Long-term project

[76ChevyTrucker]

All right boys and girls. I've got a BIG question to ask. I'm looking for a long-term project car. My requirements are that be General Motors, 1955-1975. I'd prefer a muscle or pony car, but that is not a requirement. My biggest requirement is that it be a rolling chassis. It doesn't have to have an engine, it doesn't really have to have an interior. Keep in mind this will be a long-term (ie 5-ish years) project vehicle. I also know that I don't want to spend a lot of money on the initial purchase, I'm thinking about $2,000 for the initial rolling chassis. The rest I can come up with as time passes on. Any suggestions?

[caddycruiser]

Hmm...not very familiar with older things, but I'll say '69 Chevelle/Malibu. My father bought one back in '00 when he was looking for a light project himself, and was very particular about getting just what he thought was the best looking, etc. year--and I agreed. Was a fun car, and really did look better sorted than other years and even other models of the same era, IMHO. Even bought it quite cheaply (either $3 or 4k) in Jersey, as an original old lady's car. We sold it to a lady in NH who wanted to surprise her husband with it--it still needed painted and such, but was nice for the price--and they were thrilled.

Waiting for the car carrier to come pick it up:

Fulfills the classic, muscle, popular, etc. roles very well. But you'll probably get a lot of other ideas, and it'll be interesting to see them.

This makes me wish we still had it, and had gone through with the color change, etc. Oh well, then we never would have had the '93 Fleetwood...

Edited May 7, 2007 by caddycruiser

[Camino LS6]

Nice Chevelle!

76: There are just too many to choose from, give us some more specifics about what you like/want and if this car is to be a keeper, resto, hotrod, cruiser etc.

[76ChevyTrucker]

Definitely a keeper, I'm thinking Resto-Rod. Keep it rather original looking with modern goodies thrown in. Probably small block powered with a 4-6spd manual transmission. Really, y'all will laugh at this, but I'm thinking of something I could build for my wife to drive for a few years, then when she gets old enough, give the car to squirt. Of course, I'd love to find a two-for deal so I could build one for myself, but that'd be a pretty big if.

[76ChevyTrucker]

Or hell, find three cars, build one for me with all the performance I could handle, then build one for the wife with slightly less performance and more creature comforts, then buy one that I could VERY slowly restore and give to squirt.

[Camino LS6]

Bang for the buck: Nova

Cool with utility: A body wagon

Sweet without the price tag: Any A body coupe that isn't a SS,442,GTO or GS

[caddycruiser]

Bang for the buck: Nova

Cool with utility: A body wagon

Sweet without the price tag: Any A body coupe that isn't a SS,442,GTO or GS

Yep, I'll second that, ESPECIALLY the last one--that was our deal with the Malibu.

[76ChevyTrucker]

Yeah, I've been thinking Nova too, but I'd really like an A-body. I really would like to find a B-body (think Impala, or similar) for me at least, and maybe find something else for Amy and Heather. Of course, if I could find one for reasonable and still allow it to have a good body, Amy is looking for a Vette Sting Ray, but its somewhat doubtful I'll find one in that price range.

[76ChevyTrucker]

I'd really like an F-body that hasn't been hacked up from hell for Heather, but I could definitely go with an A-body, since one of my ultimate play toys would be a '72 SS454 Chevelle, or a first-gen Camaro. I know both of those would be extremely hard to find, but they would be worth it. I know I could find a Nova without much trouble. There are enough of them running around that I could probably find one locally for dirt cheap. The A-body would take a lot more digging to find, especially one in the condition that I'm looking for, most are either going to almost completely unrestorable, or already restored and the person will want an arm, leg, and first born male child. Any B-body would be extremely hard for me to find around here that hasn't been "pimped" out or in worst shape than I'd be willing to go after. Although right now I'm just looking into starting a fund for something like this since I know that I still have to get a fund together to fully frame-off my truck.

[Camino LS6]

I'll keep my eyes open for you. Since I intend to make a regular thing out of this " find and fix" the old car thing, I'd bet that i'll be running across quite a few candidates for your project.

There's this Vette I know about...

[76ChevyTrucker]

Ahhhh, so you do know about a Vette. I'll be honest, my plans would be something like this:

1) Me: 1965-70 Chevrolet Impala 2dr (4dr wouldn't be bad either, I'm thinking sleeper there), rolling chassis, complete body, some rust and cosmetic damage would be all right, but I want all the body panels there, all the chrome and trim would be nice, but not necessarily required (I'd also be willing to replace floor and trunk pans, as long as they aren't TOO bad). From there, I'd frame-off the car, get the suspension rebuilt in the front, rebuild/replace the rear gears to something along the lines of 2.83-ish rear end (something I could probably smoke the tires if I wished, but still get reasonable mileage and rpms at cruise), drop in a 6-spd manual transmission, probably 325-400hp fuel-injected small block, then rebuild the interior and call it done.

2) Amy: 1966-1972 Chevrolet Chevelle/Malibu, same requirments as above, however, only about a 300-350hp fuel injected small block, 700R4/4L60E, air conditioning all the amenities that she'd want....

3) Squirt: 1967-1981 Chevrolet Camaro (basically an 1st or 2nd gen F-body would work), with about a 300hp fuel-injected small block, 5-spd manual, or auto (probably a manual, my girl already likes adventure), with the same amenities as the Chevelle.

Overall, that's what I would shoot for, but anthing from Pontiac would also be a worthy rebuild for me too, but I know that a Poncho isnt' going to be quite as easy to find, nor will Buick or Olds, although those would both be reasonable for me to rebuild, but I'd rather do a numbers-matching restore on a Buick or Olds rather than a Pontiac or Chevy (since they would be more common, at least in my mind).

[Camino LS6]

I'll post if I see something that fits the bill.

[76ChevyTrucker]

Joe, I saw the '67 Impala, and the thing that worries me is the face that there is no hood. The rest I could live with, but there's no hood, I wanna hood! both of the Chevelle/Malibus look all right, but the one that scares me the most is the keyless one. That'd worry the crap out of me since you can't get into the trunk and see what kind of damage is in there. Both of the F-bodies look nice, but I was thinking of one in slightly less fully-up condition than that. But good finds and there's a chance I may pursue them. Biggest thing I wanna do right now is really just find out what kind of budget I need to set aside for such a project. Then I have the job of convincing the wife that this is a REALLY good idea. Once those two things are done, the buying of the car won't be too hard. If I dig through the local bulletin board here I may find one, or all three of the needed vehicles in there for about as much as Ebay has 'em for.

[76ChevyTrucker]

Well, I might have to forget the whole getting a 1965-1970 Impala and restoring it since I can't really find one "locally" (ie 50 miles) but I guess I can still do the budgetary planning stuff.

[capriceman]

Pontiac Ventura? I loved those cars in the day.

[76ChevyTrucker]

I've seen a couple of Venturas around here, but one is in about piss poor condition (looks like if you touched it, she'd fall apart, so so rusty), the other is running, but its a street/strip car that the owner won't get rid of.

[balthazar]

Only Ventura I would touch would be a F/S one: '60-61 or a Ventura packaged Cat between '62 and '67.