The ever-escalating cost of building or buying a hot rod is leaving more and more would-be hot rodders behind. This book will get those hopefuls off the sidelines by showing how a hot rod can be built for less than the cost of, say, a new Hyundai. Author Dennis Parks documents his own project--building a quintessentially cool Model T roadster from a "Track-T" kit--showing in step-by-step detail how to turn a pile of parts into a rockin hot rod. He provides a detailed, easy-to-follow guide for building a car of your own. The advice and instructions cover every aspect of an affordable hot rod build, from establishing the target vehicle and budget, to finding parts, building the car, and fine tuning the finished vehicle on the road. With Parks' money-saving tips and photo-supported how-to sequences, virtually anyone with minimal mechanical skills and the will to use them can be sure of building their hot rod right, and for the right price. The book also includes a full resource guide and recommendations for further reading. Hot rods are more popular than ever, but that popularity has driven up the cost of original parts and finished cars, making hot rodding more expensive than ever. But there’s hope for the hot rodder with a limited budget: How To Build a Cheap Hot Rod. This book shows how to create a great hot rod without breaking the bank. Author and hot rod builder Dennis Parks shows you step by step how to build a car for less than the cost of a new Hyundai, in this case a very cool Model T, a.k.a. "Track-T", roadster. Parks is your expert guide as you identify your target vehicle and budget, find parts, build your car, and fine-tune the finished vehicle. Money-saving tips and detailed how-to sequences provide the essential information builders need to make sure their hot rod projects get built right and for the right price. Dennis W. Parks has written several best-selling how-to books for the Motorbooks Workshop series, including How to Paint Your Car , How to Build a Cheap Hot Rod , Hot Rod Body and Chassis Builder's Guide , and The Complete Guide to Auto Body Repair . Parks' personal projects currently include a complete buildup of a 1955 Chevy pickup truck. He lives in Cedar Hill, Missouri. Foreword I was pleased to see this new book from Dennis Parks. It goes to the core of what is sadly overlooked in today's publications. That being, can the average home builder still do a car that is affordable and drivable, and will the builder be proud of the end result? Follow along as Dennis shops for parts, explains various sources, and encounters typical problems that all of us have faced. This book above all should demonstrate how the average guy or gal can build a neat car in a home garage. The author plans the car, gets the parts, overcomes the inevitable problems, and completes the project. Anyone, after reading this book, should come away with the confidence to say, "Hey! I can do this." --Tom Prufer Legendary hot rodder, Tom Prufer, has built rods gracing the covers of many magazines and books. Perhaps best known for his 1934 Ford Cop Shop Coupe, he has produced hot rods of many styles, from a basic Track T to chopped and channeled coupes and Model A roadsters. None of Tom's hot rods would typically be considered "cheap," as they have all had work performed by other legendary rodders such as Pete Eastwood, Ron Covell, and Rod Powell. Still Tom Prufer knows what it takes to build a hot rod, cheap or otherwise. Introduction Cheap hot rod . . . hmm, at first thought, those words seem to be mutually exclusive. Many rods in contention for accolades, such as the coveted Ridler Award and America's Most Beautiful Roadster, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build, while a more "average" hot rod is commonly priced at $50,000-$75,000. So cheap just doesn't seem to fit in here, anywhere. Truth is... all hot rods are built within a budget; some budgets are just exponentially larger than others. I'm not going to say anything bad about those who can afford to spend big money for their hot rods, as their money ultimately raises the pedigree of our hobby or business. However, you don't have to have a six-figure budget to build a fun hot rod. In fact, for as little as $15,000, you can build a hot rod (a modest one with a high fun-to-dollars-spent ratio) of your very own. The point of this book is to show you how. I know some of you are thinking that 15 grand is still a lot of money for a hot rod. Several people have built great hot rods for less money. A friend of mine built a real cool two-seat roadster for less than $3,000. Sam was able to do this by rescuing salvage yard sheet metal, having a network of friends who know how to find good deals, and being able to do most of the work himself. But not everybody has that kind of time, those connections, or that ability. Therefore, this is a cheap hot rod project for the average enthusiast. Yet, this hot rod is also my hot rod. So there are time