OPINIONS NEEDED: New User, Looking for a Classic

[Guest SirShiftsalot]

Friends, countrymen, and others.

I have just recently joined the forums, and I am on the hunt for a Car. This car will be my first restoration project, I would prefer if It wasn't too complicated to repair. I am Moderately experienced with metal restoration, and I am also Moderately experienced in engine and mechanical repair. Anyway, have a few in my sights, and here they are. For the car (restoration not included) I'm trying to spend $6000 or less, but I can go up to 10k if it's a great car.

Condition 1.Perfect 2.Very nice 3.Daily Driver 4. Needs some restoration 5.Needs a full restoration

-1978 Pontiac Firebird Skybird $4,700. 2. No body rust, or mechanical problems. Paint isn't great, but it's not horrid.

-1975 Corvette $6,000. 3 needs new paint job, the old paint is sun bleached and faded. It has side mufflers that aren't stock, but other than that no more changes. Interior isn't horrible. Runs drives.

-1982 Porsche 928 $3,750 3 leather is well worn, but that is about it

-1977 Datsun 280Z 2+2 $5,000. 2 paint is great and it runs well. It has been maintained properly, and shows it

-1968 Pontiac GTO $5,500. 4 No paint, and surface rust. Interior is worn and dirty. Runs and drives, but needs some mechanical tuning.

-1972 Plymouth Roadrunner $2,700. 3 missing tail lights and no headlights otherwise great. It doesn't have a title as it was bought new in Georgia, which didn't issue titles till 1980. Comes with bill of sale

-1973 Cadillac Eldorado convertible $3,750 2 perfect paint and great interiors runs great

-1967 Chevy Impala Convertible $6,500. 2 good paint with many chips and scratches, good interior

-1968 Pontiac Catalina convertible $5,500. 2 great paint and chrome, good interiors no mechanical problems.

-1967 Oldsmobile Toronado $1,950 3 missing backseat, and floor pans are rusting out. paint is not great, no chips, but it is sun bleached. Runs but also has a fuel pump leak, and it's brakes bleed.

-1968 Oldsmobile Toronado $4,800. 2 paint is great and interiors are good. No mechanical problems.

-1966 Thunderbird $2,200. 4 surface rust, and rusted out brake line. Otherwise runs. The car has rust in the quarters, but they can be saved.

-1977 Corvette Stingray T-Top $10,000. 1 Perfect interiors and paint, runs splendidly, a bit expensive for my price range

-1974 AMC Javelin AMX $2750 4 missing a few bits of trim, and rust in the rear quarters, I believe it runs, but it would need a tune up and some new parts to run well. Interior is dirty, and the leather on the front seats are splitting.

It would be awesome if you guys could create your own top 3 list.

Thanks

Freddy aka SirShiftsalot

[RansomEli]

Some general advice. These are my opinions - don't take them as gospel.

1. For your first restoration, stay away from from the Porsche 928 and the Tornado. Replacement parts and general maintenance costs will kill you. Likewise, the Tornado has front-wheel drive and will be more expensive to repair.

2. Stay away from rust. It will cost you a lot more to repair than paying more for a rust-free car in the first place.

3. Always buy a clear title. If one is not available, don't buy the car until the owner corrects everything. Title problems can be extremely costly.

4. Some people like to do engine work; others like to do bodywork. Buy a car that needs what you can do (or want to learn).

5. Don't rely on this car for your daily transportation.

6. Buy a car that has a following on one of the AACA forums. That way you can learn from some real experts.

7. Where possible, buy a convertible. It's just more fun to drive.

8. Pay as much as you can afford for the car in the best condition. Believe me, you always underestimate how much repairs are going to cost.

I'm partial to Ramblers but your AMX has rust. I'd go with the '68 Catalina, '73 Eldorado or '67 Impala

[Matt Harwood]

I think you should expect every one of the cars on your list to be a #4 and in need of significant work. None of those sounds like a good idea for a first-timer. Keep saving and buy a complete, running, driving, usable car in good condition and fix up the little stuff along the way. Bringing a basket case back to life will break you if it's your first time out, regardless of your skill level. There are plenty of decent cars out there for under $10,000 that you could get in and enjoy and fix it up a little at a time. But starting with a $2500 restoration project will ultimately cost you A LOT more than $10,000 and you'll waste years NOT having fun in an old car.

Spend more and buy a good car to start with. That's RULE #1 of old car buying.

For example, I can put you into any of these cars for under $10,000 and they're ready to enjoy:

Edited May 20, 2014 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[cahartley]

I've ridden in convertibles and didn't enjoy a minute of it.

I even leave the top UP on my '19 Touring T.

Besides there's the top and entire mechanism waiting to go haywire.......lots of fun.......not.

I agree on the "buy the best you can afford".

It'll be the least expensive in the long run.

[Restorer32]

It all comes down to which you enjoy more, the trip or the destination. We have found that for many folks, but certainly not all, the thrill of the chase, finding a car and agonizing over its restoration ends up being more fun than actually having the car finished and sitting in their garage. Just a different perspective. If your primary interest is driving then buy a car someone else has restored.

[capngrog]

Friends, countrymen, and others.

I would prefer if It wasn't too complicated to repair.

Generally, and I emphasize the term "generally", the earlier the model year, the simpler it is to work on (repair/maintain). Of concern with an older car is parts availability, but many earlier cars, especially Chevrolet and Ford, enjoy readily available parts. American cars from the '70's were the result of the industry trying to come to terms with the new pollution standards, and can be somewhat problematic in my opinion. This opinion is based on my limited experience; however, others on this forum may have differing opinions based on more extensive experience. As mentioned in a previous post, I'd buy something that I could drive right away, and enjoy the routine of maintenance and improvement (personalizing) your classic car.

Cheers,

Grog

[keiser31]

The Roadrunner or GTO would be my choice.

[John_S_in_Penna]

The 1973 Cadillac Eldorado may be a beautiful car (coupe or convertible),

but its gas usage is atrocious.

I had one: 6 m.p.g. around town and 10 m.p.g. on the highway, for a

consistent average of 8 m.p.g.! A typical fill-up of its 27-gallon tank

would be 25 gallons--and that would be good for only 200 miles.

A car review by Consumer Guide in 1973 corroborated my 8 m.p.g. average--

and in that era of 32-cent gas prices, even they called its mileage "atrocious."

If you got a large older car that averaged 12 m.p.g., that's still a 50% improvement!

[Guest SirShiftsalot]

Ouch! It's low, but given the Cadillac weighs slightly less than Mexico, and is powered by an 8.2l V8, it's not exactly a Prius. That said, I'll probably steer clear (no pun intended) of the Eldorado.

[John_S_in_Penna]

Freddy, please keep us posted as to

what antique cars you look at, your conclusions

or questions--and especially the end result of your search.

There are great people in this hobby, and they take

interest in others' progress, especially people who may

be newer to the hobby.

[Paul Dobbin]

Freddy,

Which one do you like the best? Which one do you see yourself enjoying? We all like different projects that fit our sets of skills and usage plans, but generally subscribe to the idea of buying the best example of what we want, at a price we can afford. Restoration is always expensive to to it right or do it over. (There will always be things you can do to improve any car)

[Guest SirShiftsalot]

Been looking at a 1977-1978 triumph tr8 prototype. Only 150 were ever made, and it doesn't look to bad either. The bad thing is, most of the electronics will have gone, and it was made in the 70s by British leyland.....not exactly synonymous with quality. Also been looking at an 87 Jag XJS.

[Guest SirShiftsalot]

A nice little Datsun 280z caught my eye for $2500 as well

[keiser31]

A nice little Datsun 280z caught my eye for $2500 as well

Sounds good. If you have more choices in that direction, go with the 240Z or 280Z. Try to avoid the 260Z....not good.

[jeff_a]

I've never seen a TR8. Is it the same thing as a Triumph Stag?

Edited June 9, 2014 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

I've seen a lot of those 1st generation Plymouth Barracudas(1964 or 1965) for sale at reasonable prices. People are so crazy about the later ones they overlooked these.

To paraphrase another one of the posters here: if the thing doesn't run, you might as well collect clocks.

[Matt Harwood]

Been looking at a 1977-1978 triumph tr8 prototype. Only 150 were ever made, and it doesn't look to bad either. The bad thing is, most of the electronics will have gone, and it was made in the 70s by British leyland.....not exactly synonymous with quality. Also been looking at an 87 Jag XJS.

Avoid and avoid. Any British car that's not an MG and needs work is going to be a pretty big headache, and a Triumph prototype no less? Oof. Forget it. The XJS is a wonderful car, but buying a bad one will destroy your finances and that of all your heirs for three generations. As they say, an XJS is inexpensive to maintain but expensive as hell to neglect. If you're buying one for $2500, I know into which category it falls. You can buy a really, really nice one for not a lot more than $10,000, but a $2500 Jag will cost ten times that to put right. Avoid at all costs.

All the advice up above is good: get a slightly unusual '60s American car with a V8. You'll pay extra for a Camaro or a 1970 Mopar, but an oddball like the early Barracuda, a V8 Falcon, or a small block Chevy II would be affordable and easy to work on with a vast aftermarket of support. I remain convinced that $2500 worth of any car you buy is going to need some pretty serious TLC--you're not getting a "nice" car for $2500 unless you want a frumpy 1970s 4-door sedan. For that small sum, expect a project that'll require time and money in equal measure before it's ready to enjoy. I remain convinced that spending more up front to buy a better car is smarter financially (and better for your mental health) than buying a bargain-priced project thinking you can fix it up yourself and have a nice car on the cheap. Everyone here has tried (and failed) at that particular task...

[Guest AlCapone]

Matt speaks with experience and wisdom. You have the opportunity to learn from the mistakes we have all made. Buy what you can afford now and later. Even if you are highly skilled, it costs a lot of money to restore a car. Call a paint shop and ask how much to prepare and base clear coat a car. You will be shocked. Listen to the people on this site. They have copious quantities of experience and wisdom.

Wayne

[Dave Mellor NJ]

The TR8 was basically a TR7 with a V8 dropped in. I think you're better off with a small American make all in all.

http://www.tr8.com/

Edited June 10, 2014 by Dave Mellor NJ (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

From looking at you previous posts the silver Corvette Matt showed or one similar would be a good choice as long as you stay in the $10,000 to $12,000 price range.

None of the cars you listed are "classics". The term is very well defined.

The Corvette is sporty like your earlier interests and built with attainable parts. Many of its systems are owner repairable. And if you can't do it yourself and experienced shop is not hard to find. I would got with the Corvette. A lot of owners have been babying their car since new, just for you, and there are good buys. With an eye to long tern ownership, bumping the cash and buying a 1996 or newer would get you a nice ride.

If you have $10,000 cash a four year loan for another $8,000 should be around $200 a month. Some guys spend that on parts and materials while never getting the car finished. Imagine driving a nice car to a part time job instead of grinding rust through the night hoping to drive someday.

Bernie

[Guest SirShiftsalot]

I'll agree with you there 60FlatTop, none of those really are classics, but I have found a few pre 60s cars I absolutely adore. I have have been practicing restoration with a friend of mine working on his old triumph, but here are the cars

1. 1952 Hudson hornet $2900

2. 1959 Plymouth Fury $2500

3. 1952 Cadillac series 62 $3000

4. 1960 Pontiac Catalina $2500

[Guest SirShiftsalot]

My personal favorite is the hornet.

[cahartley]

I'm really partial to FINS.......so that '59 Plymouth looks good to me....... ........I have a '59 Chevy.......

Parts for the Fury will be a lot easier to score than for a Hudson I think.

I swear there are more Corvettes for sale than were built........

Have you considered any late 40's, early 50's, Oldsmobiles? They bear a fair resemblance to the Hornet.

Edited June 24, 2014 by cahartley (see edit history)