This might be a fun topic -- what's the cheapest car (HAMB related of course) that you've built to drive or sell? I loved the recent post on the "What you found in the car" where they ended up finding more money in the car then they bought it for . . . but ignoring the "free money", what's realistic numbers for someone scrounging around and building a decent little ride? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW! I don't know what my dad eventually got into the car for (down to total $/cents . . . ) but I'm going to take a stab at this one: 1942 Chevy Aerosedan -- $$ was can of coffee + hauling it from Grandpa's farm 197? Chrysler Cordoba -- $150 (?) -- The ultimate "Pig" car . . . down to the headlight rims to french the lights . . . used the engine/****** and anything else not bolted in 198? Grand Prix -- $75. When we said we wanted the interior . . . we meant from firewall to trunk . . . stripped it clean. Engine rebuild (???) All told I would imagine my dad has less than $3K in his car . . . from a SWAG. Built in 1988-1990 or so . . . and still in primer today. LOL
Real steal full hooded 27 lakes modified for the low price of $485.00 and last offer was $6,000 who needs Wall Street.
1937 Ford Pickup.......$300 1979 Lincoln Versailles.....$500, drove it home. (302, C4, 9" with disc brakes) 1977 Mustang II.....free if I promised to take it and never bring it back. Welding rod, paint, brake lines, misc parts & fluids.....$1,000 Oil pressure and water temp gauges.....$15 at swap meet. Venture to guess with all said & done there is about $3,000 in the truck--the tires & rims cost me more than anything else on the truck.
Oh brother. I promised to be a good boy. I promised to be professional.... so I'll just not say anything about how full of lies this thread is.
They've always ended up 'snowalling'... But like Bullwinke Moose says: "this time for sure." Above rust: $100 (thanks Orcas Tow!). I have a complete non-HAMB interest drive train I can put in - which I may do to get the project rolling under self-power, and a core Chrysler 6 cyl flattie, a dis***embled 331 & 2 speed (yuk) old AT, (all $0), a '55-7 Chev bellhousing and a '68 glide core if I want to go old mouse style (approx $125 for the Chev stuff), a pickup 8-3/4" rear w/ sure grip & 4.10's but no brakes ($450 a long time ago), outdated unused 12"X27" nascar slicks ($85), a bunch of sundry **** like calipers, pedals, wiring bits, steering boxes & columns, 2 gal's of urethane and a bunch of P.O.R. left over from other projects. So far it's all stuff lying around, plus the C-note. Wish me luck! -bill
well so far for 170 dollars i have a 40 ish axle, split bones, 37-48 spindles and kingpins, a 305/350 combo, edelbrock intake, holley carb and a 55 chevy rear, and a gl*** deuce grille shell....plus time and gas to pick stuff up... lets see, add in rings and bearings, a trip to the hot tank, hone the cylinders, gaskets, carb kit, ream the king pin bushings,...man this is getting expensive....
i built a 32 5window for $12 bucks when i was 10 or so..... it was only 8in long and 4 in high but it is still cool!!!!
So far on my stude pickup. I bought the 49 cab & front sheetmetal on a odd 4 wd ch***is for $400 sold the Marmon Herrington ch***is for $1500. Bought another ch***is for $150, sold spare windshield frame for $50 so right now I am $1000 ahead, plus I got a volare front clip for free
I'll add some reality to this thread. I have about $2500 in my 1959 Ranchero. It still doesn't run and I got the car complete to start for free. I probably need another $500 to get it mechanically sound. I will have a $3000 ranchero with original interior and paint (looks like ****). Mike
i am guessing i have about 1200 into my 57 chev already, not a dream boat, but its a good start, least i can drive it, probaly be about another grand to call it done. on the otherhand, i got roughly 2-3 g's in my effie with a 2g 351c now s****metal paperweight. in that truck i got from mike, i doubt the total will be over 1500-2g with all the stuff i got laying around already. good used parts and manual labor seems to do it, and a bit of making it fit.
1950 Fleetline 2dr - runs, kinda - $200 - no gl*** - has '56 235 New fuel pump - $26 Gl*** - all but one vent and one side of the windshield - $60. Included a set of Olds valve covers. Sold covers for $60. Other side of windshield - swapped a car I had for a car with the gl***. Front brake conversion and new brakes - hubs, drums, backing plates free off a junk '54 my buddy had. New shoes, wheel cylinders, hardware, hoses about $100 between eBay, Napa, and Advance Auto. Two NOS master cylinders - $50, one was free, one on eBay, still don't have a fuctional one New wiring kit - $150 T5 trans - swapped a buddy for a dead S10 with one, swapping a free car I spent $400 to use as a driver for one winter and got my money's worth out of. That leaves the trans adapter ($100), another rearend (I have one I could use now), changing the master ($20 when I change the pedal mount) and new brake lines, installing lights, and some better seats. I figure it can be drivable for around $1000-$1200 total invested if I just slap it together with stock lights and so on. It really needs a batch of bodywork and I might go ahead and customize it some, but since I picked up the A project I suspect I may just get it together and going and let it be at that. My Model A, so far I have a free frame, free axles, $350 worth of tin for the body, and I have a $200 motor I can run in it or a motor in a car I wouldn't be able to sell for $200. I haven't sold much back out of that yet. I figure depending what I sell and how much it costs to put a trans in it, I can get it going for around the same kind of money. As for paint, $26 a gallon True-Value Rust-X works for me - That's the fun of the game, though - what can I trade for this or that, what can I buy and then piece out and be ahead and still keep what I want? I've been doing that for years, with model trains and model cars just as much as real car stuff -
I just bought my 54 ford 4dr for $2200. It runs, is driven everyday, and has VERY little rust. I think thats pretty cheap for a good, strong runner but im sure others have done it for less. my expenses wont be at $2200 for long though. Im already planning what parts to buy to make it cooler and I havent even picked it up yet.
This thread can be fun to compare when you read about some of the things that people do for compe***ion cars. I've seen cars running 12 seconds that could handle and look pretty decent for around $2000 or so. There's a lot of horse trading and other things that goes on and EBay can be used as your friend in this case.
cheapest car I ever built was exactly 34 cents. Built it for $14,998.77, sold it for $15,000. Damn 'for sale' sign cost me 89 cents, or I could have said I built the thing for a little over a dollar.
I have one of those "free" 1931 Model A coupes that was truckized and ready for the crusher, but I saved it after buying yet another Model A coupe for $850 that came with enough spare parts to save not only that car, yet the other coupe in the collection. So I have about $600 in that body, including patch panels, the wood kit and a new windshield. I bolted it onto the Pinto powered ch***is that I had $1500 into, along with a new set of gl*** Wescott fenders. (4 Model A coupes and holding...and parts to perhaps save another coupe...just need a p***enger's side door now) We made it to the NSRA Nationals in Looiville in 1998 with no problems, once we figured out it was rust in the gas shut off valve that was giving us a top speed of 25 miles per hour one night at midnight on a dark country road in northern Indiana... Always something....
What does "Built" mean? I bought a Renault Caravelle for $10.00 and drove it home from up in Palos Verdes Hills, stopping with the P-brake. I "Built" the front brake adjuster cams so it would stop for no additional $. Does that count? ETA: My '40 GMC cost around $5600 (from reciepts I added up, including sandpaper, welding supplies etc.) to put together running, garage painted and kitchen table upholstered the first time around. The new second engine and tires to replace the worn out stuff was probably another $2000. The replacement leather upholstery cost a spool of thread and some pig rings because the hides were a gift. The hides would probably have been around $900.
****, a 20 grand car is a cheap one over here. I have about 10g in a half done 28 A RPU and this is a cheap car!!
I must be doin it wrong. All my cars are ****in $$$. Even the ones that look like ****! wtf..........
things I can think of off the top of my head: rough 32 ford sport coupe body with decent frame $500 in 1994 (I was 14) complete repop floors $200 16" ford steelies $25 dropped duece axle $75 wishbone for same $75 32 K member $30 deuce grille $100? guessing used repop radiator $125 reverse eye spring $65 56 ford truck box $25 al. boat steering whl $20 63 vette 283 reblt $buddy gave me complete tran adpt $100 1947 buick taillights $15 misc SW gauges <$25 4 nos buick drums $100 32 tank $125 32 5w windshield $50 yankee lights $15 model a seat frame $10 carson top $10 worth of conduit and an oak skid new brake stuff $400 39 pedals $25 32 gas pedal $5 I'm sure i've got another couple hundred bucks worth of little parts that I can't remember and another $500 bucks worth of catalog orders for bits and pieces so I'll give it a $1k fudge factor. the rest of the parts for the car I was lucky enough to have lying around the garage as leftovers from the 28. 39 ****** with gears out of a 47, 47 rear and spring, hubs, spindles,3 97's etc. I have been collecting parts for this car starting in 1992 with my lawn money and had everything I needed by 1998. all parts had to be a super deal or I couldn't get what I wanted. all totalled I'd say $3-4k would be a good estimate as to what I have into the car. If I would spend a couple months working on it and another few hundred bucks it would be driving. anyone see anything big I missed?
I built my first T-bucket back in 1987 for $1500. I remember the amount because that was the limit on my credit card at the time and I didn't have any cash. I bought a gl*** body from MAS, made my own frame, used junkyard straight axle, steering column box, and rear buggy spring, swap meet wheels and tires, and a wrecked but running Maverick bought for $300 for the drivetrain.
The Jalopy Journal
