1st Time Building a Track T to Auction for School

[Alfwulf]

I teach Auto Tech in a school for "Drop out Prevention".
While most School Districts and Industry don't want this class to be a Hobby Shop for kids to build the Teachers Hotrod, my purpose is to raise money via auction sale of car for the benefit of our class.

Budgets are being decimated everywhere especially from Career Tech Education classes for Academic classes. (reading, math & science) to raise schools grade.

I also figure here they get their experience with brakes, steering, suspension and electrical and maybe a little engine performance. All the things require of a NATEF accredited program.

We have a '90 Mustang for: 302 EFI V8. We are going to retain the EFI. I also figure we can use the rear end which is a LSD with new drum brakes.

Front suspension is undecided - but would like to do round tube axle with coil overs or Corvette '90 is upper and lower control arms with coil overs. (Dad said if your going to dream dream big!)

We also have a Miller MIG welder and many of our students parent are professional fabricators.

If we get this far... I would like to do something of a "Indy Roadster" theme paint with a old USAC and Red flying horse (Mobil) on each side.

The Kids are excited (High School Level).

Oh, hello too..Alfwulf

 

[putz]

Welcome from the soon to be great white north. Thats it keep the youth involved in hotrodding.

 

[Alfwulf]

Learning already, While research Tube Axles in the front suspension section I saw a great write up of how some used Pinto independent knuckles for a Tube & Kingpin suspension!!! Maybe we can use those knuckles from the Mustang!? will look at tomorrow. Definitely glad I found this forum it is giving me hope that we can succeed. Thanks, Alfwulf

 

[Alfwulf]

It seems like I am talking to myself. Two questions - Should we sell the car by Benefit Auction or Classified Add (for school) and Which is more desirable AT or MT? Thanks Alfwulf

 

[RPM]

I think we are a little confused, I know I am. Are you building a Mustang or a T and using the drive train from the Mustang in the T?

Anyways welcome to the site.

 

[estesken]

Welcome Fellow Instructor, :welxome:You are going to find a ton on tech help here. Send a PM with email and phone #and Ill get you the stuff given to me when I started. I am doing a similar project to generate some student excitement. I dont know how your school will fund your project but I had to personally fund ours. I think if your purpose is to raise money via auction sale of car for the benefit of our class and (training), I would suggest putting together a kit. Spirit, CCR, Speedway and others make complete kits. You may suit you better to find someone that will buy parts or kit and you put it together for a fee. I would worry about the liability to myself and my school doing a scratch build. I also think the car would have more value. I suggest a conventional tube axle w/transverse leaf on the front. Its what looks best and is what is expected on a t-bucket. If you are building one for a non driving trainer then mix and match for what ever your needs are. Im still am wanting to do a trainer with a open SLA and one w/ frt struts. Time on task will likely discourage you or at least it does me. Curriculum will or should trump our progress. We are past midterms and just getting ready to cut some metal. Im still working on the balance Between NATEF standard and the need to excite and motivate students. The folks on this forum like pictures so keep us up to date with your progress. I hope you the best on your progress and will help were I can.

 

[estesken]

It seems like I am talking to myself. Two questions - Should we sell the car by Benefit Auction or Classified Add (for school) and Which is more desirable AT or MT? Thanks Alfwulf

Our State Law dictates how we sell stuff.
I think most will say AT.

P.S. What School do you represent ??

 

[Alfwulf]

RPM - It's a T and using the drive train from the Mustang in the T. Thanks, Estesken PM sent. State Law...I moved from Miami-Dade to the largest but poorest county in the state. Took a $20K hit, but it is beautiful in these hill and lakes with Orange groves all around. There were a lot of things going on here prior to my arrival that I know weren't legal. Thanks All

 

[LarryH]

Welcome aboard. Sounds like an awesome project. It's great to get the younger generation into hot rodding. It's scary how many people say "I don't know what that is" when i start talking about my T-Bucket.

I agree with estesken. A kit would be would be the way to go.

 

[fordsbyjay]

Good luck with the build. I bought my car from a school in Haleyville, Al with the same type of program. The kids loved it.

I will offer some advise however; register it in your state before you sell it. It has been over a year and I still haven't got my bucket registered. I am sure everywhere on the planet is easier than Louisiana but it is easier for the builder. You will probably need ALL of your receipts so keep them in order. More likely than not you will not make any money when you sell/auction it off. I paid about $0.50 on the dollar for mine. Hopefully this one will go well for you but next time I would build a more desirable car. While T-buckets are cool (heck I bought one) the reality of it is they are not a high dollar car when it comes to selling them. If you can keep you cost under about $15k you will do alright. I watched for years before I bought mine and the going rate is $12-15k. You see them for sale for more but they never sell.

Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[Alfwulf]

Thanks for the Hard Learned Advise. I have not had time to look at it for a few days. Alfwulf

 

[Alfwulf]

Right now we have scrapped the Auction idea. We are going to use the car for program and school promotions.

We are waiting for a quote from Speedway Motors and from the local Steel Supply yard.

Both are slow. We have an S-10 rear end. The Mustang is a little wide and and it will be easier to get Chevy wheels.

We are going to experiment with converting the S-10 Spindles to King Pins. We will start a build thread and post pictures SOOOON!

Alfwulf

 

[jbisme]

I'm looking forward to seeing the school project. Good luck and stay on them kids. The local community college tried to build a motorcyle for promoting the machine shop, but after a couple of semesters the teacher lost intrest and it is still a pile of parts. :sad: I hope your school does better.

 

[Youngster]

A word of cauion here. Keeping this project simple will help see it thru to completion and give you a broader buyer base.

Ron

 

[estesken]

A word of cauion here. Keeping this project simple will help see it thru to completion and give you a broader buyer base.

Ron

Amen to what Youngster Says. Time and student attention to detail is against you.

 

[Alfwulf]

You are all correct about student "attention span". When other teacher or administrator ask us to do jobs that would take more than TWO days I really try to get out of it.

When all the students stop working on it, I have to finish it and like most of you,
I've been there, done that and don't need any more personal experience!

I am a motivator, good at even getting folks that normally would not work together to do it.
Heck if this doesn't get done I will have to watch my back for sure.