My goal was to build my truck for less than $10 K. It is running and drivable and I am under that $10 K now but the paint job will put me over by about a thousand dollars.

 

After listening to havi and a few others, maybe my wife is right????????? maybe 1400.00 for two full rigs is to much, LOL. Yesterday I was down at my shop restocking my frosty stash, and some tweeker stopped by, staring at my project II pile, he asked if I wanted to get rid of my junk pile.............he said he would split what ever he got out of it,I came unglued,I know that I only paid 300 for the complete rig that came w/ a brand new mustang II Ifs, disk, power rac, all four bend panels, but that was sick and wrong, I now find myself paceing back and forth protecting my treasure. and as far as calcing in the cost of the frosties as part of your total cost.......... aw don't thank sooooooo

 

I hear ya! However, you can't put a price on the fun you'll have fixing up your truck, the number of band-aids you use, or repairs to the wall from the tools that flew across the garage. You won't be able to say "I did it" or have people acknowledge the hard work you put into making an old truck look good. Everyone can buy a new truck on the car lot. Not everyone can own a classic truck that you built. After reading these posts, I really know I paid too much for my bucket of truck parts. It's like they say.... IT'S ONLY MONEY! LOL.... Now I think I'll go and throw some wrenches around in the garage. Thanks everyone!

 

Confucius say......


And as for the frosty beverages.....I'd say that they are the second largest hold up in my project......right after the money think....LOL

 

I'm not even starting to sing the blues with my truck. Gotta get the engine working reliably and something new keeps coming up. It was given a fresh coat of paint in the not-too-distant past but I think the prep work was lacking. Those holes for the rails along the truck bed, they hold water and the bottoms of a couple are rusted out. Don't know whether a swap meet can help with that one!
My current swap meet goal is the speedometer. I replaced the cable before I was informed that a regular ol' speedometer cable wouldn't work, and now the needle just wants to take a nap, sigh. Junk yards haven't been able to help there, too many folks with deep pockets have cleaned out the supply for their own pristine trucks. Then I need to scrounge up a driver's side window (cracked, of course).

 

Well, after reading all the posts, looks like I'm not the only Scrooge on the board. I have 3 complete '50 F-1s and have less than $2500 invested. My goal was to have a driveable truck for less than $5000. Looks like I will have one good one for less than $3000. All I need to do is install the water pump, rebuild the generator and do a tune-up. If the brakes bleed out ok, it should be good to go. It will never be a "Show Truck" but that was not my goal. I will do all the work that my limited skills will allow. Like others, I picked up all of my needed parts from swap meets and E-bay. Have yet to buy a new part. I'm sure that will change soon as some parts you just want to have new. I can't help wondering, when I am bidding on parts if a fellow FTE-er is also bidding. Wish we could develope a code so we wouldn't be bumping heads. Once I get one on the road, I will make improvements as necessary and time and funds allow. I had the good luck to find at least one truck that was in pretty good shape to start with. It took over a year of beating the brush to find it at the right price. Much of the credit for my progress must go to the gang here on the forum. With out the information, advise, and support from you, I probably would have lost intrest and moved on to something else. As I read that one of you have completed a part of your project, it gets me off my butt to work on mine. Thanks for all the help.

Gil

 

Well Guys...
It looks like I started something here. And, I damn proud of it. I have noticed that I'm not the only one with a sore spot for those idiots who are dragging in and in more than one case stealing everything in sight to haul to the scrap yards. I haven't been bothered by the thieves yet but I think that is because they are allergic to Rottweilers. It makes me sick when I see the drugies, drunks and wellfare porch monkeys dragging the stuff off to the scrap yards. Thay are idiots because they could sell a lot of that stuff for more money to guys like us that would even come and get it. Of course it's too late when you see the stuff on a piece of s*** trailer smashed and crushed with old wasing machines jammed in it. I would just love to kick their *** for that but they have laws for that, so I can't.

OK,OK, I calm down...

 

Dave,

Hey man, there's no sense to beating around the bush here, after all, we're all friends around here. If you got something to say, just come right out with.....LOL

Bobby

 

Hey Bobby...
I tried that but they keep replacing my words with those little stars. So much for freedom of expression I guess...

 

Dave, I totally understand your frustration but please refrain from using derogatory racial terms. I'm not a an angel but this forum isn't the place for this kind of stuff. I'm not trying to be a **** but I've been on this board a long time, one of the oldest members and really enjoy the G rated atmosphere.

Please, guys keep on topic and let's play nice.

 

Hi Dave
The word cheap, sounds cheap. I just tell the people
who ask about me is
Poor people have poor ways
Take care

 

Thank you Bob.
Jon

 

i too am prone to being excessively tight , i just blame it on the wife , but i have fun adapting other stuff to my needs . it isnt as cheap as some but i've been beting the hades outta my 53 now for a year and ive got what maybe 3700 in it now . the 49 i traded the never ending 55 project for so no outlay there , yet ........ my wife is like the rest she doesn't seem to understand the sickness / neediness of us addicts ................

 

All the figures you guys are throwing out there got me to thinking, so I put pencil to paper, and I calculated I've got almost $1,400 in this project, and I haven't even turned a wrench yet! Even cheap isn't cheap.

 

been lurking on this board for a few years, but seldom have time to sit and chat....job, child in college, 51 f1 thats very time consuming...many hours at pull a part... .................................................. .................................................. ..
i wanted to build mine like we used to years ago, when we didn't have all of the fancy, chromed expensive parts.....sort've reminds me of all these glass cars out......don't even have to get your hands dirty to put them together..
as i said, i have a 51 f1....383 sbc.400 auto....9 in ford....its almost done and
the only thing that came from a catalog was the dolphin gauges, and the chrome valve covers.....all i have left is hooking up the gas pedal and the linkeage for the transmission.....now, thats where i'm having a little problem..
my column is out of a mid 80's chevy van..i got the columm with the shifter on it.....and i also got the tranmission linkeage....its way too big.....any of you that are running auto's when column shift..what do you do for linkeage...
thanks....now that my truck is close and my daughter graduates next week, hope to spend more time on the board chatting...tks,ashlandcat