First Time!

[GulfCoastGasser]

We spend so much time inspiring others with our stories of success and conquest when it comes to cars. How we took a pile of rust and turned it into a show winner, a drag strip beauty or an admired daily driver. All theses stories help to pump our egos and inspire the newbie, BUT we were all newbies at some sometime.

What I want to read are stories of your first build, the mistakes, the flubs and the embarrassing after-math.

So show me pictures of your biggest flub, or first attempt at mods and tell me your stories at how you got started and the lessons learned.

For me I wish I had pictures of my first “kustom”! A 1976 Datsun B210 Honey Bee. How embarrassing it would be to show you the POS Datsun with garish chrome bling, crazy pin striping and mag wheels.

Whoee what sad case that was!

 

[Tripper]

Not my fault!

My 1st wife had a Ford Granada! I couldn't wait to ditch that POS... traded it off for a beautiful 'gold 2-tone '78 Turbo Regal... loved that car! In '83 had a POS Vdub & went the fenderless route but my neighbors gave me hell for it. One neighbor even asked me to always park it in the garage... can't post our conversation here... we *never* spoke again!!!

BoB

 

[Bonehead]

I burned all those pictures.

 

[bob w]

I bought my first car, a '48 Chev 2 door, from a car lot in St. Paul for $125. That was in 1956 when I was 15 years old. We could get a license at 15 then. First I put lowering blocks on it and it bottomed out on every bump, finally breaking spring leaves. Then I put a vacuum shift eliminator that I got from Sears on it and knocked the syncros out of it. Finally, I put a Smitty muffler on and got a ticket. The rear end had a howl so I propped it up on cement blocks and started pulling the differential apart. It fell off the blocks, to the left and I was scrambling out from under it to the right. I didn't get crushed. I got off to a poor start in the hobby of hot rodding.

 

[Bonehead]

Okay, I found a couple of pictures. 1st major build, and major set back. Note to self, need quicker steering, maybe full hydro.

Pictures are reverse order, see the steering ram.

 

[GulfCoastGasser]

Dang

Bonehead,

Dang, you may have made a minor miscalculation, but no one can knock you on the amount of work you put into that thing!

 

[Bonehead]

I did a lot of work on that truck, it was my first major build, and my second, and my third. It still had problems, but mostly budget problems. That truck eventually turned into this truck.

 

[440shorty]

last stop

Let's see... my first four cars I got never ran again, and were later scrapped after I "worked" on them. I was a "junkyard mechanic" first - parts came off, never to get reinstalled. However, the desire and attempt to swap a V8 into one of them (a 70 Dodge Dart) resulted in my first profession - transmission mechanic - which I practiced for the next 24 years. But that is another story.

After years of just cobbling old cars along as transportation, my first real hot rod was this:

Notice anything?

440shorty

 

[GulfCoastGasser]

Bonehead...

I would bet one of your tires is worth more than many of my entire projects!

 

[GulfCoastGasser]

Let's see... my first four cars I got never ran again, and were later scrapped after I "worked" on them. I was a "junkyard mechanic" first - parts came off, never to get reinstalled. However, the desire and attempt to swap a V8 into one of them (a 70 Dodge Dart) resulted in my first profession - transmission mechanic - which I practiced for the next 24 years. But that is another story.

After years of just cobbling old cars along as transportation, my first real hot rod was this:

Notice anything?

440shorty

Other than the illusion of a very tight fit between the rear tire and the fender, no!

 

[YoungBlood]

Ha ha. Just look at my build; its the first with all screw ups noted.

You experienced guys are awesome. Constructive Criticism is still constructive.

I think a lot of the builds on here are 'first builds', and I notice not a lot of people admit their mistakes (they do happen, always) and I think its important to do so as a reference to those who want to build something similar in their future.

This site has great talent, and great threads, no bashing, no down-trodding, and just enough ego massaging (JUST ENOUGH , we all love it to be honest) to still keep folks going and still keep their heads stay on their shoulders. We have a lot of helpful dudes out there helping the newbies keep this tradition alive.

 

[BruceR&C]

Let's see... my first four cars I got never ran again, and were later scrapped after I "worked" on them. I was a "junkyard mechanic" first - parts came off, never to get reinstalled. However, the desire and attempt to swap a V8 into one of them (a 70 Dodge Dart) resulted in my first profession - transmission mechanic - which I practiced for the next 24 years. But that is another story.

After years of just cobbling old cars along as transportation, my first real hot rod was this:

Notice anything?

440shorty

Other than the shortened wheelbase ?????? Oh, yeah ! The 440 is a swap in.

 

[22dodge]

First Two.....

The '57 Ford was what I learned the basic lessons on...
Oil leaks, carb fires, general do's and don'ts.....
But nothing out of the ordinary...

The Falcon in the back ground had a 144ci 6, and my brother decided
to put a "blower" on it.... So, he took a heater fan, did some nice sheet
metal work to the aircleaner housing, and ran a wire to a dash toggle switch.
Everytime he turned it on, it screwed up the airflow to the carb enough
to mess with the engine. Yes, I still tease him about it occasionally

The '59 Austin Healey was a step to the next level, 365hp 327, multiple
transmissions tried.
First engine swap, headers built, mounts and crossmembers and all the little things.
Peterson publishing had an engine swap book out in the early '70's, and I just used
the book as a guide, it worked out very well.
Only bad story was forgetting to put the hood pins in, and having the hood
catch air and come wrapping back over the windshield, taking the skin off
my knuckels on the steering wheel, shattering the windshield, and scaring
the *%#!! out of me (racing a Corvette at the time, I lost )
I believe that is why the hood is off in the next set of photos...

 

[22dodge]

More Healey....

A couple more photos of the '59 Healey 100-6 two seater (most were 4).
Other than the current '22 Dodge, if i could have any of my previous
cars back at this point in my life, this would be the one.
Lots of fun, good memories, and my first "hot rod" roadster.
Also, my lovely hood ornament was just figuring out that she was
involved with a car nut...
38 years later, still a car nut '22

 

[24dodge]

cool pics `22 !

 

[bob w]

Yep, 22, I would love to have either of your first project cars. Very few '57 Fords around anymore and the Healy is excellent.

 

[Dqracer]

22, yer 57' is a classic, took me back to 1967,, back in the day...

 

[22dodge]

Thanks Guys.........

Thanks guys, the '57 would have been in '69.
312 T-bird special engine (single 4 barrel) and 3 speed auto (ford-o-matic?).

The Healey would have been '71 or so.
I remember I shortened a set of Ansen "ground grabber" traction
bars by about 3", and ran them with the "lock bolt" in all the time.
Worked well, stock rear with 4:11, Healey was alot of fun...
Aluminum Powerglide with 2400 rpm (I think) converter worked best for
a trans. First in a 350 turbohydro fried the tires, sticks shifts were a pain..
Making V-12 Jags feel bad on Pacific Coast Highway around Bolsa Chica - Huntington Beach
area made me smile..(evil grin here )
When I replaced the hood, I didn't cut an opening in it.
With the grill in, the rear wheel tire combo was the only thing that might
indicate something wasn't "normal" here...

Here is a collage that I have hanging on my garage wall, my car and some
late 60's cars that motivated me... '22

 

[twin13kustoms]

cool

getting mine developed will have to take pics with digital and then post them so they might not look too clear but will provide the best i can and will also add steps of build

 

[Thunder1]

22, yer 57' is a classic, took me back to 1967,, back in the day...

The 57 had some serious attitude! Out of all the pics you posted, it's my favorite. That thing is bad!! I like the Healey too, but that 57.... BAD!!

Thunder1