Welcome to CHR. Picking the right "start" is indeed critical, and as you're finding going with something like a '51 Pontiac, and then having it be a sedan is probably not a great choice if your goal is profit. About the only way you might turn that around would be with a '51 convertible, or maybe a sedan delivery which were made in small numbers, but even then you'd need to do something really special to make it stand out and become a silk purse. The '51 Pontiac, Olds, and Chevy were too close in "look", sedans were a dime a dozen, and making one stand out takes the eye of an artist and the talent to make it appear flawless.

Before diving into a lot of details, tell us a little about yourself. Do you have a fully equipped shop, and how much work do you do yourself as opposed to writing checks to specialty shops?