right now I'm 15, all the stuff you see on my signature are mods that go into my plan. I want a 69 camaro because it would be cheaper and much nicer than other cars that i'm looking at. I was wondering how many people would sell a camaro that has a nice interior and exterior, but no engine or trans. My parents are worried about my ability to compleatly restore a car, so this is a compromise. also it would allow me to install the engine that I want, a 350 from performance unlimited. but i digress. i'm looking for a car with no engine (paint in any state) perhaps alittle beat up for under 15000.

 

one last thing, please don't respond with a: thats too much hp for a kid, or the insurance is too much or anything like that, all i want too know is how much the car would be

 

You obviously have a computer, start looking, Craigslist, recycler, and everything else. Under 15,000 should get you a running car in good condition

 

I'm not gonna ask the h.p. questions, I'm curious where a 15 year old gets $15k to buy a toy?
That kind of money will buy you quite a decent driver. Then you could sell the engine in it and build the one you want.

 

Kinda what I was thinking after I read it. And by the way I built my own, dont know how much cheaper it is to build than other cars.

 

Just maybe he has a huge paper route

 

Restoring a body and installing and interior is a lot of work. Installing an engine is not a lot of work. It will be a pretty rare situation to find a car close to finished but less a motor. I think finding a 69 without a motor would not be tuff. Finding a 69 that just needs a motor and is truly ready to hit the road will be tuff. Think about it, Without a motor a good body is worth what 10K? But a solid driver is worth 20K. Decent small blocks can be bought for 2K. Whos not going to finsh it?

Word of warning. There are a lot of "unfinished" cars floating around that are not put together right. The reason they are floating around is because during final assemeble the problems show up, these car may look in great shape but they are do overs. Also to untrained eyes a solid looking car can be a complete basket case. Heck even to the trained eye major issues can be hiden by decades of cosmedic repairs.

BTW: if you had a near perfect body you are still 5-8K away from it being ready for that kind of HP. Just frame connectors is not going to do it. The whole rear suspension will need to be another design (leaf springs got to go) not to mention the rear itself. The body itself will twist. GM had issue with these bodies twisting with 375 hp 396s once someone put radials on it. What ever you do will need to support the whole body, like a 6 point cage.

 

thanks you guys, and since your wondering I got this money by inheritance and saving since i was 4. I think getting a car and selling the engine at a swap meet would be a good idea to get abit of cash back

 

What is your budget? I would expect 40-60K to get a 700 HP touring type car on the road. 40K if you can do the work 60K if you need fabricators. You figure a way to get a 700HP first gen upgraded to current tech for less then that you should write a how too book.

 

Rose,
I have a 68 that I've been told by people smarter than me that I'll be in the 500 hp club once I get it tuned in. I can light up the tires in any gear, at almost anytime. I'll tell ya, it's downright scary when you accidently do a 180 in the middle of the street so be careful with that much horse power as it's not very forgiving.

Just so you know, horse power is nice, but if you don't have the rest of the package, it's all for naught. Here are some suggestions for your car well before you go beefing up the engine.

1. Convert to power disk brakes. (Appox $2,000)
It doesn't do you any good to go fast if you can't safely stop.
2. Replace every bushing, ball joint and tie rod in the front end. (? $ 500)
This will help considerably with the handling of your car, thus making it not only safer to drive, but also much easier to handle when driving.
3. Replace all of your body mounts. (?$25)
Smoother, firmer ride.
4. Replace front and rear springs. (Appox $1,300)
Not only can you drop the stance of your car, but you can improve the handling as well. Note: Make sure your rear springs can handle the power you want to apply to them or you'll end up busting something.
5. Replace your shocks accordingly.

This, in my opinion, is a great base to start building off. Not only does all of this make your car safer to drive in everyday traffic, but it makes your car much more enjoyable to drive because it just handles better. Trust me on this!

Now then, once you have this and you want to make the upgrade to 620 ponies, the next step would be making sure you had the right rear end, driveshaft and traction device, not to mention you'll need to tie your frame together so it doesn't twist when you apply some power.

I purchased my 68 about 11 years ago for $7,000 and I just busted the $30,000 mark. I got my paint and body work cheap by industry standards ($10,000) which still left me at $13,000 in parts just for the upgrades I've put into the car, and the only thing new in my interior is the carpet and dome light cover. BTW, my engine compartment looks ugly too cause I didn't want to spend the money to make it look good, I just wanted it to run good. Making it look good can set you back several hundred dollars pretty quick, and it doesn't make your car run any bit better.

Hope that helps.

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