Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
After that rosey picture let me give you something else to think about.

Thanks Bob, for some very sound advice. In weighing time vs. money, I figured I was richer in time than cash, so I wasn't too worried about that. And actually, I never gave how much time it'd take me to complete a car any thought. Ownership is 9/10ths of the law, and if I can at least get my hands on a tangible piece to "play with", I'd be happier. That should open the way to buying somebody else's project and changing things as you did. I just have to get over a psychological problem of being able to change something that functions ok as is and not feel like I'm wasting time & money (the "If it ain't broke don't screw with it" mentality). But then I'd probably end up with a "dated" car like yours was, or worse; having a bow-tie under the hood! (Had to get my jab in. Sorry!) I also need to not be darned particular at this time (another big stumbling block for me in this Hot Rod business). Yes, I am new to building a ground-up rod, but I have wrenched on a few cars. Believe it or not, I paid quite a bit of attention to what you wrote, and I DO believe every word you say!!! Some of what you said I have already seen to be true, and I appreciate your wisdom. I took the "rookie" experience to a new level: not only do I grab the catalog & make a list, I tab all the pages that have parts I'm interested in! My catalog looks like it has hair growing out of the top of the pages (ain't that SICK?) I actually wanted to do 2-3 cars, AND KEEP THEM!, but I bet that's a pretty unrealistic view. And my logic for the "cheap" car is to cut my teeth on that, gain experience, and learn from mistakes before I try this with a much more expensive piece. I did realize I'd probably not get my money back out of it come sale time, but I'm not sure I understood what kind of hit I'd actually take. Depends on the car and how it's done, I suppose. Rather than go on about my "plans," I'm going to print your note out and keep it as a remider. Bob, you're a good man, and I'm glad you took the time to write!!!