AGC

Anyone here owns one, I am thinking of getting one (to keep the 993TT company) and have found a few where the current owners have taken them apart and restored it (pain, interior, susupension, engine).

Just wondering what you opinion is on buying a car like this, I love my 993TT and do not want to sell it therefore I cannot afford to spend too much on the muscle car (thinking under $10k) and hope I can find one. Another route that I was thinking was buying a stock 96 Chevy Impala SS (about $14k) and modify it a bit.

Just thinking out load and wondering what your opinions are 60-70 muscle car or a 96 Impala SS and pros and cons to each.

Thanks all

cmat

My advice would be to drive some of these old vehicles to make sure you really want one. They are apples and oranges compared to your car. They may be fast 0-60 in a straight line but they are absolutely primitive when it comes to stopping and cornering. For me at least, it's all about handling and feel.

Sometimes I think I would like to have one (I did have a '69 Camaro when it was new!) but a short drive brings me back to reality. Also, the 70's were a bad time for muscle cars. Detroit was struggling with emmision requirement and safety. Horsepower dropped big time after about '72.

Norske

Well the 96 Impala would have decent AC if it is charged. Lots of 60-70 muscle cars do not. I like the 60s Camaros etc. There should be lots to choose from. I love older muscle cars. But be careful, you need to know what you are getting. Lots of claimed HP, engine upgrades, etc. are bogus.

Onami

I'm going in the opposite direction having owned at least 50 muscle cars and Corvettes over the years. 993's are cheap in comparisson if you are looking at anything even remotely rare. I was talking with another 'lister last night and he was shocked to learn that the '67 Z-28 that I bought for $27,500 in 1999 was now worth north of $100K! And forget the buy it cheap and restore it routine...a decent cosmetic resto will cost you $20K easy. If you do buy one, buy the best one that you can afford!!!

mike cap

I agree with Chuck's comments.... Before my 993 I bought a perfect '67 Corvette Roadster - the car I had always wanted. Goodwood green, small block, black top, leather, matching numbers. It was fast as a rocket to 80 mph.

It also had mediocre brakes, no A/C, no real stereo system, was noisy and hotter than hell inside. Also you could never drive it over 80 mph, because the revs would be through the roof and the car would start to lift off the ground.

The memories of youth are sometimes best kept as memories - alas.

The Brewmeister

^^Good advice here. Finding a nice well documented car for under $10,000 will be a tall order.
Sure, there are probably some plain Jane versions of early Camaro's, Firebirds and the like available
in your price range but are they really Muscle Cars?

Go vintage 911!

NC TRACKRAT

"If you do buy one, buy the best one that you can afford!!!" Amen to that! Believe me, putting a bunch of money and labor into a car that won't be worth much later on is just plain dumb. If you plan on doing most of the work yourself, fine. If not, drop the idea. Sadly, $10K won't buy a good "muscle car" these days..maybe a decent '65-'66 Mustang 289 coupe but not a fastback. Your best bet is to go to local single marque car shows, look, ask questions and learn. Decide on what you want and "hide in the weeds" until someone wants to sell their already-restored or almost completed car.

2Many Cars

If you grew up in the 60s and 70s muscle cars are an itch that most of us have. I've not gone that route but I know several who have and here is some advice based on their experiences:

1. They were very primitive cars then and are even more so today. Comfort, handling and build quality all were to the standards of the day - namely bad, so be realistic about your driving expectations

2. The market is awash with clone cars - cars that have been repowered and/or reoptioned to look like the real deal. Clones can be a great option and bang for the buck but don't pay up for originality that doesn't exist.

3. Buyers for muscle cars are getting older and the next generation may not have the same affinity for them we do so don't expect it to be much of an investment, except as a fun toy which for many of us is enough.

4. If you like to do your own work on cars muscle cars are great. Parts are cheap and generally easy to source, they're simple and lend themselves to upgrades, and resources abound

The bottom line is muscle cars are great fun just be realistic about your expectations of the driving experience (especially as a Porsche owner) and do your homework on the specific car you want to buy so you know what you are paying for. Also consider it an investment in fun and hope to break even long term and you'll have a great time. Go for it!

JasonF

All of my friends had modded '60s muscle cars during our high school years, while I drove a lowly '79 Ford Fairmont with the most anemic 4-banger imaginable.

I've spent many hours as a passenger and a driver in various GTO's, Camaro SS's and others and my all time favorite is a '69 Mustang Boss 302. It doesn't stack up quite as well on paper versus other muscle cars, but it has the great intangible quality that I'm attracted to. Kind of like a 993.

goofballdeluxe

Ok it's not exactly a muscle car, but it is of the same era. Plus, my '64 Bird's 390 V8 puts out well over 350 horses.

Cars like these don't come cheap these days, and it takes some money it keep them in good stead. My advice is to look private party on the West coast and be patient. It's no 993 in any way, but on a nice Southern California day, it IS the ultimate beach cruiser!

Oh, and I did pay less that $10K for this, in mostly this condition, about 10 years ago.

Canyon56

They can be fun project cars. And then sell it. imho, they are more enjoyable to fix up and just have in the garage. Driving them is a whole different story.

As most everyone has already said, they are primitive. Very cool to have (by the observers of your car ) but not a driver's car, for sure. They are almost like owning a 1920's era car back in 1970.

I had a '69 Mustang for a short time. Pain to drive (literally) more than an hour or so. Everyone else but me thought it was a cool car.

Also these cars are not safe in an accident.

Greg964

I went the muscle car route back in the '80's (1965 GTO)and it was fun for awhile but the handling, braking, steering got old fast. I think the resto-mods cars (old muscle cars with modern suspensions, etc) are cool but not realistic with a $10k budget. Instead of a 1996 Impala SS I would get a Buick Grand National. Same handling, braking issues of course but they look mean.

AGC

Love this site, thanks for everyones input

I have been really scared about buying an older car also and most (if not all) are for the same reasons. They are older and would need more car and the second is the drivability of the car (long trips with the family, etc.) and some daily driving duties.

I have always loved the 94-96 Impala SS (sort of a 4 door muscle car) and have been leaning toward that car because its a more modern car. I think these are pretty easy/inexpensive to work on and would be a lot of fun (and it's a sedan). I would like to keep these two cars for my kids (they are 6 and 4, :-))

On a side note, I have always been partial to 1996 (year I got married), and think it would be cool to have a 96 Impala SS (best year to get because it's the last year and has floor shifter) along with my 96 993TT.

JasonF

So true. Back in 1985, A good friend had an stunning '64 GTO. He literally bought it from a little old lady in Arizona with only 4,000 miles on the odometer.

It didn't have power steering and it was a huge car with underwhelming brakes, a big reason why the little old lady didn't drive it much. Parallel parking was a workout in itself. He kept it 100% stock, right down to the AM radio.

At any given red light, one of two things would invariably happen:
- someone would want to race him; or
- someone would offer to buy it.

He eventually got rid of the car because it was simply not fun to drive.

midcont

Join the classic car club in NYC
http://www.classiccarclubmanhattan.com/index.php