Five Great Muscle Car Restoration Projects from the 1960s

Interested in restoring Muscle Cars from the 60s?
This has been a hobby for many people and for quite some time now. One question that I always hear from people that are interested is what car to pick?

Well, for starters, there are plenty of 60s muscle cars you can choose, and it really depends on what you are looking for.
One one had, there are the more common and cheaper cars if you’re on a budget, and on the other hand there are the more rare ones which would cost you more money to restore.
Regardless, this is a fun hobby and if you have the time it can be extremely rewarding.
This is not going to teach you how to restore classic cars, but rather help you decide the first step: what are the best cheap muscle cars to restore?

Chevrolet Camaro (67-69)
Parts Availability: High
Price: Medium-High

We begin with one of the more common, reliable, and easy cars to restore.
The first generation of the Camaro is a great first car to restore and is one that many choose. It came in 3 models: RS, SS, and ZS28. I would recommend finding the basic RS, but the SS wouldn’t be a bad choice either. The ZS8 would not be a viable options unless it is from 1969, as the 1967-1968 versions are rare and expensive. The parts are readily available, so you won’t have trouble finding them ( which seems to be a big pitfall when restoring old muscle cars).
All in all, this one has to be first on the list and is one I would recommend if this is your first muscle car restoration project if you have the budget ($20,000).

Pontiac GTO (65-69)
Parts Availability: High
Price: Low

The GTO is one of the greatest muscle cars to restore. It can come in either hardtop, coupe, or convertible so there are plenty of choices based on what you desire. I would recommend purchasing the 400 cubic inch 6.6 L V8, although it can be a bit pricy. This one I do not recommend as a first time muscle car restoration venture unless you have the budget to do so. A poor condition one can run you around $7,000 and you will need another $10,000+ to restore.

AMC AMX (68-69)
Parts Availability: Medium
Price: Medium

The AMC AMX is a unique muscle/sport car mix. It is a fun ride, and a fun car to restore. It is highly customizable and one of the easiest to restore. I recommend getting the 343 cubic inch 5.6 L 280hp version as it is more common and not too expensive. The parts are not expensive, but you may have a little difficulty finding them depending on what you are in need of. A poor condition AMX can be bought for a measly $4,000 so this is definitely a great car for restoration.

Plymouth Barracuda (67-69)
Parts Availability: High
Price: Low

Now were talking. The second generation of the Plymouth Barracuda is one of the best muscle cars to restore. The parts are easy to find, from original to aftermarket and the price for restoring one is low. The fastback coupe is the recommended version to buy as it is the cheapest and most available. I would go with the 318 cubic inch 5.2L V8 engine and just restore it from there.
The end result will be great, and you will have a lot of fun driving it. There are plenty of them of these available for sale online so finding one is no problem.

Chevrolet Nova (68-69)
Parts Availability: High
Price: Low-Medium

Another Chevy on the list, the Nova is also a great car for first-time restorations. There were many of them manufacture so the price to buy them today is low. The parts are of course easily available and you have several to choose from. This car is definitely underrated and you could customize this thing to be an absolute beast. I would recommend getting one with a small block V8 and building up from there.
The possibilities are endless and there are some really powerful and sleek looking Nova’s on the road which did not cost much to restore.
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Hope you enjoyed this best cheap muscle car restoration list. Remember to share it if you like it, and feel free to leave a comment below if you need any help or are interested in restoring one!