Projects What should I look at for my next project?

Some Background:
10+ years ago, I was the Studebaker king. Then like 7-8 years ago the county started using Google Earth satellite view to enforce the county-wide junk ordnance, even though I was in a rural area on an 80 acre farm.

I soon found out that that venue of the hobby no longer held interest, once I couldn't have my parts stash of junk cars out in the field. So based on that, my feeling is now anything I look for has to be common, something there's a good parts support network for, and not having to compete with the gold-chainers $-wise for the last one out there (I just turned 40, so I still have bills to pay on life's necessities).

One thought has been a Model A Ford. I keep hearing they are a soft market, but sure doesn't seem like it locally.

I would very much like to hear thoughts.

 

I've had a few oddballs over the past several years. Parts can be hard to find, but they are still out there. Unfortunately the oddballs are usually oddballs because they're ugly or badly designed, so you have to deal with that. The cars that are nice cars and look nice usually demand a high premium to buy. Parts availability can be great, but that means spending even more money!

It's quite a dilemma. And I doubt it's gonna get any better by the time you get your bills all paid off and can retire and live a life of leisure (which turns out is a pretty rare thing).

If you just want any old car that has cheap parts, but may not be real useful to drive, the T and A might fit the bill, but you're going to have to work at it to find a good starting point. I suggest getting in with a local or nearby club, as those guys have all the cars and parts in the area, and getting on their good side by showing eager but respectful interest might be the ticket in.

Good luck...

 

I am a member of the local car clubs yet. They keep asking me why they don't see me driving a Silver Hawk anymore. LOL. When I mentioned local prices of A's, I also was referring to them.

T is probably out, only ones that ever talked to me anyways were the 26-27's. Model A could be a fun local runner in my rural area.

 

Model A's are probably your best bet, according to the web there were 4,858,644 built so there are plenty of parts and cars, unrestored and restored, buying the best car, body wise will save money in the long run. HRP

 

I've been noticing that lately, on Craigslist & Facebook Marketplace, there are a lot of reasonably priced 40s/50s Buicks and Oldsmobiles to be had. Just a thought..

 

Model A for a good looking body style. but, will your body style fit good in one? moving up to late 30 - 40s provide more space and wider range of less compe***ive prices. of course some, like '37 Ford coupe, not cheap.

 

I see you have Michigan marked as home base. Being here on the West coast I would ***ume you're used to a lot of Rust and Rot even if it's a pretty complete unit you're starting with. My advice is just stay away from those simply due to the m***ive time and hand work doing the salvage work. I can say that being I fed my family and paid my bills doing that for others. Spend a little more going in and start with good bones. There are tons of unfinished projects out there to pick from. Lots of guys find a hulk knowing they can't start on it the next week and begin stashing everything to build it with for years only to reach older age and not have the interest to actually do the work. There's a deal to be had. Spread your hunt zone out to better climates and make recovery a family vacation or a weekend Red Eye flight and return home in a large U-Haul filled with a year's worth of work. I myself am guilty of "I'll get to it" projects. Now retired and post 76 years young have way more projects tucked away than I have productive work time left. I know it's time to start sending them to a better future. I don't own anything I can't do and wish my former Customers would have brought me project like them instead of some I went ahead and did. Never buy a project you haven't previously had the desire to have. Don't buy just based on price. Be smart going in and you'll be a lot happier in the end. If you're just wanting to keep your hands busy building find a friend to help out and don't be the one spending $$$ just because.

 

Your next project should be what you really want it to be. You should do some soul searching, figure out what kind of vehicle you really want, and work towards acquiring that. Desire to own that particular vehicle should be the most significant, if not the only, factor you consider. I gather you are a hobbyist like many of us are, where you're not turning out a completed build every year or more often. If you're going to dedicate hundreds if not thousands of hours of work and tens of thousands of dollars to a project, it should be something you're legitimately excited about.

All too often we settle for cars that are just what's available or what's a good deal. This is a lesson I've learned the hard way. We only have so much time on this planet and this stuff is supposed to be fun. There are enough chores and obligations we have that ****, that we don't want to do, but that we have to do for one reason or another. Go get what you want and the project will never be an obligation

 

First, define your budget. No fun spending all you have then having to wait a long time before you can put money into it.
Second, determine the era and style vehicle you want and what you want it to do. Weekend cruiser, daily driver ability, or show queen. There can be overlap, but upset the balance and a project quickly becomes something you didn’t start out to have.
Third, be honest with your abilities. Some folks can do it all, some only part and then have to farm out the rest. Know your strengths and weaknesses.
Fourth, how quickly do you want to be driving it? Buying a complete vehicle already close to what you want will allow you to be on the road quicker, while buying a 100% stocker can take a long time to get to your dream ride.
Lastly, look at similar models from different manufacturers or model runs. A 65 Lemans will be cheaper than a 65 GTO or a 65 Chevelle. An OT C3 Corvette will be cheaper than a C1 or C2.
The world is full of choices, make a list and have happy hunting!

 

grow some trees and build a fence has always been my go to. if they cross that property line to take photos its tresp***ing.

 

Tough to suggest a particular car model, as I've always chosen mine by seeing a car and having the particular car just grab my attention. Usually just because they were pretty much a nice body style, hadn't been a project yet, and for one reason or another they were cheap to buy. Either because they needed a lot of rust repair, or I just got lucky finding them.
So my suggestion would be to look at local ads, and if something just calls to you because you like it, and think it would look good once you've finished it, then that's the car to buy.

 

A big problem is that all Hamb era cars are getting old and scarce and probably worse in the rust belt. Even the "late model" cars we source for parts. I needed a driveshaft slip yoke and thought it would be easy to find since pretty much most GM rwd cars had this piece. The wreckers had nothing. These cars are now about 40 years old; the same as you are.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with this.

The tough part might be being able to afford it....but if the desire is strong enough, you'll find a way.

 

I feel your pain, back in the early 80's I had about 50 cars on my acreage. I received a letter in the mail that I was in violation of the zoning ordinance and to either pe***ion to change the zoning to heavy industrial or clean up the mess. I crushed all of it.
Several other people suggested, and I concur, build a car that you like, otherwise it won't be fun. For what it is worth I used up four Studebaker's to build the 53 Coupe that I just sold. It is on it's way to Florida as I type. I'm sorta where you are, what do I build next. In my case my wife wants a panel to haul her art, I just want to find one she likes and I can get some joy in building it.

 

I totally agree with finding the best solid survivor metal available. Mostly for the time and cost savings in the long run. If a Model A is decided on, everything for an "A" is readily available, either good used original parts or reproduced. One of the best choices for an economical build or as wild and extravagant as you can dream.
The most important thing in my opinion is coming up with a well thought out plan. I've said this before; Take the time to peruse every photo and build thread to come up with a combination of features, style you like and save the pics, make notes all the while keeping an ear to the ground for what cars and parts become available.
Probably didn't say anything you didn't already know.

 

49-54 Chevy cars are surprisingly cheap with a decent amount of parts support and availability. And not actually bad to drive. I bought my 53 Bel Air because I couldn't afford a 56 210 like I wanted at the time. I've since decided my 53 will be a custom that's a true daily driver while I build a 56 into a semi show car quality build. That way I'll be able to end up with the best of both worlds. I'll have a fifties car to play with and be able to take my time a do a 56 pretty much exactly how I want it

 

4l60 uses same slip yoke.....just have to plug a small hole on the back

 

I like some of the advice, #1 find the car you want- find the best and most complete version of it. If you want a AV8 maybe look for a lightly hotrodded one. Consider out of state ones, like from other Model A clubs.
Also get something you want to use for a while, dont buy for flipping purposes.

Also find a driveable project, I always wonder how many "I'll drive it some day" dreams are on this board.

If you are going Model A, maybe see if there is a local club. I see a lot Models A going for reasonable prices in LA.

 

Late 40s to early 50s Mopars are abundant and way affordable and lots of support and parts out there....

 

The weird thing about Model A's is, the bargains are on the finished stock ones. The projects I see for sale around me, sellers seem to want almost as much for a starting point as a runner, and about double the price of a nice stocker for an unfinished rod project. Like, who is going to pay $7500 for a half-decent, stripped body on a roller ch***is when you could drive one home for like $12K. Or, asking $20K for one that "just needs finishing", meaning paint, upholstery, gl***, wiring, exhaust, etc. I can't remember the last time I saw a body shell on a frame for 2 or 3 grand. They were around 10 years ago, but not anymore it seems.

What's your budget?

 

Buy a done car that you like. Ts are not really reasonable in anything but slow empty roads. Model As would be the earliest car for rural traveling. Look at Paul Shinn's you tube channel.
Compare local to nationwide.
https://www.mafca.com/cl/cl-v-sale.html
I chose to search nationwide and a top end of 20K here. You can change to suit.
https://www.autotempest.com/results...minyear=1928&maxyear=1931&saletype=cl***ified
I would imagine that just about every one is going to be restored at that price, and most have moved around, so picking a southern car is not as critical. Paul has videos on inspecting, which IS important.

Any car from the late 20s through the early 50s is going to require work to keep it going and reliable. Late 50s to HAMB's 1965 cutoff will still require regular maintenance and adjustments to scratch that 'fiddle with it' itch.
Anything that requires over a certain purchase price is going to be a question of holding value, I.E., investment, which is unfortunate, but must be considered when you have family and plan on retiring.
20K invested now will return a big chunk in 25 years when you retire. BTW, this site is junk, but shows compound interest info.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/09/11/investing-stock-market-turn-20000-350000/

You could also try your hand at politics and shape the local area to go after real issues instead of picking on hobbyists who are not doin' nuttin' to nobody.

 

Lots of good advice already. One thing not mentioned is the amount of wood in the car. Early cars had lots, by the 40s mostly gone. Buy what you like in the price range that you can afford, and as complete as possible if a project. Aftermarket parts support should also be a consideration. Ford and Chevy have good support, followed by Mopar, then BOP.

 

What I personally have experienced in my last 4 projects is that reproduction parts are not even close to what they were just 6 or 8 years ago. Manufactures and suppliers are no longer building in m*** for the future builders. The demand far exceeds what is at the end of the 1-800 phone lines. I have had long wait times, like months on some and for a windshield frame almost 4 years though I did finally get my hands on it. So, parts like Model A, 1940 Ford Car and Truck, 57 Ford car, 53-56 F-100. The on-hand parts for venders are at an all-time low and once they get what you've been waiting for the price jumps are making a big impact on whether to continue or not. Just saying Be Informed before you jump. This is no longer a Pocket Change hobby. It has become a real investment to build near anything. At this point I would never start a project that to achieve the end result wanted includes a total repaint inside and out unless I had the operations to do it myself and maybe not even then. Things have changed a lot in the past 10 years.

 

Keep what you have. Put up poll barns, plant trees, get them out of site from above or from roadways.

When I lived in the country, the county sent me a notice that my place was also in violation of zoning, I had 13 parts cars and 4 licensed driver vehicles for two drivers.
Soon after some guy showed up at my place. seems someone reported me. I removed the 2 or 3 that were the most picked over remains, and parked the rest in nice straight rows with the nicer, more complete closest to the road. Never heard from them again.

That grumpy old man that lived a few places west of me moved into the city, the guy that bought his place put must have been 100 cars to part out on his old property. The har***ment ended when that old man moved into town.

About that same time, my buddy's parents owned a very large family farm (1,000 acres). they had one corner of the farm where they kept old cars, trucks and farm equipment. The county sent them a letter like they sent me, but must have included an aerial photo. His parents responded " We are operating a family farm that has been at this location before most in your office were even born. The area you are concerned about is a farm equipment outside storage area where we keep equipment we may need in the future. Our lawyers are waiting to hear how you would like to proceed." That story ended there.

Sometimes people with new found authority try to show people how much power they think they have, but really do not have.

If you really are considering your next vehicle choices, pick something you really want. You can probably get away with one or maybe two parts cars like the one you just chose, but really, if you think you need 20 of the same thing, you are missing the point.

I know that collecting every version of some car model or brand is some kind of a lofty goal here, but really, every extra one you have means someone else can't have one. Cheating someone out of the opportunity to own a car of their dreams, so you can have one more for your collection is usually not a good trait to have, unless you are supplying needed parts for everyone that may need them. Keeping them for yourself or keeping them so no one else can have one is nothing but greed.

 

The last post by @Pist-n-Broke says it all. If a "project" is what you want, do your research on aftermarket support first. I have owned some oddballs over the years, and it is not what it used to be for parts. My latest project involves a pair of Buicks. The last remaining manufacturer of dropped uprights no longer makes them, and the company that made disc brake adapters went out of business. Something as simple as replacement gl*** can be a challenge with some cars.

 

The best way for me to answer your question is to how I buy others project cars.
Reasons people sell their project cars-
1. Lack motivation
2. Lack skills
3. Lack space
4. Lack time
5. Lack funds
6. Lack focus
Now if you have all of the above, pick out a body style you love, that has support in the aftermarket.
Good luck.

 

Are you a builder, or a driver? This game is changing. It costs more to be a builder now. Some of the ready drivers out there cost less than a paint job. Also, I totally agree with expanding your radius. I always seem to find cars from California, or Texas, but I get them here somehow. Plane tickets, rental cars and hotels are wayyyy cheaper than body shop labor bills.

 

I used to be a builder. Pictures attached. I did this hawk 15 years ago, But like you said, its no longer the same game anymore. If I was to buy a Model A or such, it would have to be at least older restore stocker driver. I'm not going to spent $6-$8k for a junky one or body shell when outside my area one can get maybe a decent closed body one for $10k-$12k. However, that pricing does not seem to exist locally, everybody is asking $25k for "grandpas car"

59 Hawk: Pulled out of a garage where it had sat for 30 years. I think I paid $750 or $800 for it. Had 12' of new frame bottom plate sheared downstate that I welded in. I did all the body work myself and painted it with Dupont Centari that cost me $175/gal in that original seamist green. I think that was the last Centari the local paint place mixed. Got a vintage set of aftermarket green plaid seat covers for it at a swap meet for $75. Original door panels, headliner, and carpet was nice. We didn't know how good we had it.

 

If you liked driving the Stude, you're gonna be sorely disappointed driving a stock A....

 

Since you live on a farm, why not look at the 49-54 Chevy pick up trucks. Lots of them around for reasonable prices in decent condition. Parts available everywhere....both original and reproduction. You can install virtually any engine and trans in them. You don't need a beautiful paint job to enjoy them...but you can if you like. The pics below are not my vehicles but just to show what can be done.





Can't get much more affordable than these..........