what's the best "project" car?

[redkow97]

My dad has always wanted a project car, and now that he's got 3 sons through college, no mortgage, and weathered the latest rounds of layoffs at Progressive, I think he might actually be in a position to start looking for one.

The dream candidate would be a '69 Mustang Mach 1, or 428 Cobra Jet - but those are hard to find, and harder to find for anything resembling a reasonable price.

so what's the cheapest and easiest route?

desirable qualities include:

- Easy maintenance. A brutally simple V8 and a manual transmission are ideal.

- Strong aftermarket parts availability

- retro enough to be cool (i.e. 60's is best, 70's is ok, and 80's is out)

- cheap and thus, probably common...

I'd call my dad a "Ford guy," but that's a preference than can be overruled by budget (i think). But that said, cool old lincolns and mercury models would be other possibilities. It also doesn't explicitly preclude old Dodges, Chevy's, etc.

Dad seems to be semi interested in "restoring" a car, but I'm thinking a modern restoration would be more fun. Big 'ole motor with modern stereo and some minor suspension upgrades. If it gets better than 8mpg and less than 350hp, I'll be upset.

thoughts?

[MidgetTodd]

Gremlin

[Carwhore]

Gremlin

my grandpa has one with a factory V8.

Btw demo durby guys love these things.

[jblosser]

Cutlass.

442 if Pops has the extra monies.

Hurst/Olds if Pops hits the Mega-Billions.

[redkow97]

Pops doesn't have THAT much monies.

Pops (and I) have also never done much work on cars, which is why "common, cheap, and easy to work on" where requests.

I'm open to off-the-wall responses too. Jeep CJ-7 was one thing that occurred to me. You can build one part-by-part out of a catalog. That's the kind of thing I'm looking for, except I was hoping for a muscle-car, or an old MG, or SOMETHING kind of cool and sporty.

[Hoblick]

86 - 93 mustang 5.0

can get them cheap, and parts are all over the place and cheap

[redkow97]

86 - 93 mustang 5.0

can get them cheap, and parts are all over the place and cheap

I actually just talked to the old man about a ~'92 GT convertible.

In that body style, I like the convertibles better. the 5.0 has a huge aftermarket, but it's FI, which is slightly worrisome.

worth looking into though.

[jporter12]

Maverick.

I actually know where there are a few decent ones sitting, one I think is already a V8 car. So my initial response was only half kidding.

[BMMW]

Maverick's are way cool. I had a Grabber as my first car. My Uncle used to drag race them.

[JonS]

86 - 93 mustang 5.0

can get them cheap, and parts are all over the place and cheap

truth

[max power]

Chevys are cheap and plentiful. BIG BLOCK CHEVETTE!!!

Old chevy trucks (pre 73) have a big aftermarket and cool factor. There is no aftermarket bigger than for the small block chevy.

[magley64]

60's mustangs are super easy, carb power, and body panels are EVERYWHERE.

if you want something easy, and accessible, i'd go 64-68 mustang, especially for a ford guy.

(personally I hate mustangs)

VW's are particularly easy, but most people feel they are underpowered in stock form, and you have to do a lot of modding to add a LOT of power without breaking stuff.

I happen to know old GTOs/GTO clones are pretty easy, too...

Edited October 27, 2010 by magley64

[CattaniAFJ]

I had a buddy that had a BEAUTIFUL triple white w/ blue accents '89 Mustang GT that was tits. He had the leather all redone and upgraded the wheels....and two weeks later, a soccer mom t-boned his ass and totaled it.

[curby]

i was going to say a fox body notch 5liter. or just keep lookin on CL for a 60's mustang. There out there. just keep looking.

heres a 67 fastback... http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/1994747210.html

[obesityrules]

not a ford guy but i would completely consider building a 60-67 comet or a 66-67 fairlane

[BiggO]

Some help from the experts

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0510phr_nine_best_project_cars/index.html

I'm not a ford guy either. In fact, if you gave a Ford Mustang to build up, I'd go out and buy all the equipment necessary to build a large catapult. I'd place the Mustang in it, and launch it at your house!

[dorifto240]

In no particular order:

Sebring Satellite, Mercury Cougar, Buick Riviera. Lots of cross platform support (Mustang, Challenger/Charger, Monte Carlo)

Pretty cheap to get because they aren't hot, but they've still got great lines.

I'd even go VW Bug. Easy to work on, great support, still fairly cheap to get, and loads of possibility.

If he's got a decent budget (around $10,000) then some of the replica kits are in reach, including the Model A, 32 Deuce, etc.

[Kip Drordy]

Late 60's Chevy II or an AMC AMX

Edited October 27, 2010 by Kip Drordy

[f4isvt]

Pops doesn't have THAT much monies.

Pops (and I) have also never done much work on cars, which is why "common, cheap, and easy to work on" where requests.

I'm open to off-the-wall responses too. Jeep CJ-7 was one thing that occurred to me. You can build one part-by-part out of a catalog. That's the kind of thing I'm looking for, except I was hoping for a muscle-car, or an old MG, or SOMETHING kind of cool and sporty.

so build a muscle jeep my buddy is rebuilding his 67 cj5 currently powered by a grand national motor.

[RSVDon]

Ford Torino GT?

[ross]

Small block Datsun 510. Parts are readily available if you don't mind paying shipping from the west coast

[RSVDon]

Small block Datsun 510. Parts are readily available if you don't mind paying shipping from the west coast

I like your style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljCb3IkxHs0

[speedytriple]

I was gonna say jeep but you say maybe not. My cousin was talking about selling his mint mach 1 fast back. it is almost a pro street car. All origanal paint and all. He said he is either gonna repaint it or sell it as is.

[dorifto240]

I like your style.

I'm a sucker for almost any Z car, but the 240Z is on the bucket list. I guess dropping a small block V-8 is a pretty standard build-up.

As far as oddball suggestions go:

Porsche 914. Porsche style, mid-engine fun, half the price.

1971 Monte Carlo. Not like every other Monte out there, good lines, readily available after-market parts. And it was in the movie "Fast and Furious:Tokyo Drift"

Seventies Camaro/Firebird - THE CAR THAT BURT REYNOLDS DROVE...nuff said.

Scout or Scout II.

[Tpoppa]

Someday, I'm gonna rock one of these: