Your cheapest project car... $100 or less

I never bought a a car for less than $100.00 in my life. I am 63 years old.

 

When I was 16 I went down to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and bought a 1978 Plymouth Fury for $90 from the City of New York. Had no keys, so nobody knew if it ran (stupid me took a chance on it).

It was a Black unmarked NYPD Highway Cruiser with a 440. Got the car running, and nearly killed myself driving it. Sold it to the local taxi company later that year for $500. Looking back it was probably a good thing too! I eventually went on to own other cruisers since they make perfect winter beaters.

 

I'm still lookin'....

 

double post?

 

Got my 69 Firebird Off a cousin for free ,,,,7 year resto frame off .Its a driver

 

Here's mine. Got this 55 Olds Super 88 sedan in college from one of my father's co-workers who retired and moved to Florida. It looked better than it was and had major rust issues in the rear. I threw in the towel...which I still regret 12 years later.

 

I bought a '51 Ford Woodie for $40 in 1961, a '53 Studebaker Coupe for $25 in 1963, a '40 Willys Pickup for $75 in 1966. I towed that one home and while I was unhooking it my Mom handed me my draft notice. The Stude was set up for a Hemi and had a '57 Thunderbird hood soop molded in. I bought that one from a little old lady in Pasadena. I'm not makin' it up. Wayno

 

i use to manage a muffler shop,, had a old school buddy called and needed dual exhuast for his 65 ford truck offered to trade me the duals for his 54 chevy truck...this was about 20 years ago 4 pieces of tubing $6.ea 2 glass packs $8ea.
truck was all stock had been setting for about a year..charged up the battery and added a $10 carb kit..drove it all winter,,sold it to a guy who drove it from tulsa boston...wish id saved that one...i really should have saved that one...

 

scored a 60 studebaker lark 8 two door last summer for $50 and the motor even turned
all glass except the windshild was good as well
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No photos left but I guess my best deal was a 57 Bel Air 2 door post for $100.Running and driving car, looked good with nice black paint and good interior.I liked 55s better so I traded even for a 55 Bel Air 2 door hardtop with no engine and trans but it had a diamond tuft interior,all chrome inside mouldings, chrome reverse wheels,just a beautiful black car missing engine/trans. Then had to move before I could do anything with it and had to sell it. For $300 back in 1978.

 

In 1980 I picked up a 66 Plymouth Belvedere for towing out of the neighbors yard. Looked just like the one in the picture. Mine had a crack in the water jacket/leaked water & the rear springs were shot. I nursed the old engine along until I found a better 318 & added air shocks.

That car could haul six guys comfortably & carry four half barrels of beer plus ice.

 

51 Henry J $10 found behind local movie theater. Of course this was in 1959.

 

I bought a 79 Datsun pickup for $100, lowered it, put Chevy stock steel wheels out back and thin whitewalls all around. Sold it for $800! Two days later I bought a 70 Chevy pick up for $500 with the $800 from the Datsun. With me so far? Two months to the day, I traded the 70 pick up straight accross for my current 62 Mercury Monterey!! So, technically, I only came out of pocket $100 for my Merc!!! This was two years ago!

 

My wife looked out the kitchen window and saw this being towed to the crusher by a friend and got him to drop it in our driveway for a case of beer. It ran great, had new exhaust and brakes but no interior. I patched a couple rust holes, put in seats, carpet and floor shift from a cutlass, pulled some wheels and tires out of the pile behind the garage, and spent 2 weeks doing the one of a kind paint. Took it to the strip where it ran high 14s all day long, through the mufflers on old hard radials. Total investment less than 600 bucks. When someone offered me 6 Gs last year I couldn't refuse.

 

Something magical about being old,like going out to your shop and realising I own a hot rod project and its almost done.

 

Does FREE count? Got this channeled '30 Roadster in 1962 and it's still my current project.

 

i got my '48 dodge for $300. top chopped around 4" ... old chevy nova front .. dual head lights .....now ,,,, i just need to find a little help around Casa Grande Arizona...

 

...almost forgot the 40 chevy sedan I bought from a girlfriend's dad for 10 bux...drove it to high school and used for hunting rabbits on the Oregon hi desert.
.....$50 for a running 50 ford crestliner and another $15 for a cherry 50 tudor sedan parts car..

 

1954 Ford Victoria in good shape but not running with 239 V8 and fordamatic - had rolled and pleated interior - bought in 1963 for $100 (borrowed from my mother) - cleaned gas lines and filter and had a good daily driver. College guy I knew was moving to CA and needed to sell ASAP.

 

1986 I bought a 1972 Chevelle for 50 dollars, put a fuel pump on it and drove it for 2 years. My son got a 1987 Buick Regal for FREE because we put word out that a 12 yr old kid wanted to build a car. My best deal was when a buddy GAVE me a Honda CB900 Custom that would not run, I cleaned the carbs and put a battery in it then traded it for a 1938 Dodge Coupe.

 

Bought this '61 chevy van when i was 16 for $150, Took me all summer break to fix it up and drove it until recently I sold it to my bro. Use to ride wheelies every where in that thing!... You wouldnt believe how much beer and people you can fit in one... Party looking for a place
... had 2500 in it total when it was finished...

 

back in 1987 i got a '69 chevelle 2dr hardtop for $25 ... and they delivered it to my house!

 

FREE!

 

Mark... I would put a motor and tranny in it and drive it just like it sits... Awesome

 

Here's mine $100 even, no engine, trans or diff and a beat up box came with it. But what do I expect for 100 bucks right?

 

Thats just what i intend to do.

 

gave $5.00 (five for the steel body) for this one 16 years and a few thousand added to it since. 350-4speed- halibrand champ-ET-III'S PURE F--KIN HOT ROD!!!

 

A green 1949 Plymouth 2 Dr, I paid $60.00 for it when I was in high school, drove it for about a year, and sold it for $75.00...Just to help with the math, that's a whooping $15.00 profit! What I remember most about that car was the incredible wood graining done on the dash, it was spectacular! Wish I had pics...

Eric

 

Got the frame and front end of my chopper for 2 cases of Bud.

 

How about "Cheapest project car that I sold for less than a hundred dollars"....U.of Miami Spring '66..Four of us kick in 200 for a decent 55 Chevy Conv. ( small block glide)..We drive it all semester and then a guy with good insurance backs into the right rear quarter,to the tune of 300 dollars...We split the dough and keep driving it until the end of semester...I am charged with getting rid of the remains so I drive it to a junkyard in South Miami...They offer 10 dollars and I want 15..We split and I walk out with 12.50...My next car under 100 was a 57 Chevy Sedan Delivery that I drove away for 35 dollars..I will post a picture of it along with its story next post...