$5,000 TRADITIONAL Rod, can it be done?

I doubt that it matters to anyone but me, but, tradition is a variable. What's tradition to one is not tradition to another. For instance I'll go the Ford body but I may disagree with the dropped axle. It was on a lot of wish lists but that doesn't mean that every rod on the block had one.
That aside the real question here is a matter of time and money. If I'm gonna build a 90 day wonder its gonna cost me alot more than if I wait for a deal on my parts.
Then of course we come to the next big question are we talking building or bolting together. One guy might buy a primo frame and and just wash it and spray it. While another guy might buy one less desirable and completely rework it. There is a big difference in cost involved.
Then we have to consider go fast verses putt putt around. Not to put anyone down but I see a lot of trad rods that wouldn't pull an old sick woman off a bed pan. Speed costs money, right?
To many variables the way I see it.

 

I got 700 Tied up into pretty much absolutly nothing. I feel your pain.

Try building one from the scratch up at 17, and a **** job paying 9.00 an hour...

 

I see several up there that are close to 5k with no interior, paint or listing all the material you used to "Fab" the free parts. Not saying it can not be done, just 99% on here have not and being close ($5100 etc..) does not count as being below, only close... I have to give kudos to Grim and Neal for their rides and how nice they are for what you have into them but time to add paint and interior cost to your rides and what do you think the totals cost would be.

Always exception to the rule.

 

"$5,000 TRADITIONAL Rod, can it be done?"


Yes.

 

Knickin away at the definition of TRAD............without going far enuf to get hung up!
JUST SOMTHIN TO THINK ABOUT NOT STIR UP A HORNETS NEST.
[1]was Sanderson Headers in business in the 40's and '50s?Probably not- so exhaust Manifolds and HOMEBUILT headers are MORE TRAD-Right?
[2] when a hot rod of "the day" had a dropped axle did it more often than not have RADIUS RODS or homebuilt hairpins?[NOT FOUR BARS]
[3]Were most cars of that time sittin on a spring OVER dropped axle or were they on a stock axle with a suicide spring?what percentage?
Now back to the subjectOF COST....
I could have saved money if I had took more time to build my car.
also the comments about networin with friends is true IF you want to come in below that magical figure you may have to forgo some of the AFTERMARKET instead of vintage parts and you may have to trade help to a bud who has a part he can spare for your car project.
and number one on the hints to achieve the goal of a low cost figure is to PLAN PLAN AND STICK TO THAT PLAN...changin your mind costs a lot of money

 

I think maybe three or four years ago when I started mine, yes, but things are way different just a few years later.

The prices on vintage parts has gone way up, everone's looking for the same thing.

Just a few years ago bargains could be found on ebay even, not anymore.

 

[ QUOTE ]
well hell Jim, now you gotta define a traditional hot rod...

good luck!

Frame- free
Axle- trade.
Spring- already attached to axle
Spring bolts- came with frame
Shackeles- already attached to spring
Perches- attached to axle
Spindles- ""
King Pins- new bushings, I had em.
Shocks- $12 ea. x4
Shock mounts- free F1
Wishbones- attached to axle
Tie Rod- new ends $30
Steering- trade
Drag link- offa free stock model a front suspension
Front brakes- $100
Engine- trade. 39 Merc. .040 over, Isky cam, dual Strombergs. hot rod enough?!?!
Trans- came in free 38 ch***is
Shifter- attached to trans
Engine mounts- F1 free
Trans mounts- stole it outta free 38 ch***is
Pedals- ditto
Master Cylinder- $35
Brake Lines- haven't done it yet
Driveshaft- came with banjo
Rearend- trade
Rear brakes- $100
Rear spring- free model a roadster
Rear shocks- priced em up there
Body- super duper huge trade of the gawdamn century
Seats- came with the body
Gl***- came with the body
Wiring- $40
Headlights- free
Taillights- $15
Rims- trade
Tires- fronts free, rears $100
Caps- none
Rings- free

I don't agree with anything Dr.J said either.

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i see you have traded for a few parts...

IMO-unless the part you are giving was free, you need to add the dollar value of the part to the total amount.

the way i understand it, the lists being compiled here are micromanaged to the last cent, whether or not you spent $100 2 yrs ago then recently traded it for a more valuable item, you should still add the $100 to the total.

****, i even add the amount of gas it takes to get a part.

 

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Didn't Rizzo say he was going to attempt a follow up to the budget beater and do it for $5000, or was I dreaming?

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Rizzo was going to build a 32 3-window(gl*** of course) out of all new parts with a budget of 25 grand.

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I guess I was dreaming, thanks kentucky for straightening me out.

 

I tried to keep track of what I have in my A roadster/sportcoupe thingy and I have horse traded for so much stuff that it is impossible to keep track.

For example, the headlight stands that were on the car I traded them off for a couple of steering u-joints that I needed and then put another set of shorter headlight stands and 30/31 headlights off of my RPU on the car. Then I put the Guide lights from the roadster in the pile of parts for my RPU with a headlight bar that I got in a trade for an extra front spring that I had.

I mean really, how the hell am I supposed to keep track of the cost of something like that?

And I am with Killer on this one. I don't agree with Dr. J on this one either.

 

I am currently building a 1940's era, wide bodied, modified style, lakes roadster. This is one of those long dreamed about, highly planned, long term projects that just seem to creep along. My original objective was to finish it by my 60th birthday, in July 2000 but that was modified by our purchase of an 1880 victorian house in the summer of 1997.

A modified roadster was what I wanted 50+ years ago when I first became hooked on hot rods as a teenager by reading the little books from California. Several years ago this dormant vision was rekindled by Al Drake's and Don Montgomery's books on the history of hot rodding in the 1930's, 40's and 50’s. The first step to reality began when I obtained the body in June of 1994 from my friend, Ron. The roadster is a long term (10+ year), low dollar project that should resemble a modified roadster originally built in the forties and kept and updated for street use into the fifties. The sought after look will be that of a modified ***embled from readily available junk yard parts and cleaned up and made to shine but still have a little of that used patina. This will be a driver. Other than perhaps the drive line it will have a combination of parts readily obtainable during the 1940's and early 50’s.

The body is the front half of a 1926/27 Ford "T" Touring from on a pretty rough hot rod built in Vermont in the late fifties or early sixties. The abbreviated T touring body at that time was on an unknown frame with an independent front end and a nailhead Buick V-8 engine. The body had been channeled about 6" and had an abbreviated pickup bed.. It was supposedly run at the drags with the Buick during that period. It was purchased and brought to Connecticut in the early sixties by a man who was originally from Vermont. It was subsequently purchased in the mid sixties by a guy in Windsor Connecticut who put the body on a flat head Ford powered 1930/31 Model frame with a suicide mounted 40 Ford front end, an open drive 47 Ford truck rear end under a Model A spring and an oval "T" gas tank. He had it all together and drove the car with repairer plates for a brief time. His plans to take it apart and finish and detail the car were aborted when he decided not to go through the h***le required to register a composite vehicle. He stored the car in a building on his property that he moved (the building) three times before he sold it with a bunch of other stuff to Ron in the spring of 1994.

Since acquiring the body I have also obtained a chopped and chromed 32 Ford grille shell, a s/s chopped insert, a rectangular gas tank from a 1936 -38 FARMALL, a 27 Ford windshield frame and a fibergl*** 32 roadster dash for a model "A". The frame will be a “z-d” 29 model “A" (wheelbase length is still to be determined) with a suicide front crossmember and the model “A” rear crossmember. The roadster will run a full hood (33-36'' long to provide room for a flathead, a smallblock chev or a four banger if desired in the future) with mid 30's GM headlights (I don't know exactly what they are from) on a modified 1928/29 Model A headlight bar. It will be pointed down the road with a "Bell" type 4 blade steering wheel or a 39 Ford "banjo" wheel coupled to a 1953 Ford, F-100, pick up steering box and shifted with a 51 Ford pickup truck column shifter hung under the 32 style dash. The front reverse eye spring will be suicide mounted to a 34 Ford axle (not dropped), and split 34 wish bones with 39 Merc or 48 Ford F-1 PU brakes and tube shocks.

I have collected all the above, I also have obtained two sets of wheels for the modified to roll along on: 1935 Ford 16 inch wire wheels with 1932 Ford hub caps and trim rings and also a set of 16" Ford solids, trim rings, and 46 Ford hubcaps;. I plan to use the wires with big and little black walls and 16” solids with big and little wide whites. For the fenders (CT and my town are particular on this) I have 1935/36 Ford and also a 40’s era Woody spare tire covers.

The currently planned (I have it, it was free, low mileage, quiet, no smoke, and I think I understand it) motor is a 78 Buick V-6, 231 ci.. This will be coupled with a 350 transmission linked to a GM 10 bolt rear mounted under a Model A rear spring with split 39 Merc wish bones.

The color has not been set at this date but the body, frame, hood, gas tank and frame covers (simulated belly pans) will probably be black, medium to dark gray, early Ford "Washington Blue", "Gilmore Cream" or a pale yellow. The wheels, motor, some miscellaneous parts and the interior will be a very dark red or maroon.

In addition to acquiring restoring and refreshing a mul***ude of parts, I have done a fair amount of work on the body. After I stripped it of a gallon or two of bondo it was found to be cobbled together in the best shadetree fashion. The firewall had been welded completely in, perhaps replaced. The cowl sides, quarter panels, rocker panels and door sills had been replaced with home made panels. This resulted in one door opening being 1/4" narrower than the other and a slight out of shape to one rear quarter. This old work used 16 & 18 gauge steel solidly welded. The original floor bracing/subframe had been cut out along with the bottom 6 or 7 inches of the rear panel to channel the body over the frame.

I have both stiffened the bottom edge and increased the height of the body by welding on a perimeter of 1x1" tube. I also made floor supports tied into the 1" square tube perimeter frame. This has dropped the floor 2 1/2" below the original location. I also extended the firewall forward 7 1/2" (a reverse of the old wheelbarrow trick), and braced the cowl to support the steering column and the narrowed deuce dash. I fabricated a cowl vent mechanism to operate the gas fill door in the cowl. I have also replaced the lower portion of the rear of the body and strengthened the rear with 1" x 1" tube and 1" X 1/8" strap. This stiffened the body significantly and should also give some protection from errant drivers. The seat riser has been lowered at least 6" and moved to the rear 2". As the body will sit on top of the frame, hi-boy style, this should allow us to sit down low in the roadster and provide decent leg room. I want it to be a reasonably comfortable driver. I also have 26/27 w/s posts and a complete what appears to be an aftermarket 26/27 windshield ***embly.

The project did not start out with this as an objective but it has turned out to be a low bucker. I probably won’t do it for a "dollar a pound" like the old ROD & CUSTOM (little book) "T" roadster series in the mid-fifties. I am not sure that's even my goal. Cheap (inexpensive) is OK but not the prime objective. Currently due to a lot of donations of unwanted parts by my friends I have only $1654.00 invested in the modified.

Thanks for listening.

 

[ QUOTE ]
My favorite's the Fur Burger.....mmmmmm.....

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Even with a 5K budget you would still come up empty 1load.

 

i doubt that i'll have 5G's in my '26 T either. it'll be the front half of a touring car also. with a 401 nailhead, 4-sp, A frame, A shell, '35 ford wire wheels, '40 front split 'bones, PSI rear radius rods, etc., etc.

the big HOWEVER in this case is that i bought the body many years ago and have been collecting parts for a long time. some of these parts were purchased for a song ten years ago but would cost several hundred today.

the parts i've bought more recently have cost proportionately more than the ones i've had for a while.

so far i haven't bought anything new "off the shelf" for the car. until it comes time for paint or upholstery i doubt that there will be any new pieces on it other than nuts and bolts.

so while i doubt i'll have $5,000 total in the car, many of those dollars are in older (read that "more valuable") dollars and also many parts were bought before they became as valuable as they are today.

 

So I could have had 5 hot rodrods for what It cost to build that 40 coupe.

Now you tell me


This was a great post Jim. a real eye opener for some. Alot of people ***** about the cost of building something decent and some HAMBers show it can be done.

I've been scrounging to build a traditional 32 roadster with all the cool and correct era stuff and I figure Even doing everything myself except the interior I will have $20.000 in the car.

Sure hope some goldchain wearin smooth talker steps up and buys this 40 Coupe though

 

another Item I ommitted was as Plan nine mentioned.......Fuel.
I have to drive 25 miles to buy anything automotive from my shop! thats 6-7 dollars a trip!

 

I bet those guys that finally got caught stealing at the Nats built their rods for less than 5 G's.

 

give me a break guys,
Paint and Interior, are you making a show car or
a hot rod.

I painted my 53 lincoln(big car) for less than $200
that includes a gallon of body filler at $30 which
I barely used. And it is not primered it has semi gloss
paint, and it is straight.

My lady and I did the interior in the lincoln for $120
this stuff can be cheap if you do it.

I say if someone wants to do it for cheap and has the determination you can do it. If you don't know how to do
something you can learn, if you can read you can learn,
Hell I learned alot from this place, and it is a great source of parts

thanks to everyone on here I know I couldn't have done it
with out you.

 

[ QUOTE ]
the big HOWEVER in this case is that i bought the body many years ago and have been collecting parts for a long time. some of these parts were purchased for a song ten years ago but would cost several hundred today.

[/ QUOTE ]

EXACTLY! I'm thinking of what it would take to start from SCRATCH and gather the parts in 3 months, not 3 or 30 years. The same '32 I put together in 1990 for $12,000 would be at least 40K today IF I could even find the same stuff I bought back then.
I totally understand it CAN be done, but my vision of what the finished car is would be something you would see in a magazine 50 years ago, or today.

 

I built my RPU for under $5000 and ScaryLarry's truck came in just over $5000. Neither had interiors but they still looked like hot rods to me. Mine was finished and wasn't supposed to have an interior.

The modified we tried to build on a $999 budget but the new front tires put us over the budget. Yes the body is an oddball cast off but I did pay $150 for it. Most of the free parts were cast offs. My neighbor was stripping a Ranger pick up and said I could have the motor. Perfect!! We are also lucky to have a couple of cool junkyards that have old stuff and sell it cheap. The rear wheels and tires, steering box and front wishbones all came from one junkyard run. $80 for it all. Didn't forget to say thank you that day. Hell we even got a Kaiser bumper guard included in that $80.

I'm hoping (it's my goal) to build my 32 for under $12000. I paid $7500 for the body and a pile of parts (frame,hood and grill) Now there is no room in that budget for a lot of 1-800-parts. I will make a lot of my own stuff. There will be no interior besides the seats. It may get shiney paint. I've got cool wheels, lights and other parts but I didn't pay much for them (if you take them off your last car do you still have to count their cost in the budget? )

All in all I guess it takes talent,luck and patience to build a car cheap. Luck and patience play a big part. If you're not lucky enough or patient enough to get a part cheap. You'll be like the idiots on Ebay paying $3000 just for a 32 3 window dash.
Clark

 

i lost





i;m over that and it's not done yet.






then again i'm not building a rat rod.






ed

 

Damn, well, could you build a hot rod for 6,000.00?

I was hoping to trade my custom norton i built for a hot rod and maybe a little cash. i like the hot rods that look like they're built in the 50's. (paint not perfect, not too flashy) the real ones....

 

ps- clark (so what) can pull it off. but he;s got skills and experience. it's something to aspire to.

 

Ed ..It's something to prespire to??
Clark

 

I know it can be done,I've done it a few times.
The trade thing is hard to keep track of,we all started somewhere,sometime with whatever we had.
I built my roadster about 5 years ago for under $5000-cdn.Thats about $3500-USD
You gotta do lotsa networking and some trading.
Theodore and I just built the Bindup for under $500-cdn.We had parts kicking around and some friends threw in some parts too.We put this kewl lil truck together just to say "Hey we took a pile of parts and had some building something neato"
It was a blast and it shows guys that you don't need a buncha dough to do it.
As for the upholstery and paint,all my cars have oneshot paint on em and seats too. ......Shiny

 

I am just hoping to be able bo finish my 39 for less that I have dumped into bikes. I think I am on a pretty good start to getting under the 5-6k mark. We will see. I think my biggest expense will be in the rebuild kit for the 429. Maybe the gl*** if I can't get a good deal. I guess time will tell. At least I will be telling my wife...Oh yeah honey...Its gonna be under 5 grand total
Mike

 

Actual out of pocket cash, $750.00 in 1982. $300.00 of it was tires. A lot of trade work, haggeling, scrounging, begging and a whole bunch of work. Yes it can be done.
I was 25 years younger and had a lot more ambition. It took about 7 years to do it that way.

 

Jim, you remember my T I had at the GG show in DFW? I had about 4 grand in it. I had a bunch of the parts but most could have been acquired for under 500 bux. It can be done, are you willing to give up some of the pretties? I think I have a pic of it somewhere.....

 

[ QUOTE ]
Ed ..It's something to prespire to??
Clark

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Clark,

I hope I can do the next one in my garage with my tools on my time. I'm learning. A LOT. Chopolds is helping me right now. I have my car in his shop, and we're doing metal work. Now that I've seen it, I think I can do it (but I have a lot to learn). Mark (Chopolds) has encouraged me as we go. Doing (or at least helping) is an inspiring thing. Everything that we've done so far has been REALLY SIMPLE, it's just a matter of knowing what tool to use and how. Nothing that we've done has been brain-bending or required rediculously expensive tools. I never would have thought of bending 1x2 tubing in a vice. Mark did it, I watched, then I tried it. I don't think I did it perfect, but IT'S NOT THAT HARD.





I hear ya though -- PERSPIRE, practice, learn. Every time you solve one of these simple puzzles you get better. You;re just years ahead of me




Ed

 

This whole subject is open for huge interpertaition, I'm sure there are a lot of differing opinions.

To me a traditional rod that can really be driven, without safety or realibility concerns cannot be built for $5k, every time I looked at parts I new would be traditional looking, the cost of the build went up drastically, and there are to many parts, that need to be rebuilt or replaced as new, to be safe. Unless your lucky enough to have a stash of parts that were bought cheaply, the price of parts currently doesn't allow it, especially if you're trying to do it in a short amount of time.

Even used guages will end up costing you more than new if you need to find the right sending units.

A hydraulic drum brake setup that's safe, costs more than any modern disc setup.

A set of 16" stones cost a hell of a lot more than radials.

My car is no where near what I would call traditional other than at first glance, cause it has a similar look but it's not traditional. I've got about $5K in it, but that doesn't include the engine, axle, or even the core trans I've had sitting around in the garage for tha last 8 years, along with a other parts I used cause I had them sitting on the shelf for years.

I'd be suprised if someone could build a truely traditional car that was somewhat safe (for 50-60 year old technology), a real driver and had the right look, for less than $10k with paint and interior even if they do build everything themselves. There are to many small parts, fuel lines, brake parts, fittings, wiring, and even the cost of steel know a days that strain any budget.

I know a few people have done it, but your average person could never pull it off, and even some of the pack rat HAMBers would have a hard time doing it.

 

[ QUOTE ]
give me a break guys,
Paint and Interior, are you making a show car or
a hot rod.

I painted my 53 lincoln(big car) for less than $200
that includes a gallon of body filler at $30 which
I barely used. And it is not primered it has semi gloss
paint, and it is straight.

My lady and I did the interior in the lincoln for $120
this stuff can be cheap if you do it.

I say if someone wants to do it for cheap and has the determination you can do it. If you don't know how to do
something you can learn, if you can read you can learn,
Hell I learned alot from this place, and it is a great source of parts

thanks to everyone on here I know I couldn't have done it
with out you.

[/ QUOTE ]
and i thought nobody else had the sense to think of that...
i don't know when a hot rod became a flashy, showy, expensive top-dollar ride; but i don't like it. the guys who built the rods back in the day took what they could get, put it together and made it work. i see guys like boyd coddington, chip foose and troy trepanier making these sweet cars...SHOW CARS...that people are calling hot rods now. ********, it's an awesome vehicle but it's not a hot rod! also, since when did the '32 ford become the end all be all hot rod?! to hell with that i say...i think most of them are boring. i've seen too many, it's NORMAL...correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't a hot rod supposed to be unique and different?

it's like all those stupid *** kids out there "rebelling" and trying to be unique and different...just like everybody else.

cars are a way for people like us to express themselves and hot rods are taking that one step further. be different people, things are getting boring...that's why i drive an '84 delta88 that's been taken off the computer, had the entire fuel and spark systems redone, been straight-piped and had a monster transmission built for it that'll take the built 455 that's going in there...yeah, that's right...in an '84 delta with a 455 that's going to be done up in TRADITIONAL HOT ROD STYLE!!

as for making a $3000 traditional hot rod, more than completely possible. i have a rough but VERY solid '46 or '47 diamond t frame, cab and fenders that i'm going to make into a fullsize, old styled hot rod and i figure for around $2500, and that's starting from scratch! you just have to have imagination, drive and a firm grip on reality. hot rods aren't the best of the best parts, they are an expression of the builder. when i picture a hot rod i think of anything old, doesn't have to be chopped or channeled or anything like that. it's not even necessarily painted, or has nice interior...it's just the soul of the builder/owner coming out in metal, rubber and fabric.

BTW, here's a rendering of the basics of what i'm going to be doing to the diamond t...chopped, dropped and the cab moved back about 2 1/2 FEET. yes it's a duallie, yes it's 20' long and YES, it's a TRADITIONAL HOT ROD. get off your high horses and build something original...

 

I got an idea. Everyone keep track don't spend more than $5k or $10k. Pick your poison and meet me at MoKan next August...

Oh ****, I better get my roadster body home....