In over my head...regret setting in...any advice?

I would suggest going to community college auto shop to learn. Some schools even allow you too bring your car and work on it at class.

In California you can take community college classes for $120 a course. I know because I graduated from Grossmont and lived in Santee.

Tex

 

We have all been in your shoes at one time or another. My dad gave me a model A pickup with a flathead in it when I was 13. He told me that when I got it running, I could drive it. It took me 6 months to figure out that the distributer wires were all switched. The point is, I kept on working, reading and asking questions until I figured it out. When my daughter was little, I used to put her in the car while I worked on it. It was lots of fun and she would find things to keep her occupied. She once found a package of old, stale cheese & crackers and ate them. Her mouth was all orange from eating them and about that time the wife came home and all hell broke loose. She is now a grown-up with a passion for cars, so much so that she puts on a successful car show every year. Just goes to show that you can have your cake and eat it too. As for not having tools, hit the swap meets, yard sales, any place that you can to find used tools. It all takes time and patience.

 

Haha, love the story about the cracker mouth ! We all have those "Don't tell Mom about this" stories !

One year my Sons wanted different Halloween masks, so I put a plastic bag over Dan's face and started laying on some body filler. He started complaining it was getting hot and I said "Look, do you want a mask or not !" I didn't know how hot that stuff gets when it cures. They remind me of that one quite often.

Don

 

First off I think a lot of us have been in your shoes before. If you look at everything at the same time it is going to be too overwelming and you are not going to know where to start. So I recomend to you that you drive it as it is and start enjoy it. As you gett more time and money then you can start posting your ideas and asking how to do certain things (ie modifications, suspension etc) If you can't mfind someone to help then you are going to have to be a self starter and tech yourself. You could also take a welding course at a local college. Practise on scrap metal and learn learn learn. That is what I did with my ride. Post some pics pick one thing that you want to do and let people chime in to help you! Good luck man!
J
J

 

Possibly look for a tech school that offers a welding course one or two evenings a week,, a lot of us have learned the basics this way.

Look around and find a active car club that share your interest and help some of them,,usually joining a group of like mined guys will offer many new experiences.HRP

 

Read, read and read some more and then confirm what you read with at least two other sources. The Internet is not just for porn and the automotive information contained within it can assist you to acheive any task.
I have two boys and a wife who goes to bed at 9:30pm, I get from then to 12:30am to work on my car (plus weekends)

Write the biggest list you can and put family at the top and chop, bags etc at the very bottom. Then each task read about it and get it set in your mind exactly what you need to do before you start.

It will take a while but you will get it done.

 

I think a lot of guys find themselves in this positon especially if you are new to hot rods and did not grow up around them like myself. After I bought my car I came to a quick realization that I either had to learn to weld or pay someone to do it for me. I knew I could turn wrenches and figure that part out but fabrication was another story. The best thing I could have done to further this hobby was to take a welding class get the basics down. Last year I took a Tig welding class, bought a Tig welder for garage and have been practicing ever since. If I had to do it over I would have spent money on a welder in the beginning and learned to weld prior to buying my car. but you live and learn keep at it take it slow and your car will come along. John

 

Man you need to do an intro and put some more stuff in your bio, then post up some pics. Some of us locals may be more willing to help if we knew more about you.

 

i was in your shoes when i bought my current project. my apache. i was 18 when i bought it, the dude fired it up and i was hooked. as it sits now the only thing ive kept is the frame, 1 fender, the hood, motor and a few other pieces. the truck was a complete and total rusted pile of scrap and i had no shop. ive learned soooo much already. body work, engine work, trans rebuilds. everything on this build im doing my self except for 1 thing so far,get to know local guys and make new friends with car guys who are into the same shit. the one thing i couldnt do myself, a buddy did for me. he did a sick ass step notch and all new crossmembers out back. it took two years to find everything i needed to put the build in the right direction, and i started renting a shop do to do all the work in. im only 20 now so im on a pretty damn tight budget and im trying to learn how to work on things that were made 30 years before i was alive. so whatever you do man do not give up. the internet is your friend, as is this great forum and all the members who reside here. just dive in and take it one step at a time man. and just remember, its only a pile of steel with some wheels and a motor. EVERYTHING can be fixed

 

^^^
There you go.A offer from locals to meet and probably get some help from.

 

I "worked up" to cars. It was a process that evolved over about 5 years. I started with old Schwinn bikes, then old motocross bikes, then a vintage snowmobile... then I bought my car. That last step was a BIG one; and I didnt know my *** from a hole in the ground when it came to working on old cars.

But I've had my car now for just over three years; had the whole thing taken apart and put back together again... and learned a TON during that time.

It aint easy, but then nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Or quick.

Make a list of all the things you want to do; figure out what order you need to do them in, then start chipping away.

"Eat the elephant one bite at a time."

 

Hey Xtent,

Many, many years back, I was in your position. No kids, but had NO money, and had deams of a fancy car.

I consider myself a knowlegable old car guy now, but it took years of trial and error.
We all see this happen, time and time again, year after year.

if you didn't have the passion to start with, you'd have never bought the car to begin with, you just have to be able to not lose sight of the finished car, but also aim for it in easy steps that you can do yourself.
*****If you pay someone to do everything for you, you'll quickly go broke.*****

Do it yourself: Start with the small stuff, and learn as you go.

Before you do ANY modifications, get a good running car that steers well, stops well, and drives straight. Then enjoy it for awhile.

THE ******WORST!!!!***** THING YOU CAN DO IS GET THE CAR HOME AND TEAR IT COMPLETELY APART.
You WILL go crazy and lose faith because you now have a pile of junk with no clue how to make it right.

Instead, do this...

First: Put on a loud muffler.. easy and cheap, and cool, (if you like that kinda thing) Then drive it for awhile.

When you get a little more gung ho, install lowering blocks in the rear. Drive it.

Then cut the front coils. Drive it.

Then maybe french the headlights. Drive it

Then maybe take a bit of chrome off, fill the holes and prime... Then drive it.

You get the picture. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are cool customs.

All the while, maintain it with brakes, tune ups, fix broken stuff, normal repairs, etc...

you will eventually become one with your car, and as you continually read magazines and attend cruise ins, you'll meet others, see other cars, maybe join a club, get your contacts, and then when you're absolutely ready to chop that top or put that rack or airbag system in, you'll be ready and comfortable with friends, contacts, and lots of knowlege.
Your goals may even change. You might find you like it better more traditional, and leave the front end alone, who knows.

Don't walk before you can run. Take it slow, it's a hobby. Enjoy it, and you'll get hooked for life.
Keep the car useable as much as possible, and if someday you decide to sell it, it's much, much easier to sell a together car than boxes of parts and old junk...

Good luck, and feel free to PM if you need encouragement...

E

 

I guess I disagree with a lot of people here, and I understand why. I bought my project 2 months before my daughter was born. I sat on it for about a year until I had a little more time. Then, with absolutely no mechanical skills and very few tools, I tore into the truck hard core. A lot of guys hated me fore it because they felt like I was ruining a good truck (which I was), but as I have gone, I have learned more than I could have guessed, and I have developed a decent tool collection as well. I have learned more from experience than I could afford to learn at a school. I'm 4 years into my project and it runs, drives, stops, leaks, and over heats. The point is, I still have a long way to go, but the journey has been worth more than anything else.

 

Dude, If you were close by here in the east I'd come over & help you out, hell I'd let you use my garage bay & tools! Thats how I learned, from a few good guys that took the time to help me out, guess they though they were cultivating the hobby in me and keeping it going? Don't give up maybe some local Hamb'r can help you out even if it is just one thing at a time, eventually you will learn & or get it done.
Paul

 

"The main issues with the car at the moment seem to be the upper control arm hitting the brake caliper and after about an hour of driving, I lose the ability to brake."

Have you taken it apart and had a look to see why?

 

For once most everyone posted some good advice and a lot of it came from their past experience.
There are very few of us older on the HAMB who have not been in a similar situation at some time in our lives. The exceptions might be those guys who grew up in families of car guys, racers and hot rodders who had the support form those around them when things got a bit tough.

I'd say right now the decision to keep or sell the car depends on a few things things.
The main one is does having it sitting in the garage or driveway and not being sold causing a financial hardship for the family? Meaning if it was sold could you clear up doctor or hospital bills from having the baby? If that isn't the case the other main reason to sell it is that it is in too rough of shape or too cobbled up to be able to fix it without a lot of help or sending it to a shop.

It sounds like it runs pretty well if you can drive it for an hour or so. That probably means that the trans and rear end also work fairly well.

Now to deal with the brakes, As Don said photos of what you have for front brakes can help guys who know front ends and brakes to figure out a solution.
That solution may not be very expensive or time consuming depending on what the guy put on it for brakes.

And don't worry if you can't swing the money or time to chop, bag or what not right now. Fix what needs to be fixed to make it safe and keep the car simple for a few years and have some fun with it. Not too many of us did everything we wanted to on our first car or did it in what could be considered a timely manner. By the time you get around to bagging it bags might be out of style anyhow and there is nothing wrong with driving a car several years before you chop it. There isn't anything wrong with doing things like frenching the headlights or tail lights or doing other mods one at a time either as that is the way most guys did it back and the day and the way a lot of guys still do it.

Lets see those photos.

 

Sounds like brake fluid is boiling. Anyways, as others have said. Focus on getting it safe first and those modifications you want to do can take years so don't be too hard on yourself. It isn't an overnight process. PM me

 

I didn't read the entire thread so this maybe alread covered, but just get it running and driving nice first. You will get some enjoyment out of it and you will feel much better about it. The stock front ends are fine, no need to waste money on that at this point. then later as you learn more about the car and how to work on it you can start to do more stuff to it.

 

How to eat a entire Elephant ???
One small piece at a time

The same holds truth for working on and improving your shoebox.

 

The car is a pleasure, the baby a treasure. Keep them both close to your heart.

 

Every one has said the same thing in different ways. Make A plan Prioritize your list of things to be done. educate your self by searching this forum.The HAMB has answers to your questions.Also consider if you sell your car at a later date when you buy another it will cost more than todays prices. Patience and youth are at opposites. Be patience.Good luck with you dream. PS see if there is an automotive adult education
classes at a high school or college for help.

 

Baby steps!

 

Agreed work out the bugs do the fancy stuff later

 

Hit up your local High School auto shop class. Many of the teachers are old hot rodders or old school mechanics. They love older stuff to teach the basics on. I have 3 engines over at my local HS. they are building 1 good one for me and keeping the other 2 for teaching aids. I find parts and pieces for a truck they are restoring and give advice from my experiences. They do work for parts only, they can't charge labor. Bring them in some cookies or something from time to time.

 

Since you mentioned "caliper", i'm guessing it doesn't have a stock front end (or at least not stock brakes). If the car's been modified please find someone local who knows what they're doing and have them come over and take a look at it and give you their informed opinion. Sincerely offer to pay them, you may find that they don't want the money. As long as it's a reasonable project car, you'll find plenty to do cleaning stuff up, painting, and finding parts for the things you can do. My avatar picture is of me thinking I was working on my dad's 36, point being I was doing stuff like this at some level most of my life - as have a lot of folks on the HAMB. It certainly doesn't mean you can't learn the things you need to know, only that generally it takes some time. You're in the right place, a great education is just waiting for you with the great folks here on the HAMB. Hang in there!

 

Ya know, I'm finding new faith in humanity.
Or at least reinforcing what I thought I knew about the old car community.

Stent,
Read these responses, weed out the one or two morons, and do what we all did... Grow a lifelong passion with your little Ford.
10 years from now, you'll be the one writing the advice to some newbie feeling overwhelmed.

I'm new to the HAMB, but have been doing the old car thing for all my adult life and a third of my childhood.

Just don't rush out and chop things up.
See my Avatar?
That's a 56 Monarch Richelieu 2 door hardtop. Crazy stupid rare, but wicked cool...
It was bone stock original when that picture was taken in 1987, I had just finished a many year rolling restoration, and many times thought I'd never see the light of day.
All I did was fix it as I could and show it some love.
And I ended up with a rolling time machine.
You'll get the same with your shoebox.

Just remember to enjoy it as you go..

 

Sounds like you need to concentrate on life for the time being. Cars will be around for a long time. It took 35 years for me to get in and it's hard work when you get in.

 

Join a local car club and keep your ears open and mouth shut. You can learn a lot from the guys who have been in your shoes before and acquired the skills and knowledge. buy a shop manual for your car, study an USE it to fix current issues.

 

Agreed with all of the above ^^^^^ kids and wifey 1st. Happy wife = Happy Life. Do the dad and hubby thing and she will never begrudge your car addiction. If you can afford to keep it I agree with everyone it's a cool car without mods, make it drivable and safe. The rest is just bells and whistles. They come whenever they come. Congrats on to you and wifey on your daughter.

 

Wow, bad advice. In a few years that daughter of yours is going to LOVE riding in Daddy's hot rod! The best dads are those with rich, diverse lives!

Lighten up, take it easy. The car doesn't have to be done all at once and it doesn't have to be perfect. Learn as you go and that shoebox will become another valued member of your family. You will have pictures of your daughter growing up with the Ford in the background. She will remember those times with Daddy's old car.