My first diy hot rod project

Hello everybody i have some questions on my mind about how to start my first diy hot rod project!!!

But first i want everybody who reads this topic know that first i live in middle east europe and i find it very hard to start building a hot rod or a T bucket from the ground up so my first question is can i fit a european  make engine, transmision suspension etc. that has a rear wheel drive system on a hot rod or T bucket frame or for example can i modify the frame so i can use a vw beetle engine etc. I hope that I can get some help from you all.

Thank you .

Good news is that a "Hot Rod" is anything you build with the parts you have to build with. So you are ready to go!

So, what do you have availble in your area that is cheap and that you like?

When you say "Hot Rod" what are you thinking of? You mention a traditional T Roadster like this

But anything ca be a hot rod if you want it to be.  My Hot Rod is a Volvo P1800 for example. 

What Rear Wheel Drive cars are common in your area? Those are what I would look at for engine, gearbox and rear end along with anything else like brakes and steering.

Pete

If you're starting with a Model T or Model A the frames will accept a wide variety of engines. That said I think a flat engine (Beetle, Subaru, Ferrari) would be more difficult to fit between the frame rails. I'd look at inline 4s, 5s, and 6s (length might be a problem with an inner 6) or V engines up to a V12. There's a lot to consider on engine besides will it fit. For example with a weight around 2000 lbs how much horsepower do you really need?  200hp would make a very lively street car. Some might want more and some might want less. Tell us more about your plans.

In reply to NOHOME :

Thanks for the picture yes this i what i had in mind as for rear wheel drive cars there are lots of mercedes benz w123 parts and it can be easly purchesed. So youre saying i can use any part from a mercedes to fit the frame? Like brakes streering and dont have to buy ford or chevy parts? But im stiil trubled with body and radiator and headlights for example and the front spring wich is in front of the radiator and wind shield do i need to buy these parts?

In reply to Stampie :

Well plans are that i always wanted to ride hod rod (i pretty much prefer the T model) down the streets nice calm the feel the wind the curves of the roads to just feel the car it self i dont need to much hp on the engine just to drive in a very smooth way to me it feels somewhat like freedom these are my plans and i wish to have deeper understanding with hot rods when i can finaly begin my project thas why im asking for guidance on how to start with parts for example and i live in a pretty small city so theres no need for to much hp. I think that 150 hp is enough

In reply to Rockbuster :

I would suggest getting the major parts first - engine/transmission/rear axle - then see how much room you need. A T-style frame is pretty easy to modify, or build from scratch, if you can weld(or get it welded cheaply), so once you get all the major parts where they need to be, you can figure out how long & wide the frame needs to be. 

Here are a few other things you’ll need to decide:

• Do you want a T-style front axle, suspension & steering? If not, will you be able to use the front suspension from the same donor car as the engine? Or would you rather order a new hotrod suspension kit?
• Will you be using the stock ignition & fuel systems from the donor car? If so you’ll probably need to find a way to install the stock fuel pump into a custom/aftermarket fuel tank(or fuel cell). You’ll also need to find someplace to house the engine’s electronics - there’s not much room in a T.

Frame rails are easy on a t-bucket/roster style. Basically just weld up some 2x3 tubing and call it good. 

Have you seen this build? Good inspiration for building from scratch.  

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/my-datsun-build/18604/page1/

What country are you in?   I’m in Estonia right now.

and for what you describe, it sounds like the answer might be.....   a Miata!  I haven’t seen any out here but I’d be surprised if there aren’t any as I’ve seen just about everything else. 

Id say get a little convertible and enjoy driving it while you figure out what parts you’d want so you can start collecting the pieces to build something you want.  

I'm currently building a scratch built hot rod, so I can relate.  If you want to build most of it from scratch, have a look at this e-book (links to each chapter are along the left side of the page):

https://www.hotrodders.com/tw/index.php/Introduction

If you have enough budget to buy most of the parts, Speedway Motors has a lot of what you will need:

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/t-bucket

Good luck!

How many parts you can use from the donor car depends on your skill and imagination. 

For the T bucket hor rod, I dont see the Mercedes providing any more than an engine and transmission. 

I can not give good advice because I do not know you: What tools and skills do you have? How much money are you able to spend on this car?  Is it possible to buy a large part of the project from Speedway and have it delivered?

A hot rod from a Miata 

Another thing- what kind of "Department of Motor Vehicles" laws do you have in Estonia? I know that anything like a Hot Rod in Denmark and Germany has to be checked by an engineer for road-worthiness.

As for the idea- Old 'Rods were easily built and cheap, and things like the swing-axel suspension are well-documented for positives and negatives. To be Honest, the real question outside of your own skill and legalities is performance and how you want it to look. Style is a big part of Hot rods.