5 Under-Appreciated Classics

Forget the GT-Rs. Leave the WRXs aside. Today we're going to look at 5 classic cars which can be made into rad project cars, but are bargain pick-ups as they're so under-appreciated today it's almost criminal. 

1. Mercedes-Benz W126

Big Benzos cost bank when new or when they're pieces of ancient art. But, once they're over 20 years old they're actually cheap to buy. As with ANY old high-end car these things can hide pleny of expensive, complicated repairs, but then that's all part of the ride whether you're buying an old Benz, a Jag, or something COMPLETELY fruity like an 80s Maserati. 

W126s represent a lot of car for not much money and, because they were in production from 1979-1991 (that's 12 years!) there are a lot of parts available out there for them. There were two body styles available (four-door sedans, or two-door coupes) with a long-wheelbase variant and engines ranging from 2.6L 6s up to the famous M117 5L V8.

Buying one to slam over some killer custom wheels would make for an epic cruiser without breaking the bank. Just get a thorough inspection done by a Mercedes specialist before buying someone else's heartache. 

2. Nissan (Datsun) Bluebird 

Many fawn over Datsun Zeds and 510s (aka "1600"), but the big brother 910 Bluebird needs some love. Light, well-built and rear-drive these might just be the classic Japanese car bargain you've been sleeping on, as they also have enormously roomy engine bays ripe for stuffing all manner of turbo four-cylinders and V6s or even V8s into.

They can rot like any 40-year-old car but generally these things are super-stout as they were built to last, having been designed in the 70s when the Japanese car industry were pushing to show their cars were the best on the planet. 

Back in the early 80s the Bluebird shocked many motorsport fans when George Fury's turbo Z18-powered brute thumped the RX-7s, BMW M6s, and all the big Aussie V8s to score pole position at the '84 Bathurst 1000. Plus, check out how sick it looks with the fat Group C touring car widebody kit.   

3. Chevy Monza

Chevy's small hatchback was released in '74 as an economy model to fight the Mustang II. The horsepower-stacked muscle car wars were long dead by this stage and GM had originally designed the Monza to run a Wankel rotary, but that never eventuated for a variety of reasons. 

They're still a light, rear-drive two-door which can be hot-rodded as well as any other American car. The Monza was also the first race car to be designed with CAD, as the crazy, V8-powered IMSA racers took the fight to Porsche's ferocious turbocharged 935s... and won. 

Today, they look awesome going around race circuits, pounding drag strips, and would be a rude amount of fun with an angry small-block V8 or turbo K24 Honda...

4. Pontiac Catalina sedan

60s cars are big bucks today, especially if they're popular models like a Chevy Impala or Ford Galaxie, but there are bargains to be had in this era if you're after a big, comfy ride with chrome bumpers. Available as four-door sedans or four-door hardtops (pillarless 4dr) the mid-60s Pontiac Catalina can be had as a bona-fide bargain today and, while they can take some work to find parts for, they offer epic amounts of floorspace for the purchase price.

With a big, lopey 389 Pontiac V8 the factory transmissions are junk, but any later model Pontiac V8 and transmission can be made to work fairly easily, and they look ridiculously cool when laid-out on air suspension. With room for a dozen of your friends these things are epic fun.

5. Mazda 929

While they went pretty round and similar to most other big cars of the 90s later on, Mazda's early 80s 929 was a big four-door luxury sled offering awesome crisp styling and bulk charm for a pittance. Today, they're pretty rare, but these things were the choice back in the day for successful sensible professionals who still had a pulse.   

Lowered with some cool wheels these things are a great way to have a semi-practical four-door with space, which would be a dream to drive on long road trips. There was a rotary version in Japan called the Luce, but unless you're ready to redo all the triangle bits I'd stick with a piston version and keep it clean and simple.

They even raced one in Group A...