Joe67

My close friend i've known for quite a long time has his heart set on a 1973 camaro, he wants to do exactly what i'm doing, which in all honesty will be tough for him given he has no prior experience in anything automotive, he doesn't under stand what al is involved in a restoration project, but is still convinced he can buy a beat up camaro for a grand or two, and somehow he's gonna make it a 100% resto by his senior year, he's a junior now....
Now, i hate to discourage him from his dream car, but i would just hate to see him put all of his money into it, and not have any car at all his senior year.

Do you think i should try to intervene? or is there anything i can tell him that may make him think about it more... honestly i wish i had thought about mine more. don't get me wrong, i love the car, but 15 is turning out to be a bad time to go into a resto project with school going on, and a limited supply of cash.

lunarweasel

Tell him or beg him to save for college. He can afford a classic in his sleep when he graduates.

dcohen

ask him how much money he plans to put into a car, then tell him how much you have put into yours

i started my resto when i was a sophemore and I am still not done (im a freshman in college now)

i will say that I have just worked on mine as I had the time and money

It's not an easy task, especially if he doesnt know much about cars, he would probably be better off saving his money and buying a car that was already in pretty good shape

Joe67

It is not an easy task, last time we touched on it we were at a car show, and there was a 'maro like he wants, with a big block and a blower, and he points out the $20 gauge on the dash -.-

jonward786

i don't tell my friends how to spend their money. because, and this is key, its not my place to do so.

if on the other hand, they come to me seeking advice, i will gladly give it.

THUMPIN455

I agree with this sentiment. However, I have friends that are not car guys, and most of them think for a time they want a hotrod of some sort after riding in mine. It usually changes when they buy a car they cant drive that they either need to learn to work on themselves, pay someone to do it, or wait for me to get around to it after they buy the parts.

I wont discourage anyone from getting into this hobby/lifestyle/mental illness but I will tell them the truth and show them how long things take, what skills are needed to keep an old car running, and most of them see my cars progressing slowly as funds permit. Reality and the cost of getting the car in the first place are often enough to keep the tire kickers from wasting time and money.

Let your friend see if he can find an old Camaro or whatever he deems acceptable. If he does find a car it will probably be a rusty heap, considering high school budgets. Some of us start late, some are born just knowing we will build cars, some people just want to have a cool old car, even if it doesn't run. He can learn how to repair things, if you have some experience you can help him along until he knows how not to screw something up. You can also help him stay motivated when he realizes that his car wont be ready in a year unless his dad forks out $20k+ to a shop.

If you have ever seen the 80s movie "Better off dead" then you don't want your friends, or yourself to become like the main character. He was afraid of his car, afraid of working on it because he didn't know how, and he was afraid to learn. People learn by making mistakes, he will either make a mistake or find something truly enjoyable and pursue it.

mstngsule68

im going on 6 years, although i took my time and it sat for a while. had like 2 projects in the mean time. but yea i would suggest him to save for college, or atleast get the car and have a "budget fund" where he opens an extra account and puts a little in now and then... schools the best thing for a guy gettin outta high school.....plus he should get a ford lol

andrewmp6

A 70-73 camaro he won't touch for under 10 grand or it will be more rust then metal in it.when i was 14 i bought a 65 impala for 500 bucks back in 1996 but my step dad helped me we had the car almost done and i totaled it lol.We had close to 20 grand in my impala back then.Only camaro he can get for like 2 or 3 grand would be a 3rd gen.One nice hidden rust spot on those cars is around the windshield and the upper part of the cowl.And if its a t top car i bet there is rust around the t tops.

mstngsule68

tell him ill sell him my 87. its forsale fyi and yes everyone im sad to see it go....

andrewmp6

Look at this one http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/1122690137.html yes its cheap but i have seen it in person both rear frame rails are rotted out the floor and trunk pan have tons of pin holes.To him he don't see all the work it would take to bring a car like that back.To him its a paint job and drive it i use to be like that tell i learned how and what you gotta fix first.If he worked full time he maybe could afford it if every penny went in the car.But your first car you almost always wreck tell him buy a cheap beater drive it a while save up and get something better in a year or two.