These early 2nd Gens are climbing in price. It's already doubled in the last 7 or so years.

Steve...Awesome Score! :bow:

Already went that route too. Malibu's have been plucked clean around here. They made sweet race cars and I think thats where most have gone. I guess since I am unrealistic in thinking I could purchase an early 70's Camaro or Firebird for $1000 to $2000 there is no sense me even looking anymore. I have to disagree with you on the value of these cars, but who am I? Thanks guys......

i agree, it is what you make of it. i noticed that those who stick to resourcefulness, dedication, and an open mind are generally much more satisfied in the hobby, and gain fulfillment out of it.

Thanks, Rob...I started a project thread.

How about a 99% rust free 65chevy 2 dr biscayne.6cly powerglide 100% complete.It's a really nice car.$4000.00 If you are interested I will post some photos. Check out rad rides .com and the Hurricayne troy built. Scott

Someday I want another one of those cars. Mine was a '66 but always like the '65 tail-lights better.
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...upNorton-1.jpg

Dude seriouly....how much did you plan to invest into a $2k car? If you are going to put $30k+ into something then who cares if you have to pay an extra $3k to start with?

dont... they are cool... and drive awesome (i should know) but the resale value is not like a camaro.... so if you ever tried to recoupe atleast some of your money, a mainstream car is far easier to sell

I think the 78-81 Malibu's are sick. Especially after the quad headlamp conversion. Don't get me wrong I really like the Bu's and like you said, they are still available out there. I thought about a Malibu or a Monte SS ( I had an 85 SS) but I just had my sights on an early 70's Camaro because I have had 3 of them already. That is my favorite car of all time, that's why I am wanting that car so bad. I don't care how much I put into it, because it will be over time, it's the initial cost. To put it simple, I don't have $3000 to drop on a car right now. You guys are busting my stones because I just can't go and drop $3000 $ $5000 on a restorable car.....I CAN'T and I really don't think they are worth that much. I can get a first gen for that much. I'm going to take the advice of some of the guys on here that have given advice and not thrown stones at me for voicing my opinion. I'm just going to be patient and keep looking. If I find one I find one, if I don't I'll collect stamps. No harm to any of you.

My advice...
Stop looking locally!

Fla cars usually a last resort for a project for me due to all the salt water soaked coastal cars. I just don't even go there, not to mention a survivor car in Fla is always higher than a Alabama, Lousianna, Ga, car.

You can find 2nd gen camaros in the 3k range still but the problem is you have to be ready to buy when you find a deal. The guy who goes looking with no $$$ in his pocket is wasting everyones time. Go with cash, and go with a way to get the car home. If your tite on cash take a truck etc... or rent something, car hauling co.'s can add anopther 1-2k to your project cost.

Thanks for the advice. I do have the cash (I'm still adding to the till) and I have my truck (Dodge 3/4 w/ a Cummins) with the use of several trailers. I'm going to take everyones advice and just be patient and keep looking but not to the point I'm disappointed. Like I said before, if I find one great! If I don't it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe I will settle for something else, but first I want to exhaust my efforts finding this car then I will settle. This way I know that I looked and couldn't find what I wanted. I do have an avenue of getting a rubber bumper car and I might have to go that way. I know there are deals out there.....I just have to find it!!!! Thanks guys for all your advice. I didn't mean to offend anyone or piss anyone off. I REALLY REALLY do appreciate all your advice and I will take it too.

I don't think anyone is throwing stones here. You titled the thread 'This hobby has turned for the rich only" and yet you expect to get something for damn near nothing.
I really hope you find the car your looking. Lord knows everyone loves a good deal.

If you can find a decent rolling 1st gen for $5K please post up the details.

Good luck on your quest, be sure to post pics of the cars you find.



Rich

Thanks Rich I certainly will leep y'all posted.

Yes, the first gen Camaro hobby is not for the shallow pocketed ones, BUT

Try craigs list, with the key word as 'project'. There are alot of deals out there, yes they take some looking and presistance. Tyler from ATS said he looked for years to find his current driver/track/budget Camaro. He was tooling it around during SEMA, Alcon brakes and smokey small block and I think a 3.08 rear gear.

Keep looking or dare to be different.
I just looked a 60's Stude (not a lark) small boxy and I bet a Camaro front sub-frame would fit in the front, add a wicked set of rollers and that car would be the attention getter at a show and a corner carver too. Not exactly a Camaro but alot of fun. No you can't open the DSE catalog without buying a grinder and since of imagination, but this is what Hot Rodding is all about.

Do you really want a Camaro?
or
Do you really want to be featured in a magazine?
or
Do you really want a vehicle that you can pour your time, money and creative-ness into, and have a good time too.


Yes, I had a beautiful blue 69 SS.
Yes, I just passed on a 70 Camaro, cheap, but it needed EVERYTHING.
Yes, the deals are out there, and sometimes it's about being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes its about seeing the forest for trees.
Are you looking for a Camaro or looking for a soon to be cool car?
You would not believe the number of people who ring my door bell and ask if my 64 Coupe de Ville is for sale.
You need to look around, drive thru some neighborhoods, visit some small towns, ring some door bells, don't peek over any walls or gates unless you like armed confrontation though.
Look around your neighborhood, I can't count the number of times, guys have told me they found this car right in their own backyard , not more than an hour away. Grab a bag of sunflower seeds and a Sunday afternoon and go for a drive, visit a part of town you haven't seen in a while. You never know what you might happen into.
Searching 'the internet' in some distant far and away place is never as much fun as going for a Sunday afternoon drive.

Good luck.
Keep up the search.

Persistance

"Nothing in this world can take the place of Persistance."

"Talent will not: Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent"

"Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb"

"Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts"

"Persistance and Determination alone are omnipotent"




Mick

there has been a few around here lately, when I get home I will try to post some links.

another tidbit i think may help you...

1st gen cars, camaro will usually always be more than firebird 1st gen. If you do not mind a firebird 1st gen you can usaually run off with one for about 1/2 price of a camaro 1st gen. Also you hardly see many 1st gen firebirds compared to camaros so that adds to the uniquness i think.

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/1...67-Camaro.html

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/3...vy-Camaro.html

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/1...ET-CAMARO.html

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/1...oject-Car.html

/shrug 5 minutes on racingjunk.com looking in fla & alabama only and found 4 possible projects around 5k or and under.

http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/1083179645.html

Guess all the others have already sold.

My buddy inherited this 1973 running car from his aunt. He had it on Craigslist several month's ago for $7k. No Takers. I would be willing to bet if you waved $5k in his face, it would be sold!

Here is an H/O SS for $5k

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/cto/1089976625.html

Thanks Trey

WOW....thats a nice ride. I wonder how much it would cost to ship a car to Florida?

2 yrs ago it cost me 1k to ship from st. louis to charlotte nc, you can go to shipping site and do a online estimate usually for a ball park figure.

Not sure if it is for the rich but you are correct that solid rust free muscle cars are not cheap. If you buy the supposed low cost car in primer from a photo on the net be prepared to get what you paid for. A lot of guys have a fantasy that they can do all the metal work because they have a couple hammers and a $300 Home Depot welder. No going to happen. A rusty car will always be a rusty car.

A good solid true almost rust free 1st gen car will be easy $15k and probably worth every penny it will save you in metal costs. The problem with rusty cars is where do you stop cutting? I actually have a almost rust free 1st gen that runs and drives for about that money and it is a steal.

If you want a good deal in this market buy a car you know was built right and for is seriously for sale and not an owner testing the waters. There are plenty of deals out there but again these are no longer cheap cars.

For comparison a 1988 Testarossa goes for approx $45-50k for a low mile serviced car. A 930 Porsche in the high 20's to mid 30's. The market has changed and American muscle cars are now the higher priced cars.

$45 buys you a nice frame on car. $75 and up for a full on built car. They were 6 figures last summer.

You should have bought Curtis' car..........even though it wasn't a second gen it was a screamin deal.

If this hobby is for the rich only I either need to change my name to Rich or I am screwed.

LOL.....that's good stuff right there.

Base on my thinking, I'm over my head into this hobby, So I guess that used to make me over my head in money. I think it is more like I used to be Rich before I got over my head into this hobby.

Man I wish I could get the same enjoyment out of Jogging as I do fighting to get some of my projects just so I can just push them around my shop. Can you imagine just going out and RUNNING? I could afford to buy the best running shoes I wanted with all the money I spend on cars, Heck 2 or 3 pairs. Shoot I could proabably afford to have someone build me my very own running path. I could even afford to pay people to have drinks to hand me every few miles like in the marathons.

But no only engine driven torque excites me and that is not cheap. Then I have to be the pickiest, most detail oriented car guy. Man I remember when a clapped out bucket of rust used to really get me going.... Not now, I will send 10 days making a new alternator bracket because the stock on is just not good enough.

So in closing this hobby is only for those that used to be "RICH".

:D

The days of going down to the used car lot and buying that GT500 or Superbird for $3000 is long gone, unfortunately.

Yes, it will take some money to get a decent car. But you have to look around. There are so many people who watch Barrett Jackson and see a COPO ZL1 Camaro roll across the block for $200k and think their 307 POS is worth lots of money.

There are still plenty of people who haven't not been swindled by Barrett Jackson, eBay, etc. and still sell these cars for reasonable amounts. You will have to weed out all the bull**** ads in order to find the deals, but they're still out there.

I just found a blue 69 Coronet nearby for $2500. Has some rust on the right quarter panel, but it is patchable. Also has some in the rear window.. But it is all there and still looks good and would make a nice super bee clone. So deals are still out there. If I had the spare cash, it would be a cool DD or make a badass Pro touring car and would definitely be the first of it's kind.

http://images.craigslist.org/3mf3oe3...9c8f9a1079.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3n73pc3...84be6015ea.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3n93k23...489fce1d93.jpg

My thoughts exactly. I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag just yet, but I may have found something. I know if I tell everyone I will jinx myself but come this weekend I will let you know. Hint... it's just what I'm looking for.

Good luck and don't wait if you like it buy it. :thumbsup:

After my experience, I would buy something you can drive as is for a few years and save up for the start of the build. Maybe just put some nice wheels on it to start with and springs for the stance. Everything else can come later when that piggybank is a busting at the seams.

Good luck with your seach either way. I've learned quickly that picking the car and daydreaming about how it'll turn out is alot more fun that doing the work...let me tell you. But you have to enjoy the work too, or you'll end up in the looney bin....or is it the other way around? Crap.

Damn, I give great advice....sure as hell wish I followed it sometimes!:willy:

I think the key is save a bit, buy a decent car as a starting point then put money into it over time.

I have way more into mine that I could have ever done at once, but it was done a bit at a time.

If you are just an average guy, its going to be tough to get into one of these top supercar type builds. Have some reasonable goals and have fun with it, don't stress over what you cant do.

This Hobby is just that, a Hobby! It takes cash to have a Hobby like this. Parts take money, cars cost money. Its just the way it works. If it was cheap EVERYONE would be building these cars.

I'm not looking to build a supercar, luckily I work for a bodyshop and have friends that can do the paint work. I do all my own motorwork and mechanicals. The only hard part is buying the car. I'm on a mission this weekend......I will keep ya posted.

Ok guys I can't hold it any longer. I just got off the phone with the guy and got some good info on the car I am going to pick up thid weekend, hopefully. The bottoms of the feners, one door, the qtrs and the lower rear valance are a little rusty. well he described them as having holes and would be better to put patch panels on them. The int is pretty much gone except for all the dash & a/c stuff. The car is rolling, but I didn't really car because i have a built small block or a built big block at my disposal. I want to go 5 or 6 spd, not sure which yet. The car has a lost title, but I have the vin and had a friend run it and I can get a title. All this for $1000, what do you think? I know someone on here or Pro-Touring told me that I would never be able to build one of these supercars, which that is fine with me. I have a pic of marc b's blue 71 Camaro which in my opinion is absolutely incredible. If I can build that my dreams would come true. I work for a very exclusive body shop here in Florida and have a good friend that works with me, he has offered to help me with all the body work. All I need to do is buy the parts. Please let me know what you guys think. Plain and simple, I cannot afford to buy a driver, one that is done (nor would I want to, you don't really know what you;re getting), or a $3000 half done one. I think this is a good buy.

Personaly I would not buy a car sight unseen but if you feel good about it and think the seller is honest then go for it. I would post up where it is maybe member can check it out for you if it's not in your hood. just my .02:cheers:

look at the car before you send money. This is what a $1000 car on the internet can sometimes look like.