Thread: Am I being realistic in my goals? This is my first street rod........

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Doug, Like Roger said on wheel tire combo's, hit as many shows as you can...with a tape measure and note pad. I have had very good luck with owners measuring there cars if asked before you do, most are willing to help and flattered you like the stance. Snap pics of what you like and don't like.
I am a huge early hemi fan, if they are selling a car learn the difference in the earlies if you are in the market, many 331 & 354's passed off as 392's, all are good motors but value wise a 392 is way more $$, so know what your buying and don't get swindled.
Your price seems fair even for a early hemi powered car, just make sure you test drive it, and the longer the better as there are many rods out there only suited for a short jog and not a healthy cruise. Since you are in Texas I would recommend driving it in stop & go traffic with the air on and watch the temp, probably one of the main problems to deal with as A's don't have large radiators. It surprises many rodders to find out that hemis tend to run cooler than sbc's, it simply the fact the blocks and heads hold way more water, a little over 4 gallons to be exact (if I remember right).
Also keep in mind what you term as a "rebuilt" motor no matter what power plant. My term is new everything including a bore and pistons, a lot of guys simply hone the cylinders with rings and bearings and the motor is passed off as "rebuilt" the difference is huge and many are going to say it was rebuilt so many miles ago, but what was done? Do a compression test and leakdown test or take it to someone who will. If I was in you situation I would be patient, the season is starting and prices tend to creep up, do your research and know when you find your car! good Luck matt

Originally Posted by Matthyj

Doug, Like Roger said on wheel tire combo's, hit as many shows as you can...with a tape measure and note pad. I have had very good luck with owners measuring there cars if asked before you do, most are willing to help and flattered you like the stance. Snap pics of what you like and don't like.
I am a huge early hemi fan, if they are selling a car learn the difference in the earlies if you are in the market, many 331 & 354's passed off as 392's, all are good motors but value wise a 392 is way more $$, so know what your buying and don't get swindled.
Your price seems fair even for a early hemi powered car, just make sure you test drive it, and the longer the better as there are many rods out there only suited for a short jog and not a healthy cruise. Since you are in Texas I would recommend driving it in stop & go traffic with the air on and watch the temp, probably one of the main problems to deal with as A's don't have large radiators. It surprises many rodders to find out that hemis tend to run cooler than sbc's, it simply the fact the blocks and heads hold way more water, a little over 4 gallons to be exact (if I remember right).
Also keep in mind what you term as a "rebuilt" motor no matter what power plant. My term is new everything including a bore and pistons, a lot of guys simply hone the cylinders with rings and bearings and the motor is passed off as "rebuilt" the difference is huge and many are going to say it was rebuilt so many miles ago, but what was done? Do a compression test and leakdown test or take it to someone who will. If I was in you situation I would be patient, the season is starting and prices tend to creep up, do your research and know when you find your car! good Luck matt

Matt, I would absolutely love to find a car with a early Hemi in it, they're just like hens teeth. You don't see many A coupes at all with them. While I'm not in a terrible rush for a car, I'm not sure one will pop up in a reasonable timeframe. One member sent me a PM that told me that they had a friend selling a car without engine and drivetrain. The car previously had a SBC in it with a automatic. I thought that would be a perfect opportunity to perhaps pick up a car I could drop a 392 Hemi and std. trans into, after some mount fabrication and modification. It's so much easier to find a early Hemi engine than it is to find a nice A coupe with a early Hemi in it. Unfortunately I never heard back from him, so the search goes on.

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...specifications

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...er_Hemi_engine

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Originally Posted by techinspector1

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...specifications

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...er_Hemi_engine

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There's a early Hemi engine up for sale about 2 hours away from my home. It's a 392 and it's complete, needing a rebuild. I just put a bid in on it. Sometimes you need to just jump into the water! My only worry is that they weigh about 200 lbs more than the typical SBC. There aren't sports cars, but 200 lbs extra is a lot of weight. I hope the typical A Coupe frame is up to the task.

Doug, The one thing with a hemi, they cost a lot, but when sold they bring good money. A nice 4k sbc will get you maybe 1500 when sold (maybe) but a 5k hemi will sell for 3-4k pretty easily, that is if you can get it built for the 5k. but most of all it appears you are doing something you are passionate about, which adds fun to the project, something that shows when the project is done. You can put that hemi on a little bit of a diet with some aluminum accessories from Hot Heads also. Have fun! Matt
PS check out Hot Heads Research & Racing, Early Chrysler Hemi Photos for plenty of A bones with hemi's

Originally Posted by Matthyj

Doug, The one thing with a hemi, they cost a lot, but when sold they bring good money. A nice 4k sbc will get you maybe 1500 when sold (maybe) but a 5k hemi will sell for 3-4k pretty easily, that is if you can get it built for the 5k. but most of all it appears you are doing something you are passionate about, which adds fun to the project, something that shows when the project is done. You can put that hemi on a little bit of a diet with some aluminum accessories from Hot Heads also. Have fun! Matt
PS check out Hot Heads Research & Racing, Early Chrysler Hemi Photos for plenty of A bones with hemi's

I like that plan, Matt - thanks!

There's the Gen I hemi, like the links I provided you, then the Gen II hemi, the 426, but they are probably too expensive to consider, then there's the Gen III hemi.....
Gen III Hemi - Modern Power Maker
Gen III Hemi Engine - Popular Hot Rodding Magazine
Gen III HEMI Distributor Conversions - shopHEMI.com

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I am a new guy and tried posting earlier, but it has not shown up yet.....there is a 30 A coupe for sale in our local KIJIJI site ( a form of Ebay) it is listed in Toronto at $25 k, running and finished, small block 4 speed full fendered...........the reason it may be a good deal is the CDN money right now, 25 k CDN is only 19K USD..........and there is a free trade agreement, so hassle free to bring it home............. that would leave you 6k to make it your own,............or spend on the Hemi swap

Nice looking car, Davy, with lots of potential. I'll look into it, thanks for the lead.

A Hotrod.jpg

Here's one that popped up on our local Craigslist - 1929 Model A Ford hot rod possible trade for 1932-1950 pickup I have no idea if it's built right or not, or any details other than what's listed in the ad, it just popped up in a search and I'm posting the link for you. The 454 in an A chassis? Might be a scary fast ride, but might be a death trap, too. Let the buyer beware.

Also, this link pops up for "search all craigslist", which widens your search area a ton - All of Craigslist Type in Model A Hot Rod and see what you get, but also try other search criteria.

Originally Posted by rspears

The 454 in an A chassis? Might be a scary fast ride, but might be a death trap, too.

454 in an A-bone, Roger? What kind of maniac would do that?

car_a_side.jpg

You're right, though. Any car built by someone else absolutely requires a thorough inspection by a pro before you buy it.