Any advice for a first timer?

[Poorman'srod]

This is my first post on this board so I'll start with a howdy. I'm a college student in California and I don't have a car to brag about, but I'd like to. I work on my car (a 1984 Oldsmobile Firenza Cruiser LX...its a wagon) so I have a small amount of car knowledge.

Now for the questions! I want to start my first hot rod project so I have a bunch of questions that I am sure will only grow. First, what do you guys recomend as a good first project? I'd like to keep it pre 50's and I'm thinking along the rat rod lines for two reasons. I am in college so I'm really poor and I want to build a rod that a college age kid would have had back in the day. What advice do all of you have for a newbie begginer? Recommend any good books? Can someone(s) make a list of the steps for a beginner to follow? Where did all of you start? Thanks for the help in advance! Feel free to message me or email me.

[ljotto1]

Well first off welcome to CHR.

Secondly, yer project car, do you want a glass (kit Car) or a steel Original?
There are a lot of place's that have good package deals for kits, personally I dont like kits I dont know why, if done right there beutiful, I shouldnt say I dont like them I should say I wouldnt build one, there we go.

What are your tastes are you into the t-bucket, or a willy's or a vett kit, there are alot of variables here.

What kinda engine would yo like to get, street, strip, street and strip what are your plans with the car?
As you see there are alot of variables here.

Otto

[Poorman'srod]

I want the car to be a street car, something I can drive around town and to school, etc. I'm not big on kit cars. I've never driven one, but I think it would lack the nostalgia or soul of previous cars. I like coupes a lot (saw a 40's chevy two door...mmm), but a T or A would be nice too. I don't have a preference of maker really.

[ljotto1]

Well these guys are in colrado, but you could chect out there sit for idea's www.classicalgasstation.com

Otto

[ljotto1]

Or
http://www.cars-on-line.com/projectcars.html
http://www.classicsandcustoms.com/se...rojectcars.asp
http://www.prewarcar.com/the_barn.asp


Otto

[Poorman'srod]

what style make for good first time projects? How can you tell how much rust is too much? Also, how can you tell a good price? Thanks ljotto1 for your help.

[ljotto1]

Style, the easyest I would say would be a t bucket or an A because every thing is pretty much open and readly avalible.

Surface rust is ok but when you get in to cancer you have to look at how hard it would be to replace it, are body panels avalbile for that spot, and as for price it just depends on what yer lookin at, how badly you want it and the condition, like my galaxie, I paid 400 bucks for it and drove it home, the car is worth, last time I looked 4000 bucks, but theres a nasty cancer spot on the rear 1/4, no big deal I can get a replacment for 80 bucks, but the front fender is smashed, torn and wearing an inch of bondo, you cannt buy that panle new so I have to take the time to fix it, and its gonna take a while, All in all I got a good deal on this car. Thats what you have to look at, when I get this am I gonna beable to fix the body and keep it below book value, I say the body cause there's no way of keepin the car below value once you start playing and tweaking it, Like I said earlyer, my galaxie is worth 4000 bucks, I have 5000 into the engine allown

Otto

[awsum34]

I think it's what you like. and how much work are you going to do yourself. Since this is going to be your frist rod. find a good body (unless your a bodyman or have conections)

start going to shows around your area and talk to other's you'll pick up some good pointers, heck you might get aleed on one. or somebody that will walk you through it with you.

Somethings to think about, How much money are you going to spend? don't get yourself in a bind the car will sit for along time. How much work are you going to do yourself? The more you do the cheaper it is. Do you want a open car or closed? You going to drive it all year?

Today's rods (if you build it) will run around 15.000 and up.

[Bob Parmenter]

Welcome to your new adventure. I don't have any idea what your real skills and experience are, but based on the tone of your remarks you're VERY new to this. That's great, everyone has to have a "first day on the job". Now, don't get impatient if you want to be successful.

First, if you really want to be like college students "in the day" throw away your pocket calculator and get a slide rule, chuck the cell phone and pager, and drive a VW bug. Back when, hardly anyone who was serious about his formal education had either the time or the money to mess with rods. They drove "old cars", stuff that was 10-20 years old and that, at that time, hadn't been elevated to some mythic status yet. What you're driving now is not unlike what students drove then.....................although it is difficult to envision a Firenza ever being rod material on a popular scale!

You live in the land of hot rodding. To reinforce awsum's comment, you need to spend time hangin' around events in the area. There's about a bagillion of them. That way you'll cross your first hurdle, you'll start to figure out what you like. Right now you're in the romanitcising phase. You see finished products that capture your imagination, but you've got no clue as to why, or how they came to be. Asking questions here is a decent start, but all be can do is paint word pictures and theorize. You need to get around the real thing to start honing in on what winds your watch. At first, almost anything will. As you learn you'll become more discriminating. You've been in school somewhere between 12 and 16 years so far. And you're not ready for prime time yet (in other words, whatever your career will be). What makes you think building a car is any different? You need to take the time and effort to learn before you start turnin' wrenches. Lots of guys have tried it the other way, most fail.................except for the lessons they may learn. Otto's comments to you are full of gold. How much rust is too much? The real answer is ANY!! That being said, it can always be fixed. But it's much more difficult to do (correctly) than can be imagined. And most noobs ALWAYS underestimate the extent of the rust damage. It's that way with just about every aspect of the car's construction. And honest experienced people will tell you they still make underestimations regarding cost, and time, even after paying their dues.

I could go on with the pitfalls, but don't want to rain on your parade too much. Obviously it's not a horrible thing, or there wouldn't be so many of us here sharing our experiences. It's just that I think your chances of enjoying the experience, and of being successful in this car thing as a hobby (or business if you're so inclined) would be better if you walk before you run.

Building a car is a complex process, made moreso by inexperience. My best advice to a newbie is to get the best car they can afford that is the closest to their ideal, that is already functional. Believe me, you'll spend more time and money than you can imagine just keeping it up and making small modifications as you go along. And in that process you'll begin to hone your skills. You'll learn first hand what you like and don't like. What you're good at, and what you're not. And you'll begin to get a realistic idea of what it really costs to play with these things. Along the way you'll end up meeting some pretty fun people too.

[ljotto1]

Originally posted by Streets
So now everyone knows where ya hide yer cash huh LJ!!

I thought thats what that thinngy on top of the intake manifold was for Bro.

Otto

[Stu Cool]

Lots a sage advice in the posts above. I would add that since you are in CA, keep your options to cars that are older than 1973, that way you are exempt from smog testing and you are not limited in your options. Since you are "bucks down" (vintage phrase) you might want to look for something that is not the In thing. You can find a 55 Buick or Olds for a lot less than a 55 Chevy. The downside is the parts are less available, but they are out there. Another thing to think about is a bigger car is cool if you want to take the whole gang along, but they are also more expensive to operate. One of my high school buds had a 48 Chevy 4 door that we could put about a dozen people in. In addition to going to cruise nights, watch the local paper keep you eye out for cars in peoples side yards or behind repair garages. Sometimes people will be happy to have you get rid of something they have had sitting.

By the way, 50s and 60s Studebakers are still around and sometimes can be had pretty cheap. Parts are suprisingly available for them too.

Good luck with your search and keep us posted.

[47coupelg]

First of all--- welcome to CHR!!! I agree with Stu Cool the easiest cars to build are late `40's or early/ mid `50's. These cars are easy to find and in CA you shouldn't have to much rust to deal with. First thing you should look for is a car that is running, so you can drive it while your working on it. Spray can flat black paint
works good if you take your time and don't have an air compressor. Remember always to build what YOU like, but drive what you build.
Good Luck with what ever you build and keep us informed.

[racerxjj67]

Bob, you're going to turn him off if you keep telling him everything that goes wrong with building a car You had me second guessing why I got into this hobby. But nonetheless, I snapped out of it and all is good in the world again.

As stated before, go to shows and eventually you'll start to weed out what you like & don't like. Looking into an old Buick or Olds and an occasional Chevy or Ford is a good start as far as prices go. You might even want to check out a old Plymouth.