February Newsletter (click to read newsletter)

February, 2010

Keep your fingers crossed! So far we appear to have dodged the proverbial bullet from Mr. Winter! We got a little cold weather and some frosty mornings, but no snow and no major ice fields. Makes you glad to live out west instead of back in the still frozen east? Just yesterday I took a break and sat outside the shop in the warm sunshine and thought how fortunate things have turned out weather wise. Sure we get some rain, but you have to water those beautiful trees somehow. According to my weather rock, it’s raining again right now but my research on the internet indicates a mild spring and a great summer. (Yes, you can find information other than sport scores and Facebook buddies on the internet). So lets all keep a positive thought for some continued weather blessings so that we may all enjoy an outstanding Hot Rod season!

And Happy 20th Birthday to PFC Jared Glaser who is over in Afghanistan with the Army.

Destined for Pebble Beach. Well, it finally had to happen. The beautiful 39 has gone home to Tacoma for final upholstery installation and a new ragtop. It was a bittersweet moment for us. This car had been with us for over a year going through its long and laborious process of full restoration. The owner is a wonderful gentleman with a rich sense of humor and patience. We may work on the cars, but the owners really set the tone for the project and this project was a true joy in every sense. When the car first arrived it looked pretty good. Then once we started the process of discovery and paint removal the unfortunate truth became evident. Lots of rust and decay hidden by layers of paint. Not a new story by any means, but a disappointing one. Lots of shops slap paint over just about anything. We had our work cut out for us indeed. And now we have seen it leave us as a solid, rust free eye catching example of automotive technology. Happy motoring Mr. Weller and thanks for the fun you shared with us!
 

1948 Oldsmobile Sedanette. We have made some significant progress on this car and everyone is getting excited about where we are going with it. The sheet metal modifications are going very smoothly and yielding some awesome results. Lance is smiling from ear to ear as he works and shapes the metal into new forms. It’s really cool to watch a true master at work. Examining our timeline, we are still a little behind schedule but not bad considering some design changes that were made on the fly. Changes can create some real timeline challenges, but that’s part of the creative process we simply make accommodations for.

1958 Buick Convertible. The first fitting has been completed and all the major adjustments have been made. Now we have disassembled the car and are making some clearance modifications and painting the trunk, body underside, and inner fenders. We are using a new product called “Raptor Liner” which is primarily a bed liner material. Easy to use, cost effective, and yields a very nice look to provides both corrosion protection and some sound deadening properties. Thanks to North West Auto Paint for the recommendation on this product. Soon we will be doing the pre-paint assembly and rebuilding the front end components.
 

1967 Oldsmobile 442.  The bulk of the metal work has been completed and the car is being fit back together and aligned for final pre-paint assembly. Still lots of mechanical work to be completed, but is already looking much better than when it came in. This car really represents the beginning of the big motor muscle car era that prevailed through out the late sixties and seventies. 442’s were a force to be reckoned with on the streets as I myself found out in the mid seventies.

 
1965 Ford Pickup.  A new addition this month to our shop floor. A really nice bright red custom Ford truck.  The owner has us doing some suspension modifications and installing power steering and a chrome tile column. Not a super involved project, but one that will increase the handling and value of the truck which he intends to keep for a long time to come.

 
How to Build a Custom Car
 

There are many things to consider in building a custom car, not the least of which is money.  How much do you plan to spend?  How much do you have to spend?  If it’s ten thousand or a hundred thousand, you need a plan.  You can’t build a fifty-thousand dollar car for twenty-thousand dollars.  Sounds pretty straightforward but guys try to do this all the time.  This is an expensive hobby and no one ever built a car that cost less than the estimate.  Remember that.

What kind of car do you want to build?  Is it the car that you had in high school or the car you wished you had in high school?  Maybe it’s a car you saw at a show, in a movie or in a car magazine.  Maybe you have no idea what you want, you just know that it’s time to build a car. Whether it’s a 32 highboy, a shoebox Ford or a 57 Chevy, you’ve got to have a plan and the biggest part of a plan is the budget, the amount of money you have to work with.  A good plan will mean that when the restoration of the sheet metal and the mechanicals are done, you’ll still have money for the paint and upholstery.  Quite often the cost of parts and labor grows either because something was overlooked, underestimated, or upgrades have been added.  A good plan will list every part and component that you can think of and its estimated cost.  An experienced builder will tell you to then double this number and add twenty percent.  I’ve seen it happen time and again.  The better you plan, the better the execution.

One of the biggest cost factors is the labor.  Will you do much of the work yourself or will you pay a shop to do the work?  Shop rates run from $40.00 per hour to $85.00 an hour and the hours pile up quickly but that may not be a bad thing.  Paying a professional to do a job you can’t do yourself is an investment.  A large percentage of what we do at our shop is to re-work what has previously been done poorly or just plain wrong.  Do you have a shop to work in?  Do you have all the tools?  Can you do metal work?  Can you replace rusted steel with new and make it look factory or close?  Can you fabricate brackets and hardware?  Can you do body work, paint, wiring or upholstery?  Can you re-engineer suspension; double the horsepower and still drive it a hundred miles an hour on a winding course?  Remember, you are going to invest in a custom vehicle and not blow the money foolishly so planning to build the right vehicle with the right components is crucial.  A 1947 Desoto might look cool with nostalgic lines but a 1947 Chevy Aero coupe is a much more desirable and valuable car that will be much easier to find parts and information for, and sell for more money, if and when that day comes.  Nothing wrong with a Desoto, but the interest and market are much smaller.  Fewer parts mean higher prices for a car of lesser value.

You may plan to never sell the car and pass it on to the kids but that doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind and build just anything. Times change and you may want or need to sell it some day.  Another factor of custom car ownership is pride in ownership.  You want to show it off, whether you just drive it around on nice days or take it to shows and compete for trophies.  You’ll want a car that appeals to others as well as to you.  Stay in the main stream.  It’s a safe bet, no matter what your plans are for the car. This brings up another good point. Why build a car in the first place?

Most guys and a lot of gals are car nuts, and if you are reading this you are probably one of them.  So, why do you want to build a car?  Come on!  You’re probably going to spend at least twenty grand, so give me more than “Because I want a cool car.”  Do you want the car to be worth your investment?  This is my point (guys, highlight this next part and show it to your wife).  The right car and a well thought out plan can be a good investment, in fact sometimes a great investment.  Along with the right car is a right price.  Shop around.  Do some homework.  Never, let me say that again for those of you reading quickly. NEVER buy a car on the spur of the moment!  Never buy a car at an auction or on the Internet.  You will not save money.  Never buy a car sight unseen.  If not your eyes, someone’s’ other than the owner, a friend, trusted third party or licensed appraiser. Be ready to walk away if you suspect anything suspicious or rust and damage that would severely impact the restorability.  You can buy a car any day of the week but selling is a different story and another article to come.

Let’s talk about the right car first, and then we’ll talk about money.  You may already have a specific car in mind or already own the car you are going to throw money at, but consider these factors: How do you intend to use the car?  Will it be a Sunday driver?  Will you take it to car shows?  Do you want to win trophies or do you simply want to enjoy the process of transforming an old hulk into a fun toy.  These are all different cars with different budgets.  Do you need a back seat for the kids or is it you and the wife?  Do you want a convertible?  They cost more but go up in value more and are certainly more fun.  Are you doing this as an investment as well as the enjoyment?  More and more people are using automobiles as an investment, but we’ll get to the money part next. Just remember that you can’t drive your money to the coast for the weekend, but put the money into a nice car and you can have fun with it.  A new Lexus will plummet in value in ten years.  A custom car will hold its value or grow.  So, back to the questions; do you want horsepower?  Do you want speed?  Do you want handling?  Pick two, because all three are hard to find.  Most people now days are after comfort and reliability as well as some performance. They want a car they can drive on today’s freeways.  There are traditional style cars built today with the look of the fifties and a more modern trend that offers more comfort and electronics but don’t mix the two.  Don’t put white wall tires on billet wheels or a digital dash in a 50’s tail dragger.  Go with a theme.  Don’t just start picking shiny objects out of car magazines.  Think of the end result.  Everything works together.  When things flow, they also look good.

We’re narrowing it down now, two seats or four?  Great big motor and two gallons per mile or economy and reliability?  Pick one.  There are many categories of custom cars: There’s the hot rod, like the open wheel Model A and 32 Fords.  There are the classics that include many cars from the 30’s and 40’s when the Fords were popular.  Then the 50’s and the classic tri-five Chevy’s and the introduction of the Corvette, then into the sixties when the muscle cars became the latest thing and MOPAR emerged.  Do you want to build a street car or a track car?  Want both?  Go pro-street, but pro-street cars are hard to drive, corner like a bowling ball and your wife won’t ride with you.  Let’s not forget trucks!  Trucks are hot!  So every time I say “car” and you think “truck,” it’s OK.  The antique category is fading as the older cars become more rare and impractical as street rods.  Antique restorations are again, a different topic for a different day because if you think custom cars are expensive, try to find a tail light lens for a 1931 Pierce Arrow, or a head gasket or a hub cap.

There is so much variety in old cars that it’s hard to cover all the bases but you’ll want to pick a car that is as complete as possible for your needs.  A bad interior and a frozen engine may not matter if you intend to completely replace these and other missing or damages parts.  Parts are often hard to find and Murphy’s Law applies: If a part is missing, it will be hard to find and expensive.  Consider a car that is popular enough that needed reproduction parts and good used parts are available.  You may never intend to sell the car you build but if you think you may some day sell the car, you’ll want a car that has some popularity as well as retail value.

OK, the money side of this deal.  Unless you have so much money that it’s not an issue, you’ll want to make wise use of it.  Well, I guess if you’re loaded you also fit into that category, so here we go.  You are going to build a one of a kind car, one piece at a time and everything is expensive.  Used parts are often expensive, especially the one’s you need.  Reproduction parts are expensive and often are not quite like the original.  Metal work, body work, upholstery, chrome plating and paint are all expensive.  Be ready for this.  Things about this hobby that are not expensive are the air in the tires and not much else.  You must accept this fact to play this game.  Do your homework.  There are ways to save money and be very efficient about it.

It’s called project management.  You tell us or your favorite fabricator what kind of car you want to build and what your budget is.  We then design and build your car or truck with your full input, feedback and cooperation.  We do all the work.  You have all the fun.  You just write the checks.  A competent shop like ours can build almost anything you can envision. It’s not magic. It’s skill and experience (and a lot of expensive tools). 

Even though custom cars are expensive, the right car is money in the bank and the best way to be in a car right is to buy right.  However, time is money.  Finding a good deal is hard but you hear the barn find and swap meet stories all the time.  Craigslist has been good for some people but it takes persistence.  Often a good deal is hundreds or thousands of miles away.  Don’t factor in the cost of transportation after you buy a car on the Internet, and as I said before, NEVER buy a car sight unseen unless you pay a certified appraiser and factor in that cost as well before you buy.  Swap meets are hit and miss.  Good deals are rare but not impossible to find.

Rust never sleeps.  Every old car has a little rust; even the cleanest, best cared-for cars have rust.  The rust-free car does not exist but you want the nicest cleanest car you can find.  If the car you like is a Mustang, don’t buy the first one you look at, buy the best one you look at.  The Mustang or Camaro are not rare cars, and a good clean car should not be too hard to find.  A good, straight 32 Ford roadster body, on the other hand will be rare and expensive.  Metal work is expensive.  It’s what we do here at the shop, so this is sort of contrary to us acquiring more work, but I just can’t tell you to buy a rusty car and bring it to us.  There is money saved in paying more for a clean, straight, rust-free car rather than saving a few thousand bucks on a rust bucket, then giving that money to me to make the wrinkles straight and the rust go away.  However, there is always the question of how much more, but only you can answer that because you worked out a budget before you started looking, right? Besides, you’ll most likely only be able to find a car with some minor damage and rust at best.  Just look for the least damage possible.

Buying and building a car at the twenty grand level can be challenging to stay on budget and still have a nice car, but it can be done.  You can get a project car for as little as a grand, but that’s just the first thousand bucks.  Are you going to build or rebuild the drive train and suspension? Are you going to build this car or have it built? No one can do it all.  You may have a shop out back and a big mess of tools but can you metal finish that dent and repair that rust damage without lots of Bondo?  Maybe you can, but can you do upholstery?  Think all of this through carefully.  A car project can take a year if you are lucky, have lots of money and are not married.  Many consider it an ongoing hobby. Some think it’s an incurable disease.  How much time do you have to build a car?  Retired?  Great but if you are still working, a car build could take years but at least you spread the cost over time.

Fifty grand can build a nice car but there is no end of ways to spend money on cars and parts. Where do you stop?  A good plan and budget keep you focused.  Do you want to rebuild the wiper motor, the tumblers in the door locks or use all new nuts and bolts? A hundred grand is a common amount for a well done car that needs nothing but we each have to decide where we fit in the scheme of things.  Most custom car builders don’t have a hundred grand nor would they enjoy driving that much money through a supermarket parking lot.

So, maybe you think you’ll buy something less than finished, someone else’s half done project and save a few bucks.  Sure, you might save thousands, but consider this: You are buying something that someone else has built and now does not want.  Anything in paint or primer may hide rust, Bondo and bad metal work.  A magnet may help reveal such problems but cannot reveal the whole story.  Over my thirty years experience, I have found that things are quite frequently worse and often far worse than were expected.  This applies to every auction car and Internet sale.  Well, not every car, but the odds are high.  There are many cars thrown together quickly and cheaply, filled with mud and sold at auction and on the Internet, too many, making it a big gamble to buy a car this way. Besides, you’ll want a different engine or transmission or wheels or paint or interior or gauges or live with what someone else chose.  Wiring is important.  Has it been done correctly?  Does everything work?  Is the engine reliable?  How do you know?  A good deal on someone else’s project can often cost far more than you had expected.  This is not always the case and a shrewd buyer can find some good deals if he is educated and patient.

You can’t do all the work yourself or you just want to insure that all the work is done right.  Lots of guys think they know how to work on cars and one man shops can be found in most areas.  A low hourly rate does not insure a dollar savings if the builder is slow and/or semi-skilled.  A low hourly rate often means a lower quality of work in a poorly lit shop with few tools, so shop around.  Get several recommendations from friends or at car shows and swap meets from other owners and builders. Quality work adds value and desirability to the car, not to mention reliability and pride of ownership.  A good photographic record of a quality restoration can add ten percent or more to the value of the car.

Whether you are on a tight budget or filthy rich, there is a car for you.  A good plan and a detailed budget worked out before you spend a dime will help you maintain costs.  If you can’t do something the correct way, don’t do it wrong.  You are sabotaging yourself.  Stop, save up some money and do it right or you will have a mediocre, unreliable car.  Good enough isn’t good enough.  Even on a low dollar budget, do it right or don’t do it at all.  You will never regret doing things the correct way.  Now, get to work on that plan then go find a car to build.  Good luck but don’t forget.  We are here to help.  We can answer questions and can look at a car for you or with you, then give you a professional opinion. 

Drive careful and keep the shiny side up. 
 

Lance