Thread: How Do You Plan Your Rod or Kustom?

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if i build it and more then one guys tells me i am nuts them i know i am on the right track .for paint i like solid colors ... less is more... black and red have been my colors more so black .it more of in you face deal with as being a body man and painter black will not lie .i never spent money on chrome any thing. i did the painted bumpers back in the 80s as for the engine and fab work headers and EX i did every thing myself so the cars have ways been like a rolling business card .i think that were i push it was the engines . i drive them very little so fuel is not a big deal so i pump them up and run race engine on the street .i build stuff you can beat on with a hammer so no wimpy drive line parts as for cookie cutter cars i really do not care much for them. i do have a gto but i would say every one knows thats mccarthys gto or 50 chevy there hard to get mix up with the normal stuff . i have never been normal. that is ok

Everyone seems to start out under a different set of circumstances. The Plymouth started out when I read an article about the Ford 4.6 DOHC several years ago. I thought it looked a lot like an old Hemi and wouldn't it be cool to put it in a mid to late 40's Mopar? So I bought one and started looking for a suitable fat fendered Mopar. I started with a 48 Dodge sedan and bought a 47 Plymouth sedan for parts. The 47 looked like a better body so I started on it and turned the 48 into a rat truck to make some cash. Then I gave up on the 4.6 idea and went with a 5.3 Chevy. Then I got a 48 Plymouth coupe and used the 47 sedan for parts. Not to mention the second 48 Dodge sedan I bought for parts that I'm thinking of turning into a roadster and now the 77 Chevette V8 that somehow found it's way into the garage that will supposedly make some cash for the 48. Who know what the heck it'll end up as in the end?

Greetings everyone,
I'm new here, actually just became a member just moments ago. Stumbled across this site while looking for something else and so far enjoyed what I was reading in the forum section - especially this post.

I've enjoyed classic cars for years and just recently (2003) got into Street Rods when I purchased one that, for the most part, was finished. After working on that one so much, I decided to build one myself. One of the cars we owned was a restored 1936 Chevy 2 dr town sedan purchased in 1998. Ended up with a stuck motor on the original 216 so the wife and I decided to make this car into another street rod. I have a '94 LT1 that I rebuilt for it along with a 4L60E. I took out the old suspension and put in a new Mustang II IFS. I have several friends that have built cars so they provide pointers along the way. I'M HAVING the TIME OF MY LIFE right now. I'm not cutting corners on the build, in fact, I'm picking high end products, just enjoying doing this one myself.

So not to steal the thread, I guess I'm either a penny pincher or the radical - or someone inbetween those two. I'm an engineer by nature so figuring things out is what I do in the frabrication.

Enjoying the reading gang.
Jerome

Pat....I love that business coupe!

Falconvan......My neighbor is looking for a '40s Mopar coupe in the Soutwest.

Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

Pat....I love that business coupe!

Thanks i really love to drive it .the car just works . with the hood down you would not know about the 548 bbc blown solid roller engine that has been the down fall of more then one that did not think much about it

It's an interesting question Jay. I suspect the real answer of what group we fit in lays somewhere between how we perceive ourselves and how other see us.

For myself I think I tend to go for the understated the majority of the time. Body and paint is not my strong point however I feel that I can still do a decent driver quality paint job.

To me the drivetrain is always the fun part of the build and most know I really love the challenge of building a streetable multiple carb set up. I usually build the cars I’m planning on keeping for a good while with an eye on some long road trips.

Even being aware of resale value I took a pass on a 57 Plymouth convertible and built my 57 Plaza (the bottom of the line 2 dr sedan that Plymouth built in 57). When I was hunting for a body to put my tri-power FE in I passed on a loaded 64 Galaxie for a 64 Custom 2dr post car.

The 77 Cobra II was built strictly to sell it was just not me (a fun car though) and I kept instead the plain old 77 Coupe as a daily driver (of course it now has a 351W Edelbrock heads and intake, top loader 4 speed and 8” Posi.). Which I also pulled the V8 emblems off of

Mike....We know you "dance to the beat of a different drummer"! I can't even think of anyone who builds some of the stuff you do! That's what I like about'cha. :-)

....and you paint better than many people I know, too.

My builds kind of evolve as I do more work to them. I start off with some idea of what I want to do, but at some point the car takes over and leads me to the final product. I do lean toward traditional cars to a degree, but don't mind bending the rules a little for the sake of dependability and convenience. (ie electric fans, alternators, etc)

Also, I may be deep into some project and a part jumps out at me in some swap meet aisle, and the build takes a little turn. I also steal a lot of ideas from others, so if someone posts something on here or that I see at some show, I am not beyond taking that idea for my own.

But mostly I am trying to build a car I wasn't capable of building or couldn't afford in my misspent youth, but I don't want to necessarily clone someone else's car down to the last nut and bolt.........I want some of me in the car.

Don

Here's a few of my old projects. Some mine, Some customers.

more...

“…….But mostly I am trying to build a car I wasn't capable of building or couldn't afford in my misspent youth, but I don't want to necessarily clone someone else's car down to the last nut and bolt.........I want some of me in the car…….”


I guess that’s something Don and I have in common. I’ve noticed several of my builds are now heavily influenced by the cars of my youth that I could only wish about back then.

Just using Don’s T as an example, it’s a very traditional STYLE that would be very easy to loose in a crowd but instead it’s one of the few that would actually stand out instead. Besides the less than traditional paint combination he managed to combine the “correct” off the shelf parts with one off custom pieces to make something really outstanding.

Don there is a lot more than just “some” of you in the cars. BY the way from strictly a looks standpoint the new carb choice IMO is right on the money (and I usually don’t care for those setups but mostly because I think they’re on the wrong cars). I am really looking forward to hear your driving impressions once you get everything sorted.

HI,
I'm new here (as of yesturday) and quickly learned that THIS is a place for me!

I was thinking about the type of person that I am with regard to this post and it's somewhere between the last two being a penny pincher and a rebel. Here is why I think that.

While I've generally been a restored Model A guy for years, all of my close friends were street and hot rodders. It is hard not to get hooked when those around you are so ingrained in the hobby. I bought a nearly finished 1934 ford 4 dr street rod and completely learned about every bolt and fabrication while finishing this car. After spending many hours under, in and around the car, I knew I could build my own. We took my wifes (with her permission) restored 1936 chevy 2 door town sedan with a stuck engine and started modification. I rebuilt a '94 Chevy LT1 and 4L60e trans for it. I put in a Mustang II IFS with a 2 inch drop spindle, fabricated brackets for fender mounts and new aluminum radiator. So, while I'm doing the work myself I'm not cutting corners on the cost of the build.

While I've never done this before, my friends that have, are impressed with what I've done so far in my fabrication skills. I am having a ball doing this and it is very rewarding. So... where does this place me in the people categorization... Call me a rebel as two things come to mind... 1) nobody has ever told me that I COULDN'T do something 2) if someone says that can't be done, I go out to try an prove them wrong.

Enjoy this forum!
Keep it up,
Jerome