How do YOU build on a budget?

[Mathius]

I just recently got a new job through the Sheet Metal Workers union. Right now I'm just an apprentice, but after I get a few years under my belt, I'll be making pretty good money for a single guy.

I've had a '76 Malibu since somewhere around 2002'ish that I rescued from a field via Ebay for $850 with 39k on the odometer. A few thousand dollars later, I managed to get her on the road, but she's rough. Her underbody is in bad shape, needs tires, and now after a few years in OH, the outside of the body is starting to get a few rust spots here and there. The carb has been ready for a replacement since day one. I've rebuilt it, overhauled it, and worked on it year after year and it's just not going to work. The previous owner must have bent up the rods, or something because we've never been able to make it work right.

Over the last 5 years, I've replaced the floorpan, installed headers and a dual exhaust, removed the emissions equipment, and put in a new camshaft. 2 years ago I bought a truck, and so I was able to finally park the Malibu which had been my daily driver for a few years. I've been struggling to get by and have only put money into it when I had to, or when I had a little extra cash. I've never been able to do things the way I've wanted to for monetary reasons, and some of the things I have done (like the floor pan and headers) turned out to not be the way I wanted them done anyways.

I just moved last week for about the 6th time in the last 5 years. I had to move the Malibu to my mother's house, and I'm constantly re-assessing it as a project. What direction do I go? Build it a little at a time to be what I really want, or just do what I can afford to upgrade it the way it is? With no real garage to tear it down and work on it properly, it's very hard to get anything done.

I have to ask myself, should I do things like upgrade the 30+ year old suspension, or just wait until I have a place to work on it? Should I sell it?

And if I do put parts in it, is there any point in buying performance parts when it's really not going to be the way I want it anyways? Is buying stock parts just putting a band aid on it, and is that worth it?

All in all it is a fantastic project. It still has only around 49k on the odometer. The outside body is still pretty solid all the way around. And I did just finish the floor pan, even if it didn't turn out precisely how I wanted it. I could probably build a pretty good budget musclecar, or I could wait and buy a few parts at a time, store them and do things the way I want. Or I could do both, upgrading the car now with stock parts from local parts stores, and down the line, overhaul it again.

How do you guys on very tight budgets like me get by with your project? How do you handle it?

I've had guys at Chevytalk say that if you don't even have an extra $100 here and there to throw out for a part, you shouldn't be in the hobby. Stuff like that makes me shake my head.

There is a whole rat rod crowd out there doing really amazing custom things with their cars, and all with hard work and some junk they scrounge up. I don't want my car to look like that, but I can admire their hard work and creativity just the same.

Thoughts?

Mathius

https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=22170&d=1204478582

[Smock67]

Here's what i do since im pretty much broke as can be. Im doing a restoration on my firebird right now addressing the things that i know need done. Getting it painted and getting the interior and convertible top done are on the need basis. After that i will drive it with it's non power steering no power brakes. I also have a truck for a daily driver but as soon as the firebird is ready the truck is up for sale. Then i just have to save up for things i want. Making priority of which things i need instead of which things i want.

For me i know what i want the end result of the car to be so everything i do now is more or less leading up to that point. Somethings of course will get a band-aid put on it....Such as my suspension i know its going to need a rebuild soon but i figure i can hopefully save up enough to do a proper overhaul of it and just take it easy on the car till i have the money.

My other option that i thought of it is.....Steal a Z06 vette take the engine and tranny, and the brake system part out the rest of the car then just go balls out on spending money. God that would be great.

[63SW]

What i always did was Had a idea of what i wanted to do to the car and put it in writing .
Say you want a decent driver that looks good with a little get up and go.

say a paint job , Wheels & tires , & a few go fast goodies

DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN YOURSELF !
Even if you dont know how... NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO LEARN !

#1 ) SWAP MEETS .... and NEVER pay what someone wants for their stuff they have for sale...( REMEMBER , THEY'RE CLEANING OUT THERE GARAGE and trying to get $$$ for their projects.)

2) FOR PAINT MATERIALS ... Some things you just have to suck it up and pay for , BUT , MOST AUTO PAINT SUPPLY STORES , have a rack where they have MIS MATCH PAINTS , or someone had paint mixed and changed their minds , or what ever reason ... YOU CAN GET A GALLON OF BASE COAT FOR ANYWHERE FROM 10 - 40 dollars .
Not always the perfect color , and usually no House of colors , But , reds , blues , yellows , whatever....

for other parts , you can get lucky on ebay sometimes..
cheap intake , headers , carbs , so fourth ... but then have to pay shipping .... SO THAT GOES BACK TO LOCAL SWAP MEETS...

DRAG RACES & CAR SHOWS ... A LOT OF RACERS HAVE PARTS FOR SALE ON THE BACK OF THEIR TRAILERS ...They've already got new ( IF THEY're RACING , so you know they want to get rid of it..

TRADE - you might have some things someone else wants...and vise versa ... Even if you trade work for parts ...

Just a few ideas and things i used to do! OH , STILL DO .LOL

[amx2334]

I think you already know the answer to your question.
Unless there is some sentimental value to that car i would sell it. work on securing your future.I never saw a car get done by someone living from paycheck to paycheck.the for sale sections are littered with partial builds.i can't imagine building a car without my own garage.
I would save my money and have a plan for what i want the car to be when completed.figure a budget and then double that number(builds never come in on budget). only then would i even start looking for a car or parts.pick a plan and stick to it.the longer the build time the more likely you are to "change direction" .
good luck with the job. i have gotten to know quite a few tinners.good guys.

[Mathius]

I think you already know the answer to your question.
Unless there is some sentimental value to that car i would sell it. work on securing your future.I never saw a car get done by someone living from paycheck to paycheck.the for sale sections are littered with partial builds.i can't imagine building a car without my own garage.
I would save my money and have a plan for what i want the car to be when completed.figure a budget and then double that number(builds never come in on budget). only then would i even start looking for a car or parts.pick a plan and stick to it.the longer the build time the more likely you are to "change direction" .
good luck with the job. i have gotten to know quite a few tinners.good guys.

I have a plan. It hasn't changed much. There are some details I've never made my mind up on. Some thins I still don't have the know how to do. But mostly it's pretty solid.

But it's hard to do a frame up restoration with no garage or rather should I say, property that is your own. You have to have a place to tear it down properly and work on the chassis and frame separately if you want to do what I want.

The argument for not selling the car consists of two things.

#1, I've put a lot of time and money into the project. I would like to see it through.

#2. The car isn't worth much to be sold, unless it is road worthy. And if you get it that far, why not drive it? Any time you sell a project, you're probably going to take a loss, but if you can't get enough for it to at least cover another project, or to help you out in another financial situation, what's the point?

Mathius

[bobbaganoosh]

The best way to save alot of money is to do as many things as you can yourself. I used to paint cars for a living, and when I've gotten in over my head I've bartered for work. I painted a car to get my cage put in, and also painted some stuff for parts. My workplace has a complete machine shop, and during lunch & breaks I'm often over there doing something. When I started working there I didn't know how to run any of the machines, but now I can run a manual mill, lathe, and I've written some simple programs to make some parts on the CNC machines. I also taught myself how to do a headliner from what I could find on the internet. I try to do as many things myself as I can, both to save money & to have a sense of accomplishment by saying that I did it myself. When I was younger a friend & I had a car we built in a storage unit because we both lived in apartments. It just boils down to how bad you want it done.

[muthstryker]

the best way to build on a budget is to get a gf or a wife either or will do.. thats why im single :woot:

[LowBuckX]

1) WHO EVER SAID GET OUT OF THE HOBBY BECAUSE YOUR BROKE TELL HIM TO KISS YOUR ARSE.

2) When building on a budget dont make any plans set in stone. Most of the time you have to make do.

3) Work on safety stuff first... Get your brakes 100%. And there are upgrades you can do to your stock brakes that cost little to do. Stuff like Calipers with larger pistons via trucks or van applications.

4) Dont be affraid of trying new stuff. Build your own tranny/engine/Supension parts

what not.

5) Dont bother with what others think unless its a total saftey problem.

6) Swap meets/ebay One ebay trick ive used many times... People like me cant spell so if you are looking for say a holley carb do a search with miss spellings Like Holly carb holy carb... Or Eldebrock for intakes.. Stupid stuff like that can get you a deal and a half if you run across it.

7) Make no time line. Ive had my Nova since 92.

8) You work with steel... Hell thats half the battle. Make your own stuff. You think all shops build out of boxes? most of those parts started as an Idea in some ones garage. Hell people on this site have started buisnesses with one product or another then exspanded into fine buisnesses.(Although some have forgot how they started)

9) Safty upgrades first (yes I know but it deserves to be said twice.)

10) Do things Once Make what ever you do look good so you dont have to go back later to satisfy your self

11) If you really like the car It doesnt cost much for it to sit till you can afford to get it going.

12) buy big stuff at tax return time.

13) Overtime at work

14) Utilize your companys scrap bin for projects.. They wont care as long as you ask. They dont get much per pound anyway

15) Use these forums and find out what has been done that works before ou go off half cocked and do something. Lots of lowbuck things you can do that are cronicled in online forums use the search function..

16) Last but not lest BE HONEST WITH YOUR SELF. You may WANT 1000HP but do you need 1000HP NO. You may WANT Sparco seats do you need sparco seats NO. You may want all the billet and chrome but chrome dont make it any faster/better////

LOWBUCKX IN Ohio Too

[68Formula]

I think Lowbux idea #14 won't be helpful for people working at McDonalds. ;) But in your case, you should be good to go.

My favorite are #6 and #16. Be smart when buying used. Sometimes you can get unused stuff which is good. Or if buying used make sure you know the pitfalls and can really tell the conditions.

For example intake manifolds. Hard to go wrong unless the bolt holes are stripped (still easily repaired) or the flange has been milled to mate with milled heads.

#16 reminds me of the guy asking about mini-tubs. The cost of mini-tubs alone (not cheap) is not the final cost. You need to fully research all the details of whatever your plans (in my mini-tube example consider the tank may need narrowing, the springs moved inboard). Make a detailed plan with all the costs (raw costs, plus shipping, taxes, labor you must outsource) and then stick with the plan. Add another 50% to the cost for incidentals that get missed.

Be realistic of your goals (the hardest thing to do). We're starting to see a lot of half-finished projects on the board people can no longer afford to finish with very high dollar modifications. Was the 4-link suspension really required for what they were going to use the car for? Did they need the minitub job? Aftermarket subframe necessary? Brand new 9" or will a refurbished 8.5" 10 bolt do the job? We all want the best, but sometimes a little compromise is the difference between finishing the car and losing your butt selling it half-built. I struggle with the temptations every day when I think about my next mod. "Gee, for just a few hundred more I could have the...." Keep yourself well grounded!

Good luck with your project.

[CHRIS67]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[High Plains Mopars]

Patience and planning.

Form out in your mind what you want it to be. I agree with the assement of want vs need. You may want Fiske wheels, but you can get by with AR cast aluminum. 14 inch rotors are nice, but the stock 10.5 rotors with better calipers will work great too. Consider alterntive approaches as well. Industrial single stage urethane paint @$45 a gallon instead of base coat/clear coat at $250 a gallon. Stuff like that.

Then keep your eyes open for the stuff when it comes along. Hey look, there is a $50 tunnel ram on craigslist. I don't need it now, but it is part of the build later, so you pick it up. If you wait until you need things to buy them, then you loose the luxery of time and end up paying premiums to get the stuff you want.

Learn about and do as much as you can. Everyone has access to the same baisc materials. If you pay someone to design, build, market, or install stuff, you are adding value to their checkbook, not yours.

[backtobasics]

Outline your project:

Remember back in school, when you had to write a paper. The teacher first wanted the outline, with the ABC/123 subheadings, etc.

Breakdown each area of the car with a basic analysis of what needs to be done, and a cost approximation. This gives a more accurate assesment of what is needed, and what it will take to get to where you are going. BE HONEST. Below is one I did for my Challenger. I did the items, with the most realistic cost I could muster


Interior
ITEMS COST SOURCE
Insulation $75.00 Home Depot
Carpet $125.00
dashpad $50.00
turn signal switch $50.00 Hardens
gauges
gas 5717 $31.00
oil press 5727 $47.00
voltage 5791 $36.00
water temp 5737 $36.00
speedo 5795 $99.00
seats $75.00 Junkyard
panels refurbish $25.00 Me
headliner $125.00 Hardens
note: I have most of the stuff to complete interior, and doors. I have seals, window stuff, etc
Interior Total $774.00

Exterior
ITEMS COST SOURCE
Windshield $125.00 Able
trim $25.00 Able
repair panels $200.00 MuscleCars inc
body supplies $350.00 paint store
metal $50.00 Metal store
shrinker stretcher $200.00 Ebay/Eastwood?
Exterior Total $950.00
Note: This puts the car in durable black primer, ready for paint.



Suspension
upper ball joints $34.00
lower ball joints $60.00
Inner tie rods $24.00
Outer tie rods $24.00
adjusting sleeves $22.00
Bushing kit $90.00
Idler arm $27.00
shocks $40.00
Pitman arm ? 30.00
add a leaf $40.00
subframe connectors $150.00 local shop
Suspension total $511.00

Brakes
brackets $125.00 scarebirdmechanical.com
all brake hardware $750.00 local parts store/
brake total $875.00

Wheels tires only for now $300.00 using steel wheels I currently own.
and
Tires

Drivetrain tune up, carb kit, etc $250.00



Subtotal $3,660.00
figuring paint, reasonable quality and miscellaneous items 1340.00
Total $5,000.00

[Young Gun]

I have not made tha much progress on my car so I cant really contribute cold hard facts but I can offer suggestions,

The more detailed you make your list, the more realistic it will be, If you take time and factor in every little possibility you will know exactly what you can get for you money, obviously the other way to save money is by doing the labor yourself, the more you do on your car the more moeny you will have to spend on it!

[Mathius]

There's just some stuff I'm not really sure on. I could probably make a pretty good list, I don't know about dollar amounts, because I haven't priced steel much (even though i work with it daily, I don't have to buy it).

My biggest set back right now, like I said, is I need to take the body off the frame and I don't have anywhere to do that. The stuff I want to do doesn't cost a ton of money, but requires space and a place where I can leave stuff apart while I work on it. I don't have these things right now.

I'm not happy with how my floor pan came out. I want to make a new one. I don't see much point in doing that and not addressing the firewall at the same time. I'd like to smooth it off. These things don't cost a LOT of money. Steel sheets can be had for less than $100 I would think for the sizes I'd need. But there's no working on the firewall without at the very least, removing the inner and outter fenders, and dash.

Things like that are killing me right now. That's why I say.... do I want start putting parts into it, only to tear it down again later? Might be best to just hold on to it and wait.

I'm not sure on the suspension. I want the full pro-touring deal, idealy, but I"m also smart enough to know I'll probably very rarely take the car to a track, so I don't need all that. Is the stock 4-link going to be a good enough setup for me in that case, with some upgraded parts?

I know I'm not going to go for things like fully adjustable shocks, because quite frankly I don't want to be adjusting them all the time. I want a car I can drive, not have to work on all the time. So I won't be buying adjustable shocks.

I'm fully aware of my limitations, I just hate to spend the money twice, being on a budget if I'm not going to at least enjoy some of it.

It occurs to me that if I could get some bucket seats and carpet in the car, a new set of tires, and upgrade the ancient suspension, a few sheet metal patches, and a maaco paint job later, I could have a fun car. But it wouldn't be the full out smoothed, custom job that I'd want to do.

It's always been important to me that a car I work on is uniquely mine. If there's some part I can modify, or make myself that isn't going to effect performance negatively, and helps make it my own, I want to go ahead and do that.

I've seen stock. I'm not interested in stock. A stock restoration is not what I want. The first time you see a well preserved muscle car at a show, it's really neat, and you're like wow, cool. But after you walk through the show, and see five more numbers matching cars of the same body, it's boring.

Mathius

[shizzy]

I just moved to an apartment last week so I am in the same boat as you. here is the plan I came up with for my Cutlass. I have owned it since my senior year in HS in 95 so Im not selling it. I have spent most of the time making small improvments. 99% of it has been saftey related. tires, brakes and the like. when I found some loose suspension parts I rebuilt the suspenstion and added poly bushings and Hotchkiss springs. I had the suspension apart anyways and it was only a few hundred more. The way I see it, I dont have my own garage to have the car down for weeks at a time. I keep the car roadworthey and only do projects that I know I can either do in a day or the car can remain driveable while im doing the job. also when repair comes up look to see if instead of parts replacement you can make an update. My car has front drum brakes. they "function" just fine and stop the car, but next time the shoes wear out Ill be swapping to the factory disk setup. as much as I would like large disks and multi piston calipers, thats just not in the budget. I can assemble the factory disk setup for around $400 by shopping used and assembling the parts myself and have a huge improvment over the stock drums.
since im stuck in an apartment for 1-2 years till I can buy a house Im going to focus on putting money in the bank for the car. even a few bucks stashed here and there for a year or so will give me a good lump of cash when I finally do get my own garage. as much as I would also like to pull the body off, repaint and swap the engine and tranny for better ones, ill just be happy with keeping it on the road.

BTW, there are lots of things about my car I am not "happy with" but unless its a saftey issue it has to wait.

[TonyHuntimer]

My biggest set back right now, like I said, is I need to take the body off the frame and I don't have anywhere to do that. The stuff I want to do doesn't cost a ton of money, but requires space and a place where I can leave stuff apart while I work on it. I don't have these things right now.



You can do this at home.

http://northwestrestorations.com/images/2007_09_22/IMG_0919.jpg
http://northwestrestorations.com/restorations.html

Just do it with safety in mind. If you don't have room in the garage, do it outside and keep it covered well. I've done plenty of work outside under a plastic tarp while it was raining. I grew up without a garage. In fact I didn't get a garage until 2000...after I was done restoring my car from this...
http://www.racehome.com/images/origshot.jpg

to this...
http://www.racehome.com/images/autolitecam.JPG

I built most of it under a tree on the dirt in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was a matter of using what I had available to me.

If the Egyptians built pyramids, you can lift the body off your car. :)

Good luck,
Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[Sparky67]

It occurs to me that if I could get some bucket seats and carpet in the car, a new set of tires, and upgrade the ancient suspension, a few sheet metal patches, and a maaco paint job later, I could have a fun car. But it wouldn't be the full out smoothed, custom job that I'd want to do.

Actually, just do the simple things and have fun with the car. I have owned my 67 RS Camaro since 1983, and I drove it for about 9 years. Although, I had put a cheap paint job on it in 1985. I always wanted to a frame-off restoration and some custom tricks to it. Just never had the cash and place to build the car. So, I waited until I had those things. I still had fun with the car back in the 83 to 92. Don't start a project that you can't finish or it will be sold. Several of my friends did that and their car was sold.

Jeff
http://www.kodakgallery.com/67rscamaro