A very good example of resto cost and value of a 69 Cuda

I know this is a little off-topic from OP, but I can't resist throwing my two cents in.
Just a little color to add to the discussion about restoring a car back to OEM condition, from a guy that has one in OEM condition.
In my opinion, you will never restore back to factory OEM condition because quite frankly, it sucked back then.
Many people on FABO have seen my car in person and can attest to the originality the car presents.
The body panels wave at you when you walk by, not to mention the panel gaps are all over the place.
The orange peel makes an orange look smooth.
Paint runs and drips galore, weatherstripping glue smeared all over hell.
Undercoating where undercoating doesn't belong because the "new guy" on the assembly line was in the pit spraying upwards and couldn't stand the crap falling in his eyes so he would just hold the gun and spray.
If you paid a shop to "restore" your car like that back to OEM condition, it would probably be the last job the shop did.

I used to think about project cars and yeah, it would've been nice at one time. Not anymore, life happens.
If you think you are going to sell your restoration at some time down the road and "come ahead on money", it probably isn't going to happen.
Buy what you want, for what you can afford, and do what you want with it.

The issue I have is when someone tries to hold out a vehicle as "original this" or "original that" when it obviously is not, regardless of price.