Projects Thoughts on NEW tri-five Chevy convertible bodies?

I’ve dreamed of getting a fiberglass baby bird or C1 Vette aftermarket body, building a custom chassis to sit it on, and building a hot rod two seater without having to pay big bucks for an original and then tearing it apart and rebuilding it. Never got past the dream stage though. You sit down with a catalog or web page and a calculator and add up the costs, it makes a finished car look better all the time.

Edit: Went back and finished that last sentence, don’t know why it didn’t post all of it last night....

 

So True...........Instead of being "nickel and dimed" to death on a 5 year restoration project, why not simply take out a loan to buy one, then pay it off over 5 years [it could be cheaper]
I would rather spend 5 years using the car, than 5 years working on a car.

If the dream suddenly doesn't stay a dream, it can always be sold.
Try selling a partially restored car that has succumbed to the "dismantle of death"

I see that all the time with replica kit cars! genuine ones are cheaper over time.

 

Nothing is cheap if you want nice. If you buy one done, you are buying someone elses dream and you dont know whats under that nice paint. If you do it yourself, you get your dream and you know exactly what is under the paint.

 

Yeah I hear a lot of stuff about tri5 frames too like 55-6-7 are all the same. Lol
No they are different. But the center x member and skid plates can be bought.


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For comparison purposes, this AACA winner is on E pay right now, bid to 50K reserve not met. $89,000 buy it now. As close to perfect as you might find. That's a lot of money.

 

OP - what kinds of pricing are you seeing on rusty ones?

 

(Depending on your location,) I've dealt with OL 55/East Coast Chevy for years, they have an extensive background on these types of projects, and likely have the majority of the parts you need, or know of a source. They are very old school, and not afraid to tell you you'd be wasting your money , as opposed to just selling you the part (they also have a "bulk purchase" discount). Here's a link ,https://www.eastcoastchevy.com/ ( Ken or Jack) click on the ol 55 garage page on their web site
again being old fashioned, ph. calls work best.
A guy near here did a new body 57 , I recall it was a very involved process , this including an experienced body/paint man thru out the project ($$$).
Also, posting your inquiry on the tri five forum https://www.trifive.com/ , you'll find several folks who have done this same project, and parts sources-good luck!

 

oh wow! I love Harbor Blue with factory interior!


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Don't fool yourself, just because it's new metal doesn't mean you won't have a huge body shop bill unless of course you do your own. Around here it's about 10-13K for doing a Brookville Deuce body, no fenders, no deck lid, no roof, etc.

 

That is not a lot of $$$ if you get that money back when you sell it.
The problem with an AACA winner is it becomes/stays a trailer queen.[the car owns you, instead of you owning the car]
I personally would lower the bar slightly and drive the wheels off it!

One advantage of restored cars, is the factory set the standards [you are buying a factory car, so the choice is more widespread]
Whereas buying a hotrod is buying a "one-off" based on the Good/Bad taste of the builder. Just about every hotrod purchased gets dismantled and personalized for the new owner.

This is why my car in my avatar is factory stock. I have a limited "attention span" and a "limited time on this planet"

The $$$ interest content of debt..........is cheaper than the labour content of DIY [sometimes you would spend less time in a part time job paying for it, than you would in your garage restoring it]

 

This one is on Hemmings right now at $24.7k says negotiable.


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The Hemmings car with the ugly hood does appear to have the right frame, but in the ad you can see a pic with the parade boot off and it sure looks like a package tray under there, I'm thinking this is not actually a convertible but a beheaded hardtop with some but not all correct convertible pieces added. No top frame visible anywhere in any pics.

 

I agree. I posted it half serious and half smart ass. Lol
Lots of scary things going on. No dash, no vin plate in the door post, has package tray.



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It sounds like the best bet is to have a rusted out 57 convertible body and start from there. Now, with that being said, if you can afford the value of a reproduction body so should be able to afford the value of a rusted out body.

 

True but it’s the amount of money on top of the purchase for the body work on the rusted out car that scares me!


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If you ''rebody'' a rusted out hulk, it solves the title issue. @gimpyshotrods is the man to ask specifics about that. The trick is finding one with usable convertible specific parts.
Just looking through some cars for sale, $70,000 is around the low end for nice finished cars, that is, strong driver quality. there's more selection in the $120,000 range, and there's an ultra high end restoration fuelie black/black beauty at $166,000!


Real Deal Steel has this one, floors, quarters, dash, convertible top frame for 18K. Does not include any front end sheet metal, inner fenders, splash pans or braces.
I don't see where you can build one from zero for less than 60 - 70K. Restore a frame, running gear, engine & trans, glass, chrome, interior, paint.
Labor, weather you do it or pay others, is the big hit.

 

Where's the OP? Probably stacking up hundred dollar bills to make his move..

 

The super rotted out but complete convertible projects seem to be priced around $12k-$20K and no guarantee you're getting a good frame with those. You can use a 55-57 Pontiac convertible for the convertible-specific pieces but they're not a whole lot cheaper, and you'll still need a second donor car for the frame, suspension, front clip/dash and steering parts, etc. A few people have done it with a rough Pontiac convertible and a solid Chevy hardtop without the use of a repop body.

As much as I like my beater 2 door sedan, I would really love a '57 Chevy convertible. I must not be alone in that idea, as it sure seems like there's no cheap way into one.

 

I think this would be a good start. Along with a decent donor car. Oh yeah, and a whole lot of money! Lol


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