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If you want to get something like a mustang, you're going to pay through the nose for something that has no interior, no motor, and hopefully rolls onto the flatdeck. Why? Everyone wants a mustang, or a camaro, or a Cuda, etc.

best bet? Buy something different if you want to be able to afford it.

I'm not sure. Honestly, I'd build a late 70s (77-79) or an early eighties ( 80-86 ) ford truck, because I'm in love with the body style, they are still carburated, and the aftermarket is huge for them because of the great parts (9" rear ends, Dana 44 front axles, C6 and T-18 transmissions, lots of different engine combos).

And I'm a wuss for Broncos from 78-86 in period.

And also, 2wd trucks make great sleepers In my opinion. weld in a car subframe in the front (Mustang, whatever) and 4-link the back, and you have a truck that handles awsome.

I enjoy oldschool parts better. Four link rear with a narrowed diff and a car's front suspension is what I would do, probably with coilovers.

For a chevy, I would definatly go 502. Ford, probably a 429, and see if I could dig up some d0ve-c heads for it.

i would get an 82-84 S-10 and drop a 350 in it... there are tons of after market parts for them and a lot of clubs for s-series. http://s-seriesforum.com/ is a good place to go to look around and look at the projects that other people have done. and if you like old school look and sound but new handling you could put an old carbed motor with straight pipes and then put a 01+ ZQ8 suspension package on it b/c the frames never changed just the parts on it.

Me and a buddy might be building an offroad rig. He has a 84 GMC with a Chevy front clip on it. He wants take the flat bed off and not a stock one on. He messed the motor up in it last week. If we tear into it and a rod is bent he wants to pull the motor and drop in a 12V dodge cummins motor with the a five or six speed tranny if we can find one cheap enough. He also wants to put some 2 1/2 ton rockwell axles under it. Not sure how much of a lift not much because he wants to keep street legal. If we do it we are going to strip to the frame. Box the frame and fab up some new cross members to strengthen the frame. There is so much more.

If it turns out that we cannot do it we may take this 88 mighty max that is sitting at my grandparents and build a tube chassis. Drop a 383 stroker motor into and put some 2 1/2 ton axles under. Maybe build a exoskeleton in case we roll it. The mighty max would be built for rock crawling out at a local offroad complex.