Friday Spotlight Feature: Project Cars – A deep dive into what makes the perfect project car

Let’s start with a mini recap of last week, who watched the super bowl?? In case you missed it, the LA Rams won, although it was a close game – 20-23. Better luck next time. But are you still interested in more super bowl after the game? Why not check out the blog post I wrote before this one called Best Car Commercials (Over the Years) From the Super Bowl

Let me know what you think on the social media pages or by leaving comments on the post. 

But enough super bowl talk for now at least, why don’t we get into this week’s post? I promise it will be just as interesting, and if anything it will feel like the super bowl for car lovers! That’s right, I’m talking about project cars!!

What is a Project Car?

For gearheads, owning a car (any car) puts them one step closer to reaching their dream car, but in the meantime, if they are anything like me, they will need something to spend their money on while they wait, so a perfect solution would be a project car. A project car by definition is a car that is a hobby. Basically what this means is that the car is purchased with an intent to fix, race, tune, cruise – it is bought with a purpose in mind. 

Now, many of you may think buying a project car is a waste of money, time, energy, and buying it will take away from the money you have already saved – because you think it is expensive. I am here to tell you in this post, you do not need to break the bank, nor lose all the money you saved up for your dream car to purchase a project car. 

What Makes a Good Budget Friendly Project Car?

There are three very important aspects of a project car that you will need to keep in mind when looking to purchase a budget friendly one. First, the parts. Parts on any car will be important to keep in mind but more important when you’re buying a budget friendly project car. Why you may ask? Well the answer is because the project car you may be looking to purchase might be an older version. There is nothing more hurtful than purchasing a project car with the intent of working on it only to find out that the parts needed for the car are either scarce, out of your price range, or simply not available. I mean not to mention at this point your interest level in the project car you initially purchased may have swayed and now your eye is caught on a new one putting you at square one all over again. 

Next is the forum support. This is basically groups (whether online or offline) that can help with any questions, concerns, or ideas that you may need or have. It would be ideal to find a project car that has a forum that exists because it will make your life a lot easier when you run into a problem. I mean even if you can’t find the answer to your particular problem via the forum site, wouldn’t it be nice to reach out and add your two sense once you finally fix the problem, for future reference of others? Be the person you needed when you had the issue and think of others. At the end of the day remember always do your research! 

Finally, availability. Everyone dreams of pulling up at a car meet with the rarest car there and while that in theory does sound nice, it doesn’t make for the best budget build. But just because you’re on a budget, doesn’t mean that you have to settle. Again, you just have to do your research preferably beforehand to really get a feel for the market. Keep in mind that cars that are more readily available tend to be cheaper, so maybe look out for those ones…? Plus donor cars make for inexpensive fixes, which is a bonus for you. A donor car by the way is any vehicle/engine that is purchased with the intent of using the parts on other project cars.  

Success in Your Sight Lines

Tools: A solid set of tools will get you a long way, but this might be where the money should be spent. Budget set tools will save you money, but improper clearance tools and poor build quality will lead to problems with your project cars down the road – which might be more expensive to fix than the actual cost of the car. If your car needs specialty tools, there are some things you need to consider first:

• Are they easily available?
• If not, do you have the mechanical ability to make your own?  

Knowledge: Although you don’t exactly need a prerequisite for buying a project car, it helps to have a solid amount of knowledge beforehand. The knowledge doesn’t have to be anything specific, it’s just a starting point to help you get where you need to. Knowledge is power in any project so remember to do your research first!

Support: Bad days and bad times are inevitable, but it’s who you have for support that helps you get through it. If you’re fighting to justify the reason you bought your project car and fighting to fix it, you will soon be faced with an impossible choice that will leave you with a decision that you might regret for the rest of your life. 

Will: Drive is one thing that can’t be taught, it is something from within. Find a car that you are passionate to fix, not just one that you are settling with. If you need inspiration, remember why you bought your project car in the first place. 

Imported from the East – JDM

There are so many different types of cars that can be used for project cars, but in this post, I will be highlighting JDM cars specifically. Now Japanese cars are known to be the best for project cars for a few reasons: 

• Unmatched build quality 
• Intuitive engineering 
• Huge amount of aftermarket parts 

Whether you are an extreme fan of drifting or street racing, this is the ideal brand that ensures you won’t go wrong with any of the following options.

Acura Integra

You don’t have to break the bank (even with price increases) to be able to afford this car. With most cars available for less than $5K – even some that are clean – the upfront cost is more than reasonable. Add on aftermarket parts support and lots of owner’s forums and you have a great project for beginners and experienced enthusiasts alike.   

Datsun 280Z – Old soul, new life

There is nothing like restoring new life into something that is old. Unlike the 240Z and 260Z – its predecessors – the Datsun 280Z is comparatively reasonable. In recent years, the market has caught onto their appeal, but with some serious searching, you can still find one that is ready to be your next project car. If you are considering purchasing the classic version Z car, do yourself a favour and check the body panels for rust or anything else that is likely to affect the structural integrity. It is signaling a red flag, so remember to be on the lookout for anything suspicious. 

Honda Civic

Since first entering production in 1972, the Honda Civic has seen many remodels and variants, from hot hatches to stately shuttle wagons. The introduction of different options allows the buyer to have different choices when it comes to body style, engine capacity, and interior furnishings. Honda has made a reputation for itself – easy to work on and can be tuned to the owner’s heart’s content. Add on some suspension upgrades and a good set of tires and you have yourself a very capable performer. I would highly recommend if you are a beginner at working on project cars to use this one, you can’t go wrong with this car. 

Mazda Miata MX-5

Although Miata’s have experienced a bit of appreciation in the last decade or so, they are still very affordable project cars. They are incredibly reliable and make for easy learner maintenance cars that are not intimidating to work on. Not only this, but they are enjoyable to drive and ideal for upgrading. Once you start working on this car, you will realize that you bought it for more than just working on it, it will become a car that will be hard to part with. 

Nissan 240SX

Now a days, untouched 240SX’s are a bit of a tough find – most of them are half-started drift project cars that have unfortunately seen better days. This being said, when a stock 240SX shows up on the market, they can cost anywhere between $3-4K. You will definitely save yourself time and money if you don’t have to undo someone’s work and wouldn’t it be fun to start from scratch?  

Final Thoughts

Project cars can be so much fun to work on, but doing your research beforehand is important. It doesn’t cost much to purchase a vehicle to work on but its the tools, parts, and modifications that will probably be the ones to break the budget. All in all a project car is definitely a good investment to make – whether you are a gearhead or not. So which will be your first JDM project car?