If you were given 15k to build the best reliable classic daily driver with some power under the hood, what route would you take?
If you were given 15k to build the best reliable classic daily driver with some power under the hood, what route would you take?
Find a stalled TCI bucket T project and fill the remainder with the nicest stuff of of Craigslist. Seriously. Drive it every day it isn't snowing.
That Daytona Coupe the 818 peeps put out? 'Cept it's probably too much money. 
Apparently, a Fairmont. But it's got over 20 in it now. :/
Chrysler A body. For 15K you can build something pretty good. The second choice would an early Fox Body. Something in the 4 headlight time period. I'd also look at a mark 1 GTI with a 16V transplant. Really just depends what you are looking for in a classic.
It depends on what era you consider "classic" but I'll assume pre-1980. Early Celica with a BEAMS 3sge swap seems like a fun answer:
Volvo 1800ES, although "power under the hood" is relative. The tough part these days is increasing values might make it difficult to stay under the budget.
Mazda rx4 with some sort of swap. Rb25? S52b32? High revving L20 with a turbo? Might not be reliable but sure would be fun
I would go with a few of the "you need this" cars. $15k is a lot of sub $2k cool toys.
Based on stock bits: Chevy C10. Pre-GM Saab 900 Turbo. GM A-body. C3 Corvette. Early Mustang. Volvo 240 Turbo.
Engine swaps: RX7 with turbo Ecotec. Corolla with supercharged 4AGE. E28 or XJ6 with an LS and six speed.
Appleseed wrote: Find a stalled TCI bucket T project and fill the remainder with the nicest stuff of of Craigslist. Seriously. Drive it every day it isn't snowing.
We have similar tastes. 
4 eyed fox chassis car with a bigblock swap.
The cleanest w108 with the m117 4.5 v8.
Sleeper 4-door slant-six turbo Valiant with really nice interior and A/C. It is my DESTINY.
Smarta$$ McPoopyPants wrote: Sleeper 4-door slant-six turbo Valiant with really nice interior and A/C. It is my DESTINY.
nutherjrfan wrote: That Daytona Coupe the 818 peeps put out? 'Cept it's probably too much money.
Having first hand experience with one of these, you're gonna run over that 15k budget trying to make it a nice daily driver. I had the same thought when I got my coupe, to make this thing water tight and have partially roll down windows would require a lot of work and eat up anything in your budget. I think the base kits start at 13K now anyways.
In answer to the OP's question, with 15k I think I could swing a really nice SAAB Sonett III daily driver figure out how to put a motorcycle V4 up front for 10k shifts. But I just bought that '75 Hornet so I think my answer has changed now to that car.
71 brookwood/kingswood wagon with LS power
What denotes classic? My short list? e34 540i manual with suspension mods and exhaust. 1974- c3 corvette( chrome bumpers would break the budget) with an ls swap 2nd gen eclipse gsx built to the hilt ( were the 6 bolt 4g63's less prone to crank walk?) ( the evo's prettier cousin). vr4 because screw reliability i want to own one before i die. I once saw a first gen golf with a tdi swap.. so I'm gonna want that too :D
Beck Spyder or one of those Lotus 7 kit cars.
100 hp does not sound like much, but it works out okay if the car is under 1500 lb.
Do you want something you can drive in the rain? If so then disregard the above.
How about Classic Mini with Honda drivetrain?
For 15k I could scratch build another Lotus 7 and in the past I have daily driven one. But I don't know if that would constitute "classic" as it would be a clone. Throw another 3k on top of that and I could scratch build another Lotus 11 with a Coventry Climax engine, though an 11 certainly isn't a daily driver. The Europa I'm in the midst of putting together should come in under 10k, and should have more than enough power (Zetec). As for daily driving it, I certainly could, though these days my daily driver is the bus.
I think I would put together a clean F-150 body and a Panther platform, then upgrade the living daylights out of the suspension. Never had that kind of money to play with on purely a project car.
Patrick wrote: 71 brookwood/kingswood wagon with LS power
Had a 73 Caprice Estate 9 passenger wood side decal's and a 400sb,at night that thing had the BEST head light's I ever owned OEM. and wanted to run Well Over the Speed limit perfectly Stable. Atl. to Wisconson and Back without missing a Beat,wish I had it Today. But for 15 grand build a Shoe string budget Cobra and tough out the weather.
I'm doing that right now with Duke's old 67 LeMans convertible.
550-hp LS (LQ9, ported heads, 243/233 cam, etc) and a T56. I'm toying with the idea of a Schwartz chassis, but that gets pricey as berk. I'm not going to go full pro-touring with it, but I'll likely take a more modern dash and add woodgrain and chrome to make it functionally ergonomic, but still look period. Buckets, A/C, good stereo.
1994 Miata
Best MGB on the planet can be had for that budget, no need to build anything; that always cost more than buying finished car.
P1800 Coupes can be had in that range. I see where Volvo people actually drive these cars.
280Z with L28ET
If I want to be fancy a Datsun 240K (Australian/EU C110 aka Kenmeri Skyline) w/L28
That BEAMS Celica posted above seems like a good/best idea if it's actually possible within budget.
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