It seems that when I get a car or a part, a month or so after I get the car or part, I find another (either just like the one I got or in better condition) for less. I am thinking of getting the body in the attached picture (33/34 ford tudor), but I don't want to be bent over with a tub of bearing grease... If this piece of tin came up and said "make an offer" what would you consider to be the general range of this tin? I am looking for a range that others would either sell or buy this tin for so when I go to attempt to acquire this, I will have a little education behind me. Oh, there is no floor or chassis (etc) with this deal. a 34 plymouth chassis is available at extra cost and a core 1935 flat head Ford v8 (complete from air cleaner to oil pan) with transmission is also available at extra cost. Thoughts? Any help is appreciated! Thanks! ~Joe
I just checked out your 34 build... WOW! I LOVE IT! I would be happy if my work is 1/10th as good as yours! Great Job! (and thanks for your input) As you have said, "it's a ton of work and ain't cheap to build" What parts would you consider most critical to repair and what makes the model 40's so expensive to build?
$1000-1500 ish depending on the condition of the passenger side quarter and back of the body. Though one distant photo isn't going to show us if the sheet metal is heavily pitted or pinholed, etc. Any dash or window garnish in the body? Lots of missing info. How much is the asking price? It's a 34 (has 34 doors and cowl. Figure the cowl/firewall/A posts and windshield header is $400-$500. Doors will go for at least $200+ each even needing work. The firewall and cowl look straight. It's not uncommon to have to replace 34 door bottoms. Replacing the rockers and floor is a major undertaking (I did my 5/w) which requires mucho labor in squaring up the body, door gaps, etc. before you even start on the floor. Can you do this work yourself? You'll need deep pockets for a 34 hood, grille (a lot more $$$ than a 32), fenders, boards, windshield frame, etc. though Sedan's are the cheapest of passenger car line. Then there's the chassis. There's a tough looking 33/4 sedan project on the HAMB that started as yard art.
As Hot Rods Ta Hell just said you will need advanced skills to square up that body and get the floor back in it. Missing pieces of the lower body will make things even tougher. If you have the skills needed and a project of this size agrees with you then go for it. Based on what you said and reading between the lines this project doesn't sound like a fit for you in my opinion. My coupe body was pretty sound when I started and it still took me several years to build a running and driving car. I started with a body only and had to search out every other item needed to build a complete car. good luck to ya!
A little more info: The sheet metal is heavily pitted and pinholed, there are no dash or window garnish in the body. I am up for working the tape measure to get things square and gaps right, and I can do some mig and tig... I am debating to take on the challenge or not based on project "do-abillity" and cost (or possible loss). If the body is almost not usable, I am willing to try to redo this (only if it is on its last legs anyways), but if this is good stuff... I don't want to possibly botch this car and ruin something good for the next guy. If I turn this rusty possibility into useless junk, I don't want to be out a lot, but If I am successful I may be able to "build some local street cred". As for asking price, he said "come over and we'll talk" so it could be good or bad... I just want to be prepared to know what is good for a number, or if I throw out a number to him, I don't want to insult him. thoughts? Thanks again.
Dont worry about insulting him,Not everybody can make that body right.Start at five bills and go from there.Also the mopar frames are pretty beefy.good luck.
Do you have any key terms I can search the HAMB with? I put in a bunch of terms to search by and all I get is: "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms. Array" Thanks
For HALF the final cost of building that into a useable car, you can buy one and drive away the first day without the 2 years or more of frustration trying to find decent parts at reasonable prices etc. etc. etc.
As a comparison and for what it's worth, I've got a Tudor project tucked away that's virtually complete with mint replated grille, nice hood, all garnishes, a mint, spare floor all rolling on a very usable old hotrodded chassis with a dropped axle, split bones, drum brakes, an older Chrysler V8 (not hemi), auto and open drive rear. It's valued (and may be available) in the $14,000 range. Steve
X2 I don't know what your budget is. If you have the money/Time then rock on. You will sink quite a lot of money into it before you are done. More than you will ever get, kind of like my cars. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Questions you need to ask: How old am I? What is the average life expectancy of someone my age? Do I want to have this car on the road before I have to use a walker? What concessions will I have to make to my wife if she finds out how much money I end up sinking in this project?
I am very biased towards these to start with but I would buy it providing the price is right. Then you will need a strong passion for hard dirty frustrating work, along with quantum ability not to mention a pile of cash. Of course, being resourceful and doing a lot of the work yourself will help offset the need for cash. Go read my thread on my cabriolet for a small idea of what I mean. Hope you do it!!!! Tim
I have a feeling that whatever I get in the 33/34 vehicles, they wont be as nice as most of the vehicles seen on this site. I saw your thread, and it is quite amazing! Seeing the chop has sparked my curiosity on if I pick this project, if I should also attempt the chop too? (as well as the process on how I should be approaching the chop - since different people attempt it in different ways). If I get this car, cheap, why not? Your Thread, and Threads like yours are inspiring and provide hope to the seeing impossible projects. Thanks! ~Joe
I paid $1000 for mine. Is it something that you will enjoy working on and building? That should really tell you what its worth to you. They are getting harder to find. Good luck!
Joe: If you are able to get the body, be sure and post a couple of close up pics and keep us involved. PM me if you want and I'll help you however I can. Tim
I wouldn't start thinking about top chop with the bottom 2 inches of the car missing. Just based on that picture, I'm with HRP on this one.
All good advice but personally, I would look for a better body to start with. Sometimes cheap is TOO MUCH!
Leave the core engine and the chassis behind. I'd pay under 1,000.00 for the body. More than anything, the body gets you in the game and once you have 33,34 stuff more stuff finds you. Its not a scientific theory but I swear its true.
In my opinion, if you are "thinking" about a 33/34 project and needing other opinions is the wrong way to start a project that will require a very serious commitment. I think you may be better off looking for an almost completed project the someone gave up on. Just my opinion.
Search the classified on here right now. There is a '34 sedan project for $3250, a '34 sedan for $7500 and a '33 sedan for $6000. I don't know your financial situation, or your skills, but stepping up $4-$5k up front for the $6K '33 sedan will put you way ahead in terms of time, and dollars as the car is more complete, and has a higher liklihood of being a successful build. The other two for sale are probably better bets versus the body you are looking at. my 2 cents
X3- I only did all the one's I did because I loved the challenge and felt I was saving some iron. These days I know that doing a ground up project is a big money and labor pit. Buy a driver or a project that someone bailed out on and save yourself the problems. Just my opinion.
Here's a little back story (sorry it's wordy)... I've like cars for as long as I could remember. A project vehicle that I got was a 46 Triumph (I picked up for $500 and saved from the crusher), mainly because my wife likes globes (the logo of the manufacturer - she is a geographer) and I like cars so i thought "a good combination". I had saved money to do the restoration on the car and I had an accident. While on the telephone at home, a hose that was disconnected from a high pressure latex paint sprayer had pressure left in the hose, and a dry paint slug (about the size and hardness of a score card pencil) shot out of the hose and hit the bridge of my nose and took the eyesight from my left eye (totally freak accident). The Doctor said that if it had hit my eye, I wouldn't be here, so any "grandfather projects" was moved to father projects. When my daughters asked for a tree house I started building a castle themed tree house. While in construction of the castle, the family and I went to a museum of play where we saw kids playing with car parts, and that's where we all had the idea to make a car tree house. So the Triumph went from storage to be reinforced to go up in the trees. The money that was to go into my car hobby now is used up by the tree houses. It has brought joy to many, with lots of visitors (free for all to come and play in the trees) and attention. I don't regret my children's happiness, but now I want a car project that I could drive. So with what little funds I have available to me, I would like a cool ride that is fun and somewhat unique. I am not afraid of work, and I am willing to work to make something cool. But I seem to be craving steak on a McDonald's Dollar menu budget. The ground beef of a 34 Ford... If I can get it, I will need your help to reshape the patty to at least make it resemble steak. If I can get it, I would try to make it road worthy as soon as possible, and then do more repairs as I am driving it. (I know not necessarily the most ideal situation, or the best way to approach it) but with your help and the network here, I'm am thinking more and more that it is do-able. We presently have wind chills approaching -30 below and snow, so it may be a little bit to work out the deal... Since the floor on this car is missing, I think I will have to square it up from the roof down. thoughts? I am attaching the pictures of the triumph and tree houses, but we'll see where this goes.
Man, I think I'd start with this http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=837564 Having jumped into the Model 40 world, I am still shocked at the price of parts for this car. I built a Model A, and have a '47 Ford, and parts are cheap for them, the "33 I have is not the case. Everything is expensive.
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