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!

I have been working on the roadster pickup (my avatar) for a year now, doing mostly everything myself. I paid $2000 for the semi finished project, but all I managed to salvage was the main body shell, butchered frame, 40 Ford spindles and S10 rearend. I sold the chrome undropped I beam axle and various "wrong" parts for $300. I only paid $200 for a used small block chev engine and turbo 350. The metal body had to be completely torn down and rebuilt from scratch, I fabricated a new bed, and used fiberglass fenders, splash aprons, hood, and grillshell. After the body was completely rebuilt in steel, I paid a professional bodyman $2500 to do the finish bondo work after I had welded on it for 6 weeks straight---(thats the only work that I have farmed out). I boxed the original frame and built new crossmembers. Over the last month I have spent close to $4000 for a Grant steering wheel, Ididit tilt column, a Lokar shifter, Billet Specialties column drop and dash insert, Autometer gauges and a third steering column universal joint. I still need to spend $1000 for Coker wide whitewall tires, $1000 for paint (I will paint it myself), $1000 for an interior, and probably another $1000 in miscellaneous brake and wiring stuff. I currently have $16,500 invested, at this point in the build. If I hadn't farmed out the bodywork and had used wrecking yard steering parts and gearshift, I could probably be at the current state of build for closer to $10,000. I am a bit wealthier and a lot older now, so tramping thru the wrecking yards trying to find cheap parts was not done this time around. I am not sure about 32 Fords, everything for them is more expensive, however considering that the cost of my body and fenders and new bed and bodywork came to close to $5500 I think I could have bought a budget fiberglass body and been just about at the same point I am now for the same money.--I do believe you can buid a respectable hotrod, maybe even a 1932 for under $20,000 and thats in Canada where things cost about 50% more than in the States. However, for that price you would do everything yourself, farm absolutely nothing out, and get real friendly with your local wrecking yard owner.

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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?

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Don,

The original Model A frame horns have a single bumper hole in the front. The 32 has two. The Model A also has a cupped washer behind the hole to give the bumper bolt a stronger purchase. You can leave the washer in place or remove it. I have seen spreader bars fitted both ways. You modify the 32 bar by cutting off the two bolt flanges and welding in plugs that have a tapped center hole. Not very difficult. You can make the plugs out of mild steel plate with a bolt welded on the back. If budget is an issue consider making one out of mild steel and painting it. It will give you some practice and you can upgrade to stainless later.

Bib

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Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
Rod,

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

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Yep that worked. Thanks buddy

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Originally posted by topsterguy
. . . but you could put $2000 into a Gibbon body and you still wouldn't have a Wescott! . . . .

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That aint NO lie !

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Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
Rod,

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

Originally posted by rocknrod
Yep that worked. Thanks buddy

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Worked for me to. http://forums.collectors.com/i/expressions/ThumbsUp.gif

Bib and Bob, Thanks. On a previous A, which I did not finish, I used a threaded rod through a 2 1/2" pipe with large washers welded in the ends and tightened nuts on the ends and painted to match the frame. I guess I was mainly asking about welding stainless steel. I did not know it can be welded and then polished, so I will have to look around for someone with experience welding stainless and get one of those '32 spreader bars because I want a shiny one this time.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Originally posted by Don Shillady
so I will have to look around for someone with experience welding stainless ...............Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Look into marine repair/fabrication shops, there's lots of stainless on boats so they should have experience. It occurs to me you're going full fendered. The ends may be not visible under the fender/splash apron and not require repolishing unless you're really compulsive.

I bid a Deuce Hi-Boy for a guy awhile back. With no billet, crate motor, TCI trans, paint, and upholstery it came to $32,500 out the door. The guy looked at me like I was nuts, said that was way too much money and left. He called one evening last week and wanted me to refigure the bid with a reman motor and trans, no interior. After some conversation, he told me that my bid was at least $5,000 lower than the other 3 he got!!!! Deuce's aren't cheap !!!

Don;
You did not mention if your running fenders or not , I asked in a previous thread and maybe you missed it. Were you at BeBops in January 6th or 7th ? If so my Son and I were there also , weren't you picking up fenders with a friend of yours ? My Son has a stainless spreader bar for a Model 'A' that was from a previous car, he may part with it I'll have to ask. If so let me know your dimentions between rails ( ID ) and we'll see if it'll fit.

Bob ; Thanks for the info on Style, now I can see Bib's Car, WOW ! Nice HOT ROD Bib ! Thats what hot rodding's all about. Love the Flat paint , it's a late model motor, Crate ? or what ?

Jr. Rodder; Lots of good info for you, as Bib said lots of time we don't think things out enough and it ends up costing us more in the end, sometimes to save a buck we end up spending twice as much to correct our mistake. I'm not sure what your abilities and skill levels are, but I built a 'T' Bucket back in the 70's, I was newly married and a new born just arrived and on a REAL STRICT BUDJET , and as Bib said I had a Vision of a bucket in my head since I was 17 and started out by purchasing a set of plans from California Custon Roadster, buying 20' of 2X3 Tubing and building my own frame on a plywood table I built, by using wrecking yard parts I kept the cost down and I had only 5k in the whole car, it took me 4 years to built it, and by doing all of the labor myself I saved a lot, back then you couldn't order all of the parts and brackets like you can today, you had to either fab it yourself or get it from wrecking yards, and it turned out better than I had ever imagined. I'll have to try to copy an old photo and post it. I made the entire front end out of Stainless steel including the tube axle and polished it all " By Hand " I'd never do it again but it saved the cost of chromeing. Stainless is hard to work because it do darn hard. You can buy a wrecked car and get your drivetrain , steering column, wiring, and a lot more to hold your cost down, and maybe sell off the good body panels,glass andother parts to retreive some of your money to buy parts you need. After I started my 3 Window project I noticed on Hot Rod Hot Line , http://hotrodhotline.com/index.php
in the For sale section that there a lot of abandoned projects available out ther and you may find one ther and sometimes save a ton of money that way. Keep us posted and ask lots of questions, there a wealth of knowledge here at CHR and a lot of wonderful Gentlemen that are more that willing to share it with you and help guide you when you need it. That's the best part about Street/Hot Rodders ther always willing to help one another when they need it . Good Luck !

Tim, That wasn't me a Bebops in January but I am interested in the spreader bar. The measurement seems to be 25" to the outside of the frame horns so the interior dimension should be 24 7/8" or 24 3/4" allowing for the thickness of the frame metal. Send me an e-mail message and let me know a price and shipping information.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Well this thread seems to have gone past it's original idea so let me work on the Model-A spreader idea. My Brookville frame measures 25" on the outside of the frame horns and probably I need a one-hole mount with a bar of 24 3/4" for the inside of the frame horns. Speedway lists a '32 front bar as 23 3/4" and a set of 1/8" spacers. I guess there is some way to make the '32 bar work with thicker spacers or washers which won't show due to the width of the frame horns and the splash apron in front with the full-fender setup. If I don't hear from Tim in a few days I guess I will get the '32 bar from Speedway and figure out a way to pad the ends with 1/2" spacers. Comments? Suggestions?

P.S. I just went back into the woods where I threw an original Model-A frame that came back from the sand blaster riddled with holes and I measured the distance in the front of the original. It came out to be 24 1/2" on the interior of the frame horns due to the reinforcing washers welded in the channel of the horns. I guess that means I can probably beef up the width of the '32 spreader with washers or 1/2" plate on each side to fill the gap after I convert it to a single-hole mount. Just thinking out loud, comments?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Originally posted by Tim Guzowski
Bob ; Thanks for the info on Style, now I can see Bib's Car, WOW ! Nice HOT ROD Bib ! Thats what hot rodding's all about. Love the Flat paint , it's a late model motor, Crate ? or what ?

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Tim,

I really appriciate the complement.

I debated the crate motor thing. But I really wanted to build my own motor. Alwas have. Around here early Chevy 350 blocks are getting hard to find. Mine came out a a 76 pickup that I found in a yard in Salem, Arkansas. I paid $100 for it. It was well used. The crank and heads were junk. But the block cleaned up at .040 over and I scored a reground crank for $100. The heads are Vortec units out of a 98 pickup. Low milage, they cleaned up with a valve job. I am running KB pistons and an Edelbrock Performer cam and intake. It is a very mild motor that gives me all the torque the tires can hold. While it was apart I spent the better part of a weekend cleaning up the casting flash and detailing the bock and heads. Money wise, a crate motor would have cost about the same. But crate motors do not come with self satisfaction built in.

Don; I wil check with my Son and see what he wants to do with it, it is a real nice Piece though, give me a few days , I won't forget you either way, OK ? Hang Loose.

Bib ; Thanks for the reply, Yep I reall like that ride, I agree on the Crate motor , sometimes I'm sceptical on buying an old tired motor "trying to save some Dough" and then have to dump a lot more into it reserecting it , and end up having more into it than a new Motor. OH the trials and tribulations of being a do it yourselfer. Bet at least we get the satification, ' Good or Bad' The late model heads was a good Idea though.