Duster project car "done right"

Unfinished projects can be a nightmare or a steal. Find one that really has been done right and you're way ahead. Get one that has been done incorrectly and it's back to square one, and usually you're in worse shape than what the last guy started with. Not only do you still have to fix the original issue, you have to fix all the work that was done too. Seems like I know people that have really made out very well buying stuff like that, but I always seem to be on the short side when I buy.

I got totally hosed on my Challenger. When I bought it I knew it had been "flipped", I found some questionable work but the price matched my general expectations and it was a running, driving E-body that was in my budget so I overlooked some things because the car would do what I wanted it to do, be a daily driver with a little work. 60k miles later I was right about a lot of things, mechanically it's done everything I expected and more. I realized it was rougher than I originally thought in fairly short order, but nothing that stopped me from driving it. But after tearing into to car for another round of significant upgrades, I've realized the car was much rougher in the body and rust department than I thought. Lots of work, including full quarters to replace the partial "repairs" done by the flipper. It's a mess.

Personally, everything I've bought since then has been in original paint. At least that way you know what you're getting. There are plenty of people out there that are straight up trying to scam folks that you have to watch out for. But there are also a ton of well intentioned people that have no idea what they're doing, and they can be harder to spot.