[QUOTE=tuhll;369577]Thanks. I don't have the tools to cut the steel at home and only have an old stick welder

I can only speak from my experience . we -my son and I -built our rat from scratch . He knew how to weld , first thing we did was buy a chop saw and a welder and all the tools we didn't have . We could not have built the truck with out them . You are constantly cutting tacking recutting and welding . It also helped that a good friend had the following: plasma cutter,lift,shrinker- stretcher, break, and lots of tools . Another friend who is a professional welder. welded the frame and the other critical joints , Building a "rat" is no different than building any other kind of vehicle , everything has too be done correctly or you could be killed when something that was improperly made , fails.It is actually harder than building something with off the shelf parts that you just bolt on . You also have the added factor that it has too look good -not all different make parts look good mixed . If you dom"t have a stash of old parts out back , or the time too hunt down what you need and lots of tools , you could easily drop 10 grand building a safe vehicle . Just something for you to think about . Are you going to the Turkey run next week ,I'm sure there will be a lot of rats there to give you insperation .LFE I will be there call me on my cell 302 535 3046