Top 10 Cars We Would Love To Restomod
This site is made for car lovers. Whether you’re a reader or on its staff, we all have that in common. Cars are on our minds constantly, and we’re always looking for the next vehicle that will make us swoon. In this article, we decided to turn the tables on our usual posts. Instead of taking a look at restos that have already been made, we’re going to look at ones yet to be. Trawling through eBay or craigslist, you practically trip over ads for used vehicles. We’ve pulled together ten gems that would make potentially incredible restomods.
1973 AMC Javelin
Source: eBay
If you’ve been reading this site for a while, you’ll know that I have a soft spot for the AMC Javelin. They were superb cars that had the bad luck to come from a company that collapsed soon after. At the time, they were cars that could compete with the best the market had to offer, and win. This example comes from the tail end of its run. While the 1973 isn’t my favorite example of the Javelin (that honor goes to the 1971), it is still a good car in its own right.
This one, located in Belton, Missouri, has a couple of big things in its favor. For a start, it’s been listed for $10K despite a recent restoration and the mileage is low at only 24,000. The motor is a 1972 360 with four-barrel carb, stock exhaust, and a three-speed auto. You’ll also get the original 304 motor if you buy it, but said motor has 187,000 miles on it, so unless you’re up for a tricky job, is probably best off as scrap. The downside of this car is that as the base model, it is a bit spartan. There’s no A/C, the interior hasn’t been updated since ’73 other than an aftermarket tach, and it’s got drum brakes. What would we do to this car? Well, a power upgrade wouldn’t go amiss, with a small-block Chevy being a potential game-changer. Add disc brakes and a new exhaust, suspension, and rack-and-pinion steering. Then give the interior an update and fit some A/C and you’ve got a superb Javelin. Any one of these upgrades would make a big difference, and for 10K, it’s an ideal project car.
1971 Chevrolet Chevelle
Source: eBay
From one end of the used car spectrum to the other. This is a car that needs…rather a lot of love, I think you could say. Yes, it’s a rusted hulk right now, but that means nothing. Let’s take a closer look at what is okay with this machine. So, the frame is solid and the floors are okay, and it has an original GM cowl induction hood. Now, let’s look at what isn’t alright. This is going to take slightly longer. Very obviously, the body is rusted to hell, and hardly anything is known about the car’s previous history. The current owner bought it from a family who had kept it in storage for years. The engine is a 396, and it’s got a TH400 transmission, but what sort of shape they’re in is slightly less than manifest.
The price? Only $3495. Pretty solid. So, what would we like to do to it? Firstly, take the body off its frame and ensure structural rigidity. Then get some new panels, possibly in carbon fiber and install them. Fit some coilovers and sway bars, and replace the engine with something more modern. If brand loyalty is your thing, try an LT4, but if you don’t mind crossing the streams, you could take a look at the Ford Coyote. Depending on your budget, replace the floors as part of a big interior overhaul. Add some new leather buckets, new instruments, new steering wheel, sound system, and so on. This is a car with a lot of potential, as long as you’re willing to put the work in.
1959 Cadillac De Ville Coupe
Source: eBay
So we’ve had two cars that are at the more sporty end of the market, but what about cruisers? Sometimes there’s nothing more sastisfying than just going for a drive in a car that is comfortable, a smooth drive, and relaxing. The Cadillac De Ville fits all of these requirements. Costing $45K, it isn’t cheap, but if you value comfort and style, you can’t get much better than a Caddy. The car’s whopping tailfins, bullet taillights, and chrome-coated front end speak to an era of motoring gone by, and are touches that you just can’t find today.
The car already has A/C, power seats, locks, and windows. Beyond checking that they’re working, you don’t need to do anything to them. The interior looks to be in very good shape too, boasting a beautiful red and white color scheme. However, we’d add air ride suspension, and replace the old 390 motor with something with more oomph. Maybe a modern LS3, or the Northstar from an STS-V.
1966 Ford Galaxie 500
Source: Craigslist
Ford’s Galaxie 500 is an iconic car. A superb convertible that has inspired countless works of art and a fantastic song, the car is a powerful, beautiful little pinup from the glory days of Ford. This car, on offer for $10K, is in fairly good condition and has had a bit of work done to it already. There’s already a new sound system, new header, carpets, dash pad, and so on. The body has some blemishes, but is fine.
The blemishes could be treated pretty easily, and the interior already looks nice, so we just need to take a look at the mechanicals. A new suspension setup, potentially with a new chassis, would be a good idea, and the engine is probably in need of change. You could follow this resto’s example, and fit a new V8 with 500 horsepower. While we’re at it, shaving the door handles gives the Galaxie 500 a special, refined look, so that might also be worth doing. Either way, you’d be left with a beautiful restomod.
1971 Datsun 240z
Source: Craigslist
The Datsun 240Z is a car with a lot of soul. It’s the forerunner to cars like the Nissan 350z and 370z, cheap, cheerful cars that you can have a lot of fun with. When it arrived back in the 70s, it featured a fair bit of new tech like overhead cam and independent suspension. It handled really well, was as reliable as an AK47, and was, until recently, cheap as chips. Nowadays, it’s become a lot more expensive, but hey: value isn’t the most important thing in this article. This is a post dedicated to the objects of our desire, and the 240z is absolutely one of them.
For $25K, you get a rust-free Datsun in good condition inside and out. The brakes, calipers, rear-wheel cylinders, brake hoses, wheel bearings, drums, seals, etc have all been replaced. That being said, the car does still feature drum brakes, which need to go. Let’s fit some Brembos. Providing the suspension is in good condition, we could leave it as is, since they still handle like a dream today. The engine however, well. That’s something that’s got to be changed. The 240z’s little straight-six was fine for its time, but now we need an upgrade. I’m not going to go crazy and try and wedge a V8 in there, that’s not what this car is for. I think a straight-six is still probably the best option, and few come more recommended than Nissan’s RB26DETT. Despite its dull name, this engine is a superstar. It powered the Nissan Skyline GT-R from 1989-2002, and can be tuned to produce more than 1000 horsepower with ease. Add this to the 240z, and you’ve got a nasty, brutally fun combination.
1941 Hudson Commodore
Source: Craigslist
Dating back to 1941, this is the oldest vehicle on the list, but just looking at it, I’m getting hot rod inspiration. The body has some rust and damage, but that’s to be expected, as the car was a barn find. It does run, but needs a lot of work. Firstly, we’d have the panels removed and some new ones custom made, still from steel. You’d need to find some new headlights, but that wouldn’t be too difficult. That engine would have to go too. It’s shot to pieces and is not going to last that long. A supercharged LS3 would make sense, with a nice big blower protruding from the hood.
The body could be cut and dropped, with a fair bit of length that could be lost towards the rear. Remove the roof, add a hood, and fit a street rod suspension set up. If you’re feeling particularly old school, you could give the car a mean stance with larger wheels at the back. Disc brakes are a must too. Add a fresh lick of paint, and you’ve got yourself a nice street rod, starting from a $5000 base car.
1953 Ford F-100
Source: Craigslist
I challenge you to find anyone who’s into cars and trucks who doesn’t have at least a respect for the Ford F-100. These are trucks that have helped out everyday Americans for years, and looked good while doing it. They’re an ever popular choice for restomods because of just that. This is a 1953 truck in fantastic condition, with the mechanicals working just fine. The paint is still gorgeous, and while it could do with a fresh coat in a few spots, is of secondary concern.
If we spent $14500 on this, what would be the first thing to change? Taking inspiration from this beautiful truck, we’d drop it low to the ground and shear its running boards. The engine doesn’t need to be anything powerful, with something like a Ford Racing 302 being perfect. As this would be a cruiser, we’d again add air ride adjustable suspension, and update the interior while maintaining the original’s look. That means no new round gauges, but the seats and dash could be given new leather and vinyl coats. A sound system wouldn’t go amiss either. Legendary for a reason, restomodding an F-100 would be a dream.
1970 Oldsmobile 442
Source: eBay
Another classic muscle car that’s fallen down the couch cushions of history, the Oldsmobile 442 is hardly ever talked about today. That’s a shame. It’s a brutally handsome muscle car, which had both speed and fun by the bucketload. This Olds, from Troy, Michigan, is sitting at $12,600 at time of writing, but hasn’t yet met its reserve price. The car’s exterior looks to be in good shape, and while the interior needs work done, it’s hardly terrible.
We’d leave the exterior alone, but pull out the 455 CID. It’s got 70K miles on the clock, and we could do with a new powerhouse. There’s two plausible options for the new engine. You could either opt for a rebuilt 455, or go in an entirely new direction and grab something like an Indy Cylinder Head 572, and enjoy its 770 horsepower. This might be an effort to fit, but with some canny modifications, it could absolutely be done. The factory A/C could be replaced with Vintage Air, and the interior restored. Add a few little interior mods, and you’d have a fantastic restomod of a car that people seem to have forgotten existed.
1954 Bentley R Type
Source: Craigslist
If money is no object to your restomod, then why not consider something like this? One of the second series of Bentleys built following World War II, this car is beautiful. While 50s American cars focused on chrome and sculpted lines, British cars often embraced a more traditional look, which really stands out on U.S. roads. This car isn’t cheap at $39000, but restomodding it would be a unique opportunity. The only real problem with the car is it’s right-hand drive, which changing is either a huge pain in the backside or very expensive.
Power through with that modification however, and you’re left with a car that, on both the inside and out, is in excellent condition. You wouldn’t really want to change that much on the exterior or interior anyway. A set of new gauges perhaps, new leather for the seats, and a modern sound system wouldn’t go amiss, but nothing more than that. Under the hood, there’s a 4.6 liter straight-six, with 60,000 miles on the clock. If you were to change it, I would add something like the Toyota 2JZ. They aren’t too powerful by default (320 horsepower/315 ft-lb torque), but are highly tuneable. They’re also indestructible. If you brought it up to around 400-500 horsepower, you’d be in for the classiest thrills of your life. Air ride suspension would go a long way on this thing, as would power steering and disc brakes.
1958 Chevy Impala
Source: Craigslist
We weren’t going to make it through this article without talking about the Impala. They’re such fantastic cruisers, with a rich history as one of the backbones of Chevrolet. This example is a 1958 409 Impala that’s in excellent condition, and is priced at $26,500. While we wouldn’t keep the original engine, there’s a big market for the 409, and you could flip it for a pretty penny, giving you a solid bit of cash for your upgrades. Personally, I’d swap out the engine for a 502 HO big-block crate motor. The exhaust has already been upgraded with a Flowmaster setup, so no changes are necessary there. We’d throw disc brakes on all four corners, and would also upgrade the transmission, which is a three-speed manual. If you’re looking for a cruiser, you could do worse than the TH400, but if it’s speed you’re after, throw in a six-speed racing manual.
The paintjob was done recently, so doesn’t need any more work. The seats also look pretty new, but the carpet is worn. However, this particular car comes with a new blue carpet you can fit. I wouldn’t want to change anything about this car’s exterior: it already looks perfect. It would make a superb little sleeper. The suspension could be upgraded with either coilovers or air ride, and a new sound system would be nice. This is that rare kind of find: a gorgeous, reasonably priced car that’s already been upgraded. It wouldn’t take a lot of work to make it truly exceptional.
