What’s your project car story?

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Recent_Permit2653@reddit

I was broke and kicked to the curb by wife. She kept the minivan, but my Civic got crushed by a tree limb.

I had a budget, and one non-negotiable requirement: manual transmission. Either something to hypermile, like my Civic, or something interesting. Ideally I wanted a Fiesta ST. Almost pulled the trigger on both a Mazda 2 and Mazda 3, and the day I made a purchase I also had a stickshift Hummer H3 on the list (!).

Ended up with a 100k mile ‘06 Legacy GT. It’s been fun doing the deferred maintenance and repairs. It’s almost up to snuff. In four days I’ll have had it a month.

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Extreme_Map9543@reddit

I’ve had a bunch of project cars. All I’ll say is you win some and you lose some. Buy the car as cheap as possible so if you end up parking it out or ditching it you don’t lose much.

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VeeDubDave81@reddit

In November of 2020 I purchased a German 1979 Rabbit. Why dump money into a 79 Rabbit? Childhood nostalgia. My mechanic/auto body friend said he would do the restoration for me. The car would start but it needed everything. I spent the next year purchasing parts from Canada, Mexico, Germany, and England. After everything was sourced to redo the entire car he decided he didn’t want to do it anymore. I spent the next several months calling various shops in my part of the state. NOBODY wanted to touch it. I found a German car mechanic and restoration shop 3 hours away. I threw it on a trailer. It was supposed to be done May of 2024. I’m still waiting.

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AntiSonOfBitchamajig@reddit

I made a sister car to Topgear America's "Project Sipster"

I quit being serious with it at 104mpg (ABA run), it was a handful to normally drive and while I could travel long distances, hotel costs killed the project. I started focusing on utility and comfort, blending CNG, passively made electric onto it. I'm getting it back out this year to de-mod some of the more extreme things.

The new focus though, I'm going to mod a 40,000# bus, and am aiming for 20mpg+ off it. It wont compare to the guys I know running pure electric buses, but I'd be able to travel farther than 250 miles at a time and at higher speeds while seriously saving on the killer hotel tax. Side function of being a guest house and electric source for the house when not in use.

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Middle_Attempt_3080@reddit (OP)

Don’t think I’ve seen project sipster, will have to watch that tonight

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AntiSonOfBitchamajig@reddit

https://youtu.be/yGBqBVoAcMs?si=WaOGyMxf-L1jeKkC

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mmmmmyee@reddit

1985 toyota corolla gts (ae86)

Bought in 2007 as a highschooler. Proceeded to learn the ins and outs of it through old club4ag forums and HS autoshop. Beat the crap out of it drifting in parking lots and backroads. Suffered old car problems in a very quick way with all of the abuse; blew headgaskets, misc seals, rear ends, brakes, clutches, handful of motors. I can confidently say every single bolt was touched by me with exception of the transmission internals.

I was a driving feeling first kinda guy. I love pushing my ae86 to its limits and drifting with friends. Honestly no rush like going 10/10th’s with an ae86 because it’s so much fun and doable at low-ish speeds with mediocre tires. Since my “heyday” of late highschool and college days of backraods driving/drifting and trackdays, things have come around to being more of a forever project build with drift days sprinkled here and there… So now I’ve got a fancy motor setup with fancy electronics and upgraded parts all around. It’s still 4AGE and in the process of getting a transmission rebuilt. Shooting for a drift day maybe next month?? We’ll see!

Early HS days: https://share.icloud.com/photos/0d5-OcM1JDiWyEb09uyuzSpQQ

Last track day (when i popped my last motor): https://share.icloud.com/photos/085bkwMdbFz1GBJ1NeXvL54Rg

Recent pic while I wait for transmission to rebuild: https://share.icloud.com/photos/06fKiic3FZoGBL0UTE-BowOow

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Middle_Attempt_3080@reddit (OP)

That drift pic is fire. I’m jealous of you! I just recently had to sell my first car bc it was rusted beyond repair and I went and bought my first ever RWD car.

Bet you can’t guess the first thing I did!

Mashed the gas pedal from a stop sign and tried drifting the turn and proceeded to have a “mustang moment”

This car is an old Lexus with the reliable Toyota V8s and I’ll probably keep it stock so it gets me around. And also idk if this is how it was for you but in high school and now (I’m 19) it’s my one car. I can’t really do much modding without my anxiety going through the roof bc I actually need to be able to drive it.

I want to take on another car cause I really miss having a manual and I just want something I can turn wrenches on but every time I think about it it just sounds like a hole in my wallet.

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mmmmmyee@reddit

Lead up to me gettin an ae86 was from friends I made while working at local kart track as middle schooler-HS. They all had ae86’s and would bring me along to their drift spots. Initially I wanted an rx7 but seeing my friends all get down with low hp stock ae86’s was too compelling. I had to have one. So i got one and haven’t looked back.

Somehow made it all work working minimum wage at $7/hr. Always ran used tires from tire shops’ garbage bins. Did all the work myself. Learned the bus system well for work/school since my car liked breaking down all the time. Driving was truly a drug for me and kept me broke! No ragrets. Very grateful for my parents letting my car sit and piss on the driveway for extended periods of time.

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Merlin509@reddit

Two stories…short versions

First, when I was 15 (63 now), I bought my first car for $60. It was a 1966 Chevy II (Nova) with no engine or trans. My dad helped me tow it home with nothing but a nylon strap behind our Caprice Classic station wagon. I built a bored 327 for it and initially had a Muncie 4sp to later be swapped to a turbo 350 auto. I had that car for four years and touched nearly every bolt on it. I could back it into the garage and have the engine and trans out in less than an hour. It was the best training I had and led to me becoming a full time mechanic and engine machinist for several years before switching careers.

The second is one of my 60’s muscle car restorations that I was doing for 10 years in the early 2000’s. I found a black ‘69 Camaro for sale in Waco Texas (I’m in MN) through the old Trading Times. He was using it as a drag car and it had a new World Products Merlin 509 big block in it with a new T-10 4sp and new Moser 12-bolt posi rear end. It had manual steering and brakes with a stripped interior and Weld wheels and slicks and he wanted $18k for it. I spent three weeks whittling him down to $14.5k and shipped it home. I replaced the pin-on fiberglass hood with a steel cowl unit that I paint matched, converted the grill to a Rally Sport grill with electric doors, wet sanded, and buffed it, replaced the T-10 with a Tremec 5sp, installed a new hounds tooth interior, added power brakes and power quick ratio steering, and ended up with a beautiful badass black RS/Z28 replica with a 565hp BB, 5sp, 4.11 posi that could be comfortably driven on the freeway with the overdrive. Had $21k into it in the end and sold it for $32.5k. Still one of my favorite cars that could never be done with today’s prices.

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Middle_Attempt_3080@reddit (OP)

The market nowdays is crazy. I want to get into another project but I’m worried I’m just taking on a money pit. I’m 19 and have decent finances and I feel like I need to think more about my future than my want for a nice ass project. Thanks for the story

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flxcoca@reddit

Working on a 1969 Porsche 912, motor is rebuilt (crazy 129hp) as well as trans, clutch brakes. Working on interior. It’s a fun project and fun to drive a slow car fast

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DetectiveNarrow@reddit

I tore my pec one day in the gym and couldn’t drive my 6 speed anymore, couldn’t move my arm for the first two months. I was getting close to moving out and didn’t want to stop working but couldn’t get around, that’s when I bought a 200k mile 06 BMW 330i, good old cheap marketplace German. My plan was to drive it until I could move my arm again. Feel in love with chucking it around corners, took it with me to my first crib. Ended up selling when it had a coolant leak, put I enjoyed the 4 months of putting my foot into it. Sold it to a kid who N55 swapped it. I now have an infinity FX45 as my project. Just drove it from N.C. to Florida on spring break. Not sure what I plan to do with it, already has a sick ass exhaust

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A_Random_Sidequest@reddit

I have a 1974 Chevrolet Opala with a GM250 engine

I bought from a guy that worked in a funeral home, the name is "the Devil" lol

I went ot buy some other car and he was at the shop takling to the salesman... he offered his and I bought on the spot. it was 14 years ago :D

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cornisgood13@reddit

My current one is my first true project.

I grew up working with my dad on our ‘66 bug, so I’ve been into VW’s my entire life. When I first saw the Fahrenheit mk5 GTI, I fell in love with them.

I got my first GTI (a 2021 mk7.5) in October of 2023. This past January, I came across a 2009 mk5 GTI for $2000 that was “parked 1.5 years ago” due to “a steering light coming on”. I work a lot, I’m alone, I told myself I needed a project and I adore the mk5 eggs; so I got it.

Day 1, no oil pressure under power, firing on 2/4 cylinders, Christmas tree light dash (I mean, it’s a VW so it got a pass), no functioning horn, headlights, Pieces of the dash missing, full of mold and dog hair, no muffler and an exhaust leak, parts of the cold air intake just gone. You get it.

Today? All we need to get registered is that exhaust fixed (needs tools I don’t have on the side of the road, so phoning a friend), and for the passenger mirror glass to come in. I drive it to work with the temp tags to do small jobs on it between calls.

I’ve never worked on a water cooled car this extensively before, and it’s been really educational and really fun. I broke the rear hatch actuator, so I climb through the back seat to get to the goodies in the trunk, and when I did the headlights it broke loose some electrical gremlins and now I have a screaming ABS light, but that’s all part of the fun….right? Right?

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hemibearcuda@reddit

Oct 16 1989 I bought my first car. 71 cuda with a 340, I was 16. I drove and street raced it for years. It cost me $2200.00

My dad helped me by matching the money I saved. We worked on it together and that's how he taught me basic maintenance and repairs.

I took a body shop class in high school in 1991. I did the body work and painted it myself. It wasn't a bad looking car for all the bondo i used. Parts were very hard to find for mopars back then, especially body panels and they are notorious for rusting.

I joined the service in 1994 and dragged it all over the country with me. I continued to enjoy it but the shoddy bodywork started showing and the rust spread. I had no money or time to do anything with it so I basically parked it.

I never drove it again since 1997, and worked on it doing little repairs here and there as I found the parts and money.

I lost my dad in 2020, and it was our dream to someday have a hemi engine in it. I decided to hell with it, and financed our dream engine. His death motivated me to get it back on the road.

I drained my savings and found a body shop to paint it for me after I replaced all the sheet metal. I brought it home last month and it's the sexiest piece of art I've ever seen. I have my 700hp dream engine in it, and slowly piecing it back together since I'm basically starting from scratch. I've built it from the ground up, coilover suspension, 3 link rear, 14" 6 piston brakes in the front and 12" 4 piston in the rear.

I have a long way to go but she's getting there. I'm lucky, thanks to dad I can do everything to the car needs myself. (Except bodywork). It also helps that growing up poor I'm still cheap and have no other vices to blow money on.

Im at the point now if something happened to it, I'd never have the time or money to replace it so I'm shopping around for insurance now.

This car is my legacy, someday I hope my daughter is working on it with her kids since she helps me now and loves going to car shows.

Some guys play golf, watch football games and go to the beach to relax.

I wrench on my toys.

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howmanylicks26@reddit

I bought a $3k Cadillac CTS from Marketplace that needs fucking everything

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CaptainHubble@reddit

My daily is my project car. Bought a Lada Niva when I was in university. Together with my grandma. I lived with her. She helped me buying the car. It was super cheap and easy to maintain. A no brainer.

She's now dead and I'm not in university anymore. But I cannot get rid of the car. Too many memories attached to it. I've put hours over hours in that car, to keep it alive. And way to much money on parts. It desperately wants to die. But I keep it on life support.

Last year I went "fuck it" and decided to use it for the trip of my life. I'm currently preparing for a 1-2 year trip through Asia and maybe beyond. In summer 24 I once more put a huge load of time and money into this car. Repairing everything that was broken. Reinforced all the crucial parts. Welded all the holes in the chassis. Rooftop tent on top. Interior substantially improved. New rims and tires. And buffed up the engine like a maniac.

I hope my grandma is proud of what I'm about to do with this car. Should be a worthy last walk.

She was always worried when I was visiting "dangerous" countries tho. So who knows.

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speedyhemi@reddit

I was 17 at the time and bought a 3-4 yr old 1997 Hyundai Accent GT from my gf at the time's co-worker worker. It had a blown automatic transmission.

The stock 102hp 1.5L DOHC engine and auto tranny came out. Swapped in a 2.0L beta engine(Tiburon) and a 5spd manual transmission. Has a Mustang throttle body, ported manifolds, 1.8L cams, headers, high flow cat, full exhaust, MSD ignition, aluminum flywheel, All wheel disc brakes(Tiburon) and probably way more than I can think of so many years later.

In my opinion, the ultimate sleeper, had no problem beating the VR6's and b18 turbo swaps of the day. It was also fun pulling up to brand new $50k+ cars and watching them eat my dust. 😊

I had a kid and kept the car as a summer toy, my kid loved it and always wanted to go for rides in the "Race Car!" and loved that car. I haven't driven it almost 10 years, but it still runs. I've never winter driven it so it's in decent shape.

Now my kid is 19, he wanted the car as his first car(@ 16). I said no dice on that being your first car but will be yours one day IF you help me work on it. LoL

Getting ready to start wrenching on it again this summer with him. Bought paint already, bunch of parts, and plan to wrench on it with him after work over the summer and get it back on the road so we can do show and some track days in the future.

I have other project cars, but it's this one my kid is interested in wrenching on with me. 😆😁🥰

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General_Culture_5422@reddit

this is awsome, i’m 22 and and want to rebuild my manual gli (got hit on my rear right wheel) and hopefully pass it down to my son. I want a story like yours lol

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SkylineFTW97@reddit

I have many small stories from the $3-800 shitboxes I've failed over the years.

There's my old 1997 Toyota Camry CE V6 5 speed that I got for $400 with a rust hole in the hood over the battery and had the clutch go limp anytime I drove it over 60 MPH.

There's my old 1996 Honda Accord EX 5 speed coupe I bought for $400 to replace the Camry only to get totaled 2 days after I bought it (I got rear ended by a lady in a Ford Explorer at an intersection).

There's my dearly missed $250 Camilla red Pearl 1994 Honda Civic EX 5 speed coupe. 2nd cheapest car I never bought and it was my daily for the year of 2019. Didn't need much work to run (the only work I did apart from routine maintenance was the brake master cylinder, 1 front wheel bearing, and welding up a rusted flange in the exhaust). Most of the stories with that car are from the fact that I delivered pizzas at the time.

There's my current truck, my $700 1996 Honda Passport LX 5 speed 4x4, the cheapest running and relatively rust-free truck I could find that was beefy enough to tow other cars with. I've been making a lot of little repairs over the year I've owned it, mostly minor engine work (I'm about to do a BG Dynamic Engine Flush to fix the prolific oil burning, about 1 quart every 6-700 miles at present). I need to tear apart the heads to replace the noisy lifters, I may as well wait until the timing belt is due since it's not urgent. I also need to replace the left quarter window, I busted it by mistake hauling a couple scrap engines in the back.

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Aloha-Eh@reddit

My older daughter bought an old Toyota pickup. Cue older daughter being rarely seen. Then she was moving, and had a newer Subaru.

I took that old truck home and fixed it up, totally gutted the interior from the stock vinyl hell to a matching velour/carpeted interior from a truck one year newer.

Did some bodywork and painted it in my driveway, there was an appliance epoxy at Lowes that was a pretty good match for the original paint. Then satin on top. It looked great and was easy to touch up. Bought that from her and gave it to her sister for her first car.

Herculined the bed (would not recommend) then found a plastic bed liner I later installed. Found a tailgate and installed it, painted to match, also pushed out the front end twice (thank you hydraulic rams!) when my daughter started kissing other peoples back bumpers. Replaced a front fender with new at that point, then painted it to match.

I had a ton of fun with that truck. Stripped the cab interior, fixed a bit of rust, spray bed lined it and then reinstalled the newer, carpeted interior. Replaced the cracked dash and even fixed an electrical issue.

I also stripped the bed, fixed rust, filled a hole, painted then herculined it. My first project truck!

I got the windows professionally tinted. I drove that truck to Denver in one day once. The windshield wiper broke in on the way and they didn't have what I needed to fix it at the gas station, so I used some bailing wire and duct tape to get back on the road.

Good deal, I drove through a monsoon it Wyoming and needed it! It worked perfectly! Even if it looked like shit. Form follows function.

It was an automatic with overdrive. Not fast but there were times I'd be doing 95-100 mph easy, "Oh shit, better slow down a bit!" What a fun little truck.

Those R22 engines are something. Not fast, but that truck is still out there, chugging along, because I didn't give up on it and trash it.

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KarlJay001@reddit

Long ago, I was driving down a busy blvd where there was usually a few cars for sale in the parking lot. There was a gold 280ZX, so I pulled over to check it out, KNOWING I couldn't afford it. The price was $1,700 ($4,000 in today's dollars) IIRC, so I called the guy and I didn't have the money, but I was getting paid from a client the next day, so I put a non-refundable down to hold it until Friday.

I owned a software development company and just finished up a project (so I thought) and was due a payment that would cover the car, so everything was great.

I called the client about the payment and they said they won't pay until this list of things were fixed. I fired up the coffee pot and started grinding code like a mad man, finished everything, delivered to the client, they cut me a check, I cash the check and show up with the cash on the LAST DAY of the deal. I would have lost about $1,200 in today's dollars if I missed that deadline.

Yea, I know all about counting chickens before they hatch...

So there I was with a gold 1979 280zx and I was "king of the world"

Years later, I get a "parts car", a 1982 280zx with the vented hood and all the power upgrades and spare parts... ended up I got it running and it was some 95% complete...

Years after that, I found a 1982 280ZX turbo 5 speed parting out for $200, all you want to take...

So I have a complete factory turbo engine, trans, R200 rear and a bunch of other parts.

I haven't built the turbo version yet, but as I understand, a few simple mods to that engine and you're in the 250 streetable HP range.

The only thing missing is that it's not a TTop, but otherwise I'd have an 80's dream car.

They're a lot harder to find now, hardly ever in the junk yards and a lot are really thrashed. I hope to do a full restore someday, but it's not on the schedule right now.

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SailingSpark@reddit

I have a 1977 Fiat 124 Sport Spider 1800 that I bought as a used car when I started driving in 1987. I drove it as my daily for a number of years before getting a 1988 Hyundai Excel new. The Fiat then went into my parent's garage until the early 2010s when I brought it my new house and took it completely apart.

Now I just need time to get it off to the paint shop and start the long reassembly project,

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jckipps@reddit

I was using a 1981 f150 as a beater 4wd on the farm, and it finally just wore out in every way imaginable. Engine shot, transmission shot, body completely rotted out.

I saw someone selling a cheap 1987 v20 Chevrolet, so I bought that to replace the Ford. That was a few years before Covid, when the desirability of those 'squarebody' Chevy trucks went straight through the roof.

I ran it around for a few years as a beater, until the engine wiring harness got too flaky. The engine was also on its last legs, so it got pulled in favor of a LS swap.

It's been sitting for several years now, due to lack of time and resources to finish it. The LS engine has been in and out several times, but has never been run yet. The plan though, is still to get the truck back on the road as a nice restomod, with a completely stock appearance and a modern drivetrain and wiring harness.

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Middle_Attempt_3080@reddit (OP)

Lot to appreciate about those square bodies.

I’ve always been a German guy but I’ve started to get into LS’s recently. Adult legos🤑

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jckipps@reddit

The 'legos' comment is accurate. GM used the same basic bellhousing pattern from 1955 until present, with some tweaks between the SBC and LS, and then again between the LS and the LT. But all that can be worked around.

The transmission to transfer-case flanges have mostly been the same on full-size trucks since the mid 1980's.

I've got a 1997 transmission, 1991 transfer case, and 2010 engine going into my 1987 squarebody. There's a 2005 rear axle and driveshaft going in too, but they'll need some modifications. If I find a good deal on a 2019+ L8T 'LT' engine, I'll happily install that instead of the LS though.

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ShesATragicHero@reddit

I haven’t had real project cars in awhile, but I definitely went through a weird Datsun/Nissan phase in the early 2000s.

A KA 510, a red top 510, a clean 260Z (that THANK GOD I didn’t bastardize), a frankensteined S13 ‘vert for some reason. And a very clean and slow Z32 2+2.

Good times.

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Middle_Attempt_3080@reddit (OP)

You’ve had quite a few.. how does that look money wise? Were they cheap beaters when u bought them? Or was money not really an issue? Part of this thread is lowkey me trying to justify getting myself into another project but I’m trying to think about my future and a house and whatnot. I’m only 19 so I have a lot of time but I have that heavy FOMO.

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ShesATragicHero@reddit

I honestly just got incredibly lucky. JDM and then vintage really started popping off and I happened to be ahead of the curve. I always loved cars and had a project on the side. I just wanted fun stuff to tinker with!

Like anything else you go through phases. I’m old now, but still can’t stop looking at my saved car searches haha.

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Middle_Attempt_3080@reddit (OP)

That makes sense. Maybe I just gotta send it on something small turn a little profit and work my way up. I just get attached to my cars lol

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rudbri93@reddit

I bought my '91 bmw 325i back in 2012, and since then it has had several suspension setups, been painted, and had 3 different drive trains in it with the current one being and LS3/t56 combo.

My '72 cutlass sat in a field on cinder blocks for 16 years before I got ahold of it. Lots of rust and leak fixes, but a year later i had a tubular suspension installed and took it to a road course, super fun to toss it around. Pulled the 350 out and am working on a 455 build right now for it.

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Car_loapher@reddit

I’ve got a 2001 Audi A6 2.7T has a back story with my grandma buying It brand new and basically she took care of it and well there was a day in 2016 where I happed to have 3k in my pocket and I asked if I could buy it from her… she said no

She gave it to me and well it became my daily driver for a while despite me just wanting to only drive it on the weekends and restore it, fuckin Houston driver decided to run into it and take off like a little bitch and then the CV joint came off and hit the transmission putting a big crack in it. I took it apart right before Covid it and it’s been in pieces ever since but I am now back on it again with rebuilding a transmission I got for $200 at a junk yard

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Middle_Attempt_3080@reddit (OP)

I actually had a 2.7t. Mine was an 04 A6. Those engines were nightmare fuel. I got it for 500 bucks non running with 175k miles. Had it running for a couple weeks and the starter shit the bed right before I was gonna flip it for 1500 profit. I was moving so I had to sell it for what I bought jt for and took a loss on the parts I put in. The 2.7 Kinda underwhelming for a twin turbo.

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Car_loapher@reddit

Mine made it up to 245k miles with little to no issues before the CV joint problem, I was also gonna tune it and make it to 300+

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Middle_Attempt_3080@reddit (OP)

I had to refresh all the hoses and a new battery and wheel bearings. That starter job was outrageous I was looking at having that car apart for days so I ran. Needed a VC gasket and had a sweating differential. Was a true shitbox I just wish it didn’t shit the bed the day before I was about to flip it

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Car_loapher@reddit

Mine was kept clean other than the scratches on the paint

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Car_loapher@reddit

Mine was kept clean other than the scratches on the paint

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Dooski-Bumbs@reddit

My first car was a 1970 4 on the floor Chevy nova, I bought it as a running project car and it was pretty much just primer with stripped interior from a woman who knew nothing about the car, bought it for $2200 in 2001

It was cheap and fast, that’s all a 16 year old cares about

I knew nothing about the car, over the months I started doing or buying small repairs like get the defrost to work and the speedometer, one day I took it to a corvette specialist shop for a repair I don’t remember what but that’s when I found out the the nova was a semi rare SS model with a 396 and as far as the specialists it was numbers matching

Once I did my research I found out all about it and eventually sold it for $22k, huge money for a 17 year old back then.. I still know the owner who bought it, he still has it and last time I drove it was 2022

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Middle_Attempt_3080@reddit (OP)

Big money.

My dad had a Chevy nova he loved that thing but it got totaled and he took the insurance payout and left it

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SilverStryfe@reddit

1970 GMC C2500

Grandfather bought it brand new in May 1970 and it’s been passed down to me.

About 20 years ago I put about $15,000 of work into it. Then life and working on getting back to a position I can do some more with it.