[updated:LAST EDITED ON 16-Nov-02 AT 01:51 PM (EST)]This might be a fun one. Anyone brave enough to predict what the project is going to really cost? We can check back a couple times a year and see if you've changed your mind.

I understand if cost is a private matter. For those who want to lay it out right here, I propose you reveal your initial budget including purchase price, and then predict how much it will cost when you take that first ride and how much before it is completely done. We all know they're never really done, that's the fun part. War stories of past projects is OK but hindsight is 20/20. Let's hear your current fantasy budget for the project you work on most now. It might also be helpful to others trying to budget a project if you disclose your intended quality standard. If you don't care to type details. Use a one to five scale with these criteria. Whether stock or rod use these for quality standards:

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.

OK, and the final question, please complete this sentence;

I SURE AM GLAD I BOUGHT THIS OLD TRUCK, NOW MY WIFE( OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER) ........

 

OK, I'll go first.

Initial purchase $4500

My fantasy budget:

Intended to be on the road for $2,000 more (total investment of $6,500) and eventually a category 4 vehicle for $10,000 total in 3 years.

Well, three years is up. Here is where I am. A little over $10,000 invested. Another $2,000 before I can drive it around the block safely. I project another $5,000 will easily be required to make it a category 4 truck which puts me at $17,000. We'll see how far the $5,000 goes.

I SURE AM GLAD I BOUGHT THIS OLD TRUCK, NOW MY WIFE...

Puts on perfume when she sees the UPS man coming up the driveway.

 

I guess I pretty much laid out my budget in great detail on my web page but I'll put it here as well.

Purchase price: Truck $1,000
Original Budget: Truck $12,000; Tools $2,000
Currently invested: Truck $4,408.71; Tools $3221.19
First Ride Prediction: Truck $7,000; Tools $4,500 (cab only, of course, no body panels installed)
Final Cost Prediction: Truck $8,000; Tools $5,000
Final Target Category: Probably 4 (it's OK to dream here, right?)

I sure am glad I bought this old truck, now my wife has as much gray hair as I do.

The truck costs include purchase price, tax, title, supplies, parts, etc. The tools costs are for additional tools I needed as I did the restoration. I don't count them in the truck cost since they will stay with me if I ever sell the truck.

 

... too bad that I can't remember how much I put into my 54 F100 over the past 18 years ?!?!

Just know that I paid $4,000 for the truck and I remember that I paid $60 today for a used water pump and a few gaskets.

I would not be surprised if I had put a $10,000 into mine and I am far from being finished. Have not counted stuff that I bought and then sold at great loss (like a 460 Big Block with C6) or that I bought and never used (like the fibre glass flip front, running boards and fenders).

... I have spent two hours in my un-heated shop today, had some good music and worked on the new wiring (Haywire kit). It's a slow process, but its great fun ...

Aah, yes, my wife ?!?!? ... and my daughter ?!?!?

They all want to ride in it when done, but they do not understand why it takes some 10,000 hours to do (...with minimal progress after a full day in the shop).

Guess one reason is that I spent three hours today in the shop of another guy who's drag racing a '55 F100. Time flies.

Greetings from Germany !!!!

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 16-Nov-02 AT 04:19 PM (EST)]Heh.

Good thread.

My 1953 Ford F-250:

Purchase price: $3000.00
Project budget: I don't have one, goes along as I can afford stuff.
Currently spent: I don't want to know.

Projected quality level at end of project: 3

I SURE AM GLAD I BOUGHT THIS OLD TRUCK, NOW WHERE'S MY BEER?

(Sorry, no wife or significant other. heh)

- JT

 

My wife bought the 54 F100 as a combination work truck and hotrod project. It came with a lot of little goodies like a complete Gibbons front end kit including all the Cordoba parts and parts to rebuild the front suspension. It also came with a 3sp/od truck transmission.

Purchase price - $2500. Currently a running category 1 and used as a Home Depot shuttle vehicle. Total cost so far - ~$3000. Estimated final cost including paint and a running 272 to replace the 223 - $5500. If I use the 351w and T-5 I have in storage - $7000.

I SURE AM GLAD I BOUGHT THIS OLD TRUCK, NOW MY WIFE knows where to find me; in the garage.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 16-Nov-02 AT 06:48 PM (EST)]You guys are embarassing me !!!

purchase price was $400.00 for my '53.

I'd love to see a Cat 4 truck.... but for sure won't be a trailer queen. My truck will be one the road !!! If I just wanted to look at it... I'd just take a picture of a nice truck.

total investment so far .... drum roll please....

just a shade under $14,000... 'course a lot of it is stashed away... all the glass, electric window and door kits, bed and wood and rear fenders. all the internals for the 460 are all patiently waiting their turn...I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with the bottom end !!!

and I've tripped a couple of times with the Volare clip and a Caddy seat... but that only totaled up to a few hundred bucks...

and so far no debt... everything is paid for in cash.. tool investment hasn't been factored in but was minimal... probably 2-300 bucks... the total above also includes consumables...welding wire, gas, masking tape and lots of grinding discs LOTS !! hope to come in around $25k for the completed project...with a lot of help from my friends. there are a couple that I'll probably have to pay for their grandchilds college education to pay them back...

but hey... if you have to worry what it costs ??? you can't afford it !!

really honey... it's not gonna be that expensive ... honey ???

john

 

RE: John's $14,000 rolling chassis and still married! You Da Man!

Tomorrow night at 6PM all must face Alabama and pay homage. The "We're not worthy" chant would be appropriate I think.

Don't worry John, it's early yet. Somebody will come along and profess a 3K driver strategy. Then he'll be back here next year asking whether his frame would look better if he chromed it.

'fenders

 

here's about my budget

pickup-$1300
$75-for tags and such(told them I got it for $300)

Came with running engine, 5 different coats of paint on the front and the bed was in disasembled and primed, front drivers side fender was smashed in by hit and run, lacking interior except two ugly seats, wiring looked like they did it drunk but amazingly worked, no lights, suffifcient glass (all but rear needs to be replaced).

Paint-$250
Included sealer, the paint with hardner and thinner, good paint gun( $15 is for the terrible flames)

bed floor-$20
cheap peice of junk wood and sealer for wood

wires and lights-$150
for two little fuse blocks and miles of red, blue, yellow, black, and green wire, lights were the cheap $5 tail lights and the halogen fronts along with new turns installed in the front

steering column-$40
got this only for turn signals and to shift my tranny on the column

air cleaner-$40
truck came with crappy cheap foam filter

mirrors-$25
whoa! that was too exspencive, those peeps don't even work

my cruddy interior-$150
$40 for seats, lots of vinyl, carpet, seat belts, and cardboard (not including the $125 sewing machine)

Door seals and window channel-$100

misc. junk-$400

total-$2400

Whoa! Wait a minute, that can't be right! Why am I still broke? Ok, the some other stuff, that I didn't realy need or added later after it was on the street

CD player and related items-$1000

cool hub caps-$15

electrronic ignition upgrade-$125

SS tail gate chain w/cover and cool latch spring thing-$50

new carb-$200
that's a Holley 750

racing fuel pump-$80

new radiator-$40
the other one got ate

new water pump-$35

fix motor and tranny-$800
goodness, just for one stupid bolt

power brakes-$80+
master cylinder and pettle assembly

Misc. junk-$600

Driving with my head out the window to see my fat fenders-pricless
(sorry, couldn't resist)

Total so far-$5225

Now that sounds more reasonable, just a few more g's and I'll have it near the way I would like it to be now. By the way, my origional intention was to get it running so I could haul my flattie to the shop and get it done(about what you want to use yours for), and then fix it up latter on in life, so little care was taken with the paint, interior and other such details. Still haven't gotten the flattie done yet, wish I could set myself priorities and stick my them. Good luck!

 

Okay, this is a fun thread...

I paid $500 for my 48 F-3 truck several months ago. As of this writing I have $605.05 in it. It came with a running flathead V8 and some extra parts of which I am selling to regain what I paid for the truck. My plans are for a Chrysler torsion bar suspension and Chrysler rear (already bought an 87 New Yorker donor car, the price of which is already included in the $605.05. I am undecided on the engine and transmission. The truck came with a 56 Dodge bed which I haven't decided if I will use or not. Every piece of glass in it has been shot out. I hope to get this truck to level 3 at a cost of less than $5,000. Whether I can or not remains to be seen.

I am sure glad I bought this old truck, now my wife on the other hand thinks it's a piece of junk that will never be finished.

I WILL prove her wrong...if I live long enough!

 

Clay

Loved your post. $1000 sound system and forty bucks in the steering. Your project has no true direction. Having a blast aren't you? You Sir, are rodding. John and I have screwed this whole thing up. We spent enough money to buy our wives a new car and they know it. We have to finish to a Category 4 standard or we'll look bad. That's no fun. (By the way, in spite of my joking, I have a super understanding wife. She is however starting to get annoyed
when I say something stupid like...Honey turn the heat down, you're wasting money)


I loved this part Clay, it should be a bumper sticker!

"Driving with my head out the window to see my fat fenders-pricless
(sorry, couldn't resist)"



Vern

Thanks for going out on a limb with the total price prediction. I think you can make it but it may require one more donor car. Have you given any thought to just using a smallblock Chevy engine? I understand they're cheaper to rebuild. Drop Blue Oval Rage a line, I think he has all the measurements.

'fenders

"You put that tire iron down right now Vern"

 

>Vern
>
>Thanks for going out on a limb with the total price
>prediction. I think you can make it but it may require one
>more donor car. Have you given any thought to just using a
>smallblock Chevy engine? I understand they're cheaper to
>rebuild. Drop Blue Oval Rage a line, I think he has all the
>measurements.
>
>'fenders
>
>"You put that tire iron down right now Vern"

Fenders,

Sorry, I'm not biting this time because I'm sure Ole Bule Oval Rage would be happy to give me the one finger salute If I asked him about that Chevy installation...

 

Vern

Obviously I am kidding about Joe having any Chevys but I am dead serious about the donor cars. I can help people more with my mistakes than my successes. Whatever driveline you use, you will save a ton of money with a donor. You can buy two or three $200 cars and still come out way ahead. I learned the hard way. You will get fifty dollared to death buying aftermarket parts. It doesn't seem to stop. You can of course buy salvage yard parts but I made a bunch of mistakes on parts that didn't work out and then had to go aftermarket. Since this thread is about budgets, jsut thought I'd suggest it. Many of the guys here who have modest budgets did it with the proper donor.

'fenders

 

Well Gentleman here is my off the wall prices....

1. Bought first truck 1955 F100 (223/3spd) for $1000 Jun 2001..was not running but changed oil, sparks and drained old fuel...fired right on up but was leaking from tranny housing...costed $456 more bucks to fix which included new fuel pump, carb adjusted and brakes throughly checked out...bought 85 Cougar 302/AOD $150...after looking at all the work that needed to be done from body shops and paint shops...WIFE says get rid of it and buy another one!!!! (I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!!!) Sold it Mar 02 for $1100 on ebaymotors.com to a guy from arizona and cost me another $200 to get a bill of sale..total cost for project #1 - That wasn't too bad...

2. Bought final truck 1954 F100 (Y-block/3spd) for $2600 Mar 02...was running but had fuel pump leak and worm gear was shot..pulled engine and tranny (for sale)...bought new glass for truck $145, got two toyota steering gears with assy from junkyard $456, bought new rims and tires $600, ez-wiring harness $200, machines dash insert $65, stewart warner gauges $245, tranny rebuild $650, bought another 302 1977 Lincoln Versailes $100, $90 bucks for mustang headers (gave away), flowtech headers $100, 85 Ranger seat $45, bed bolts $20, taillights $65, headlights $20, parking lights $50, msd ignition $145, plugs and wires $135, edelbrock carb $125, rpm intake $65, edlebrock air cleaner $20, grant wheel $25, horn $15, light switch $10, fuel tank $265, desert cool radiator $315, flex fan $35, lokar shifter and throttle linkage $170, 1977 302 rebuild with rv cam & chrome valve covers $715, two steering shafts $100, misc parts $600...now the grand total so far is $7426 and still rolling with the dough...hopefully finish somewhere at 12gs...she is running and not safety & licensed yet but will be soon...has about 38 miles on it...still breaking it in on those back roads without cops around....

3. Want the project to finish at a category 4 since so much time was taken away from the family...that way we can all enjoy the truck together.....

4. I SURE AM GLAD I BOUGHT THIS OLD TRUCK, NOW MY WIFE knows where to find me in the junkyard, the garage or internet searching for more parts with my son!!!!!!

5. As you all know, these trucks become part of the family and displays your vision on what a truck can be to them...Dont ever rest for the cheap stuff, skip the expensive and buy conservative.


James
54 Ford F100 302/AOD running like a beast from hell!!!!
01 Ford Explorer XLT V6 (family)
01 Ford SuperCrew XLT Triton V8 (hauler)

 

Fenders,

Good point about donor cars and, of course, I'm kidding too about the one finger salute. Although this is my first fat fendered truck (had a 36 Ford pickup several years ago), I know the value of donor vehicles. That's why I bought the 87 Chrysler for the suspension and rear end. Here in the Northeast salvage yards are far and few between, so you need your own little salvage yard in the form of a donor car. The only problem is since there are so few salvage yards here, the donor car is harder to dispose of when you are done with it. I've built several street rods over the years and I'm sort of a pack rat when it comes to parts, so I do have a pretty good inventory of "stuff" left over from previous projects that I can use on my old truck. That's why I think I can build it on a relatively small budget.