My idea on cars is to get one you like and fix it up the way you like it and drive it and have fun, What not to do it put so much money in it that you afraid to drive it anymore, Or build a killer motor you cant keep gas in, Or gears that are so low you have to drive 45 MPH, Keep your car fun and drive on ! When looking for a Hot Rod don't settle for a car that is not exactly what you are looking for, If you buy one and it don't have the wheels you like or the paint color you like or the interior you like, But you think you can just get used to it, In the end it is going to cost you a lot of money as you will proebly lose interest in the car, And end up replacing the items or trading the car off, Ether way it will cost a lot of money, So it is always better to keep looking until you find the right car, And when buying a Hot Rod always make sure the guy that is selling the car can tell you what the parts where from, So you can get parts later, Like what model & year car was the front end and rear end from, What year is the motor and trans from, What is the master cyl. from, What car did the wipers come from, How accrete is the gas gauge, And what is the rear end gear ratio, If its to low geared you cant drive to fast and you get really bad gas mileage, This information is all very important, And dose the title say kit car, Home built, Salvage vehicle, Dose the vin. number on the body & frame mach the title, If you are looking at a steel body car, Take a magnet with you, ask the owner if you can check for rust ! If he look scared or dose not want you to, Look for a different car ! You should use a small magnet and put a thin cloth over it so you don't scratch the paint, See if it will stick to the car in places where you would expect the car to rust, If you find a place the magnet will not stick, You have just found a hole or a very deep dent that was filled with body filler,( That Is Bad ) Check around the lower parts of the car, This where most cars will rust, Always look at the floor pans and the trunk floor for rust or repairs.
I feel like repairs are ok as long as they where done right ! After all it is an old car and it will most likely have some rust or repair, Just make sure it was welded ! Not just a patch that is held in place by pop rivets or screws, A little time spent looking the car over is time well spent and can save you a lot of time and money later, I would advise you to never buy a car that someone has already disassembled ! That is a big problem as there is no way you will know where everything goes back on the car and you will most likely not have all the parts that came from the car in most cases, try to find a car that is all in one peace if you are planning on building a car from the ground up.
