Building these cars - regardless of the end result or desired 'use' - is about the hobby.... big money or zero budget... it's all about what I like to call the "hunting and the gathering"... the people you'll meet... the dreaming and scheming... and the "process" and the choices etc.
A car is a relationship. There will be highs and lows. There will be things that go super right and there are times when you'll really question WTF you're doing.
Here's the advice I give to all my friends that ask. Be dang sure you START with the car that you've always wanted. Period. Because it's going to be a long road - and it's very very expensive - and you will more than likely have a product that is worth about half or less when you finish. If you asked me what stock you should buy - and I told you - buy "X" - and you knew when you bought the shares of that company that they'd be worth less than half the next day - would you do it? The point is - you'd better really WANT to just own that stock.
There is already very good advice posted above. Start with the best body and paint that you can afford - and buying a perfectly done car is by far the least expensive way to go AND you get the benefit of being able to use the car while you're planning on what to tear apart. So many people buy a $2500 clapped out shell of a car because it's "cheap" and they can "afford it". Let me tell you that they can't afford to even START in this hobby and that $2500 car is ANYTHING BUT CHEAP. Having said this - I've seen lots of expensive cars bought that turned out to be giant sink holes and complete re-dos because under that shiny paint was a bondo wagon.
Cars are like busses.... there's another one coming by every 15 minutes. If you're willing and able to spend "X" right now. Then spend that on the best car you can to start with. But don't delude yourself into thinking that you can build a car by saving up $500 a month and buying parts as you can. The car will never get done and will end up being box storage in your garage until you finally give it away. If you buy a car that is "done" you can drive it and enjoy and then save your $500 a month til you get enough for the changes you want to make. Brakes.... or front suspension... whatever. But chew those off as you can start and complete. So you don't tear it all apart unless you can finish it. If it's a weekend project you want to tear something apart on Saturday and be able to finish it the following Saturday.
A buddy called me the other day - like 3 weeks ago - wanted to buy a "nice" '69 Camaro... I turned him onto a car that was posted here in the for sale section... it was "way more money" than he wanted to spend -- but I convinced him that he was going to spend that much money eventually - and that if he could in any way afford to do it all now - that it would be money well spent. He stepped up and bought the car (for about 50 cents on the dollar spent to build it) and is so thrilled! He was able to take it home and put the family in it and start to immediately enjoy it. He had no tools and no skills - so a project was out of the question.
So shop til you find the very best car you can --- and then start enjoying all the other facets this great hobby has to offer... the people you'll meet... the dreams... and the satisfaction of a job well done.
|