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.

Well as for my fab skills and budget. I completely built this volksrod for under $5000. and it would get as much attention as 40,000 plus dollar cars.

Also mid 70s to mid 90s Corvettes can be bought complete for less than 2k. If you don't care the condition.

I thought I was clear what I was asking didn't mean to have members argue about different aspect of what they thought I was looking for.
I will try and make it simple, the Lexus SC300 suggestion is an example what I was looking for. And thanks for that.

Asking the street/hot rod guys what suspension systems work is a can of worms.

You barely put enough info in to qualify as a question so getting quality answers is going to be tough.

All suspensions "work", what you really haven't done is provide any parameters to define what you mean by work.

You are looking for cheap, well that bug you posted is fenderless, it has a suspension that works and it's probably cheap, you obviously know them so you wouldn't have a learning curve. Unless that is the "rod" you are thinking of, in which case it's probably not what you are wanting.

My original question stands, no perameters or qualifiers or other nonsense.

What junkyard or cheap ass craigslist find vehicles are good doners for thier suspension components? Simple question that should be a simple answer from guys who have actually done it.

the question is clear as long YOU don't add other complications.

Cheap, plentiful, easy to get parts...
Chevy s-10, dodge dakota.

Fine then

Any car or truck or motorcycle or airplane or tank or cement mixer that fits your definition of cheap.

It can all me "made to work".

Supercuda, You were one that gave me exactly what I was asking for, now have decided to give me a smart ass remark, shows you really givea...care/thought about what you write.

The suggestion of the Lexus coupe is right on point, matter of fact going to look at a SC400, driver for 1000 obo this weekend.


BUT NOW, YOU CONVENIENTLY LEAVE OUT WHAT I SAY TO MAKE A STUPID POINT. THANKS FOR THAT.

What makes this question so hard to understand?

Quote:
What junkyard or cheap craigslist find vehicles are GOOD doners for thier suspension components?

(Open wheeled rod is in my original post)

Hey all, this is not a bad thread, as long as it doesn't get nasty. A little bit of arguing ( different opinions / points of view ) aint a bad thing. To the OP; take it all in. Use what you can or want. Dump the rest. More info in your original post would have helped, but we are getting there. I'm sure not picking sides. Most on here have more talent than I do for sure. I'm not a VW fan, but yours really looks cool and I wouldn't mind seeing more pics of it.
On another note, sometimes scratch builds ( so to speak ) should be geared around the power plant you want to use. You sure don't want to have a 3-400HP motor hooking up to a Chevy S10 drive train because it fits the dimensions you are looking for. Just something else to consider.

Crizilla, here is a build thread on the volksrod, it was fun to build and funner to drive but a bit too underpowered to be a blast everytime out.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=506712

I just wanted to hear other people's thoughts on suspension setups that are out of doner cars that look decent, function well and are a reasonably basic job, I'm not trying to build an over engineered space ship, I want to build something pretty different. That doest fit into a given category.

i am thinking that i am going to get a spare tire and wheel---any ideas out there?

Never saw an open wheel car done with an existing donor car suspension that didnt look inbred. Aftermarkets the only way to go, and doesnt cost any more by the time you blast parts, replace suspension and brake parts, etc. Add it up.

Well, it has been done with the Lexus:



http://www.rodauthority.com/news/a-resurrected-1936-nash-lafayette-with-a-surprise-under-the-hood/

Greg

Awesome. Thanks for sharing! Lots of work there. Unique and cool ride for sure.

Since you do not qualify GOOD other than CHEAP nor do you give any other parameters how the heck do you expect a relevant answer.

Since cheap was the only qualifier you gave then cheap is the answer you got. Whatever fits your budget fits your parameters regardless of donor.

"Round" might be a good start.

not with this crowd...

The reason this opens a can of worms is that "open wheel rod" dictates a certain look. The front is a Solid axle, Ford style cross spring for the most part, and either old style drum brakes for a traditional car or discs if it fits a modern style.
This applies to anything from a T Bucket at under 2000 pounds


to a mid-30s coupe


to a rodded Peterblt that tips the scales over 6000 pounds


That IS the look, and no modern donor car provides this aesthetic, unless you can live with something that looks like this.
Mustang II


or this S-10




Note also that the T Bucket and Peterblt have huge differences in size and weight. These also determine what would be a good donor, and you will not provide any ideas on these very important details. We are not trying to argue with you, but you provide very little to go on and the input you DO provide is opposite each other (trad look, modern components).

There have been modern IFS suspensions on street rods, BUT they are not junkyard/donor car parts. They are more in the area of fabricated to appear like a race car, even if using Mustang II geometry.
No way to get this look on a budget, unless you can fabricate it...


Reading
http://www.how-to-build-hotrods.com/suspension.html

BTW, you mention the Corvette as a donor.
While the control arms are aluminum and thin/light enough visually for the aesthetic, the crossmember is not a thing of beauty.




They also require fab skills. Here's an example
http://1929fordhotrod.com/johnsblog/preview-of-the-1929-ford-chassis-with-c4-corvette-suspension/

I personally think that lexus front end looks pretty good and for wanting something on the low buck end this would be my choice. How are things with you Henry? Looking forward to see what you have cooking.

That Peter would look friggen awesome with a box on the back, one designed to fit the look of the truck.

Some of these guys didn't really get what I was asking but I did get some direction for my next venture.

I am working on a 76 Volare, kinda putting it together without going nuts and keeping it low budget. As of right now I have less than 3000 in it and most parts already purchased for it. With paint and interior I will be into it 6500 max. Attached is a link to a build thread.

Did you ever build that monster blown motor?

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbt...tml#Post2116859

I sold my iron block to Tim at FHO to get an aluminum KB block but all of that went sour and I couldn't find another block so I sold off a few things. Now I found another block and it is with Tim and he is putting together a short block kit but now I have to buy heads and rocker assembly again. Probably going to do a 572. Still doing house reno's so no worky on the car and reno's have been slow as I am very busy with work and the weather the last three months has been crap.

This post



and this post




do not jive.

No open wheeled Volare that I am aware of and if you went that route the last bit of ugly noticed would have been the front suspension.

Now for the Volare I'd consider this

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbt...-questions.html

Really, you don't read all that is written do you? The word "NEXT" is pretty important to the statement.

I was asked what I was building (cooking) now so I answered am building a volare now, and referenced my build thread in projects forum.

I posted this thread in street rods because I am looking into building another car but it may be open wheeled, or at least suspension components will be more visible than a full bodied car.

You poorly word your posts.

Current project vs future project. Your original posting said nothing about future project at all. Why bother to bring up the Volare if it's not germane, look it up, to the question at hand? That is why no one, but you apparently, can understand what it is you are asking.

One cannot read your mind.

And it didn't say anything about current project either.

You inferred what you thought I meant. Stop, let this thread go already.

I know "Superfreak" from previous posts and business, he was simply asking me a question that I answered in this thread.

i found a tire---it is mostly round---sort of flat on the bottom....waiting for ideas.....