you find it? that is sometimes the best part of the story. Good luck, keep posting photos & questions. Almost forgot, I'm 55 and just got a '32 Vicky that is in the same condition.
Damn good score... and you've gotten some great advice so far... patience is going to be hard, but take your time with her, and remember you will not be able to replace her...
I wouldn't even think about using an A frame. If really cant see yourself getting the money together to be able to put it together "right" (and I hate to say it that way)...I think you'd be better off cleaning up and gently straightening out what you have there, maybe ***emble it, then sell it off to fund another hot rod. You should be able to get enough out of it to finish up a nice model A. Least thats what I'd do if I were in you're shoes. And congradulations on the great buy. -Jeff
hey your only a couple hours down the road from me! it looks a bit rough but nothing you can't get back together with some patience and parts hunting, still some good finds around your area it looks like to, there was a guy between porthill and creston that had some old stuff from the 30's not sure if any of it is still around though but might be a place to look for some stuff you need and he was extremely reasonable
Thanks for all of the GREAT advice guys. I currently own a 1930 A Coupe, 28 A tudor, and the 32. I bought them all myself so dont think im spoiled or somthing. I worked for years to get these cars. These are my dream cars. I want to get as much as I can done on them before I leave for the NAVY on July 11 2007. Again, thanks for all of the support. If there are any HAMBers in the area that want to help let me know!(sandpoint, couer d' alene, spokane?) THANKS Dan
hey that is a lot like what my coupe looked like, only mine was smashed and beat back out(it was an old stock car) jeff
You shoulld make a comitment to yourself to not sell that body. You will be very tempted to sell in the future if you get frustrated with the project or people make you offers that are very tempting but if you sell it you will probably regret it in a big way for the rest of your life. Don't be in any hurry to build it. A good start would be saving some money to get a pair of repro frame rails, take your time, if you try to build it quick it will be very frustrating. Great score!!
Originally I was going to say sell it to someone who is damn good at metal work, but after reading the other replies, i'd say keep it and put it away. I can say for certain you'd be kicking yourself in the *** later on if you sold it. $1400 ain't **** in the long run, but any ford made in 1932 is only going to go up in value! Get an idea of what you want it to look like, collect the right parts, and build it then.
look at the coupe ***us started with... looked just like that- Congrats and KEEP it. Dont ever sell it. BTW- Its cool your going in the navy, make the best of it and use the GI bill- Tuck
I don't know what your skills are but if you do this, you'll be driving it in no time. 1) Get an aducation. 2) Take EXTRA cl***es such as welding, fabrication, machine shop and auto mechanics at your local adult school, J.C. or college. 3) Get a job, learn a skill... and keep trading up until you have the job you want that makes the money you want. 4) use the skills you learn at night cl***es to do side jobs to make money for your car. I followed this formula... and it's been quite successful. You will have to learn more than you thought you would have to and spend more time than you think... but in the end, when you hit the key and drive it... it'll all be worth it. Sam.
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