Quote Originally Posted by Hot Rod Todd View Post
Its great being 21, and having older wiser heads to keep you on track. And what the guys have written above is wisdom that I wish I had at 21.

From my many hot rodding failures I have learned the following:

Buying shine stuff makes your bedroom look cool, but doesnt get the hot rod finished any quicker
Borrowing money at 21 to build your hot rod isnt so wise
Having a 'mechanical mate" is a godsend
Start with the end in mind (and dont change the plan)
Making the hot rod nice and driveable is a good idea
Making a hot rod that looks way cool but is a dog to drive is not a good idea
Drag racing is great fun and very addictive
And addictive costs plenty

If I was 21 and building that truck, I would look doing a frame swap. And dont rule out the Jappa utes from the early 90s either.

Down here they are common, and often rusty and usually cheap. A few of them even have the 5 on 4 1/2 Ford stud pattern, disc brakes and a diff that okay for a mild sbc. If your truck needs floors anyhow, then its not a major to fabricate one to fit a new frame.

All the best with your project.

Todd
What is a Jappa utes?