I have question for anybody to give their opinion on. My wifes grandpa has a all original 30 Ford coupe. This thing is flawless, it still starts and can be drive just about anywhere in town. The wood frame in the body is solid, the engine is the original that has been rebuilt. The body has no rust that I have seen it's been garage kept. For Petes sake its got a rumble seat, that he uses to take the kiddos for rides. This 30 he bought from a friend that used it for parades and such. He has already converted it over to 12 volt, its even got the coolant temp. on the radiator cap. He knows how much I love cars, Hotrods and Muscle cars. Nobody else in the family takes a shine to them like I do. He's always talking to me about cars, I eat it up. So here is the question, I might be in a situation to get this ride. Do I keep it original and keep it in a museum for everybody to enjoy, like he does with his other dozen or better cars? Do I take this all original, and turn it into a Hotrod? What would you do?
What would I do? In my current state I'd nab that body and build a hot rod, cause fixing a ****ty body ****S. Then I'd take that sweet Ch***is and make a speedster. This is all subject to change based on my mood. Yeah, they're only original once, but they made ALOT of them...
Id be tempted to keep it original, I bet there is more hot rodded 30 coupes than restored! It would be a lot of fun and just a 'high profile' out on the street the way it is. That and it would be accepted at both Hot Rod and Restored runs, you may be able to get intelligence on more cars and parts from the restorers! Doc.
Big +1 on this one. Then you might be able to find yourself a good condition body to build a rod out of.
well fi you hot rod it, be nice to it... and well maybe just build a new frame and set the body on it, then keep the original in your garage that way you can switch it back if you want too..... i wouldnt hot rod if the old man wouldn't want it to be IMHO
Drive it cuz it's already done. Don't hide it like a museum, take it out and enjoy a good original. Hot rod something that needs to be saved.
I'll tell ya a quick story. He bought a 30 something Ford sedan, took this thing down to bare metal. Found quarter size lead filled holes, popped the lead out they looked like bullet holes riddled down the side. Traced the car back to the "Pinkerton Private eyes" in Chicago. What are the odds of it been "Al Capone".
There is a two-part article ***led "First, Do No Harm" in the Feb and March 2001 Street Rodder. This is an article about Vern Tardel making a hot rod out out of a '32 5 window using only wrenches, no cutting.
yeah keep it original for the most part, but put a flathead in it and upgrade the brakes front and back with a dropped axle and reversed eyes front and back, some sweet wires with whitewalls and oh yeah a *****en tootin' exhaust!! =) ahh my dream... Anthony
Yeah, I have done alot of thinking. The body is just to nice to cut up. Why ruin a good thing, when there is plenty to do and not screw it up.
Hot rod the HELL out of it, but dont make any changes that cant be reversed! Hey, PDC, I just noticed your in Coxs Creek. Are we talking about the charcoal grey one with the red spoke wheels? I'v seen that car around there a time or two. If it is the same one, it's a very nice car.
First things first; Buy it and get it in your garage! By you getting it, it keeps the car in the family. Take your time deciding what you'll evenually do with it. Keep it stock, and take it for a few beer or ice cream runs. Like someone else said, you can update it with a Flatty and juice brakes and that leaves you the option of returning it to stock again later
do what ever you want to do with it. or wait and see which tax is higher. the Obama hotrod tax or the Obama original steel model a tax and then act accordingly. seriously if the thing doesn't grab you one way or another when you look at it then maybe you should just sit on it awhile. vaya con Dios
I'm with Mike. It would be a slap in the face to him and the family to take that car and cut it up without talking to the old man first. But it also comes down to whether or not he's giving it to you (or practically giving it to), or you're paying market value. If it's a gift, then you should honor the old man's wishes. If you're paying what it's worth, then do whatever you want. But even under those cir***stances I'd talk to him & the family first, you may find out that the whole family would be PISSED if you changed one damned thing about the car, even if you were paying full price, in which case it just isn't worth ****ing with. Hot Rods are neat, but they're not worth alienating the people that you need to get along with for like, the rest of your life. There are plenty of beaters out there to make into hot rods. But hey, who knows, maybe he'll tell you that he doesn't care if you make a hot rod out of it, and if you've got his blessing, screw what anyone else thinks.
PDC..I had been facing the exact same quandry when my dad died. He had several porjects and his stock 30 ford closed cab pickup. It had been in our family since it was brand new and my dad had done a resto on it after it sat in his cousin's barn for 40 years. It was willed to me and I was trying to make the same decision you're trying to make. The decision was made for me when I drove 1750 miles to Oregon with an empty truck and trailer to find it had been stolen by the time I arrived. Damn thieves!
There's an old man here in town,looks like he's 80,who drives a bone stock 30-31 Tudor around town..I've sat next to him at redlights,turned off the radio to just listen to that banger purr,but haven't been able to strike up a conversation with him yet..If that Tudor was mine,I'd drive it,maybe change wheels,stance,and add hydraulic brakes...and nothing else...it's a damn nice car,and I'd like to be like that old man,driving it with a big smile on my face..
Keep it mostly stock. Hop up the banger and enjoy giving people rides in the rumble seat. Funny how later they will look back and talk about the ride in the old car! 2 cents
My first reaction was this would make a nice hotrod. Then I started to fell kinda bad if I chopped it up. I certainly don't want to leave any bad tastes in any bodies mouth, they are good people. Then I get to thinking about Flatheads and Sbc's or Hemis and 4-spds.
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