A couple of beginner questions

Hello, I am new and I have a few questions. My first question is what is a good beginner muscle car? I am interested in fixing up and old muscle car but I dont know much about cars and I don't have a lot of money. I know I can't get a fully operational muscle car with the money that I have but could probably get one with some problems. I know how to paint and do some interior work but is there a book out there that can tell me about an engine for a car that has enough detail for a complete beginner like me. I have heard about the Chilton Manuals but I haven't seen one, would one of those be worth getting? Is there another series of books like that that would be of assistance to me? I have also heard of service manuals from the factory, would one of those help? Also if I have one of these manuals and one of the previous owners put in a different engine than the one that came stock could I use it to still fix it up? If not are there manuals for specific engines? For example, if it came with a 302 and the previous owner put in a 352 or something is there a manual I could get that would tell me about the new engine? Note, I am willing to put a whole lotta time into it. Sorry for the lengthy post. Thank you.

Do you have any preference in body style? Any preference in Ford, GM , Chrysler? Automatic, standard? What decade 50s, 60s,70s? I think if you give a little more info you stand a better chance at a responce. Also what type of budget do you have to work with? Please fill in some details and I'm sure you'll get some info.

I am partial to Chevys but I like pretty much all of the muscle cars, Pontiacs, Fords, Dodge, anything would be great. I would want an automatic. I like the 60's through the early 70's. I will have about $1500 to buy a car. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

AMC Javelin '70+!

There are plenty of rough muscle cars out there for less than $1,500. You just got to take a look around and see what is available.

I don't know where you live but scan the local paper's classifieds for older cars. As guys get older their spouses get a little vocal about the project car in the garage (while their car sits outside)! Look for thise deals that may need a little fixing or a paint job. Yeah a good paint job can cost but for short term try a cheapy paint shop!

Good luck!

Teenager - I'd prefer a stick!

theres a nice Olds 442 by me thats needs restoring. And the guys selln it for 200. needs a crank kit. Im in NY

Lol if you have my luck, you could pick up a 1968 torino gt 289 for 150 bux. Running...needs work but nothing that cant be done. Chilton manuals are very helpful. Just gotta keep looking until you find a great deal...^^ haha look at that, i dont even remember posting in here before

As all the other guys said: There are many muscle cars out there to choose from so find one you like at a price you can afford.
That said I will add some pointers as I am relatively new to restoration as well.
Dont buy a unibody car unless it doesnt need floors, torque boxes, trunk pans etc. Replacing sheet metal in a unibody car is difficult at best and a major pain in the ass at worst.
There are many books available to assist in rebuilds and restoration. As good as the Chiltons Manuals are I dont believe they are detailed enough for a restoration/rebuild. Surf the net and you should be able to find some specialized books for decent prices. I have a shop manual for my Cougar but I could have done the rebuild without it.
Always look to see what resources are available for a particular car. There are tons of books, parts stores and tech sites for mustangs, chevelles, camaros and the like. But there are far fewer resources for Buicks, Cougars etc. And realize that for certain cars you are going to pay more for parts.
If you have any more questions keep us posted. Steve

I own a 68 Mercury Cougar and a 68 Buick Skylark. Both are difficult to find parts for at times.

any late 60 early 70's muscle cars are great, dallas was right about the unibody. One of the cheapest will most likely be a 64-69 ford mustang as long it is not the shelby.

chilton manuels are great if you allready have mechanics experience my
advice is find someone who knows how to work and repair autos and get them to help

I would say to choose a car to restore is the first priority.
After you have choosen what you want, then set your price range that you are willing to pay right up front.
Then you want to search for your car after you had found it then you can restore it.

I know a guy that may be able to help you out. He has several different cars that need restoration. Some have been started already & not finished.

He has a few listed on his website & has several different makes and models in different restoration stages. I was just at his shop today & am there a few time every week. He is a real straight forward honest man.

His web address is listed below.

http://members.fortunecity.com/sam42/

well as i grew up my dad used to tell me that chevy was the poor mans car and to this day he is right. if u are lookin for a nice car to save money on go for any chevy. chevy is great because they use the same parts in all their cars, if they made a 350 it went in every chevy and never differed. ur gonna have a hard time finding parts and saving money doin that with some one like ford(ick....) they made the mustang 351 and the torino 302, u get what i mean?? chevys the way to go. and about those manuals, chiltons is a great manual for tuneups and brake services, but to fully restore a car u should buy a chasis manual and an assembly manual, the assembly manual shows detailed drawing of what chevy used to make the car so u can find how ANY option and ANY part of ANY engine or body part or interior part went in. its about as thick as a phone book. the chasis manual goes with this as it is the specs and helpful hints on how to install and tune all the parts listed in the assembly manual. Hope this helps.

-GearHead