Thread: any advice on what car to get?

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My personal criteria when someone is in the mood to buy their first project car...

Rust, replaceable parts, and glass are the big three for me. A lot of times that great deal you find isn't a deal at all when you start adding up what it's going to take to get the car in to a safe driving condition. Is the frame (or unibody floorpan) rotted out? Are replacement panels available to fix all the rust? For cars from the mid 60's and earlier, can the old single pot master cylinder and brakes be swapped out for a more modern dual reservoir design (and a factory front disc setup) without too much hassle? Is the car an orphan, meaning you are going to be fabbing your own parts or having to modify something from another brand just to get the car driveable? My personal pet peeve is having to get replacement glass for a 40+ year old car. There can be problems with a car that are no big deal to me, but to someone else, they are huge issues, and vice versa.

I guess what I'm saying is, your first project car should probably be something that you can do the work on yourself with just the basic hand tools. In a perfect world you'll find a body style that appeals to you and get something that is mostly stock and unmolested. Then it's up to you to begin the molesting, heheh. Yank out the old inline 6 and drop in the V-8. Swap that bench seat for a set of buckets. Once you get it done, you'll probably see things you want to change and start all over again.

If you go with a car from one of the big three (Ford, GM, Mopar) you should have decent access to replacement or swappable parts.

Actually the 65 Wildcat might be an excellent choice if it is pretty solid (not much rust.) The fact that it is a convertible enhances it's value now and down the road. Convertibles are always popular. What kind of engine is in it? A Nail head or possibly the 425? Both would be great engines for added value.

My brother in law has a 67 Buick Skylark convertible with the 425 and it is one very sharp car. It's also a very low production car, which always adds value.

While $11k is a reasonable price for a well kept convertible, you should still do some comparison shopping. Try this site as they usually have a lot of cars for sale: http://www.collectorcartraderonline.com/