Wanted to know what kind of car donates their suspension the best for open wheeled type of rod. But on a low dollar build, swap meet or scrap yard parts.

For example, is a mid 90s corvette a good doner, or earlier ect.

I know the Mustang two but not easy to find.

It really depends on the track. Most open wheel rods are narrow. Most fairly modern potential donors will have a much wider track. Narrowing the front suspension can be tricky.

Some generic considerations.

No MacPherson strut suspensions.
Probably want something that isn't stamped steel because it's open wheel.

how about the Jag xj6 front and rear-----they both bolt off in subframe assemblies and junky jags are easy to find. everyone pretty much know about the jag rears as they use dana 44 center sections so they are easy to build up for big power. A friends brother builds and sells tri five chevies--he uses these clips almost exclusively-front and rear....

The XJ6 track width is 64"

Which is probably too wide for an open wheel rod, at least the front cradle will be "fun" to narrow to fit.

i dont think it is too wide----jag rears and 60's corvette rears have been used before.....and both are more narrow than a 90's corvette...

IMO, before you ask that question, you need to have a overall plan going in. What do you want to end up with - show car, driver, period correct, racing ( oval / drag /road course ), etc. Then go from there. Budget, time constraints, space, ability, will all play in to your decisions. Having a good plan going in to a project will play a big part in it's success. Going the doaner way is not always the best or least expensive way.

he has already said a low dollar build--junkyard parts---probably not going to barrett jackson .....but that is my basic assumption.....

cheyenne wyo has a car club that does a rat rod buildoff with a low budget--my favorite last year was a hand made race car on the jag chassis with the jag motor----looked like a 30's indy racer with side by side seating----it got my vote.....there may be pictures online somewhere....or a u tube video....there is a facebook page for the rat rod show----the car i liked is the british racing green---he rolled all the sheet metal for it....

Op needs to broaden his horizons ( my post point) past "junkyard parts" IMO.

Since neither of us actually knows what the rod is we can't really say for sure.

But 61" is the track width of an XJ6. If you look at how the subframe bolts in it's wide too. Now if this rod is a tradition one (32 Ford and such) then the track width, stock, is 56 inches.

That 3" per side wider for the track.

32 Plymouth is a hair narrower, 32 Chevy a bit wider than the Ford.

Now an 60's S type or a 420 is right at 55" wide. good luck finding one for cheap in a boneyard these days.

Probably get better answers if we knew what this rid was based on.

As others have stated, you will need to decide what you want the track width to be for starters. There are sites on the web with information that can help, for example: http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/Wheelbase%2C_track_width%2C_and_differential_measurements

Second decision, or maybe the first... what style of car are you wanting to build? Traditional build with a 20's-30's body? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forums/traditional-hot-rods.57/
If so your donor will likely be a straight axle front with 40's-50's brakes and a period correct rear.

Looking to go more along a more modern street rod? Honestly, the use of coil sprung front suspensions (not a coil over mustang II) pulled from something from the 70's-90's never looks good on a open wheel/fenderless car. The stamped steel control arms and big coil springs do not look good. You need to, in my opinion build/use tubular control arms and coil overs to avoid some very unpleasant aesthetics.
Fatman fabrication, Heidts, and others offer kits, at various levels of completion that you might look at, but they are likely not what you are looking for price wise.

...

I appreciate all responses and opinions but, most replies are concerned what I'm building as oposed to just answering the basic question.

Please limit the info on the suspension components to swap regardless of what I may need them for.


I am not looking for using a big bulky front subframe like found in a c body or a huge suspension component like a f m or j body. Something when installed is visually appealing

Just simply as an example: the rear out of an 19xx _____ works well and the wear parts are still available.

The specifics of the recommendations will be investigated for my application. Thank so far and please continue to add info

OK, how about the Lexus SC300 and SC400 cars? Those can be had for a song these days and have bolt in front suspensions and IRS.

Both the Lexi mentioned have a track width of 60 inches.

Here's a build with some pics using the Lexus suspension, not sure it's clean enough for a fenderless application. It's on a 56 Ford truck.

Here's another build using a C4 Vette as a donor for a 29 Ford. Not a bolt in but if you have fab skills you could pull it off.

"Open wheeled type hot rod" and "budget build" just isn't enough info for ant type of qualified answer. To give you an answer as broad as the question, darn near anything will work.

Put on a narrow S10, or a bit wider 1st gen Dakota. It will look like crap on an open wheel car, but both are cheap, and both will have replacement parts available for years to come. Might also look into some of the small foreign trucks (Ranger, Mazda, Toyota, D50), and consider building the ride off the entire frame, if there are any around that have not rotted in two yet.

The next cheap option would be a Speedway axle & ford cross spring. Would look right on an open wheel car, and you can buy them new with disc brakes.

Rear suspension is hard to beat leaf springs and an axle, or trailing arms and coils, or 3 or 4 link with coils. No kits needed, just easy to get parts, and most stuff can be bought still attached to the rear axle if you know who your buying from. Gene

Don't want to sound too negative, so let me give some kind of answer based on the info provided by the OP. First, Adapting junk yard parts will require a significant amount of fabrication work. Don't even consider this route if you don't have a pretty complete shop with all the metal working tools (Mig, Tig, gas, metal cutting, etc.)and skills to use them - and even then a "budget build" may not fit in the junk yard category. Probably the least expensive way to go is after market kits such as Speedway offers. A transverse leaf spring / I beam front suspension and a ford 9" with coil overs out back will be about as low as you can go on the $ scale. "Junk yard" may sound like the least expensive way to go, but when you add up all the "incidentals" not fully visible at first, you may be in for sticker shock. I'm not down on adapting junk yard suspensions to your street rod. I actually prefer it and have seen some beautiful work right here on this forum. Just trying to be realistic with the info provided. Put together a realistic budget, add 10K, and have fun with your project.

Crizila,
Please do not assume that someone lacking a large quantity of funding is incapable of building a safe, reliable car. It may not be up to your standards of perfection, but not everyone building a car wants or needs that level of perfection to meet their desires or goals. I'd venture to say there are many more then just myself that have no desire to own that perfect car. I've been there and done that, and I'm not going back.

I'll spend my time driving my much less then perfect beater that was assembled from junk yard parts, in my less the fully equipped 2 car garage. I have many years of building several cars & trucks in my garage for under $5,000 that have seen many summer driving seasons exceed 10,000 mile a year for several years in a row.

I can not and will not question that a builder that chooses to build using junk yard parts needs to have the skills (or be willing to learn then) to do a lot of his own work, and do it well. He also needs to be able to select parts that function together. My take on the OP question was that he was looking for what combination of parts work well together. He probably has the budget to buy parts once, so they need to work, and I suspect he has the basic skill set to do the job, or is willing to learn the needed skills. Gene

Poorboy, didn't assume anything. Have no idea what the OP's skill set is or what tools he has available to use. Just throwing out some suggestions - which he asked for. He did mention budget build and then mentioned mid 90's corvettes as suspension doners?? - opposite ends of the spectrum IMO, but, then again, no budget info given.
I don't build show cars. Done that also. I build drivers ( part of my over all plan going in to a build - along with a realistic $ cost ). Again, I have no idea what the OP wants to build except no fenders and cheap - and possibly a Corvette suspension.
I build with junk yard parts when ever I can - in a 2 car garage. My last build included a junk yard drive train ( engine, trans, diff). $ is always a concern with all of us. Who doesn't do a budget build?? The point I was trying to make is that junk yard parts is not always the least expensive way to go when you add it ALL up.
I will admit, never built anything for under 5K that actually rolled on down the road - safely - that I wanted to be seen in. Congratulations.