Donor Frame
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Don, Your being way to nice with that score. That's way to low.
one finger john
Active Member
Is this the old Rooster that built an award wining roadster on these pages a while back? And Don, what is that 12 score ??? Is 12 the new way to say the idea sucks ?
I'm so confused. John
I'm so confused. John
donsrods
Member
fordsbyjay
Active Member
Sorry but that would just be retarded but you asked. T buckets need T bucket frames and nothing else. Anything else looks like total crap.
I was afraid you guys would say that.
A little more about my situation, I have basically no budget at all. I do however have good woodworking skills and tools. I'm thinking of scratch building an oversized touring body from wood and actually skinning it in 1/2 to 3/4 inch scrap hardwood from pallets. I'm well aware of the concern of the pesticides used on pallets and will take the proper precautions when working with it.
As I plan the body build in my mind I keep coming back to needing the frame prior to the building the body.
I came across a Luv locally here in NC for $500 and I think I could probably swing that. I just can't see being able to find a proper frame, build the brake, steering and suspension systems for anywhere near that.
My plan would be that once it is a roller, I could bring in a partner to help pay for the rest. Realistically I'm well over a year from even getting to that point and maybe my situation will be better then.
I realize it would be a bastard car, but isn't another T-Bucket on the road, even on a Luv frame, better than not at all?
Ideas and suggestions appreciated!!!
Barret
A little more about my situation, I have basically no budget at all. I do however have good woodworking skills and tools. I'm thinking of scratch building an oversized touring body from wood and actually skinning it in 1/2 to 3/4 inch scrap hardwood from pallets. I'm well aware of the concern of the pesticides used on pallets and will take the proper precautions when working with it.
As I plan the body build in my mind I keep coming back to needing the frame prior to the building the body.
I came across a Luv locally here in NC for $500 and I think I could probably swing that. I just can't see being able to find a proper frame, build the brake, steering and suspension systems for anywhere near that.
My plan would be that once it is a roller, I could bring in a partner to help pay for the rest. Realistically I'm well over a year from even getting to that point and maybe my situation will be better then.
I realize it would be a bastard car, but isn't another T-Bucket on the road, even on a Luv frame, better than not at all?
Ideas and suggestions appreciated!!!
Barret
fuzzy
Member
Barret...I'm on your side and here's why. The LUV frame is not a clunky s10 with huge frame bulges and clunky look A-amrs/ The LUV frame is a top hat boxed lightweight design with adjustable torsion bar front suspension. It has disc brakes and light weight control arms. Parts to rebuild are readily available for brakes and steering. Go for it and stand out from the crowd.
donsrods
Member
I am going to try to offer my feelings about this in a totally non critical way, and I hope it comes across as such. I am in no way bashing your plans or you.
I get where you are coming from, and probably most of the guys on here do too because we were all there at one time in our lives. We wanted a cool car to drive but had little or no money and few tools or experience. We would open up the latest hot rod magazine and want what we were seeing on those pages in the worst way. So what happened was we let our hearts rule our heads and we jumped into some project and made a lot of mistakes and spent a lot of money we didn't have. Some of us, for some reason, stuck with the hobby but most of the guys became frustrated and bailed out, never to return.
My suggestion is to NOT build a car from parts for your very first project............that is always my advice to a newby to the hobby. It is far better to buy (after having someone who knows cars check it out) someone's almost done car or one that is running already. I know it takes money to do that, but it is far better to put away a little money at a time until you can buy one than to keep sinking dollar after dollar into the one you are building.
One of the reasons most guys get burned out and quit is that it takes years and years to build a car sometimes. My 27 took me 6 years, my 23 took 3 years, my Son's roadster pickup took 5 or 6 years, and we have a shop with pretty good equipment and at the time we built the cars we had the disposable income to buy the parts as they were needed. It just takes time, and it takes a certain kind of person to stick with it all through the build and not give up.
The other reason is that you can actually buy a done car for about half of what it costs to build one. No one ever gets out all the money they have spent on a car when they sell it. You will see T buckets for sale all the time for very reasonable money, and a lot of them just need a few touches to make them perfect. Another question is, do you really want a wooden bodied car on a truck frame, owned half by someone else ?
Don
I get where you are coming from, and probably most of the guys on here do too because we were all there at one time in our lives. We wanted a cool car to drive but had little or no money and few tools or experience. We would open up the latest hot rod magazine and want what we were seeing on those pages in the worst way. So what happened was we let our hearts rule our heads and we jumped into some project and made a lot of mistakes and spent a lot of money we didn't have. Some of us, for some reason, stuck with the hobby but most of the guys became frustrated and bailed out, never to return.
My suggestion is to NOT build a car from parts for your very first project............that is always my advice to a newby to the hobby. It is far better to buy (after having someone who knows cars check it out) someone's almost done car or one that is running already. I know it takes money to do that, but it is far better to put away a little money at a time until you can buy one than to keep sinking dollar after dollar into the one you are building.
One of the reasons most guys get burned out and quit is that it takes years and years to build a car sometimes. My 27 took me 6 years, my 23 took 3 years, my Son's roadster pickup took 5 or 6 years, and we have a shop with pretty good equipment and at the time we built the cars we had the disposable income to buy the parts as they were needed. It just takes time, and it takes a certain kind of person to stick with it all through the build and not give up.
The other reason is that you can actually buy a done car for about half of what it costs to build one. No one ever gets out all the money they have spent on a car when they sell it. You will see T buckets for sale all the time for very reasonable money, and a lot of them just need a few touches to make them perfect. Another question is, do you really want a wooden bodied car on a truck frame, owned half by someone else ?
Don
GreggDaniels
Member
I say you should build the car with whatever parts you have. I was at a rat rod show this last September and some of those cars are real crazy but they were probably cheap to build and now only require gas to have some fun cruising in. I spent 18 years building my car and it still doesn't have paint or a finished interior and it was mostly due to lack of money but I never lost sight of the end result. I figured this out one day. If I bought one case of beer every week for the length of time it took to build my car I would have spent more on beer than my car. My wife is happy that I wasn't in the bar and we can get out now for a ride and enjoy a sunny afternoon together. Build the car with whatever parts you have or can get cheap and enjoy your ride. You never know, someday you might win the lottery and can build a chromed out, billeted, polished and painted show car of your dreams. But the reality is that you, me and some of the rest of us just don't have a ton of extra cash to spend on toys.
Fuzzy, thanks for the support and info. I do seem to always stand out in a crowd.
Don, your comments and thoughtfulness are appreciated. The challenge I have is that I really have no desire for a 2 seater and finding a touring T is a challenge. Finding one that I can "complete" or "fix" has proven nearly impossible. I've been looking for about 6 months, and I'll continue to search. I've considered a project 2 seater and finding another body to join to it, making a Tourer, but my fiberglass skills are limited to gel coat crack repairs on my Hobie Cat. I've never actually laid any glass before. Not only that, I'm thinking it might look strange with the additional rear end hanging out back there without stretching the frame, more $.
I fully expect this to take years to complete. I may end up getting burned out. I may also find better employment and be able to accomplish this project using $ instead of blood, sweat and tears, but I enjoy long term projects and typically complete them.
Now for your last question, "Another question is, do you really want a wooden bodied car on a truck frame, owned half by someone else ?" That's a hard one liner to argue with. We'll see what life brings. At this point very much in the pre-pre-pre-planning stage. Paper and pencil are cheap.
Keep the suggestions coming. I really do appreciate both sides of the discussion.
Barret
Don, your comments and thoughtfulness are appreciated. The challenge I have is that I really have no desire for a 2 seater and finding a touring T is a challenge. Finding one that I can "complete" or "fix" has proven nearly impossible. I've been looking for about 6 months, and I'll continue to search. I've considered a project 2 seater and finding another body to join to it, making a Tourer, but my fiberglass skills are limited to gel coat crack repairs on my Hobie Cat. I've never actually laid any glass before. Not only that, I'm thinking it might look strange with the additional rear end hanging out back there without stretching the frame, more $.
I fully expect this to take years to complete. I may end up getting burned out. I may also find better employment and be able to accomplish this project using $ instead of blood, sweat and tears, but I enjoy long term projects and typically complete them.
Now for your last question, "Another question is, do you really want a wooden bodied car on a truck frame, owned half by someone else ?" That's a hard one liner to argue with. We'll see what life brings. At this point very much in the pre-pre-pre-planning stage. Paper and pencil are cheap.
Keep the suggestions coming. I really do appreciate both sides of the discussion.
Barret
fordsbyjay
Active Member
This the way I see. You have no money, you have no tools, and you have no skill. I will guarantee that every cent you waste on this type of project will be no better than throwing your money in a bucket and lighting it on fire. After 10 years you will have sunken a lot more money into a pile of crap than you ever would have imagined and it will be worth nothing. Sorry, not trying to be mean but that is the truth. A tbucket frame is probably the cheapest part to the whole project. Then start hitting swap meets for suspension setups and straight axles. I bet 99% of us have been there financially but building some bastard car is a total waste of money. Even rat rods cost more money than they look like unless you have a farmyard full of old cars.
Screaming Metal
Active Member
Hey, check around, you can usually pick up some used 2x3 tubing, 3/16 to 1/4 from a metal building co., just pick the good pieces that are long enough to trim dow to spec. This will usually run about $75 or so. Another option is a used steel center, might have to grind down a few weld places and wire brush off some paint, but you can do it.
Then download Youngsters frame plans....if your a good carpenter, you can cut and fit it up, then pay a welder friend a 6pack to weld it all together for ya.
Then get all your brackets made, get them perfect, tell your friend he's got another 6pack if he puts them on for ya.
I normally charge a box of cigars and a steak dinner....
Screaming Metal
Active Member
Then mount all your drivetrain. Look at alot of books and all the T sites. Find one you like, then start building.
Build your body outta wood, that'd be cool!
Build your body outta wood, that'd be cool!
Check out this article on stretching a t-bucket body into a touring body.
http://www.tbucketplans.com/2011/07...ring-the-bob-hamilton-streetrodplans-com-way/
http://www.tbucketplans.com/2011/07...ring-the-bob-hamilton-streetrodplans-com-way/
I totally agree with Don because many moons ago, I was that guy. The project really never got off the ground and interest was lost and the project sat, eventually parted out for a pittance. Unless that is really the car you want and desire, otherwise plan, budget and build when you can with the right parts or buy a decent car done at 50% of the build price.
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