Yo, Jordan!
Congrats on joinin' up and welcome to the asylum. I'm originally from Anson County, NC, a little bit east of Charlotte.
A welding background is a good thing for this project... But then, so is auto mechanic, electronics technician, aircraft mechanic, geometry teacher, sheet metal worker, and possibly alchemist and/or wizard. (Note- I am none of those things.)
5.0 Ford is a good choice as it's fairly narrow. LS series isn't bad either, but I'm a Ford guy. Even a stock 5.0 will give you plenty of grunt for moving one of these light cars.
As for keeping it light, wellll... I probably ain't the guy to ask. However, one thing I did to beef up the frame without adding too much weight was go with 1.5 inch square tubing vs the 1-inch stuff normally recommended. YMMV, just tossing out some info.
Any-hoo, welcome aboard. Start a build log when you get things going. Be sure and post pictures! Otherwise, you'll hear "Pics or it didn't happen!" (It's a tough crowd sometimes...
)
Good luck-
JDK
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JD, father of
Quinn, Son of a...
Build LogQuinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special "Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom