Projects At what point do you say a part isn't worth saving? '40 Ford pu hood

I finally picked up my basket case '41 Ford pickup yesterday. A**** the extra parts was a '40 hood. But, as you can see, it is beyond rough. I'll probably end up making an awning or a sled out of it. FYI the rust in the latch area is actually a little worse than it looks in the picture.

I'm curious, at what point do you decide a part is not worth saving?
That is, of course, different than can be saved. My Dad was one of those people who would put the work into repairing a completely trashed part just because someone said it couldn't be saved. LOL

 

When I work on my own stuff, my labor is free.
That said, if I can replace something for what I think is a reasonable amount, I’ll pay for it.

If I can’t afford a replacement or I feel it’s just too much money, then I’ll give a go at fixing it.

Worst thing that happens I just waste time and chuck it anyways.

 

How much would one in much better condition cost you? How many hours would you have to put into this one in order to get it to the same level of the better part? Divide hours into dollars to decide if you want to work that cheap.

 

If you don’t need it for your truck I would just find a place for it out behind the shop and let it sit. If you don’t find a use for it in a couple years, send it to the s**** metal guys. Chances are you or a friend will find a use for it eventually. I wouldn’t waste time repairing it unless you are going to use it.
I’ve got a pile of Morris Minor body parts that I am using for paint test panels.

 

Very Rough But They Have Been Difficult To Find Now Without Buying Another Truck To Get One....IMHO...

 

They make good raw material for streamliner or speedster bodies. Just sayin...

 

Yup, getting hard to find on the loose. Don't trash it until you find a better one--it is fixable.

 

If you don't need it, or the repair is beyond your ability to fix it, Sell it cheap or junk it, and buy a good one for your truck if you need one. Why waste time on parts that will never be up to your standards. Your standards may differ from mine, but that's what makes the world go round.

 

Iowa gets snow right!

 

Gene Cross welded two of them together and made a canoe! He strapped it to the roof of his 48 Ford sedan. Can’t find a pic at the moment.

 

find another and make a nose like this

 

Looks fixable to me and would be a good project...I've fixed worse. It's only metal

 

I'd keep it, anyway. I've cut patches out of old thick Henry steel, rather than use a new piece. Always thought maybe that helped my poor fabrication skills do a better job.

 

If you dont want it, I do.

 

Pickup hoods are getting harder to find. P***enger hoods not so much.

 

Very honestly that is patch panel donor material in my book. You cut patches out of it until there is nothing left to cut out and haul what's left to the s**** yard.

 

looks repairable to me. definitely not trash unless your pics don't tell the whole story.

 

You would need to be very skilled to make chicken salad out of that chicken doo, IMO.

 

Awning over the outhouse door!

 

How much effort I would spend on a car or a truck part would involve two considerations:
1) How hard is it to find a good replacement part? If replacement parts do not exist, or are very hard to come by, I would invest a lot of time saving the part. If the part is readily available and is cost effective, the old part could be history.
2) How expensive the replacement part costs. I spend much more time repairing rusty parts for my own stuff then most would. I owned my own welding shop for 30 years, metal work on my own stuff didn't cost me anything but the time invested in the repair, my time didn't cost me anything, but it was pretty expensive for the customer. If the needed part would have been for a customer's ride, once the estimated cost of repair would become near the replacement part cost, it was time to call the customer and get his input.

What to do if repairing the part is beyond your abilities, or cost more then an available replacement parts? That depends on your abilities or willingness to store the part. If storing it is not an issue for you, I would store and put the word out you have the rough part available. If that part is free or dirt cheap to someone that would be willing to repair it, is up to you.

 

I save everything....

 

Sell it as a "Rat Rod" hood.

 

In the past I have too. But, I'm trying to get better.

 

I’d fix it

 

Lots of guys talking about if the time and effort would be worth it financially. There is another aspect.
Would you enjoy fixing it, and would it give you a sense of achievement?
Sometimes it's not always about the dollar.....

 

I’m not known for good financial decisions

That’s why I build a lot of parts and fix things just because

 

Great candidate for a car show billboard or yard art. Find your local artisan and put your heads or hoods together.

 

If I needed one, I'd fix that, I've fixed way rustier **** than that. I like doing sheetmetal repairs, though.

 

I'd fix it.I don't worry about the time it takes.I enjoy the challenge.

 

It's only steel...I'd fix it too.