Patriot Infinity

Thanks for the replies everyone. I figured if I went more original than anything, I'd be dealing with a whole host of issues I'd need to chase down considering it'd be more original. I have a 1982 Vette with only 38k original miles, and as well kept as it has been its whole life (family owned car), it still has its issues. Though I agree the same thing can be said about resto-mods. I suppose I'll ask around some SS forums too. I don't want to spend more than I have to, even though I do plan on keeping it. My budget is probably around 80-90k, but like I said I am more so wanting to find something that fits what I'm looking for cosmetically. It's easier to replace wheels than it is to change the color of a car.

I've been browsing both Barret Jackson and Mecum auction dockets to see if anything pops up that fits what I've been wanting for a really long time now. Always wanted a 1970 Chevelle, black, and preferably resto-modded (while mostly retaining a stock look). I didn't grow up in the 60's and 70's, so having something completely original isn't exactly important to me. That being said, I found one that fits (almost) exactly what I want. I found this lot at Mecum to be auctioned off next month and I'm salivating just thinking about owning it. My question to everyone here who'd have some sort of good idea; what can I expect to pay for something like this? I realize resto-mods on the 2nd hand market lose a lot of their value (having the car built vs buying it off the owner that had it built) and it not having the original motor, interior, etc would lessen the value for someone looking to buy something more original. A friend of mine owns a 1969 Camaro Z28 that's been totally resto-modded. He told me he'd be willing to sell it for 130k, though I'm told by my uncle (who's more of an original classic guy) that he wouldn't think it'd be more than 80k. Based on that, is it safe to say I could be bidding up to 80k-100k for that Chevelle? Also, never been to or participated in an auction of any kind online or in person. If anyone here has done so at Mecum, a summary of what to expect would be awesome.