newb with questions

[farmerstoy]

hey guys i just stumbled onto this site and some other rc crawling sites and now i want to build one

i guess the scalers are what i like more but anything will be cool, i have a complete tmaxx, and a parts tmaxx and a complete nitro stampede. i have a couple of motors, traxxas speed controller (so i have a complete set of servos and radios) and plenty of el cheapo rc trucks. in september i go back to school and i have a complete machine shop at my finger tips

i want to do solid axles and leaf springs, and an 80s chevy truck body.
i would love any info at all on build something like this, nothing is set in stone. i think im going to build the frame myself, bend up some leaf spring, and probably convert my tmaxx axles to solids

on thing is i dont have much to spend on this, but if someone is willing to do some trades i have a brand new traxxas stampede nitro motor thats been hardly used and alot of other odds and ends
any help or advice is awesome
thanks!