How to turn a 1960s or ’70s classic into a car you can drive anywhere: the best-priced classics we can find for sale, then the brakes, engines, steering, cooling and comfort upgrades that fit your car, with real prices.
$1,980 90% under market
Titled early Bronco roller with a good frame; set a firm cap that leaves room for an engine
$5,750 79% under market
No-reserve 1800S with torque boxes and outriggers already repaired; a cheap start if the bidding stays sane.
$3,150 82% under market
One-owner V8 Z with no reserve at $2,000; it will sell, likely well under build cost.
$1,826 90% under market
First-year half-cab project with a solid frame; worth bidding to a firm cap, not a sure thing yet
$8,346 78% under market
Early-bid 130 Tdi pickup with clean Florida title; worth watching, but expect the price to rise sharply.
$10,968 70% under market
A80 Supra SZ-R with factory 5-speed and LSD, bidding far under SZ comps with 12 days to go
$32,100 85% under market
Turnkey Coyote/10-speed early Bronco with a long way to go before it reaches real value; one to watch.
$5,500 75% under market
Restored Bugeye with 11 days left and a bid far below market. Watch it, but expect the price to rise.
$4,700 66% under market
Already modernized FJ40 at $1,500 with 13 days left; worth watching, but the bid will rise.
$1,521 84% under market
Low-mile, clean-title C3 starting cheap at an estate sale; worth watching if it closes well under $6k.
$10,700 72% under market
Early BN1 Healey at a $9,000 bid with 9 days left; driver comps run $32k-45k, so watch where bidding settles.
$9,500 54% under market
A diesel BJ40 at FJ40 project money; budget for recommissioning, a top and title checks.
$1,521 84% under market
Low-mile, clean-title C3 starting cheap at an estate sale; worth watching if it closes well under $6k.
$5,500 75% under market
Restored Bugeye with 11 days left and a bid far below market. Watch it, but expect the price to rise.
$29,950 35% under market
Rusty but complete matching-numbers 190SL at a price well below what similar projects bring.
$7,495 56% under market
Running, clean-title Scout II 4x4 priced under the cheapest recent Scout II sale
$10,968 70% under market
A80 Supra SZ-R with factory 5-speed and LSD, bidding far under SZ comps with 12 days to go
$3,150 82% under market
One-owner V8 Z with no reserve at $2,000; it will sell, likely well under build cost.
Comparison, Datsun 240Z, 260Z & 280Z (S30)
We priced an LS swap for a 240Z, 260Z or 280Z two ways: a junkyard LS1 and T56 for about $10,000 in parts, and a new long block with a Tremec and a modern rear for about $19,000.
Build guide, Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
Project FJ40s sell for about $12,000 to $16,000 and solid drivers for $20,000 to $30,000. Here is which years to look for, where they rust, how to spot a fake, and what the usual upgrades cost.
Comparison
We priced LS, Coyote and HEMI swaps new from Summit Racing and used as pullouts on eBay Motors. Used saves $5,000 to $12,000, but here is what it costs you back.
Build guide, C1 Corvette
The Summit cart for our 1961 Corvette's LS swap came to $14,507.87, and it's missing a few things. Here's the full list, what we found and what it really costs.
Build guide
Three ways to build a classic, and what each one costs you in originality, money and drivability.
Comparison, First-gen Camaro & Firebird
Published prices for eleven first-gen Camaro chassis and subframes, from about $8,000 to $37,000, and how to choose.
The same idea applied to Porsches, Ferraris, Mercedes, Aston Martins, Jaguars and De Tomasos: keep the shape, fix the heat, the brakes and the electrics.
Datsuns, AE86s, RX-7s, Supras, NSXs and Land Cruisers from 1968 to the early 2000s, with modern suspension, brakes and engine swaps.
New Our '61 Corvette drivetrain plan: an LS 5.3 and a T56, priced part by part
Planning
The first year of the ducktail, headed for a modern chassis without losing its looks.
Planning
The long-wheelbase CJ, rebuilt to drive like a modern 4x4 on the highway and off it.
Planning
An early Pantera: Italian body, Ford Cleveland V8, and a list of known weak spots to fix properly.
Planning
The second Pantera in the shop, and a chance to compare two approaches on the same car.
The best classic-car finds we spot on eBay, Marketplace and Craigslist, plus new build guides. One email a week.
