Thread: ? for you pro builders out there

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Not a pro builder either, but if you are talking about a complete car build, here are some mistakes I see some beginners make:

1) They try to run before they can walk. For their very first project they try to tackle a complete, from scratch car build. Most of us started out by pulling chrome trim off of 50 Fords then working up to slightly more ambitious tasks as we gained the skills and equipment to do so. In a lot of cases jumping right into a complete car build only leads to frustration and a project that never gets finished.

2) Underestimating the amount of money and time it takes to build a car. Someone on here has a tag line that reads something like "It is going to take twice as much as you thought and cost three times as much (or similar). That is a very accurate statement, even for guys who have done it before.

3) Newbies to this hobby try to reinvent the wheel too often. I see it all the time where someone is building a car and tries to do something so different, just so their car won't be like others , that they ignore good construction techniques. THERE IS A REASON CERTAIN THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE A CERTAIN WAY FOR 100 YEARS, BECAUSE THEY WORK.

4) Not taking the advice of others who have done this before is a biggie. We have all seen someone come on here, or another forum, and ask for advice, and when he/she gets it they start arguing and telling you that they are going to go 180 out of phase with what everyone has suggested. Yes, it is your car and your money, but when more seasoned car people take the time to sit down and type out their best recommendations it is not because we are trying to belittle your ideas. In most cases, we are trying to keep you and every other car you meet on the highway safe.

5) Using substandard/ uncommon parts. This is especially true on some of the rat rod forums I am a member of. Guys start out by finding the front axle assembly from a, let's say, 1929 Graham, and want to use it under their rod. Now they want to adapt 40 Ford spindles and disc brakes and wonder why they are having trouble mating the two. There are builders on here who could machine and modify the parts and make them work, but 99% of us can't. It is way better to stay with readily available, more common parts and keep it simple.

6) Trying to cheap your way through a build. We all have budgets and try to save some money on our projects where we can, however sometimes you HAVE to spend some money to do something correctly. Let's face it, you are building a complete car from the parts bin and that costs money. Save up and buy the right parts the first time, rather than using something that is not right for the job and will only give you trouble later. There were many times I had to squirrel a few bucks a pay away until I could save up enough money to buy an expensive part, but in the end it was a good investment. The radiator on my 27 is a perfect example.........I had to save up to get the $ 600 it cost me, but I am using that same radiator today and it is over 20 years old.

Well, that's all I've got. BTW, good subject for a thread, thanks for bringing it up.

Don

I'm not a pro builder either, but the biggest mistake I have seen is there is no plan for their build. I think they see a car and go "that's what I want". They start putting things together then realize, where am I going to put the battery, gas tank, and wiring? Soon realizing they have built themselves into a corner. When you start cutting up your project because you didn't plan all this out in advance it gets discouraging. I think in the early stages of hot rodding you should use the KISS theory.
Ken