step away from the computer. never log onto CHR again. burn your copies of hot rod magazine. Pray for forgiveness. Join an Ahmish community and learn to shoe horses.

no? Well, I tried.

Here is the skinny: the more you spend on tools, up to and including having an entire shop at your disposal, the less time it will take to do the job. The inverse is exactly true: the fewer tools you have the more difficult the tiniest task will be. The more time you spend planning and scrounging, the less $$ to do the job, and the inverse is true: Jump into something half-baked and you may find yourself having to do it ALL over again. We had an old saying when we were in the Army: never have time to do it right, but we always seem to have time to do it again.

If you are REALLY, REALLY serious about making a hot rod, then the best advice I could give you is to get a job in a body shop, and learn the skills first. you may even get real lucky,and score a shop with some extra room, where you can work on your own stuff after hours. ( dream on buddy )

Realistically, with the skill level you have attested, you would be better off $$-wise to find you a hot rod and buy it outright.

If this sounds a bit acidic, just disregard and consider that I am a bit frustrated myself... getting too old and crotchety to do stuff the hard way, and yet I still don't have a proper shop. I got a 66 C-10 stepside I am planning to trade for a 85 ElCamino ( just gonna make it run good, no hot rod ) a 64 C-10 fleetside which was probably two weeks from being DONE when the wife threw a fit, I had to shoot it with primer and pull it out of the shop... that was about three years ago and the primer is rusted thru and the whole dam thing has got to be redone.. PLUS it needs a bigger radiator.. I got a 69 chevelle nomad which is sitting in the weather ( pretty nice, someone buy it for 5grand please? ) and i really don't need... and the 78 firebird is about ready for another rebuild. That car will NEVER be made nice, because every time I make a firebird nice it gets HIT. damit. Meanwhile, by 01 Indian Chief needs a new base gasket on the rear cylinder, and a new primary cover gasket. Plus, the cheap ass factory chrome is loosing the fight against the elements. ( it is kept under the carport and covered, but ridden mercilessly ).

plus I am pissed at the old lady. go figure.