I can definitely see the benefits of that. From time to time I see up for sale rolling full tube chassis buggies and rails, some appear to be very well built, engineered to take abuse. And can be had for less than $1000, some are set up for little vw drivetrain, but others are set up for v6/v8 drivetrains. Are these a reasonable start if a guy doesn't have to have a truck bed style?
