Hot Rods parting out a completed hot rod

A buddy and I discussed what to expect parting out a completed car.
Reading thru, I see it sold for $32,500, is it possible to make money selling all the parts etc. ?
Thank you
Flathead-Powered Ford Roadster by VooDoo Larry Kustoms for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $32,250 on January 30, 2026 (Lot #228,254) | Bring a Trailer

 

Ask @Utahvette how much he spent to build a clone of Project X.

 

I see no sensible reason to do that.

 

From what I know, you'd lose your ***.

 

Making money on cars is lame

losing money is half the fun

 

Depends a car is the value of its parts and the skill with which it was ***embled. You won't be able to buy something in a public sale that you can then part out for a profit. Some barn find with rare parts being sold by an unknowing widow you could probably make some money on.
In the end though the process will take awhile and you'll be sitting on the common parts for a long time.

 

Methinks that would work with trees.
Seriously though, the result of parting out a car in order to profit,,,,
would mean that from beginning to end should be a few generations.

 

What makes a car worth 32K is not only the parts, but the application, esthetics and pleasing appearance of those combined parts.
Once you dis***emble the car for parts, it loses that "wow appeal" value and is just a bunch of parts.
Sounds like a money-losing endeavor to me.

 

Jack I’d argue the opposite a lot of cars for sale for “what I got in it” or what the parts are going for currently and the car all together isnt worth that.

What you have to factor in is your sweat equity in taking it apart, marketing and selling the parts, dealing with tire kickers, and the expanded time line of doing all that. It’s probably not worth it.

how ever I’ve very often looked at full cars to basically buy and rebuild it differently. Looking at an ugly 70’s built 32 ford for cheap cuz it’s ugly and no one wants it. But it’s got lots of good parts. So take it apart and put it back together with most of the same parts just changed around to be what I want.

edit: looking at the specific car in question I see no reason I’d take that car apart. Maybe change wheels but no reason for a tear down. 32k for a nice mostly trad 32 roadster seems like a good deal from where I’m sitting. I don’t think there’d be any gain to be had from taking that apart for any reason

 

Has there event been a thread for un-building a hot rod?

 

If you are only involved in this hobby for the money, Im not interested in you. Make-a-buck guys constantly trying to push up prices beyond reasonable affordability **** a lot of the fun out of it.

 

That’s a great car, all it needs is driving tbh!

As mentioned above buying cars to make money is for losers.

Is it me or do those rear coilover springs look mis matched?

 

Just a word of caution, "VOODOO" has a way of making money disappear!

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Another consideration is the relative value of the parts.
With the car complete and all together, a lot of it's parts will be considered "new"...recent purchases.
Once you dis***emble the car, all 0f the random parts become just used parts at "used part" prices.

 

I would say it is theoretically possible to part out that car and make a profit, although the margins would be pretty thin compared to the effort put into doing it.

If you were trying to make a real profit/good margins, there's way more money to be made buying out large parts collections and selling them off piece by piece.

 

I don’t see 32k plus fees in parts there. It is a 31repro body being misrepresented as a 32. The value is in who and how he built it, if that suits your tastes, it’s your huckleberry. Once you take it apart and scratch it and lose a bunch of stuff, truck it around a bit, you can almost see your equity evaporate.

 

I see the same thing on the coils.

 

To me this particular 32 value is
15 -18 k together & 18 high !
building from scratch parts reasonable purchased 26- 30k invested.
People think just because "32" $$

 

If you want to make money by buying and parting out cars, start a wrecking yard.

 

It's not even a '32...It's a '30-'31 Roadster body on a '32 frame.

 

Looks pretty damn good for the money compared to what $32k (£24k) buys you in the UK.

I recently saw a fairly tired looking phaeton tub (in my eyes the least desirable body style of all early Fords) for sate at a show over here that was up at £32k ($43k)!!!!

who cares if the one on BAT is a “31 being misrepresented as a 32” I don’t see on that advert ***le saying it’s a 32 just says Flathead Powered Ford Roadster.

I swear this place is turning into a restoration site sometimes.

rant over.

 

all good input/ replies, I agree with the consensus, thank you.

 

@hotrodjack33
Did not catch firewall reversed
Nor rear quarter, not 32
15 k roadster

 

You have to wash the barn dust off first. (see different thread)

 

Whether anyone agrees or not the roadster in my avatar will never be sold as a vehicle of any kind. I will sell what parts I can and cut/s**** the ch***is/frame for sure. It’s been to a top speed of 216 at the end of 5 miles at Bonneville in 2003 and I have touched every piece of it at one time or another since I bought it in 1981. Its original construction started in 1968 and its life is nearing an end; you can only imagine the revisions since then for the ever changing rules governing the cl*** it has competed in.
It will never get the opportunity for some idiot to install a 2000hp 2JZ or such to possibly cause personal bodily injury. My grandson will be its last driver and hopefully this 2026 Bonneville World Finals will be its last compe***ion as a newer vehicle has already been purchased for him and his brother. 2027 will be a new era for Tone Motorsports if all goes as plans and grandpa can keep his sanity.

 

@jimmy six
I'm ***uming Henry body ?
As of now Is there enough of body to be salvageable to original ?

 

That was a LOT of money for a Model A. Its pretty easy to do the sums. Would be lucky to get 8K for the body. The rest inst going to bring 25k, no matter how you dis***emble it.

 

HMMMM show me all the other comparable cars in the 15K price range with a quick change and all the stuff on that car including a steel Brookfield body that is $8500 on up new , The frame with a quick change and front suspension is going to be at least $8000 to build id wager on repro rails .

It sold for $32,000 so Id wager it could be sold again some what easy for over $25,000

I'm seeing clapped out fibergl*** T buckets going for $12,000 lately . Saw a rough 28 A PU sell with old tired SBC for $22,000 the other day and it needed a lot to be decent

Id buy that car in a heart beat for $15k I don't like the wheels but that's a easy fix.
there is nothing original on it really but f even at $25,000 its going to give a owner a lot of joy . $32,000 well Id be out but there obviously at least two were willing to pay close the selling price .

I doubt you could part it out for close to $32,000. This is a decent build and that has value thats lost if its parted out.