Projects How Long Has It Taken You......

Hey Folks,

I'm tyring to get an idea of how long it takes to build a car.. I know there's different degreese of builds, full restoration, partial, blah blah blah.. I'm figuring I'll get many different answers..

So lets say from the minute you first removed a bolt, til the finished product.... Thanks.

 

I'm going on like 15 years without either of my trucks even on the road...

sad!

 

we bought our car with the mechanical and electrical pretty much finished. i only added a fan spacer.

i started chipping bondo on my car in december '09 and it was basically finished in september of '10. still have a few detail items to catch up on, but its basically done.

 

As they say, it's never finished but I had 3 years from begining till the time I was able to have fun driving it. In that time I only had about 3 months I didn't work on it.

 

Depends on how much time you have for said project.So any where from 1yr to forever!!!lol....

 

Seven years, from project to complete completion, never having it off the road in the summer cruzn months though.

 

15 years for the Ford. 16 years and still counting on the Merc.

 

I read somewhere the avg. build time is 3 years. The biggest problem I run into is staying focused and movatated. I've found that if I have more than one project I stay more movatated as I get tired of the "same old thing" I just mess around with the other car and it seems like I have a whole new project to play with. You know that feeling, when you get the new project home and go gung ho for a few weeks.
All that being said I did a frame off on an OT car that took about 3.5 years and it needs finishing touches and I'm close to having my T-bucket on the road it's been a year and a half but I didn't touch it for close to 6 months in that time span.

 

Been working on a lakester for 10 years. Looks like it may be finished this summer jast as Maxton closes.

 

I'd say 2 years to get it on the road if you're not too crazy picky, and leave some things "in progress". My biggest obstacle is usually budgeting money to see much progress.
I'm sure I could knock one out completely finished by doing ALL the work by myself within 12 months if I had deep pockets.

 

My longest project took about 8 years and shortest 2.......Depends on budget,motivation and type of build.I sure this answer will give you zero insight as to how long a typical build might take. Just get started and go at whatever pace your comfortable with and it will eventually get done.

 

Woow, so it seems like the reason for such long builds, is personal. There is not a standard like lets say 20 hours a week of time dedicated to the build... This is going to make my head hurt..

 

Anywhere from years to decades. I need to start moving a little faster. If I take as long as I have in the past, I might not live long enough to enjoy it.

 

i build 2-3 a year, but my real job is way laid back so i get about 40 hours a week in the shop.

 

Five years of (mostly) weekends...to see the whole build, go here:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329070&highlight=the+best+55+caddy+build

But the thread itself is only two years long- 1/26/09 to 12/23/10...

R-

 

Eternity. [/thread]

 

I'm not sure that I would like to admit how long it takes me to do one any more. At least my own stuff takes forever.

But since I have been on the HAMB I have got one on the road for myself and built 4 for other people. I guess if I owned a shop and did it for a living that wouldn't be so bad but alas I don't build cars for a living.

Last quick together I did for myself was in the late '90s. Started collecting parts in March and had it turnin' and burnin' by late June. That was a complete drivetrain build and swap from a banger to an 8 cylinder. That ship has sailed I'm afraid.

 

16 months and counting. I probably have 1-2 months left but i'm not painting this car.

 

9 years on the Merc. but that was on again / off again.

Right now , (I'm keeeping better track of time now) I have 5,300 hours in the Aero Cp. and am maybe 5/8 done.

 

2 and a half years so far, but I'm not in hurry. I only work on it when I have time and money for it. I refuse to go into deep debt for a toy.

 

Depends on you, your skills, your place, your equipment, & your wallet.
I saw a thread on here where 5 experienced and talented guys built a complete car in 40 hours from a pile of parts , most if not all were on hand so No parts hunting was involved . Theyy then disassembled it for paint chrome and interior, and painted and re assembled it in another 40 hrs after chrome came back. ( 5x40 )+(5x40) = 400 hrs in a well equipped hot rod shop.

Some guys never get them on the road.

Basically a 20 minute task can take 20 years if you don't work on it. How many 20 minute tasks does it take to build a car? IDK exactly but it took me 20 mins to think about how to build my door jambs
20 to lay it out. 20 to cut. 20 to fit one. 20 to clean and prime. 20 to set up welder, 20 to weld, 20 to fix wire jamb.20 to weld the other. Get the picture?

Not having them door jambs hung me up for months because I wasn't feeling it till yesterday.

 

18 years on my Dodge, but that was on again - off again. real time: 4 year´s

 

I started with a body in 3/2008, had it driving by 10/2010, so about 2 1/2 years. I spent about 10-15 hours per week at home actually working on it, a lot of time working on small parts at work, lots of time tracking down and figuring out what parts to use, and lots of spare time on here reading as this was the first car I've built. The final bodywork and paint has yet to be done someday, but no rot left in the car at this point, and it is in primer.

 

my last one took 5 years but weekends only and no work in the winter because i work at the natual gas company as a service tech. always on call

 

It took me 3 year's to get my 30 Ford coupe done, 7 to 8 hours a day. I am currently building a 27 T coupe,it will take longer, it help's to have a driver while working on another project. I spend 4 to 5 month's in Florida working in a cold shop in the winter SUCK'S.........PINCHER

 

I am encouraged to hear that someone else is taking took that approch, since i have been putting my car back on the road in the late spring so i can drive it all summer and into the fall. i know it will take longer but it does not bother me.
for me the estimate then looks like it = 1.5 years to get on the road, 2 WIP so far, 3.5 to go? sounds like a plan.

 

For A model A ford it takes me about 1000 hours. It has taken me 2 years, but the last one my sports coupe took 3 months. But I'm retired now and I did not do do the top or interior myself .

 

The truck in my avatar took one and a half years to get on the road with all of the drive train done but in primer. Another two years for paint, another year for interior. I could get them done much faster when I was younger.

 

my old T took 15 months from start to driving. Never worked that fast before or since.

 

You and Denise both take a very good approach to making one right. With the winter months as long as they are back here get it on the road and do a little something when its snowin' and blowin'.

The only hard part is keeping on track with the build. But building traditional you don't get swayed by the newest trends so its not nearly the problem that it could be.