Restore a Mopar OR buy a ZL1

[Phantom.5SS]

Which do you like better? thats the question. I restore Mopars..they are THE most expensive resto's to do. I opted out of a 70 RR because as good as I could make it...it was just another 70 RR with a ton of money in it..in fact there are more Road Runners now than were ever built thanks to clones. There will be ZR-1 Clones I am sure..and a limited number of actual ZL-1's will help re-sale but way down the road.

I did this Polara as my personal resto because it was a challenge since there is no over the counter parts availability for the most part....especially on police parts. Its also a numbers matching extremely rare factory police car to boot so I knew it would be a value holder. The BIGGEST reason is because I like it....I'm an enthusiast first and foremost.


I bought a 2-SS to satisfy my camaro hunger...I would like a ZL-1 but for a little less money I have 2 great cars instead of one.

[santaclaus]

Originally Posted by Phantom.5SS

Which do you like better? thats the question. I restore Mopars..they are THE most expensive resto's to do. I opted out of a 70 RR because as good as I could make it...it was just another 70 RR with a ton of money in it..in fact there are more Road Runners now than were ever built thanks to clones. There will be ZR-1 Clones I am sure..and a limited number of actual ZL-1's will help re-sale but way down the road.

I did this Polara as my personal resto because it was a challenge since there is no over the counter parts availability for the most part....especially on police parts. Its also a numbers matching extremely rare factory police car to boot so I knew it would be a value holder. The BIGGEST reason is because I like it....I'm an enthusiast first and foremost.


I bought a 2-SS to satisfy my camaro hunger...I would like a ZL-1 but for a little less money I have 2 great cars instead of one.

I like the police car. If I stick with the project, we'll have to re-enact a 70s-style chase scene starting in Denver and ending in San Francisco.

[Jdevy]

Rebuild!

[99firehawk]

Well for all of those that have dropped a ton of money into a restoration like a few in this thread (including myself who restored a 1971 Trans Am 455HO 4 speed 4 years ago), my thought is go for the ZL-1, but wait for the convertible to have a real fun and rare car :-)

Unless you can do a lot of the restoration yourself, the labor costs for restoration can creep up well beyond 50% of your original budget and timeline.
Once you have it all done, if you don't drive it, it just becomes a completed project that sits in your garage covered where your scared someone will ding or scratch it and you think about how much money you have into it everytime you look at it.

As also said though.....IF the Mopar will be a project you want to do for personal enjoyment, where you aren't rushed, don't mind putting $40-50+K into, then put your head down and don't look back with no regrets and love it.

I am going to order a 2013 ZL-1 convertible if I am lucky enough to get an order in Canada next year, and I will be selling my 71 TA to do it. I have $58K CAD into this car and honestly don't drive it. In fact I just had to get part of it repainted as someone at a show last summer who backed into my front fender, which almost gave me a heart attack :-)

To really enjoy a car for me is to work on it, meet up with fellow enthusiasts (at shows or like this forum) and then drive it as mush as possible with your favorite person beside you so you lock in those memories.
I found the concept of restoring was fun to a point and chasing all the rare parts on eBay, etc.....BUT what took the fun out of it was the extended costs and time to pay someone else to do the body work over 2 1/2 years. Now it sits under a cover 90% of the time and I probably only drive it a few times a year because it is now perfect and so rare (#9 of 12 in Canada that year) and honestly not as enjoyable with all the rattles and crank windows, etc vs my 400hp Firehawk convertible or my blown 426 Magnum SRT8. Man these new cars are soooooo much fun!

The comments on resale are interesting.........just a thought on that though......as we the "baby boomers" grow older, how many people will buy these 60s/70s muscle cars vs some of these amazing new powerhouses with all the comforts of home, that handle and frankly smoke most 60s/70s big blocks. My car was worth $50-65 a few years ago in the good economy and now I bet $30-45.

One thing a buddy of mine did because he was weighing the same issue as you are with an older muscle car and a new car, was he went to the Barrett Jackson auction on the cheaper Friday and got an awesome 69 Trans Am convertible clone for $23K and then plans to now order a 2013 Mustang GT500 (he has a older RAM as his Winter beater). Someone had put around $40+K into this Firebird restoration and he got it for 2/3 that with a turn key ride. Now he didn't get the enjoyment of the restoration, but he has personalized the thing to the way he likes it and will sell it when he is tired of it with no hard feelings from the overpriced restoration......AND have a new hot car next year in the Mustang......best of all worlds!

Anyway, enough of my long mindless rambling, do what your gut is telling you and who cares what we all say lol!

[gmachala404]

I contemplated the same basic thing. I wound up buying a very nice 71 Malibu that was converted into an nice Chevelle SS clone. Paint and body was perfect in Viper GTS blue with painted white stripes but suspension, engine and brakes were toast. I am doing a pro touring build on the suspension and engine/drivetrain. I am going all out on suspension to make it handle like a new Camaro or Mustang.

I am going with a cammed LS3 with Speartech harness controlling a built 4L65E shooting for 460 rear wheel HP. Stock suspension is totally scrapped and using advice from Savistske Classic and Customs to build a Chevelle that handles. C6 Z06 brakes, tubular sway bars, tall aluminum spindles CurrieTrac rear suspension, bilstien shocks etc. Inside I am running 04 Z06 seats and a factory SS dash. Fikse 18" FM5 wheels with 275F & 295R rubber.

The car is nearly complete now just lacks the gas tank (which is from Ricks Tanks and uses a 2010 Camaro in tank pump) and the Speartech harness. I put the car on a scale the front weighs 1735lbs and the rear weighs 1539lbs. This is without a gas or a gas tank in the car. My goal was to keep the weight in the 3300 range so its light for what it is.

I was all about the ZL1 when it was first announced. I knew it would be at least 50K (I have about 38K into the Chevelle) and I was going to buy a ZL1. But a friend told me I need to do the Chevelle. Went to look at a few Chevelles and that was all it took. Saw a totally bad ass black 70 with and LS3 and it was on. The ZL1 is still top of the heap as far as new cars to me. And I enjoy readying about it and watching all the excitement build around it. But, I am so into building this Chevelle nothing else even matters right now. It is the most fun I have ever had (and I have owned a lot of nice cars of all makes new and old from cheap to six figures). This is something I always wanted to do (I am 45 now). I love getting my hands dirty and building something myself. Just way more rewarding that signing and driving. I can't wait to drive this car!

Do the Mopar build, do it the way you want it. Buy US made parts support our country and our hobby, take your time and enjoy the results! You can always buy a used
ZL1 later.

[OldScoolCamaro]

Originally Posted by santaclaus

Would you spend $50,000 - $65,000 restoring your dream Mopar or Muscle Car?

OR

Would you trash that project and finance a ZL1?

GO!

Depends entirely on what your dream is, or where your heart is at. Too ambiguous of a question as posed to answer. Q needs more clarification.

[Supercamaro64]

Iv got a solution. Buy a ZL1, trash it, then restore it But seriously, Id say restore the classic. Thats a tough choice for sure, but if its your dream car, i think you should go for it. But im also pretty sure that either way you go, you wont be disappointed. Happy decisionmaking!!

[santaclaus]

Originally Posted by 99firehawk

Well for all of those that have dropped a ton of money into a restoration like a few in this thread (including myself who restored a 1971 Trans Am 455HO 4 speed 4 years ago), my thought is go for the ZL-1, but wait for the convertible to have a real fun and rare car :-)

Unless you can do a lot of the restoration yourself, the labor costs for restoration can creep up well beyond 50% of your original budget and timeline.
Once you have it all done, if you don't drive it, it just becomes a completed project that sits in your garage covered where your scared someone will ding or scratch it and you think about how much money you have into it everytime you look at it.

As also said though.....IF the Mopar will be a project you want to do for personal enjoyment, where you aren't rushed, don't mind putting $40-50+K into, then put your head down and don't look back with no regrets and love it.

I am going to order a 2013 ZL-1 convertible if I am lucky enough to get an order in Canada next year, and I will be selling my 71 TA to do it. I have $58K CAD into this car and honestly don't drive it. In fact I just had to get part of it repainted as someone at a show last summer who backed into my front fender, which almost gave me a heart attack :-)

To really enjoy a car for me is to work on it, meet up with fellow enthusiasts (at shows or like this forum) and then drive it as mush as possible with your favorite person beside you so you lock in those memories.
I found the concept of restoring was fun to a point and chasing all the rare parts on eBay, etc.....BUT what took the fun out of it was the extended costs and time to pay someone else to do the body work over 2 1/2 years. Now it sits under a cover 90% of the time and I probably only drive it a few times a year because it is now perfect and so rare (#9 of 12 in Canada that year) and honestly not as enjoyable with all the rattles and crank windows, etc vs my 400hp Firehawk convertible or my blown 426 Magnum SRT8. Man these new cars are soooooo much fun!

The comments on resale are interesting.........just a thought on that though......as we the "baby boomers" grow older, how many people will buy these 60s/70s muscle cars vs some of these amazing new powerhouses with all the comforts of home, that handle and frankly smoke most 60s/70s big blocks. My car was worth $50-65 a few years ago in the good economy and now I bet $30-45.

One thing a buddy of mine did because he was weighing the same issue as you are with an older muscle car and a new car, was he went to the Barrett Jackson auction on the cheaper Friday and got an awesome 69 Trans Am convertible clone for $23K and then plans to now order a 2013 Mustang GT500 (he has a older RAM as his Winter beater). Someone had put around $40+K into this Firebird restoration and he got it for 2/3 that with a turn key ride. Now he didn't get the enjoyment of the restoration, but he has personalized the thing to the way he likes it and will sell it when he is tired of it with no hard feelings from the overpriced restoration......AND have a new hot car next year in the Mustang......best of all worlds!

Anyway, enough of my long mindless rambling, do what your gut is telling you and who cares what we all say lol!

You made a good point about the baby boomer generation. All my friends say they love the older cars, but at the end of the day, they would rather spend that kind of money on something fresh, warrantied, and new.

Originally Posted by gmachala404

I contemplated the same basic thing. I wound up buying a very nice 71 Malibu that was converted into an nice Chevelle SS clone. Paint and body was perfect in Viper GTS blue with painted white stripes but suspension, engine and brakes were toast. I am doing a pro touring build on the suspension and engine/drivetrain. I am going all out on suspension to make it handle like a new Camaro or Mustang.

I am going with a cammed LS3 with Speartech harness controlling a built 4L65E shooting for 460 rear wheel HP. Stock suspension is totally scrapped and using advice from Savistske Classic and Customs to build a Chevelle that handles. C6 Z06 brakes, tubular sway bars, tall aluminum spindles CurrieTrac rear suspension, bilstien shocks etc. Inside I am running 04 Z06 seats and a factory SS dash. Fikse 18" FM5 wheels with 275F & 295R rubber.

The car is nearly complete now just lacks the gas tank (which is from Ricks Tanks and uses a 2010 Camaro in tank pump) and the Speartech harness. I put the car on a scale the front weighs 1735lbs and the rear weighs 1539lbs. This is without a gas or a gas tank in the car. My goal was to keep the weight in the 3300 range so its light for what it is.

I was all about the ZL1 when it was first announced. I knew it would be at least 50K (I have about 38K into the Chevelle) and I was going to buy a ZL1. But a friend told me I need to do the Chevelle. Went to look at a few Chevelles and that was all it took. Saw a totally bad ass black 70 with and LS3 and it was on. The ZL1 is still top of the heap as far as new cars to me. And I enjoy readying about it and watching all the excitement build around it. But, I am so into building this Chevelle nothing else even matters right now. It is the most fun I have ever had (and I have owned a lot of nice cars of all makes new and old from cheap to six figures). This is something I always wanted to do (I am 45 now). I love getting my hands dirty and building something myself. Just way more rewarding that signing and driving. I can't wait to drive this car!

Do the Mopar build, do it the way you want it. Buy US made parts support our country and our hobby, take your time and enjoy the results! You can always buy a used
ZL1 later.

Nice work. Stories like that are what keep me coming back to the RR. What compounds that feeling is that I have the means to do a 2 yr project at my own pace. My original thinking is to modernize the suspension, direct injection, modern trans, pretty much every part that I would upgrade on a newer car over time. I went to look at the 2011 GT500 again this afternoon, and by the time I left, I was already telling myself that I would need to spend more money to figure out how to transfer all that power to the ground more effectively. That right there - for that car in particular - drove the end price beyond what a Ford is worth (except the Ford GT of course).

But much like you, I get a kick out of reading about the new surge of powerhouses from automakers...immediate gratification with a new purchase is very tempting...but the payments!

[santaclaus]

Originally Posted by Supercamaro64

Iv got a solution. Buy a ZL1, trash it, then restore it But seriously, Id say restore the classic. Thats a tough choice for sure, but if its your dream car, i think you should go for it. But im also pretty sure that either way you go, you wont be disappointed. Happy decisionmaking!!

I bet that restoration would cost more than a small apartment complex with all the technology in it.

[K1SSRSS]

Why not both, yea money may be an issue, but get the ZL1 if you can afford it and sure it will slow down the progress on the Mopar, but if your restoring it yourself you can always put money into it a little at a time. On the other hand if purchasing the ZL1 requires selling your Mopar don't do it.

The prices will keep going up for these classic cars and at least for a while the prices will go down on the ZL1.

I got rid of my project 69 Z28 to get an 02 Z28 about ten years ago since at the time this was going to be the last Camaro. I have regretted it ever since and have not been able to find another 69 Z28 I could afford. Although I still love my 02, it has since been turned into a drag car and if I would have waited 3 or 4 years after I purchased it I would have been able to find one for half the price. I have not sold another one of my camaros since and I probably never will, especially to purchase a new car.