Thread: Question RE Manufacturer

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Experienced people like Roger will often give the same, sensible, advice................even though he (I) and others violate the "good sense" advice.

Perhaps the best way to approach it is your self evaluation. What's more important to you: keeping yourself occupied with a hobby that demonstrates your mechanical/artistic skills, or enjoying the social aspects of the hobby. Or, what combination of the two.

You dropped a "hint" about concerns (to some level or other) about cost. Hands down, the best approach is to buy an existing, well built car. Rods almost never sell for as much as they cost to build. Incomplete projects routinely sell for .50 on the dollar. If you're into demographics, the hard reality is we're either at, or very near the high point of participation in rods. Look around at any event for rods, see the demographics of this site and others like it. The vast majority are up in years (granted, a relative term). The current economic conditions may have accelerated the inevitable, but, by my estimation, the supply exceeds the demand (albeit on relatively slightly for now). This will not bode well for manufacturers like A&C, and the others, but that's market cycles. If you can be patient, there's a car out there that fits most of your bill, and what doesn't match your tastes can be altered and you very likely could end up with a car tailored to your style/desire for the same or less than if you'd done it from scratch...........and as Roger said, in less time and effort. Redoing a car can be just as gratifying if you're of the appropriate temperament.

There's an old addage that "newbies" don't ever seem to want to believe. It goes something like: "It'll take twice as long, and cost three times as much as you estimate it will to complete." The actual numbers may vary some, but the point remains.