1980s/1990s Project Cars: Are They Worth It???

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Like many of you, I have a few Radwood-era cars. Some are running great, but I have taken on some 80s and 90s project cars that have issues. In this video, I'll show you a couple of my tough projects, and we'll also talk with Radwood co-founders Brad and Lane and see how they keep their 80s/90s project cars on the road. Are project cars worth it? Watch to find out!
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[@sakumisan]

Right now, unless it's a very rare model, it basically has to be a passion project. Nobody really cares about my third-gen Firebird, but I still keep at it. It's a labor of love.

[@gompye1834]

Dude don’t say no one cares about your gen 3 firebird. If I pulled into highschool with a firebird I would have the best car in the lot.

[@skeezydave]

One of the best things I accidentally ran across was an automotive textbook for $2 at a used book store. It wasn’t a repair manual. It explained how the different systems on cars work and why they work the way they do. It makes troubleshooting SO much easier, regardless of the make of the vehicle. If you don’t know automotive electronics, it’s worth a shot. Electrical systems used to scare me to death.

[@JoseAutomotive]

I bought a 91 Volvo 745 Turbo for $2K, was in it about $9K after repairs and upgrades, and sold it for $3K in almost perfect condition. I dont regret spending the money because the experience was priceless and it was a lot of fun to work on and drive. I do regret selling it and want to pick another one up in the not so distant future.

[@Chrispy650r]

IDK if it's just me but if you buy an old car as an investment, you're in the game for the wrong reasons

[@modelosaescalayotrospasati7081]

A 87 car that was iconic in Mexico was the Chrysler Phantom (Lebaron GTC coupe) I bought one and I am currently restoring it and as you mentioned its more about fun than the actual value of the car, in General cars are not investments. I got mine for 1000 dollars and have spend maybe 2000 on a new turbo, parts, repairs but its fully functional now, even the pop up lights, the engine runs well, the interior is complete well preserved an functional so I am happy.

[@CoolStuffInWeirdCars]

Trust me, after owning a 16 valve 5 speed Chrysler TC by Maserati, I know how hard parts can be to get haha.

[@nicholasfield6127]

I want one of those. So cool.

[@trapperkreeper6105]

Lane hit the nail on the head.. You're better off buying something you can maintain rather than a restoration project. It took me a long time to realize that

[@ModMINI]

Just drive around and see all the project cars that are so far gone they never get restored. I got an 1989 MR2 that 12 years ago was traded in to a Toyota dealer and I was able to drive myself home in it. Just needs a few things. Very few people have the time or money for full on restoration, unless they are already set up for doing major body work, etc.

[@Tomekkplk]

I’ve always wanted to put a 5.7 hemi in a 1980 dodge diplomat

[@AutoOffTopic]

Try to tackle one repair at a time. It will feel less daunting.

[@michaelhasse2568]

I have several 80s shelby dodges, love them very fast & reliable. These were before all the techno crap like anti lock brakes so much easier to keep on the road. I restored them and they're like new cars.

[@TysonHugie]

Good stuff. Challenges are part of the adventure! Keep up the great work with the channel.

[@byrontobin3556]

I'm wrenching on a '88 Fiero Formula at the moment. Can't wait to go to a show after this shit blows over

[@DanielBisciglia]

I love that Grand Prix! I'm dealing with a lot of these issues with my Fiero right now. Brittle plastics that break when you breath on them...

[@HelloRoad]

Thanks!! Yeah this car is pretty rad. Totally get you when it comes to the plastics. I cracked my rear speaker grill when I was mounting a camera to the car! I barely touched it 😫

[@1988fierogt]

Update on the Turbo Grand Prix ?

[@ModMINI]

If it's ABS plastic, I learned that you can use that stuff they use to glue ABS drain pipes. Get some scrap ABS plastic and glue to the back!

[@e-crackk]

My solution would be to get a parts car. One that's rotted out, doesn't run, needs major repairs whatever. Grab another car and just pick from it or rip it apart, keep what you need and sell the rest to others in need. Also you're putting an otherwise worthless car to good use. I know when I buy a stanza wagon, I'll definitely have a parts car or even two😀

[@ModMINI]

Just got a 1989 MR2. I followed these tips before even seeing the video. Not supercharged, but actually cleaner in person than in the ad listing...how often does that happen? Rust free too. I don't mind doing the trim and cosmetics and minor repairs but I don't want to have to strip the car, repair rust, weld in replacement body panels, etc. That's not worth it.

[@AGBULLIT]

I owned two Chevy Novas and a Geo Prism. My dream car is a ASC McLaren Mustang.

[@thesam19841]

So I drive a 92 Roadmaster and it is the sixth one I've had... I actually I'm part of a Facebook group that focuses on Roadmaster only... and they are invaluable at getting hard to find parts which are more of the Roadmaster specific pieces... my particular car is a hard to find yellow and I've seen other yellow ones that I could potentially get parts off of because of that kind of tight knit Facebook group

[@RollingRigTraction]

I should join you guys, I have more project cars from 1967-2000 like 15 of them. I'm going to recover the 1982 Dodge Rampage that had been stolen last year and I found it the other day and had the police run the VIN and it came back to my name. At current count I have like 15 cars.

[@ivanbarton4475]

You can fit a AE101 Corolla dash and the 1.8 4AFE block and put the 4AGEhead on your Prizm.

[@RollingRigTraction]

Just delete the anti lock system on the Grand Prix and just run a vacuum booster or hydroboost system or switch it out for a later model brake antilock system...

[@cooleloekie]

This is a really nice channel! I'm into cars since I was a kid and really like the fact that a lot of the cars I looked at as a kid are now pretty affordable. My project car is a 1990 Mercedes w124. It's not that special of a car bit I really enjoy it in every way! It was really fun when I showed to some people and they really liked the car in the same way I did! I never thought that was going to happen! 😁

[@MrMrMayday]

I want an 88-91 Cavalier Z24. I want one bad.

[@ButchNackley]

Here is a pretty nice looking 88 5spd convertible Z24. www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/62286843 I've got four 2nd gen Cavaliers. 88 wagon, 88 Z24 5spd coupe, 92 Z24 automatic convertible and a 94 Z24 5spd coupe. I love these little cars.

[@MrMrMayday]

@@ButchNackley If I were ready to buy a second car/project car I would be all over this. Thank you for bringing this to my attention though

[@ChristopherOvrebo]

Cracked dash - take pad off, fill in cracks, sand down edges of cracks that aren't flush, upholster, you're done. Accumulator ball - I don't know much about turbo cars but I assume this stores vacuum because your motor is either creating it or is under boost, so that ball is literally just a ball, so take it off and seal the leaks or just buy a universal one

[@daimianjones2931]

87 conquest tsi... is da man!

[@alexjohn4662]

I have a 1989 corrola gti uk speck spent 5 years welding finding parts and last year got my mot .jest got car out of garage for summer fun.old cars can be so much fun

[@chiil034]

5:34 I'm dying... the damn sunroof switch panel is broken on two of my cars. I had to do the same mods to get it to seat.

[@patmorales2459]

Majority of super rare hard to fine is the cosmetic parts

[@BlackMesaSecurity]

Awesome vid!! Would've been awesome if you could have included the ZR None. LOL!! This past DWA podcast with dude giving yall shit about it on Instagram had me rolling!!

[@SArtisto1]

Currently working on semi restoring a 96 Ford Probe SE

[@nicholasfield6127]

I have an 87 that's not very rare. An IROC-Z that was passed down to me. Has a lot of sentimental value.

[@phoenixmistertwo8815]

Surprised that first vehicle has the MR2 AW11 1st gen NA motor. I still drive the supercharged version in the 88 mr2. The motor is a Yamaha design if I am not mistaken, and it's built like a tank. Great motor, and parts are still available with 3rd party AF stores or trades on Forums.

[@ModMINI]

Yup, I have that motor in my AW11. I'm kind of surprised having trouble finding that motor. It was in a lot of different cars. What is an AF store?

[@donaldclary846]

Your Pontiac's brake accumulator ball looks just like the ones on Jaguat XJSs. Readily available for about $400

[@bmcshane80]

Dude, search in Australia for the engine, these things are still EVERYWHERE here and were extremely popular to modify in the 2000's. Shipping might be a bitch (price wise) but you're FAR more likely to find a FWD 4AGE motor for the car here than you would in the US or even Japan They were called a Toyota Corolla SECA (the model with the 4Age) here, not a GEO Prism if you're wanting to search for them online. I'd suggest using gumtree dot com dot au which is essentially Australia's version of Craigslist If you want any help let me know! Happy to help out!

[@HelloRoad]

So funny, I just came across a 16V 4AGE for sale and found out it is located in Australia. I've been looking for a while and haven't come up with anything here in the states. I was quoted 1200 AUD freight from Australia, which is a lot, but so far I haven't found anything else! Thanks so much for the info, I'll keep digging, and may consider importing a motor...

[@bmcshane80]

That's pretty good price to be fair, those engines are still somewhat popular here. The other option you could consider is the 20V 4AGE out of the AE111 Toyota Levin. Plenty of those still left in Japan.

[@HelloRoad]

bmcshane80 Quote was 1200 AUD for the motor, 1200 AUD for freight. Good price for the motor for sure, just can't quite justify the total cost. Might resort to that if I can't find anything locally. There seems to be more availability of 20V 4AGE here in the US, at least on eBay. Definitely a possibility...

[@djkenny1202]

Th ones you have not worked on that you showed? I would get rid of those. Geo Prism GSi is not too bad a project. I would keep the Nova Twin Cam and sell the Prism for parts. The Pontiac needs to be tossed doff a cliff. lol. I have a 92 VW GTI 16v. It has stuff on occasion to fix, but I have owned it since 99 and really have kept it up mechanically. So I dotty get hit too hard too often with crap breaking. Parts are pretty easy. Such a Fun machine. 193k and runs as well as when I bought in 99. From 93-2010 I had a Turbo Chevy Sprint. Great car. Parts were getting rough to find so I sold it. But I had so much fun over the years.

[@garyk8285]

FUCK YEAH. 100% RAD

[@tjw8t1]

I have never seen that Geo Prism EVER. Even better that it has the 4A-GE.

[@RollingRigTraction]

The holy grail of 1980's cars to find now are the 1985 Ford Tempo's I'm sure the oil corporations wanted them all crushed cause their EPA highway rating was 46mpg, mine easily pulled down 55mpg! One injector for four cylinders for the win!

[@RollingRigTraction]

@@halohunter5217 actually it's the CFI that gives the amazing fuel economy, think about it. 1 fuel injector for 4 cylinders instead of 1 pee cylinder, that's blatant overkill and purely wasteful. There's nothing you couldn't do with a CFI that's just as good as the SFI but more efficiently. The bucket headlights on the 84-85's look better than the flush headlights IMO. Besides, they're far more rare.

[@ModMINI]

Now that's a car I totally forgot about. Those things used to b everywhere when I was in middle school

[@jbonet4750]

Pulsax NX with the different detachable roof configurations.

[@helmhurst]

get a 3d plastic printer to remake interior parts

[@thepassionofthegoose5472]

What I did on my WD21 Pathfinder.

[@eduardomeza4874]

For the Geo Prizm you can look interiors parts for the Toyota sky sold in Venezuela, you didn't show the interior but it's looks identical at least the dash and the air conditioning vents. The engine it's not the same.

[@Johnacles]

The Geo Prizm looks identical to Australia's Toyota corolla Twin Cam Seca, they're a dime a dozen over here in junk yards. Maybe when you do a Radwood Aus you could bring some parts home for you ;)

[@robfox4316]

I like the pontiac gtp.

[@davidthornhill714]

I feel that notion with the one of a kind brake issue. 1994 Jag XJ12 on a X40 body. It's hell. I love it. How would one get one RADWood?

[@vl4924]

No, thank you for watching! (I just sawed you 16min)

[@xxaltdiv4849]

Maintenance maintenance maintenance

[@ssabet9]

Nice vid. On a personal note I love 80's and 90's cars, specially LandCruisers, and here in Panama where I live and own 3 (1987/1994/1999) I can find most of the parts (specially stuff for the 1987 one) if not a quick search on the web can help me find what I need because they have such a huge cult around the world. Also I do all my maintenance and mechanic work so that's fun, but really my land cruisers (all diesel) are basically trucks...start every time, never leave you stranded and ultra reliable. Project cars are not logical, they are purely an emotional bond between machine and driver

[@chosenone101]

And I thought getting parts for my 1978 Chevy 4x4 was hard...

[@aatalig4749]

I'm working on a 86 toyota turbo pickup

[@randomfrog6376]

I really want an 84 crx

[@RollingRigTraction]

There was an absolutely beautiful body kit/kit car for the CRX called the Vitesse. I know they're discontinued now but it's still a car I want to build someday!

[@randomfrog6376]

@@RollingRigTraction I checked it out and its really interesting.

[@ModMINI]

Girlfriend had a 1987 (red) back in 1994... I loved driving that thing. Hardly any survived.

[@stephengrant4061]

A prism is known as a seca in Australia, and there still allot out there, the dash won't fit tho, sorry

[@Kosoku63]

whats the intro

[@epicbastard1]

I was really interested in a 1997 BMW e36 but after watching this (as well as some other sources) I feel quite discouraged.

[@foxbox2879]

I'd aim for basic. BMW isn't that.. I've owned two older Benzes, my fav ' project ' is a 93 Cherokee. Easy.

[@randomfrog6376]

My brother had a Grand Prix. It was a money pit and had to be junked

[@joshcallaghan9432]

Are they worth it? Hell yeah!

[@soundboydesign1373]

Canada here... so...what one man can do, another man can do... also if you don't understand the ol...you won't understand the new... that being said...newbies have it easy now, vids, internet, chat groups....not just your neighbourhood mechanic...if it's not an old alpha Romeo or alike, parts are cheap-er, avail, easier to replace and there's always car clubs around...in these crazy times, wether it's Covid or the rest keeping you at home...say aloud one time "RIP George Floyd ", then get to work! To those who know...one love!

[@matthewfredrickmfkrz1934]

Should change channel name to squidwood