Originally Posted by
Caddyshack
Unless you dothe fabrication and mechanics yourself you are going to spend a fortune. Much better off buying a finished or part finished car. You would save a packet by buying something like the Cossie puma on here.
If I were doing it I would strip the shell and weld in a cage to keep the integrity then cut out the tranny tunnel and weld in a RWD setup. Easiest is probably the Cossie stuff and get the whole rear subframe in there but need to decide on engine and spec. Big power needs to be more modern unless you have a 10k engine budget IMO. Vag 1.8t is cheap to get 400 bhp and there are plenty of gearbox adapters.
Budget 3000 for paint work, prob similar if you don't fabricate yourself, 1500 plus for engine management then mapping and loom on top, custom zorst is 500 to 1500, diff, seats, cage, brakes as wheels donor engine...labour....Done right would be easy 20k and more.
In comparison I did 1200 paint, 800 fab work, engine box loom etc from my saff 7000, suspension 600, brakes 1000, fuel system 1000, 600 roof, 600 bonnet, the rest of the money was made up in all the bits you don't think about (sheet metal, welding gas, tools, consumables, labour costs blah blah