Don,
Glad to see you up and running. I hope everything settles down for you now.
In response to your post, unless you are a book keeper or accountant you would really be surprised what these things cost when your done.
Glad your back.
Ken
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Don,
Glad to see you up and running. I hope everything settles down for you now.
In response to your post, unless you are a book keeper or accountant you would really be surprised what these things cost when your done.
Glad your back.
Ken
Hi Ken...........really happy to be able to chat with you again. Been wondering about what you've been up to. I'll have to go back through 2 months of threads to see what I've missed.
Yep, life should calm down now that we are finally moved in. It's been very interesting the past two months, but actually not that bad. It's funny what you can survive with when you have to, and how you can make a bad situation pretty good by just keeping perspective. Dan loves his new job and the new residence is really a step up from the old one, so life is good. :D
I got the exhaust system back from the coater yesterday and got it on. That's the good news. But now that the open headers aren't drowning out all the sounds I have a noise in the engine that concerns me. I think that little lack of oil pressure when the galley plug blew out may have caused some damage. I am a little fed up with working on the 27 and at the prospects of having to pull and dismantle the engine all over again, but that is what is going to have to happen I fear. Oh well, it's just a toy I keep reminding myself, so it will get fixed when I feel like looking at it again I guess.
Don
hi don,
you dont know me but i am in the middle of my 1st build.
i thought that maybe i could do it for approx $6000
HA!
and yes
i am going dirt cheap and counting welding rods and everything but my time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by billy zz
Love to see some pictures Billy. If you have posted them while I was absent, please let me know the thread. Funny how fast that money adds up, huh? I don't think any of us want to know how much we really spend on these things......I know I don't. :)
Don
Welcome back Don. Good to hear most is well! I cringe when I look at what is in my truck so far, and what is yet needed. Maybe that's why I take longer breaks than I should!:HMMM::eek::LOL::D
here ya go.Quote:
Originally Posted by Itoldyouso
:whacked:
http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43623
Don - Welcome back! Did you guys move the shop and everything or just your residence? Are there updates on any of your other threads on the '27 or the '48 sedan or Dan's RPU? Just tell us where to look...
Billy zz - I may be a little more obsessive than some of the folks on here, but I can tell you what my cars cost within a few dollars. The coupe in my avatar cost me just over $7600 to build as you see it. Since then I have changed (upgraded) the steering wheel, taillights, and headlights which brings the total to approximately $7800:D. In my roadster build (http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30400) I have kept a running total in the text. My goal is to have it on the road for under $4000. It may not be completely finished for that, but should be driveable and street legal. Time will tell...:rolleyes::3dSMILE:
Billy, thanks for the thread to your hot rod build. I like it, and the Ford engine makes it VERY cool.
Thanks for the welcome home Jim. No, we just moved our residence, the shop is still intact. In fact, now I can tell the story.......the shop was Dan's and my home for the past two months. When he lost his job as property manager he also lost our apartment that was part of his deal. We had 3 weeks to move. We knew he would probably get a new property management job in a short period of time, which also would come with an apartment, so it didn't make sense for us to sign a lease on a new apartment and then have to break it and pay the penalties.
My Son Don offered graciously for us to come with him, but Dan had this crazy idea that we should move into the office of the shop. It is pretty big and we were only using it for storage, so for two weeks Dan and I worked til 2 or 3 am remodeling it. We painted, paneled, laid new carpeting, put in a new A/C unit, new fridge, closets for our clothes, etc. The shop had a bathroom with toilet and sink, so we added a shower stall and water heater and new plumbing. Don and his GF Taylor got us a gas grille and Dan, me, and two of the 3 cats moved into the shop.:LOL: (My ex-wife took the female cat as she would have been at the mercy of the two male cats, Chewy and Lucky, they like to wrestle too much and Alto is getting up there in years) We added a couple of futons, and settled in to our new home.
Dan did get a new job 3 or 4 weeks ago and also a new apartment, but the funny thing is, we were in no hurry to move out of the shop. It was actually one of the best times we have had, cooking out on the grille every night and drinking a lot of beer (especially when Don came by :D) We both felt sort of sad moving out the other day and into the new apartment, although it is really nice to have internet again. I think Dan and I have some great memories of the time we spent there.........I know I do.
During that time we also got lots of work done on my 27 and his RPU. He is literally ready for primer on the body and bed. He got all the little chores done that he had been putting off and it looks great. We want to epoxy prime it ourselves to make sure every area is coated well before it goes to the body shop for final paint. He is still on the fence for color, as am I on mine.
As for my 27, I got all the little things done to get the motor running and we fired it up for the first time last week. It ran great for about 5 minutes, lots of oil pressure, ran cool, etc. Then Dan saw the oil pressure go to zero. We shut it down right away and found a galley plug had blown out, so I put in screw in plugs, prelubed the engine with a drill again, and fired it up. Oil pressure was back up to 60psi, and all seemed well. Then I installed the exhaust system and once it was no longer running on open headers I could hear a knocking from deep in the engine. I guess the loss of oil pressure did do something, so I have to pull the motor out, tear it down, and figure out what is what. For now I don't even want to look at the d*** thing for a while, so I'll get back on it when I feel differently.
I also got my body back from the fiberglass shop last week. I had them remove 20 years of sins from the body, and modify my firewall to clear the new, bigger engine. He did a fantastic job, and sprayed a whole gallon (3 coats) of Evercoat Slick Sand over it all. Now I can block sand it and get it as good as I can.
Here are some pictures of the body the day I got it back.
Here are some pictures of the rest of the frame and stuff. Sorry for the lengthy story about our last couple of months, but I wanted to share that we had some problems in our lives but stuck together as a family and overcame them. Someone up there was looking out for us because it evidently was supposed to happen the way it did. Thanks for looking and reading.
Don
Kool story,glad things are sorted for you guys,kool engine too,even got the dissy in the front,where it belongs...Good to see,no McDonalds Combo for that roadster...:D
Welcome back, a page back I intruded myself to you Don, I waffled on about how much I enjoyed your build thread. Man, you and sons,(and cats) are like family to me,and I have missed all the humor that this thread has generated. Now ,do you have a thread on your rebuild of the roadster or do we just pickup from here??
Glad to hear you guys had some quality time together. I'm sure Dan will remember these times for the rest of his life too. Sounds like the passion of his build came back. Can't wait to see the RPU on the road or the resurrected 27! Hope the engine thing turns out to be minor. I like the idea of painting it red!
There is something to admire when you can simplify your life, even for a short while, making do with adversity, and coming out ahead and happy. Glad your back.
Don,
Like I said before, you are a very blessed man ! :)
Ken
Thanks Lamin8r,Whiplash23T, Steve, and Ken for your friendship and nice words. They mean a lot.
Whiplash, yeah, I do have a couple of threads going already on the resurrection of my 27, I forgot about those, thanks for reminding me. Here they are:
http://clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42640
http://clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43939
Those pretty much chronicle the entire rebuild. Again guys, thanks for letting me share the little bump in the road of life we just had, and I hope anyone else going through similar things right now knows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There are so many people around the world out of jobs right now, losing homes and everything else, that it just sickens me. My problems were very minor compared to so many others, and they are in my prayers. I sure hope we have turned the corner financially for the sake of so many good people.
Don
Don,if we,your cyber family,cant share the bumps that life throws at us,theres something wrong...We,in particular,might be down here in the deeep south,but we enjoy your posts,threads,and the ability to flick a bit of camel dung at each other,,like watching you and Uncle Bob sparring,good value...:D My wife also enjoys your animal stories,as we have our own furry family..Anyway,enough from me,gotta go to work..As a parting shot,I feel more at home HERE,than I do on our local board..Possibly because all you folks up there dont seem to have a bias of some sort..cant explain what I mean,but it all seems friendlier...but I think you all know where I am coming from..FAMILY:cool:
Strange as it might seem sometimes, I really like Bob. :) I like people who have been around and are smart, and Bob fits that to a T. He has a great, although dry, sense of humor, that you have to dig below the surface to "get" sometimes, but to me he is funny as h***. He was also one of the first people to post, worrying about if I were pushing up daisies, and that shows his compassion for others. His advise is always well thought out and concise.
I hope he doesn't read this because his head is big enough as is. :D Like you Lamin8r, this is one of my favorites first stops when I turn the computer on......a lot of super people on here.
Don
Don,
You have been missed. Great story and I for one am happy that you are back on the internet.
Rick
Thanks Rick, it's good to be back. Last night I slept at the shop again because we hadn't moved Chewy and Lucky over yet and I was feeling sorry for them. I'm a little stiff today because both of them laid on top of me so I couldn't move all night. So today I packed up all their toys and stuff and brought them to the new place.
They aren't quite sure what to make of it. They've been in one room for the past two months and they've spent the entire day exploring all the new spaces they have. They still aren't too sure about the lanai, they've never had one before and the birds and stuff are a little scary yet. They keep peering out the blinds, but when I open the door for them they run and hide. I bet being on the lanai will end up being their favorite spot though.:D
Don
I still say you should get internet access at your shop...........LOL
Bradc
[QUOTE=Itoldyouso;339947]Thanks guys. From a practical standpoint I have to say the two carb setup isn't as smooth as the single Edelbrock I had on it for the past year. But they really aren't too bad either. I think I am getting more used to the power curve. They also have a sucking sound, probably because I have the scoops aimed right at my head, but I do like the view from the drivers seat. :D I think they and the pinstriping changed the complexion of the car a little, and I am glad I did them both.
Don, are you still running the 2 X 2 setup? I have similar setup, although not properly set up. Question: Is this setup 1 primary carb and 1 secondary carb with a progressive linkage? If not what. And after over a year, if you still have the same setup how do you like it. I just made do with 2 primary carbs and made a progressive linkage, but getting it to idle without loading up is a trick. There is a local guy here that deals with the 2g 3 X 2 setups and I need to get a secondary base for the rear carb, I think.
Oh BTW very cool for a (3k(x 3)) + Y = Cool Project. :D
Thanks, but I think I actually spent $ 3,000.57. :D Well, my opinion on the 2 x 2 setup hasn't changed too much. The single 4 barrel was a little more responsive and generally felt like a better match. However, I wouldn't go back as I really like the looks of the 2 x 2's and surprisingly I get a lot of positive comments from car guys on them.
Yes, mine are a true primary/secondary carb setup. Vintage Speed, from whom I bought it, built the carbs and put the proper bottom plate under the front one, so only the rear carb has idle screws. It also has progressive linkage so I am pretty much running on only a 2 barrel carb 99% of the time. In defense of the system, I really just bolted it on and that was it. I fiddled a little with the idle screws once or twice, and put a pressure regulator set to the minimum (3 lbs fuel pressure), but nothing more.
So, as Fernando used to say "It's better to LOOK good than to FEEL good." :D:D Sometimes we give up a little to gain some coolness, and that is the way I see these carbs. Thanks for asking.
Don
Don, Thanks for the info. I guess I misread somthing thought you went way over on this one. Might have been a reference to another project. If that is what you spent, :3dSMILE::3dSMILE::3dSMILE:...... It usually doesn't go that way no matter how hard we try.:D
Don was pulling your chain a bit with that $3,000.57.:LOL: I think the actual final total was a bit higher. (See post #3282)
He's right, I was just funnin you. :D I honestly just didn't keep track after a certain point, so anything would just be a wild guess. But it has been worth every penny in smiles.:)
Don
Well I thought that is what I saw, but my memory is getting so bad. I wasn't positive that Don was running the 2 X 2 setup, I thought I saw it as this was one of the threads I have read most all of. Last night I was skimming thru trying to find the pic of carbs, but I thought I saw that post. I think I had 4500 in mine when I got tags, but the extras since then have to be over 2000 so I know how fast it add up. But it's all good.:D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by RestoRod
Hey Don; I got a free 8 inch Ford rear end if you need it for any new projects.
It came out of my 65 Ranchero, I can measure it if you need, or would like to have it.
Trying to get rid of stuff I am not gonna use around here, this way when I move I don't have to take it with me.
Kurt
PM sent Kurt.
Don
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't need anything but to get it out of the way.
Ya; Seffner is just south of tampa in Brandon.
The 8 inch is 51 inches from back plate to back plate.
Then I have a 9 inch out there that is 60 inches from back plate to back plate. I don't have the drums for the 9 inch though and I am not sure if the bearings in it is the big ones or the small bearings.
The 8 inch has the drums but needs new E brake cables.
Kurt
Whoops, didn't see your post so I also pm'd you. The 8 inch is probably the one that will fit, but I wouldn't take it for nothing, but thanks for the nice offer. I'll measure my old rear tomorrow and get back to you. We can work out some $ if and when I come to get it. How far are you off of I75?
Don
Don
Probably only about 3 miles off the exit.
This thing is not new but it got me from Vegas to Florida.
It will just be nice to get it to someone that can use it, I can not.
And I would hate to just throw it out.
Kurt
I'll call you tomorrow Kurt to work out details. I googled your address, it's only 2 hours from home. I won't have to borrow Dans truck, the back seat in my Honda folds down and we have hauled some amazingly big stuff back there. :D
Thanks,
Don
I put a fully built 351W in the back of our 86 hatch back Camaro.
It fit right down nice and snug in the pocket side ways so it didn't even slide around
or anything. Kurt
This is a really kewl and interesting thread. I didn't read it all and maybe don't have all the facts on it. I wonder what the cost might be on a bare bones, use what you have, cheapest rod possible. I built a Cobra and spent $40k on parts alone. A guy gave me this '28 pickup as a big pile of parts. I thought I could build it for 5k. I have at least 10k in it now probably more. I think that what happens is we get in to the project and if it goes good we just can't resist making it better, and better, and better and bett...
Tom, you've pretty much captured the essence of it. It comes down to what the builder values and knows (some inexperienced folks don't know what they don't know and end up making decisions they learn to regret, but that's learning). Without getting too wonky about economics, money is just an IOU for value exchanged from one person to another. For some the best use of their value production is scrounging stuff, spending time rummaging through wrecking yards, dumps, barns, whatever. For others it might be inventing a new design of trailer that meets a market need and lots of folks exchange money for the trailer. If you're better at making the trailers for others, then you employ the value you earn that way. If you're better/more willing at rooting through the discards of others then you employ that value. Some folks are very creative and skillful at fabrication, others need the help of those kind of folk. Different roads to similar destinations.
I was surprised to see Don's old thread pop up again but it is a great one, and I'll let Don reply regarding the costs of a bare bones build. From my perspective, the biggest reason for cost escalation in a build is 1) not enough detail in the plan for the build (failure to consider all of the "little" things that add big bucks), and worse 2) failure to stick to the plan once it is set and the build has started. The key to a budget build is to have an accurate budget estimate at the start, IMO - and that's easy to say, but hard to accomplish! My budget "plan" was to use a donor engine & tranny from a Mustang, but I decided early on to go with a custom engine and new Tremec, along with a hi-buck EFI on top - a factor of ten+ to my original salvage yard donor cost.
Well, I guess the cost is reliant on how many pre-fabbed parts you buy and how much work you do yourself.:rolleyes: Don will be the first to tell you his 3K project far exceeded the original plan. I'm sure the guy who bought it paid way more than 3K also:LOL:, but, having seen it in person, I can honestly say it was one of the nicest T-buckets I've ever seen...:cool:
As for my own projects, I've always been too poor to buy a lot of high-zoot crap, so I had to learn to make it myself. I build or fabricate virtually everything I can including frame & suspension, and do all my own welding. I also do all my own bodywork and paint, wiring, and upholstery. My son and I built his sedan (below) for under $4,000. Since the pic he has added a tunnel ram and different front wheels. I built my coupe (bottom) for about $7800 using parts from 32 different vehicles.:whacked: Now I am working on a '23 T track roadster; about $3000 in it so far.:3dSMILE: Here's a link to the build thread:
http://www.clubhotrod.com/hot-rod-ta...k-style-t.html
I would think 4K is probably the lowest you could get away with and have a safe reliable rod.
well I finally read all 221 pages in my christmas holiday. I'm the new owner of Don's T bucket. I bought it off a guy that bought it off Don. Man, After reading this post I feel like I got the deal of a lifetime. I restore Motorcycles and I know that you never get the money you put into a project thus the reason I restore motorcycles, because sometimes I can make a couple buck ...Only sometimes. I look forward to coming on this forum in the future.
Welcome to the site speed8988, maybe share a pic of the car as it sits now? Ans I'd say you got a good deal too! A great car for sure!
Many of us were drawn to this site following Don's thread. I hope you are enjoying the car, he sure did a nice job on it!