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How Would You Build a JY "Hot Rod?"

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  • How Would You Build a JY "Hot Rod?"


    So we say "real" hot rodding isn't dead and one can still build something in the pre-catalog/credit card/checkbook style . . . .


    If you had to build a high-performance street-legal car** out of currently-common junkyard parts (excluding tires, consumables and fluids, raw steel and sheet aluminum, tuning/computer flash and/or Megasquirt, and cheap bits such as wheel spacers, wheel studs, cooling ducts, air scoops . . . . ) . . . .

    1. How would you do it? (e.g. make, model, powerplant, JY power adder, fuel system, transmission, axle, wheels, etc.)

    2. What would you budget for it?

    3. What fabricated parts would you make?

    4. What numbers do you think it would run?

    5.. Where would you run it?

    6. What would be the biggest challenges?

    . While I'm guessing this will become the LS swap thread, I'm hoping for some more creative combinations.

    **Jeeps, trucks and vans aren't "cars" for the purpose of this bench racing exercise . . . .

  • #2
    I'm afraid '00-era Mustangs, although I've sometimes thought of converting a similar-year GM or Saturn fwd car to rwd with a contemporary V8 and frankly that would be more up my interest alley as I like to cut and weld a little. If I were 20 now I'd be doing something like that and spend 3-4 grand I suppose. However, that's not my situation, and the last time I went through a junkyard I walked out with zip.
    ...

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Loren View Post
      The last time I went through a junkyard I walked out with zip.
      The junkyards of today are completely different than the fantastic parts sources of the 1960-80's.
      Crushers and scrap prices have ruined availability of old parts.

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      • #4
        Junkyard? Doubtful.... What I've done and enjoyed was building out of cast off used speed parts. If you get past the people that think their s**t is worth 90% of new it is rewarding. The standard is out of the box? Half off! Get used to it. To me building pre-smog check stuff that way would be the only way.

        Otherwise the BEST bang for the buck is buying a completed or NEARLY complete project car and putting the finishing touches on it.
        Last edited by RockJustRock; March 18, 2019, 11:59 AM.
        My hobby is needing a hobby.

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        • #5
          my next crappy go fast build was going to be a Jeep, so I guess I don't have any input.

          My fabulous web page

          "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Monster View Post

            The junkyards of today are completely different than the fantastic parts sources of the 1960-80's.
            Crushers and scrap prices have ruined availability of old parts.
            That's the challenge.

            I'm also guessing that many a '40s, '50s or even '60s hot rodder who teleported into today's average JY -- with virtually every vehicle sporting exotica such as four-wheel disc brakes, fuel injection, multi-valve DOHC and SOHC, aluminum blocks, and even some turbochargers and superchargers would get their creative juices flowing . . .

            BTW, the annual GRM $201X Challenge and Champ Car (http://champcar.org/mainweb/rules/) aren't exactly the same because neither of these rules packages require the vehicle to remain "street legal", and they have hard budget caps, and looser rules on what parts you could use (within the budget) -- but they do involve some of the same creative skills, IMO.

            I also believe there are still some "street stock", "bomber" and other pure stock oval track divisions left which require some "junking" skills to compete . . . .

            Surely some of you still think about this kind of project . . . The advertising "crack" of Hot Rod Magazine, Summit, JEGs, and Motor Trend Channel can't be that strong, can it? .

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            • #7
              Originally posted by squirrel View Post
              my next crappy go fast build was going to be a Jeep, so I guess I don't have any input.
              Still a hot rod.. Different calibur

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              • #8
                Originally posted by RockJustRock View Post
                Junkyard? Doubtful.... What I've done and enjoyed was building out of cast off used parts. If you get past the people that think their s**t is worth 90% of new it is rewarding. The standard is out of the box? Half off! Get used to it. To me building pre-smog check stuff that way would be the only way.
                So you're saying it can't be done?

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Deaf Bob View Post

                  Still a hot rod.. Different calibur
                  More like a different contest. Building a Jeep really isn't much more creative than building a 1940-model street rod out of a catalog, albeit one with 4wd. That's probably one reason why you'll likely see more modified Jeeps actually on the street than any other type of late model these days.

                  This is a creative thinking exercise about AUTOMOBILES -- the traditional basis for hot rods. Allowing any sort of "truck" would be a cop-out. Too easy.

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                  • #10
                    this wold be a drag racing jeep. Simply because I have a M38 tub and bare frame laying in my yard.

                    My fabulous web page

                    "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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                    • #11
                      btw for me, junkyards have mostly been replaced by craigslist.

                      My fabulous web page

                      "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Gateclyve Photographic View Post

                        More like a different contest. Building a Jeep really isn't much more creative than building a 1940-model street rod out of a catalog, albeit one with 4wd. That's probably one reason why you'll likely see more modified Jeeps actually on the street than any other type of late model these days.

                        This is a creative thinking exercise about AUTOMOBILES -- the traditional basis for hot rods. Allowing any sort of "truck" would be a cop-out. Too easy.
                        You could rod it with a drop beam axle . Basically making a car out of it .
                        Previously HoosierL98GTA

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                        • #13
                          I always wanted to try a hot rod Jeep because the glass bodies seemed cheap compared to street rod and kit car stuff. Hmmmm…. now that I THINK about it, a Jeep would be a great way to build a period correct Logghe style funny car without having it a flip top, Hmmmmm?

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                          My hobby is needing a hobby.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Gateclyve Photographic View Post

                            So you're saying it can't be done?
                            Many are the things Automotive that can't be done in California.

                            Plus I feel in general speed parts these days are way overpriced.
                            Last edited by RockJustRock; March 18, 2019, 12:01 PM.
                            My hobby is needing a hobby.

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                            • #15
                              If it's an OEM part that could theoretically be found in a junkyard, then Craigslist, eBay, or swap meet, it would be fine. For example, if you're going to spec a used Eaton blower or EcoBoost turbos, they're probably going to come from a reseller that's already harvested 'em . . . . It's the same with some late-model engine packages . . . more convenient to buy already taken out. Still it fits because they come from scrapped vehicles.

                              The point of this bench racing topic is coming up with something that uses relatively cheap used factory parts (perhaps or even hopefully modified) and homebuilt hacks -- in the same vein as much of early hot rodding.

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