How To Choose Your First Project Car

Your first project car shouldn’t be so overwhelming that you never want to take on this job again. You need something you can use as a learning tool.

There will be some challenges, but you’ll want to go from project to finished product in six months or less with your first attempt. With this guideline in mind, there are some things you should look for in this car. When you find that car you want to rebuild and restore back to new, it can be your dream car, but it can also be a car you choose because you want to see if you have a passion for this type of work.

Don’t Buy a Rusty Car

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but not really. That’s simply adding layers of enemies, and rust is the enemy of all cars. You could have a low-mileage Dodge truck that runs great, but shops won’t touch it because it spends all of its time driving in New England winters where the roads are salted every year. Body rust isn’t as much of an issue as frame rust. Inspect the car and make sure it’s not rusted out.

Buy the Right Tools When Rebuilding Your First Car

Even if you’re trying to see if you’ll enjoy this hobby or not, you want to buy high-quality tools to rebuild your first project car. These tools will cost a little more, but they will be worth the added price when all is said and done. The right tools can last through several project cars and never give up. If you find that you’re not enjoying this work, better tools will sell for a higher price on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.

Don’t be Stuck on Speed

The first car you restore and rebuild doesn’t have to be a speed machine. Speed costs a lot of money. Look at the prices of some of the top-level cars and the thousands of dollars that go into getting a few clicks on the stopwatch. It’s more important to learn how to build the car and put things together with your first attempt than to add speed. If you find that you love what you’re doing, you can always come back and add more power and speed later as an additional project.

Buy Lots of Ziploc Bags and Sharpies

Where did that bolt go? Why do I have so many leftover parts? There are tons of small parts with any car, even older ones that don’t have computers in them. A collection of Ziploc bags and sharpies can help you keep things organized so that you know where things are and what all the bolts are for. This is a great way to keep your shop organized and not have a mess of nuts and bolts all over the floor as well.

Don’t Compare Your Project to Another

This is your first project car, and it’s up to you how much you put into it. Yes, someone else will build a better project, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy everything about your car. You might finish the build and take it to a show only to find that all of the other cars have more stuff on them than yours. That’s ok, it’s not a contest, and it’s only your first attempt.

You Need to Have Another Car as Your Daily Driver

If you’re going to tinker with a car, you need to have a second vehicle that can get you where you need to go. Most people working on project cars won’t depend on that car to get them around every day. Once your project is complete, you’ll want to protect it, which is why a daily driver is nice to have. Let your project car be a hobby and use another vehicle for your errands and commute.

Avoid Cheap Parts

You get what you pay for, and that’s doubly true with a car you’re working on. Your first project car isn’t something you want to sink your life savings into, but you do want it to work well and offer you some items you can brag about. Buy the name-brand parts, do your research, and get the stuff that will work best for your car. If you have to replace cheap parts much sooner than expected, you’re not gaining any benefit at all. Buy the right parts for your car.

You’ve Got a Lot of Reading Ahead of You

You might find that you’re spending more time researching the parts, functions, and processes of your first project car than in the shop. That’s not unusual. You want to get the job done right, and you want to know that everything works the right way. There might be some things you don’t want to do yourself. Make sure you know the people you’ll hire to get your car looking great so that you can enjoy an amazing time on the road.

You’ll Spend More Time on Your Project Than Anticipated

You can set a goal for completing your project car, but it will take much more time than anticipated. Accept this fact and don’t rush anything. You don’t want your dream car to be done improperly because you rushed something. Take your time, get it right, and enjoy the process. If you’re not enjoying the work and what’s happening with your car, you might be trying to experience the wrong hobby. Expect your car to take a long time to complete.

You Will Spend More than Expected

Even if you try to price out all of the parts and items you’ll need for your first project car, it will cost a lot more than you expect. Once you price out everything, double that cost. This is a much more realistic number for how much you’ll spend. Something will break, other items won’t fit just right, and you might decide to put better stuff in certain places during the build. If you plan for the doubled cost, you should be in pretty good shape.

Now that you know some of what to expect when building your first project car, go get that car and get started.