Under $3000 Builds?

[Flipper_1938]

But then is that 'really' an under $3k build when the original owner probably put more into it than that?
On the road for under 3 maybe but built from start to finish..no !!!!

If you are gonna look at it that way, every car out there costs millions of dollars to build when you consider what the OEMs spent on tooling.

Under $3,000 to build means that less than 3,000 one dollar bills left your hands during the build and you ended up with a runing driving car.

 

[billy]

Back in the early 80's I have done it. But alot of things fell into place to make it happen. I dug the file out of this truck.

I picked up a 1948 Ford pickup for $500.00. This truck was setting in a barn sense 1959. It needed every little body work and the floors and the front fenders were in good shape with was not common for those trucks. ( The bed from this truck is being used for my Model T rat) Made a wooden bed like the factory bed.

At the same time my uncle had a 1971 Ford that would not pass inspection (rusted frame) so he gave it to me. The car had a 351W/C4 trans, with 75000 miles on it. I used the Motor, Trans, wiring, Steering Column, Trans mount, driveshaft and some other odds and ends from that car. also used the sheet metal for patch panels

The items I had to buy were.

U-Pull-It lots
1971 9 inch ford truck rear $35.00
79 T bird seats $25.00
69 Mustang steering box $25.00

NEW;
Motor Mounts $65.00
Front cab patch panels $55.00
outlaw II rims $150.00
Tires $175.00
Wood for bed $120.00
Brakes/hardware $150.00
Shocks $100.00
Paint S/W indust. Lacquer $35.00
Windshield rubber $35.00
Rear window rubber $25.00
Side windows channels $85.00
Body filler/Materials $60.00
Shackle kits $45.00
Axle U bolts $20.00
U Joints $30.00

Machine Work
Drive shaft $85.00

Misc. $175.00

Others free
Primer Lacquer
Lacquer thinnner

Total $2440.00

If would not have been for the free car or I would have upgraded the suspension I could not have done it. That was in the early 80's Today it would not be possible.

a 1980 dollar is worth $2.61 in2010 dollars http://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/uscompare/result.php#

 

[siqbikes]

Spend what you can spend, build what you know how to build.

 

[BigIrish]

I never thought this would be possible but I think I'm going to have a sub-3k speedster here. I'm rounding UP on some of the smaller costs:

Costs
$3400 Complete 31 slant-window, disassembled
$250 Gas & trailer to get it
$1000 Used engine, new alt & gas to get it
$570 New carb
$360 Never used new-ish tires & tubes
$200 Gas tank & fuel pump, fuel line
$200 Steel & welding consumables
$250 Misc model A brake parts, nuts & bolts, switches etc
$120 Sandblast & paint wheels
$6350 TOTAL

From selling parts:
-$3000 body & headlights
-$500 seats and rear apron
-$300 front fenders
-$250 rear fenders & hood
-$150 orig zenith carb
-$4200 TOTAL

$2150 grand total, and the car is driveable. Throw in a gallon of tractor supply paint, some $55 speedway headlights, $50 worth of seat materials and I'm about done for less than $2500.

Of course its no hod rod but its a car.

 

[timbo]

When I built mine, I had around $1500.00 with a stock engine. I did some trans work for the body and a lot of parts I've had for 15+ years. Thats with new brakes, w/cylinders front and rear, brake lines and hoses front and rear,new master cylinder, new floor pans, new head light assy, new tail lights, new tires front and rear ect... The only thing I paid someone to do was widen the rear wheels. I now have a stroker engine in it that I built in 1988 (for my 65 bug) that I have about $1200.00 in. I did freshen it up a few years ago.
For around $3000.00, mine is built and runs mid 15s in the 1/4.
Tim

 

[Rat33pickmup]

I have under $1500 including license and Title in my 33 ford pu but thats not counting Labor because it was for fun and been 18 years of owning it.

$100 Cab 18 years ago
$65 2 sheets of 16 gauge metal, floor and bed in 1999
$112 for rearend
$50 for running driving 80 Toyota corolla for engine/trans.
$ FREE steering column out of 92 Geo Prizm
FREE front axle and rear wheels from 64 ford pu I clipped
FREE Frame material from friend that was gonna THROW it to the scrap guys.
FREE springs from 39 Chevy that were gonna be thrown away
$44 for windshield cut at Cheney glass
$15 eurothane window sealant
$27 for Oil for engine and Gear oil for trans and rear
$100 nuts and bolts
FREE front wheels after trading some other FREE wheels,
FREE front tires guy gave me because he didnt have a VW Bug anymore
$18 Master Cyl and clutch cyl from Pull and save
$12.50 drag link from Jeep at pull and save
$FREE wiring and gauges that were in a trade I did for another vehicle and the guy threw them in
$FREE Headlights of a 38 GMC that was going to Scrapper
$FREE tailights that a friend had on his 1966 VW Bug and changed them to stock
$20 in stock lugnuts Les Schwab
$65 Driveline
$20 for Weber carb, adapter @ a garage sale still in the box
$50 all the Brown Material for seats, tonaeu @ a garage sale
$35 Radiator @ Pick and Pull
$100 Rattle can paint for the whole truck.
$100 filling Oxy bottle 5 times
$75 fillin propane bottle 24 gallon once
$60 2 rolls wire for welder
$60 in stargon gas for wirefeed

$1128.50 for whole build
$ 75 for inspection
$ 98.14 Tax
$ 55.50 Tabs and Plates

EVERYTHING for 1357.14 and here is pic, its very duable if ya can be thrifty. NO junk parts were used drives GREAT

 

[Rat33pickmup]

a better pic. The other truck I have about $3500 in it and I want to add BOTH of them are safe. thats a big thing to me and should be to others. I would like to also say that I do EVERYTHING on them and that save a person a lot of money but not time LOL

Jim

 

[earthman]

This is a great thread! Good information and a variety of perspectives. I like Flipper's point. You had $3000 bucks in hand going into a project. What ever it took and however it came about you are on the road. Very satisfied with yourself most likely. [cl

 

[Thunder1]

Would you just look at all these posts???? The last time I posted anything to a $3000 build thread I got told "let's move on" and the thread was closed by the Mod!

T1

 

[RRR Mod]

Would you just look at all these posts???? The last time I posted anything to a $3000 build thread I got told "let's move on" and the thread was closed by the Mod!

Ok then... let's move on! [ddd