I thought I'd get some thoughts from an online forum as to whether people think this is a doable, questionable, or outright bad idea.
Long story short, I travel a lot and live overseas a lot of the year. I keep a car in the states but they end up sitting and I have to pay to keep them somewhere and for someone to start them up, only to have to pay more money to repair it when I get back, etc. Basically, I'm sick and tired of spending a bunch of money on something I don't like having anyway (I'm a big proponent of public transportation but it's lacking here in rural areas). I have a 2005 Scion and I was told (and researched) and apparently it takes about 6 hours to replace the clutch that's going out. I also have an F100 that's getting fixed and it took several hours to get the engine out to begin the rebuild (I bought this for pleasure and to try to flip).
So my idea is to build a custom vehicle that has the bare minimum of what I would need. And hopefully sell it to people who don't have a lot of money and just need something basic to get from point A to B. When I say custom I mean using new aftermarket or remanufactured parts from past-year models of various vehicles. Engine, suspension, steering, transmission, etc., and putting it all together. Doesn't need power windows, heated seats, nice interior, or other bells and whistles, just heat/air and a radio and a couple seats is fine. I have a shop that is willing to do it for I think a good shop rate (~75/hour) and I know them, they're not just some shop I chose at random for this. They said they can do fabrication, they've got a MIG welder, oxyacetelene torch they use for doing exhausts and whatnot, other tools.
The goal is to have what is essentially a newer model vehicle for a old model price. I want to keep it at around $5,000 total, reason being that you can pay 3x that and get some new (small/compact) cars from the big automakers, so I want to make it attractive to buy vs those models. I'm thinking about doing this as a pickup truck since I think people would find more use for that around here than just a regular car. So basically a cab with a cheap bed attached. I know there are side-by-sides and Gators or whatever, but they're not enclosed from the weather and don't go fast enough for highways, and people do not drive those as everyday drivers. That's not what I'm looking to make here.
If you think it's doable, what parts might you recommend? Engine, tranny, suspension, etc.
Extra question: I would really like to make it where you can drop the engine or transmission out in an hour - basically the big common repairs would have both parts and especially labor minimized.
I know this is a super broad question, but I thought I'd shoot and see what happens