Are Project Car Prices Out Of Hand?

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If there is one thing that we hear quite often from some of our readers, it’s that they feel the price of project cars is getting out of hand. The complaint originates because many people that feel big auctions are destroying the hobby for true enthusiasts. I guess the rationale to that belief comes down to what you feel makes a true enthusiast.

00v0v_f0WGwwxWQKk_600x450So we got to thinking, what kind of responses would we get if we posted pictures and information about a couple of project cars we found online, and let you guys and gals be the judge of affordability. We’re not going to tell you whether we think these cars are a value or whether we feel they are priced out of range. We want to hear what you think. We’re old enough to remember when what are now classic cars were just used cars, and were priced accordingly.

Finally, we’re not going to post the for sale ads in this article, we are just posing a question to see what you think. So, on that note, tell us what you think.

Modified Motivator

First up is this 1970 two-door Nova, that is covered in original paint. It does however have a fiberglass hood, scoop, and front bumper. The owner says the body is in great condition, but it is not a show car. He also says that there is some rust around the rear wheelwells, and there is a small dent on the left corner of rear bumper. Inside, the car has the original door panels, headliner, and dashboard, but then says that there is no rear upholstery. Interior upgrades include a custom steering wheel, racing harness, tachometer, and other gauges. Although it does have a chromoly rollbar, It does not appear to be designed to pass NHRA tech.

Out back is a 12-bolt rearend with a posi differential, and 4.11 gears. The rearend housing was gusseted and modified, and is secured to the chassis with multi-leaf springs and traction bars. Fuel is delivered to the engine via a custom fuel tank and two electric fuel pumps.

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The 454 cubic-inch engine protruding through the hood uses a Weiand intake with twin Holley 600 cfm Double-Pumper carburetors, and features a Callies crankshaft, forged pistons, steel connecting rods, and the camshaft is a solid flat-tappet grind. Behind that is a Turbo 350 automatic transmission with a Coan 3,500-rpm stall converter.

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Finally, the owner states he has a garage full of spare parts that go with the car, including three engines, extra headers, carburetors, three complete differentials, tires, and hood scoops. If this is something you would consider as a great project car, the owner is asking $19,800.

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Factory Flashback

If a stock project car is more to your liking, we found this ’72 Chevelle Malibu that the owner says is easily restorable. The car has 48,000 miles on the odometer, and comes with a new cowl-induction hood and 15×8 and 15×10 Rally wheels. According to the seller, the floor and trunk pans are solid, and the body has very little rust except for the lower rear ¼-panels on both sides, it needs a driver’s-side fender, and the trunk lid has some rust underneath the rear lip.

Rounding out the description, the car does run, drive, and stop, but the brakes need a little work. The untouched 350 cubic-inch engine and Turbo 350 automatic transmission are original to the car, and a major selling point, is that the car does not smoke or make any crazy noises. If you’re planning a stock restoration project, all this can be yours for $10,000.

Like we said at the beginning of this article, we’re not taking sides on this discussion, we just wanted to present the facts we found, and let you guys decide: are there any good project cars left in the world, and are they priced reasonably. So let us know, what are your thoughts?

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About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
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