What would be the cheapiest / easiest car to build from a donor with a home built frame / body

I feel like questions like these often ask something like what's best.  I've been exploring that for myself for a long time, and it has not resulted in getting something built.  And I think just about any production car would be amazing to drive if you replaced it's body with something minimal, home built.  For street use. 

So, what would be cheapest?  And what would be easiest?  I realize this is two different questions, but I'm interested in exploring their relationship.  I feel like it might be valuable to a lot of people.

What donor, what style?  Locost, T-bucket (with a hood)?  Miata, Mustang, Camaro, S-10, Ranger, Silverado? 

It seems like it would be pretty easy to get an old running rear wheel drive pickup truck for about $2,000, take the body and frame off, throw a couple frame rails in there, maybe a roll hoop, maybe a body, and call it fun.  Maybe move the engine back and shorten the drive shaft to improve balance. 

I'm definitely interested in exploring this outside my own constraints, so feel free to ignore this.  Even though I think most donor cars would be fun, it turns out I have a number of preferences, if I'm going to get into this:

Manual
Rear wheel drive
Front engine
Not BMW (I'd rather never pay for a BMW part again)
All four tires same size

LSD would be wonderful, but I'm not sure it would be worth the donor cost.

IRS would be nice to get some practice working on, but again I'm not sure it would be worth the cost.

I'm in Southern New Hampshire.  And up for something like flying to pick up a donor and drive it back.  I have time. 

The Answer.

I am in Somersworth.

The latest answer would be Crown Vic/Mercury Marquis donor.  

Another one initially built right here on GRM is the Exotruck which is a tube frame made to accept Subaru running gear.  

What do you want to do with the finished product?

What are your expectations for when it rains?

Easy button from what little you have told us is a Miata Kart. And I have a feeling that the thrill factor would wear out in the face of driving such a minimalist car on the street.

John Welsh said:

The latest answer would be Crown Vic/Mercury Marquis donor.  

 

That was pretty badass.   

I'ld vote for a C4 Corvette.  That's what I use. They can be found cheap.  I've paid $500 each for the last 2 I've purchased.  Aluminum independent suspension.  In fact I just stripped one down to the absolute bare frame to build a new jig from it.  You could build to the existing frame or build a dedicated frame.  I'm just finishing up doing that.  I've moved the engine rearward for better weight distribution.

I made my own body, inspired by the 63-64 Cheetah.  In fact I just picked one up yesterday from the company that has my molds.  Over the winter I'm building it with a fresh LS and Tremec TKX 5 speed.  

You could sculpt foam and make a simple T bucket looking body to go over the frame.  (covered in fiberglass)

Have fun in your quest!

In reply to jmc14 :

I'm assuming there is / will be a build thread with this?

Beetle.

John Welsh said:

The latest answer would be Crown Vic/Mercury Marquis donor.  

Another one initially built right here on GRM is the Exotruck which is a tube frame made to accept Subaru running gear.  

Won this years Challenge:

Build Link

Write up

In reply to NOHOME :

Something like a daily driver, similar to how I used my motorcycle the summer between breaking my Accord and buying my Tacoma.  And the first year and I half I had a motorcycle, through Boston winters.  (I have appropriate gear to ride in rain comfortably.)

I am very fond of roofs.  Best thing about cars vs. motorcycles in my opinion.  Could be argued that it's not falling over on sudden traction changes like ice.  But roofs do complicate things a lot, so it doesn't seem worth it to most people.

Does the thrill factor of using something as minimalist as a motorcycle on the street wear out quickly for you?

Edit: And I'm keeping my truck, so it doesn't have to be great for everything.  Mostly a way to get a little experience building.  Before I go onto a much more ambitious project. 

In reply to Darxus :

Yeah, it has. Loved motorcycles as a kid but hated being cold and wet all the time. I would love to drive  something like an Ariel Atom but have no interest in owning one or putting a lot of miles on it. If you gave me one, I imagine that after a month or so, it would not see much use. 

I was pretty sure the Miata Kart could be what you needed, but the roof panel bit tosses that out the window. How about an FRS kart?