This article's topic may be a sore subject for some readers. There are likely to be several gotchas in this list, where a gearhead or two (or several thousand for that matter) might have rushed headlong into purchasing and starting a classic car renewal project that goes awry and is hopelessly stalled. It's not something to beat yourself up about. It's called being human and making mistakes. Don't let the fear of making a boo boo or two get in your way of reading this article for some helpful hints on getting your old car project going or restarted. If you keep these muscle car restoration mistakes in mind, you won't fall victim to them in the future.

Our lead photo of a restored Lemon Twist yellow 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda is courtesy of Mecum Auctions.

The Most Common Muscle Car Restoration Mistakes

"Don't judge a book by its cover." This old adage is true in many aspects of life, and it's certainly true when it comes to cars. For proof, look no further than this '55 Chevy 3100 truck featured in a recent video from AutotopiaLA. The staggered billet wheels and lowered stance reveal it has some modifications, but you probably wouldn't expect this truck to be producing roughly 1,000 horsepower from a twin-turbo 5.3L LS engine.

Jay Leno is the kind of guy who can buy just about any car he wants, from rare early automobiles to high-tech supercars. So, when he says "ooh, I like this thing" with a grin, you know it's truly something special. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Leno shows off an immaculately restored '68 Dodge Dart GTS he purchased from the original owners. The car is powered by a 383ci V8 and four-speed manual — Leno notes, "This is exactly what I would've gotten when I graduated from high school."

Sometimes in life, when an item is lost, it's gone forever. But on a few rare occasions, we're given another chance to recover what we lost, and that only makes it feel more valuable. Dominick Tomaino picked up his first '68 Charger R/T from a Dodge dealership in Glendale, California on January 30th, 1968. After many years of enjoyment behind the wheel, he sold the car, but quickly regretted it. By 1972, he was actively searching for the car to buy it back. Then, he stumbled upon this one-owner '68 Charger that, in an almost poetic twist of fate, was built on January 30th, 1968. Although it wasn't the exact same car, he had found his second chance to own a '68 Charger R/T.