I bought my '52 in 1996 for $200.00, gave another $100.00 for an '83 Monte Carlo frame. Let all this age for the last 8 years while I went to college part time to get a Bachelors degree and insulate garage so I could work in it.

Started disassembly this year. Bought a Cherry picker $129.00, Air chisel $39.00, air cut off tool $19.99, dual halogen work light $19.99, was given a Miller 110 welder ( thanks dad ).

Total so far $507.98

So I only have about $10,000 to $25,000 to go right.

Only 19 years to retirement I better get with the program!!

 

This is great.

Bought the old girl for $500. Been fixing as I go. Currently a #1 may get all the way to 1.75. Guessing I've got around $2000 in the past 6 years poured in to her. Wife hates how it looks, both on the road and sitting in the driveway. LOVES how it haul hay for her horses, Bedding for her horses, gravel for driveway, etc.
She know where I am and it is still cheaper than a bar tab! Oh, and the old girl will never be finished. What would I do for fun then??

 

Hey guys, what rating system are we using here? On the old car rating I am accustomed to, a 1 is considered new, while a 4 is a car that is not running and in poor condition. If I'm following the rating in this thread it's the opposite. Just looking for clarificarion. John

 

Have owned the 55 for a year. Purchased for $2800 but it came with a 302 and AOD, a 292 installed, new bed wood, strips and bolts, new original style upholstered seat, new hood side emblems, new front hood emblem, 6 semi chrome wheels, 4 original wheels.

The seat was out and I drove it on the trailer using a 5 gallon bucket. I'll bet no one can top it for a "bucket seat"

The 292 holds about 6 lbs oil pressure after 30 minutes. So the 302 is going in.

Items purchased:

Engine Mounts & Tranny Mount 150
Brake parts 150
Radiator 75
Taillights that work 20 (not final lights)
Complete 55 truck for parts w/390 that turns over $50
Tools

Wire welder 399
Arc Welder 200


Have been busy helping other friends build drag cars, 2 garages and a Trans am. Now is their turn to help me. Big item is to place engine and have trans working, complete brake repair and installation of donor truck steering box to replace mine that has "wander"..

Thrill of driving it even a few miles :Priceless

Got depressed because I honestly haven't been able to fre up $ to buy parts. Wanted to sell the thing. Wife won't hear of it, says she wants to ride ina finished truck. Just hope we live that long. Thanks for the folks here, I learn daily and have avoided things that would have cost time and money.

Projected final cost probably 15 grand

Projected smiles per gallon : unlimited

Bubba

Not cool enough to be Niolon, not wise enough to be fat fenders, not dedicated enough to be George, not energetic enough to be 4 speed....Just bubba

 

I took a different approach after a year of shopping for a 1951 or 52 pickup. I bought one that had recently been restored (frame-off). I know some of you will boo me for this.

I paid $7000 for it, and it came with receipts totalling $13,300; $2000 of that was the truck price. While shopping I learned that anything decent unrestored was bringing at least $4000.

I enjoy wrenching on it, and I am glad that I don't have any paint or body work to do. I've done enough of that to know that I don't enjoy it. This winter I am replacing the wheels (two-piece) and those ghastly white side wall tires. I am also adding rear shocks, and installing NOS fuel and temp gauges. There will always be a project to do on it, and my two young boys love riding in it.

I SURE AM GLAD I BOUGHT THIS OLD TRUCK, NOW MY WIFE wants to drive it.

 

Almost running totally intact 1957 F100 272 3 spd standard cab short whellbase styleside needed fuel pump and brake work.

Cost of truck FREE

$50 apx to get running

Cost to get first ride. Ask me in a few more years.

Tools purchased ...................We are pushing $2000

Parts for truck about ............$1500

Estimate to finish I don't have a clue.

Estimate date of finish spring of 2006 MAYBE.

What it will be when finished. 1957 Restomodded F100 312 automatic with 1957 McCulloch supercharger.

I SURE AM GLAD I BOUGHT THIS OLD TRUCK, NOW MY WIFE WANTS ME TO FINISH SO I CAN WORK ON MY TWO FASTBACK MUSTANGS. SHE WANTS ME TO FINISH THE 69 428CJ BUT I WANT THE 70 351C FIRST. I FIGURE I'M A LUCKY GUY. I GOT ENOUGH PROJECTS TO LAST ME THE REST OF MY LIFE AND A WIFE THAT UNDERSTANDS. MARRIED 28 YEARS

 

My truck is most definetly a #1. Its my school/work beater. I bought it for 650 $ from a buddy. So far I have spent 50$ for a rebuilt starter. So I have a 700$ running transportation. This truck will probably not be restored due to the pop rivet style bodywork that renders it a BEAST. I SURE AM GLAD I BOUGHT THIS OLD TRUCK, NOW MY Girlfriend thinks its the ugliest thing shes ever seen ....


Check out my gallery !!!

 

Well my first truck was a five window that I bought for $2500 and it runs fine. But I was thinking of doing a frame off resto. But....... .......then ran accross a 1953 f100 that I liked. Purchase that one to work on as the five window was running. But.........

....then I ran accross a 56 f100 that I had to have and purchased it. Paid way to much, but I'm sure you guys can vouch for the "chasing tailpipe" phase we all go through. But.....

....then I found a 55 chev real cheap and figured hey why not. But........


....then there was a 50 f1 I was interested in and was fixing to buy when an opportunity came up to purchase a COE.

I SURE GLAD I BOUGHT THESE OLD TRUCKS, NOW MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH WONDERING HOW MANY VEHICLES DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A JUNK YARD.

 

John

Just something I made up when I started this thread in '02. The ratings are in the first post. I'll put them again at the bottom of this post. It's for your end goal, not the initial condition of your truck. Or current condition if you're done. Not a big deal though. My original intent was just to tell each other approximately where you were going with your truck project, some wild guess at the final cost, and what your wife/significant other thought of the whole idea. And one more thing I need to mention with all these new marriage laws popping up. If your significant other ain't a chick, you're not allowed to share that with us on this thread. Sorry, I forgot to make that rule in the first post

We had a blast with this thread the first time around. Never dreamed it would pop back up every month or two. It will be fun to pull it up in 2 or 7 years and see how close to reality the original plan was. Personally I am triple my original budget. Easily 5 times over on hours spent. But I still got the same wife I started with. Somedays she still even encourages me. And somedays not. I used to use the "at least I'm not in the bars" line too. But she figured out awhile back that a cocaine habit is probably cheaper than my truck.

Here's the ratings.

1= I don't care what it looks like, hauls firewood when it runs don't it!

2= It looks good at night, at least all the primer is the same color and the astro-turf carpet cleans up easy too!

3= Not too bad, she shines pretty good, only a few body flaws and that flatty, y block or 5.0 is fresh rebuilt. The seat doesn't quite match but the guys I know think it's cool. Wife likes it too but she won't admit it.

4= I win trophies almost every time I take it to the show or parade. It is obvious the wife is proud of all the attention it draws everywhere we go.

5= Yes, I win some small shows but looking like a top twenty five trailer queen at the F100 Supernats (insert your event here) is what I really want.

 

I have just had a shop (which'll do everything for your vehicle) give an estimate on basically everything left to do on my truck (some mechanical, bodywork and repaint, interior) and a few "extras", such as some engine mods and stuff in case I won the lottery or something. Needless to say, they were like $$$ and I was like :-staun


Hmm, where'd I put those lottery tickets....

 

lol, I actually never posted in this thread!

$5000 original truck cost
$1000 get on the road parts
$750 in dress up parts
$500 in wheels/tires and hubcaps
$1800 in N.O.S sheetmetal
$350 in literature and odds and ends

The fact that I just started my restoration priceless.....

There are some things I can't buy, for everything else there's dads mastercard Trying for a 4-5 class(honest)

 

Well,I'm starting out with a truck that set outside for 20 plus years,so I'll say I'm starting with a 1.I'v had it running but that's all so I can't say it would haul firewood yet.By the end of the year I'd like to at least make it look good at night.By the end of next year I would like to have it painted.I figure in 2 years I should be able to upgrade things like stereo equipment,crome acc.,better rubber,suspension upgrade,etc.I have a 3 year project in mind.I didn't pay anything for the truck,It was given to me.I think I'm looking at around $7,000-$10,000.I have most of the tools,but being a beginner,this is just a guess.I'm not looking to make it a show truck,just a nice ,dependable classic.

 

Well, this description is not of 1 of my trucks, it is of my 79 Thunderbird Prostreet. It has been totally redone with tons of custom tricks. I originally started in 1994 with the plans of having it finished in a couple of years with the tune of about 17000-20000 tied up into it. Well I finished in 1998 and had almost 30000 into it. I did all of the work and rework myself, learned alot of new tricks and swore I would never do it again (car is a 4-5).
Fast forward to 2001, I find a 1954 F-100 in CA at a charity mission. I have always want 1, so I bought. Have 2500 into purchase and transport back to Erie. Truck runs (272, 3 on tree), and drives. Truck is an older restore from original owner. Truck is solid and all there. Previous owner tried to do a 12 volt conversion. The alt is on, the starter is wired and that is it. I figure it will take me about $200 to get road worthy ($50 for black primer, $50 for misc wireing stuff, and 100 in misc parts). I am driving this 1 for a while as is (altho, I have started to collect some parts, 89 Thunderbird SC independent rear, 1996 4.6 DOHC Cobra motor and 5 speed).

Eventually it will be a strong 4 but for now, a solid 2.

The wife married into the cars, and loves every minute of it (well maybe not the GO GOO hair washes).

Steve S.
Tons of Fords