The discussion over what cars really cost is a little off topic. My original post was more of a "what parts should I be on the lookout for?" Like this: 1) 73-87 Chevy pickup rearends are cheap and are the right width for a T 2) steering columns out of a 63 Ford Falcon are just right 3) use a Corvair steering box 4) look for Ford I-beam, not Chevy 'cause they don't work with... Granted, these are just examples, not necessarily true, but information that would help me out greatly when peruses junkyards or stopping to look at a car in someone's field. willowbilly's post was helpful, listing parts and prices.
One of the things that I have done - because I am suppose to be saving for kids college and retirement - is look for a group of parts. I have found that people that have really street rodded something are likely to dump a whole chassis (1935-1940) sometimes with running gear. But the suspension alone is the stuff a lot of us are looking for - so part out a few of those and you come up with money to buy more. Also, I try to trade smart. It has to be something I can use or get a lot more out of selling it out right. Ask a lot of questions of people you know and keep your ears open. People say stuff that put you onto something. If you were not paying attention then you may not even hear it. That's how I bought my Touring body. It was on the super cheap. It also helped the owner loved to drink, was kinda drunk when I got there and brought beer with me. I always ask what kind of beer people drink. If they answer you take some with you. I also worked out a deal with a friend that I bought a bunch of good stuff for problably 10-20 percent of what it was worth. The deal is I don't sell it. If I decide to sell it he will buy it back. If I would get the chance I think I could have mine rolling and have less than $100 in it from what I traded. I figure cost of parts and freight. Not fuel and other BS going to get parts or going to swap meets.
1. Axles..Look for an Ford axle and wishbones. These are easy to find cheap. Try to get a matching set(ie from the same car), because there are axle size differences. Try to get one from a 37-48 in order to get juice brake spindles, but the earlier ones will work with an adapter kit. There are lot's of brake options for those including your F-100 brakes. Also know that the later axles(36 and up) require a special spring to run in spring over config. 2. Steering boxes... Corvairs can still be had cheap, and are easy to reverse. Cross steer Vega boxes work well too, but are getting hard to find. Make your own column. There a post in the Tech-O-Matic on how to do it. 3.Rear axles...try to find something the right width for your application and hopefully the right bolt pattern to match the front. You don't HAVE to run a banjo, 9inch, or 8inch. Heck, an S-10 7.5 would hold up a while and probably could be had for the taking. A 2wd is about 48" flange to flange, while a 4wd is about 52". DON'T use a rare or obsolete one. Parts will be expensive and hard to come by. You can make or shorten your own driveshaft, check the T.O.M. 4. Drivetrain...Try to score a running vehicle. This way you will get ALL the tidbits(starter, alt, manifolds, tranny). A good tip is to make friends with some demo derby guys. I got a '70 455 Buick and tranny and a 67 440 Chrysler for helping them scrap the cars after derby. Even a 2wd S-10 2.5 or a ranger 2.3 would be a cheap, economical power plant. AGAIN, stay away from rare, obsolete engines. The parts will be hard to find and expensive. There's a reason 350 Chevys and TH350 are popular. They are cheap and common. I'm pulling the 350 out of my car for a flathead 5spd combo. I'll have more in the drivetrain, than in the whole car. Your 307 will be fine. 5. Tidbits... You have to know some shop owner with a parts store discount. I get my parts at a heavy discount. Do I feel guilty about it? No. I've dealt with these stores for years as a shop manager. A 68 Mustang master cylinder lists for $24 and I get it for $11. Make friends with the guys at the steel wharehouse. Buy often, and you'll get a discount. 6. Body...It's up to you. As stated, I have $500 in my T-bucket body. I'd probably never build another one, but I've wanted one since I was 12 years old. I bought a 30 Model Tudor sedan for $300 with nice doors and a bad cowl and subrails. I bought a cowl at a swap meet for $30. With new subrails and patchpanels, I'll probably have around $700 out of pocket into the body. I would have been better off spending a little more in the first place. T tourings seem to go cheap. Nobux No money, but plenty of time. Plus, what's more traditional than junkyarding.
Total cost on my bucket was around $3000.00 Frame and 40 Ford frontend-free untill I sell and front end goes back. Three motors and trannys for two 440 blocks that I had $200.00 in. 471 blower that I got for helping a guy move, $500.00 in the rebuild. Chevy truck rear, 325 posi, $50.00 plus the two wheels and tires included. Fiberglass body that came out of a scrap pile, $200.00 House of Colors paint that was won at the Nationals. 600 Holley, won at the Nationals. Homemade intake and headers, less than $200.00. Beer keg gas tank, $25.00. Paint for frame and motor, $100.00 Pain and suffering for three years while I put it together, $1500.00. You can build a car on the cheap, it depends on your contacts and your abilities.
"Here we go again..." Yea, we've hashed this one out a few times, and yea... nobody ever agrees. There are claims of guys building stuff on the cheap... but a) they are not actualy RUNNING vehicles... or b) they leave stuff off the list. I'm not talking GAS or BEER money, I'm talking nuts, bolts, wire ties, starters... you know the drill. So unless I see a COMPREHENSIVE list of materials... I'm gonna call BULL SHIT on anything built for less that $2500... Not that it CAN'T be done... it's just, unless I know the guy, and/or have seen him in action... I'm going to be hard pressed to believe it. Disclaimer: "There may be some complete piles of shit built for less." Sam.
again, this illustrates the importance of never throwing anything away. whatever room you have, fill it with stuff too good to pitch. you never know what you'll eventually use, trade or sell. seriously.
"Disclaimer: "There may be some complete piles of shit built for less." Sam." I didn't think my car was that bad!
I think Sam is somewhat right here. Tman just brought up a post that reflects this as well. I keep track of anything that cost $10.00 or more at a time. So bolts count. I figure I will have $3,000 - $5,000 in mine when I am done. And it will have paint and interior It may just take longer to build. The most interesting part - and should be the real point of this thread - is what parts to look for to help build a somewhat traditional rod.
Best thing to do is make friends with street rodders. They have a tendancy to take the axles out of the front of their cars and put MustangII under them. I got the front suspension for the 999 car this way. $150 got me a dropped axle, A spring, 40 brakes(all new) and wishbones. I do a lot of wiring jobs for people. I save the wire that's left over. Sure I may have a wire that says air conditioning running to the coil but it works and I know there's no AC in this car Check local scrapyards for metal. We've got a good one locally that has new stuff that factories or shops can't use. They sell it by the pound. Sometimes i may have to sand some light rust off but it's a lot cheaper this way. We are also lucky enough to have cheap junkyards. I get Buick drums for $5 a piece. 9 inch rears usually around $80. Odds and ends are cheaper the more you get. Buy something big and they usually throw the little stuff in for free. Yes the 999 car is a peice of shit but it was built for about $1200. I think I'm gonna spend a couple hundred on it this winter and make it a reliable road car. The biggest thing it needs is rear tires. The old knobbies are dry rotted and not safe. Might also get a paint job, the primer is fading pretty bad. Clark
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