Funding the build

[rusty76]

I'm curious how some of you guys fund your projects or truck builds. I've been working on a plan to put my old truck back on the road and I'm curious as to how you went about funding the project. Did you save up? Did you sell a previous project to fund your new one? Did just save and buy? What kind of budget did you start out with? Was it a thousand? Maybe ten? How did you do it or continue to fund your ride? Maybe you sold parts and used that money. Maybe you got a newspaper route. Maybe it is none of my beeswax. That's fine too.

I hope to see some inventive ways you've gone about funding your ride. Thanks.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

I stole radiators across the nation the more money you make the faster it goes otherwise its a slow process for me
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[russgt]

Saved up a little money and planned out the build. Every month I spend a few hundred bucks on parts to keep the project moving. I take a list of the parts that I need and the cash that I saved to swap meets to look for good deals on parts.

[C-10 simplex]

If you've already purchased the truck and am trying to figure out how to "fund" it, then this is already a bad move.

What i would suggest would be work on getting the truck running first.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

When you work on it keep a lot of the old crap and scrap it for money. Some things can be refurbished to usable condition. Buy quality where it counts and skimp on paint and the niceties
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[rusty76]

I've had my truck for like 15 years now. My curiousity is that some people build on super tight budgets and others build on rediculous money is no figure budgets. How do you fund such builds? Are you selling previous projects off? Are you doing the swapmeet gig? Are you lucky enough to have alot of help and people in the "scene?" Maybe you are a one man show and have alot of time and make it happen peice by peice.

I agree if you just bought the truck and are wondering how I'm going to make the next power bill then that's just stupid.

[cory d]

i have been taking it slow. not many 21 year olds can afford to do it quikly anyways

[Restrorob]

Well, I started my frame up 74 build 12 yrs ago and haven't been able to make time to work on it for the last 6 yrs. I started with the money I almost put down on a new truck, Right at the last minute I came to my senses and realized I could build mine and have a better/classic truck for less money. While I don't have rediculous money I don't have a budget either, If I see something I want and have the money I buy it.

One of these days I'll get back on it and get this 8k plus in parts out of my house, Then enjoy my new truck !

[jrblanke]

I bought a running driving truck that I could work on a little at a time so that I would not lose interest.

As far as funding goes, my wife and I use a 0 base budget every pay period. Meaning, we allocate every cent of our income to something, then we track where the money goes. Currency is like river (get it...current...), it flows places. We just have to tell it where to go. Anyways, we always budget some money every month for each one of us to use to play with. For her it is shopping or crafts, and for me it is my truck. Any time we have left over money for food or gas at the end of the pay period, we can apply that for our fun money.

If there is something I would like that costs more than what I can save for in a few pay periods, I will work some over time, or sell some stuff on ebay or craigslist. Right now I would like to get a lowering kit, so I am selling some of the collectables I have accumulated over the years.

I would like to think that if I start out with the right project, I can end up with a nice enough truck that I could sell it to fund my next project. So this time around it will take me longer since I am having to slowly save up for the parts, but once I sell the truck I will get a percentage of that money back out of it to put in the next project....or thats the plan anyway.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

You can lower your truck for free just about. Cut a coil off the front springs and buy two leaf spring perches and flip the axle over the leafs. Then the rear spring hanger gets flipped upside down and raises it just a bit and you get a 3-4 drop
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[kwin]

I bought 4 suburbans for 400 dollars, parting them out to pay for the interior upgrades.
I think I can get 300 per 350, 200+ for the turbo 400's lots to be made in body parts.
I think it will work out.

[1LowToy]

I started mine off with a workers comp issue (Cancer) and I was awarded some green. After that it was buying and selling bicycles. I live in the mountains and people buy nice new bikes and really don't have the gumption to ride them afeter the get them. My brother lives in the bicycle capital of he world Davis California. It's cheaper for the students to buy my used bikes than it is to get theirs repaired. But that's over with as he is no longer interested in selling them, but we did make a ton of cash. Same goes for lawn mowers up here. I've bought two like new that were too full of oil and smoked like the dickens for $10 each. One honda that I'm still using. Things have slowed down due to the economy but there's alway scrap metal. Unfortunately I keep trying to restore the scrap metal (making trailers) A stepside is in the works now and coming soon.

My truck is going real slow these days cause moma wants things too (Trip to Alaska). Yeah that's gonns take some time to pay for.
My brother bought a nice used jaguar with his bike money. To bad he has no clue how to maintain it. I told him the best thing he could buy for it was a AAA towing card

[rwhit57]

I've looked at everyone of my projects over the years as an investment. That idea is not for everybody. If you plan on keeping your truck forever then it doesn't matter what you do, but if the need or desire to sell it comes up, a wise build will pay off. Buy, build, or fixup within your means and do as much as you can yourself. Buying a good parts truck can workout great by keeping all the good pieces and selling off the rest to recoup the funds. I disagree 110% with the skimp on paint suggestion, along with the $50 paint job. As far as I'm concerned this ruins any chance of re-selling the truck. If your not going to spend the time or money to paint a truck right leave it alone, at least you won't kill the re-sale value if you ever have to part with it. Never know when you might see one you want more. My .02 worth.

[mopar346]

It's my car payment, most people pay $350-500 a month for a car, I just buy parts and other cars with my money. Most of my daily drivers have been 20-30 years old, my Comet is almost 50. Just more fun in the old stuff. I wanted a dually so I could build one or go pay $40k for one...................hmmm, I like building stuff anyway.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

I meant to say skip the painting and niceties
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[meter swinger]

I drive older stuff so I have no payments. Im almost done putting more money than I can stomach thinking about into lanscaping my yard. That is almost done so that cash can be redirected every month to one of the projects. I have one rig (travelall) that will be sold to fund an IFS set up for my 59. My two squares will have to wait thier turn.
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[arturo7]

I have a sales job. Whenever I bag a new customer, a portion of the commission goes into the truck budget. It's a win/win; business grows and truck gets built.

That's how I bought the truck as well. I had a customer visit in Central Cali. I looked at the truck in the morning before meeting with the customer. The meeting went way better than I expected and we received the PO later that day. The next morning I bought the truck before I drove home.

[rusty76]

Thanks for replying guys, this helps not only myself but others as well.

[68C15]

we're supposed to "build" our trucks and make them look good?! damnit!!!