# Donor car **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [December 14, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960 "2015-12-14T21:33:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/1 "2015-12-14T21:33:46Z")
While hanging out and drinking beer with my old car buddies this weekend we were discussing a project car. The question we’re kicking around concerns a donor car for a kit car project . . . with a twist. We’re considering a base frame (motor, transmission, everything) for a kit car which could have the body switched off easily . . . same base but two different kit car bodies. The buddies are actual mechanics, auto body techs, and shadetrees like myself. Any ideas? Rocketman ---
**Author:** ![gdawgs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/258eb7/32.png) [@gdawgs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/gdawgs)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/2 "2015-12-14T22:10:29Z")
ford mustangs are a common donor car for kit cars. check that out. people like the IRS on the newer vehicles, so get a newer donor. you can use the motor, drivetrain, and often times you want a rear wheel drive for your fun kit car ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/3 "2015-12-14T22:41:55Z")
I would suggest looking for an unfinished kit car project that someone has started and is mostly complete. Many people just get tired of working every weekend on one or need the garage space back as these can require a lot of room. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 2:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/4 "2015-12-15T02:07:25Z")
I don’t think anybody makes a kit car for body-on-frame vehicles. The exception would be Volkswagen beetles - the old ones - where you could swap different bodies on and off. Would be a major pain, though, as they tend to integrate the steering and dash and wiring into the body. You could re-engineer it for plug-and-play if you wanted it bad enough. Tough to find a decent VW floorpan plus parts are getting harder to come by. These bits used to be cheap enough to just buy 2 old bugs and build 2 cars. Why would you want to swap bodies? Meyers Manx Dune buggy for summer and a hardtop of some sort for winter? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/5 "2015-12-15T03:04:01Z")
The question of why two bodies is easily answered with this formula. Time+beer+buddies=strange ideas ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/6 "2015-12-15T03:34:14Z")
Old VW Beetles was all I could think of. Mustangs? Front suspensions, maybe engines, that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/7 "2015-12-15T03:40:03Z")
Actually, kit cars is a thriving industry, particularly popular in England. [http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kit+cars+images&qpvt=kit+cars+images&qpvt=kit+cars+images&FORM=IGRE](http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kit+cars+images&qpvt=kit+cars+images&qpvt=kit+cars+images&FORM=IGRE) ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/8 "2015-12-15T03:59:12Z")
Lots of replica Cobras on purpose-built frames, MG-TCs and Porsches on VW Bug chassis, Italian cars on Fieros, etc. But hard to come up with a ‘swappable’ body… ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/9 "2015-12-15T07:34:33Z")
You would need to find a kit car company that makes a chassis and has different body styles available. FACTORYFIVE is one company, I don’t know if there are others. Contact them and see if any of their different cars can interchange bodies. Unless it doesn’t seem like such a good idea when you sober up:) ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 8:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/10 "2015-12-15T08:31:34Z")
I stumbled on a nice site that lists kit car companies in the U.S. and what style of kits they sell. [http://www.kitcarusa.com/kit\_cars\_manu\_list.php](http://www.kitcarusa.com/kit_cars_manu_list.php) ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 10:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/11 "2015-12-15T10:09:21Z")
With a community project like this. I’d say the first steps would be: 1. Make sure everyone is fully on board with doing it. 2. Have a clear understanding about shared money and how it’s going to be handled. Something like this is going to get a bit pricy and it only takes a small misunderstanding here and there before someone, or everyone, is at someone’s throat over who didn’t chip in or why there’s a few grand missing out of the kitty. A communal project would not be my cup of tea. The sitting around and beer drinking sounds fine though… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/12 "2015-12-15T21:54:18Z")
Any thoughts on a small pickup truck frame? Rocketman ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 5:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/13 "2015-12-16T05:04:48Z")
older style Cherokee? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 6:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/14 "2015-12-16T06:41:04Z")
You mean REALLY old Cherokee…the XJ was unit body. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 7:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/15 "2015-12-16T07:03:33Z")
Yeah, I do. Years back I drove by an early 1900s truck (“C” bodied) sitting in a field. My '89 Toyota pickup was still in good shape, and I thought how cool it would be to put an old “C” cab & bed on my pickup frame. Like so many other of my pipe dreams, I never pursued the idea, but I always liked it. As regards a community project, I’d love the idea with one caveat: one member has to be willing to finance it in its entirety and own it in its totality after the project is complete, and all final decisions would be made by the owner. I’d love the fun of participating, but can see where shared financial responsibility could easily take all the fun out of it. ---
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/16 "2015-12-16T22:24:10Z")
I’m the $$$ man as it will be my vehicle(s) when done. I supply the warm garage, the tools, the beer, and pizza once a week. I buy all parts and materials. Anything extraordinary (work) I’ll pay my buds for. Rocketman ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/17 "2015-12-16T22:39:20Z")
I think it would be practical to use a chassis that the “kit” is designed to fit. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/18 "2015-12-16T23:33:46Z")
I have a 75 ford supercab with a dependable strong 360 and good frame and drive train that could be had… …nah, just kidding. i plan on needing a hearse one day, so i d better keep it… ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/19 "2015-12-16T23:44:28Z")
deleted by poster ---
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960/20 "2015-12-19T19:56:07Z")
The kits are porsche bodies but we want american running gear. Rocketman [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/donor-car/91960.md?page=2)