Street Rod Buying - Tips For The First-Time Tire Kicker

We've all seen the act, and most of us have probably done it. You walk around the car, kicking the tires-yup, they've got air. You tap the body panels-yup, they sure feel solid. Pop the hood and take a peek; hell you may have even smelled the oil on the dipstick. Sure looks good. But what do all these caveman-esque rituals really tell the would-be buyer? Very little, if anything. The inspection procedures we've inherited when it comes time to buying a used car are little more than a tribal rain dance. A quick walk around and a few magic taps, and we cast a spell on that car that will deliver 100,000 worry-free miles. Or so we hope. Of course, when we pull out of the strip mall parking lot and the car backfires and bursts into flames, we know right then that we don't know our heads from a hole in the ground.

So, what is to save you from making the same mistake when buying your first street rod that was made when you bought your kid a Yugo and swore it would last him through college? Well, before you go out tire kicking, take some time and whittle down exactly what it is you want. Don't be that guy at the swap meet selling your half-finished project because you got in over your head. Plan your project before you even get close to actually making your purchase. Decide what it is you want to start with and what your final goal will be.

If you're new to the hobby, try to surround yourself with like-minded people. Go to car shows, swap meets, drag races-whatever it takes to get to know street rodding. One of the best ways to network in this hobby is to join a car club. There are car clubs throughout the world, and I guarantee you'll find one nearby if you look hard enough. There is an unprecedented wealth of knowledge that can be tapped by joining a car club, simply because of the experience and diversity of the members. Among the smaller, regional clubs are larger ones like Goodguys and the National Street Rod Association. In addition to the numerous car shows both organizations put on throughout the year, both clubs also publish a monthly magazine that contains show coverage, car features, industry and hobby insight, and a classifieds section. Organizations and clubs like these can be unrivaled in terms of information to the new street rod enthusiast.

The most important thing to consider is to be honest with yourself. If your toolbox looks like it belongs to a surgeon more so than a mechanic and the last time you used your floor jack was to move planters around on your patio, you're probably not in the position to buy a complete basket case project car. A more sensible decision would be to find a shop, familiarize yourself with their work, and let them do the majority of it for you. On the other hand, if your fingernails are eternally greasy and your wife constantly wonders "what it is you do out there all night," then a-tinkerin' you shall go.

This month, I'm going to do my best to walk you through the initial phase for the first-time buyer. There are a ton of decisions to be made before any purchase can even be considered, and those decisions will weigh heavily on what it is you'll be looking for. The goal is to get the right project for your budget-whether it's a show car, a daily driver, or a weekend cruiser.

We'll take a look at a number of different possible projects, starting from the bare bones, pile o' parts to the painted-and-driving and everything in between. Hopefully this will give those first-time and perhaps returning street rodders an idea of how to plan their next project.

Category: Bare BonesPrice Range: $500+Pros: A car can be built on the cheap if the majority of the labor is done on a homebuilt level.Cons: Heavy fabrication skills necessary.Required Skills: Emphasis on fabrication, welding, bodywork. Lots of manual labor involved.

Category: RollerPrice Range: $2,500+Pros: Solid foundation is already established. Body has oftentimes been retrofitted to a new chassis. Suspension and drivetrain upgrades have been completed.Cons: Fixing someone else's mistakes or poor fabricating skills.Required Skills: General mechanical knowledge. Some bodywork and light fabrication skills help.

What can I afford?This should be one of the first questions you ask yourself before entering into the buyer's market. What can I afford to buy? What can I afford to build? These are two things that will affect your budget, along with parts and labor. There are also two things that will affect these two aspects of your budget and that's your time and your money. I'm going to assume most of you are like me and don't have much of either. The decision you are going to have to make is whether you sacrifice one for the other, and if so, which will it be?

If you're a garage hobbit like me, the labor portion of your budget could be next to nil. Doing the majority of labor yourself leaves a large chunk of change to spend on parts, paint, and upholstery. This also widens the scope on what kind of car with which to begin. For a guy with a decent amount of mechanical skills, things such as engine, transmission, and suspension upgrades are within the realm of possibilities. That means a decent roller would be a realistic foundation. Add to that some fabricating skills, such as welding, sheetmetal, and bodywork, and maybe even some paint skills, and a guy could turn a pile of rusty parts into a finished car without a problem. This would leave a considerable amount of his monetary budget for the parts side of things.

On the other hand, if you couldn't point out a torque wrench if it were on fire, be prepared to spend some serious coin if a professional shop is to build your car. Most shops spend upward of 1,200 hours to finish a typical street rod, and, at an average of $65/hour, you can see how the price can quickly grow to an astronomical amount (for those who failed math, that's $78,000).

The flipside to both of these situations would be to buy a finished car. Many times, if a guy really figures out exactly what it is he wants and what will fit his criteria, this is the most economical solution. Buying a finished car also yields the fastest turnaround time, meaning you can enjoy the car are soon as you purchase it as opposed to something that takes months of building before it ever hits the pavement. Unfortunately, a lot of car enthusiasts who buy finished or almost-completed cars often do so in a somewhat whimsical fashion. Grown men at swap meets can often act like kids in a candy store; they want one of everything. And when they have money burning a hole in their pocket, it can oftentimes lead to a purchase that, in hindsight, wasn't the most sensible. The thing to keep in mind when purchasing a finished or otherwise completed car is that you are purchasing someone else's project. Much speculation must be made of the abilities of the car builder so you, as the new owner, can feel safe putting your life and the lives of your family at stake. The NSRA has safety inspections at each of its 13 annual events, as well as numerous independently produced events throughout the country. These inspections check the working order of the brakes, suspension, fuel system, lights, and many other safety issues, and an inspection is highly recommended as one of the first things to do after purchasing a new street rod.