FREE ADVICE & WORTH EVERY PENNY

The following is from an email I sent to my young nephew last night during a period of insomnia.

Bryan, I took the liberty of requesting a pair of free catalogs in your name and address. They're my favorites. One is from Speedway Motors in Nebraska. They claim to be the oldest speed shop in the country. Here’s their link: http://www.speedwaymotors.com. They sell parts for circle track race cars, T-buckets (Model T based kit cars), muscle cars and street rods. The last two categories are the staple of my business. A muscle car is generally a domestic car that was manufactured for the sporting crowd that is a 1949 or newer and the street rods are anything ’48 and older. Street rods aren’t known for high power and handling but more for styling and comfort while the opposite is true for the muscle cars, but the categories mix well.

The other catalog is from the Truck and Car Shop (truckandcarshop.com). They're in California and their prices are good. They specialize in the details of restoration for a variety of specific domestic vehicles such as ’55-’57 Chevys, ’70-’81 Camaros, ’47-54 Chevy pickups, etc. These year-specific categories include the vehicles made in Detroit during a manufacturing period  between significant design changes. For example: the Chevy trucks had a significant design change in 1947 from the Pre-War pickup chassis and body style and they generally stayed with that design until mid-1954, when they changed the frame width, length, engine options, glass, body styling, etc. As an example; parts from a ’47 will bolt onto a ’53, with exceptions. 

The same description applies to the Camaro although when discussing Camaros and Corvettes the hobby chooses to lump them into ‘generations’. The first generation Camaro was from 1967 to 1970. Then, there were some significant changes made to the model. Again in 1982 for the Third Gen Camaro. I have Gen II, Gen III and Gen IV Camaros in the driveway. Camaros are a good investment because you can get into them rather cheaply and they look terrific and perform great when you make the right changes. Then when you're done with it you should have no problem selling it. The largest engine Chevrolet made was available in the Camaro and Corvette and all offered 4-speeds and later 5-speeds. The Camaro is sometimes referred to as the “Poor Man’s Corvette”.

Speaking of Camaros and Corvettes, there are a few categories within these models.

     For the purist, they must be restored to factory perfection using GM parts (not aftermarket) and then only driven or trailered to the car show. Corvettes are strongly kept stock. The Gen I Camaros fall into this category also; many owners decide to restore them rather than modify. In that case, they make sure the engine and trans and all the components have the correct factory stamping on them as the originals. It’s referred to as a “numbers matching” car.

·         For the performance enthusiast there are two subcategories:

o   Some guys will install the largest engine available and use all high performance components including superchargers & turbos. The interior may have a roll cage or roll bar over the driver/passenger and minimal comforts. Tires are oversize and gearing is aggressive. Certainly no air conditioning, but outrageous paint.

o   Other guys will install a modestly modified version of the smaller of the two engine sizes, the Small Block engine (SBC), which came in a 265 cubic inch up to a 400 cubic inch version, or one of the larger size blocks that came in 396, 427 or 454ci size. Then they'll make suspension upgrades and interior modifications that enhance handling and performance but are much more “streetable” than one with a highly modified engine.

All of my cars use the SBC although I have one 454ci engine in a broken-down pickup that I’ll be using in something that comes along. The small block is the most popular engine in hot rodding, hands down. They’re so common that every aftermarket manufacturer makes most of their parts to work with it. They may not make a performance intake manifold for a Jeep V6 but you can be sure they’ll make one for the SBC. This makes the Chevy small block such a good choice for so many hobbyists because the costs are lower without sacrificing fun. A well built small block can make 1,000 hp. Mine are around 300 hp and they really get rolling. This is the engine your Dad had in his ’55 sedan. I have about 10 of them on the property. The last few years I’ve been installing them with Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) and especially a version produced in Camaros an Corvettes between ’85 through ’89 called Tuned Port Injection (TPI). I’ll attach a picture of the Corvette version of the TPI engine. It’s impressive looking, produces high torque for a small displacement engine and is very efficient.

 It’s important that you encourage and nurture your spouse as your interest grows. Take her to the local car shows and help her realize how beautiful she will look behind the wheel of your hot rod on Girls Night Out. Saturate her with exposure to the finished product in magazines and at the shows, not so much on the relic you both pass on the way to church. When you're looking for a project car, try to match your choice to your skills, experience, tools and budget. In other words, choose a project that doesn’t need a lot of work for your first one and when you sell, don’t forget to show your wife the cash, green-backed dollar-money and give her some to spend as she sees fit. Get a set of coveralls or a pair of jeans that you only wear to the garage and maybe the parts store so you don’t lounge around the house in your greasies. Remember, your wife’s friends will undoubtedly see you at your worst when you run to the parts store in that torn shirt and those grease-stained jeans. Wear exam gloves as you tinker so your hands can be clean when you stroke Kaitlin’s cheek or hold the babies that come your way. Don’t shy away from an opportunity to do the dishes by hand. This is a reward-packed exercise for you plus it keeps your fingernails clean and your hands nice, although you don’t need to state your motivation up front.

 I have a bad habit of not finishing what I start and buying something interesting and starting over before finishing the first project. But, if the project is done properly, using your own labor and help from your network of buddies, you can reclaim every dollar you spent plus a profit when you sell to start the next project. Never keep track of the hours you spend working on the car. If you do, you'll realize that you earned the lowest wage in the hemisphere. The reason you're doing it is for the fun and the challenge. The dollars you earn on the first project help pay for subsequent ones and you keep rolling the fund over so the hobby supports itself. For a guy who is not self-employed, it's difficult to augment your income. This is a source that you control, and you can plan to complete & sell one or two project cars a year without depleting grocery money. Your first one is the most important. Make it simple, share the fun with your wife, sell it for a profit. Don't fall in love with it and tell people that you'll never be able to see it go. If your wife hears this it will be a hobby killer. If you're like most of us, you’ll meet people along the way who share your skills and interests (and will help with tools and assistance) and will become life-long friends. Don't be hesitant to loan a tool or go to help another gear head, but never charge them for the assistance. Someday they'll be in your garage helping you out.

In summary, you could spend your discretionary income on many enjoyable things (and your wife may have some ideas of her own), but my hobby cars have given me much enjoyment for the dollar, and my skills have grown along with my involvement. A man once told me that there are three things a man needs in this life to be happy: 
1. Something worthwhile to do. 2. Someone to love. 3. Something to look forward to. 
This hobby fits well into a more than one of those headings. Have fun.