Projects Can I build a 1950 Buick Custom in Less than 1 year?

You can on TV!

 

Sure you can.
If you're not married or in a serious relationship, don't have kids, don't watch TV, have buckets of money to spend, don't have a very demanding job, or are retired, have no social life, don't answer the phone when it rings, and have unlimited energy..
Piece of cake.

 

If you're retired, or can take the year off work, I think it's entirely possible. But if you're building this after work, and weekends, I'd say 1 year is awfully ambitious thinking! even for someone with great skills!

 

‘52, twelve years and counting!

 

If time is the major consideration, then I would try to source a better starting point. A lot depends on your degree of customization and the fit and finish.I don’t think a year is out of the question, but I could never do it, as I have too many distractions. I try not to turn my hobby into a job.

 

Building cars is supposed to be for fun unless it's a business. I feel there is a difference between a Job and a Mission. When my Brother and I built my 51 we set a Block of time aside to do this in. We were on a Mission. This was not the first time we did such a thing together. We actually set out 16 Weeks and no matter where it would have been we would have stopped working, We just got lucky. In return I gave him a 40 Ford project truck we were going to do the same treatment to the following year. Sadly, his health took a turn and that never happened. That happens to be the same Truck that Bandit Billy is just now getting finished. My Brother would be blown away with how it has turned out. Well done Billy.

 

My garage is heated by a kerosene heater only. I'm pretty much impervious to working in the cold weather. I never got used to working inside for the past 35 years.

So we spent 2 brutal winters in my garage with that heater and a smaller electric one in the machine shop area. There were some single-digit days where I couldn't get the shop past 32. I could cope with it, over 45 and I could work in a t-shirt. My brother showed up in long johns, 3 layers on top of that plus a coat.

Nobody, almost..., likes working in the cold. So factor that into your plans. Hot weather, we started earlier of later to beat the heat and took pool breaks. In the two year flog, we only missed around 10 Saturdays due to snow, too cold or someone being sick.

 

6 month build, 6 months driving, nearly 10,000 miles.



Can it be done? Yes.

Can YOU do it?

That's not for us to decide.

If you put your mind to it, and have the skills and the time, Yes.

The only reason I could build this car in the amount of time I did, was it was not my first rodeo, I have built a few cars before, and I even built a running hot rod in 3 months before.
Having done that, I knew what to focus on and where to spend the money rather than time.
I also was building a bare bones hot rod, not a custom fullsize car.

If you can devote the time/energy/money to it? Go Man Go!

 

"Time is Money", or is it Money is Time.......... now Im confused

 

CAN I BUILD A 1950 BUICK CUSTOM IN LESS THAN 1 YEAR?

I don't know, can you? HRP

Many factors should be considered, do you have the
ability?, if not do you have deep pockets to pay someone to do the work?, Fabrication skills? and can you stay focused?

One year will go by in a flash, good luck. HRP

 

I know I can't do a one year build, nor would I even attempt it. Chroming and powder coating eats up most of that time allotment.

My truck that @Pist-n-Broke (thanks for the nod buddy) mentioned above has taken me 5 years (I spent 2 years just doing the body/paint). My roadster took another 5 years. Hell, I have one year per car into merely taking pictures and updating my build threads on the HAMB.

Funny, add those two builds together and I spent the last 10 years of my life on them, and that is almost exactly how long I have been an alliance member.

 

@Bandit Billy C'mon Dude you just need more youtube and Bad Chad in your life

I say it really depends on your skills, how deep your pockets are .... what you can accomplish with your time spent.
I started on this project in 2018. I did what I could, then I needed to take time off to teach myself to weld.

During the off period and no floor in the truck I blew it apart and cleaned, painted, greased everything on the truck suspension. I can tell you the condition of each bearing, brake shoe, brake drum, clutch ....
Mechanically this truck is ready to rock & roll.

My paint & body work skills suck so bad, that will be another year or so to teach myself ......
I wanted gloss black to make it as it was from the factory ..... I changed to Matte black to cover my mistakes.

If a guy goes through all the steps and does it one time .... If you know then you know.
If you have to ask, Then you probably can not do it.

We all take the first step at some point.

 

You've got a Super convertible and you want to build that 4 door? Cut it up and build the convertible, stop wasting time posing questions no one can answer.

 

Depends on how custom and how finished

 

I’d drive it.

make it go and stop = finished in my book

 

A 50 Buick has about a half a million parts on it. You have a good start on it, it's sitting good now. Slam a drivetrain in it, make it stop, wire and fire it. Yes you can do this!!
I applaud you in this venture. Keep at it every day even if you get one thing done.
I did an insane amount of work on my roadster in 6 weeks time when TROG accepted my entry a few years ago. When you have a deadline it'll really motivate you. Keep us posted and good luck!!

 

You sound like me;
"I've got 3 other cars that are nearly complete... why not start another project from nearly scratch?"
And I wonder why M'Lady give me eye-rolls...
B.T.W.; Go for it!

 

That's basically the plan, get it road worthy and drive it everyday! I'm tired of driving my boring old silverado around daily with its v6 and slushy transmission.

I like the advice of trying to get one thing done on it everyday. The small things will add up.

I guess I mostly wanted motivation from you guys when I started this thread so thanks for all the replies so far. Seeing what you guys have accomplished in even shorter periods of time is inspiring.

Going to be continuing this build thread here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1950-bad-mouth-buick-build-thread.1306905/#post-15075607