a couple generations back you could do anything... make your own car from scraps, invent a new engine... the good ol days

 if you needed to replace your fuel tank, just strap on a 55 gallon drum

To clear snow, just toss a car body onto a train chassis

or clap together some tractor parts to make a road grader

All found on http://bangshift.com/general-news/more-historic-gearhead-americana-barney-oldfield-classic-truckers-pre-historic-indy-racers-and-more/