Lowest Cost Traditional Rod??

"HORSE ****!" (said the sparrow), "LET'S EAT"

All of the negative talk about "if it don't cost much it ain't good, saying that used parts are junk, proporting that cheap parts are unsafe? If I get lucky and collect all of the parts in a week what's wrong with that?

When I hear somebody knocking the inguinity of a mechanic to do it himself without paying for the labor, I walk away.

First of all, most of the ****ty work I see, was paid for. Most craftsmen that do their own work do a pretty good job doing it. Most parts on a traditional build have already been used for around 40 years and will work for another 40 just fine. I don't need to go pay top dollar for new stuff to build a car.

 

I have a tip to get traditional parts cheap, sometimes free. Make friends with the billit street rod crowd. Seriously. You would be amazed at what the think is junk, they'll think your doing them a favor by disposing of there left over axles, flatheads, ******s, steering colunms and even whole rolling ch***is. Just today I got a cheery virgin Duece frame from a guy. It had came with a Model A coupe body he bought to build into a street rod. He opted to buy a TCI independent coilover A ch***is so he could run stock A fenders, he likes how they look wrapping his 20" wheels (gag). He just tossed the duece frame out behind his shop! I missed out on it but another guy just sold a steel 29 Ford roadster body for cheap, he opted to buy a new gl*** body instead so he wouldn't have to do any metalwork.
Half done project can be a great way to start, especially if you got any coin set aside right now when so many people are cash stapped. I recentlly bought a NICE rustfree 27 roadster body sitting on a new Speedway ch***is, tube axle with hairpin frount, Curry 9" on coilovers out back, new wheels and tires for 5000. No way could you buy just the ch***is components for that much new. Another couple grand and a couple weekends I could be driving this car. I'm going a different direction so I've already found homes for most the ch***is parts, by the time I finish selling everything I don't need I'll have far less the 2 grand in a real Ford roadster body, when I put it together with the above "street rodder" rejects I'll probably have around 5 grand in a real traditional flathead powered hot rod. So IMHO you can build a traditional hot rod cheap.

 

"Traditional" has become a somewhat subjective term in recent years.
I'm no expert, but If you are willing to go with just a traditional LOOK; I built my '49 Lincoln sled for $1,136 all told.
I honestly don't think you could get much cheaper.
However if you want all origonal, N.O.S., or repro-parts, I would have to say the best way is to take your time, collect parts on the cheap as they come, and take that route.
It's a method that's worked for a lot of people, including myself, and you always run the chance of picking up something on the cheap for which somebody might just trade pretty big.

Either way,
'Hope you get what you're lookin' for.

 

Roscoe - I would honestly be very interested in the details of your build.

 

The back story is a fairly long one, but that can all be read here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=290051
The story of the actual build, is that I built a sled using the ch***is and drivetrain from a 1977 Mercury Marquise and just channeled a 1949 Lincoln over top of it.
So, Technichly, it isn't traditional, but it looks like it; and I don't think that you can get more traditional than a hot rod built at home, outside, on the cheap, with a standard set of tools, a grinder, an acetylene welder, and absolutely no welding experience.
But I digress.
Before I bought the Lincoln, I started by taking measurements of both cars Wheelbase, overall length, and so on. All of which ended up being for not, since the measurements I got for a Cosmo' were far off base. But by the time I found that out, the body was on the new ch***is. Some modifications had to be made; Ch***is shortening, floorpan modifications, front quarter/wheelwell mods, Inner-fender modification, "Radiator adjusting," steering shaft/box adjustments, Seat bracketing, having to build Hood hinges from scratch, and a slew of smaller problems which added up to a lot of work.
I used a borrowed front end loader to lift the bodies off their respective ch***is, and had my whole car club was there trying to guide the thing down straight. It was a pain in the neck....but it was cheap!
I bought the wagon from my grandmother on the cheap when my grandpa died, and the Complete '49 cost me $700. Not bad considerring it had a 337ci. Flathead with electronic overdrive under the hood.(It doesn't run, but it turns so I'm hopefull I can restore it.)
as I mentioned the thing cost me $1,136 bucks but it probably could've been cheaper if I woulda' been willing to use Chinese parts, which I wasn't.
That cost includes everything from new taillights, to va***e-hose caps.
In addition to the ch***is and drivetrain, I used the seats and steering from the old Marquise.
The thing has a 460ci. that had turned over the odometer in the Wagon it was pulled from, and I've put over 800 more miles on it since August.

Would I recommend the build method? Yes and no; It worked well for me, but there were a lot of complications, if somebody were the type to not handle waves of unexpected problems comming outta' left field that well, It would be the most stressfull build of their lives!
but it all worked out in the end for me.
She runs, she's fast, and she was cheap.

Thanks for the interrest in my car,
If you want, You can Eyeball pictures of the old sled in my gallery.

 

Im gonna bring this back to the top just because there are some cars, faces.& opinions I havent seen for a while

 

Exactly!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=694680

It should come in under 5K when it hits the road and I think it's pretty darn traditional.

 

Yep, this is closer to correct than most would want to admit. I have parts collected that have been collecting dust for years just waiting for the perfect project.

I think that cost is entirely dependent on skills. Not just fabricating skills but on bartering skills as well. One way to keep cost down it to use a project base that is not the most popular, for instance I have a '38 sedan, not the most popular of all Fords but certainly one that has seen some use as rod/custom fodder in the past. It will never be a duece coupe but it is way more affordable than a duece coupe.

 

******, the original 'quality' serves for a fine car.
The first two races I ran, in the early 70's, were up against friend's Chevys,
a '37 2-door and a 34 coupe. '36-38's make for good rods.

 

Plastic "T" roadster, with a 305 and a powerglide, not my cup o tea but easy to find parts and low priced and done safely, they're fun as hell to do donuts in.

 

Not sure if the OP ever started a low buck traditional car or not,,he hasn't logged on in almost 2 years.

Traditional cars are not built with a tight budget. HRP

 

I built my little 32 pickup for five grand and 8 years of scrounging and bartering,It has a Quick change gennie grill,decked out flathead, It can be done cheaply if your patient and
resourceful.you can do it good luck!

 

Depends on what period you're building toward, how concerned you are with 'period correctness,' and how much work you can do yourself. 40's era form over function, you'll pay a little more for the driveline (babbitting and early speed parts are expensive) but probably be able to save a little when it comes time for paint & body work. Go look at some of the color El Mirage photos or Don Montgomery books, most cars in the 40's didn't sport perfect bodies and mile-deep flawless paint.

Early 50's - IMHO the most expensive era to build for, still dealing with rare early speed parts and babbitt. By the early 50's cars were getting showy - nice body & paint will cost you. Late 50's you can probably save some dough with a belly ****on motor but you'll blow it on paint, custom touches to that vintage steel body, and chrome.

 

I believe more than ever that it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. I'm collecting parts to build my wife a Model A roadster. It's going to be channelled over an A frame with juice brakes, early Cad, 3spd, blackwalls etc.. I have about 1200$ in it and all I need now is a body. I've been looking but I expect to put about 3500 into the body. We'll see..

 

If you are not in a hurry to build a car, the cost can be kept down. The price of that part you want always seems to be higher if you need it now, but if you are buying parts for a future project, you are more likely to get them at your price.
Plan out what you want to build and take your time - it will come together.

 

I personally have always liked '38s, but they have not been the most popular as rods go. No one knows why.

It is a good thing for me, I like them and I am into a pretty solid car for way less than a rusted out A coupe.

Dropping you a note.

 

CHEAPEST BUILD. DESOTO BODY+CHEVROLET ENGINE+MEXI BLANKET INTERIOR+RIDEING ON THE BUMPS. All the kids will think its great. I wont..... but still.

 

Biggest investments I would say are tires, radiator, and engine rebuild. Then again I'm the guy who starts out with less than s**** bodies....