When it comes time to purchase a project car, restorers always hope that everything is as it seems and that there are no expensive surprises awaiting. However, Murphy's Law still applies, and sometimes you get more than what you bargained for. Such was the case for Justin Brown, the owner of this '66 Nova SS that was recently featured on the AutotopiaLA YouTube channel. He did his homework and spoke to the previous owner, but after taking delivery of the car, things started to go wrong. Thankfully, he was ready to make lemonade from the lemons life had given him.

Searching for a classic car can be quite the adventure. There are so many online sites that publish private party listings and deals from online old car brokers. One can really spend a great deal of time and effort finding just the right vehicle to research, go and see, take for a test drive, and decide on whether the muscle car is worthy of negotiating a fair price with the car's current caretaker.

The Gold Digger's journey began back in 2001 when a Mr. Ryan Brown had just crashed his 1967 Chevy Malibu. A young man, he was contemplating the meaning of life and wondering how he might rebuild his dream car on a budget while also going to college. His insurance broker, Leigh Ring, phoned and asked if Ryan wanted to buy his son's 1955 Chevy. It was too much of a restoration for them, Mr. Ring explained, so Ryan drove over to the Ring's house to see if he could broker a deal for the 1955 Chevy 210.

"This isn't just a replica, it's a reproduction — it has the DNA of the original Mustang, but it's evolved with modern technology," explained Tom Scarpello, founder and CEO of Revology. On a recent episode of Jay Leno's Garage, Scarpello showed Leno around one of the roughly 200 made-to-order Mustangs his company has built at its Orlando, Florida factory. Each car starts with a bare unibody and moves through a 26-stage assembly line, finishing as a complete classic Mustang that has been fully updated to drive, perform, and feel like a modern, high-end sports car.

JR Carrillo's 1969 Dodge Charger has undergone a remarkable transformation under the skilled hands of its owner. Originally equipped with a 318-cubic inch V8 engine, it now boasts a powerful 440 engine crafted with as much aluminum as possible, enhancing both performance and efficiency.

Since October 1986, this car has been a part of my life. It was my first car, even before I had my driver's license. I remember taking my test in this car, despite its less-than-impressive condition at the time. After passing all the inspections and tests, I finally earned my ticket to freedom - my driver's license.

At the Fabulous Fords Forever car show, held at Knotts Berry Farm, in Buena Park, CA, some 15 years ago, Craig Leszkiewicz saw a fully restored 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 Country Squire wagon at the event. He decided at that moment that he would one-day own one. The search was on...

Author's Note: This is a Classic Industries team member's car. As of this writing, we've logged over 900 miles on our Factory Five Racing Mk4 Cobra roadster replica. Since this is the very same sports car that is the subject of the book that I wrote, How To Build Cobra Kit Cars + Buying Used, we thought you would enjoy reading about our first test drive of the FFR Mk4 after Dad and I constructed this little road burner.

Flatline Barriers, available through Classic Industries, provides the best sound and heat elimination solutions for American pony cars and muscle machines. Flatline Barriers insulation kits are available for a wide range of GM, Plymouth, Dodge, Ford, and Mercury vehicles. "Where heat and sound meet their maker," is Flatline Barrier's slogan. Their tagline doesn't just ring true... More accurately, it ever so softly thuds true. Follow along and you'll find out why.

The perfect color scheme can make a huge difference for any classic car restoration or restomod project. Case in point, take a look at this stunning 1948 Chevy Thriftmaster built by the talented team at ICON. It's powered by an LS3 V8 and rides on an updated Art Morrison chassis, but the coolest part of the build might just be its combination of colors: champagne metallic paint, cream accents, and a chocolate suede leather interior.