Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Don bought this one in 1996. Story guy pulled it to build for owner, car was sitting in the street. Police came by because it hadnt moved and found it was a stolen car. The guy told Police he had the engine they told him its your's . Hence he"s a chebby man i got it for $50 with low mileage just clicking over 50k when he pulled it. He rents the house from a friend of mine.

Ok only T talk from here Dad (LOL)

I'm still with you as to the matter that it can be done if you do all your scrounging and set up a plan and stick by it.Definately would not be dripping with chrome,carpet and leather,but a good basic and safe car. Hank

Don you sure was . Save the shoe's you were wearing they have to be the luckyest one's you have. When you take up golf play in them . I'f you ever decide to sell the shoe's let me know i may be interested. (LOL)

New at this but a car guy all my life. A 3k car can be done , with a shop full of old parts and giving it a rat rod build .You guys see if i did enough research.

Car $3800, IFS $2400, Im hoping to come in under 10k just building a driver. I will attemp at sewing my own interior before i buy a kit. I allready have the drive line $500 spent on this. 5.0 , T5 5spd , and 9inch.

I reserched alot right here from all you PROFESSIONAL"S. Follwing this thread and alot of late night reading them all .

Don no matter the cost the grin at the end is what it's all about . and seeing your pics thru out this thread is great . This for us new guys give's us brain storming for idea's . Thank You

Don,

are you going to be putting seat belts in. I know to most this might be sacrelig but some of us need them. I am 6'4" and always feel like I am coming out, even in a duce with the seats on the floor.

On my frame I have an extra crossmember just for this purpose. My Stepdad just retired so he is going to come up and weld my frame up for me. I can't wait.

Z

Sheepishly, I will say no on the seatbelts. I never had them in my '27, and kind of had the philosophy that if the car rolls I don't want to be part of it. That may be stupid or smart, I just don't know, but it is my personal belief.

Here in Florida we are exempt if the car is older than I think 1965, and all mine are older than that. I'll probably be beat up on this point now that I have been honest about it, but I can't lie.

It is like the guys who ride motorcycles without helmets, all the statistics say they shouldn't but some feel the risk is worth it for the wind in your hair freedom. I don't have much hair, so that isn't my motivation.


Don

Don,

Thanks for your honesty. I don't think that you are in the minority for seat belts.
I don't fear the rollover, just pray that it is quick, but the usual driving and maybe a rearend or somthing that would just throw me out when staying is works better for me.

Z

Hey Zachariah, when you guys get done with some welding how about some pictures? Post them right on here if you like. This thread is used for everything from cat pictures to jokes, so some car pictures would be great.

As I remember, aren't you doing a T ???


Don

Don,

I hope to do my own post like you. I would love the feedback and help that everyone out here is so willing to give. It is just like rodding should be.

I will sure do it. I have my first child coming on March 11th, so I probably wont get to it anytime soon. We are also planning a move mid year (to somewhere that I can rent a shop).

Yes, I am doing at T. Custom designed frame here are the plans:
'32 front end
200/223 straight six
don't have a tranny yet want the 3speed manual (no room for the third peddle)
coil over ford 8" (for space) was going to use a Jag but lack the funds.
fiberglass body with 8" extra in the cowl
No bed, moon eyes or keg tank
Head lights down low in front of the radiator

Thats the plan, got lots of the parts sitting just waiting.

thanks for the encouragement and the help in the process.

Zachariha

Congratulations on the first kid coming in March. You have no idea what a wonderful journey that will put you on. Enjoy it. When my kids (twins) were born in 1970 I was building a '32 pickup in a dirt floored garage, and had to scrounge parts in between paying for formula and diapers.. Money was very tight, but those were some of the best times in my life. Still have the kids, but the '32 is long gone. Boy is it tough to lay up a straight frame on a dirt floor.


Your parts lineup sounds right on the money. The stuff you mentioned is basic hot rod all the way, and the 6 cylinder engines have gained a renewed popularity in recent years. They give a rod a different slant, and that is what we are all trying to do with our rods, make them different from everybody elses.

Looking forward to your thread.


Don

Don,

How many rods have you built?

Z

Don,

just to intice a little. I have tryed to scan some of my drawings. Not going so well, need a scaner from this centry.

Hope everyone enjoys.

as you can see I am no artist when it comes to drawing.

Z

Not that many, actually. I have had many near misses and unfinished cars that I have sold for one reason or another that it is hard to remember them all. But as far as old cars go, a '32 pickup, '33 roadster, '30 Ford Fordor, '38 Ford, '37 Dodge, '40 Chevy pickup, '40 Chevy coupe, '47 Ford, '27 Ford roadster, and my current projects, '39 Dodge pickup and '23 T.

I also played around with drag cars for a while, and had our '68 Mustang and '32 Austin Bantam altered, and a '59 Austin Healey Sprite that we swapped a 289 Ford into.

We moved around the country in the '70's and '80's, so I would get started on one and then have to dump it because I couldn't take it with us. But I really have to count my '27 as the first car I actually got to start from scratch and finish into a running, driving car. Money was also tight when my family was growing up, so I would sometimes decide to sell a partially finished car to finance some family project, like doing some home remodeling.

This board is just what I needid, Thank you

Roscoe you are right it's inspiration .

It's been a while since I have posted any progress, so I thought I had better say something here. I have decided to get the engine put together and painted so it is ready to drop in when the time comes.

As you can see in another thread I am doing, I am wrestling with the torque specs on this thing right now. I haven't done a Chevy in years, and they went and started using a system different from the normal torque wrench routine to do the rods and heads. I should have that ironed out by tomorrow and be able to finish putting the engine together.

Today was spent tapping out every threaded hole in the block and scrubbing the engine, crank, and piston assemblies down with dawn dish soap and hot water. I finally got the last bit of old black paint off of the block, so once it is together I can epoxy prime and then paint it. Here are a couple of pictures of the engine going together, nothing exciting, but it is progress.

There was a whole lot of progress on Dans car though. I had a dinner thing last night, but he went to the shop and worked until about 4 am, and got lots of stuff done. His radiator is finally all mounted, and his brake lines are done and routed. He installed his headlight bar, and mocked up two old headlights on it. He is either going to order new '32 headlights, or redo these with new internals and rims.

We got his Buick drums back from the machine shop, and they did a nice job on drilling the 10 holes to let us use the Wilson Welding hubs and backing plates, but they really ripped us on price. For drilling 10 holes and turning the drums they soaked us $ 175.00. Another shop quoted $ 80, but couldn't do it for 2 - 3 weeks. We shoulda waited.

Anyway, here are some pictures of my engine going together, and Dans radiator and light bar.

Don