Restoring for profit?

Hi, im about to turn 16 (about 2 weeks) and I want to restore an old car. I dont know anything about classics, but I want to learn. I plan to go into a career in cars, I will start working at a dealership in a couple months, then I want to go to wyotech. So, what kind of car do you think i could get for cheap (<3g) and find parts for without good hookups. I can do most of the work myself (I have resotred a 90 crx, and a totaled 95 M3) so I have experience. I dont have anyone to really help with the work (my mom isnt into cars) and cant afford to pay someone to do it. I wont need to drive it either, have an old integra. What do you guys think I should do? Thanks. (BTW... i can paint too)

A good car to look for is a 1940's-1952 Chevy car or a 1949 or 1950 plymouth, these are gennerally all pretty cheap cars, some 1960's Impalas may be affordable also. There will probably be more work than you have done, you probably have never put new floor boards in a car. You may have worked on cars but, nothing like an old classic car, there toatlly diffrent than what you have worked on but, much easier to work on if restoring but if rodding it is a little harder. Why would you not want to drive it?

im not saying i dont want to drive it, I will... but i dont need it as primary transportation.

I will take a look at those cars. Thanks

When you get your car and want to get it running, b4 1955 in Chevy's and b4, are all 6 volt systems so you'd have to get a 6 volt tractor battery for it, if anyone hasn't got it running yet since they'v owned it, your probably going to hit the starter button ( if it has 1, just the key if it dosen't ) and it ain't gonna start but, dont panic, go to an auto parts store and buy points and a condensor for whatever engine you have ( early Chevy would probably be 216 or 235 str8 6 ) and replace them, there found in the distributor, you'll know what to replace when you pull the cap off the distributor and look at the parts you'v recieved, you have to gap the points to specs ( get them at the parts store, theyll tell you ), pour a little gas in the carb and try it, it should fire right up, of course you should add coolant to the radiator ( water works fine )and check oil and tranny fluid if auto. you should turn it over b4 you start it ( disconnect coil from distributor or just hit the starter button without the key on( suppose to do that ), this allows oil preassure to build up and prevent a dry start ( no oil in working components uppon startup ). If it does not fire right up, replace the plugs, wires and distributor cap and try again.

i think i would be getting a crate engine. I have always been in love with those. I wish they made them for japanese cars.

edit:
1950 Chevy Deluxe
1947 Chevy Stylemaster

is there a website that is just for potential project cars?
Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Streets
They are on your grocer's shelves in the aisle marked RICE and under the heading of "Uncle Ben's"... :p

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sorry dude, my car is not rice. It has a 99% stock exterior (i have a 2" drop, stock wheels) can pull almost 1g on a skidpad, and a 12 second quarter (n/a). that is not rice, it is performance.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Wonderbread7608
sorry dude, my car is not rice. It has a 99% stock exterior (i have a 2" drop, stock wheels) can pull almost 1g on a skidpad, and a 12 second quarter (n/a). that is not rice, it is performance.

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:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: , that's not performance I hate to say, you haven't encountered real performance ( American V8 ), when you do, you don't know how you ever considered a Acura performance, spose you got a fart can too. The '50 looks good.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Wonderbread7608
sorry dude, my car is not rice. It has a 99% stock exterior (i have a 2" drop, stock wheels) can pull almost 1g on a skidpad, and a 12 second quarter (n/a). that is not rice, it is performance.

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its performance for a import ;)

yeah, im favoring the 50 too, but florida is a long drive from San Diego.

I guess for a fairly stock import that is pretty good. I have a '51 Chevy myself, you should be able to find a pretty good old chevy in your area for a pretty good price also, to put in a crate engine in these cars you'll need all new drivetrain including the tranny and rear end ( engine of course ), the old torque tube would snap and the tranny has to be changed cause it is probably too light for a SBC ( small block Chevy ) and it only works with the torque tube rear end, and would probably need to clip it ( new front suspension and steering ( new front clip ) such as mustang II IFS, that is a lot of work, that's why I would suggest keeping the old drive train and hopping up the engine with headders and somthing like a 3 1bbl or 2 3bbl carb intake manifold which these parts you can still get, I went this route and kept the original 235 str8 6 with the original powerglide automatic, sounds nice with the Thrush glasspack I added.

Ok, for the engine:
454, Big Block, Crate Engine, 425 hp, 500 ft/lbs., $4,780.21
Holley, 850 Carb, $509.41
Street Performance Fuel Pump, 100 GPH, $80.49

looking for a supercharger. I want to get past 500 whp and 650 wtq.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Matt167
I guess for a fairly stock import that is pretty good. I have a '51 Chevy myself, you should be able to find a pretty good old chevy in your area for a pretty good price also, to put in a crate engine in these cars you'll need all new drivetrain including the tranny and rear end ( engine of course ), the old torque tube would snap and the tranny has to be changed cause it is probably too light for a SBC ( small block Chevy ) and it only works with the torque tube rear end, and would probably need to clip it ( new front suspension and steering ( new front clip ) such as mustang II IFS, that is a lot of work, that's why I would suggest keeping the old drive train and hopping up the engine with headders and somthing like a 3 1bbl or 2 3bbl carb intake manifold which these parts you can still get, I went this route and kept the original 235 str8 6 with the original powerglide automatic, sounds nice with the Thrush glasspack I added.

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how much power would you say you were putting down?

I want it to look nice, and be very fast (thats why im picking an old domestic, as opposed to another import) so i figured a SC V8 was the way to go.

mabye i should use this instead? thats crazy.

sorry about all the posts, but im getting rally enthusiatstic about this. How much could i sell the '50 for (i think i might get it) if i...

fixed the body,
put light tan paint,
17" chrome daytons,
the 454 with a trans/shaft/axle/SC
leather interior (i can get it cheap down in tj (tijuana, mexico))

so... waddya think? show and go.

http://daytonwirewheels.com/images/w...ClassicIII.gif
these wheels

That's a bit much for a hotrod, specially for a 15 year old, I'm 16 and I even think that's to much for me. That's even if the big block will fit in the car you want, you are going to have to replace entire drivetrain and front clip. Weiand sells good superchargers, you would need a 871 for a BBC and a 671 for a SBC, they run around $2400. That 425 HP is crank HP so once you subtract all the % for the amount of power that the tranny and rear end take up so, your looking at approx 400-415 rwHP with the 425 crank HP, nobody needs 500 HP, you should probably take it safe and build an engine that makes 325 HP and then keep putting new engines in that make about 100 hp more than the last, this way you will be able to get used to the power so you don't wreck it cause you coulden't handle it.

how much would replacing the front clip be? what would i replace it with? Im going to get a job when school starts, so i will have about 2000 a month. If i save up for a year, that will be over 20k (since i will work f/t during summers) after insurance, gas, taxes, etc...

edit: :(i dont like your sig.:(

Quote:

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Originally posted by Wonderbread7608
sorry about all the posts, but im getting rally enthusiatstic about this. How much could i sell the '50 for (i think i might get it) if i...

fixed the body,
put light tan paint,
17" chrome daytons,
the 454 with a trans/shaft/axle/SC
leather interior (i can get it cheap down in tj (tijuana, mexico))

so... waddya think? show and go.

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Personally, I think it woulden't go for much if you put the 17's on it because it's not really a good choice for a rod and many people ( myself included ) don't care for low profile tires on older cars, the 454 may not even fit in that engine bay ( I'll measure my engine bay cause it's the same size as the '50 so you will know if it will fit by engine deminsions), you'll get better profit if you put on. fixed up you could get anywheres from 10,000 to 25,000 depending on quality of work. My car puts out about 105 rwhp but when done should put out about 150-200 which is more than adaquate for me. I woulden't recomend the 454, I would recomend a small block, somthing like 350 or a 385 fastburn, the 454 you picked out may have too high of compression and with a supercharger, it would blow the heads off the engine, for supercharging, compression needs to be below 9:1

Quote:

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Originally posted by Wonderbread7608
how much would replacing the front clip be? what would i replace it with? Im going to get a job when school starts, so i will have about 2000 a month. If i save up for a year, that will be over 20k (since i will work f/t during summers) after insurance, gas, taxes, etc...

edit: :(i dont like your sig.:(

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You would replace the front clip with somthing like a Mustang II IFS which you can get from boneyards fairly cheap but, they should be installed by someone who knows what there doing because it's bacily putting a new section of frame in after
removing the old and things have to be square. My signature reflects the way I feel about tuners, I don't like true tuners like the 1's on the fast and the furious which I'm shure your acura looks nothing like, I don't get the stickers, 100 pound stereo system, neons that draw lots of power along with the stereo.

lol, i forgot i was trying to make a profit on it. Im gonna look around and see what people have on their cars. 100hp in a old heavy car? thats really not a lot.

how about this engine? 350ci, 330 hp

this color paint and matching interior.
http://www.bobsclassics.com/81ce11.jpg

this color interior
http://www.interiorsbyshannon.com/large_phil2.JPG

these wheels
http://www.stocktonwheel.com/wheels/rlycrev.jpg

these tires
http://www.stocktonwheel.com/tires/Cheater.gif

Suicided doors
Airbags
4 wheel disc
shaved handels

im sure ill find other stuff to do with it.

Can i put a LSD in these trannys, or do they come with one?

Wonderbread, remember that the LSD is for a transaxle, you will now be dealing with rear wheel drive, in which you can get an LSD rearend instead of a transaxle. You can go to a 9 inch ford rear end a Dana, Chrysler 8 3/4 inch or a GM 10 or 12 bolt, all can be had with limited slip differential.

Didn't quit write that correctly. The LSD will be in the rear end instead of the transaxle on a rear wheel drive car.

ok, thanks.

yes, I make about 105 Hp in my car but, I have yet to put anything other than the Thrush Glasspack for performance parts so, I will gain more Hp when I get the new intake manifold, unfortanatly I have no money for it this year but I'll get a 3 carb intake next year, I just want a car I can cruise in, my car is around 3,800 pounds. Whail your at it, if you get that '50, turn it into a 2dr, if you keep it a 4dr you may not be able to suicide the rear doors causa the way the hinges would go on the opposite side, they would have to stick out too far and it would look doofy. With that paint and interior and those rims and whitewall tires, the car should really look cool, the engine is also a good choice, may even be able to fit it in without changeing the front clip ( may wanto change front brakes to disc tho ) The 454 was a bad choice because there would have been changes that needed to be done to the firewall, the 500 horses would have had to had a transmission rated for over 500 hp so you didn't snap it and most th350's are only rated for 350-400 Hp and th400's 400-450 HP, you would have had to had 1 specially built and not to mention that cooling it would be a problem and also traction would have been a problem.

i can just make it a 2 dr? how would i go about doing that?

If you want to sell for a profit start with a solid car, keep the concept simple, and don't compromise on workmanship.

It is very hard to build a rod and sell it for more money than you have in it. And if you do your labor is going to work out to a buck or less per hour.

You don't make money building cars until people are willing to bring their cars to you and pay you an hourly rate to do the work. That requires experience and reputation. And to get that you need to build a few cars for yourself.

Take your time. You will find a good car if you are patient. An additional $100-200 up front can save thousands later.

I like the early 50s Chevys too. I also like the 53/54s but they are starting to get pricey. But because they are desireable they sell easier.

Usea a quality aftermarket front crossmember. I am assuming your Oceanside is the one North of San Diego. TCI in Ontario makes a good crossmember and they are close. You can drive up and save shipping and get some good installation advice too.

You can use salvage Mustang II/Pinto suspension components, upper and lower A-arms, springs, and spindles but they are getting hard to find in yards. Whatever you get will have to be rebuilt. Get the rack at the same time if you can. Even if it is shot you can use it as a core.

Buddy up with the service techs at the dealership. If they like you they will help a bit, even if it is only advice. And one or two will most likely be in the hobby too. When you build your first rod you really need a "big brother" to help you along. Would not hurt to join a street rodding or early cruesing car club. Rodders like to help kids that are coming along.

It is hard these days to find a good doner car, one that can give up it's engine, tranny, drive shaft, and rear end for your project. But keep your eyes open for a running Chevy from the 60s, 70s, or 80s. One with a good engine and bad everything else. This is usually much cheaper than sourcing all of the components from a yard and you can evaluate the condition of the engine while it is running.

The best Chvey "Crate Engine" is the $1,400 replacement long block. You can find everything you need to dress it out at swap meerts for cheap.

For paint think MACO or Eall Shibe. I'm not kidding. If you can get the boddy prepped right they can do a pretty good job. Particularly if you pull all the glass, trim, bumpers, and weather stripping.

For wheels hit the swap meets. Long Beach and Pamona. You will find a good deal. And the car can sit on scab wheels while it is being built.

When you go shopping, know what you want and what you can pay. Coat Creap is that sneaky little SOB who sneaks in and makes your project economically unreasonable. And be patient. If you don't find what you want don't compromise.

And finally, when you are building don't do anything half assed. It may look good enough for you but a knowledgable buyer will see it and that can cost you the sale or drive the price down. Just because you are proud of it does not mean someone else will want it.

So, start with a solid car, keep the concept simple, and don't compromise on workmanship. Good luck

yeah, that oceanside. thanks for your help.

Bib overalls gave you good help and I too agree that you should keep it simple but good workmanship. to make a 2dr, is very complicated and it requires basicly removing the rear doors and chopping and adding to fit so you have only 2 doors, I like my 4dr as a 4dr.

hmm... that sounds a little complicated. I think ill leave it 4 door.

I found a car that i really liked. It is a 1933 Ford Roadster.

I will keep most stuff the same but...

Dodge Neon Headlights
http://www.1aautomotive.com/pics/plp/PLP1590406.jpg

Cadillac Catera Brake Lights (just the skinny top one)
http://carad.ebayimg.com/i13/02/a/02/2a/aa/ec_5.JPG

Ill do a fiberglass Dash, covered in matching leather, and custom set some guages.

http://www.dyno4mance.com/wc_images/...99.jpg_big.jpg

The headlights are not possible, the kind of headlights you need are like king bee, they have a cup and a mounting bracket ( like what's on the 1 in the pic ) and a 3rd brake light is a good idea, I suggest agenst using that caddilac brake light, probabbly will look funny on a '33 ford.

These are what you use on an old fendered car.

these for the regular brake lights ( teardrops are best on '32-'34 fords.

this is what you'd use for a 3rd brake light or somthing like it.

Did you notice that car has no doors? that's common on T buckets but that's the first time I saw a '33 roadster without doors.

Wonderbread, word of advice. I admire what your doing, but there is an old saying"Theres always a better deal around the corner." I like the fact that your leaving the rice and trying to get your hands on a good old steel car. But make sure that you explore every option. Check neighboring states, look for field cars, get some money around first and make sure that your zoning laws will allow for a project car to set on your property. Your young, i understand that, but you also will find that if you bouild or buy a 200-300HP engine now, you will gain expericance needed for that 500HP engine later. Or you will be able to modify your current engine to what you want. What it boils down to is, take your time and think ahead. You'll thank yourself later.

Well said drg.

To sell for profit might not be the best idea but I like it. I think the first thing you need to think about is how much are you willing to put down up front. I have seen alot of awsome cars go for 5 or 6 grand. If you get someone elses project that might be better. I too am doing my first build up and the car just kinda fell into my lap, but of you get some money you can pick up something pretty sweet to drive.

Something like this possibly
http://adcache.collectorcartraderonl...9/74452599.htm

or this
http://adcache.collectorcartraderonl...2/72677082.htm

Quote:

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Originally posted by Streets
There IS a door there Matt,
there just ain't no door handle tho.. ALL '33-'34
Fords came with both Front (2Dr/Cpe) & Rear(4Dr.)
Suicide doors from the factory...
ALL but the trucks that is.. :p
Sedan delivery's usually had 3 doors.. My '34 Fordor
will only have 3 doors when "finished"...:p

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I knew it was shaved but, I couldent see the door seam in the rear so, that's why I thought it had no doors.