Hello! I’m looking to upgrade to a larger lathe after selling my 1236 belt head harbor freight lathe a couple months ago. I would really like a newer machine that is gear drive specifically. I am a hobbyist machinist but professional classic car restoration it’s and customizer that works from a tow car garage. I have a phase converter and run vfds as well. Im single, with few friends to lend a hand moving a large machine and work by myself. So I’m really hoping to find something close to home, and hopefully have help loading it when I’d be picking it up. I have a gantry crane and engine hoists to unload it. Im on a very tight budget but would love to have something of that size so I can begin doing small production runs of obsolete parts for some of the pre war and post war cars that I modify. Typically I do traditional style customs of the late 30s and 40s. My most recent project was a 1939 Lincoln zephyr 4 door sedan that I chopped up and turned it into a customized, chopped top, 3 window coupe and was powered by the original flathead v12. A beautifully nut and bolt restored 69 gto was my previous build. Looked like it rolled off the showroom floor in 69 but had all the modern hardware underneath. Zero body or interior modifications. Just a modern corvette engine, overdrive manual transmission and modern tubular suspension. If anyone knows of something in my area or has something please let me know. My budget is around 3,000$ maximum. I am not afraid of something that’s dirty, and needs repairing. Or that has been sitting outside for a long time. I’ll rebuild it one way or another.
Thanks everyone. - Brian
Thanks everyone. - Brian