LOOKING FOR ADVICE

I’m all for daily drivers, that’s how I use mine. And tearing a car all the way down for an endless stream of projects that will take years is a great way to lose motivation. These cars don’t have to be perfect to enjoy the hell out of them! :D

However, I also know what it’s like to daily drive a car that has holes in the floor. In the summer, not so bad. Well, as long as your exhaust system is 100% sound. If it’s not, well, carbon monoxide poisoning is not your friend. In the winter, it’s miserable. It’s impossible to keep the cold out, and if it rains, well, everything gets wet and then you get to drive around in a moldy smelling swamp. And of course, the rust gets worse. Lots worse.

So, I might suggest that you fix a few things before you start driving it. Namely, the floor pans and the roof. Yes, the floor pan might be a big project. Same for the roof. But I would do those as you’re getting it running. You can spot prime whatever you replace, it’s about function not looks. But having something that has a relatively water tight cabin will make you a lot happier. The quarters, trunk, drop offs, paint, etc can wait and be done as you go. But after driving my Challenger around for 60k+ miles with holes in the floor pan, I wouldn’t do that again. I finally patched the floors in that car over about 2 weeks, it wasn’t really that bad. And I replaced probably close to 40% of the floor and firewall in that time, engine and transmission still in place, only the interior was stripped. If I’d done that at the beginning, I’d have been a lot happier. So, if it were me, I would prioritize a couple of those projects and take them on before you start driving it. Don’t do everything, don’t tear the whole thing down, just pick a few high value projects, take them on, button them up, and be a lot happier when you start driving it. Just my .02.