Day Brown wrote in a message to all:
 DB> Somebody tole me that you can get a frame fron one of the 
 DB> outfits that build them for drag racing.
I've seen some literature on that stuff,  it's a bit difficult for me to 
envision how it would go together.  It's certainly not a "frame" in the 
traditional sense.
 DB> I already see where I can get a whole new body tub for a jeep 
 DB> or scout...
Really?  This is the first I've heard of that sort of thing.
 DB> as well as the dash,  wiring cables, lites, seats, engine, 
 DB> tranny, rear end, etc... the whole damn vehicle in pieces. 
Parts can be had,  yeah,  but dash,  wiring harness,  seats,  and some other 
stuff can be a real pain to try and get through the traditional channels.  
Care to pass along some of the info you're looking at there?
 DB> Except that you can install any of a number of different 
 DB> engines,  fit several different carbs or even injection, and 
 DB> the auxillary stuff like power steering pumps, alternator, elec 
 DB> fan, etc., can all be chosen on the best bang for the buck. 
 DB> It looks to me like you could assemble the whole rig with just 
 DB> a set of wrenches.  So, how much would you save on a new 4X4?
Quite a bit,  I'd say.  Here's what I'm doing right now:
I got a hold of this pickup,  and there's basically nothing there from the 
windshield to the front,  excepting steering and brake stuff.  The body parts 
were in the bed.
I spent a bunch of time a while back with the various body parts,  sanding 
and priming,  stopping what little bit of rust there was,  and put it aside 
for a while.  Lately I've been buying parts,  and undoing stuff from the 
motor I'm going to stick in there,  which is currently sitting in a car right 
next to where the truck sits.  I *know* that this motor is in good condition 
because I had the whole top all tore apart,  part of dealing with a timing 
chain problem a few years ago.
The cab and bed still need to be stripped and primed,  the motor needs to be 
installed,  and I plan to replace just about every rubber part that's on the 
truck at this point in time,  suspension and brakes,  mostly.  The thing had 
been painted somewhere along the line,  but they didn't do a real good job of 
it, slapping a coat of primer over the original finish but not otherwise 
preparing things,  and it shows.
I figure that when I'm done I'll have a few hundred invested in it,  although 
the tires I'm going to need are going to run me about a hundred each.  
Altogether less than a thousand,  and I'll have a good reliable vehicle with 
a 3/4 ton suspension on it.  A heck of a lot cheaper than the $20,000 plus 
you'd need to spend on a new truck these days.
No,  it ain't 4WD,  but that's okay,  it'll be enough truck for me for the 
next several years or so.
email: roy.j.tellason%tanstaaf@frackit.com 
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