Thread: FNG Prospective Project

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Dave touched on a place to build the car and to that I'll also add the question of time. A major Hot Rod build project does not happen overnight. Done correctly the car is pretty much completely taken apart at some point or another and you have to have a place to store all the stuff while your cleaning and building components. Unless you have a pretty hefty checking account, your project will go on hold from time to time as you get the money together to work through different stages of the project. Properly motivated and financed you might be able to complete your project in a year to 18 Months spending almost all you free time working on it.

As far a tools both Dave and Don are correct. Your basic hand tools that you will need (and box to store them in) will likely set you back about a grand. The bad news is you'll need more than just hand tools to complete a project like this. You will either have to have your own things like a welder, torch, sandblaster, compressor (min 5 HP), sanders, press, vice, body tools, engine hoist, jack stands, drills, grinder etc. or rent them or send the parts out to have done. Of course the place your building the car will also have to be properly wired to handle the electrical stuff. At a minimum you'll want a place that's at least 2 cars wide, believe me you'll use it all and wish you had more.

One other point I'd like to make to you and other first time hot rodders out there is that a big part of building a decent car/truck is NOT shown on the TV shows you've likely watched off and on. A BIG part of the project is going to be dirty grungy hard work cleaning 30-70 years worth of muck, grunge, dirt and rust off parts so they can be refurbished to use on the car.

To help you visualize a little of what I'm talking about, I'm currently building a 57 Plymouth Plaza. The picture below shows the majority of the parts that will be going on/in the car then the body work and paint is done. Everything shown needs to be inspected, cleaned, refurbished, painted or plated and STORED until it can go back on the car.

Like Dave and Don above, my intention is NOT to talk you out of your project, but to give you an idea of what you are going to face in doing your dream project.