1964 Chevelle Malibu Super Sport - $12,900

Description: True SS that is in outstanding condition. Same local lady owner (Malibu Barbie) for years. I have known this car for a long time. Very well maintained. Gorgeous red with original black interior (except steering wheel non original). Correct, original 230 cubic inch engine with automatic transmission. Motor has some dress up items, but original parts come with the car. Power steering and power brakes. Bucket seats and console. Stock AM radio. Whitewall radials on stock wheels with correct wheel covers. Very nice throughout. Runs and drives super.

NADA Price: $11,925 - $20,070

Source: Gentle Touch Motor Cars

Comments: Who says you can't have a little sport with your six. This is the car that inspired this month's selection. It is so nice that I just can't stop thinking about it. If I can't have a cherry 69 Camaro with a straight six and a manual transmission then this will do nicely as a consolation.

I would have to add air conditioning for daily driving. After that  I would put in a decent stereo... without cutting up the dash. Then I would save up and look into an overdrive transmission.

I would love to see how much mileage I could get out of this car. 25 mpg should be easy. Can I hit 30?

1965 Pontiac Tempest - $9,888

Description: Custom 2dr hardtop, original 215 6 cylinder, 3 spd on the tree, gorgeous all original unmolested Tempest, white on frost blue w/bench, arrow straight & rust free, Cragar SS wheels.

NADA Price: $5,513 - $10,260

Source: Pro Max Performance

Comments: This car looks like it would make a decent GTO look-a-like. O.K. It is a post car and not the fastback hardtop like a real GTO. So what. Too bad this car doesn't have the Sprint engine. That was an Over Head Camshaft engine that Pontiac made back in the sixties. Never mind. I like how this car's looks with just a wheel upgrade. I would definitely look into a 4 or 5 speed transmission to replace the 3 speed. Of course we would switch to a floor shifter. I am not that nostalgic that I want a three-on-the-tree. Air conditioning will also be high on my priority list. Bucket seats and a period correct console would be a nice addition. Fortunately at this price I don't see any problems with this plan. In fact, price is the main reason this car is so high on the list this month.

1965 Ford Mustang - $15,995

Description: 200ci 6 cyl, automatic (C-4), AM/FM-cassette, factory A/C car, buckets/console, fold-down rear seat, custom built split manifold w/dual exhaust, correct steel wheels & wire spinner hubcaps, complete older restoration (94-95), receipts of restoration, fun driver! Gorgeous pony car!

NADA Price: $15,675 - $27,431

Source: Fast Lane Classic Cars

Comments: I know, this car is over budget. In fact, that is the only reason this car did not make the preferred slot this month. If this car was listed for one grand less it would be at the top of my list. This is one clean looking Mustang Fastback complete with the 6 cylinder for this month and already equipped with air conditioning. Lately, I get the feeling this is the only way I will be able to afford a nice Fastback Mustang.

I want it.

1969 Chevrolet Camaro - $11,900 (Sold)

Description: Just arrived from CA, nice black paint/interior, runs/drives great, 6 cylinder, auto on column, BFG Radials, RS hood, no rust, ready to cruise!

NADA Price: $11,518 - $19,465

Source: Collector Car Trader

Comments: Where do I sign? It is important that he mentioned this car "just arrived from CA," because it is in Michigan now. I can see this being a major rust bucket. But he clearly states that there is no rust. We have to protect ourselves when trying to buy this car from out of state, but if it is what he claims then we have exactly what I want.

At this price we will not have a lot left over to get it ready for daily driving in Texas. Obviously we will need to add air conditioning. After that we can just wing it. 69 is my favorite year for the Camaro, so let's just take a look.

The picture sucks, so make the call and let's get some decent pictures and some more information.

1965 Mustang 2+2 Fastback - $13,500 (Sold)

Description: Older restoration of a nice original 6-cyl 2+2 Fastback. Drivetrain and suspension rebuilt. Was a 3-spd, now a/t. Excellent candidate for a Shelby GT350 replica. Not perfect but really nice. Drive it home!

NADA Price: $13,200 - $23,100

Source: Collector Car Trader

Comments: I love the early Mustang Fastbacks. Look at the price range for average to high retail from NADA. These cars are up there in price, even with a 6 cylinder. I hate that they took out the manual transmission. They removed the clutch pedal, but I wonder how hard it would be to go back to a manual. For this month that is not important. I see this car as a great looking cruiser that can be an economical daily driver. We just need to put air conditioning into it.

1966 Chevrolet Corvair Monza - $4,200

Description: This great Corvair Monza is black on black. With 106,925 miles, the engine is a 6 cylinder with 4-speed manual transmission. This is a nice daily driver road ready and one you can drive and eventually bring up to a show quality. It is an original car with good paint. Interior is in good condition. The driver's back has one rip seat repairs. There are new rubber seals around the windows, doors, trunk, and hood.

NADA Price: $3,000 - $6,250 - $9,250

Source: Classic Lady Motors

Comments: I came across this car accidentally when looking for 6 cylinder cars from the mid-sixties to early seventies. When I started the search I wasn't even thinking about Corvairs. I was mainly thinking of Chevelles, Camaros and Novas from Chevrolet. The price and clean exterior took me by surprise. I don't know what it would take to put air conditioning in this car, but we would have to figure that out. I listed all three of NADA's prices (adding the low retail to my normal listing). The interior is definitely in need of some cosmetic restoration, but I think it is possible to spend a minimal amount of money to get this car in comfortable driving condition (except that A/C... that's still an unknown). I do know that they offered A/C from the factory (see the next car on the list), but not much more than that. We'll have to do some research on this classic.

Yenko was a Chevrolet dealer that was famous for making some great Muscle Cars with big blocks back in the sixties. However, some people forget that Yenko's first foray into the modified production car started with a Corvair Stinger. Maybe we could get decent performance and maintain decent gas mileage with this car while building a Stinger like car. I find it intriguing and if I had the money to play around I wouldn't mind seeing what kind of potential we have here.

1966 Chevy Corvair Monza Convertible - $12,900

Description: Rare & collectible, 6 Cyl, 4-1 BBL carbs, automatic, A/C, power top, AM radio, bucket seats, 13" steel wheels w/ discs.

NADA Price: $7,398 - $11,605

Source: P.J.'s Auto World

Comments: NADA's Prices on this are a bit tough to pin down. When I put in a 6 cylinder engine it took 10% off the price. If I put in the 164/140 HP Engine it added 10%, making a 20% swing. I decided to just leave out the engine for the price listed here. Just another reason I don't like NADA.

Now for the car. I like Corvairs. However, most are seriously stripped cars. Yet this one has a power top and air conditioning. I will never consider a convertible without a power top, and have basically stopped looking for convertibles in my price range. But this car just looks so nice and even has air conditioning. 

With the 65 model year (I think) they did quite a bit to tame the handling problems of the earlier Corvairs. With a little effort you can remove almost any problem. The easiest fix to the Corvair is to put wider tires on the rear where the engine is.

I could see using this car as a nice driver/show car. Here's a chance to be different. With the lack of power this would be strictly a cruiser. Due to living in the hot Texas sun I might consider converting the interior over to black and white. White will not get hot when parked with the top down. Just a thought.

1971 Plymouth Satellite - $9,000 (Sold)

Description: 12,500 Original miles!! Can't find them like this anymore. Very original and complete. Original B3 blue with original blue interior. 17" Cragar SS wheels with new tires. Paint less than 1 year old. Currently powered by a strong running 225 6cyl with a manual 3 speed trans. Add your HEMI and make it the coolest car with 5 doors! Factory A/C blows ice cold. Added options include Power front disc brakes, and power rear window. Build sheet still under the middle seat!

NADA Price: $2,925 - $5,325

Source: Collector Car Trader

Comments: Now this is a stretch. Talk about far from a classic Muscle Car. This ad pointed to a web site with a lot of before and after pictures of this car. He clearly did a lot of bodywork and gave this car a nice paint job. I was very impressed, which makes it hard to negotiate on the price. He clearly put a lot into this project.

So, before we jump in we want to verify that the mileage is really original. He didn't have any "after" pictures of the engine compartment, so we don't know if he restored that area. Overall the car looks great. I love the idea of the three on the tree with a 6 cylinder... in a wagon. I am completely surprised this car has air conditioning.

If you want something different this is it. I could see adding period correct buckets and a console. Then we swap in a 4 or 5 speed with the shifter coming out of the console... the way God intended. That's kind of cool.

1970 Chevrolet Camaro - $14,500

Description: Blue with silver stripes. Matching numbers car, 250 6-cyl., 4 Speed, 3.73 posi-traction rear. Original paper work with car, Protect-o-Plate, cowl hood. Engine: 250 6 Cyl., Offenhauser intake, Holley 4 barrel, power steering, disc brakes, A/C, headers. Bucket seats, factory gauges, AM/FM/CD. Rallye wheels. Good looking car, good driver.

NADA Price: $10,133 - $15,208

Source: East Coast Classic Cars

Comments: Oh if this could be a 69 Camaro. Obviously we have a non-stock car. But they claim it is a numbers matching car. That's perfect for our needs. I am surprised we have as many options as we do on a 6 cylinder car. All the better.

Hopefully this car could be upgraded to a 5 or 6 speed in the long run. The A/C system is an under dash unit. I believe this is an aftermarket system. We might want to upgrade this to a Vintage Air system specifically designed for this car that uses the factory duct work in the dash. 

At this price that will not be in the cards for some time. As long as we are nit-picking... I hate the silver stripes. White would have been much better. I don't know if it would be possible to change that without a complete repaint.

They are asking top dollar for this car, so it better be perfect. If not we should pick it apart to get the price down. I would love to see how well this car could be made to handle. The 70 Z/28 was considered one of the best balanced cars from the American manufacturers in its day. How much better will the handling be with the lighter 6 cylinder engine.

I like this car, but considering the the direction I would like to take it I have to consider this a project car. This is too much to pay for a project car. If we could get them down to around $12,000 I would consider it.

1979 Chevrolet Camaro - $4,995

Description: One owner with 97K original miles. 6 cyl. auto PS, PB, bucket seats with console. Pioneer AM/FM cassette. Newer Camaro mag wheels. Brand new paint. Extra clean, looks new! Can't beat this price!

NADA Price: $4,500 - $6,818

Source: C&C Auto Sales

Comments: We are stretching the classic daily driver with this car. I usually look at cars up to the early seventies. This is what we called in high school a "late model" Camaro. I guess late model is classic now. Regardless, we have a Camaro with a six banger for an affordable price. This might make a nice project car to see how good we can get a Camaro to handle while maintaining economy with the six. I like the idea, but this car will never go up in value enough to justify spending a lot as a project car. We better like it a lot.

1981 Chevrolet Camaro - $6,000

Description: Sport Coupe Infiniti, V-6 engine, power steering, power brakes, Alpine stereo with CD, rebuilt transmission, great condition, too much new to list.

NADA Price: $5,288 - $7,965

Source: Collector Car Trader

Comments: Another "late model" Camaro. I wonder if that is a misprint. Does this have a V-6 or an Inline 6. I think Chevrolet was starting to push its new 3.0 & 3.8 liter V-6 by this time. If this is a 3.8 V-6 it is very similar to the 350 small block with two cylinder's chopped off. That will help with the overall weight (not much, but a little), and will help with the weight distribution. With better weight distribution this car could be made to handle better than its V-8 brethren. Again, taking this too far in money would be a money losing proposition. So you better like the car a lot before dropping a bunch of money into it.

1967 Chevrolet Camaro - $8,000

Description: 6-cylinder, 3sp, complete new interior, all documents, 2nd owner, solid, runs/drives exc., just needs paint to be mint condition.

NADA Price: $11,880 - $18,450

Source: Collector Car Trader

Comments: Another 6 cylinder Camaro with a manual transmission. Cool! If this car is rust free we are in good shape. Car Craft magazine just did an article on painting a car. It might be cool to put that article to use here. It cost them right about $2,000 to paint the car with them doing all the grunt work before and after the actual painting. Or, we could drop five grand to have this car painted for us. We would still be within our $15K budget and have enough money left over for an air conditioning system from Vintage Air.

I get weary when I see early Camaros at a reasonable price, so we have to tread carefully.

1968 Chevrolet Camaro - $7,800 (Sold)

Description: 6-cylinder, new interior kit, f/bumper, grill, qtr panel clips, door skins, fenders, trunk, radiator, exhaust system, CD player, alarm.

NADA Price: $5,670 - $11,880 - $18,450

Source: Collector Car Trader

Comments: With all the new body panels we have to assume this was a rust bucket. So, did they do good work? Is the rust properly removed? Will we have to worry about it rusting again in a year or two? So many questions, so few answers.

O.K. This is a car that will only work with an in person visit. He can tell you up and down that the rust was completely removed. Ha! I've heard that before. People think painting over rust is removing it. That just means you will have more work stripping the car later.

But look at the price and the picture. I know you can't tell by a single picture if he is hiding something, but it looks decent and the price is pretty low for a Camaro. I think this car is worth a phone call to start finding out what the deal is.

At this price we also have a great project car... as long as we are not going to be fixing rust.

1970 Chevrolet Nova - $5,250

Description: 2 door orig. 250 6 cyl. Powerglide trans, power steering, solid North Carolina car, flawless trunk, floors, doors, etc. all five orig. rally wheels, new BF Goodrich tires, protect-o-plate, orig. bill of sale, window sticker, and other documents, needs resto. but runs A-1, nothing missing.

NADA Price: $2,933 - $5,249 - $9,988

Source: Collector Car Trader

Comments: I listed all three of NADA's prices. I don't normally list the low retail price because I look at cars that are usually in better condition than that. But this time I listed it because by the sellers own admission this car needs a restoration. Maybe we can talk him down.

Of course, this is a project car, not that much different than the project car that was listed here in March 2005. The usual things apply here, plus we can expect to paint this car as well.

1969 Chevrolet Nova - $5,995

Description: 2dr Sedan. 6cyl Engine. Automatic Transmission. Vinyl Top. Redone Interior. One Owner. New Paint. Runs Great.

NADA Price: $5,249 - $9,988

Source: Oldies But Goodies

Comments: This is more like it. Why bother with a car that needs a restoration when we can spend a little more for this one. This looks like a perfect project car. It looks a lot nicer than the one from March, and the one above. Let's call and get more information.

1971 Chevrolet Nova - $8,995

Description: Inline 6 cyl, power steering, power brakes, 2nd owner.

NADA Price: $5,249 - $9,988

Source: Play Toys

Comments: This looks like the project in more complete. We still need to add A/C, so this car will go over value pretty quickly. We need to decide how much we want to spend, because I would be interested in modifying the suspension for some serious handling.

1968 Chevrolet Nova - $8,200

Description: Yenko Clone, new Cortez silver paint, original manual 3 spd, 6 cylinders, new tires, Rallyes, great driver, drive it until you decide what type V8 to install.

NADA Price: $5,558 - $10,575

Source: Collector Car Trader

Comments: Wow, a Yenko Clone not priced like a real Yenko. This is cool. A Yenko "look" car with a 6 cylinder. No that's different. He seems to have priced it right about where it belongs according to NADA. The asking price is right for a project car. As you know we will put in air conditioning. Then I would like to see about installing a 5 or 6 speed manual transmission. Nothing too special here, just an old car with a 6 cylinder engine. A perfect toy to play with.

1964 Chevrolet Nova SS - $10,900

Description: This 1964 Nova SS 2D hardtop is no clone! It may not be exactly in original condition (don't think GM painted anything purple in the 60's!), but it is a true SS vehicle and those are getting harder and harder to find. Although originally equipped with a 283 V8, this cute little car is currently powered by a 250 ci 6 cylinder motor modified with HEI electronic ignition, 2 single barrel carburetors and Offenhauser intake. The transmission is the GM 2 speed Powerglide automatic with floor shifter between the front bucket seats. The interior is a custom tweed and vinyl combination in purple and gray with custom steering wheel and padded dash. The radio delete plate is still in place and an AM/FM/cassette stereo has been stashed in the glove box.

NADA Price: $11,183 - $18,900

Source: Midway Auto Sales & Classic Cars

Comments: Let me start with our pricing dilemma. NADA deducts 10% off this car's value if it is equipped with a 6 cylinder engine. But that assumes this car came from the factory that way. Since this car does not have the original engine we should deduct even more. That being said this car seams to be price reasonably.

I find it amazing that we have a car that originally had a V-8, but now it has a straight 6. That's backwards. Or maybe that's something I should consider in my quest for a decent 6 cylinder car. Find one with a V-8 that is not original and drop in a six myself.

I think this car is kind of cute. I would be very curious how this runs with the two one barrel carbs. This setup should provide better fuel distribution to the the end cylinders than a single four barrel, but they probably don't provide much power. It should be interesting. At the asking price we have money left over to install air conditioning and possible start looking for a 200-4R transmission to swap in.

You have to like this custom to want it. At least it is different and affordable.

1967 Ford Mustang - $5,950 (Sold)

Description: Cute little Mustang coupe. Very stock throughout. Pretty Pebble Beige exterior with saddle interior. Rare A/C car. Economical 200 cubic inch six cylinder engine with three speed transmission. Floor shift with bucket seats. Very good chrome, stainless, and glass. AM/FM cassette. Engine dress up kit. Locally owned for years. Stock wheel covers. Whitewall radial tires. Nice and clean. Runs and drives great.

NADA Price: $9,405 - $14,440

Source: Gentle Touch Motor Car

Comments: This is a tough one. The 200 c.i. 6 cylinder in the early Mustangs was a dog, and this is the slightly heavier 67. However, there are two very good reasons why this is on the list. If you have been following this column for any time you should know what they are. Yep... air conditioning and a manual transmission. I wonder if we can hook up a five speed to this engine. How hard can it be?

I was really impressed with how clean the body looks. If this is a rust free car and it looks as good in person as it does in the pictures I would love it. Of course, I can't leave well enough alone, so I have a list of changes. For starters I would look into getting some nice looking wheels. That presents a problem. 6 cylinder Mustangs came with 4 lug wheels instead of 5. Since it would always be a looming thing to swap in a V-8 I would convert the car to 5 lug wheels. Since we would be into spindle/hub/axle swapping I just assume convert this car to disc brakes (at least discs in the front, the rear may stay drums). Once we had some cool looking 5 bolt wheels we could start looking to convert this car into a Shelby look with sequential taillights. That would be cool. Eventually that would dictate a paint job. It's a good thing this car is so low in price, because I can see a lot of fun (and money) with this as a project car.

1966 Ford Mustang - $7,500

Description: AT, 6-cylinder, A/C, power steering, 97k original miles, interior/exterior good condition.

NADA Price: $10,545 - $16,934

Source: Collector Car Trader

Comments: Short description. Short response. Nice look, A/C is a plus, great price. Let's make a call to see more pictures.

1966 Ford Mustang - $9,400

Description: This is an incredible ALL original Mustang that has not seen hide nor hair of rust. With only 3 owners, and the two prior owners from Texas, this car has spent most of its life in an arid climate and the remainder in NC. A true Southern car, the current owner acquired this car in 1992. The candy apple red exterior is in excellent shape with absolutely no rust in the wheel wells, rockers, engine compartment or trunk area. With only 70,000 original miles, the red interior is in mint shape. The current owner has kept the seats immaculate with seat covers for 13 years. The engine is a straight 6 with automatic transmission. Most recent maintenance is a rebuilt starter and new battery. Engine was rebuilt by the second owner. A/C works well. This car has won some trophies which we have a record of. Headliner still looks new. Floorboards are solid. This car comes with the original bill of sale, original window sticker, manual, and all service records.

NADA Price: $10,545 - $16,934

Source: Classic Lady Motors

Comments: When I first found this car it was listed at $11,000. Don't ever believe things are not negotiable. I am not a big fan of red interiors, but this looks like a really good chance at a nice Mustang. The pictures are not that great, so we need better pictures before heading across the country. If this car is as good as they say maybe we need to bring it back home to Texas.

1968 Plymouth Barracuda - $10,000

Description: 6-cylinder, 225 engine runs like a top, new white convertible top, new paint and stripes, new tires.

NADA Price: $11,025 - $17,370

Source: Collector Car Trader

Comments: Is it a power top? If not I am gone. However, I thought this would be a cool car. I like the 67-69 Barracuda in notchback coupe body style. Here the top goes down. The price is reasonable, even if we have to add air conditioning. It just has to have a power top.

1968 Pontiac Firebird Sprint - $11,500

Description: Original black plate car, rebuilt 4.1 L Sprint six cylinder engine, 4-speed transmission, new paint, beautiful interior. Parked in 1978 until 2004 restoration.

NADA Price: $14,438 - $27,405

Source: Central Valley Classics

Comments: I have seen this car for sale for some time. I have to wonder why it hasn't sold yet. What could be wrong. It doesn't look that great, but the pictures are pretty low resolution. We should call, just in case this is a diamond in the rough. The important thing is to add air conditioning. This car has the Sprint OHC engine we wish was in the white Tempest elsewhere on this page. They claim a 2004 restoration. It should be really nice then. Right? Why can't I get warmed up over this car. If it were a 69 Camaro I would be talking to my loan officer.

This car was listed at $10,900 the first time I saw it. Strange that after it sits for a long time they think raising the price will help it sell.

1970 Pontiac LeMans - $4,900

Description: Very nice entry level car or "Father/Son" project. Strong 6 cyl. engine with automatic transmission and power steering.

NADA Price: $4,748 - $6,840

Source: Cars 2NV

Comments: They're right, this does look like a good father and son project car. At this price the project could include swapping a V-8. But since this is a 6 cylinder article we should be thinking about how to maximize the power and mileage from the stock engine. I would definitely install an overdrive tranny.