It reads like a nice car.  It looks Hot Wheels/Star Wars.  Maybe I can't say much since I have a Corvette Z07.  I just don't think about it as Hot Wheels, maybe a couple of generations removed from Star Wars.  Of course, unlike my Z07, this will be a Garage Queen. ... View more

I bought a 90 SHO.  What a car.  326,000 miles.  There were two tuners that knew what they were doing.  I was going to make this thing fast.   Sure enough, I made it fast.  HP up by 50%.  What I went through to get there was crazy.  $$$$$'s, plus some.  Inconvenience, plus some.  Out of state travel to get stuff done, plus some.  I took it out to Texas Motor Speedway with 300,000 miles on it.  Ran it 2 hours in 30 minute sessions between 4,000 and 8,000 rpm.  Had to put 110 octane in it to cool it down.  Destroyed my upgraded brakes.  Had a blast but, looking back, what it took to get there was not worth it.    I sold it to the guy that did a bunch of the heavy duty engine modifications. I asked him why he bought it.  Turns out that I was the only one that had done ALL the available modifications, both west coast and Atlanta.  He took it racing and loved beating unsuspecting BMW's.  After a year of flogging he busted the transmission, which was the big weak point in the whole set up with no options to replace.   So what did I do?  I bought a 2005 CTS V.  Then a 2010 CTS V.  Put 200,000 miles on each.  Then I bought a 2018 Z07.  The difference between these and the SHO?  They are bone stock.  They all go real fast out of the box.  AND, I made zero modifications, nor will I make any modifications to any late model car that I drive, either down here or in Heaven.  It is as is, from the factory.   Now my two old cars?  Well, that's a different story. ... View more

Sam, seems you don't have a big budget.  That's OK.  Few that answer this thread did either.  I started with a 1928 Dodge.  Bought it for $750, sold it one year later for $1,000.  And what is interesting is I think I can still find it today.  Plenty of story here, but I learned that there were some things I could do if I just mapped them out.    The rest of my basic knowledge and approach came from my brother-in-law, whom I just lost and sorely miss.  His help and advice really kicked me over the hump to come to the realization "damn, maybe I can do this".  We were good partners.  We helped and encouraged each other.  Neither of us ever held the other's beer so we could watch them do something.  I don't remember being that smart at the time, but he was.   You might consider the following.: 1. Availability of parts at reasonable prices 2. Given your low budget going in your parts budget should be considered 3. Look for someone you trust that has extensive mechanical knowledge to help you evaluate your purchase 4. Consider staying American and purchase high volume sales cars from Ford, Chevrolet, or Dodge.  That is where the parts availability is 5. Find a mentor that can work you through repairs.  Someone that can help you assess the problem and plot the repair 6. Get on the internet and find out what you can about maintaining cars 7. youtube is invaluable 8. A complete basic set of hand tools is invaluable.  Most retailers will have those at reasonable prices both online and in-store 9. As you need tools for the job, buy them.  Acquiring the proper tool(s) for the job is usually much less expensive than a professional mechanic will charge for the repair.  I have a nice collection after 50 years as a result 10. Read all of the other comments for comprehension.  It will be expensive, but you don't start with everything to get started on the basics 11. Keep yourself organized.  Always have a staging area for the project.  Mine is a small cart that I roll around.  Everything stays on the cart.  Twist a bolt, back on the cart. 12. Clean up and when through  with a job.  Put everything back into its proper place 13. Get a small magnetic bowl to put bolts, screws , and nuts in.  You will not regret it 14. Purchase a long-handled flexible magnet and set of claws.  You will need those your first trip under the hood.  They are cheap 15. When you get frustrated walk away and take some deep breaths.  You will need it 16. GoJo, a soft bristled tooth brush, and rags/paper towels are essentials.  17. Gloves are important.  Working with oil and grease over a long period of time increases your risk for brain cancer.  This is serious advice to follow.  It happens 17. When you hit the wall with a project or repair, walk away, take a few deep breaths, and think through what you are doing.  This could be overnight or longer. 18. Never let a repair sit.  Finish it.  The longer it sits the more expensive it becomes 19. Always remember that part of the reason for working on your own car is to sharpen your language skills and thoughts 20. Always remember the end goal.  Then break it down into manageable stages.  You will get there, but perseverance is key 21. Finally, beat this into your head with a sledge hammer.  A wife and a family will lengthen the time of a project, and it should.  Your obligations, in order, are God and family.  Shaping and molding children in partnership with your wife to be thinking and productive citizens helps ensure our continuance as a great country and you as a great mentor.  There are several steps above that apply to raising a family   Others in this thread will have some I miss, or they may disagree with some.  Or I may agree or disagree with some of what they say.  That is for you to sort through and make those determinations.   And it will be interesting to know whether Hagerty set this up for our entertainment or you really are a real person.  Regardless, I had fun replying. ... View more

Strip mining 10's of thousands, maybe 100's of thousands, maybe 1,000's of thousands, of third world acres for materials to build electric cars is not environmentally friendly.  Replacing base load with green power makes this even more of a joke.  Hello rolling blackouts, as Calipornia is well acquainted with.  Build more batteries to store green power?  More of the same.  Are their experts out there that can quantify that?  This country is micro-focused on clean energy and clean cars.  No one that I am aware of has examined the true impact.  If so, let's see it.  We can all gain additional information and learn something informative.  I can be convinced, but it is not without looking at this in its entirety.  The problem?  No one has what it takes to do it.  No one wants to hear it.  No one wants to swim upstream.  I suspect we we will be much better and quicker at substantially cleaning up present technology than launching a new industry as dirty as green power and electric cars. ... View more

I'm an Oldsmobile guy.  However, if I could get my hands on a 70 428 GP, ummmmmmmaybe I am a Pontiac guy. ... View more

Wish someone would provide pictures on the original cars.  Also some rough specs on that i4.  Like cubic inches and other goodies.   I'm not sure I would buy a blown 4, however if a blown v16 or 12 comes around, mmmm. ... View more

I won't be watching any of them.  To quote Clark Gable, "Frankly me dear, I don't give a damn." ... View more

A qualified "Yep".  Change 41 to 71 ... View more

My 61 Chevy 1/2 SWB came with Torsion bars.  Pretty neat.  You could crank the front end up and down.  It rode like a dream on the highway.  Seriously.  It rolled in the turns, which I did not like.  So, I swapped in a 79 Chevy 1/2 ton front end.  It took me an entire quarter mile to understand I had made a huge mistake.  I was not smart enough to realize that I could have put a big sway bar on it and solved the problem.  I still kick myself for that mistake. ... View more

My thought is that the car is the first chop job of four rare cars.  It would be interesting to know a couple of things.  How much was chopped up to put that stupid supercharger in and what has to be done to a cruise-o-matic to handle that supercharger?  Can those transmissions really be built to handle a supercharger? ... View more

What was the P-51 named after? ... View more

It's hard to argue a Cadillac is a Cadillac.  They are certainly not the standard of the world.  However, my 2010 CTS V has 210,000 trouble free miles and I still red line it.  It has been a great road car with the suspension set up as it is.  A little noisy with the tires.  The interior is certainly a step above bland.  172 has been my top speed in it.  I ran out of room.  GM replaced a leaking shock.  I paid to replace its brother, which I now realize was a waste of money.  The shocks still work as new.  Front being original. I did do belts and hoses at 100,000 miles, but I am on the road and am not interested in failures.  The only problem I've had is with servicing dealers who cannot get the front alignment correct.  Actually two problems.  They don't know how to operate the alignment machine.  And, they do not torque down the bolts that they use to adjust the wheels.  Those bolts take about 250 ft/lbs, which is a 3/4 inch torque wrench.  I wanted to buy a 2017 CTS V.  All automatics.  GM can no longer make an automatic that does not slip first to second.  I love a standard.  I bought a Z07.  Not a Cadillac on the road, but lots of fun.  The V was stupid fast.  The Z07 moronic fast.  Now I just need to find someone to buy my V. ... View more