My name is Devon and im in the U.S. navy and im stationed here in Italy right now but im going back to the states in about 5 months. I want to start a project car and I dont know where I want to start, deffinetly a chevy but I dont know whether with a camaro, impala, nova, monte carlo, el camino. Im basically going to look for one of those that I can get a cheap body for and drop a mean V8 in. But I plan on reading and posting a lot in this forum cause I use to be a big import car guy until I drove my dads 2000 camaro SS, so I dont know much about domestics. any advice would be nice and thanks guys.

Your Very Welcome here at Chevy Thunder Devon. We have alot of guys here with the know how. Your number one move is to Pic the car model you would really want to fix up. But than sometimes when you plan for that car another model comes up you can't resist in looks and price. Rust is one of the major things to look for. Different models have there bad spots, and alot of it is hidden. The frame is also very inportant when choosing a car. The engines are a dime a dozen, so you wouldn't want to decide on a car just because of the engine.. Stick around and start asking your questions, again Welcome to Chevy thunder. #fast#

Ditto on what Rich said.
Once you narrow it down to the model. We can tell what to look for as far as bad spots, hidden problem area's ...etc.

Also you forgot to mention the Chevelle.....


I would also like to take the time to thank you for your service to our country !!!!*yay*

Welcome.

As for choosing a model, it doesn't sound like you already are sold on a style yet, so I would sugegst the first stop would be a large car show in your area-something that has all makes and models of Chevys, not just camaros or Chevelles, etc.

Really take some time and look at the lines of each model and see what makes you heart skip a beat. As they have said, engines are easy to come by, adn unless you want an original engine in the car, it doesn't even really have to run. You can buy one in almost any power level and size you want. Same with color. Anything can be re-painted. The more important things would be as little rust as possible, and as complete as possible. Even if the parts aren't in great shape, the more complete a car is, the easier it will be to figure out how everything works together. This would be a good time to also remember parts availability. Camaros, Chevelles, Novas, Impalas all are pretty well covered for replacement parts from 63-72. After that, it gets tougher, except for Camaros.

Also, you will want to decide what you want to do with the car-original type restoration, street machine, drag machine, or a combo. Before I got my Chevelle, I really wanted a 63-65 Buick Riviera. I really like the body lines, and they have a classy look I think. After lusting over them for about a year, I decided that since I wanted a performance machine that had a tough look, the chromed almost '50s type interior of the Rivs just wasn't gonna cut it. I found my Chevells, and instantly thought of the early '70s muscle machine look.

Once you have a style picked, start your search. That's a whole topic in itself, depending on body style, there's different things to focus on.

Several guys here are pretty much done with their cars, while I'm in the middle with a partly done restoration. Others are still in the early stages. Don't feel like you can't ask questions, there's a LOT of good resources here, and most of us also know where to go if we can't help.

Again, welcome, and feel freet oask away. You'll get honest answers and free advice. *beers*

Well thanks for the welcoming. Im not sure what kind of car I want to get yet and I cant really go to a car show till I get back to the states because im on a small island in Italy and its amazing here how people love the high class geo metro's. I do have a quick question, where do you guys look for a car? auto trader? news paper? Im just curious where to look when I get back to the states and where I might find a good deal.

You probably don't want one of those Italian cars that look like they have been smashed between two 18 wheelers. They look like there about 7 feet long, they seem to love them over there.
You'll have to go thru the papers in your home town and then spread out from there looking for a vehicle. Auto trader, ebay, internet. In the internet you could trype in something like 71 Chevelle, and tons of cars will pop up. Your local home town would of cousre be the best to find a car. All depends how much you want to spend. The dumpier the car the more MONEY and TIME it will take to redo it.

I'm on the road 8 hrs a day for work. Keep your eyes peeled, you'll be amazed at what you see laid up behind a shed, in a field, back up in driveways ...etc.

If you're starting from scratch, I'd suggest you look towards a late model efi engine in an older car. Especially if you have an understanding of efi from your previous cars.

ACLineman;13290 wrote:Also you forgot to mention the Chevelle.....

Ban him! Seriously, the best way to find a reasonably priced car would probably be to check the local ads, and just ask around. It might take you a while to find one that way, but you won't find many bargains on, for example, eBay. Too many "one stop shoppers" there, and the prices get jacked up because people are too lazy to look elsewhere.

My best advice is to take it easy and don't buy the first car you find. Shop around, get familiar with the model(s) you're looking for, ask questions here and you'll be more prepared when it's time to write the check.