Projects How Many Different Vehicle's Parts In Your Hot Rod / Custom?

I have a running joke with a pal of mine that there are only a few pieces of Model A left in my Model A, which is actually pretty true. There's not much left that hasn't been modified, the grill shell, a brake lever, some door handles, and likely a few others I'm sure.

It's a short list. However, what's NOT a short list is all the parts from different vehicles. One of the pillars of hot rodding and customizing is utilizing parts from other makes or models - but have you ever counted them up?

I sat at the kitchen table this morning and made a list thinking about the different parts I've used from end-to-end. I nearly filled a whole notebook page. 26 different vehicles and I'm probably forgetting a couple.

The years spanned from 1928/29 to 1966 (my cut-off year for parts). The makes? Ford, Chevy, Pontiac, Buick, and even a little piece from a Willys Jeep.

(Looking at this list, now, I realize there are a few I've left out!) ​

What's your list like? I'm curious to know how many donors your project has.

 

HRP posted this a couple of weeks ago, there are some interesting car, appliance & kitchen parts used to build cars.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...oms-using-whatever-gets-the-job-done.1207806/

 

Mine has quite a few dodge and Plymouth pieces and a fair number of ford parts but it also has mercury, Chevy, farm-all tractor, Harley Davidson, Chrysler marine and you didn’t hear it from me Honda( the radiator is a Honda Civic aluminum tuner unit, it was the only thing I could find that fit)

 

most of my builds are built primarily of parts from GM and Ford
but very few parts from the same make, year and model.
how many parts in a car? divide that by two or three, that's the answer to the question.

 

All Chevy except 2/3 of the frame and the body which is a 1948 Ford F1 .

 

I’ve had a running list myself. If the kids bless me with a nap and I stay awake I’ll type it out for ya

 

The firewall, floorboards front and rear, and windshield frame area on my car is a 1952 Chevy 4 door, The main part of the body is a 1950 Sedan Delivery, the doors are from a 1951 2 door sedan, the 235 engine is from a 1960 Chevy pickup, rear end (3.73) and transmission (T-5) are S-10, probably some other stuff but that is enough for now.....

 

"Ugh!, what model is it?
Well, It's a '49, '50, '51, '52, '53, '54, '55, '56
'57, '58' 59' automobile
It's a '60, '61, '62, '63, '64, '65, '66, '67
'68, '69, '70 automobile."

 

My Tudor has the following: Sheet metal from 3 Model A's,Roof from a '62Ford wagon,'32 3 w door handles,'37 Ford window cranks,'37 Ford p/u str, col,'4o Ford strg. wheel,'31 Grill shell and Headlights,'32 Ford dash(Brookville) '85 Fiero seats,'65 Olds Engine and trans.'70s Vega box, '39 Ford frt. axle, '41 wishbones, '48 F-1 Frt. hubs and brakes, '66 Ford wagon differential, I'm not counting Speedway and other "new" stuff.

 

oh boy, quite a few, lol. Taboo at its very core is a 56 150 model

-1957 Chrysler 300 - headlights
-1960 Chrysler 300 - tail lights
-1954 Chevy - grille
-1959 Impala - bumpers, roll pans, roof scoop, steering wheel
-1960 T Bird - front and rear seats, center console
-1966 Corvette - Engine
-1955 Chevy - Rear window interior garnish molding
-1965 Chevy - Transmission
-1956 Chevy Bel Air - Side trim

and a few more I am probably forgetting, but those the main and most notable.

 

I could get in trouble here but I have a bunch of import car parts on my cars. I do try to hide them, though.

 

A Chevy van ( motor trans and steering column) and a pontiac trans am ( clip and rear end ) Gave up there lives for my 39

 

The Vedette has
Parts from fords, Chrysler, Gm, bunnings hardware, wife's kitchen drawers etc
I like saving money and using what I got.

 

My 56 chevy - 9
My 48 plym - 9
My 57 vette - 6

 

Okay let’s see...

28/29 model A sedan project lots of model A’s lots of of other fords, one generator and a little aftermarket. I’ll try to figure out a way to make a list make since.

* indicates it was used or mocked up before being replaced by a better one.

1 tudor body minus door caps*
1 set of door caps*
1 tudor body
1 set of front fenders*
1 set of better front fenders
1 set of roached splash aprons*
1 front splash pan
1 passenger rear fender
1 driver rear fender
1 running boards
1 running board brackets
2 fender braces
3 hoods* maybe 4
1 good hood
1 crap grill and radiator *
1 better grill and rad... might have just found a better one...
1 model A frame
1 model A front cross member
3 model A’s for stock seats
1 model A rear and torque tube
1 model A front axle

so what’s that? 28 model A’s so far? Shoot there were like at least three headlight bars in there and a rear bumper. Round up to 30 ish?

year/ model/ notes
Early 60’s mercruiser industrial engine
46 ford trans for gears- second for clam shells
39 ford trans case- second one for top/ shifter
Model A frame body and axles
46-8 rear brakes off a 32 ford hot rod in Texas
46-8 wishbone and spindles up to 3 donors
54 ish f truck brakes- at least 4 donor trucks
46 ford tie rod
60’s ford truck tie rods
35 ford wires I’ve got from multiple donors
41 truck ford steering box - lost count maybe 4 donor boxes for parts?
39 ish ford truck column support
46 ish ford column tube
36 ish ford e brake lever and mech
53 ford air cleaner
46 dodge truck oil filter
50 merc clutch/ pressure plate
46 ford master cylinders

So dodge, ford, mercruiser/chevy/ mercury
6 ish years of car if you pretend I gutted a complete 46-8’ford I’m sure I’m forgetting stuff.

Ball park it at 30?

the whole car is a whole bunch of little projects to me. So a summer of taking 3-5 shitty frozen mock up steering boxes and making one good one is kind of the entire idea.

so total number of actual donor cars to this point a ball park number is 60.

lol that’s pretty funny now that I say it out loud

 

I don’t even know where some of my stuff came from anymore, much less what it came off or out of.....

 

46 ford, should be way lower number lol
1 46 ford
1 69 chevy for engine
1 70’s chevy for trans
1 74 bronco for rear
1 grill bar donor
1 rear splash pan donor
3 front splash pan donor
2 new donors for bumpers
2 cars for bumper brackets
1 headlight bucket/ rings
2 or 3 marker light bezels and lenses
1 glove box door latch
3 donors for missing trim
1 horn ring

22? that ain’t bad. Probably forget one or two on the 46 and at least that many for the A, like inside door handles and window cranks from a ... no idea what they are, and at least three leaf springs donors, oh and the steering box bracket and and and lol

oh I got window cranks for the 46 from a different car lol so 23.

not a ton of “aftermarket” on either car. But I did leave out stuff like new brake drums that are for... let’s say a 56 ford but I got them from Napa because that’s not an actual donor car it’s just parts?

 

Most of my builds are done with a lot of used or junkyard parts, so I end up with a big mixture of makes and years when I'm done.
My current build is my '39 Chev coupe.
The engine is a 1990 GMC van 350 roller motor. 70's 487x heads.
Trans is a early 1980's Chevy 700R4
Rear axle is a 1993 Ford Explorer 8.8" Ltd. slip 3.73
Brakes are a set of Chevelle calipers and rotors from the early 70's, on a '58 Chev pickup I beam axle, narrowed 5". The brake master is 70's Corvette, and the pedal assembly is 2000 Subaru Legacy.
Bucket seats are 2006 Pontiac that I cut the headrest brackets off, and recovered them in diamond pattern black naugahyde. Same for the interior panels, except I made all those from ABS plastic from Home Depot.
Driveline is a 1986 Chev Camaro Z/28 stock, but fitted with a different yoke, and Ford flange at the rear.
Steering column is from a 2000 Chevy pickup.
Headlight housings are stock, but I fitted them internally with H4 halogen lamp sockets from a 2003 Buick.
Fitted the taillight housings with rerofit tailight kits for a Harley Davidson. Not sure of the year?

I think that's about all I can remember?

 

42.

 

On my last build I didn't use a single used or donor piece. Hand made frame, front axle, brackets, radius rods, mounts, gas tank, etc. New engine, new transmission, new quick change, center steering and all new brake parts. New fiberglass body. I did yank the battery out of my garden tractor to start it because the parts house wasn't open at 3AM.

 

Well, let's see. My '60 Falcon has:

1982 Fairmont cylinder head.
1966 Mustang block.
1990 GM TBI injection.
1960 Falcon flywheel.
1988 Mercedes 190E clutch disc, pressure plate, and throwout bearing (Spec Stage III - Kevlar).
1963 Econoline bellhousing.
1994 Camaro T56 6-speed, with a 1998 Camaro input shaft.
1991 Ranger 8.8 axle.
1993 2dr Jeep Cherokee low back bucket seats.
1966 Mustang steering column.
1960 Thunderbird console
1970 Mustang 22-gallon fuel tank.
1963 Falcon tail lights, with backup lights, grafted-in sheet metal.
1978 Jaguar XJ6 gas cap (where it should be).
1978 Corvette master cylinder.
1998 Savanah van Hydroboost.
1996 C3500 power steering pump.
1999 Ford 3G alternator.
1988 Camaro PCV valve.
1965 Mustang upper control arms (to get full size ball joints).
1994 Mustang Cobra complete rear brakes.
1978 Corvette front brake replacement calipers (6-piston Wilwood).
1960-1963 Falcon front wheel arches, resized, and used as rear wheel arches.
1965 Mustang side view mirrors.
1966 Shelby GT350 front springs.

There is probably more, but I cannot think of any right now.

 

Has to be a Johnny Cash song in here somewhere.

 

3. It is a work in progress. '57 Dodge oval steering wheel, '62 327 SBC engine, '26 cut up T touring bucket.

 

About the only things original on my car is the rear glass and seat, and the stainless trim. Everything else has been modified or replaced.

 

Well here is the list of the old parts used on Dads 1937 Dodge coupe;
1937 Plymouth grill
1957 Chrysler 392 Hemi
1971 Duster 727 torqueflite
1967 Plymouth Fury 8.725 rear axle
1962 Chrysler Imperial headlights
1964 Chrysler Imperial tilt steering column
New suspension, brake parts and interior parts from other models aren't counted.

 

Haha, I just realized that my list didn't even include the engine.

 

Dang. You’re good. How was casting the block and all pieces to make it run?

 

My 57 Chevy PU is mostly GM. Has some GMC, Vette stuff and I know I used something from a Ford in it, but can’t recall what it was. Age thing I guess

 

Title said VEHICLE PARTS. New motor, transmission, quickchange rear end, being new, never spent time in a vehicle till I installed them in mine. Up until that point they were just new parts waiting to be installed in any vehicle. I'm guessing reading comprehension isn't high up on your skill list.

 

Might get in trouble for some of these lol
-Frame and floors 1941 Ford sedan
-Doors 1946 Ford
-Engine 1986 F-350
-Trans 1971 Ford Mustang
-Rear axel Ford Granada
-Front seats 1968 Mercury cougar
-Front/Rear armrests 1963 Ford Galaxie
-Rear brakes 1997 Ford Crown Victoria
-Clock/speedo 1942 Ford
-Wheels/tires 80s-90s Ford Crown Victoria
-Headlights 1955 Buick Roadmaster
-Hubcaps 1950 Oldsmobile
-Steering column 1985 Ford Bronco
-Power steering box 1970 Chevy Nova
-Dodge D-100 front springs for the rear axle