Do it RIGHT the first time or forever live with a result you're unhappy with. Building these cars needs to be satisfying for many years after you get done - or you'll be re-doing or selling at a huge loss to build another...

In other words - if that's the look you want. Don't skimp and do it half assed because you will be sorry you did.

oh its so worth it.... "regret is a very expensive emotion" but put me where I am now. :lmao:

x3 x4 x5. I did that with my 69 Camaro vert. took a huge bath on it. Now I am in the same boat with my K5, but that is soon about to change.....

I'm going to have to play right field here. It's way to easy to get caught in moment building these cars and get in the mind set of, it's NEVER good enough. The carpet needs to match the drapes, but what I found most important was function and engagement. If I ever built one again I'd focus on what makes a car great, to DRIVE. The way the door shuts, the pedal arrangement, power and heated seats, killer sound system, no squeaks and rattles, great driveability, modern headlights, factory reliability, and the list goes on.. In all honesty, these are many of the things my car lacked. Instead of spending $500 on tail light housings, how about a better pedal set up? Instead of $5,000 on an aluminum block, how about an engaging interior. You catch my drift and I think your ideals are similar.

most of those you listed should already be on the list and are close to free Todd. :bitchslap: :lol: I do agree on the $500 billet tail lights, and an aluminum block. I like the little details that you can do will a little money that go along way.

You speak of what I call "Balance". I 100% agree that those types of things make the driving experience. Personally I don't need the heated/power seats, but agree on the function, fit and dependability of things. My goal is to make it all flow smoothly. I want to be impressed with the car from the moment I walk up to it, to the moment I walk away from it. I'm sure there will be a few changes here and there. One simply can't know everything they like or dislike without trying them. Right now I have Jeffs 68 in my garage while he builds his shop. I've had the car out a few times and it's the perfect way for me to really experience what works and doesn't work for me.

It certainly helps when you know the actual purpose of the car. You have more experience than most in this culture. I"ll be interested in what you end up with...

Agree that knowing the main purpose of the car helps. I would love to build one car that fits all, but that's not reality. You and I have a seen some very nice builds that end up being used regularly on the track. It doesn't take much for all those purdy gaps that hours of expensive labor went into, to be totally gone. The track life is rough on cars. I'd love to have one...and might someday, but realizing how the car would be used 98% of the time called for a different approach.

I'd call my "experience", "exposure". Rebuilding the Bucket was a great start, but the biggest thing for me has been seeing, sitting/riding in cars with other guys. Seeing the crazyness called SEMA is good...and bad. My goal is for it to be nice, but not custom/SEMA nice. Like you said, it's more of the little things like the door closing without rattles or the windows going up and down smoothly. One big thing on my list is to block out as much of the road noise as possible and to install a decent sound system and not have it be obvious. The idea of a "Clean" interior is my goal. Very stock looking kicked up a notch. With the car being a driver, there will be a few bling items like a few stainless bolts and $500 tail lights. lol Now if it was a track car....all the money would go into motor and suspension.

when it came to hardware on my build ,what i have done is buy/use what my budget allowed and over time replace it once the important stuff got done.arp stuff is expensive and i have alot of it so piece by piece i have replaced the old.

That's a good way to go. Cars are never really done and that's a good way to "tinker" and "Update". I'm going to go ahead and call that winning.

:captain: