Thread: ? for you pro builders out there

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This is what I see.

first of all build a car for the fun and the love of doing it and not to win every show you go too.

Build a car that is fun to drive and not one that will set a land speed record and have to ride on a trailer

build on a budget so when you get to the end of the build you don't cut corners

Ask question before you pay stupid tax, what you see us pros do can be done by anyone at home. Before I opened my shop I built my own cars at home and did just as good.I didn't have as much room but didn't build but one at a time.

build a car that flows together well and doesn't have a lot of stuff that stands out.

KISS
keep it simple stupid

Never ever put hood sides on a 32 ford roadster. What a bitch. Lol

Becoming obsessed with deatils in places that do not matter......
I spent as much time on the bottom of my cab on the truck as the the top of the hood....
Needless to say it was overkill and no one but me and maybe the muffler guy knows it looks perfect under there.....sure some builds call for that attention to detail,but some definatly do not.

Some good prep and a sealant was all that would have been required ,instead I worked it like a body panel and even filled the the spot welds with a wire feed ,I was obsessed with no body filler at all on my ride...for some silly reason I had it in my head body filler was bad ,bondo was evil and to be avoided , untill one day I watched Boyd do a 200,000 dollar plus ride with a entire skim coat to get it perfect for paint.

I have now come to realize accepted methods properly done are perfectly acceptable and standard and make the job alot easier....plus after countless hours filling panels with wire from the welder and countless hours of grinding/file work ,I realized I could have done 3 trucks with the effort I put into one.....I will say I got really good with alternative techniques on the wire feed though .....

Everything mentioned soo far has been spot on in this thread....

Great information for someone just getting started.........


Don`t be scared to do some research/lisyen to those who have done it before either ,it pays off in work and money saved !

One of the big mistakes I’ve seen over the years is not sitting down and REALISTICALLY figuring out what you want the car/truck to be and do before you spend the first dime or turn the first bolt. Is the car going to be a daily driver, race car, show car…….are you looking for era correct or something with all the latest bells and whistles. A big consideration is how much drivability are you willing to give up for visual appeal or performance?

If you’re planning on putting the car on the track, read the rule book and incorporate the requirements into build so you don’t have any surprises the first try to go thru tech inspection.

The drive train should be considered as a complete package with consideration given to engine RPM range and where the engine will make the best power, transmission type (and stall speed required if an automatic) along with rear end ratio and tire size.

The same type of consideration should be given to the other major portions of the project like brakes, suspension and cooling system.

There will usually be some alterations to the original plan as the build progresses but a major change in the direction of the build in mid project or completing one that turns out not to meet your expectations can be a very expensive and frustrating proposition.

I’ve heard the phrase “ plan the build and build the plan” before and it’s good advice.

you have to take control of the build. some customers will read a new magazine and change their mind about everything. the absolute most important tool i own is a voice activated pocket recorder . it will put a stop to any and all arguments about what is to be done. everybody is happy.

Originally Posted by sg4356

Never ever put hood sides on a 32 ford roadster. What a bitch. Lol

Ya think ???????????????

Originally Posted by shawnlee28

Becoming obsessed with deatils in places that do not matter......
I spent as much time on the bottom of my cab on the truck as the the top of the hood....
Needless to say it was overkill and no one but me and maybe the muffler guy knows it looks perfect under there.....sure some builds call for that attention to detail,but some definatly do not.

Some good prep and a sealant was all that would have been required ,instead I worked it like a body panel and even filled the the spot welds with a wire feed ,I was obsessed with no body filler at all on my ride...for some silly reason I had it in my head body filler was bad ,bondo was evil and to be avoided , untill one day I watched Boyd do a 200,000 dollar plus ride with a entire skim coat to get it perfect for paint.

I have now come to realize accepted methods properly done are perfectly acceptable and standard and make the job alot easier....plus after countless hours filling panels with wire from the welder and countless hours of grinding/file work ,I realized I could have done 3 trucks with the effort I put into one.....I will say I got really good with alternative techniques on the wire feed though .....

Everything mentioned soo far has been spot on in this thread....

Great information for someone just getting started.........


Don`t be scared to do some research/lisyen to those who have done it before either ,it pays off in work and money saved !

The difference is "you know the way it's built" and to me that is all that matters. Just as you said you became a more proficient welder and body man. I think anybody that spends the extra time to do it until it meets there expectations is better off in car building. I take my hat off to people that go the extra mile. Just doing this hobby to the best of your ability, not how much you spend. When you drive that thing down the road you know, and that's all that matters.
I hope you take this as a compliment, because that's how it is meant.
Ken

Another thing that I just thought of is to always remember this is something we do for FUN. When it stops being fun stop for a day, week, month, etc until you feel like doing it again. All of us suffer burn out at certain stages of the build. You start seeing little progress, the money you are spending starts eating at you (why am I eating $ 1.00 burgers and putting hundreds into this stupid car?), and it seems like there is no end in sight. We have all been there, and sometimes all the cuts, burns, bruises, and complaints from our better half take their toll. Just back away, take a break, and put it into perspective. Some builds take 6 months, some take 15 years............there is no set timetable.

Just keep it fun.

Don

I don't even want to think of what I changed during my car build that has cost a good many bucks:

- rear discs for drums. The brakes were relatively cheap, the wheels and tires to clear that new caliper arrangement..........

- deciding not to use a/c in a roadster. It was originally bought for a sedan, so I spent $$$ to install in the final build - then didn't use it. Oh well, there will probably be one more car it will fit

- Glide seats. Beautiful seats, nicely covered - but I'm too big for them and to be able to reach the pedals without hitting my chin with a knee. New Eddie Barrett seats are on the way

- Then there were the three trip to the E-room for wounds!!

I did a full plan, developed a budget, did an Excel spread sheet for the first 2 years, a Word Doc for a parts list and luckily only exceeded my budget by 2.5 X and the build time by 3X. But the engine, tranny, differential were all within the scope and budget (within 1.5X). The rest - OUCH. But I'm happy with what I have and could duplicate it for my original budget (plus inflation dollars) with the experiences I've had. It was a vertical learning curve and it kept me out of watering holes populated by folks of less then a positive view on life plus away from ladies with plans not including my wife

Originally Posted by Ken Thurm

The difference is "you know the way it's built" and to me that is all that matters. Just as you said you became a more proficient welder and body man. I think anybody that spends the extra time to do it until it meets there expectations is better off in car building. I take my hat off to people that go the extra mile. Just doing this hobby to the best of your ability, not how much you spend. When you drive that thing down the road you know, and that's all that matters.
I hope you take this as a compliment, because that's how it is meant.
Ken

Definatly taken as a compliment coming from you


I feel good about the build and have learned alot along the way....there is no substitute for doing the job the best you can and the way that makes you feel at the end of the day.

I am sure its one of those things certain people will notice and say "Wow it even looks good on the bottom side " .... even if they do not say anything to me.

Take pride in whatever you do and it will turn out excellent!

The biggest mistake i find is make a plan and stick to it, deviate from the plan and it will never get done.