Projects Beginner Car Purchase

Welcome to the HAMB. It has been said above about the wood. I have a stock '30 Chev sedan and I am lucky the wood is in pretty good condition. My Dad restored the car in 1974 and is still pretty solid however I can see the door alignment getting worse the last couple of years. Chevy did away with wood in their cars in 1935 or 1936 so a later Chevy may be something to look at. I also agree with above about getting a running and driving car to start out with. It will be good for you to enjoy the car before it gets taken apart for a long term build. So many times a car gets taken apart and never put back together due to lack of space, time, money and owner's skill. Good luck I hope you enjoy the car hobby.

 

I forget how tall HRP is but he seems to drive his car around a lot . Ask him how comfortable he is on a long ride>

 

Thanks I appreciate that! If I ever go to the okc to look at something I’ll reach out


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Read through this social group postings... and then do a HAMB search using the term "Termite"...
Termites and Bowties- Early Chevy Group | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)
Chappy

 

Nothing but solid advice so far. I'll add my two cents, take it or leave it. DO NOT BE IN A HURRY. There are a million old car deals out there every day. Know what you want and don't want before you jump in. Also, buy the best car you can up front. You may have a limited budget, (don't we all), but most of us also have a finite amount of enthusiasm and time. You can easily spend a huge amount of time, money you thought you "saved" on the purchase price, and all your hope and enthusiasm for the car and still have an unfinished lump of poo on your hands. Do you homework first, not after the fact.

 

A coupes are pretty available and make a great first "old" car. Taking the package shelf out along with a thinner seat back opens up a lot of leg room. If you haven't already; you should read thru this thread:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/building-my-first-roadster-in-san-francisco.1204990/

 

Hey @TimTheEnchanter , welcome to the HAMB. You have come to the right place. You'll get sound advice from straight-shooters. Also, you can't beat the knowledge here. I read through this thread earlier today. Tonight I happened to be looking through the HAMB Cl***ifieds and thought of your situation when I saw this. If you're looking for a '30s Coupe (good choice, by the way) this is pretty damn cool. The guy is asking $8,500. If I were looking for another one, I'd be all over this!

1930 Ford Model A Coupe
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1930-model-a-coupe-ford.1214473/

 

I agree with the Hammer in Central NY. In the early days I sure am included; guys avoided Chevys do to the wood which was very difficult to replace and went mostly to Fords. Be very careful as in some cases you will not even be able to open and close the doors right. Some people have replaced the wood with metal but this is a major job. Tom

 

Place in Indiana off US30 makes kits, and wood pieces. Auto Wood restorations. Hanna Indiana. 219-797-3775.

 

Another couple questions on here that need to be answered are what is your intended use for this vehicle, and what is your desired timeline?

I ask the first question because when I was 16 and looking for my first old car in 2001, I wasn't going to have a second car. My cl***ic was going to be my daily. I eventually purchased a 57 Chevy that ran well with a 283 and needed odds and ends, but nothing major to run and drive reliably. It was a great car to learn on, as parts were readily available and not terribly expensive, and the car ran well to keep me from getting frustrated with it. If your intent is to use whatever car it is that you buy as a vehicle to eat up major miles in rain and shine, I would advise against most anything prewar. Buy a car with a drivetrain that you can work with. Perhaps a SBC or SBF. When you're delving into obsolete drivetrains, you're fighting two battles simultaneously; figuring out how to fix the problem, and where to get parts once you've identified the problem, which is aside from a potential 3rd problem in the inflated cost of obsolete or specialty parts. You've said that you're mechanically inclined, and that's great. You're going to need to be when often the right parts don't fit. Old cars are not R&R (remove and replace) like new cars, and they require a deeper understanding of the systems so that you can reengineer new components into cars they never came with from the factory.

Also, if your goal is to get something out on the road sooner rather than later, buy a car that's already on the road and tagged, and modify it as you go along. If you're just figuring this stuff out, tinkering around, and have no real tools or skills in welding, metal fabrication, wiring, engine building, etc., a project you want to take months can easily last a decade or more. As others have mentioned, spending more up front usually equates to less in the long run; ie the difference between a $3000 car and a $6000 car is about $10,000 worth of parts and labor.