Thread: Restoring for profit?

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Hi, im about to turn 16 (about 2 weeks) and I want to restore an old car. I dont know anything about classics, but I want to learn. I plan to go into a career in cars, I will start working at a dealership in a couple months, then I want to go to wyotech. So, what kind of car do you think i could get for cheap (<3g) and find parts for without good hookups. I can do most of the work myself (I have resotred a 90 crx, and a totaled 95 M3) so I have experience. I dont have anyone to really help with the work (my mom isnt into cars) and cant afford to pay someone to do it. I wont need to drive it either, have an old integra. What do you guys think I should do? Thanks. (BTW... i can paint too)

A good car to look for is a 1940's-1952 Chevy car or a 1949 or 1950 plymouth, these are gennerally all pretty cheap cars, some 1960's Impalas may be affordable also. There will probably be more work than you have done, you probably have never put new floor boards in a car. You may have worked on cars but, nothing like an old classic car, there toatlly diffrent than what you have worked on but, much easier to work on if restoring but if rodding it is a little harder. Why would you not want to drive it?

im not saying i dont want to drive it, I will... but i dont need it as primary transportation.

I will take a look at those cars. Thanks

When you get your car and want to get it running, b4 1955 in Chevy's and b4, are all 6 volt systems so you'd have to get a 6 volt tractor battery for it, if anyone hasn't got it running yet since they'v owned it, your probably going to hit the starter button ( if it has 1, just the key if it dosen't ) and it ain't gonna start but, dont panic, go to an auto parts store and buy points and a condensor for whatever engine you have ( early Chevy would probably be 216 or 235 str8 6 ) and replace them, there found in the distributor, you'll know what to replace when you pull the cap off the distributor and look at the parts you'v recieved, you have to gap the points to specs ( get them at the parts store, theyll tell you ), pour a little gas in the carb and try it, it should fire right up, of course you should add coolant to the radiator ( water works fine )and check oil and tranny fluid if auto. you should turn it over b4 you start it ( disconnect coil from distributor or just hit the starter button without the key on( suppose to do that ), this allows oil preassure to build up and prevent a dry start ( no oil in working components uppon startup ). If it does not fire right up, replace the plugs, wires and distributor cap and try again.

i think i would be getting a crate engine. I have always been in love with those. I wish they made them for japanese cars.

edit:
1950 Chevy Deluxe
1947 Chevy Stylemaster

is there a website that is just for potential project cars?
Thanks.

Originally posted by Streets
They are on your grocer's shelves in the aisle marked RICE and under the heading of "Uncle Ben's"...

sorry dude, my car is not rice. It has a 99% stock exterior (i have a 2" drop, stock wheels) can pull almost 1g on a skidpad, and a 12 second quarter (n/a). that is not rice, it is performance.

Originally posted by Wonderbread7608
sorry dude, my car is not rice. It has a 99% stock exterior (i have a 2" drop, stock wheels) can pull almost 1g on a skidpad, and a 12 second quarter (n/a). that is not rice, it is performance.

, that's not performance I hate to say, you haven't encountered real performance ( American V8 ), when you do, you don't know how you ever considered a Acura performance, spose you got a fart can too. The '50 looks good.

Originally posted by Wonderbread7608
sorry dude, my car is not rice. It has a 99% stock exterior (i have a 2" drop, stock wheels) can pull almost 1g on a skidpad, and a 12 second quarter (n/a). that is not rice, it is performance.

its performance for a import

yeah, im favoring the 50 too, but florida is a long drive from San Diego.

I guess for a fairly stock import that is pretty good. I have a '51 Chevy myself, you should be able to find a pretty good old chevy in your area for a pretty good price also, to put in a crate engine in these cars you'll need all new drivetrain including the tranny and rear end ( engine of course ), the old torque tube would snap and the tranny has to be changed cause it is probably too light for a SBC ( small block Chevy ) and it only works with the torque tube rear end, and would probably need to clip it ( new front suspension and steering ( new front clip ) such as mustang II IFS, that is a lot of work, that's why I would suggest keeping the old drive train and hopping up the engine with headders and somthing like a 3 1bbl or 2 3bbl carb intake manifold which these parts you can still get, I went this route and kept the original 235 str8 6 with the original powerglide automatic, sounds nice with the Thrush glasspack I added.

Ok, for the engine:
454, Big Block, Crate Engine, 425 hp, 500 ft/lbs., $4,780.21
Holley, 850 Carb, $509.41
Street Performance Fuel Pump, 100 GPH, $80.49

looking for a supercharger. I want to get past 500 whp and 650 wtq.

Originally posted by Matt167
I guess for a fairly stock import that is pretty good. I have a '51 Chevy myself, you should be able to find a pretty good old chevy in your area for a pretty good price also, to put in a crate engine in these cars you'll need all new drivetrain including the tranny and rear end ( engine of course ), the old torque tube would snap and the tranny has to be changed cause it is probably too light for a SBC ( small block Chevy ) and it only works with the torque tube rear end, and would probably need to clip it ( new front suspension and steering ( new front clip ) such as mustang II IFS, that is a lot of work, that's why I would suggest keeping the old drive train and hopping up the engine with headders and somthing like a 3 1bbl or 2 3bbl carb intake manifold which these parts you can still get, I went this route and kept the original 235 str8 6 with the original powerglide automatic, sounds nice with the Thrush glasspack I added.

how much power would you say you were putting down?

I want it to look nice, and be very fast (thats why im picking an old domestic, as opposed to another import) so i figured a SC V8 was the way to go.

mabye i should use this instead? thats crazy.

sorry about all the posts, but im getting rally enthusiatstic about this. How much could i sell the '50 for (i think i might get it) if i...

fixed the body,
put light tan paint,
17" chrome daytons,
the 454 with a trans/shaft/axle/SC
leather interior (i can get it cheap down in tj (tijuana, mexico))

so... waddya think? show and go.

these wheels

That's a bit much for a hotrod, specially for a 15 year old, I'm 16 and I even think that's to much for me. That's even if the big block will fit in the car you want, you are going to have to replace entire drivetrain and front clip. Weiand sells good superchargers, you would need a 871 for a BBC and a 671 for a SBC, they run around $2400. That 425 HP is crank HP so once you subtract all the % for the amount of power that the tranny and rear end take up so, your looking at approx 400-415 rwHP with the 425 crank HP, nobody needs 500 HP, you should probably take it safe and build an engine that makes 325 HP and then keep putting new engines in that make about 100 hp more than the last, this way you will be able to get used to the power so you don't wreck it cause you coulden't handle it.