8 Project Cars We’re Dreaming About
It was only natural that, at some point in its annual meet-up, the Hagerty Media staff would begin to discuss project cars. Before we had metabolized our morning coffee—perhaps because some had found the gallon of cold brew in the fridge—there was a general online assault on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. The office murmured with schemes and dreams.
“I would LS that.”
“That’s not even a project car!”
“Watch Kyle actually end up with one of these in his driveway.”
“91,000 miles, it’s been driven … I like that … two grand?”
“Oooh, a brown one!”
“What if I sold my …”
If you spend time on this site, you probably can imagine who said what … so, in the spirit of further including you in our bad ideas, read on. This started as an editorial exercise, but stay tuned—we all read Kyle Smith’s latest column on how to be an adventure enabler, and we took very good notes.
The comment section is open …
Sajeev Salivates Over a SABUL
I want this SHO-swapped, supercharged Mercury Sable (or as I like to call it, SABUL in ALL CAPS) station wagon so badly I can feel it in my bones. I have always wanted an OEM+ style, cleanly integrated Taurus SHO powertrain in the slick, understated Mercury Sable, but this moderately clean wagon with a big hole in its hood for that M90 supercharger speaks to me at a more basic level. I need this the same way I breathe, even if I am not a huge fan of nitrous oxide or of buying a highly modified car that currently doesn’t run.
Gimme this SABUL right now, baby! — Sajeev Mehta
Steven Dreams in Neon
The most interesting classified ads on GrassrootsMotorsports.com often lead with four letters: NMNA. Not mine, no affiliation. In other words, “I just ran across this ad and posted it here for your entertainment; I have no skin in the game.”
And the listings are often pretty entertaining. Need a 1971 VW Squareback for $1600? A Kellison, perhaps? An ’89 Ford Tempo for $1000? A 1958 MGA? And those are from the first couple of 297 total pages.
My eye goes here, though: To Livonia, Michigan, and a 1999 Dodge Neon ACR. I had both an ACR and a tweaked Neon R/T but let them slip away: Raced an ACR a couple of times in the old Neon Challenge series, and autocrossed the R/T, and the cars really fit me.
This one is $5500 (asking price, maybe a little dear but he says make him an offer). As a poster on GRM says, it’s “pretty solid but slightly scruffy, perfect for track rat/rallyx fun.” I agree. It has a six-point cage, a lot of race-related spare parts, and a recent servicing. For maybe $4000—double what I paid for my old ACR—maybe I’d try to hold on to this one. — Steven Cole Smith
Nate Contemplates Land Cruisers (Pt. 87293)
Land Cruiser Project? Land Cruiser Project. Because of course. This thing is a tad ratty, which is kinda how I envision this all starting. I can’t get enough of Land Cruisers, and this FJ55 is quite a charmer. It’s got a 5.7-liter V-8 from a Chevy, and … well, we don’t know what else. I’m always mystified by these one-sentence descriptions in marketplace listings. Like, you have no other information to provide? Seems like a sure-fire candidate for a project that would put me over my head in about 14 seconds.
Where do I sign? — Nate Petroelje
Eric d’Elegance, the Latest in Luxury
I have a deep affection for these cars, since my friend daily drove his grandmother’s hand-me-down ’89 Brougham d’Elegance when we were 16. I’d want to restore the entire interior of this one and make it gleam—as in, nicer than my own living room. I would take it to drive-in movie theaters all over Michigan, simply to luxuriate. — Eric Weiner
Eddy Edifies His Fleet
A truck project would pay me back with some much-needed utility. This ’98 Silverado comes from the last year of what I thought was a really clean, understated generation. It’s got a long bed, 4WD, and doors to the rear open to the rear seats (that really only serve to transport stuff under roof—those jump seats are tight).
It might not be sexy or scream “project” like a Sable with a hole in the hood, but it’d serve an unmet need in my fleet. — Eddy Eckart
Kyle Sets His Sights on a Squarebody
Having road-tripped a friend’s big-block ‘Burban some years ago, there is something about these that always had my attention. What kept me away was the squarebody rust problems and voracity with which the big-block gobbles up gasoline. This beauty is priced right and has the solid chassis and clean interior that I want, but has mechanical issues that make it a perfect LS swap. A 6.0 with a mild cam and a 4L80 would slip in relatively easily and make this beast a great tow rig or adventuremobile for camping with the missus. Needs what I enjoy doing, everything else is ready to go. The perfect project. — Kyle Smith
Grace Anticipates a Pickup
I’d never want to daily something that didn’t like to be flung around, and I love the way my Fiesta ST squirts through traffic, but if I were to add another vehicle, I’d love it to be something truckish and off-roady. I don’t have a garage, and don’t get excited about doing my own drivetrain work, so my favorite project is something that runs and drives … like this J10. It’s already Chevy-swapped, it’s got a manual (almost always fun) with a granny gear, and I love how ratty it is. (The listing doesn’t even show the interior, so it’s probably just as abused as the paint.) This would be the perfect foil to the FiST—an old (ish), tattered, high-riding pickup with a bed. Think of all the estate sales I could raid! — Grace Houghton
Stefan Stumbles Upon a Zagato
When I typed “project” into my local Craigslist, among the usual domestic hulks was this Zagato-bodied Lancia Flavia. Lancias are neat little cars, and while I have no real affinity for the Flavia at all, with its Zagato roots it’s just weird-looking enough and certainly exotic enough to take on as a fake-money project.
According to the ad, “This particular project car comes with many duplicate parts including 5 engines. 3 of the 5 motors turn over and are extremely rebuildable. getting mechanical parts is not a problem… The alloy body is mostly straight and should be easy enough to sort out… the chassis has plenty of rust and will require significant metal work.”
Should be done in a weekend! — Stefan Lombard
SABUL’s supercharger sticking out of the hood has me interested. We need more pictures!
You need pics, and I need MOAR SABUL. 🙂
Is SABUL an acronym? I was wondering why you don’t go with SABULL.
I like SABULL, thanks for that. SABUL is just spelling Sable the way it sounds, it seemed to be a thing a few years back in social media and Craigslists ads. I guess I am still hooked on that joke.
Sajeev,
Been too long since last visiting. Keep up the great work.
I LOVE the SABUL!
Great Selection.
David
Welcome back, David!
In regards to the jeep, it’s the dumbest f…in idea to do a chevy swap kills the value, no amc guy will ever want it, and there’s no v8 more reliable than the amc 360, in production for over 30 years basically unchanged…hmm, how long was the 350 in production in it’s original configuration.
Cam bearing oiling problem not withstanding, right?
You’re confusing sub genres here.
Swaps aren’t about value, it’s about fun.
And when it comes to power, you’ll pour thousands more into any AMC v8 to make less power than a 6.0 junkyard LS motor with square ports and a common cam swap. And the LS is actually drivable. It’s just a fact.
Okay, I’m a dyed in the wool AMC guy, but a lot of what you just said is just wrong. For one thing, JEEP guys aren’t averse to making mods and swapping engines. This is a toy, not a restoration. If it weren’t so modified (in ways other than the engine) the engine swap might make a bigger difference. This is way to modified to return to collector’s condition.
Regarding the AMC V-8… Yes, as reliable as any old carbed SBC. In some ways better. Costs more to pep it up, but the same can be said for real Pontiac. Olds, Buick, Caddy, etc. V-8s. It was in production so long mainly because AMC was always cash strapped. They did make some improvements, but it was really old tech by the time it was dropped after 1991. AMC had replacements on the drawing boards, just couldn’t afford to put one in production, and production numbers didn’t support that kind of expense. Easy to keep something that all development costs had already been paid for a few times over. The 1999-2007 4.7 PowerTech V-8 used in Jeeps and Dodge trucks was at least partially inspired by AMC/Jeep engineers. It’s easy to see some AMC V-8 features in it — it could easily be a modernized AMC V-8.
Maybe it had the inline six?
We realize that you can’t tell the kids nothing nowadays, but you know with the the Offenhauser adapter plate (!) a 259 Studie will slide right in there. Ask around the Senior Division of the Jeep Gang. Best thing that ever happened to a CJ, back in the day.
I’d like to turn a Taurus wagon into a faux Ranchero.
Foreign Charo? Oh…you mean a SABULLERO!
Sajeev
You are THE MAN!!!
A SHO Sable sounds like something I need.
I always wanted a second gen Taurus wagon with a factory sunroof, which I’m pretty sure they didn’t make.
And if one wants to get really hands on, how about turning it into a two-door?
And remember, Save the Lincolns.
I like the way you think.
Eddy’s truck doesn’t really look like a “project” per se, but I’m thinking it’s the best bet of the bunch. Nearly everyone could use that baby parked out behind or beside their garage! Grace’s J10 looks like the most fun to tackle (to me). I’m an old Chevy-swapped-Jeep-offroad-guy, so this is right in my wheelhouse.
Sajeev’s SABUL? Well, Sajeev’s gonna do what Sajeev’s gonna do.
I am totally in love with my WK2 summit….spent 20G last year rebuilding eco-diesel – got 8,000 more miles out of it, wish I had LS swapped it instead…but was told by a number of shops that couldn’t be done…it sits, beside my garage…glittering in the sun, as pretty as she ever was…but can’t go anywhere. Sad, but I can still go look at her.
I’d go for Eddy’s choice. Oregon truck? Up here in NW Wi all the GMT400’s are iron oxide. Am of the opinion that era was GM’s best truck–especially 96 and up with Vortec.
From time to time I still contemplate the notion of an RWD conversion on an Allante
Nissan 350Z engine, manual trans, front subframe, rear subframe, differential, in a van, what do you get? A modified 93 Mercury Villager, a turbo’d, RWD, independent suspension on all corners and wouldn’t even give it one look, sleeper! Just look at the faces on Sponge Bob and Patrick hanging on the gate glass would say it all. That’s my next project:)
This is something I want to see come to reality. Please, please, please make this happen.
I thought about powering a Sable with a 4.6 Intec V8 from the Lincoln Continental Sedan, since those cars shared the platform of the Taurus, but it looks like it was such a big engine they had to install a different radiator core support for the Continentals, and there’s no way to make it all fit under the stock Sable bodywork. The SHO V8 was only 3.4L, but the original Volvo XC90 used a larger Yamaha V8, and I wonder if that might fit? If not, maybe a 4.2L V6 from a Mercury Monterrey van?
The easiest swap would be the 4.2 V6, except its intake is huge and probably won’t fit. SHO V6 is really the way to go.
As a rat rodder myself Grace’s J10 (see what I did there) calls to me the loudest. I know them well, and if there’s solid jacking surface on her property I do enjoy working on them. There – one less excuse!
Yeah buddy, I’m there with ya!
At least most of these are ‘normal’ cars that anyone can afford, not like the supercars that you normally see in Hagerty. Buy what you want and don’t worry about what others think.
To be honest I would not go after any of these. Too much cost and no return. It would be just a labor of love and I really feel no love for any of these.
The Chevy truck would be the most realistic. Parts are cheap and easy to find and resale if needed would cover many of the costs. For customization the parts are endless.
The Flavia Zagato Sport is rare and desirable enough that it seems a shame to do anything but a quality restoration.
For myself, an article about the Donald Healy Fiesta has resparked a long-held desire to hot rod a Mark I Fiesta. The Fiesta ST motor would certainly provide ample power but it’s known to have several problem points, so maybe I’d just build the Kent with a pair of Webers and the like. (I say this like I have experience with engine swaps. Ha!) The Fiesta is such a clean and simple little car and looks brilliant with rolled fenders, Minilites, and BRG.
That Suburban with a 6.0 and a cam probably wont get any better gas milage than the 454, but it should be fun.
What kinds of cars/trucks are you guys considering to tackle after you sober up?
That sounds like no fun.
I bought my project car I have been trying to get for 2.5 years and it’s a 68 Shelby GT500. i just broke for lunch after spending a few hours sanding down the original paint on one of the lower side scoops. Some think I’m crazy(including my wife) taking on this big project in my 60s especially after already having 2 turnkey classic waiting for me to drive them but are being neglected . Just something about taking a project and turning it into a concours show car that drove me to purchase this car. I do like the Zagato though. Sounds interesting.
Living in the northeast US of A, finding ANYTHING in this area of “inexpensive project cars” that is not a complete rust bucket is like searching for unobtanium. For those who’ve never lived here, “frame rot” is a very real, terrifyingly expensive thing, enough to resign your wanna be project car to the scrap heap before you can say boo. Sadly, that relegates you to very slim pickings [beggars cant be choosers] or prices you out of the market. I cannot begin to tell you how many of these I find in my near daily searches only to see them by the bundle in CA, NM, NV, TX, etc. But when it costs more to ship the car than what it’s worth… that hurts [bad].
Well, I know it’s quite the ‘thing’ to bash CA, but maybe you could move here instead? N CA is a very attractive place (not all of it burned, y’know!) and we’re nice normal folk — most of us. I know of a wrecking yard — just got back from there — that is packed with raw material, and mostly not much more than surface rust any 60-70 year old car might have. Good: they negotiate. Bad: they’re using an on-site crusher. Evertything from RX Mazdas to some Airflow bodies. Most for parts, but I saw at least 40-50 buildable cars, esp if you want to do a rod or restomod, plus trucks. Just scored a box of small parts for our ’51 Chevy Styline for $20 off a Fleetline sedan that still has great rear window and trunk, and it’s one of the worst examples there. Real ‘old skool’ experience, and nobody hassling you or looking over you shoulder. Tip: Orland, CA. Wick