Rusty Tubs (the car not the singer)

I know this is a bizarre question but since I deal with accidents/injuries everyday it peaked my interest and Id like to get some input from people with actual experience. I’ve seen a lot of vintage T &A’s being pulled from junkyards, riverbeds, dug from abandoned mines etc... Some of these cars look to be solid rust buckets. Either with a solid “Patina” or with cancer eaten panels and scary looking frames. What is the safety issue with rebuilding one of these cars. What I mean by this is if the car was hit, would it shatter apart? On the other hand, crumple in a million pieces. I am asking more in a hypothetical low speed crash as anything high speed with out a top and cage would be like a motorcycle accident OUCH...
I love “rat rods” that are period correct but some of the cars I have seen from CA look like rolling deathtraps.
My goal of finding a serviceable A tub to build a roadster on the east coast (NJ/NY) has been fruitless as anything ive seen is rotted horribly or way over priced (for me that is)

Id be interested in hearing some stories of what you had to do to make a useable body and how you made them reasonably safe.

Drew

 

I'll have a brand new frame,made from rectangle tubing,
which will probably be 3 times as strong as an original stocker.And a big bumper on back.
Any wood in the body will be replaced with Steel tubing.
Even though the original panels are coated on both sides in beautiful rust,
I think they are still thicker than some of the new stuff.
And it can't be any worse than riding a bike.