Power and Efficiency

[ljfran2383]

With that kind of budget, I would buy a running muscle car, and PUT THE REST IN THE BANK FOR PARTS. I am a college senior, made it all the way through with my chevelle, but between upgrades as I go and parts for broken stuff, It added up. And that was a car that was "reliable" compared to most. Seriously, put the extra in the bank.

You will have a much better idea and can make a much much better plan once you have the car, and, no offence, you don't sound super-experienced, so I would not try to bite off a big project to finish in 6 months. Waiting for parts and waiting to make up your mind and figure stuff out can eat up that time. Trust me. I am trying to get my car together before next semester. My heater core gave out, so I am freshing up the interior, carpet, sound deadner, rust treating, doing some wire manangment, and relocating the battery, and reapolsteing the seat. and here I am, a week and a half out waiting on parts.

So, step 1. get running car,
then fix bugs (there will be, no matter what previous owner says)
then do a few projects to make it more street fiendly, but dont undertake anything massive.
enjoy, and wait until after college to do an all out build.

Good luck man! keep us posted

[Nessumsar]

With that kind of budget, I would buy a running muscle car, and PUT THE REST IN THE BANK FOR PARTS. I am a college senior, made it all the way through with my chevelle, but between upgrades as I go and parts for broken stuff, It added up. And that was a car that was "reliable" compared to most. Seriously, put the extra in the bank.

You will have a much better idea and can make a much much better plan once you have the car, and, no offence, you don't sound super-experienced, so I would not try to bite off a big project to finish in 6 months. Waiting for parts and waiting to make up your mind and figure stuff out can eat up that time. Trust me. I am trying to get my car together before next semester. My heater core gave out, so I am freshing up the interior, carpet, sound deadner, rust treating, doing some wire manangment, and relocating the battery, and reapolsteing the seat. and here I am, a week and a half out waiting on parts.



So, step 1. get running car,
then fix bugs (there will be, no matter what previous owner says)
then do a few projects to make it more street fiendly, but dont undertake anything massive.
enjoy, and wait until after college to do an all out build.

Good luck man! keep us posted

Hit the nail on the head.

After getting the car running solid, take a grand or two and buy some easy performance bits. Like a set of lowering springs (front/rear), sway bar(s), good shocks, better brake pads/shoes (Hawk HPS for example), and some wheels and tires; and all of those parts can be installed on the weekends without taking the car out of commission. With those few items, you'll have a car that rides/handles well, stops better, and looks nice.

Edit: You could also do some simple engine upgrades that should improve both power and economy. A dual-plane intake (RPM Airgap), a vacuum-secondaries carb, HEI distributor, and headers/exhaust; all of those pieces can be installed on the weekend as well.

[robotix]

With that kind of budget, I would buy a running muscle car, and PUT THE REST IN THE BANK FOR PARTS. I am a college senior, made it all the way through with my chevelle, but between upgrades as I go and parts for broken stuff, It added up. And that was a car that was "reliable" compared to most. Seriously, put the extra in the bank.

You will have a much better idea and can make a much much better plan once you have the car, and, no offence, you don't sound super-experienced, so I would not try to bite off a big project to finish in 6 months. Waiting for parts and waiting to make up your mind and figure stuff out can eat up that time. Trust me. I am trying to get my car together before next semester. My heater core gave out, so I am freshing up the interior, carpet, sound deadner, rust treating, doing some wire manangment, and relocating the battery, and reapolsteing the seat. and here I am, a week and a half out waiting on parts.

So, step 1. get running car,
then fix bugs (there will be, no matter what previous owner says)
then do a few projects to make it more street fiendly, but dont undertake anything massive.
enjoy, and wait until after college to do an all out build.

Good luck man! keep us posted

Hmm.. This is a very good point.

Hit the nail on the head.

After getting the car running solid, take a grand or two and buy some easy performance bits. Like a set of lowering springs (front/rear), sway bar(s), good shocks, better brake pads/shoes (Hawk HPS for example), and some wheels and tires; and all of those parts can be installed on the weekends without taking the car out of commission. With those few items, you'll have a car that rides/handles well, stops better, and looks nice.

Edit: You could also do some simple engine upgrades that should improve both power and economy. A dual-plane intake (RPM Airgap), a vacuum-secondaries carb, HEI distributor, and headers/exhaust; all of those pieces can be installed on the weekend as well.

Weekend projects.. That sounds much better than riding a bicycle to school in the mean time. lol!
If I find the right car at the right time, I'll be sure to keep you guys posted!

[71RS/SS396]

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but since you mentioned it in one of your previous posts, at 18 years old insurance that will cover you for the true value of your car is going to be hard if not impossible to get. A classic car insurance company won't touch you and a standard coverage policy isn't going to protect you in the event of a loss. Just some food for thought, you might want to research the insurance side before you dump a boat load of money into something.

[Taylor1969]

buy one of these to drive everyday... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Fully...item19cbe257ed

then get the car you want and spend the right amount of time/money on it. At 18 years old you need to focus on school, building your life and getting your future right. Buy the car and work on it slow and if you love it keep it for life.

Chris

[andrewb70]

buy one of these to drive everyday... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Fully...item19cbe257ed

then get the car you want and spend the right amount of time/money on it. At 18 years old you need to focus on school, building your life and getting your future right. Buy the car and work on it slow and if you love it keep it for life.

Chris

I wholeheartedly agree! Even down to owning a little truck for daily transportation. I have a 1999 Mazda B2500, which is basically a Ranger. I am 41 years old now and I have owned my GTO since I was 15. However, keep in mind that in 1985 my GTO was only 15 years old. It wasn't a classic, but just an old beat up Pontiac. I spent stupid money on it when I was a teenager and I really should not have. I didn't start to really restore it until I was 28 by which time I had a fulltime, very well paying job and a house with a garage.

If you insist on having a project now, I suggest you look into doing a newer body style and find a car that doesn't need a ton of rust repair and other body work. If you want to stay with a domestic brand, the G-bodies and 3rd Gen F-bodies are great low buck options. You can find low mileage cream puffs for under $5000, if not much less. If you don't mind other makes then doing a LS swap into any number of vehicles can be fun and result in a car you can drive and beat on, without having to worry about special insurance or whatever. I've built 2 second generation RX7s with LS swaps and they are great cars. Other cars to consider are Nissan 240SXs, or Z cars. I'd also check out the various BMW swaps and maybe even a Pontiac Solstice. There are a ton of options!!!

Having a newer car will allow you to learn about various systems, like brakes, suspension, and driveline. You will then be able to take that knowledge and experience into an older car that you can build later in life.

Just my 2 cents...

Andrew

[robotix]

It's funny that you guys say this; what I've been driving since I obtained my license is a 1997 Ford Ranger XLT. It would be available as my fall-back, if ever I had any issues and couldn't drive this car. I've never had any accidents or anything of the sort; the truck's only gotten better since I've gotten it! Poor thing has right around 200k miles, but runs like a champ.

Anyways. If I do a project, I'll want to make it a daily driver. End of story; I can't see myself getting something nice, putting lots of money into it, and letting it sit there.. No, I'd have to drive it.
I didn't think too much about insurance.. I was hoping Hagerty or Grundy would cover me, but I didn't think my age was going to get in the way!

As far as a newer car without rust repair.. My '97 ranger needs rust repair.. Lol it's one of those horrible things that comes along with living in Florida, I'm afraid, if the vehicle isn't treated right from the beginning.

Would most of you suggest just going with a nice car for now, saving up and working on a project after college?
Or would the better route be to continue driving my little truck while I work on a 80's or 90's project (The RX7 of course has always caught my eye, and a 5.0 or LS swap appears rather easy)?

I'm rather annoyed that I can't make up my mind on where I want to go with this, lol..