Cheapest car to restore?

[TreySmith]

Just curious as what would be the cheapest to restore and pull the most profit.. Being a high school kid, Challenger's and first gen. Camaro's are out of my league..

So far I have seen solid late 70 f body's in the $2000 range. Also seen Cougar's in this range also..

Is there any other cars I should look at? I have found one nice T/A I am about to jump on but I would like some opinions on what direction I should go..

Also, what would it cost for a complete interior resto if I did everything myself? $1000?

[mazspeed]

Is this the same kid who says the shop you work at cut, replaced a quarter panel, primed and painted a high end paint job for an entire car for $2500??
Well I think you're smoking something if you think anyone believes that, but here is what I will say. This is far from a good economy and I would not attempt this if you're just looking to make a profit. It's hard to do it in a good economy, let alone a bad one. If you choose a cheap car, no one is going to give you any money for it, because it's not desirable. Unfortunately the higher end you go with a car to start with, the more expensive it will be. I would not attempt this to make money.

[TreySmith]

Well, here is what has rolled through here recently.. Just because it looks high quality doesn't mean it is .. You wouldn't notice a difference from "most" other places.. Except for the Mustang that they painted today, my god it looks horrible. The guy asked for just paint and no body work.

Yeah, they will do it cheap, if you are willing to way a ****ing year Money isn't really the issue, it is the time, I want to make the most of my years.

Camaro: $600



Chevelle: $2300 I think



Camaro: Not sure, I think $700?




Mustang: Not sure, couldn't have been more than $550

[Vegas69]

Photos can make a pile of crap look appetizing. I can spray paint a car for 25 bucks. I agree with Mazspeed, flipping a car now is almost impossible. Do it for the love or forget it.

[TreySmith]

I am doing it for the love, but it is just that I have to work my way up the ladder It is also why I am getting a ttop trans am if anything. I just looovvee ttop cars and made the biggest mistake of my life by getting a hardtop camaro.

Whatever I get will by my daily car for a while and I am going to enjoy it. I am not just in it for the money. But I am trying to earn enough to restore my two 69 fastbacks. Making one to give to my dad some day, and the other I will always keep.

Anyways I guess there isn't much this thread anyone can help me with, but still curious about the $$$ of an interior resto?

[almcbri]

Originally Posted by TreySmith

Just curious as what would be the cheapest to restore and pull the most profit.. Being a high school kid, Challenger's and first gen. Camaro's are out of my league..

So far I have seen solid late 70 f body's in the $2000 range. Also seen Cougar's in this range also..

Is there any other cars I should look at? I have found one nice T/A I am about to jump on but I would like some opinions on what direction I should go..

Also, what would it cost for a complete interior resto if I did everything myself? $1000?

$1000 will get you the (stock) basics done on an interior. door panels, carpet, headliner, seat covers. If you start adding up the little parts, you will spend a lot more than that.

Finding a cheap car for the biggest return..... You have to find a car that people want, they want the camaros, birds, fastbacks, cuda's ect. In all honesty, a fastback mustang is the route to go if you have one to restore. The repop parts are reasonable. Be patient and find the car you truly want. I got my camaro when I was 17 in 02'. 1400 hours of work and it still isn't finished. good luck.

[jcal87]

if those cars are really that cheap please give me the number so i can buy 2 or 3 of them for parts and future projects

[f1shman]

Originally Posted by jcal87

if those cars are really that cheap please give me the number so i can buy 2 or 3 of them for parts and future projects

He's not stating the cars are for sale for that price, he's stating that the cars were repainted for that price.

As for the question of the cheapest thing to rebuild, I'd say pick up an older chevy truck. There are a good amount of them out there so they are easy to find, and there is a decent aftermarket for them.

[TreySmith]

Originally Posted by jcal87

if those cars are really that cheap please give me the number so i can buy 2 or 3 of them for parts and future projects

No, that was the price for bodywork/paint..

Also I have an older chevy truck, and a blazer ..

The Fastbacks need too much work to be on the road. The $2500 I have could get them there, but I wouldn't have any money to do anything with them.. But I am the kinda person that thinks a car looks better in rusty lime green than fresh lime green. They also don't have titles. Not a big deal but it takes a while.

They are very solid cars, just some surface rust.. No holes in the floors or trunk.. Primer car is in amazing shape, quarters would need a small patch but that is cheap and easy since I could do that myself.

[ProTouring442]

I think what we have here is a young man who has not been exposed to the kind of quality that most of us are trying to attain. A good example is the blue Camaro, with its "tape it off and paint it" paint-job. most of us, having the experience of either painting a car, or spending the big bucks to have someone do it for us will instantly see the primer spot behind the front bumper, and we know that a real quality job cannot be done with the bumper and grill still in the car. He, not having the experience, doesn't see such flaws.

As for the question concerning what car to build, if it is for a profit, forget it. The odds of being able to pick up a car and get it rolling for a profit are pretty slim. Having said that, if I were to try to build a car on the cheap, I think I would look to Fox-body Mustangs. The engines and suspension are fairly cheap to build well, and the myriad of parts available for them is staggering. Play the Craigslist game and you could be well on your way to building a very nice car for somewhere in the 5K to 10K range that will prove to be quite reliable.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill