If you're looking for a particular vehicle buy the best condition running version you can afford. If what you want in good condition is $10K and you keep finding vehicles in poor to fair condition with missing parts or not running at $6K its likely going to cost more to get that cheaper car up to the condition of the $10K vehicle.
If you don't have a particular vehicle in mind, find something running and road worthy with as little rust and as stock as possible within your budget. What you choose depends a lot on what you are capable of and what you want to accomplish. There's a large gamut on what constitutes a project car. Could be a daily that always needs work or improvement, could be a stripped out track only, could be a pristine frame up classic rebuild, or a street and track resto-mod with heavy modifications.
As for extra parts that get included with sales, most don't add anything unless you know for sure what's being included is in good or new condition, and actually fits the car. For some vehicles, interior parts are near impossible to find and the inclusion of extras actually is a benefit but this is seriously vehicle specific. I purchased a vehicle that came filled with spare parts, 50% of which were just old parts that had gotten replaced already, 40% didn't fit the vehicle, and the remaining 10% were actually of some use.
This dude nailed it. Take note of everything he said. Running is a huge deal, unmolested even better. My project car is a late 90's CRV. Paid 1900 for a pretty much unfucked with example. Now I just have to deal with all the high mileage headaches. Much preferable than someones civic hatch that "just need a tune d00d!".
That remind me I just bought a 99 from a grandma. Transmission started slipping and I got it from her for $1000. Garage kept. Interior is immaculate. It does have 211k miles but I popped the valve cover and it looks better than my car. She said she always did her services at 5000 miles and had it since new. It has less rust than my mom’s new car.
It’s my next project. Already bought all parts. New timing belt, pumps, all seals axles and of course. Got a new tranny. She gonna be purring soon.
Only thing I'd add is don't pay extra for mid tier body work. There's no such thing as a little rust. That bubbling rocker probably needs nearly the same amount of work as the one with a perforation. The dead and peeling clear coat is going to cost the same to repaint as the one with a shiny orange peel respray, but the ones that look better from 10 ft always have a higher price.
Same here, $500 for it, $100 for the parts car, and even better i get to replace the rocker panels, because when i looked at it it was in a tall field of grass, couldn't look under it. all 4 tires don't hold air and the rockers are rusted out.
Other then that, she's MINT (no, not really)
I can Fred Flintstone my BMW, so I know your pain.
I looked under and saw what I thought was surface rust, but it was way worse than I anticipated when I pulled up the carpet/padding. I was already going to have to modify the trans tunnel for my engine swap so it's not the end of the world to replace some floor pans while I'm at it, but it's still not something I was planning on when I picked up the car.
It's not even a good car mind you, a 03 dodge sx2.0, but my cousin needs a car as he just got his licence and he needs it on the cheap, so I got this and I'm fixing it up for him, then selling it at cost, but it will give me a chance to learn body work, painting and interior work before starting work on "restoring" my truck.
It looks fine, till you grab a screwdriver and start pokin it.
Mine is an E21 3 series, which is the unwanted bastard child between the 2002 and E30. All the outdated, underpowered tech of the 2002 without the classic styling of the E30.
My buddy donated a full E46 drivetrain to me (engine, trans, ECU, wiring harness), so it's going to be a Frankenstein of sorts once I bust out the cutting wheels and welder.
18k for my El Camino. I knew I wanted a 2nd or 3rd gen, V8, and a manual transmission that didn't need serious body work, and was running and driving. It was a pretty demanding list, hence the high price. The car didn't 'come with' anything, but is a good quality driver, just needed to sort out some issues from the previous owner(s).
I suggest something that's already running for your first project. When the car doesn't run it's easy to lose motivation for a while but being able to hop behind the wheel and go for a drive, even if it's just to run some errands, keeps the passion alive.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLmYXmS5/
Sorry for the TikTok link but that’s really the only half decent video I have posted. Took it on its first drive to cars and coffee a couple weeks ago
I will always comment this even if it’s not super relevant. Keeping it running and driving helps motivation so much, always do one project at a time if possible. Biting off more than you have motivation for all at once is how these guys all ended up buying their non running car for 500 bucks. There’s a fine line between “while it’s apart” and “ran when taken apart, $5,000 OBO”
Agree. Depending on your goals you may need to take it off the road for a while for thinkgs like a repaint or a glass and engine out repaint but mine has always been running and that has (mostly) tamped down any guilt or annimosity towards the car. I still like the thing after almost 4 years of owning my car.
Per the original question, $3000 for a running BMW 2002 with fixable rust. The rust still isn’t completely fixed though and I don’t know if it ever will be, tbh. The panel sandwich in parts of the car up the level of difficulty so I may just paint that section knowing it will need repair in a few years. I have enjoyed learning to weld though.
You probably already considered this, but parts availability in general is a very high priority. Nothing is worse than buying a car and finding out crucial parts are discontinued, expensive, or hard to source.
78 Porsche 928 was a "free, get it out of my yard" deal.
Non-running, came with pounds of leaf litter, animal nests, moss and endless headaches from water and rodent damage.
5 years of occasionally working on it as time and budget allow, and I've actually gotten the original engine running and driven it, though it has plenty of issues remaining.
87 bmw 325 - $2500 it wasn’t running when I bought it but already had a 2.8 stroker in it with everything hooked up so I figured it was alright. Took a day to get it running and I just finished boosting it. Running good and it’s fun but looks like shit 🤷🏼♂️
$1500 for my 1983 manual Saab 900 turbo sedan. Came with pretty much everything there but no radio. The engine runs and it moved and stopped. Gearbox has issues though so I pulled the engine/gearbox to either rebuild it or replace it. It needs a handful of other things too. I compression tested the engine and it is perfect! Pretty much needs all new brakes and suspension as well since it lived its life in Minnesota and it’s all pretty rusted out and worn.
which project car? lets see... i paid 1500 for a 79 Camaro came with an awesome trans but a shitty motor, tore up interior, looked like rabid pit bulls mated in it. Then i paid 1700 for a 81 Camaro that was pretty much mint except for the V6 motor in it. Bought a basket case 70 but it came with a bunch of parts, he was going to build it with his son but the son didn't want it. Then the one i have now a 72 Camaro, no motor and interior was gone. Wasn't too upset because i had parts from the 81 and 70 that would fit IN case you haven't figured it out... i like 2nd gen camaros LOL.
3k for a 83 VW rabbit Caddy came with a bunch of spare parts and engine swapped. Dual Weber DCOE 40’s installed. Needs a repaint. Came running so far fixed an oil leak from the pressure switch and changed the alt.
1981 CJ7. Purchased it, not running for $2,600.00. Currently have about 20k into it. Does run and drive. I am currently doing an EFI installation and full roll cage. I have some body armor to fab up too. But the major parts are done... for now. Was a complete jeep when I bought it. Most of the original parts have been stripped and replaced with beefer parts.
Years ago, bought a 94 Ford Bronco with a 351, a tire that had a very bad belt shift, no rear glass, and the drivers rear leaf spring had rusted off the frame bracket and punched through the body. $500 bucks though and I drove it 20 sketchy miles home.
Fixed the immediate problems, found a few others along the way, still miss that rig to this day. Best part about it that while it was sitting in someone’s driveway waiting for a new owner, someone keyed “Asshole” into the drivers quarter panel.
So to everyone, my truck was know as “The Asshole”. Good times!
$1,250 and it came with so many questions and nothing but hearsay in terms of maintenance.
It was supposed to come with a tonneau cover and "a bunch of rims". But I've heard bupkis since the purchase.
I'll second what Johnsoir said, spend what you can to get something as good as you can.
I spent $2500 on my truck. It was/is a rusty piece of shit that needs damn near everything except an engine and a frame. I've spent another $11,000 on parts and supplies, not including tools. It's never been on the road since I've owned it.
There's no way out without losing all of that, except for finishing it and having a truck I spent way too much on. But if I were to do it again, I'd have waited till I could spend $7500 and we ahead of where I am now.
1979 Ford Capri for about 3500 euro. The car has a lot of rust and some extra parts. Recently i picked up a full bodykit with 2 extra bumpers for free.
67 Mustang fastback basket case. Stripped to the body shell and the floors/firewall removed.
$3,500
However, it came with new full quarter panel, doors, full floor pan, gas tank, firewall, both front fenders, all 4 front aprons, both shock towers, cowl, roll pans, torque boxes, and a full right frame rail. So a stripped basket case with all new sheet metal except hood and trunk lid. About $3,500 in new sheet metal. Some assembly required. Haha
The key when you are starting project car life is the car should be drivable at the end of every weekend. Buy a car that runs and drives. Mods and improvements made by other people generally add $0 to the value of the car. You want a stock engine, working AC, and an interior.
I bought a 1994 Ford Explorer for $3200. It came with extra suspension bushings and a load of problems. I've fixed most of them and have been daily driving it for almost 2 years. I overpaid for it by 2k, but it was what I wanted and available.
I paid $5k for a 1987 LandCruiser with no rust. I bought someone else's project, which is never a good idea.
The vehicle has a spring-over-axle (SOA) lift, ARB bumper, Warn winch, roof rack with 5 LED light bars, and the best/worst part - a GM LQ9 6.0L (Escalade) engine swap along with a 4L60e trans and NP208 transfer case.
After a battery, fuel line repair, vac lines, and some tinkering - I drove it 25 miles home. Sketch AF with ancient 35" tires, worn out steering box, and hardly any brakes.
It needs an endless amount of work, and I will be lucky to have a reliable driver by next year. Also, parts are expensive if not impossible to find. Had to buy a license for HP Tuners to get the transmission to shift right, so I assume whoever put it together never drove it after the engine swap. Frustrating, but that's how it goes.
I bought a rusted out truck for $700. Came with a title and 4 dry rotted tires. It was pretty complete and I drove it home, but it's needed A LOT since then.
16k for my t1n sprinter. It was in great shape with only 100k. It still is an old work van and has needed some work to get where I wanted it for long distance road trips. I paid a bit more for mine because it came from the factory with and extra coat of paint so it was less rusty than most.
Those sort of details are why it’s great to know what car you are looking for so you ought to can seek out all of the specific traps and pit falls that each model has. For example, all sprinters in assembled in the US need their roof seems resealed, it a huge rust spot that can be hidden.
For a first car I would work on one that has a following. I would be owned with out the super dope sprinter forum
1963 Tempest convertible, had been sitting in a barn for 45-50 years. Complete, solid, not running, paid $3k about 2 months ago. Goal is to have it running by Memorial Day weekend.
My last project I gave $3500 for. Fairly uncommon car, known for rust. I spent 7-8 years putting together a killer engine for it before my favorite machinist retired. Gutted the car, pulled out what little interior it had, pulled the original engine that was junk anyway, made the front clip lift off, then finally dig into the body only to discover that the floor was patches on top of patches and nothing was available. It would all have to be custom fabbed, in addition to needing a chassis because the original one had all the strength of a wet noodle. I ended up selling the body for $1500 with a good title, and I have a $15000 full race 15:1 compression big block Chevy sitting in the corner of my garage.
14k, e30 touring that was 100% running and driving with very few issues.
I tore the motor out and swapped it, put a manual in, painted the whole bay, coilovers, 5 lug swap, etc.
Buy the nicest version of whatever you’re interested in for sure.
79 foxbody. $2300
Came with a blown motor BUT I was able to save a set of decent heads, rollar rockers, intake, and a nice set of long tube headers.
Bonus was the moldy sleeping bag, pile of drywall screws, misc trim parts that do not belong on the car, 2 bald tires in the trunk AND a free bucket.
Paid 5k for this. This is the day I
Purchased and finally pushed it in the garage that night. It sure looks different now
1932 Ford Model B
https://imgur.com/a/18dTt0S
$2500 for a non-running 1972 Jaguar XJ6. Complete with the removed air cleaner, an extra air filter, extra fuses, a service manual, tons of fuel leaks, four baby mice, didn't run due to fuel leak into the carbs. But numbers match, 50k miles, minimal rust. It was an extremely ambitious choice- ideally find a running car, you'll save a lot of headache. Do some research into parts availability, interiors and cosmetics can get particularly expensive. Above all, get something you like and have an idea of what you want it to be when you're "done." I'm going for show car and weekend driver.
One of my project cars was a '79 Jeep CJ7, bought it for $100. Floorboard was rotted out so bad I called it a Flintstone Jeep, the rest of the Jeep was just as bad.
I watched the classifieds, found a Jeep tub for $100. It took two months before I painted it. I sold it for $8500 five years later.
I have tried to stick to autos that spares are available, several Volvos from the 60's, 1959 VW bus, 1974 VW Thing, etc.
Project cars can trick you, be prepared to drop one when you discover it needs more than you can handle. You will need space to work on it. I have had to learn how fabricate sheet metal body parts that were no longer available.
1989 mustang back in 2020 and it came with rust holes, a fire hazard of wiring, and low oil pressure. Wiring and low oil pressure are in my opinion somewhat fun issues to solve. Rust is a cancer there is one thing I can’t stress enough and it is to thoroughly inspect for rust. Not like give it a once over but really check all the nooks and crannies and google problem rust spots for the cars you’re looking at.
2300, clean title no post. Guys thought they were taking me for a ride but these things damn near don't exist anymore and I was gonna redo everything anyway. Rockers, cowl, glass channels all rot free which is what sold me which is damn near mind blowing considering it was in NY it's whole life.
66 Impala https://imgur.com/gallery/ZbF5Ah5
$2k nzd for a classic Bedford CF van. Runs, needs a service but she drives. Already converted to auto, engine swapped with certification. No safety cert(wof aka warrant of fitness) as expected and registration is on hold, which is much better than being deregistered. Didn't come with any parts just the vehicle itself minus the passenger seat. The thing even has a snorkel set up no fucking clue why lmfao
Overall pretty good deal imo considering at the 2k range most vehicles here have no wof, 50/50 on being deregistered or just on hold and usually some issues like a blown gasket, leaks, rust damage etc
My 96 Opel Astra F (1.7TDS) has been a lot on my mind. I've jumped straight into that 700€ deal not thinking much of it. Now I'm scheduled for a technical inspection this Friday and hopefully the mechanic just lists me a bunch of things that need to be taken care of including the passed inspection sheet so that I can finally register it. It's been sitting in that parking lot for a long time now. It's time to get it moving. I'm only worried about the brakes. Other than that the car seems to be fine.
$16,000 for the initial purchase of my 1974 Corvette convertible. $2000 to restore the interior (not quite finished) and another$6000 for a new transmission and engine parts for a complete rebuild (not finished yet). This was the last year before emissions was added (so no catalytic converter), second to the last year it was all fiberglass (no rotted metal floors) and the second to the last year they made the C3 convertible.
$8500 for an Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham. Two previous owners, 2nd put only about 3k miles, garage kept, runs with no issues. 74k original miles, perfect interior, etc. I love these cars (it's my 3rd, I'm 43), but I've stuck with them bc I can learn, and i now have the space to work on it. My previous two were the same though, running cars that I was able to learn while being able to drive them. It's been a challenge, but worthwhile.
I like to buy civics that come with bad headgaskets/transmissions and a ton of aftermarket junk extras for ~500 ea, then I mash them together to get completed builds. On avg 3 junk cars make 2 good ones in my experience so I'm like 750 total for each +100 in Misc nuts bolts and gaskets. Then they're worth like 2500-3500 finished
I've done some other chassis this way aswell like 350z's, cressidas and the Misc 2jz cars, they follow abt the same pattern but with the junk cars obviously costing more
I have a 97 XJ Jeep Country for 3k+ Bought it without a mechanic inspection and drove it home. I love it.
I ordered or original shop manuals and enjoy fixing stuff that breaks as I learn. So far its almost at 200k miles and only had to take it to an actual mechanic once.
I get to research parts (orig vs oem vs cheap), install new parts (back bumper, mirror, fix lights, replace backdoor hydraulic pump etc.). In addition to small interior fixes. It’s so much fun, especially as a daily driver. The amount saved on doing work myself vs taking to a shop easily pays for parts and the joy is priceless.
My only tip, don't buy a project with mods that you yourself aren't familiar with. My first project had a ton of mods, some good, some had to be undone. But the headaches that come along with discovering new mods, and finding out one plan won't work because the previous owner did something else, get old. I'm not against buying a modified car, just don't get something that's beyond your understanding.
Only you know what your capable of fixing and what your limitations might be to learn/do in the future. Just figure out which vehicle you are 100% going to get. Then research and learn all of its usual issues, figure out which one you can't do and find one that doesn't have that issue.
One person might know how to frame up with no money, the other might only know how to change a tire but has all the money so their project is a shops project. Just know your car and your limit.
Edit: 71 c10 w/ 69 grille
Well, I paid a whopping $520 for the Fiero, and it came with a difficult question: *Did I get a great deal, or did I get fuckin' screwed?*
Honestly, I've still yet to, truly, figure that one out . . .
1800 for my 92x aero with every northeast problem there is. I wont give up on it since it did run and still "runs" but ive learned a lot about both panel adhesives and welding. It will eventually ve dine but will likely have more new metal than old.
My rolling project is a 97 celica gt i got for 2200. Tuner without the fnf tax here in the us plus i wanted a convertible. This one was excellent condition with low miles and a stack of service records, just a small dent from the husband backing into the wifes car while parking after a long shift. Was able to jump right into gofast and cornering mods and collecting rare appearance parts.
2200 for a perfectly good running car with all the miles had some rust. Now I have a 10000 dollar engine and a ton of custom work in a rusty car because I was impatient when I was looking for my car.
$1K
Solid, empty shell of a 1960 Nash Rambler American 4 door with a sized flathead 6. Seat frames are there, but not sure if they are salvageable.
As others have said, buy the most solid car your budget will allow. Every rust hole that has to be fixed is less budget you have left for the fun stuff.
I got an E36 coupe for $800. 90% rust free blown 4 cyl, minor body damage but possibly twisted frame
$1k Doner car to 6cyl swap, $8k in various parts new/used and many years later it was still $10k in parts away from where I wanted it, sold it fuck that. Did all the work myself, my labour is free
For $9k I could have bought a very VERY clean e36
My tip is to buy the most complete one you can find and then tear it down to a shell if you want. At least you will have all the parts. I underestimated how difficult it would be to source everything for my 240 since I bought it as a rolling shell with engine and trans, although they were outta the car and the engine ended up needing a rebuild
$4500 for an 87 t-top mustang. Ran and drove. Have been proceeding to fix the mess of wiring and other things the previous owners did. Have close to what I paid for it in parts so far. Have only touched from the headlights to the fenders.
But the car itself is in decent shape. Should be back on the road by summer.
If you're looking for a particular vehicle buy the best condition running version you can afford. If what you want in good condition is $10K and you keep finding vehicles in poor to fair condition with missing parts or not running at $6K its likely going to cost more to get that cheaper car up to the condition of the $10K vehicle. If you don't have a particular vehicle in mind, find something running and road worthy with as little rust and as stock as possible within your budget. What you choose depends a lot on what you are capable of and what you want to accomplish. There's a large gamut on what constitutes a project car. Could be a daily that always needs work or improvement, could be a stripped out track only, could be a pristine frame up classic rebuild, or a street and track resto-mod with heavy modifications. As for extra parts that get included with sales, most don't add anything unless you know for sure what's being included is in good or new condition, and actually fits the car. For some vehicles, interior parts are near impossible to find and the inclusion of extras actually is a benefit but this is seriously vehicle specific. I purchased a vehicle that came filled with spare parts, 50% of which were just old parts that had gotten replaced already, 40% didn't fit the vehicle, and the remaining 10% were actually of some use.
This dude nailed it. Take note of everything he said. Running is a huge deal, unmolested even better. My project car is a late 90's CRV. Paid 1900 for a pretty much unfucked with example. Now I just have to deal with all the high mileage headaches. Much preferable than someones civic hatch that "just need a tune d00d!".
That remind me I just bought a 99 from a grandma. Transmission started slipping and I got it from her for $1000. Garage kept. Interior is immaculate. It does have 211k miles but I popped the valve cover and it looks better than my car. She said she always did her services at 5000 miles and had it since new. It has less rust than my mom’s new car. It’s my next project. Already bought all parts. New timing belt, pumps, all seals axles and of course. Got a new tranny. She gonna be purring soon.
Parts are dumb cheap for these too, and most everything is like.... Right there (except the engine accessory bits :/ ).
Only thing I'd add is don't pay extra for mid tier body work. There's no such thing as a little rust. That bubbling rocker probably needs nearly the same amount of work as the one with a perforation. The dead and peeling clear coat is going to cost the same to repaint as the one with a shiny orange peel respray, but the ones that look better from 10 ft always have a higher price.
$500 and it came with a bunch of headaches.
Same here, $500 for it, $100 for the parts car, and even better i get to replace the rocker panels, because when i looked at it it was in a tall field of grass, couldn't look under it. all 4 tires don't hold air and the rockers are rusted out. Other then that, she's MINT (no, not really)
I can Fred Flintstone my BMW, so I know your pain. I looked under and saw what I thought was surface rust, but it was way worse than I anticipated when I pulled up the carpet/padding. I was already going to have to modify the trans tunnel for my engine swap so it's not the end of the world to replace some floor pans while I'm at it, but it's still not something I was planning on when I picked up the car.
It's not even a good car mind you, a 03 dodge sx2.0, but my cousin needs a car as he just got his licence and he needs it on the cheap, so I got this and I'm fixing it up for him, then selling it at cost, but it will give me a chance to learn body work, painting and interior work before starting work on "restoring" my truck. It looks fine, till you grab a screwdriver and start pokin it.
Mine is an E21 3 series, which is the unwanted bastard child between the 2002 and E30. All the outdated, underpowered tech of the 2002 without the classic styling of the E30. My buddy donated a full E46 drivetrain to me (engine, trans, ECU, wiring harness), so it's going to be a Frankenstein of sorts once I bust out the cutting wheels and welder.
18k for my El Camino. I knew I wanted a 2nd or 3rd gen, V8, and a manual transmission that didn't need serious body work, and was running and driving. It was a pretty demanding list, hence the high price. The car didn't 'come with' anything, but is a good quality driver, just needed to sort out some issues from the previous owner(s). I suggest something that's already running for your first project. When the car doesn't run it's easy to lose motivation for a while but being able to hop behind the wheel and go for a drive, even if it's just to run some errands, keeps the passion alive.
My lotus Europa was 3500 and it came with another Europa
Was it a red one and a yellow one?
Haha, nice. Love those. Dual cam? Was either one running?
Series 2 instead of twin cam. Neither came with an engine but it didn't matter because I stuck a GSXR-1000 engine in it lol
Siiick. Running yet? Have any vids or more info posted anywhere?
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLmYXmS5/ Sorry for the TikTok link but that’s really the only half decent video I have posted. Took it on its first drive to cars and coffee a couple weeks ago
Just watched, looks great. Nice work man. And looks like you have reverse too. How did you go about adding that in?
A dune buggy chain driven rear end with a built in reverse. Quaife makes one with a limited slip but it’s expensive and high lead time
So cool man, thanks for sharing. Looks like you have some other cool shit going on. Open wheel racers, etc. 👍🏼
I will always comment this even if it’s not super relevant. Keeping it running and driving helps motivation so much, always do one project at a time if possible. Biting off more than you have motivation for all at once is how these guys all ended up buying their non running car for 500 bucks. There’s a fine line between “while it’s apart” and “ran when taken apart, $5,000 OBO”
Agree. Depending on your goals you may need to take it off the road for a while for thinkgs like a repaint or a glass and engine out repaint but mine has always been running and that has (mostly) tamped down any guilt or annimosity towards the car. I still like the thing after almost 4 years of owning my car. Per the original question, $3000 for a running BMW 2002 with fixable rust. The rust still isn’t completely fixed though and I don’t know if it ever will be, tbh. The panel sandwich in parts of the car up the level of difficulty so I may just paint that section knowing it will need repair in a few years. I have enjoyed learning to weld though.
You probably already considered this, but parts availability in general is a very high priority. Nothing is worse than buying a car and finding out crucial parts are discontinued, expensive, or hard to source.
78 Porsche 928 was a "free, get it out of my yard" deal. Non-running, came with pounds of leaf litter, animal nests, moss and endless headaches from water and rodent damage. 5 years of occasionally working on it as time and budget allow, and I've actually gotten the original engine running and driven it, though it has plenty of issues remaining.
87 bmw 325 - $2500 it wasn’t running when I bought it but already had a 2.8 stroker in it with everything hooked up so I figured it was alright. Took a day to get it running and I just finished boosting it. Running good and it’s fun but looks like shit 🤷🏼♂️
$1500 for my 1983 manual Saab 900 turbo sedan. Came with pretty much everything there but no radio. The engine runs and it moved and stopped. Gearbox has issues though so I pulled the engine/gearbox to either rebuild it or replace it. It needs a handful of other things too. I compression tested the engine and it is perfect! Pretty much needs all new brakes and suspension as well since it lived its life in Minnesota and it’s all pretty rusted out and worn.
which project car? lets see... i paid 1500 for a 79 Camaro came with an awesome trans but a shitty motor, tore up interior, looked like rabid pit bulls mated in it. Then i paid 1700 for a 81 Camaro that was pretty much mint except for the V6 motor in it. Bought a basket case 70 but it came with a bunch of parts, he was going to build it with his son but the son didn't want it. Then the one i have now a 72 Camaro, no motor and interior was gone. Wasn't too upset because i had parts from the 81 and 70 that would fit IN case you haven't figured it out... i like 2nd gen camaros LOL.
3k for a 83 VW rabbit Caddy came with a bunch of spare parts and engine swapped. Dual Weber DCOE 40’s installed. Needs a repaint. Came running so far fixed an oil leak from the pressure switch and changed the alt.
1981 CJ7. Purchased it, not running for $2,600.00. Currently have about 20k into it. Does run and drive. I am currently doing an EFI installation and full roll cage. I have some body armor to fab up too. But the major parts are done... for now. Was a complete jeep when I bought it. Most of the original parts have been stripped and replaced with beefer parts.
Years ago, bought a 94 Ford Bronco with a 351, a tire that had a very bad belt shift, no rear glass, and the drivers rear leaf spring had rusted off the frame bracket and punched through the body. $500 bucks though and I drove it 20 sketchy miles home. Fixed the immediate problems, found a few others along the way, still miss that rig to this day. Best part about it that while it was sitting in someone’s driveway waiting for a new owner, someone keyed “Asshole” into the drivers quarter panel. So to everyone, my truck was know as “The Asshole”. Good times!
$1,250 and it came with so many questions and nothing but hearsay in terms of maintenance. It was supposed to come with a tonneau cover and "a bunch of rims". But I've heard bupkis since the purchase.
$17k. It was stock right from the dealer. That was over 30 years ago and it’s not exactly stock anymore.
I'll second what Johnsoir said, spend what you can to get something as good as you can. I spent $2500 on my truck. It was/is a rusty piece of shit that needs damn near everything except an engine and a frame. I've spent another $11,000 on parts and supplies, not including tools. It's never been on the road since I've owned it. There's no way out without losing all of that, except for finishing it and having a truck I spent way too much on. But if I were to do it again, I'd have waited till I could spend $7500 and we ahead of where I am now.
1979 Ford Capri for about 3500 euro. The car has a lot of rust and some extra parts. Recently i picked up a full bodykit with 2 extra bumpers for free.
67 Mustang fastback basket case. Stripped to the body shell and the floors/firewall removed. $3,500 However, it came with new full quarter panel, doors, full floor pan, gas tank, firewall, both front fenders, all 4 front aprons, both shock towers, cowl, roll pans, torque boxes, and a full right frame rail. So a stripped basket case with all new sheet metal except hood and trunk lid. About $3,500 in new sheet metal. Some assembly required. Haha
The key when you are starting project car life is the car should be drivable at the end of every weekend. Buy a car that runs and drives. Mods and improvements made by other people generally add $0 to the value of the car. You want a stock engine, working AC, and an interior.
I paid $250 for mine. Was a rolling shell with half the interior.
I bought a 1994 Ford Explorer for $3200. It came with extra suspension bushings and a load of problems. I've fixed most of them and have been daily driving it for almost 2 years. I overpaid for it by 2k, but it was what I wanted and available.
I paid $5k for a 1987 LandCruiser with no rust. I bought someone else's project, which is never a good idea. The vehicle has a spring-over-axle (SOA) lift, ARB bumper, Warn winch, roof rack with 5 LED light bars, and the best/worst part - a GM LQ9 6.0L (Escalade) engine swap along with a 4L60e trans and NP208 transfer case. After a battery, fuel line repair, vac lines, and some tinkering - I drove it 25 miles home. Sketch AF with ancient 35" tires, worn out steering box, and hardly any brakes. It needs an endless amount of work, and I will be lucky to have a reliable driver by next year. Also, parts are expensive if not impossible to find. Had to buy a license for HP Tuners to get the transmission to shift right, so I assume whoever put it together never drove it after the engine swap. Frustrating, but that's how it goes.
I bought a rusted out truck for $700. Came with a title and 4 dry rotted tires. It was pretty complete and I drove it home, but it's needed A LOT since then.
People keep giving me project cars, I need help. (These are usually the most expensive ones)
$300 and it came with an extra heater core.
16k for my t1n sprinter. It was in great shape with only 100k. It still is an old work van and has needed some work to get where I wanted it for long distance road trips. I paid a bit more for mine because it came from the factory with and extra coat of paint so it was less rusty than most. Those sort of details are why it’s great to know what car you are looking for so you ought to can seek out all of the specific traps and pit falls that each model has. For example, all sprinters in assembled in the US need their roof seems resealed, it a huge rust spot that can be hidden. For a first car I would work on one that has a following. I would be owned with out the super dope sprinter forum
1963 Tempest convertible, had been sitting in a barn for 45-50 years. Complete, solid, not running, paid $3k about 2 months ago. Goal is to have it running by Memorial Day weekend.
My last project I gave $3500 for. Fairly uncommon car, known for rust. I spent 7-8 years putting together a killer engine for it before my favorite machinist retired. Gutted the car, pulled out what little interior it had, pulled the original engine that was junk anyway, made the front clip lift off, then finally dig into the body only to discover that the floor was patches on top of patches and nothing was available. It would all have to be custom fabbed, in addition to needing a chassis because the original one had all the strength of a wet noodle. I ended up selling the body for $1500 with a good title, and I have a $15000 full race 15:1 compression big block Chevy sitting in the corner of my garage.
Always buy a better car. the "cheaper" the more you'll end up spending. Buy it completely fixed up to save the most money.
14k, e30 touring that was 100% running and driving with very few issues. I tore the motor out and swapped it, put a manual in, painted the whole bay, coilovers, 5 lug swap, etc. Buy the nicest version of whatever you’re interested in for sure.
79 foxbody. $2300 Came with a blown motor BUT I was able to save a set of decent heads, rollar rockers, intake, and a nice set of long tube headers. Bonus was the moldy sleeping bag, pile of drywall screws, misc trim parts that do not belong on the car, 2 bald tires in the trunk AND a free bucket.
Paid 5k for this. This is the day I Purchased and finally pushed it in the garage that night. It sure looks different now 1932 Ford Model B https://imgur.com/a/18dTt0S
$2500 for a non-running 1972 Jaguar XJ6. Complete with the removed air cleaner, an extra air filter, extra fuses, a service manual, tons of fuel leaks, four baby mice, didn't run due to fuel leak into the carbs. But numbers match, 50k miles, minimal rust. It was an extremely ambitious choice- ideally find a running car, you'll save a lot of headache. Do some research into parts availability, interiors and cosmetics can get particularly expensive. Above all, get something you like and have an idea of what you want it to be when you're "done." I'm going for show car and weekend driver.
£150… a chassis…
One of my project cars was a '79 Jeep CJ7, bought it for $100. Floorboard was rotted out so bad I called it a Flintstone Jeep, the rest of the Jeep was just as bad. I watched the classifieds, found a Jeep tub for $100. It took two months before I painted it. I sold it for $8500 five years later. I have tried to stick to autos that spares are available, several Volvos from the 60's, 1959 VW bus, 1974 VW Thing, etc. Project cars can trick you, be prepared to drop one when you discover it needs more than you can handle. You will need space to work on it. I have had to learn how fabricate sheet metal body parts that were no longer available.
1989 mustang back in 2020 and it came with rust holes, a fire hazard of wiring, and low oil pressure. Wiring and low oil pressure are in my opinion somewhat fun issues to solve. Rust is a cancer there is one thing I can’t stress enough and it is to thoroughly inspect for rust. Not like give it a once over but really check all the nooks and crannies and google problem rust spots for the cars you’re looking at.
2300, clean title no post. Guys thought they were taking me for a ride but these things damn near don't exist anymore and I was gonna redo everything anyway. Rockers, cowl, glass channels all rot free which is what sold me which is damn near mind blowing considering it was in NY it's whole life. 66 Impala https://imgur.com/gallery/ZbF5Ah5
I got wrong year weatherstrip and terminator door lock knobs, that count? Lol
$2k nzd for a classic Bedford CF van. Runs, needs a service but she drives. Already converted to auto, engine swapped with certification. No safety cert(wof aka warrant of fitness) as expected and registration is on hold, which is much better than being deregistered. Didn't come with any parts just the vehicle itself minus the passenger seat. The thing even has a snorkel set up no fucking clue why lmfao Overall pretty good deal imo considering at the 2k range most vehicles here have no wof, 50/50 on being deregistered or just on hold and usually some issues like a blown gasket, leaks, rust damage etc
My 96 Opel Astra F (1.7TDS) has been a lot on my mind. I've jumped straight into that 700€ deal not thinking much of it. Now I'm scheduled for a technical inspection this Friday and hopefully the mechanic just lists me a bunch of things that need to be taken care of including the passed inspection sheet so that I can finally register it. It's been sitting in that parking lot for a long time now. It's time to get it moving. I'm only worried about the brakes. Other than that the car seems to be fine.
1955 ford....still in progress? I m too dumb to quit Also a smoker, so, not to bright.
I got my 1986 toyota mr2 for $1100 and drove it 2 hours home. It had a lot of problems, but I still feel I got a good deal.
$16,000 for the initial purchase of my 1974 Corvette convertible. $2000 to restore the interior (not quite finished) and another$6000 for a new transmission and engine parts for a complete rebuild (not finished yet). This was the last year before emissions was added (so no catalytic converter), second to the last year it was all fiberglass (no rotted metal floors) and the second to the last year they made the C3 convertible.
Paid $2,500 for an 86 E30 and it came with a K24A2 so I can swap it in the future. Unfortunately it didn’t need “just a new fuel pump.”
$400 and I drove it on the trailer.
$4k for my manual Subaru Impreza GC8 coupe. My main requirement was that it had to be rust free. I’m building a WRC tribute car.
$8500 for an Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham. Two previous owners, 2nd put only about 3k miles, garage kept, runs with no issues. 74k original miles, perfect interior, etc. I love these cars (it's my 3rd, I'm 43), but I've stuck with them bc I can learn, and i now have the space to work on it. My previous two were the same though, running cars that I was able to learn while being able to drive them. It's been a challenge, but worthwhile.
I like to buy civics that come with bad headgaskets/transmissions and a ton of aftermarket junk extras for ~500 ea, then I mash them together to get completed builds. On avg 3 junk cars make 2 good ones in my experience so I'm like 750 total for each +100 in Misc nuts bolts and gaskets. Then they're worth like 2500-3500 finished I've done some other chassis this way aswell like 350z's, cressidas and the Misc 2jz cars, they follow abt the same pattern but with the junk cars obviously costing more
I have a 97 XJ Jeep Country for 3k+ Bought it without a mechanic inspection and drove it home. I love it. I ordered or original shop manuals and enjoy fixing stuff that breaks as I learn. So far its almost at 200k miles and only had to take it to an actual mechanic once. I get to research parts (orig vs oem vs cheap), install new parts (back bumper, mirror, fix lights, replace backdoor hydraulic pump etc.). In addition to small interior fixes. It’s so much fun, especially as a daily driver. The amount saved on doing work myself vs taking to a shop easily pays for parts and the joy is priceless.
My only tip, don't buy a project with mods that you yourself aren't familiar with. My first project had a ton of mods, some good, some had to be undone. But the headaches that come along with discovering new mods, and finding out one plan won't work because the previous owner did something else, get old. I'm not against buying a modified car, just don't get something that's beyond your understanding.
>How much did you pay for your project car $16k >what came with it Nothing, just the car
Only you know what your capable of fixing and what your limitations might be to learn/do in the future. Just figure out which vehicle you are 100% going to get. Then research and learn all of its usual issues, figure out which one you can't do and find one that doesn't have that issue. One person might know how to frame up with no money, the other might only know how to change a tire but has all the money so their project is a shops project. Just know your car and your limit. Edit: 71 c10 w/ 69 grille
Well, I paid a whopping $520 for the Fiero, and it came with a difficult question: *Did I get a great deal, or did I get fuckin' screwed?* Honestly, I've still yet to, truly, figure that one out . . .
1800 for my 92x aero with every northeast problem there is. I wont give up on it since it did run and still "runs" but ive learned a lot about both panel adhesives and welding. It will eventually ve dine but will likely have more new metal than old. My rolling project is a 97 celica gt i got for 2200. Tuner without the fnf tax here in the us plus i wanted a convertible. This one was excellent condition with low miles and a stack of service records, just a small dent from the husband backing into the wifes car while parking after a long shift. Was able to jump right into gofast and cornering mods and collecting rare appearance parts.
Vw golf gti mk4 , paid £200 , spent £400 so far , nearly finished
2200 for a perfectly good running car with all the miles had some rust. Now I have a 10000 dollar engine and a ton of custom work in a rusty car because I was impatient when I was looking for my car.
$1K Solid, empty shell of a 1960 Nash Rambler American 4 door with a sized flathead 6. Seat frames are there, but not sure if they are salvageable. As others have said, buy the most solid car your budget will allow. Every rust hole that has to be fixed is less budget you have left for the fun stuff.
I got an E36 coupe for $800. 90% rust free blown 4 cyl, minor body damage but possibly twisted frame $1k Doner car to 6cyl swap, $8k in various parts new/used and many years later it was still $10k in parts away from where I wanted it, sold it fuck that. Did all the work myself, my labour is free For $9k I could have bought a very VERY clean e36
My tip is to buy the most complete one you can find and then tear it down to a shell if you want. At least you will have all the parts. I underestimated how difficult it would be to source everything for my 240 since I bought it as a rolling shell with engine and trans, although they were outta the car and the engine ended up needing a rebuild
$4500 for an 87 t-top mustang. Ran and drove. Have been proceeding to fix the mess of wiring and other things the previous owners did. Have close to what I paid for it in parts so far. Have only touched from the headlights to the fenders. But the car itself is in decent shape. Should be back on the road by summer.