you're welcome... it's just what i've picked up after 25 years of playing with these 1:1 scale model car projects- it's all about instant gratification now and not about the craftsmanship and creativity of making the junk you could afford work....

and speaking of models- that's another thing... when i was a kid, we didn't have rows and rows of die cast cars that came in a box all put together at Wal Mart (we didn't even have a Wal Mart, and K Mart and Pamida were 25 miles away...), i glued together 1:24 scale models of cars that i bought at the local drug store.. then took them apart and swapped wheels, engines, interior parts, and even built roll cages out of the things that the pieces came on, so i had a decent grasp of what the big parts looked like and how they went together before i was old enough to start working on them. i used to have a big box of engines, a box of wheels, a box of seats, etc... also, all my GI Joe stuff had to be put together and have all the stickers put on before i could play with it, too... i suppose it also helped that my grandpa was the town mechanic from the end of WW2 to his retirement in 1981, and my dad was a mechanic for his whole life and built some pretty cool cars...

 

It's like if you want to feel beautiful, don't read beauty magazines. The TV shows you're talking about are put on by big dollar speed shops that cater to fat wallets of people who will never touch a wrench to their own car. The same ones that trailer their cars to exclusive car shows and drive them only from the trailer to the display area. Watching these programs will only make most of us feel like we will never achieve that so why try. For those of us who work in the industry, these shows can be very aggravating as we watch guys in polo shirts display $1000s worth of parts that were donated by some aftermarket company for their "budget build". I quit reading Hot Rod magazine years ago because it had seemed to become just another show place for these unrealistic show rods, each one built by some custom shop for some executive. It did restore some hope when I was reading about Drag Week where do it yourself racers run against each other in a week long event where they actually drive their cars from track to track.

That's one reason why this forum is so positive for us in the real world. It brings us together with others who work to achieve their dream with limited resources. I myself have invested a great deal of money and time in in my car but I did it over years, always working toward a goal that I may never realize fully. But in the meantime, I do each part of the project to the very best of my ability and enjoy the results of each step. Now that I have built my own transmission this winter, there is not one part of this car that I haven't worked over with my own hands.

 

This is so true. I did exactly what you stated. I built my engine piece by piece from a bare block over a year and half's time. While my other friends were installing crate engines bought with loans and credit cards, I was waiting on the crankshaft to be turned. While they were figuring out how to get theirs to run right, I was waiting on my heads. While they were cruising, I was installing pistons. Did it take me longer? Sure. Is there a dime of my engine on credit? NOPE, not one cent. I bought parts and had machine work done when the extra money was there. Total amount spent $5,000.00 (including custom exhaust). Telling people I built the engine with my bare hands and some tools....priceless.

 

im also on a budget so a third gen is a pretty good choice for v8 rwd along with those 5.0 fox body mustangs, parts are on the easier end to aquire unless your looking for rare items like a 1le fuel tank. my trans am has a strong 350 tpi needs cosmetic work a new paint job and itll look great

 

If you want it's easy to sink a lot of money into these cars, there are quite a few cool builds here so generation lost...not so much IMO. The prev. generation when they had 2nd gens they were treated a lot like our cars, especially the later years

 

Used to be that way, but it's not anymore. You won't find a NICE 5.0 for anything less than $3500 typically. Even then - it will have issues somewhere. These cars aren't there yet, but I can already see prices hiking around here. I've noticed the Pontiacs around these parts tend to fetch more money.