POLL: How old were you when you built your first car

Im not talking put a motor in and shit i mean a full build chassis motor body mounts floors and all. or lets say along the same lines as a frame off resto. you know what i mean. and building a car is not painting your moms old 74 malibu 4 door black primer and putting air shocks on it.

 

I got a 64 Chevy ll nova when I was 15. It had the six in it, and a three speed on the tree. I built a six point cage (not a kit, but from my own design) replaced the front frame and suspension, replaced the rear while I learned how to de-arch the leafs, built my own motor(started with a 327, then built a 302), put in a muncie, front disc brakes, stripped then primered the car,.. I did put the stock front seats back in, but I did pretty much everything else. I guess this qualifies.

 

id have to say so.

 

DirtyDude.. 15..The quality of the build was about as good as the quality of this photo, I bought the body from Ambman's Grampa for 25.00...'Y'block with dual teapots & Cruiseamatic.. not exactly a "a frame off resto" ..Crude but effective, I had a HotRod..

CC

 

40 Chevy two door sedan, 283 glide,57 rear end,chrome plated stock wheels-When?-1969 good body-- sloppy workmanship--this dumb kid kinda misse's that ol-heap!

 

Still working on my first real project. 57 Ford Custom 300. I blew up the Y block, we built a 383 Mopar from scratch, I fabbed a custom oil pan, motor mounts etc. I have replaced just about every mechanical part in the car. I'm just getting going on redoing the whole body and fresh paint is in the works for the summer

 

Your poll does not go back far enough.

Bought my first car after mowing yards all summer to pay for it (100.00). A 1956 Ford, pulled the 312 and 3 speed and built a 302 with a c-4.Swaped the rear end from a Torino, Rebuilt the brakes, dropped it about 2 inches, Installed a new set of seats from LTD, did the body work and re-painted it black with traditional white to orange to red flames with blue stripeing. Tossed on some Genral Grabbers and Kidney bean wheels. Duals with Cherry bombs.

I was 13 when I bought, started driving it at 14.

 

Got my Rambler when I was 15 - it had a blown up motor. My dad gave me a Chilton's Manual and said if I could fix it I could have it. I had it running by the time I was 16. After a month I was tired of the 6 banger and scrounged up a steel crank 327 Chevy and a 'glide. My dad took pity on me and bought a 99 dollar buzz box. I welded the mounts and added a 9 inch with my own designed floater mounts and ladder bars. I drove the shit out of it for a few years then got tired of it and it sat for a couple years I guess. I then torched off the front frame (unibody) and put a full frame and cage in it lost the 327 in favor of a 392 Chrysler. I guess I was around 24 then.


Never had help other than a conversation with some local guys who were sharp. I made LOTS of mistakes - learned things the HARD way - no HAMB then....

 

I was 14, traded my twin engine go cart for a 350 that smoked like a banshee, after I got the cart back from the police impound, them bastards actually kept my other one once they caught me.....Well any ways, I got my hands on an old Willys jeep frame, was given an old Super VW, and I mated them all together.....................Some peoples kids!!!!!!!

 

a real hot rod........i'm still working on it now, started it about a year ago at 35. prior to that it was just rebuilding what was there no hardcore mods. didn't know squat about cars (just liked mechanical things) until i was 18 when i started working at a gas station and watched. my grampa was the only one who knew alot about cars and he passed away when i was 16. just read alot and bugged the shit outta the mechanics.

 

Bought in 1975 age 15 in Ohio.Spent a few years in Tulsa(anybody know
what that is spelled backwards?) Back to Ohio and then to Florida.
Time was when ALL my worldly posessions would fit inside it... Been a
dust collector for too many years now and with the youngest graduating
high school last year its time to relive some "glory days".

 

When I was 14 I was riding with my uncle. I saw a tricked out notch back go by and I lit up! My uncle was a die hard vw guy and came home with a 64 for me two weeks later. My uncle pulled up and told me that i owed him 1,500.00 and that I better learn to rebuild an engine cuz this one is shot! This was my first car and engine build. My uncle would send me out in the garage and I would wonder into the living room with parts and he would answer my questions and send me back to the garage. I learned alot. I turned it into side money and I built a few engines and did a lot of 200.00 clutch jobs. I ended making the Notch Back a show quality custom (dropped, shaved, custom paint job, etc.) that was ready to cruise when I turned 16. But, Neadless to say I was over VWs so I sold it to fund my first bike. (73 Ironhead sporty).

FONZI

 

I was 18 back in '62, got a 34 Ford fordor, put in a 4" dropped axle and split the wishbone, '48 Ford juice brakes, '39 trans, '53 flathead, '48 Merc wheels with 500s up front 820s on rear, flame welded the rips on the fenders along with building complete exhaust, did body work (Lead), sprayed it with 1 part dark gray primer 1 part black lacqure, wheels were Azteck Red and tires had wide whitewalls.

Does this quilify?

 

I was 15 and found it under a cherry tree where it had been for 10 years.
1959 Plymouth Fury III Custom ragtop.
Best 10 bucks I ever spent.

 

I was sixteen and had a 50 Ford coupe. I lowered, nosed and decked it and it was spray can black primer, with no bumpers.

 

23yrs, I would have to say, full car, only things I didnt do myself was final paint and the upholstry was not complete before I sold it. Started on cars when I was 16yrs though, learnt about paint and panel rather quickly after crashing my first car.

 

bought my 55 in 1974 at 13, got running good and drove it some (illegally) until late in my jr. year then did a frame off and showed it at the 1980 classic chevy convention (took 2nd) just before leaving for U.S.A.F basic training, that car sure had a hard life after that, and I'm now 1/2 way through another frame off which I plan to finish once I have the Edsel street worthy.

 

At 16 I swapped a 354 hemi (I rebuilt it before installation) into my first car, a '58 Plymouth 2 door. Only help I had was taking the motor mounts to get them welded. At 17 I built my '32 Ford 5 window with a 392 hemi, from the ground up from mostly junkyard parts, bought torches and a welder and did everything myself.

 

I started my 36 build when I was 12. I was 17 before I finished so I guess I fall in category number 1.

 

I started "shining up" my cars in high school....but I was 22 when we built this from scratch. My partner was 20.

 

First car 1970 Falcon,between 17 & 22 all I did was lower it and stick a Jap 5spd in it,(Rebuilt the gear box 2-3 times) had the engine out to do a rear main, nothing much, (all running gear has been out.)
and my second is my A rpu was 22 (3year ago), paid 50 bucks for a near complete car, bought a rolling chassis, blew it apart and built it from there, did nearly all the body work, replaced the wood for steel, there was a time deadline, so had help along the way, learnt to flame weld on that one.

It's on the road, but not a 'complete' job.

Outback

 

Well, I just turned 30 this week, and I'm in the midst of my first complete build. I've done the engine/trans swap, and rebuilt a few motors, and I've done several complete cycle builds, but not a car (or actually a truck in this case).

I guess I'm a late bloomer, but that's okay by me!

Ben

 

26-40?! You're making me feel old! And I'm at the low end of the spectrum.

First car I ever messed with was my first car, a 1982 Mustang GT (still messing with it when I have time) that I got when I turned 14. Supercharged it, 9" with 4.56 gears (getting replaced with a more streetable 8.8 with 3.73s out of a newer Mustang when I finish the T). I guess that car's a bit off topic here.

 

I bought a driver Model A when I was 25. I did some tinkering on it and thought that maybe I could build my own hot rod. The extent of my mechanical expertise was that I had changed my oil once or twice oil before that. I started on the spacetruck when I was 28 and drove it for the first time a week after my 29th birthday.

Now I am over the hill, according to your poll, and about to finish my second hot rod at the ripe old age of 32. I suppose I had better quit after this one so I don't run out of geritol. Ha Ha Ha

 

rebuilt my first motor and did my first brake job at 16
assembled several cars after that

but didn't build my first frame from a pile of steel till 28..

so that puts me in the third group

 

About 16-17. Crosley body, mailslot chop, channeled, two T frames for longer wheelbase, 322 Buick nailhead, Pontiac 3 speed, rear axle welded solid to frame, a rolling disaster in too many ways to count. Somebody liked it better, and stole it!

 

Actually 14 but who's countin'.
1968 : '23 bucket T with a 413. It wasn't my car so I guess it don't count. Long story I guess.

My '55 Victoria wasn't an actual frame off I did it when the wife and I were 16 when we started it. But it did get major suspension mods and a killer 312, among other things. No paint job, factory 2 tone tan was good enough at the time.

 

Does my Soap Box derby car count? I think i was about 11 when i built the "Chrome Coffin" derby car

 

I bought this car in 1992, me and my dad split the $500 cost. I was 11 years old. We had a super amateur paint job put on it and I polished all the really pitted chrome up as best I could until I was 15, then I bought Tex Smith's "How to Chop Tops" and chopped it, the chop is OK but when you get close you'll see that there's a lot of room for improvement. My second chop went much better. 14 years later, I still have the car, now with a 348/4 speed in it, this summer I want to fix a few things and drive it some again. (Yes, I do realize how gay the wheels look and yes, I did take them off years ago. I was in HS and didn't know better)

 

my friends chevy '70 1/2 ton shortbox... frame off, in his drive way... no welding, just sheet metal screws and tin squares for the rusty floors... there was fuckall for parental help.

we didnt get the motor in because some kid wanted it more..

couple yrs later it was built.... but the kid blew his new 383 trying to be cool. that was some funny shit