I don't know what your budget(or fab skills, desired work effort, timetable) is, but here in Texas on Facebook marketplace you can start over with notch or fastback Cudas that need mild bodywork for around $8,000, Duster bodies for $2-7,000 and build a car that was going to rot/die to begin with, anyway you want without any guilt of destroying original history.
Get some beaked 73-76 Dart, swap the front clip, install (here in south tex cheap as hell) a 400 big block, ebay $600 turbo and keep pace with the big boys on a double rustyratrod budget. Speedmaster sells the heads for the BBM assembled on black friday for $500 something dollars shipped.
Inkjunkie thinks an LS would be cheaper, but 400BBM might actually compete with a Chevy budget-there is a reason RRR picked that build. Either way, you get it all, cheap, fast , fun, no guilt. Rustoleum oil based enamel paint for $30 a gallon and GO! I once used that rustoleum paint as my baremetal primer, with tons of sanded coats (instead of bondo), got the body lines perfect, and sprayed Y2K urethane epoxy over it.
The Urethane actually held onto it well (for years, no problem -{like moparofficial says, just get out, do it, and make mistakes}), kinda sealed it (although you can get urethane sealer {recommended}) and then just rustoleum enamel spray 3-4 top coats and now they make a clear oil based enamel as well- it doesn't get cheaper than that!
Guilt free, Cheap & fast as hell, and you won't have to care or worry about perfection with a separate rat-rod-Mopar. SOme one keys your car? Rusoleum spray and done.
Honestly, what do the rest of you guys think of this idea?
