I'm not really sure and kinda scared to ask. I know we got all the engine parts for around $1200 in a package deal with a 51 Ford Business Coupe but then we turned around and sold the Coupe and some other used parts for around $1000. So basically we've got a hot rod flathead for $200 not counting labor. The truck itself was free. We've got a good bit in metal and cutting/welding supplies too but overall we haven't had to buy many hard parts for it other than the engine.
it's already badass looking! You also probably wouldnt have to hard of a time making back that money (and then some) if you sold it when it is finished either.
A couple of possibilities, in case you're looking. Painless wiring makes great wiring harnesses and components. Their standard insulation is pretty high temp. Headers are going to shed a bit more heat, so you might want to insulate the wires/hoses near them. If you're tempted to go with the braided steel hose look. The best source I've found is TechnaFit. www.techna-fit.com They run about 1/3 the price of our local hose shop. Very nice for hoses you never have to worry about blowing. You do have to use rubber lined adel clamps, though, since the stainless hose will abrade through damn near anything. A fantastic manufacturer of gauges is Revolution Gauges. www.speedhut.com They are the old Autometer factory, who were laid off when the company sold out to an outfit in Chicago, then sold to China. The son of the founder started up a new company with the best of the old folks. Sweet, fully electric gauges. They even have a GPS speedo. Tow trucks see lots of sitting in one spot, pulling a heavy engine load. a cold air box for the carbs, with external ducted hoses might prolong the years available to that snarling flathead. (no ducted hoses for the one in the picture, because there's a scoop right above it.) Considering the work you've already done, the carb box ought to be easy for you. The latest generation of that box has the walls detachable from the bottom, so you don't have to break the carb/intake seal to do major carb fiddling. Here's a secret: our fuel filters are actually hydraulic filters from McMaster www.mcmaster.com: 9800K523 Pipe-Fitting Hydraulic Oil Filter Inline, 3/8 NPT Female, 90 Micron $21.46 Each it's rated for 3,000 psi, the filter element is sintered bronze and is removable/cleanable with carb cleaner spray (in case you get rusty gas tanks flaking, or other deterioration) the filter is available in several meshes, 90 micron is the biggest. If you're PTO is hydrualic, this might extend some life there too. If you don't mind welding a bung on your fuel tank, I can hook you up with an outfit that makes a capacitative aluminum straw in custom lengths for boat fuel level sensors. no moving parts, outputs a standard electrical signal for fuel level gauges. About $100 each. Never mess with sinking floats or corroded/broken resistance wire contacts again. As a final note, I'd check that oil can above the engine very carefully, it's pressurized oil, and they're notorious for getting rust pinholes. I can attest that the fine stream of hot oil squirted in my face was extremely painful. Worse yet, the spray can hit an inner fender, clearing the exhaust, and your first clue is a seized engine. That would be a damn shame. I'd also give serious consideration to fabbing up a twin carb air cleaner base/lid. The filters on it look pretty small. Good luck with that beast. It's got potential.
For a really stunning look for very, very little work or bucks... You could remove all the nuts, bolts and small steel whatnots and have them tumble plated with Zinc Chromate. It's a bright gold finish which looks slightly better than the cadmium plating that Ford used originally, and isn't as toxic. Paint all the body parts disassembled, and hopefully laying flat, as shooting the panels horizontally reduces paint runs to almost zero. Then assemble the painted panels with all those bright gold fasteners showing stunning accents. If you have a parts truck to steal the fasteners from, it's easy as pie. Also, for those rubber/steel hybrid parts, like motor mounts, trans mounts & hood stops, the zinc chromate plating happily plates the steel and leaves the rubber alone. The bonus is that the plating is also extremely rust resistant when applied properly. While we were at it, we'd throw every steel part smaller than a 4" cube into the plating bucket. Hose clamps, leaf spring shackles, brake hardware... And gold accents are especially beautiful with red paint. Glasruit Ferrari 307 was always my favorite red. A deep blood red found on Ferrari's everywhere. If that color doesn't do for you, I'd recommend cruising the new car lots, and picking out a new car color. Once you use a standard paint code, you aren't screwed by trying to match a one off custom color 6 years from now after some idiot sideswipes your truck.
SI those are some good ideas. However, we're building a rat. Cheap as possible, no flashy stuff, flat black brush-on/spray paint when we're done. The truck is also not going to be used for towing any more, just as a once-a-month-or-so driver and for local car shows. The PTO isn't ever going to get used again. We've got a small tumbler for the few bolts that we're able to re-use but most were in such bad shape rust-wise they just had to be cut apart.
Back when we started, we were poor like Kenny McCormick. Some stuff I learned restoring Mustangs while poor... "Gold" (zinc chromate) plating: Cheap. Used in large scale industrial manufacturing. Steel bolts and nuts are plated from the manufacturer. Years of life wear the plating away, and a tumbler removes whatever was left. Painting won't protect the bolts, unless they're dipped. We found that gorgeous paint jobs would be quickly ruined by rust bleeding out from under the bolts (where the sprayed on paint couldn't reach). Pretty heartbreaking. We started buying cheap, rusted, junker mustangs, and would take them apart to nothing, with air impact guns in a few hours. I don't remember how much a five gallon bucket of hardware cost to plate, but it wasn't much, and again, at the time we were poor. Our local platers called it "tumble plating" where the parts landed in a rotating drum, and were cleaned, stripped and zinc chromate plated. That was many years ago, so EPA regs may have sent the cost sky high by now. We also had tumblers running about 24/7, since the cleaner our bolts were when they left, the better they looked coming back. The best part about the tumble plating was the parts could sit on the shelf for years without rusting. We sold lots of the "pretty gold bolts" to other guys restoring Fords. Cheap ass paint: For black paint, we found that semi-gloss black (also called 'satin black') was a perfect match for Ford's original engine compartment black color. And it's on the shelf at Walmart. Spray on "Engine Enamel" paint sticks to anything, including water and grease. High temp ceramic barbecue paint, also in Walmart's paint section is a perfect cheap exhaust paint. Yes indeedy, you can ceramic coat your own exhaust at about $5 a can, instead of $500 from Jet-Hot coatings. We still use it on header/sidepipe combos, for the few guys who don't want to spring for stainless, or are dead set on "original" looks. Nearly free secret to make anything look expensively restored: Take it apart, clean the parts thoroughly. Paint the main part, case, block, whatever one base color. Paint the bolt-on parts a different color. Semi-gloss black is a universally good small part color. Assemble with new bolts. If new bolts are unavailable, dip the heads of the bolts in paint a different color than what they are fastening (the main part's color is good). If spraying, mask the threads and spray underside of bolts first (standing on their heads on a clean surface is a good start) then invert and spray the tops, usually jammed into slit cardboard. Assemble carefully, and touch up wrench scarred paint. Your transmission/gear box/differential/whatever now looks like a million bucks, and you spent nothing but time and spray paint. It's not flashy, it just looks damned good, in an understated, quality way. Anyway, like I said, it's been years, and we haven't touched Mustangs this century, so the plating costs are certainly out of date. Just trying to help out a brother with an opportunity. The secrets I've discussed here were indispensible for our poor, unknown, small time shop taking a couple of world record sale prices at Barret-Jackson. Well, this post blew a saturday afternoon. I hope somebody around here gets something useful out of it. We're all in this together, and I'm pulling for ya. --Red Green
I repainted my 4th gen Prelude with Gloss Rustoleum Black. Rolled it on with high-density foam rollers too. All told cost me around $200. Here was the hood after I was done with 6 coats + 2000grit wetsanding:
For a second, I was like "Man, that doesn't look like it was painted at all" Then I realized that I was looking at the ceiling from the reflection. Damn fine job, sir.
I was first too like Wtf who paints their cars like that? And then i realized it was a reflection Anyways you got a great project going there skiwi cant wait to see more!
Big update today. To start with - truck drove under its own power around the parking lot today. Now to the pics and details: Steering column, seats and power brake booster are out of an 89 Toyota Camry. Not sure if we'll keep these seats or not but they were super cheap out of a wrecked car with the other parts and they work for testing if nothing else. Floor is plywood. Floorboard clearance is TIGHT my giant legs can barely fold up in there. That's right, the shifter knob is a vintage Miller Genuine Draft beer tap. There's a smaller one for the PTO lever in the pic above. Building the framework for the lower bedside extensions. Should get some flat sheet steel ordered next week. And this will be our gas tank. Relocating from behind the seat (no room now) to under the bed on the passenger side, just behind the cab. Should be hidden by the lower bedside. Next idea is to mount a propane tank on the opposite side and plumb in some "flamethrowers" for the exhaust system which is yet to be built.
It's not going to be out in the weather so no not really. We're probably not even going to put side windows back in it.
Boxed the bed back in with new sheet steel. Just need to pretty up some of the welding and it'll be ready for paint. Right now without the cab it looks like some kind of war chariot or something. Also added a hitch receiver on the rear. And cleaning up the cab to get ready for paint (yes it's on a rolling jetski dolly).
That looks badass. Your next rat rod project should be remaking the Delta 88 from Army of the Darkness.. The version with the fuckin chopper on it.
Cab is back from paint, bed/chassis is also done but it is going to the muffler shop to get the exhaust welded up before we put the cab back on. Some of the "highlight" parts are done in a orange-ish red that REALLY stands out against the flat black.
Big photo update! Harley turn signals for stop/turn lights Painted coffee can works great for a steering column cover
It's been a while, but here are some new pics: Front fenders on: New rear tires! 275/70R16 10 ply with smoothie wheel covers: Chains for the tow boom:
