Hot Rods Dirt Cheap Hot Rodding

I built this little thing from mostly junk parts last year. Lots of time and a little money...probably around 4 grand all in. Lots of help with parts and donations from friends, and lots of rebuilding old stuff. Is it "fast"? Well, compared to a stock A it's pretty quick. Fun? Oh hell yes!

 

@mitch 36 we all want to see it!

 

I dont know if theres enough room in my brain for everyone

 

YES.....flashbacks to "Outlaw Sprint Car Racer" John Gerber. If you don't have the book, try to find a copy. This thread makes me try to kick my own ****. Sold all my 1928 Chev project stuff back in 2023.....but I did manage to keep one 1928 rolling ch***is tucked way back in the corner of the bldg. Now if I could just do something about....being 80yrs old....battling prostate cancer....needing back surgery. Worst case scenario....my grandson ventures back in the corner and says "grandpa....what is this ?". Maybe at least we can get the engine unstuck and running.
Love this kind of stuff.....keep it coming.....and most of all have fun.

 

Me likey!! And my mom lives in Osoyoos, and the ***le doesn't matter in my province, and....****, Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up....

 

It might be fugly but it certainly is crude.

Lynn

 

Well, not shy to say that would never be me. Not my style, not my idea of fun, and never would I diss those who thrive on such things. $10k budget? Since I do nearly everything except sewing and engine machine work I could whip up something very nice to look at and drive anywhere I wish. Of course it wouldn't be HRTY material but it surely would be welcome a****st that ilk. Money be damned, I need a time budget. 11 years of client obligations and weeks long injuries have taken a toll on my precious 39

 

Built my bus on a 5k budget
JS

 

If I was shipping a container this year that would be mine although would have to work around getting it into the US. Looks to be a fun, great little beach race car. When I originally saw the ad I almost reached out about it. @bct any more details? Pics?

 

Could you get BC registration for it?

 

Was goofing off at school years ago.


everthing in that pic was less than $200

 

once again--always a dodge!

 

I've been working on my '29 Model AA for more than 52 years and just this month am able to drive it. Have I tallied up the receipts? Oh hell no! Was it cheap? Same response. Could it have been built cheaper? Over all, I built what I could afford. Is it fun? So far, yeah. Is it done? Not until I fabricate a bed and some rear fenders. The point we seem to arrive at on the HAMB is we all have a vision, the dedication to stick with it and the stubbornness to endure the failures and setbacks. Over the years we also develop the skills to see it all through. YRMV.

 

Pontiac
Studebaker
Avery tractor

 

darn-missed it!

 

Then that is a CUSTOM, IMO. Not a hot rod. Not the way we did in the 1950s in Jasper County, MO.

Ben

 

Well, if a guy can't build a presentable drivable hot rod for under 10 K he just isn't trying.
Right now, there is a presentable little RP project about 250 miles from me for 2500 that after swapping parts around I could sell a couple of things that come with it. Thing is I have almost everything else out in the sheds to put a nifty little traditional flathead car together,
the 8 BA flathead that I paid 400 for all too long ago,
the Edelbrock intake that cost 150
Add in the F-1 3 speed that cost 75 about 20 years ago.
plus a set of 60 buck swap meet headers
The Edmonds heads (the big ticket item that was around 400)
Throw in the Temu 32 shell and grill that cost 150.
Another left over from the 30 A Vicky project is the SoCal dropped axle. that cost 200 as a show display unit.
The other F 1 pieces I have because I bought a 52 F- ch***is for 200 stripped the brakes, front shock mounts, crossmember and peddles, Drive shaft and a few other pieces and sold what was left for the 200 I asked for it to a guy who didn't know that what ever he offered that day is what he was going to pay.
Out in the van with the flathead is a narrow back seat out of a burb that may or may not fit but was free.
and it is pretty well covered except what I have to spend on what was a good running flathead that has sat in the back of a van for too long.
That leaves buying a lower that thing "A" front crossmember, a radiator and small parts that I don't have. I'd have to sell a bunch of stuff to come up with that 2500 right now though.

 

$10,000 is a lot of money!

Last November I had to have the dreaded 6L80E transmission replacement done in my truck a $7,000 dollar job.

This in the spring I did a left hub/front axle a rotors, and calipers on both sides. I was able to do that work myself that was close to $1,000 in parts!

$10,000 my not seem like a lot of money as compared to the 250,000 cars that are on the lose buy when a bag of groceries and two gallons of milk are over $60, $10,000 may as well be a million!

 

I'm in Alberta, the province next door, and it would be pretty easy here, apart from p***ing the out of province inspection.

 

I dream of a bare bones Jalopy that I can just bring to vintage races. For CAN$3,500 (US$2,500) to get a running driving vehicle like that is insane. Back in 2018 when I started my build, I thought I could build it for under CAN$10K. Lol! Just in new tires, rims, juice brakes, hubs, I have spent US$3K. Now I figure final cost figure will be between CAN$15 - $20K with me doing the majority of the work.

 

https://www.antiqueenginerebuilding.com/model_a_print.html

$5.5k for a stock rebuild long block with no hop up parts.

Not much left of your budget after that bill, tyres and brakes.

(note: first price I could find for a fresh built banger long block)

 

There is a thread on FB and CL cheap stuff, another in OT and the Bring a Trailer thread. All show that 10k does not get a whole lot, but every working man and all the retired know that is a lot of money.
@anthony myrick mentioned 10K for wheels and tires. @firstinsteele says not that way back in the early 50s. However, check prices right here for Halibrands. Select your dream combo.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ibrand&o=relevance&c[***le_only]=1&c[node]=47
Then price out some sweet correct vintage tires to complete.
Don't forget any polishing or coating so the combo is the belle of the ball. Don't forget period lug nuts and valve stems or tubes, not the pep boys stuff.
It's easy to spend that much, the talent is to get that look while spending a lot less.

 

Did you factor the price of gas into the end price of the car? That's a lot of mileage and gas isn't cheap where you live.

 

Low buck hot rods don't get new rebuilt engines, they get old used engines from someone who's giving it away free....

 

I'm just following Ryan's lead on making the patient into a screaming hillclimb/road weapon. A throw away tired old motor isnt going to cut that mustard.

 

@alanp561 LA was tough, had to fill up out there. Nevada was a bit easier. Used the roommate's econobox for both trips. Figure 4 16 gallon tanks for both. 64 gallons. At 5 bucks per, another 320. Probably a bit less, but gives you an idea. You could add another trip to the vintage wrecking yard in my truck and other short trips. Yes, that adds to the prices paid for those parts, but you sometimes can't find that unique bit close to home. I didn't add up the numbers I quoted and have saved all parts receipts, but haven't added them up either.I'm sure there is another Misc pile that adds up to a few hundred I left out.
The post was a real world example, both in chasing down deals and how stuff does add up. Anyone can search online for retail prices or jungle junk. That will give you the quick and easy price. Just about everything listed was thru combing CL and FB or the swap meets. The tires were new as was a bunch of hardware that I didn't have in my stash and the fur fabric and body supplies.
It wasn't intended as a How-To, but how I have done it. I kind of put myself out there to show an example, hopefully others will too. Show the current prices and what kind of results you can get. There will be some extreme examples, either way.
https://www.tbucketplans.com/arly-hayden-budget-t-bucket/
Everyone will have different skills, resources and time is a factor too. If you gotta have it now, that often translates to more money.

 

Seems you don't really understand the concept of dirt cheap hot rodding. Oh well.