Which car should I keep?

I don't have the time, money, or space for these 2 cars so I need to pick one or possibly get rid of both.  

Car #1 is a 1972 Datsun 240z that I picked up as a parts car but looks like I can save it.  It was in the basement of a barn that caught fire so the interior is melted and smoke damaged but i have a line on another parts car with decent interior but was hit by a tree. Rear quarter were hacked up by the previous owner but I have a full pair in my basement. Rust wise its better then most Z cars I've seen around here and was originally from GA. Also my basement is full of various Z  parts too since I race a 280z in Lemons and have a bunch of spares. 

Car #2 is a 1969 Camaro that I picked up 18 years ago. I built a SBC for it, welded in new floors, cut the tailpan and one quarter off, then the project stalled. Few years ago my friend ended up with it but he just had his second kid and decided to give it back to me. That means I need to make space or sell it. The car needs every panel but the nice thing is I can buy almost every part brand new. 

So not sure what to do. Cost wise I'd have less into the Datsun but I've had the Camaro since I was 18. Both cares are very rough but I've seen a few sell locally in worse shape for stupid money. What do you guys think I should do?

I think the camaro would fetch more money, especially if you buy a cheap quarter panel, include it and put in your Craigslist ad “new panel included, easy job just needs welded on”

In reply to Patrick :

The correct phrase is either "90% complete" or "all the hard work's done"

i agree the camaro brings more $

How likely is it that you'll get around to working on either soon? If the likelihood is low, I'd consider selling both and buying a better project from the proceeds.

Be honest, which one is more likely to get done.  That’s the one to keep, unless the answer is neither. 

Sonic said:

Be honest, which one is more likely to get done.  That’s the one to keep, unless the answer is neither. 

If the answer is neither, sell both!

240Zs are starting to command real money and are getting more difficult to find, Camaros are around every corner.  The Datsun also drives a TON better and offers more auto related activities that I'd be interested in.  I still regret selling mine everyday, but for the most part don't miss any of the muscle cars I've owned.  

Keep the datsun and the sbc. Ask pat and Andy Nelson for help. I think you know the rest. 

It's been 18 years and the Camaro is still not done (or started) however, you seem to think you will get too it soon?  Offload.  

Keep the Z.   

Keep the Z

racerdave600 said:

240Zs are starting to command real money and are getting more difficult to find, Camaros are around every corner.  The Datsun also drives a TON better and offers more auto related activities that I'd be interested in.

I disagree with everything you said but I'd still sell the Camaro because it's worth way more than the Z and could finance it's completion.

I agree with all of the above.. ditch the Camaro and keep the Z. The Pony Cars are a dime a dozen unless truly "special". They did not make as many Zs and in my humble opinion, it's a better car and a better candidate for restoration

Sell them both. 

If you were going to finish one, you wouldn't be on here asking which one. 

Get something that gets you excited, not something you don't mind if it sits for 2 more decades because "you'll get around to it."

Ha, I knew this thread would pop up sooner or later. I also feel bad in a way because I talked you into getting that Camaro 18 years ago. I'm sorry. 

This is a tough one. Both cars are great platforms to build upon, and both are super cool in their own right. Both of these cars are also both basket cases, and both need extensive work to complete. Both need quarter panel replacement, as well as other body work, interior refurbishment, and more to make whole again. 

While you have a basement full of Z parts, you are still going to need a lot more to make it whole, like the entire interior and the previously mentioned full quarter panels that were hacked up. How much is available on the aftermarket?

As you said, they make EVERYTHING for the Camaro, and multiple companies are vying for your business in this field. You can probably find 1969 Camaro parts at the freaking grocery store if you look hard enough. Anything you need for the car is available, down to the correct nuts and bolts. You can also build one in a million and a half different ways. You could do a stock resto, a bitchin' 80's Pro Street build, or get weird and toss in a turbocharged inline six, like the Atlas or even a Jeep 4.0. The sky's the limit.

And the biggest question of all: if you were looking at both of these cars new, which one would you rather have? Keep that in mind; it's important. You did get bored with the 1976 Z and made it into a Lemons car; would you get bored with this one as well? 

Selling both is also an option, but what would you replace them with? (Please say 1986 Monte Carlo SS...) 

John Welsh said:

It's been 18 years and the Camaro is still not done (or started) however, you seem to think you will get too it soon?  Offload.  

You very first sentence is:  I don't have the time, money, or space for these 2 cars...

The first qualifier is "don't have the time..."

I think sell both.  A non-running, non-moving, non painted car is a huge time commitment.  Replace with a project that at least has two of these three issues already solved.  

Your second qualifier from sentence one is "don't have the money..."  It is stated by others that you can buy every part of the Camaro but have you priced (even a bargain rates) what it will cost to buy every part for a Camaro.  You could easily be into "new car" money.  

Your third qualifier is "don't have the space..."  Non running cars that are hard to move seem to take up more space that the same car that can be easily moved, even if just temporarily.  

Sell both and replace with something that at least runs/drives.  

Tony Sestito said:

Selling both is also an option, but what would you replace them with? (Please say 1986 Monte Carlo SS...) 

I've been shopping those lately. They're cheap (compared to their siblings and close relatives)

If you don't have the time or money, finishing either is highly unlikely.  I'd sell both.  Both projects sound like a ton of work.  

Unless you have a particularly strong sentimental attachment to one over the other, I'd replace both with one cleaner car that won't require as much of the two things you don't have (time or money).  

Its true I've had the Camaro a long time and haven't gotten much done on it. One hold up was it had title issues which I also put off fixing till a few weeks ago. With that sorted out I can now work on it or sell it easier. Life, house renovations, 3 challenge cars, and a lemons car have also got in the way but things have calmed down.

Still I'm leaning toward selling it but need to figure out how and where to try and maximize what I can get for it. My original plan was to put it on Ebay but a recent Massachusetts law absolutely screws me on taxes for any eBay sales over $600 if I don't have any costs or improvements to write off. 

I love projects and generally get around to everything but i'm trying to be smart about this and put the effort into just one or none. 

Sell both and get a running driver you can work on part time. Upgrade on weekends, don't park it too long or it will fall down that slippery slope. 

Of the two I think the Datsun is more appealing. Of course I haven't owned the Camaro since 18.

If someone offered you the keys to a nicely restored version of each which would you take?

Host a French exchange student and they'll build the Camaro for you. 

https://youtu.be/h_20F6T6EEw

Monicaaaaaaaaa!!!

I don't like that boy.  He's always putting his testicles on me.

Sell the Camaro first.  If you get enough money to buy all the bits you need for the Z, do it.  However, it sounds like neither one is likely to get done, based on your "no time", so sell both.  Use that money to buy something that runs, and don't take it apart.