Throwing my hat into the ring.

Will the Lil' Cuda ever be worth what is invested in it?
Nice car. Have fun with it. Do whatever you want with it as far as color, driveline and other options go. Make it yours. Unless you can do most or possibly all of the work yourself, you will not break even on it. Body and paint alone will likely be at least $15K. Don't worry about it. If you can afford it, have fun.