20 Affordable Project Cars

1965-1973 Plymouth Fury
Ordering this Plymouth fullsized car in '65 was pretty simple. It came in three flavors: Fury I, Fury II, and Fury III. The Fury I model was the bare-bones version usually ordered in fleets for taxis and other services. The other two were the popular models among the average consumer, each with an increasing option list. An extra-optioned VIP model was developed in 1966 and ran through 1969. It wasn't until 1970 that the Fury Sport GT model was released, and ordered with a 440 engine topped with a six-pack carb setup. These cars, like many other fullsize cars, don't make great road racers or autocrossers, but they sure have their place cruising the street and can get up and go if needed. Decades of supporting the nearly 4,000-pound Furys can destroy the rubber parts that soften the ride, but browsing the pages of Summit Racing's online catalog showed us there were enough parts to completely rebuild the suspension and braking system on these cars. Of course, the 440-cube powerplant is a popular engine, so no troubles there either.

We Found It
Despite the numbers, it's nearly impossible to find a two-door Fury. About 90 percent of the listings we found were for four-door models and that's not exactly what we wanted. This baby-blue '70 two-door Fury III was left unsold. Because the action terms are so short, it's partially luck that the right buyer is looking at the right time. For $3,300, this was a good deal. It had a two-month-old paintjob, 440 engine, and a ton of options. If the seller lists it again, it will be a good find for someone in the market for a project.

1967-1973 Mercury Cougar
In 1967, the Cougar was born. It was basically a Mustang with a new body and a 3-inch longer wheelbase. Mercury was known to be more luxurious than Ford, and the Cougar reflected that. The XR-7 and GT models were their most prized. The XR-7 was Mercury's extra-high luxury model with special gauges, leather seat option, and a wood grain steering wheel, among other upgrades. The GT option replaced the standard 289 small-block for the 390 FE motor. In '68, three engines were added to the XR-7 option list including the 302, 428, and the 427. The Cougar was not dramatically changed until 1971, when it gained an inch on its wheelbase, and ditched the hidden headlights. Production numbers were half of what the first generation were, so these '71-73 models are more difficult to find, but somewhat less expensive. These cars weigh between 3,200 and 3,400 pounds, and all came with V-8s, making it a great car to work with. Like the Mustang, this car fits in the road racing, drag racing, show, and street scenes.

We Found It
This car won't win any shows in its current condition-as stated in the auction description-but that's not really what you're looking for in a project. This is a clean, reliable '69 Cougar that sold for $3,500. The listing didn't say which engine is in it, but it's a V-8 for sure.

1968-1970 AMC AMX
The American Motor Company's mid-1968 model year edition, the AMX, was a two-passenger sports car thrown into a market dominated by the Corvette. The AMX was fashioned by sectioning their ponycar Javelin body, arriving at a smaller 97-inch wheelbase. The AMX came optional with AMC's newest engine, the 390. It came with a forged crankshaft and connecting rods giving it the durability needed to support the 315hp and 425 lb-ft torque output. Starting out with the stout bottom end makes life easier for the at-home builder. Edelbrock has got the aluminum cylinder heads covered with their Performer RPM series for all AMC V-8 engine options. COMP Cams has a whole line of cams available for these engines to optimize power with the new cylinder heads. As far as the styling of the car goes, no upgrades are needed: It's a great-looking car that will probably just need a fresh coat of paint. The AMX's downfall as a project car is the production numbers; it makes the parts hard to find and more expensive.

We Found It
We found this red '68 AMX on eBay, which recently sold for $6,600. This may be a little expensive for a project car, but this car was in amazing shape with very little work needed. We also found a comparable car with only 15,000 original miles that sold for $15,000. Previous swap meet visits showed us that rough versions can be snagged for around $4,000.