Hey MotorHeads, What's a cheap doner car for a basic hot rod conversion for a 1930 Model A Coupe? Something I can bust and cut and transplant new life into my ride. I want a 50's style ,fenderless and late model ford componets just looking for tips on good choices etc and trying to avoid cl***ic mistakes?
"Street Rod" is fightin' words round' here..... Building a traditional model A cant be done with a donor. And if your not building it traditional, your asking the wrong forum.
70s and 80s small Fords make great relatively cheap donors, especially Fox bodied Mustangs. 70s Mavericks and Granadas could have 302s, C4s and an 8 inch rear. 86 and later Mustangs could have 5.0 (302) motors, T5 transmissions, and 8.8 rear ends. Find a wrecked one for cheap and you've got most of the raw materials. You'll just have to lose the EEC IV injection to be accepted around here. The 2.3 four pots in some of these cars would be cheap to run in something put together for an everyday user, and there's lots of speed equipment for them, too (thanks to the roundy-round boys). My brother and I just about have all the bits we need for his Model A, starting with a 5.0 and AOD from a 88 Grand Marquis. Going to lose the injection for a four barrel carburetor and point distributor, and use a later stock undropped axle with the spring ahead, Mopar steering box, and an unsplit wishbone. Thinking F 100 drum brakes and an 8 inch or 8.8 mounted on cantilevered semiellipticals with a torque arm, but that could change to a T buggy spring and Z'd rear crossmember (width of the rails). Using the unchanneled Model A frame and the stock Model A gas tank, too. Maybe not as traditional as some (small block Ford instead of a small block Chev), but with real paint and exhaust, the unsplit bones, and wide five wheels, we think it's going to look pretty good. Cheap donor cars can still be had if you're looking. Found a listing on Craigs list a few months back for a free XJ 6 Jag sedan if you would haul it off before it got towed. I wasn't quick enough (it was posted early AM and gone by 8:30 that same morning), but what a perfect donor for a Hot Rod (for the dual overhead cam six and IRS if nothing else).
Thanks....very helpfull I had heard some of these ideas at the show....but thanks a bunch. Got to make good choices!
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