There are different variety's of "hot rods" too.
Several mentions now of flipping through the catalog, buying parts, chrome, and so on and bolting it all together.
There's also scouring the junkyards and swap meets for good and suitable parts and components (any make and model) to build what you want. With that approach you're unlikely to end up with one that looks like it came out of the Speedway or Summit catalog.
I like looking at the second kind of hot rod better, looking and spotting all the parts from different applications that happen to work perfect for the new vehicle as built. Appropriate use of materials, not chrome everything, or diamond tread firewall... who walks on the firewall?
Grigg
