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building from the ground up...help

2K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  1badss396 
#1 ·
Hi everyone! Hopefully someone out there can help. I am very new to working on cars and very inexperienced, but i absolutely love cars, esp muscle cars, esp chevelles lol. My goal one (soon) is to start building one from the ground up. Essentially I would like to buy my own parts and assemble them with a nice big chevy engine and a chevelle body...the only problem is i don't know where to start...or end.

Can Anyone supply me with a broad to slightly detailed list of the steps i need to take to make an empty garage into a built car?

My plan is to take automotive classes specific to what i'm doing with the car at that time. for instance, if you have to start with the frame of the car, i would take auto classes all about the frame of the car. if the engine is next, i would take classes enabling me to build and maintain an engine.

After years of schooling and practice, I will hopefully have a great deal of knowlege and a lot more experience where i can continue working on cars either restoring or building.

Thank you, and i appreciate any help i can get!!!

Chris
 
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#2 ·
Start with your favorite year chevelle. Thats what i did. then one day i just started tearing it down. Next thing you know my garage was wall to wall parts. Then i just picked one item and finished it then moved to the next one. A year later i was cruizing the highway. There was a few things i hired out like final paint, upolstery and the vinyl top. Everything else was done at home.
 
#3 ·
Chris,

You are starting on a very large project with no experience and making it much more difficult by wanting to build from the ground up. Your request for a list of steps would not help much if you don't know how to do the steps.

I suggest that you start with a complete running car and learn about working on them one piece at a time.

There are schools that teach mechanics but they teach about modern cars, not 60s technology. I talked with a recent graduate and they didn't see a carburetor and had no idea how to work on them.

If you want to learn about old cars, go to cruises and car shows, get acquainted with people who have the cars you like and tell them what you want to do. They may be able to help you or point you the right direction in the Seattle area.

Helping someone work on their car is a way to make friends, help you learn and help them.

Don't let me discourage you from you dream of owning a Chevelle, keep pursuing it.

Good luck.
 
#4 ·
#6 ·
I hope you have DEEEEEP pockets. starting a frame off as your first car is going to be a expensive learning experience. Like others say and will say. Find yourself a decent car/year of your choice, and make sure its a driver. Start by getting it running nicely, then maybe tackle the interior, Do a bunch of detailing, rebuild the suspension, etc. If you have a driving car and go through each major system ie, brakes, suspension, AC, interior, you can keep the car driving for the most part and be able to enjoy your car as you fix it up. Nothing like having a exploded car sitting in the garage for years just sucking up money and having no way of getting any benefits of driving it. jim
 
#7 ·
You might be the rare, in-experienced guy that could take such a project and actually see it thru. If so, you are probably one in a hundred. The best advice has allready been given. Buy a car you like that is running, but not a show car or restored car. You will find you will probably have to re-do most of it anyway. At least with a complete, running car you are not totally lost and you can work on it as needed and learn each system as you do it.
 
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