Budget for a 32 Roadster

I am starting to seriously consider my first duece build. I have a few generic questions. I plan on doing all of the work myself, with the exception of paint which will be by a friend. I am looking to build a low budget driver, something to have fun with.

1. What is a good starting budget (again, I am on a limited budget)?
2. I am considering trying to start with a rolling chassis instead of a full build, only because of a new baby ariving soon and limited time. How much more will this cost?
3. How much time will the rolling chassis save me?
4. Any other points to consider, please feel free to jump in.

I should clarify, budget for a roadster. I understand I will need to spend money, but there is definately a wide range between a budget roadster and a show car.

Okay, put another way, if you buy all the parts necessary to build the car a typical round figure is $25k................yeah, just the parts. And this is for a "basic" car, not a high zoot show winner. One of the rod magazines, Street Rod Builder, ran an article a few months ago itemizing just such a car. If I remember right they came in close to $30k..................parts.

You're not the first guy to have the same thought, I've talked to a bunch. Almost every one of them don't want to believe these numbers. Take your choice on where you want to be.

I'm not surprised by the estimates, although I was actually hoping for more like $15-$20K. I may have to adjust my completion date so I can increase my budget.

I spent about $25K on mine. Did all the labor except spraying the paint and the interior myself. I used flat black. A shiney paint job would have been $1K more for the materials.

I used a moderately priced body (Show Me Rod And Custom) and a SoCal chassis. With reguard to the body going up to the next level (Wescott or Brookville) would have cost an additional $4-5K. I could have saved about $1K by going with a lower grade chassis.

In my mind, I could not justify the additional money for a premium body but I think the additional money I spent on the chassis was well worth it. I wanted a nostalgia look and the SoCal frame and propritary components gave me what I was looking for.

A rolling chassis comes with all the stuff you are going to buy anyway and you usually save a few bucks with the package deal. A rolling chassis will save you some time but mostly it gets you to the body and drive train part of the project quickly. Most of us do not have the skills needed to build a chassis or the necessary chassis jig. So buying a frame is the way we have to go. If that is all you initally buy you will spend a lot of time sourcing the other chassis components but assembling them into a roller is not very difficult.

Show Me Rod and Custom built my body on my frame. This is preferable to buying a body one place and a frame some place else and fitting them together in your shop. But it is not a show stopper.

Before you spend a penny you need to think through your project and make an itemized list of everything you are going to need, from spring shackles to guages. For each item you need to identify a source, a quality level (forged steel, chrome, polished stainless, etc) and a cost. Whatever it all adds up to add at least 25%.

There ya go. Click the camera icon next to Steve's forum name and you'll see several shots of a good example of a well done "basic" car. Good use of paint highlights and a little polish/chrome, not much fancy at all. But remember, he did most of his own labor at that figure.

If you're going for a shiney paint scheme then the price goes up considerably unless you're an accomplished body and paint man.

Thanks for the great info Bib, and the others as well. I will begin making my list.

Camera Icon??????
How come I don't get to see a camera ICON ????
I'm clicking all over the names and don't see a picture :(

Budget and Model A might work:)

Rod,

That camera icon seems to come and go. I can see it today, some days I can't.

Bib,

That's a very, very nice ride. You picked all the right stuff for the nostalgic feel. It has the "look." Good job.

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Originally posted by techinspector1
Bib, shame on me, I just never paid any attention to your rod. That is very nicely done. I love the stock fuel tank in place like that.

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Appriciate the kind words. I think I built this rod in my head when I was 14 or 15, that would be, err, 1957 or 58. In the 100,000 times, plus or minus, that I have done it since it has evolved some and certainly been refind but the basic concept has remained the same.

The rear wheels and tires are one thing I did not get right. I used 3" backspace 15" x 8" rims with 255/70R15 tires. Frankly, the wheels and tires stick out like Dumbo's ears. It is amazing what a difference an inch or two can make at times. This package also gave a deper reverse than you would normally see on a traditional roadster. The tires came off a friend's pickup and they are to short and to wide. I used the because they were free. And dummy that I am, I made my wheel selection because they were available.

So comes the fix. I flirted with wide whites but, with the help of friends on the RRT and HAMB I eventually came to my senses. I have a pair of Wheel Vintiques 16" x 7" rims on order and I am going to match them up with a set of Cooper 245/75/R16 blackwalls. This will bring the rims in that magic inch and increase the tire diameter from 28" to 30.5. The tread width will come down fron 9"+ to about 7". The result should be a radial package that more closely replicates the tall bias plies used in the "day."

There is a lesson here for our new net buddy Jr Rodder. Have a plan and stick to it. Go ahead and use free, bargain priced or servicable used stuff. But only when it fits the plan. You are not going to be happy if you don't get what you want in the end. This little rear wheel and tire detour of mine is going to cost me a couple of hundred bucks or so. Not to big a hurt and I may recover some of it if I can sell my old wheels. Just remember - It does not take many two steps forward and one step back wrong part and changed concept tangos to really run the final tab up.

As RockNrod said, why not consider a '29 roadster instead. I am up to a rolling chassis with engine, trans, rear, brakes and tires so far on a very straight Brookville A-frame at an estimate of about $7500 so far, including some professional labor charges. A Bebops body with fenders wil be another $4800, wiring and gauges about $600 (cheap gauges), top and frame may come to close to $1800 and then I need a seat and interior trim for about $800(???) and finally about $1500 for paint. That totals to about $17K and I left out shipping for the body and assorted extra engine parts for about $500 more. I am hoping to get a "RestoRod" finished for under $20K and I think it can be done, but of course I will just have a 'glass body and a plain-Jane Model-A. Still if the SBC 350 runs good with a 3.55 rear I will enjoy it tremendously! So I think an A-roadster can be built for about $20K but anything related to 1932 Ford even if it is a replica will certainly be more expensive, maybe 50% more at least!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Originally posted by rocknrod
Camera Icon??????
How come I don't get to see a camera ICON ????
I'm clicking all over the names and don't see a picture :(

Budget and Model A might work:)

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Rod,

Go to the upper left of the page and change your "style", color seems to be the best choice.

This is also the cure for those times when you can't flip from page to page when re-reading a thread. Just another endearing trait of the software for the site.

Don,
Given how meticulous I know you are it would be a good lesson (if it's not too personal) for the learning folks to compare your projections today with the actuals when you are done. Having "been there, done that" I think you'll find that there are going to be a whole bunch o' "little" items that add up in a hurry. Save all those little receipts you're going to be accumulating for fasteners as you go along. That line item alone will amaze you.

Bob, I was surprised my current estimate was below $20K and is only a rough guess at this time. I do save just about every receipt and so far I just jam them into a notebook so I can eventually add it all up. I know what you mean about the fasteners, I think I spent about $90 for a set of ARP stainless bolts and then found that the kit still does not cover all the missing bolts from my block and then there are a few parts bought in error as when I was groping to find the proper fittings for the master cylinder and ended up buying quite a few fittings that I eventually did not use until I eventually found the right combination. It may come out to be closer to $22K by the time I add in a steel hood, headers, emergency brake and shifter which I still need. Still I sense that I am getting close to something that runs and I hope to make a major push this coming Summer. Just this week I made a decision to stick with a chrome '29 grill shell and stock hood rather than a Deuce shell, stainless grill and longer hood. I like the looks of the "Boulder Bob '29" and the Deuce shell just proves my point about anything for a '32 being more expensive. While we are just chatting I note that I have not found a chrome spreader/bumper for the A frame horns and the tecnical guy at Brookville says you have to cut down a '32 front spreader bar, any tips on that?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Originally posted by Don Shillady
While we are just chatting I note that I have not found a chrome spreader/bumper for the A frame horns and the tecnical guy at Brookville says you have to cut down a '32 front spreader bar, any tips on that?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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If that's what's necessary, and considering the cost of plating today, I would think a polished stainless piece would be better. If you shop they can be had for around $50-60. Cut to length, have re-tigged, and then touch up polish. You could have the whole deal for less than the cost of replating alone.

When I was building / planning my roadster I talked to the guy that has the local streetrod supply shop about bodies. He said there was about $2000 diference between a Gibbon body and a Wescott body, but you could put $2000 into a Gibbon body and you still wouldn't have a Wescott! I stepped up and got the Wescott and believe me I nevr regretted it. They're a REALLY well built body and mines been on the road for a very well driven 8 years now and there's still not a crack anywhere. I think it's the same old story - you get what you pay for. On the chassis I'd reccomend getting a roller for sure. Again, it might cost a bit more in the beginning but it'll be worth it in the amount of grief saved! I used a TCI on my roadster and it's fine........NOW....... but I wouldn't use another one. We built the one for the coupe I'm doing and so far so good, everything's square and the same, but it would have saved a lot of screwing around etc by starting with a roller. off the top of my head I'd reccomend Cornhuskers - nice stuff!