Project Car Ideas - Build It!

So the economy sucks and you're trying to choose between living at home or in the back of your Chevelle. So what? We have found that the solution to any problem is to wrench on your street machine. Wouldn't your new home look better with some curtains or maybe a blown 572? To get you motivated, we've collected a group of muscle car projects, including late model, early stuff, and even a couple of Mopars from around the country strictly for your entertainment. So get out there and work a piece of metal with a hammer and torch. Trust us, you'll feel much better.

Ethos
Even though this Mustang has style elements from the late '60s Japanese Skyline GTR, it has nothing to do with the import market you see today. Steve Strope at Pure Vision in Simi Valley, California, hopes to create a car that is a very distant cousin. "The guys who will like this car will like a properly prepared Shelby track car as well," Steve says. The fender-mounted mirrors, bolt-on fender flairs, and lightened, vintage, road race wheels are throwbacks to American and Japanese street and open track racing. It will be low and fast, using an engine setback and ultragigabuck suspension pieces instead of being loaded with big stereos and hollow NOS bottles. Look for it to be stripped and lightweight, almost a race car, yet able to work well on the street. Inside, the rear seat will be removed for a small rollbar hoop with reworked buckets and a '60s vibe-maybe in vinyl or leather. The rest of the car will be all function with minimal fanfare and maximum fun.

The Monster Charger
Car owner Chris Perna designs computerized monsters for Epic Games, so builder Muscle Car Restorations (MCR) focused more on interior gadgets and electronics to make him feel at home. The center console will be handmade and coated with rich, creamy leather and will feature black-anodized brushed aluminum and black chrome. In the center of the dash a DVD screen will take care of navigation and the audiovisual. That's all nice, but what is important is the 572-inch Hemi with twin Garrett turbos and a shot of nitrous. To keep the family around, there will be a 'cage and four interior buckets along with giant tires and wheels to keep the car on the road. It might even wheelie like the car in The Fast and the Furious, or not.

The Medical-Grade Valiant
The other current MCR build is going to be a fun one to watch. The '62 Dodge Valiant's owner is a physician, so many of the accessory parts will be made from medical-grade materials. Look for chromium alloy, stainless steel, and some other elements that will make this car interesting. It's going to be a driver, so the emphasis will be on electronically controlled drivetrain parts and comforts such as A/C.