I don't get the point of threads like these? Is it to make yourself feel better about throwing money away? Commiserate with others in the same situation? Attempt to justify 'saving' a Tempest?
I like '64 Tempests, but now, as then, the GTO is king and always will be. Over the years I've seen many people try and justify 'saving' a Tempest/Lemans, 'uncloning' GTOs, etc., talking about how they are the only Tempest at a show, etc.
If you're going to pump a ton of $$ into a car, it makes no sense to start with a low end model, even if the initial cost is higher. In fact, with the possible exception of convertibles, I wouldn't even look at a Pontiac a-body that isn't a GTO to start with. I'd probably go even further and avoid certain color/option combinations as well.
It makes even less sense to do such a resto if you aren't doing 90% of the work yourself.
I can understand 'family cars' that have been passed down since original being restored in some cases, but don't try and kid yourself that it isn't a huge money pit.
If for some reason I wanted to get a nice Tempest, I'd find one that is already done and that someone else lost their shirt on.
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