Thread: '37 Ford Rod

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Ok guys, be gentle, this is my first post in this forum. I am giving some serious consideration to building an Oze '37 Coupe. My skills are more towards the body side, and my son who will help is a mechanic. Assuming we don't kill each other in the process, this could be a nice build. My experience is NILL, so this is my first build. I will be doing a rolling chassis as complete as practical. Thinking of doing a 502 crate engine but not sure on the trans. etc.
I am interested in any input you guys may have that will help me with this project. I will be at the Good Guys show in Joliet Il this weekend sucking up as much info as I can. I am trying to make this a somewhat PLEASANT experience ( if that is possible). For starters, I know it will go over budget and take longer than anticipated, ok, that's out of the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Soooo, please post up because I will need your help and support. THANKS

As with any Build, most important that you have a detailed plan before you proceed. If you buy the package, Body, and frame, then your frame can be as complete as you wallet will allow. I built a Wild Rod, which the overall process is the same. Expect a lengthy process, and lots of $, depending on your desires of modifications. My Wild Rod built entirely by me was 4 years working nearly every day and lost of $. LSI/46LOE and countless modifications.

As with any build you must start with a plan as to what you desire the completed car to be.( create a build sheet, listing all your desires, then list the costs of the items ). I built a Wild Rod and basically involved all of what you will encounter. After the plan, and if you buy the frame, it can include all of the necessary components, either complete, Air ride, etc. as your $ will allow.
Expect a lengthy build time, and depending on your plan of Engine, accessories, etc., lots of $. I built my car entirely by myself, time 4 years working almost 8 hours every day, and lots of $. Plan everything in advance, order/purchase items needed several weeks, inadvance, even months (custom wheels as example).

Sounds like a cool first time ride, plus it`s good to get with the kids for a build like this. Post up some pics of your progress.

Most likely going to Good Guys myself . Went last year tons of builds from all spectrum's . Plus well over 2K cars were there so make time to look around .

Building a car from the ground up is a rewarding experience. That being said, if you've never done this before you've likely got a pretty steep learning curve on how many subsystems are in a car. That's a big part of why most budgets and schedules get blown, most folks don't have any idea how many parts, how much planning, and how "difficult" the execution of subsystems installation are. If you have tenacity you will work your way through it, if you frustrate easily you'll be tested mightily. There's a reason so many unfinished projects change hands every year, but there are also lots of finished cars at events like the one you're going to. It will help if you have an experienced friend in your area, we can only do so much online. You might think about joining a local club for moral support.

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Building a car from the ground up is a rewarding experience. That being said, if you've never done this before you've likely got a pretty steep learning curve on how many subsystems are in a car. That's a big part of why most budgets and schedules get blown, most folks don't have any idea how many parts, how much planning, and how "difficult" the execution of subsystems installation are. If you have tenacity you will work your way through it, if you frustrate easily you'll be tested mightily. There's a reason so many unfinished projects change hands every year, but there are also lots of finished cars at events like the one you're going to. It will help if you have an experienced friend in your area, we can only do so much online. You might think about joining a local club for moral support.

Very well put, and I could not agree with you more!!!!! No doubt this is why I have been reluctant to pull the trigger so to speak. I have been debating, researching etc for about 3 yrs now, so this is by no way a rash dicision. At one point in my life, many, many yrs ago, I owned a body shop (small time) and basically did custom work/custom paint. I more than any one know there are no short cuts in this business. You get out what you put in.
Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.

3 years is long enough, now it's time to get your hands dirty. There are a lot of great step by step build posts on this site, I found a lot of background info from Brians frame building post:

http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28617

As well I kind of follow along with Dons posts as I build, he's got a few but this is one:

http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/sho...t=project+3000

As I read these and many others I get ideas about what I'll have to start thinking about next. As Bob says there are a lot of sub-systems that I have just been trying to knock off one at a time so as not to get too overwhelmed. This is my first build that I just started in December and I have changed things along the way,(a whole new body for one), as hard as it may be sometimes you just have to start over certain things. The quality of mine might not be up to some of these guys but it does get better along the way and one day I might be able to build like this:

http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/sho...ighlight=build

But I doubt it .
When you get in over your head ya can always count on Tech, Pat, Dave, etc...I can't even remember how many questions these guys have answered for me but they always seem to be there for you. Ya picked a good site to join, now get to work!!!

Sean

Welcome.I was like you when I was given the green light (wife) to start another car as it had been a few years.I found the internet and this forum to be a valuable tool.I did a ground up build and it took me about 16 mo.to complete.As Bob stated you don't have a clue as how many parts have to be engineered and assembled.The good part is most parts are available with little or no modification.The amazing thing about building your own car is there will not be another car like it because you engineered it.

Treat the father son build as something you can take to the grave, as you will never forget the ups and downs of building it and showing it off when completed.

Good Luck

Randy, very glad to see that you came over to the site, you're going to enjoy it here. There is so much to learn here and the guys aren't too bad either..........LOL. If you get some extra time on your hands, browse around, lots to see.

Welcome,
Mike

I agree with the advise you have received thus far. Most important is that you start a Build sheet of what you desire the final out come to be, meaning Guages, A/C, remote doors, wheel type, interior and on and on. Be perpared for many, many hours of labor, and $. I built a 37 Wild Rod, fabricating countless components, which is simular to the oze body. I put in 8 hours a day for nearly 4 years until completion. The ability to share a project like this with your son is an added Bonus that will last you a life time. So by all means go for it.

Welcome to CHR.
Sounds like you are going into it with your eyes open to the fact that there is no such thing as an easy build. No matter how many times you do it, unless you build the same one over and over on a assembly line, every build is going to be different and each is accompanied by Murphy's law on one of a kind build problems. Also keep in mind that a QUALITY build will run you into the $50k+ in parts and materials only, even if you can do most of the work yourself.
Good luck and keep us posted as you go along.
John

Thanks again for the moral support guys. Mike, thanks for tip on this forum. Silverfox031, your scaring me, 8hrs a day for 4 yrs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Ouch. Your car shows it though, looks very nice. I agree, working with my young jedi son should prove to be quite interesting. We sometimes (most of the times) are like the Tuttles (sp) on that bike building chopper show. I know he will drift off shortly after the project is started and I can't say I expect him to spend to much time on the car, BUT I know I can depend on him when I need him.
As I said before, I am really pumped on attending the Good Guys show in a few days. This just might put me over the edge!!!!

Okay,You spent your weekend at a Goodguys event. You want a hotrod more than ever. Your mind is racing. Your heart is pumping.It's a huge task that will consume your life and your checkbook. Should I do it or not? Do it and join the rest of us. Some days are fun and rewarding and some days suck, nothing fits or works. Looking forward to pics if you do it. Good Luck, you will get lots of help here

The very best of luck with your build. I've seen many of the OZE/Coast to Coast and a couple of others - and most have been very nicely done cars. One thing does run through most of those '37 phantoms that I've talked to the owner is that they have been professionally built.

I had done a couple of cars in the past but for the most part they were an OEM restoration into a rod with a couple of years in building. My current project car is a ground up that I felt would take me 2-3 years to build. Boy was I wrong. This is the end of the 7th year. It isn't done yet, but that date is now within sight as it is ready for the upholstery to be installed (the upholstery is about 90% complete). As far as budget - that's shot completely and has been for a couple of years. Actual weekly time varies as the enthusiasm - there were some weeks that I didn't even look at it, but currently in an effort to complete in the next couple of months, probably my time on it is ~24 - 30 hours/week. The basics most of us tend to not put into the build equation is the fact that you really do have a life, and most of the time a wife, a house, your daily drivers, a job, your other children, a vacation just to mention a few. Then the level of tools you need. These are some of the reasons why there are so many unfinished projects that show up on evilBay and Craigslist. I saw several unfinished cars for sale at a swap meet this past weekend - and most - well they were ill conceived and built and with a decided lack of skills and even money. And money - these cars, are seldom built with quality parts for under $50M, and often exceed $100. And yes, there are some that can and do build nice cars and don't spend lots, but somewhere along the line, they have expensive and expansive tool boxes, a big shop and friends that help with 'donations'

Please don't take this as a pessimistic view on a car build, as these are some of what I've felt and seen as have a few people I've talked car builds with in the past