We've always known our classic cars are special and valuable, but it's interesting to see just how valuable some of them have become in recent years. Auctions of especially rare or noteworthy vehicles have run far into the six-figure range, and some have even broken the million-dollar mark. This 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda convertible, equipped with a 440 Six-Pack engine and 4-speed transmission, recently sold for a whopping $800,000 at a Hemmings collector car auction. On top of its beautiful condition, this car has a pretty cool story behind it.

"All this idea of making money from [collector] cars is fairly new. The real trick is, if you buy something you like and it goes up in value, great. If it goes down in value, you weren't going to sell it anyway." Jay Leno knows a thing or two about buying and collecting classic cars, since he owns one of the world's most impressive collections, including dozens of unique and valuable vehicles. In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Jay Leno explained some of the helpful classic car buying tips he has learned over the years.

This week's barn find video is yet another American muscle car that the vehicle's current caretaker found in Oklahoma. Is there a trend here? A gentleman with the first name of Jeff has a passion for 1969 Camaro Z28's and also a growing collection of them. The owner found the car a couple years ago in a barn just resting away. He only had to replace a few items to get the Camaro running the way a 1969 Z28 should. Jeff replaced the varnished fuel tank with a new tank. He also renewed the master cylinder.

"I always wanted a V8, manual, rear-drive car... but I wanted something that's American. I come from New Zealand, so all the stuff here that's local is cool to me." Fueled by memories of watching Smokey and the Bandit as a kid, Gregg Hamilton started looking for the classic American muscle car of his dreams shortly after he moved to the United States. However, he didn't want just any Trans Am, he wanted one that he could make his own. "It's not always about the driving for me. It's about the build, it's about tinkering with it." With that goal in mind, Hamilton ended up creating the aggressive, twin-turbo, widebody Trans Am seen in this video from Petrolicious.

For many, one of the most alluring aspects of the old car hobby is the Barn Find. Practically every gearhead dreams of discovering an old American muscle car tucked away in someone's barn or garage that's a solid, low-mile example with all its original parts. Put some air in the tires, push the vehicle out of the barn, and haul away your rolling, running (one day soon) treasure chest of Americana. As the years fly by, these dust encrusted beauties are becoming ever scarcer, which makes the hunt that much more appealing. One doesn't need to be the automotive version of Indiana Jones to find these babies. One just needs to be persistent and to use all the tools at one's disposal. One such tool is a helpful article that you can check out by following this link: Top 12 American Muscle Car Restoration Mistakes.

Among the rich and famous, there are many who have nice cars, but far fewer who seem to be true automotive enthusiasts. From what we've seen, renowned podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan falls into the latter category. In a previous article, we wrote about his gorgeous black 1969 Camaro built by Roadster Shop. That car features an 860-horsepower LSA V8 and a manual transmission. Rogan was clearly pleased with how it turned out, since he also handed over the keys to his custom 1970 Plymouth Cuda. The stunning results of this build were documented in a recent video by Autotopia LA.

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.