How much of your current ride, did you build?

[danny waters sr]

Started from scratch 3 years ago on a 66 nova 4-door 283 stocker. My son and i did everything but roll bar, engine & ,trans. this was a parts car a guy had and was keeping for the front clip. Was way cheaper than a two door and is diff and gets a lot of looks. I took before pics and after pics. As i said 3 years and still working while running it. It will be my last one that i build ,the next one will be already done ( if there is a next one ).

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by drooze

Anyone can pay someone to do it all by other people , FEW do it all themselves, they get "looked down on" by SOME who just throw money at vendors, which is stupid as hell, Id rather have a cosmetically shaky car done all myself than a "trailer queen" I just paid people to do. People say "Oh who did X" Sometimes, not all, you hear hesitation in their voice "Uhhh I did" ....."Oh" a snooty reply from someone who is incapable of doing it themselves.

No doubt, this will be me, one day. if we ever get our car(s) together. Three things are driving me in the direction of doing the majority of the work this time. One, I'm a cheap bas%&#d, two is poverty and three, having been out of this for so long, I flat don't know anyone, anymore that I trust!

I'm gonna be upfront, neither my bracket car or my stocker will be show cars, no pretense at all. I am going to make the best effort I can to insure that they will be safe, sound and as nice as I can make them. Likely, they'll both look more like the cars of old, that weren't always as nice as we wish they were.

If someone wants to look down their nose at me. That's fine, I'm an old man now, I've come to be comfortable in my own skin. Trust me, I won't have a problem pulling up to that line next to ANYONE. At my age, if I put you back on the trailer, that'll be good enough for me. If I lose, ahh, come on by the trailer, there's bound to be a cold drink to share and I can BS with the best of them.

[Wade Mahaffey]

Hats off to the folks that build their own stuff, even if it's just assembling the components built by others. The more YOU do, the more meaningful your success will be !

If I were to "win" class with someone elses engine...win "best engineered" in a bought car...I may have gotten the trophy...but, it would be the same as getting a "Super Bowl" ring even though you watched the whole game from the bench. The win is hollow for me...I would give it to the engine builder...car builder....They earned it ! If you win the "Eliminator" in a bought car, good for you....if you build it, and then win with it your a BAD MAN. For that, is the ULTIMATE ! (my opinion)

Wade Mahaffey

[NewHemi]

Drooze gives me a lot of credit for work on the car, and I did push through the nonsense to buy it and I still pay the bills, and I did do a bit of work from time to time, but frankly the current nature of drag racing, and sophistication of the technology leaves me following his lead for most of the work that I can still physically do...

But at 64 and after undergoing chemo every other week for a couple of years (soon to start back on it, but I took a break from it to get the car ready for Pomona .. and we didn't get there, so kept off it so I could make Phoneix.... didn't make that either..but here we are ready for the divisional in Atlanta and hoping to make Gainesville next week..)

But at my age, and in my condition, I just don't have the physical strength and overall stamina to work on a car like I used to do.....and it sucks to not be able to do it like I used to.

But I guess that is why we have kids.. so we can live vicariously through them when we get older...

At the end of the day, I pay the bills, and I was involved in every decision, and some of the actual work, but Drooze really did build most of the car himself.

David
The New Hemi Guy
________
MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD

[Mike Taylor 3601]

I did everything on my car except notch seat for shifter and had upholstery guy do carpet.I did all machine work on engine,dyno,carb,mufflers(pure stock)rear end,trans auto first then 4 speed when found out was'nt 3 speed only car clutch setup,roll cage what paint work has been done but the outside has'nt been repainted since I have had car I'm going to do that in year or two. 7-8 years ago before found out they were 4 speed car was getting ready to start my own converter deal was going to build billet alum. bolt together was my plan wanted bolt together but knew alum. was only way it would be light enough to work. If I did't do my own stuff I could'nt race and still don't get to much.

Mike Taylor 3601
Forgot Bullet did cam.

[SCOTT SST2871]

Your right wade,ive won alot of races,most of them in my car.but the wallys have come while driving for someone else...i built the engine in that car and did all the dialing and weather but, its still not my car
scott fifield

[treessavoy]

'64 Max Wedge Ply.

Did everything but paint, machine work and interior.

JimR

[W J]

Originally Posted by NewHemi

Drooze gives me a lot of credit for work on the car, and I did push through the nonsense to buy it and I still pay the bills, and I did do a bit of work from time to time, but frankly the current nature of drag racing, and sophistication of the technology leaves me following his lead for most of the work that I can still physically do...

But at 64 and after undergoing chemo every other week for a couple of years (soon to start back on it, but I took a break from it to get the car ready for Pomona .. and we didn't get there, so kept off it so I could make Phoneix.... didn't make that either..but here we are ready for the divisional in Atlanta and hoping to make Gainesville next week..)

But at my age, and in my condition, I just don't have the physical strength and overall stamina to work on a car like I used to do.....and it sucks to not be able to do it like I used to.

But I guess that is why we have kids.. so we can live vicariously through them when we get older...

At the end of the day, I pay the bills, and I was involved in every decision, and some of the actual work, but Drooze really did build most of the car himself.

David
The New Hemi Guy

David, my hat goes off to both you AND your son, Chris......Just the fact that a father and son can work side-by-side on a project such as the one you undertook together speaks volumes on the type of people you are....Here's to alot of fun and success w/your DP once you both get some serious seat time with it......WJ

[RJ]

I can do everything myself except transmissions, welding, and painting. The mechanical/technological aspects and restrictions is what attracts me to stock/super stock. No matter what it may run, I am never satisfied with the performance of my car, and am always looking for more.

[art leong]

I did everthing but the trans,machine work, welding, and paint. Plus I got quite a bit of help with the tuning.
Talk about a jigsaw puzzle. I got my motor in pieces, never having to first take it apart, Never even saw a 2.4 Chrysler other than pictures. Plus this was my first tunable EFI car. And i am a positive is red, negative is black, Kind of guy.
This year I have graduated adjusting the tune from reading the data logger. And usually I'm lost if the number is more than 20 (fingers and toes)