Looking for help getting started

[CamS19]

So I'm a teenager that's fairly new to the whole protouring/classic car scene and am looking for some project ideas. I know that sounds kind of weird but like I said I don't fully know what I'm doing at this point so please don't hate me for my ignorance. I would want something that I could do a majority of the work on with my dad, but that wouldn't be a ridiculously insane amount of work. I like late 60's /early 70's mustangs and camaros and cheveles and things so if at all possible something like that would be great but I'm open to other ideas. I don't want something that's too over the top, because like I said I'm just getting in to this, but something that I could still have fun in. Here's the kicker though... I only have about 14-15 grand to spend total. That includes just about everything for the car except for maybe wheels, tires ( if they were included that would be great but I know that might be pushing it) and oil. I'm flexible in almost all aspects except for the price really. Any imput would be great. Thanks in advance.

[LS7 Z/28]

Everyone on this forum has their own opinion so take any responses with a grain of salt. Look for something you truly want so you will be happy investing money into the project.

There are a lot of cheaper more modern muscle car options, but if you like cars from the 60's and 70's then stick with that. I personally like them the most also, along with the majority of people.

You should be able to find a decent project car that won't need a ridiculous amount of work and is within your budget, but don''t expect to find a flawless car built to the level of some of the cars on this site, be realistic. Just make sure that you only tackle one item at a time. Change the suspension, brakes, wheels & tires, engine rebuild or swap, new interior etc. Make it what you want. Take it one step at a time and don't get in too deep. Once you tear the car apart you find more and more things you want to do to it and the project snowballs into a full out build and your budget is quadrupled plus more.

Plan to change a few things at a time, which is not that difficult. Bolt on parts are readily available for most popular models. There are a lot of sponsors on this site that will have the parts you'll want. Just click on the links and do research.

As far as a project car goes, look on this site in the classifieds. There are generally quite a few decent cars. Craigslist has a lot of options, just be careful as to who you are dealing with. I'm not sure where you are located or how far you are willing to travel to look at a car but here are some options from a site that I like...

http://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/406700.html

http://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/371491.html

http://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/202724.html

http://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/178257.html

http://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/130317.html

http://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/718750.html

All of these cars will have many options for bolt on parts. Take it one step at a time. Good luck... keep the car hobby going and for the love of god don't buy a Civic or an Eclipse.

[csouth]

Welcome aboard! I would do as Cjames says and find a running project maybe in the middle of the budget you have. You can then use the other half for improvements, suspension, brakes, etc. Tackle one item at a time so that you can still enjoy the car and also accomplish some of your goals.
We should have the mods move this to the intro section, it will probably get more responses....

[epeterson]

Welcome from another pro touring teenager! I'm only 17 but have owned 7 cars in the past few years. Only two have been pro touring, but I've never spent more than 6,500 on a car really. Because thats a good medium price point were you don't get crap on four wheels but you dont get perfect everything. All my cars have had good drivetrains with maybe some paint flaws or interior rips. Look for projects that have the majors done such as engine/trans/rearend/paint/interior and it might have 200 little things that are stupid time consumers but will end up being cheaper to fix all the little stuff then put in a new engine or something. G body's are very cheap and very fun with large after market support, but thats also 80's. Late second gen camaros/firebirds also have a hugeee aftermarket. But if your truly after the 60's/70's a chevy is probably the way to go just because of the cheaper parts for drivetrain and such.

Heres a list of my cars in the order I got them in:
1997 Astro Van
2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
1977 Monte Carlo
1971 Skylark
1987 Grand National
1971 Lemans
1962 Chevy II
-just do your searching on craigslist and find the cheap deals that pop up every now or then. Then before you know it, you'll have as many cars as me! But really good luck with your project and sorry for the long drawn out message, theres nothing happening in school...haha

[CampbellshotrodsAZ]

Welcome!

So are you looking for somewhat of a project car that you can wrench on? That's what I'd recommend, over a done-ish car at least. It's best to get your hands really dirty on your first car so you know if you want to stick through it. My first vehicle that was "mine" was an 87 S10 Blazer my dad bought me from a salvage auction as a theft recovery for $600. I spent the next 2 years making it into a multiple award winning truck. 12 years later I still have it. It's undergoing a V8 swap now, and after it's proven reliable again I'll be figuring out how to pro-tour it.

But if I were to be a teen over again, what would I choose? I'm not sure about doing a 60's muscle car as your budget will be mostly wiped out by the purchase, so it's hard to make it "yours". Are you a GM, Ford, or Mopar guy? I like the S10 platform as it's small, and they can be made into fun vehicles, and you can get a starter vehicle with a 4.3 V6 for dirt cheap, and mod as you need to. I also think the 82-92 Camaro/Trans Am platform would be a great start as well. Cheap, they handle well, and are starting to get a lot of aftermarket parts. The 74-81 Camaros are harder to find now, but still reasonably priced, and can be good handlers too. There's always the 65-68 Mustang coupes too. I think these coupe bodies have a nice look for a road race themed car, and are very cheap still if you want to get into a classic. Be warned that some things might be frustrating like the front suspension, and engine clearance, but they're an otherwise good project car experience. But if you wanted 60's/70's classic muscle, try an "off" car, like a base Chevelle, Lemans, Skylark, or Cutlass. If they aren't attached to the SS, 442, GS, or GTO moniker, they can still be had for reasonable dough, and still leave plenty of money to customize and make it yours.

[driveit]

I am all for the 73-77 GM A body cars. They can be bought fairly cheap and made into some awesome rides. Of course it is all opinions. :)

Here are a few A bodies I have rendered to make a little more cool.

77 Chevelle
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=102721&d=1410541098

74 Chevelle
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=102722&d=1410541133

74 Chevelle
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=102724&d=1410541194

77 Olds
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=103101&d=1411163899

73 Chevelle
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=102723&d=1410541166


Here is a G Body El Camino I did.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/04/green_10-1.jpg

Like everyone has said. It is preference, budget and making sure to plan things out so that you don't get in over your head. Have fun while on the hunt and don't get discouraged.

[joemac]

Well you've come to the right place then. Best thing to do and the thing that has taught me the most by far is watching the project update board right here. You see what other people are doing and see what is possible. You also can get an idea of the process of the mods. This to me; the process is where you learn the most.

I would troll the online classifieds to see where the cars I liked were priced. Craigslist, ebay, maybe a local classified site. That sort of thing.

Then its what you would like to do. If it were me, and this is my experience, upgrade the suspension first. This might be assuming you buy a v8 car or maybe not. Wheels/tires, brakes, lowered/stance, sway bars, that sort of thing. IMO that makes the biggest difference.

[ArtosDracon]

One of the cheapest to get into would be a G-Body, they're not quite a nice looking as some of the older ones, but they are pretty cheap to pick up running and driving and there are A LOT of parts out for them. A truck is another good option, it doesn't even matter as much what truck you get either, you can get trucks from the 70s to mid 90s here in AZ for $2K that run and drive reliably and we don't rust here. I picked up both of my S10 blazers for $1500 or less, running and driving and parts are SO plentiful for S10s it's almost ridiculous. I also happen to have four Cutlasses sitting around that I just haven't had time for, and will probably be going up for sale not too far down the road. A blue 73 350 that runs and drives with AC, but needs a heater core, a green 73 455 that runs, but needs brake work, a 73 455 that is stripped and gutted and needs some rust repair and a black 75 350 that runs and drives that just needs the interior done, LOL. Moral of the story, it's too easy to get in over your head with projects if you spend too much time on craigslist and ebay trying to find parts and just buying other cars to get all the original parts you need.

[bs46488]

Welcome aboard. Where do you live? I think your location might help with the purchase decision. If by chance your in California, you'll want to be aware of the DMV issues with buying older cars. The pre-smog cars are great (1975 and newer). But the DMV also likes to recoup their money on lost fees with older cars.

I know this wasn't originally in the mix, but I'd throw out the idea of a truck. 67-72 Chevy or Ford. Same aftermarket support as the other cars you mentioned. Working on a truck is a great starting point for a novice. I had my neighbor come over and pull the entire from clip off my truck (only 8 bolts) and now I'm able to almost put together the entire truck in my garage by myself.