not to sound rude

[1976_newport]

not to sound rude and i will say sorry befor any1 says it is rude.....im just woundering how many people on here have to nickle and dime there cars ...like go to swap meets buy cheap stuff on ebay.....i have been looking at cars on here that look like the seats cost more then what i make in 3 months paintjobs cost more then what i make in 1 year......(5000).....like i said befor i am very very sorry for this rude post but i am just curious

 

[StrayCat]

Doesn't sound rude to me at all. Things are what they are. Some people have been doing this for years, buying a car, fixing it up, selling, eventually you get to the point where you can have 5000.00 interiors done, and 10,000.00 hemi engines in your car. Sometimes it's just a matter of what someone does for a living, or other investments they have. Whatever, I dont care. I turn wrenches for a living, I make decent money ( in a normal stable economy), but nowhere near enough to fully restore a car to showroom condition. Plus, I also have 2 young kids, big dip into the funtime funds.

But that's my life, and I'm fine with it. I may not ever have a car that is "perfect" in someone elses eyes. But F&@k them. It's perfect for ME. It's within my means, and considering I do the majority of the work myself on it, I'm damn proud of it. It runs, it drives, it sounds good, it looks good, and it's reliable. Isn't that what a CAR is supposed to be?

 

[69Satellite]

I do what I can when I can. I am 24, working full time, and still going to school. Little by little I tell myself.

 

[daredevil]

i horse trade every chance i get. everything i buy i try to counter offer the seller. otherwise i would still be at the start. I plumbed a mechanic shop and waiting room for my body work.I changed out a water heater and other plumbing odds and ends for my machine work. I had my paint done by a guy who paints on the side. And everything possible came off craigslist or ebay. Also im selling everything i have laying around im not using.Bought parts cars and parted them out trying to break even on what i needed off the cars. Been on this for four years but its finally coming together.

 

[1976_newport]

ok...thanks for the posts...it makes me fell better ...i mean i saved 4 months pay not spending a cent to get the sunfire to trade for my chrystler...its gunna take me a month or 2 to get enough money to get my bumper fixed(there is a place around here that charges 150-200 to get the bumper cromed but i need to get the holes fixed first ....thats befor i need 160 to get the car transferd to my name ....plus the transmission seems like it is slipping when in reversed...so i figure by next summer i should have it inspected and on the road......o and u cant ferget the 3000ish insurance a year either

 

[CtownChris]

I bet guys like us are the majority.
I painted my bumper black cause rechrome was too much money and low priority.
Seats are swap meet A body buckets 73's, the rear a 73 B body. My car in a 71 RR.
Paid $80 for the fronts and $40 for the rears. Both swap meet or trades.
I can go on and on. Recyled K&N air filter, ebay tan arm rest pads dyed black, cut my own rear interior sail panels from black cardboard. Traced the originals.

Needs paint and body work. It runs pretty good now. Took 4 yrs to get it this far.

 

[1976_newport]

I bet guys like us are the majority.
I painted my bumper black cause rechrome was too much money and low priority.
Seats are swap meet A body buckets 73's, the rear a 73 B body. My car in a 71 RR.
Paid $80 for the fronts and $40 for the rears. Both swap meet or trades.
I can go on and on. Recyled K&N air filter, ebay tan arm rest pads dyed black, cut my own rear interior sail panels from black cardboard. Traced the originals.

Needs paint and body work. It runs pretty good now. Took 4 yrs to get it this far.

im just glad that im not the only one

 

[69 Runner]

I think most people have to take their time building a car. Naturally there are people who only spend time writing a check to someone else doing the work on their cars. But as others have said, I think the working stiffs are the majority.

Ever been over to FABO? Spend some time looking around at all the /6 4 door cars people do. I'm sure some do them because that is what they like. But I think a lot do them because that is what they can afford. And there is certainly NOTHING wrong with that!

 

[daredevil]

pay attention to detail and as you do things make sure its the right job not a butcher job. people will look at your car for how well its done not what you spent.

 

[1976_newport]

like i said i was just woundering...i posted this on canadian rodder a wile back and 90% of the people on it have 4 cars or more that has had cover cars a bunch more who have had feature cars ...most pushin over 60,000 a peice ....and i have been trying to get a grill for my 1938 chevy coupe for like 2 years and still cant find a cheaper one

 

[1BLUEMOFO]

I buy, trade, an sell everything i can in order to finish a project.. It helps if you can do every aspect yourself. If you dont know how,, learn it. Im helping out in a body shop on weekends just so i can learn how to paint my ride, an save a coupe thousand bucks.

 

[Pastortom1]

I take my time, buy-sell & trade my way into the car and parts that I want.

No big budget here.........Just well thought out quality on a shoestring.

I find that if I'm patient, the parts I need will show up at a good price.......and I don't buy cars that are generally ratty, especially inside. I look for bargains that have been well maintained.

 

[StrayCat]

....and i have been trying to get a grill for my 1938 chevy coupe for like 2 years and still cant find a cheaper one

All you gotta do is ask the right people. I have 2 38 coupe grills off of a couple millitary surplus cars I pulled out of a old barn up in blueridge ,ga. I also have some door glass, dash metal, 1 perfect roof that can be cut off, 1 complete tool kit with the cranks and wrenches, ummm....there's probably alot of solid sheet metal and sections that are good, no floors of course....
I wanted to make a wartime model rat rod, but a buddy of mine came across a 1940 Mecerdes Benz cabriolet, and at that point I was kinda like, ****, I can't beat that........lol....

Let me get the Satellite project "in motion" (literrally) and I'll get over that way and get some snap shots of everything, I need to get some of the rod guys together and bring them up there to go through **** as well, maybe help fund my current projects, those guys always need ****. I know I have a few Ford solid front axles, my henny packard ambulance is up there ( that was a project that "sounded good at the time".......ugh).

 

[gwhitt]

Newport,
As you can see you are with the majority. What counts to me is the feeling I get when I see and drive my car. Especialy knowing I did everthing within my abilities myself in my garage. Im not sure what pleasure comes from a check book restoration, and Im not knocking people that do this, if it wasn't for them you would'nt see any repro parts out there. Keep on keepin on.
G

 

[BlueSS454]

Since none of the cars ever were my everyday car, I tore them apart and started from scratch doing what I could, when I could. It usually takes me about 2.5 years to complete a car from start to finish. I'm 28, single, and don't really have any major bills to pay so I am kinda lucky in that respect. All my spare $$ goes into restoring cars.

 

[WileERobby]

not to sound rude and i will say sorry befor any1 says it is rude.....im just woundering how many people on here have to nickle and dime there cars ...like go to swap meets buy cheap stuff on ebay.....i have been looking at cars on here that look like the seats cost more then what i make in 3 months paintjobs cost more then what i make in 1 year......(5000).....like i said befor i am very very sorry for this rude post but i am just curious

Actually, that's the fun part of this whole thing... scouring swap meets, horse-trading, finding that elusive part... and doing it with the car YOU have & enjoy ! Don't be surprised about the attention you'll get with your Newport. If you put in "sweat equity", that will decrease costs dramatically. And you''ll end up with a nice, sweet ride.

 

[SirSixPack]

Nothing wrong with buying parts on the cheap. I often buy from EBay and Craigslist. I found a complete 69 4-speed console with doors and lights for $100.00 last week, and a set of B-Body clutch/brake pedals for around $40.

And knowing your local old-timers (as I call them) can't hurt either. One called me out of the blue last month and offered me a 440 and 413 package deal for almost nothing if I would move them outta the way of his hemis and Chargers and help him move some other stuff around his shops. The 440 is complete with carb to exhaust mani, and the 413 is only missing carb, exh and water pump. Not bad for a day's work and some pocket money.

I have not had much luck at swap meets; it seems that a lot of sellers think their junk is worth more than it is, and won't haggle - or are selling for what you can get elsewhere with less wandering around and wasting time. For example, I picked up a 383 intake a couple months ago at a swap meet for $50, but you can buy ones just like it on EBay for about the same.

As far as big spenders, I love them. The guys that can drop a boatload of cash to finish a tastefully done classic Mopar really give me something to strive for. I love going to the drags and ogling the B1-TS wedges and stroker or blown Hemis. I love going to shows and runs and seeing the numbers matching fully restored Hemi cars and convertible 440 six-packed rides with their "original" weenie wide tires and dorky caveman batteries (lol).

I have always done what I could with what I had, and have sold some of my best cars to finance other ones. Like years ago when I sold my numbers matching '70 R/T Charger, 440 pistolgrip 4-speed to finance finishing my 440 sixpack Challenger. Or when I was a teenager and sold my '69 Superbee to buy a '64 Barracuda. (what was I thinking?)

Do what you can with your car and over time it will become whatever you want it to be.

And remember, even the guys with tons of cash generally have to do the same things you have to do, they just pay someone else to do it.

 

[oneway71]

On the cheap with no budget; although they turn out nice when you take the time required for them.

I end up spending more time on friends projects than I do on my own.

 

[shag766]

insurance

ok...thanks for the posts...it makes me fell better ...i mean i saved 4 months pay not spending a cent to get the sunfire to trade for my chrystler...its gunna take me a month or 2 to get enough money to get my bumper fixed(there is a place around here that charges 150-200 to get the bumper cromed but i need to get the holes fixed first ....thats befor i need 160 to get the car transferd to my name ....plus the transmission seems like it is slipping when in reversed...so i figure by next summer i should have it inspected and on the road......o and u cant ferget the 3000ish insurance a year either

why are you paying 3000.00 a year insurance. there is a lot cheaper stuff for old cars. just letten you know.

 

[72Satellite440]

The person that wrote this thread hasnt been active in 2 yrs but.....

Were not all on big bank-roll budgets
If im buying from Ebay ill wait until the last 5 seconds before out bidding-
Thats when I put my max bid in
-for example I got a whole black seatbelt set for 34 dollars...good deal^

I wanted to get the biggest and most expensive part paid for over time. My engine was done over 5 years at a race shop giving 300 /150 bucks when ever I could afford it.Totaling over 10K
Over the time I paid for the engine and I found deals on the rest ...

Good luck on your project-