Ground rules for 5k Builds

[moparmaniac07]

I can say my best is a 14.8, with plenty of wheel spin. If I want to improve (or just get my Charger moving again) I'll have to rebuild the trans, which will put me over 5k. Maybe my next project can compete, whenever I get to my next project.
Also, does it have to be a car? I was bench racing with my friends and became pretty serious about half-assed turbocharging my friends quad because he's currently the slowest out of my group of friends. I've seen some stock quads and bikes run pretty quick, and a turbocharger, even half-assed, would make it even quicker.

[SuperBuickGuy]

from my perspective my 54 Studebaker would fall way under the line. I paid $100 for it 25 years ago. Bought a Chevrolet truck - that was the profit end of a trade for 3 vehicles for my one. Bought a 75 Cadillac for $75.00. Sold all the running gear from the studebaker ($1000) and the parts cars that donated the 4x4 frame (long gone - but very profitable $2000) and the Cadillac motor (scrapped the car for $150) - which if you add it all up you come up with it's paid me $3150 .... about the only things I bought for it were the wiring harness (175), the headers (50 for the headers/25 for the flange), and the exhaust (450)... (otherwise it's only paid me $2450).

point being this can be some creative financing too... does it give the old guys who don't sell anything, ever (John) an advantage - sure - but he's running a Ford so he needs all the help he can get (sorry, fingers got typing and couldn't stop )

[VTJUNK]

Im thinking of not using my Torino. I may be getting a '78 Tbird back I once owned and I just stumbled across a '58 Edsel Wagon from Oklahoma that's been in storage since '66. The engine is stuck, but I have a Mercury Marauder 410 and C6, and lots of 9" centers of various gear ratios. Wouldnt be real fast, but it would make a neat ride. The price is cheap for how nice it is, but enough to make it a challenge to do it under 5K.

[Stich496]

so , is this legal or a wtf flag..
lest week I hit the junkyard, and on the way loaded up steel and hit zions, and pocketed 155 bucks..
then spent
5 bucks per center cap (caprice cop car ) also fits 73-87 truck rallies 6 of these..
15 bucks for the 7" rallies (2 of these)
then hit r/c truck and was going to pick up the 3) 8" rallies.. long story short, after getting the 2 rallies at middleboro this clown comes up with a 4th 8" rallie, ever want to kill someone.. that was me..
anyways, got the 4 at 25 bucks a pop
so thats a total of 160.00
so do I add the 160 to the balance of the build or 5 bucks that it really cost me.. out of pocket..


to make you cringe, the metal was 4) 78-86 caprice 2 door , doors/ 30+ rotors and a gas drier that was a working unit that I couldn't give away..

[SuperBuickGuy]

so , is this legal or a wtf flag..
lest week I hit the junkyard, and on the way loaded up steel and hit zions, and pocketed 155 bucks..
then spent
5 bucks per center cap (caprice cop car ) also fits 73-87 truck rallies 6 of these..
15 bucks for the 7" rallies (2 of these)
then hit r/c truck and was going to pick up the 3) 8" rallies.. long story short, after getting the 2 rallies at middleboro this clown comes up with a 4th 8" rallie, ever want to kill someone.. that was me..
anyways, got the 4 at 25 bucks a pop
so thats a total of 160.00
so do I add the 160 to the balance of the build or 5 bucks that it really cost me.. out of pocket..


to make you cringe, the metal was 4) 78-86 caprice 2 door , doors/ 30+ rotors and a gas drier that was a working unit that I couldn't give away..

that's hotrodding, nothing wrong with that.

[Mater]

i think we are only allowed to remove cost if it came form the project its self not just scrap we had laying around

becuase if that's the case i already have $900 off of the lebaron form scrap and cat converters i have taken

[Stich496]

point taken..

[Thumpin455]

Hey guys, I need some input. Ok the LeMans cost me $1500, but I have gotten $2k worth of interior parts, and about another $1000 or so in mechanical stuff. Since I used those parts on another car, what would be the value of the car since I didnt sell any parts from it. I can provide a breakdown of what I have pulled for the GTO, and what it would cost new, but since its used where should the value of the parts rest?

How about we have a vote or some kind of consensus about using parts from it on another car we own?

[STINEY]

My thinking is this: You needed to buy the interior stuff to complete the rental/restoration deal you have with the cars owner (or future owner as per the plan)

So, while I don't think you can "write off" rental costs in the $5000 budget (that's the kind of shady stuff the car magazines would pull!)
I do think it fair to write down the cost of the project car by 1/2 of the cost of what the new interior stuff would have been. Especially since the interior is well documented and didn't "magically" appear when your budget was getting tight.

Now when that takes you into negative cost territory it gets a little more murky....... but as long as your negative cost isn't more than say the cost of a new crate motor or similar then I think its still fine.

We all know you aren't going to BS us BSers too bad Todd, after all, you are one of us (or we are one of you, or something like that!)

[SuperBuickGuy]

if you have the parts, it's free. Consider it this way, if you didn't buy the project you'd never use the parts and throw them away (unless you're Stiney, then you just fill another barn)....

plus

Stiney, all of your projects are less than 5k because they aren't done

and in that vein,

at what point is the cut-off? is it 5k to make it road-worthy? or is it 5k over the life of the vehicle? is it 5k purchase price?

Still

my 2cents says "whatever you SPEND cash money for" is the criteria.... yeah, there are wheeler/dealers here who will make us all jealous, but the truth is if anyone here got the same deal, they'd do it too.... and as this is a hobby to make the most with the least - I think seeing what people can do without artificial constraints (such as having to value the parts you've stored away for just such an occasion) misses the whole point.