Hot Rods Build an award winning 32 for under 15 G's

Some people will bitch about anything.

 

Yup. I tried to sell it for $1,000, no takers so I shoved it under the bench. A couple weeks later a buddy offered me the 'glass Model A body, and it was off to the races. And the Speedway catalogue...

 

I can definitely see building a 32 ford under 15k even these days. It’s not going to be roadster unless it’s glass one but other bodies are going for less. The body and frame will be the biggest expense. I have a 32 cabriolet body for 5k or a clean 32 truck cab for 4K . Used 32 frame 2k or used aftermarket frame 1500 Let’s say you have 8k to spend on parts
Make a list and it will add up fast but it can be done.

 

As an interesting aside, In the 1960s you could buy a gallon of gas for 39.9 cents...4 dimes...those 4 dimes were 90% silver.
In 1965 Federal Reserve and treasury took the silver out of coins and gave us the "clad fiat coinage" we have today.

Today a gallon of gas cost close to $4.00, or 40 of todays "clad" dimes... BUT those 4 dimes from the 60s that were 90% silver are today worth $8.72 ($2.18 each).

The point is, only the fiat "fake " Federal Reserve paper money and coinage has lost value (buying power) through inflation. Real money (pre '65 90% silver coinage) has increased it's value substantially in spite of inflation.

 

Flynbrian48 - PARTS CAR!!!! Thats better than anything I own or hope to own, man its beautiful. Still if it was parted out at least the motor went into a very high quality roadster.

 

Totally dependent upon how much stash a person has laying around from previous years..

 

And its REAL STEEL!

 

Unless OP just came out of a coma for the past 27 years, this thread was NOT what I was expecting. Hell, we've got members that weren't born in 1997 on here.

Median house price in the US in 1997 was $146,000
Median house price in the US in 2023 was $412,00

 

I have paid 75 cents a gallon for gas. I started driving in 1999.

 

No kidding?

I guess this is in the US, ie not specific to any state.
https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/average-gas-prices-through-history/

 

According to the handy dandy little chart, the national average cost of gas in 1998 was $1.06 and the national average in 1999 was $1.17 a gallon. Depending on where in the country you lived, it could have easily been $.75 a gallon (or less) at some of the cheaper gas locations around the country, or $1.59 a gallon (or more) at higher priced locations, in 1999. Considering the national average was only $1,06 a gallon in 1998, if that gas was bought early in 1999, it could have been cheaper still.

Car parts work the same way. In some locations, there are lots of car parts sitting around and generally, the prices of those parts reflect the abundance of the parts, but other places there just isn't much around anymore, and the prices reflect the scarcity of the parts. Sometimes just being at the right place at the right time makes all the difference. We also can't discount a guy's connections.

We still also can not ignore the fact that sometimes we just have to go to the parts store (real building or online) and buy parts. That is when the reality hits you. The stuff we didn't used to be concerned about are the things that flat kill the budget these days. A couple years ago, common replacement brake and suspension parts used to be reasonably priced. These days, they cost 2x or 3x what they cost 2 years ago. That same brake drum or rotor that used to cost $40 (with free shipping) now may cost $125 or more, and then you add another $25 to get it shipped to you (even through the parts store).

It ain't 2020 anymore.

 

What is this thread even about? Inflation? Building dildos? Strokin' egos?

 

All the above.

 

I have no idea what's going on here, so here's a bunny with a pancake on his head.

 

Too street roddy

 

Wow- this went IMMEDIATELY sideways
@Frames neat car and well done on building a winner with short money, my favorite!

 

Let us not forget where we are and the true focus of the board, maybe move this to the off topic forum

 

Definitely would not mind some more pictures of the chassis. Some kind of three bar in the rear? can not tell from the pictures. You know how to get them low! Always get ideas from your work, Thanks

 

Well, on a positive note, all the activity and comments have no doubt contributed to this becoming a featured thread……..





I’m hoping that @Frames will now put up some of his chassis builds on the “off topic” forum………..
.

 

how bout a 5k woodie..


.

 

Unless you're building a junk-yard special, expect to spend as much (or more) than what a new car would cost. If you're looking to save money, buy a car that somebody else has built; he'll more than likely have to sell it for less than what it cost to build it.

 

Nice, car. I assume (This might sound out of place for others that didn't read the thread) the car you are wanting to be buried in?

 

I doubt one of his race chassis was anywhere near that cheap in 1997 !

 

Next up A 5$ flathead ford with 600 hp...

 

It's the pancake, throws the whole look off.

 

At 8:46 Pacific time 6-22-2024 it equals 29,352.24. If I itemized out the list of parts that I bought for my Model A Victoria that I sold but still have all the parts bought a glass body off Ebay, built or bought a 32 frame and didn't go overboard on paint, chrome or upholstery I could come in under that with a pretty sweet flathead powered car. I've got 1565.00 long ago spent dollars on flathead, heads, intake, Dwight Bond adapter and S-10 T 5. 200 in a SoCal dropped axle, 100 in the front spindles, 100 in a batch of F 1 parts including front brakes, steering box, crossmember and pedals. 40 bucks in Ford steel pickup wheels from the 70's.

Actually as of this morning if I wanted to go 32 3 window there is a glass body coupe with a lot of extras 160 miles from me that combined with my parts would put me in a running driving car for 15K and leave money for paint and interior. I don't have 8 k sitting around to spend this morning though. If I did I'd be hooking onto the trailer and calling my brother who lives in that area.

 

I’ll take two please.
I don’t want to be greedy

 

Actually a really nice car. Well built for the day especially since it has a bunch of traditional details. I don't think you could build anything near that today for even the $30K adjustment. I have close to that in my unfinished roadster with no end in sight. My hat is off to Frames for seeing a project through.

 

A lot of the time it is the "gotta haves " and not being a bargain hunter that run the tab up on hot rod projects. Case in point, Flynbrian48's hemi in his roadster. Most guys see that as a 10K minimum spent engine but it Came out of his Wagon that in turn got a lot more powerful engine and matching trans to pull his pretty sizable travel trailer reliably. Not a high cost item as far as he is concerned but if you bought a core motor the same size and ran it through H&H for a redo 10 probably wouldn't pay the bill.
I've got over 500 tied up in finned aluminum pieces to go on my 292 for my 48 plus a 400 dollar aluminum 4 barrel intake. Did I need them? no but they were on my "gotta have" list.