or is it "Triple the time - Double the cost" I'm trying to remember the old saying about building any project. I work on some high end cars. and laugh at the owners when they start to cry about the cost. no one ever started out to build a $300,000 car! they just get caught up in the vision of the build and come to a point where they say "Fuck it! let's go all the way" at that point the budget goes out the door. after all the changes and up grades, it probably cost double what it would have if they started with the final version at the start. first time in my life (65 years) I reached that point today. "Damn the cost, I'm going for it" (on a much smaller scale of course) My build started with a $340.00 54 GMC 3/4 ton pick up! my initial budget was a whopping $1,000 and I could have made it but.... I'm in it $981 at this point and it's turning out so nice. I've decided to blow the whole truck apart and detail everything. go crazy with chrome and paint. new uhpolstery the works. swollow my pride and triple my budget. I don't care if it costs $3,000 I'm going to build it. I'll go out in the morning and take a few photo's of the things that made me say "Fuck it! let's go all the way" I'm going back to bed now, film at 11:00 (A.M.).... Jim
I was always taught you estimate how long it would take (man hours) and then double it and add 10%. Sounds like a neat project. I just got a 50. Have to "finish" the Anglia and the A first (like a car is ever "done").
you guys think all the money drop into our cars is bad? i work at a 4x4 shop ,those guys not only drop big money into ther rigs ,but they go out and thrash them.and bring them back in for repairs and up grades...not uncommon to see $100000.in a jeep!
I invested an easy 15-20 thousand in my 50 pickup over a 10 year period. Never again... And thats with only outsourcing the bodywork and paint and some of the interior. Spent the rest of the years of ownership.... Cleaning, fretting and cleaning. Never again.... Take a look at the rods here.... A true testiment that shiny paint and shiny parts doesnt make a car cool. Its all about vision and creativity. Big money doesnt always make for a cool hotrod. Most of the time... the opposite is attractive to me. take a look at all the old 50's pics on the salt. Not much money there. But the vision was revolutionary.
One problem I see for alot of people is the more money they drop on a project means the less they drive it. Thats sad and takes the fun out of having the vehicle in the first place. Cars are ment to be driven otherwise your just saving it for someone else.
I knew a guy who got cought up the the 4x4 craze and dumped MAD money into his project truck. He had a freind airbrush the name on the tailgate... "A Fool and his Money" Sure was a sweet truck though
when I got this truck all I really wanted was the 58 Cad tri-power manifold for a 120,000 original mile 55 Cad 331 that I had sitting in the corner of my shop. Come to find out this one only had 83,000 original miles and it had a stick trans behind it and runs like new. at that point it was "I can't drive a stock looking truck." 15 months later I'm still not driving it but the free parts keep building. I started getting serious. but last night I decided it's gone past the "Rat Rod" I had in mind. the original plan was $1,000 total investment and drive the wheels off it.
Christ...my buddy made me do the math on my "off topic" car (accidentally) The other day...ouch! The 7000 dollar motor didn't help.
The nine inch is in with the springs flipped. dropped the back 6 inches. yesterday I pulled the straight axle and have the 49 Chev passenger front suspension under the frame. it looks like I'll end up 7 inches down in front, these are free parts so I'm still under a grand (for now) the plan is disc brakes, Gas shocks, new springs and radial tires, I want to keep about 5 inches ground clearance as this is going to be a daily driver/ shop truck. I'm still debating the finned valve covers ($150) I kind of like the cadillac script. need to add a couple inches to the drive shaft. I have a new wire loom that was a new in the box $50 yard sale item, thats part of the $981 as are the 55 Olds fiesta spinners. I left my Camera in the shop I'll post some up dates tonight.
Shifty you are so right. I find the only time that money gets seriously talked about in a hot rod is after a few beers and the bragging starts. If you think about it, spending money on a hot rod is visible. (most times) Spending money on bowling or golf isn't. It is merely a matter of choice
I'm a foolish shop owner that doesn't believe it cost 10 grand to build a driver. Mortecai. where are you in Clackamas? I'm top of the hill Oregon City!
well i'm pretty happy with the stance. it dropped 8 inches in the rear and 7 in the front, it's going to be 100% work truck so I don't want it slammed. by the time I get the drive train back in and the utility boxes full of tools and the seats in should be about 5-6 inches ground clearance
I built solid cab mounts and haven't installed the pads yet, makes the cab look low in back. I'm still working on the interior, got the Auto-loc bearclaw latches with built in solinoids on the cab side. have a full set of new gages installed, I have about half of auto-locs catalog sitting in boxes. I'm using the power window switches that use the stock handles on the electric doors also.
I think if you just figure TEN times as much time, you don't need to triple the cost....only double it! That of course is only for a project that you are performing the labor on yourself.
I put on two speed wipers and I've all ready mounted a set of studded tires for that one day of winter every other year. raised my hitch above the bumper for hauling. It's a everyday work truck and then on to my 48 Hemi 3 window ford.
I believe the correct way to arrive at an estimated price is; Cost of materials + profit + Delivery Charges + Estimated Labour + Sundries + = $$$$ Add your age + Double your age + =$$$$ And you still won't have charged enough
Where can you buy good metal to cover the hole in the floor where you pour your money thru? I can't see the hole,but the money keeps going into the truck and disappearing? When you factor in another pair of hands helping,the cost instantly multiplies...
man you had to dig deep to find this old post, I didn't even recognise it as mine. didn't realize I'd been on it this long. spent the whole day on it today. It's getting real close but money pit keeps getting deeper. I buried $1271 now and still going. should get the final pieces at the Portland April swap meet. I quit posting photo's till after I finish the home made headers and get the front clip back on. it looks good (to me)
dude, your my hero! sure hope to meet you and other hambers at the portland swapmeet this year. let me add one thing "only a fool lives at the bottom of the hill in oregon city!"
The Jalopy Journal
