I think you had asked a question awhile ago about what books might be good to read. I can't think of any offhand, but authors like Tex Smith, Don Montgomery (I think that is his name) and others all have books out about how to build hot rods and sometimes traditional rods.

If you have a Barnes and Noble Bookstore or similar in your area, go there and start looking at some of these. There are certain standards that never change from car build to car build, and once you understand these, it will make your hunt and build much easier.

I have always felt that the perfect first car for a rodder to get his feet wet in is the old standby T bucket. It is not everybody's idea of the ultimate car, but they have a lot going for them. They can be relatively easy and cheap to build, there a a million of them out there in various degrees of completion, and you can learn basics that will apply to every other car you build. I just feel they are great entry level cars, and can even be done well beyond that level, as money and skill increase.

JMO,

Don