under 3000. club.....?

R

ronn

Well-known member
was thinking how there are a lot of young folks out there with a budget-
so why not an under 3000. club?
that's right-3000. club

I have bought a few A chassis and built truck jalopies in the 1500.-2500. range
not show vehicles of course, but good running, fun parade type vehicles
rusty pickup beds are out there-even sedans etc can on occasion be picked up on the cheap
so what say you to sending in photos of under 3000. builds-I dont care if it was under 3000. 20 years ago, just basic cheap builds to inspire the less fortunate..............
and no, not hot rods, must be a model A chassis............
 
Excellent idea! However, I suspect that getting a model A hoarder to part with the stuff to get the job done would be like pulling hen's teeth. Too, there needs to be some good research on a state by state basis on how to register an A built with parts and pieces. Might be a good project for MARC and MAFCI.
 
Always on a budget, but know $3000 does not build much of a car. Just getting most of the pieces for the delivery sedan was a bit over $3500. Lots still to buy as far as rebuild kits, paint and services. Rod
 
Im in there Ronn. We bought a complete 29 Tudor for $400 and then my father took all the body pieces to build a rod. I reused the chassis and scrounged swap meets to find enough parts to build a good enough body.
 
My son who was 15 years old at the time bought this 31 tudor in 2011 for
$ 3,000.00
Deal of a life time

Mike
 
I think depending on where you live. And what kind of skills you have. Building a car for three thousand is possible. Most are not out tk win any shows. Or worried that everything be exactly correct. If you are able to find a motor that runs. And be able to paint it yourself. You can do it. Or maybe get lucky and find a hot rodder getting rid of everything but the body for cheap.
 
A few years back I went with my son to look at a roadster which was advertised as a bargain. My son called that night and the seller told my son to go to school the next day and the car would be there when he got home the next night. The next day, I looked over the car with my son. The seller who was my age politely told me to excuse myself during the negotiations; he said he wanted to sell his father's car from a son to a son. I left my son with the advice not to haggle. The seller made my son promise not to streetrod the car and to keep it in the same or better condition than when he found it. He also told my son no contracts were to be signed to this effect; he only wanted my son's word which my son gave.

My son has kept his word and is slowly making mechanical improvements to the car with body work coming later. I can't help thinking of years ago when I helped a neighbor kid who said he needed a Mustang engine and I sold him mine for a bargain. He turned around and re-sold it at a profit. Somewhere between these two transactions there's a lesson. Maybe it's that Model A people are cut from better cloth.
 
tmiller6 said:
A few years back I went with my son to look at a roadster which was advertised as a bargain. My son called that night and the seller told my son to go to school the next day and the car would be there when he got home the next night. The next day, I looked over the car with my son. The seller who was my age politely told me to excuse myself during the negotiations; he said he wanted to sell his father's car from a son to a son. I left my son with the advice not to haggle. The seller made my son promise not to streetrod the car and to keep it in the same or better condition than when he found it. He also told my son no contracts were to be signed to this effect; he only wanted my son's word which my son gave.

My son has kept his word and is slowly making mechanical improvements to the car with body work coming later. I can't help thinking of years ago when I helped a neighbor kid who said he needed a Mustang engine and I sold him mine for a bargain. He turned around and re-sold it at a profit. Somewhere between these two transactions there's a lesson. Maybe it's that Model A people are cut from better cloth.
Click to expand...

I use to think that they were when I was a kid . My father always said they were not. Some are good but many are not. I've found many to be amoung the rudest.
 
I would be willing to bet. If you showed up at a event with a 3,000 dollar model a you built. There would be quite a few pick it to pieces. I put model a guys up there with Corvette guys. You get a few real good guys. And the rest want to tell you what's wrong with yours.
 
OK about 15 years ago I bought an antique british motorcycle for 2,500 bucks never got around to doing anything with it sold it 2 years ago for just under 10 grand and purchased my late 30 tudor for 8 Gs and put about 2 thou into it ....does that count I got under 3 into it...:D
 
I inherited my 31 coupe so I WAS in the under 3000 club however it was a typical worn out Model A where you had to aim for a tree to stop the thing so I wound up spending nearly 2-3 times the "3000" restoring the chassis and ALL the mechanicals including engine, trans, rear end, brakes, etc. Now I'm going to be getting into the bodywork :eek:. I guess for me its not the money but the journey and having fun with it. It was grandpa's car so that makes it special. It would be a fun challenge to build some great deals like that but I only have the space for 1 project and since now I'm living in the big city suburbs having a car that 1. Stops, 2. Handles properly, and 3. is somewhat reliable is much more important than if I were out in the country like my granddad was. I also want to actually drive my car and put on some real miles so reliability and safety matter. I'm not too worried what others think but I like the historical aspect of the model A, and I'm a detail oriented guy so I'm making an effort in my repairs and restoration to keep it looking correct and driving like it did in 1931. Yep, I left the 3000 club a while ago.:rolleyes:
 
I think im right at 3grand...just got a cab that needs completely restored yet...and buy tubes and tires - theres another grand lol.

Sometimes I think model A's are like the acronym for a Boat - Bust Out Another Thousand lol

Other times its like brake pads for my modern car cost HOW much?!?!?! i can buy new model A shoes for half that!
 
I bought my 1929 Roadster PU for $600 on Labor Day 1970. Started on it and then it became one of those "in the barn" Model A's for 34 years. It's a "work in progress" now. Someday I'll have it finished, progress is slower than I'd like, but progressing.

I don't know what the actual parts cost will be when I'm finished. Now if you include the shop I built, or the tools I've bought it will be high.
I could have junked it and bought a finished one two years ago for about $10,000, but it wouldn't be saving one, and I really wouldn't know what I bought.

I'm doing most of the work myself and it won't please some, but if it pleases me, my long-suffering wife, my three sons who started on it with me in 1970 then I'll be happy.

ADVICE for the 3000club. Buy it and get on with it. Find one that runs and run it.

Ted
 
Just under $3k got me a 28 Sport Coupe in kinda rough cond. They dont come as cheap here as they do in the mid west. I will get a pic of it up asap.
 
This is exactly what I was hoping for, some good stories and photos...........

keep it coming!

The point is fun fun fun and not always big bucks.
 
hello
my tudor was left to me by my uncal i am in the middle of repainting it but i guess i'm not in the under 3000 club the motor rebuild was 3200 and adding
kevin
1930 model a tudor
1923 model t roadser p/u
 
I'm going to weigh in on something here and pose a question or two.

Suppose an average 'All-American kid' does purchase a Model-A for under $3k, ...what does he do then? Most of them do not have even the basic tools to do any kind of repair/restoration work, ....nor do the kid's parents.

Next (s)he must find a place to work on it. Society has changed over the past few decades where many town's zoning ordinances & HOA deed restrictions now prohibit inoperable and/or unlicensed vehicles in sight on a residential property. That typically rules out working in the driveway. Can they afford to rent a place?

So even if a young person finds a car for $3k, I'm not sure their struggles are over. Just some thoughts.
 
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