when to sell or to "kit bash" your ride

So I am wanting to change some things around on my T coupe. Bring it back a decade in its styling and make it more usable. It was cool to be so strict in my interpretation-slicks, open shorty headers, etc. But I am now into an earlier look and wanting to use it more. So what I am looking for are thoughts on when its time to start fresh, and when its better to modify what you have. I am wanting to change the motor (sbc to early olds), the rear (coilovers to buggy spring), the stance (more rake), and get more room inside (take way the sports car like tunnel and get the ****** under the car. I'd also like to change the front end around too (take the Z out), but I could live with the front end if I do everything else. Naw I wouldn't be happy with the old front end- that gets changed to.

So I am thinking about removing the whole ch***is with motor and everything intact and putting a new body on it, have fun in that, sell it and build the ch***is that I want. I am concerned that I might just **** things up and be stuck with two half ***ed incomplete cars, or that I won't be able to get enough money out of the 2nd incarnation to make it worth while.

My car currently- 27 t coupe early 60's style SBC dual quads, slicks are gone and replaced by treaded skins, and the shorty dragster headers have extension down and back to the rear tires, black primer.

The new "want" - T Coupe styled after Rudy Heredia coupe (Buzz Bomb first incarnation painted blue with 2x2 olds)

Body I would use to replace my coupe body- " Home made RPU. 29 cowl, 29 sedan doors shortened, fabricated cab back. Hand fabricated Bed.

Should I sell my coupe as is and start new, or cut her up and make it how I want (new ch***is, new grille, new rear pan, new tailights, fill cowl steering hole, bodywork and paint....)? Anyone done major changes to your "completed" car?

2??http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j38/royalshifter/buzz3.jpg

 

With the cost of useable tin going up WHEN you can find it, it seems to make good money sence to change or update, rather than sell and search.

 

sell and start fresh. That way you'll get exactly what you want, rather than settling for only some of the things you want.

 

i love that car, I've read the Rolls & Pleats article on it a hundred times. It sounds like you just want something different, so I'd be tempted to sell it and start over with (i'm ***uming) more capitol than last time. That's just me though, you gotta do what's best and most fitting for you.

 

Tough call. If you want to keep your body why not start on the new ch***is and drivetrain now, drive the car as-is until you're to a point where you need the body, pull it and offer the ch***is and drivetrain for sale as a package less the parts you're keeping and let the next guy put the body of his choice on it? It would make a great start for somebody. Just a thought.

 

I was just at the same decision you are trying to make with my car. Only I'm going to early 60's style from "god-awful, too low, don't like to drive it too far 'cause it's a handful over rough roads and I live in NJ, I'll just ride along with a friend style".
I decided to build a new frame to suit the build and try to re-use as many pieces as possible. I'm not looking for the car be a show-car, just a road trip worthy ride that'll get me there safe with little to no trouble. You can see progress so far in some of my threads ***led "roadster rebuild....." by using the search feature.
I felt that selling the car wouldn't yield me enough $$ to build another fast enough that I could be happy with. So I used what I have and do what I can in stages so I will have something on the road while I do the finishing work.
Your car may be a different story as it is finished already. I have always liked your car since I first saw it at the Road Agents show like 5 yrs. ago. I actually have a bunch of pix. of it. Good luck with the project, how ever you decide.

 

I agree with MIKE47.
If you build a new one, how long are you gonna be without a ride?
If you modify (hot rod tradition) your existing car, you can have a minimum of downtime.
And it's cool to say, this car used to be that car!

Frank

 

I love that car. If you can build another just as cool, then start from scratch so the rest of the world will have TWO cool T's to enjoy....

 

Check out the market for your car. Put a good price on it and see if it sells. Maybe you can get a price that gives you some extra cash for the new build. If it doesn't sell easily, then make the changes on it. Down side if it sells, you are without a car for a while.

Neal

 

Kind of a tough call, but here's my opinion. I have kind of been down this road with my fordor sedan turned rpu. Though it is the "hot rodders way" to use what you have, in your case it really would probably produce a better finished product to start fresh. Plus you could easily sell your T and have a great start to buy whatever you want and need to start the new project.

A clean start would allow you to make everything the way that you want it, instead of spending a ton of time undo'ing what is there and redo'ing it the way that you want it. (Nice spelling huh?) Plus usually the proportions that work for one car are tough to make work for another different car on the same ch***is.

I went down this road, and wasted SO much time trying to adapt my old set-up to the new car/build, and it still didn't end up being right to me. All the little things that were a little off along the way turned into one big miss in the end. Starting over allowed me to make it the way I wanted it.

Whatever you choose, good luck with the new project!

Dan

 

Keep the coupe like it is, and build the other "want" car.... that way you won't be without a good cruising car while building.

 

i gotta agree with chaddilac here... collect for, and build the "second" car while keepin your T coupe to roll with... when i was building the willys, i had no other hot rod to drive to keep my mind focused, relieve tension, regain sanity...whatever you want to call it. wheel time in a fun car. i for one would not sell off a driver to meet the bills of building another. take longer that way, but what the hell

 

Yer only supposed to have one hotrod? Opps.

 

I have to agree with Chad...keep and build what you want. I'm a johnny-come-lately to this traditional rod stuff. I love the way your car looks...totally bad ***. I was comparing it to mine and I only see a couple of differences. The steering arm and headers are a couple of the biggies. But the main difference is the front suspension. Your's is standard hot rod and my car has a suicide front end. Mine drives really sweet...don't know if that is due to the front end or not.

Just my 2 cents

 

Damn, with so many poor examples out there, I would hate to see that one go away. You're talking about pretty much starting from scratch, why not do it with something that could stand to benefit from it. Not to say that the mods you're planning are worse than where the car is now, just why put all that money/time into one that doesn't really need it. Sell it to someone who appreciates it for what it is and save another one from the hands of a butcher. With the money you'll make off it, you could reinvest it back into a build, instead of sinking more cash into it out of your pocket.

 

A thread from the dead.

I have pretty much decided not to f- with the car, just do some maintenance stuff, and probably sell it as is. don't get me wrong I still think its a killer car (kinda why I'd like to keep it in tact-kinda like a piece of art). I am just ready for a new build, and don't have the cash to get one done in a timely manner.

Hotrodman, there are definitely a lot of similarities. As for the difference in suspension, I can only say that mine drives great as well. The low cente of gravity kinda makes it like a go cart in the turns real tight but not as quick as the g.k.

Thanks to all for the compliments.