G-bodies aren't exactly traditional muscle cars, and that's not always a bad thing. With the money saved on bodywork, this '84 street/strip Monte Carlo runs 9s for less than $20,000 courtesy of a juiced 427 Mouse motor.
For the hard-working Americans who actually take care of their bills, the need to stretch our dollars is more important now than ever. Unfortunately, unlike the six-figure cars showcased by Barrett-Jackson, the price of your typical street machine hasn't flinched. Besides, the buckets of free taxpayer dollars have done nothing to thaw the flow of credit, so what you can afford to spend on a project car is most likely proportional to what's in your bank account. All is not lost, because there are still many ways to get your hot rodding jollies. You just have to improvise.
The first step is coming to terms with what you want and what you can afford, so forget about '69 Z/28s and '70 SS 454 Chevelles. If you can afford cars like that, this story doesn't apply to you. Our two basic strategies for maximizing your buck are hardly novel concepts but extremely effective nonetheless. By looking outside the '64-72 window, prices tend to drop substantially, although the basic elements of a car that make it conducive to hot rodding remain mostly intact. Sure, almost anyone would take a '68-72 Nova over a '73-79, but the disco-era X-body will get the job done almost as well at a fraction of the cost.
Taking that approach one step further, cars that many muscle-car buffs consider late-models, like third-gen Camaros and G-bodies, are already 25-30 years old. That makes them old enough to be exempt from emissions testing in most states, but new enough to be mostly solid and rust-free. Furthermore, inside the magic '64-72 time span, opting for body styles that aren't quite as popular yields cheaper prices for obvious reasons. For instance, although they're both A-bodies and look almost identical from the B-pillar forward, El Caminos fetch less coin than Chevelles. For those who have a penchant for big and heavy tanks, Impalas and Biscaynes are even bigger and heavier, but cost less than Chevelles due to their lower demand.
To help guide you along your budget car search, we've compiled a list of the best bang-for-the-buck Chevys out there. Granted, each region of the country will have its own price variations, but we've outlined a general overview of what to expect and where to look for deals. While many of the potential project cars in our guide come in well under $10,000, we set that figure as a maximum since you're only a hop, skip, and a jump away from first-gen Camaro territory at that point. Additionally, the figures listed here are just list prices. Realistically, you're negotiating skills will help knock a couple thousand dollars off what the owner is asking. So keep your spirits up, and let's go shopping.
Second-Gen Camaro
Although '70-73 steel bumper second-gen Camaros are creeping closer and closer to first-gens in pricing, they're still a relative bargain in comparison. Solid, mostly rust-free examples with nice interiors can be had for $6,000-$8,000. Early second-gens with moderate rust issues routinely sell for less than $5,000. Both '74-77 aluminum bumper and '78-81 plastic bumper cars are cheaper still, with straight, running, and driving examples selling for as little as $3,000. As a bonus, all second-gens came equipped with front disc brakes from the factory. In '70 models, GM offered both 12-bolt and 8.2-inch 10-bolt rearends. In '71s and onward, all second-gens had rugged 8.5-inch 10-bolts hanging off their leaf springs. For some of the best second-gen-specific tech info around, check out NastyZ28.com.