Top Restomods For Sale (or Sold) on Hemmings

The assignment was simple: scour the Hemmings for-sale listings and pick out a few restomodded cars or trucks you’d like to own. Our choosey shoppers for this exercise would be Hemmings Senior Editors Mark McCourt and David LaChance, and Editor Mike McNessor. What follows are brief explanations of our thought processes, followed by our picks. If you feel like playing along at home, check out the Restomod category of vehicles for sale on Hemmings.com and send along a photo and description of your favorite to [email protected].

Creativity or Correctness: Dave LaChance

Why do I like restomods? Here are a couple of thoughts. One, they’re a platform for creativity. Once a restorer is freed from the need to meet expectations for “correctness,” they’re free to use their imagination to create a vehicle that looks vintage, but can accelerate, corner, and brake with modern cars. And two, they recall the days of custom coachbuilding, when a buyer could have craftsmen tailor a car to their taste. No restomod is all things to all people, of course, and my greatest admiration goes to those whose creators have taken pains to honor a car’s heritage—putting a built Nash engine into a Nash, for instance. But each one is a one-of-a-kind creation that resulted from its builder’s choices, and that’s the sort of thing I can appreciate. 

1962 Buick Special – Asking Price $148,900

The 1962 Buick Special known as “Bu’Wicked” can only be called restomod royalty. Built by Hot Rod Fabrication in Auburn, Washington, in 2002, it captured the first Gran Turismo award at SEMA the following year, guaranteeing it a place in a video game of the same name. The seller admits that the Special, Buick’s new-for-1961 compact, was something of an “awkward” choice for a restomod, unlike other classics from the division that have a broader following, like the Riviera and GS 455. But that only makes the results all the more impressive. Respecting the Special’s Flint heritage, the builders chose a Procharged, fuel-injected 455 Buick big-block that belts out 700 hp on the dyno; it drives the rear wheels through a Richmond six-speed manual transmission with double overdrive. An Art Morrison chassis with a custom coilover suspension gives Bu’Wicked the perfect stance. The interior features a pair of Fiero bucket seats and a set of door panels crafted to match the lines of the front fenders of the car, with everything upholstered in hand-stitched green leather. The paintwork, Lexus Jade Mica over Silver Jade, perfectly complements the subtly customized body work. Carefully thought out and skillfully executed, this restomod sets the bar high. I can dream, can’t I?

1966 Ford Mustang – Selling Price: $47,775

First-generation Mustangs are naturals for the restomod treatment, with aftermarket suppliers lining up to sell you parts to make your pony car go faster and look better. I was drawn to this 1966 coupe by its sharp, yet subtle, appearance, with its white Le Mans stripes perfectly complementing its Red Jewel Tintcoat paintwork. The heart of this machine is a descendent of Ford’s 289-cu.in. small-block: a 363-cu.in. big-bore, short deck, 472-hp V-8 powerhouse built by Dart Engineering. Backing it up are a LenTech 4R70W Street Terminator automatic transmission and a Currie 9-inch Truetrac rear end with 3.70:1 gears. Stopping duties are capably handled by a quartet of 11-inch rotors tamed by Wilwood calipers. In restoring the bodywork of this ex-California car, the owner replaced the pinholed floor pans and rear quarter with new steel sections. Aside from the “G.T. 363” on the side stripes, the hood scoop, and the reproduction Shelby wheels, there’s not much to warn you of what this Mustang can do until the throttles of its AED carburetor are thrown open. It took 30 bids to wrangle this pony into its new corral. 

1940 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special – Asking Price: $42,000

I really admire the restraint that went into this Cadillac build. From the outside, everything appears to be as it was when it emerged from the factory more than 80 years ago, from the chromed hood ornament to the V-8 emblem on the trunk lid. But lift the hood, and the illusion is swept away by the appearance of a 472-cu.in., 375-hp V-8 from a mid-1970s Cadillac in place of the original 135-hp flathead 346. All the modern conveniences are here—a Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 automatic, power steering, power disc/drum brakes, front and rear air conditioning, power windows, and more. The steering and suspension have been upgraded with components from a 1978 Cadillac, and a Cadillac tilt steering column has been installed for the driver’s comfort. “She drives and handles like a late model Cadillac, you can take her anywhere!” the owner says. Introduced in 1938, the Series 60 Special was the first car styled for General Motors by Bill Mitchell, and it has long been recognized for its widespread influence on automotive design. For me, classic style and everyday useability are an alluring combination, and this 60 Special strikes an excellent balance between the two. 

1957 Triumph TR3 – Asking Price: $75,000

Good things can happen when little British roadsters meet big American V-8s—things like the AC Cobra, the Sunbeam Tiger, and the TVR Griffith, for example. I love that this Triumph TR3 aligns perfectly with that tradition. Gone is the 1,991-cc, 95-hp inline-four; taking its place is a 347-cu.in. Ford stroker V-8, with a low-profile air intake feeding the four-barrel Edelbrock, allowing everything to tuck discretely under the factory hood. A Tremec five-speed gearbox and a Currie 9-inch rear axle deliver the power to the rear wheels. The suspension has been upgraded, with a Mustang II-style configuration up front, and a four-link setup out back. The seller, who’s located in the Netherlands, compares the interior to “a tasteful cocktail bar,” with vinyl-covered bucket seats, a modern stereo system and a period-correct Moto-Lita steering wheel. Subtle wheel arch extensions, aftermarket spoke wheels, a pair of side pipes, and some small details give the game away, but the overall look respects the original. According to the seller, the work was done in the U.S. in 2010, with a final bill running to some $150,000. “This was an absolute passion project of the previous owner, with this being his last asset,” the seller says. This is a build that beautifully adds modern useability and more than enough power to the charm of this 1950s British two-seater. 

MODERN COMPONENTS = IMPROVED DRIVING EXPERIENCE: Mark J. McCourt

Longtime readers know that I’m pretty much the opposite of a customizer/hot-rodder, being the annoying sort who points out non-standard wheels, aftermarket stereos, and other post-factory alterations on vehicles that have caught my fancy. That said, since I’ve owned cars that were built more than a half-century ago, I know how more-modern components can improve their driving experience. When it comes to restomods, I’m generally game as long as the visual changes are tastefully subtle and offer something of an original-equipment, period-correct vibe. When it comes to the oily parts that aren’t on display, I give more leeway; a buttoned-down ride/handling balance, peppy engine performance, and a nice-shifting manual transmission are what I go for, although I can overlook my three-pedal rule if the rest of the car is engaging enough.

1951 Ford Victoria – Asking Price: $17,850

For the purist-at-heart, the most appealing type of restomod is the one that hides its light under a bushel, like this 1951 Ford Victoria two-door hardtop. The “Belle of the Boulevard” Victoria was a new model in 1951, replacing the low-production, high-style Crestliner and reintroducing a name that was last seen on a Model A twenty years earlier. This was a proper competitor for the Chevrolet Bel Air, and its new roofline and glazing really jazzed up the familiar shoebox shape in its final year of production.  

This Victoria stands out subtly with rich navy metallic paint, stylish wheel covers, and wide-whitewall radials, but it’s under the body and under the hood where it really steps away from 1951. A Chevrolet Nova front suspension clip, Mustang II steering components, a rear anti-roll bar, and an 8.8-inch Ford rear end modernize the undercarriage substantially, while a healthy-sounding, two-barrel-carbureted, circa-1970 302-cu.in. OHV V-8 replaces the 100-hp factory 239-cu.in. flathead. The Fordomatic Drive badge on the trunk lid is still somewhat valid, considering a column-shift Ford C4 three-speed automatic backs the 302. Inside, the two-door looks mostly stock save for nicer leather-and-cloth upholstery and a spate of modern auxiliary gauges hang under the dash. It’s just the thing for stepping out in classic style with upgraded performance. 

1966 Volvo 122S – Asking Price: $15,995

The eternal 240-series Volvo has long been popular for American V-8 engine swaps since that rear-drive car’s structure and driveline components were so famously overbuilt from the factory. It’s not often that we see earlier Volvos with V-8 heart transplants, but that’s what this 1966 122 S two-door represents. It’s the sportiest body style this handsome model came in, made even more stylish by being hunkered down over classic, beefy-looking Minilite-style 16 x 7-inch alloy wheels color-matched to the painted grille and bumpers.  

This Volvo has been subtly de-trimmed, most notably out back where its trendy cement-gray paint is only adorned with a nifty “Amazon 5.7” badge. The automaker’s famous orthopedically designed seats, wearing correct upholstery, face a custom dashboard and center console backed by a tall floor shifter for the GM 4L60E transmission. Rather than a million-mile-capable 95-hp twin-carb B18, that automatic is bolted to a 5.7-liter LT1 V-8 said to be from a 1995 Buick Roadmaster, and progress is halted by power-assist four-wheel disc brakes. Electric power steering, a refurbished original suspension, and those chunky wheels and tires should make the relatively light Swede handle and ride well. And the V-8 says serious speed is available at the flex of an ankle. With receipts totaling more than $20,000, this could be a good buy. 

1975 BMW 530i – Asking Price: $64,995

Looking at this arresting first-generation 5-series sedan, with its retina-searing Golf Yellow paint and 14-inch BBS Mahle basket-weave wheels, it’s natural to think that someone went wild turning a pedestrian 530i into a 1970s BMW Motorsport tribute. Reading the original window sticker of the New York-delivered German executive sedan—included among the extensive documentation that accompanies it–—we learn it’s always worn that color and those wheels, along with the limited-slip differential and manual transmission that enhance its inherent sporty flavor. So what was changed to restomod it, aside from adding period front and rear spoilers and Euro-spec bumpers? 

This E12-chassis four-door lost its 176-hp, L-Jetronic-injected 3.0-liter inline-six and four-speed gearbox in favor of a two-generations-newer, 311-hp “S38B36” DOHC 3.6-liter M5 engine and Getrag five-speed, both claimed rebuilt. Its factory independent suspension and disc brake components were swapped for 1980s 635CSi parts. Inside, the leather-trimmed seats were traded for Scheel-Mann front buckets, the rear bench reupholstered in cloth to match, and a Becker Grand Prix radio and R134a A/C were added. The BMW ticks all the contemporary European-upgrade boxes, but with those newer original-equipment manufacturer components that make it easy to live with and an outright blast to drive.  

1975 Land Rover – Asking Price: $47,250

England’s answer to America’s Jeep has always been the 88-inch-wheelbase Land Rover, the four-wheel-drive, go-anywhere utility vehicle that is equally at home working on the farm as it is traversing the Sahara Desert. At first blush, this 1975 Series III looks factory stock and comfortably worn-in like a 20-year-old waxed Barbour, but it’s got more than meets the eye. The original gas-fueled, Zenith-carbureted 2.3-liter, 70.5-hp four-cylinder, four-speed manual transmission, four-wheel-drive system, manual steering, and leaf springs, were yanked in favor of the fuel-injected 182-hp 4.0-liter Rover (née Buick) V-8, five-speed manual, and all-wheel-drive setup from a 1996 Discovery, plus a galvanized frame, power steering, and coil springs, making this into a quasi-classic-style Defender 90. 

It’s that old-school look—its gray-green paint color and tan canvas top hint at the Grasmere Green/tan livery of the first Land Rover from 1948—that, combined with the modern V-8, five-speed, and improved underpinnings, makes this 4×4 so appealing. There’s no pretense of luxury inside with black vinyl-trimmed low-back seats and diamond-plate flooring, but aftermarket instrumentation includes a tachometer and ancillary VDO gauges, and inward facing rear benches can seat four more adventure seekers. This patina-rich restomod can be enjoyed without worry.  

Can I Offer a Kidney?: Mike McNessor

When we came up with this plan to pick out a few restomods listed with Hemmings, and write a little about each, I thought it’d be as easy as ordering a pizza. Hey, I know what I like. (Pizza.) I know what toppings l like. (Pretty much all of them—except the weird stuff sometimes passed off as “California style.” Nothing against avocados, but when you put them on hot bread it’s “avocado toast”, not pizza.) And I know why I like pizza with toppings. (It’s delicious). But when it came time to actually select some vehicles, I agonized over the choices, and it took me hours. Okay, maybe not hours, but a lot longer than I’d expected. The options were too numerous, and my search turned up vehicles I’d never really imagined I’d want. But suddenly I was scrolling through photos wondering which of my current vehicles or my current organs I could sell to own this one or that one. Anyway, here’s what I came up with. My choices were all domestic and post-war vintage. No surprise. All were V-8 powered, except one. No surprise there either. But none were four-wheel drive or named “Corvette.” That was a bit of a shocker. Ask me in a month, though, with a host of new options for sale on Hemmings and the list could be completely different.

1963 Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside – Selling Price: $36,750

Lifelong Chevrolet fan here, plus an admirer of air-cooled Porsches. Strangely though, I’ve never been bitten by the Corvair bug. I’m very much a Chevrolet truck fan too but, as a lifelong resident of the snow belt, I’ve never been in love with two-wheel-drive pickups (for the record, however, I’ve owned three). So, there was no logical reason for me to fixate on this lovely 1963 Rampside that sold recently for $35,000 as a Hemmings Make Offer listing. But logic and vintage vehicles rarely go hand in hand, anyway. What a great little pickup. Under the engine cover was a rebuilt 110-hp flat six in place of the original 80-hp unit, and it was upgraded with electronic ignition, an SI-series alternator, as well as an electric fuel pump. The outside wore House of Kolor black paint with pewter inserts, some nice bright work and a set of REV 17×7-inch wheels shod with Rikken Raptor tires. The cockpit was mostly stock, though the seat had been updated and treated to custom upholstery. This Rampside was one of just 2,046 built for 1963. The Corvair 95 trucks arrived in 1961 in two body styles, the Loadside, and the Rampside. That first year was their best showing with 13,262 sold, but it was downhill after that. The Loadside was dropped due to low demand after 1962 and the Rampside was built through 1964. So, not only are Rampsides useful, but they’re also unusual—maybe a logical choice after all.

1956 Chevrolet 210 – Selling Price: $35,700

If you’re a Chevrolet enthusiast of a certain age, you’ve likely eyed a Tri-Five or two in your day. The ’55 has always been my favorite, but the ’56 is a photo-finish second. This 210 sedan looked straight out of an impromptu parking-lot cruise night I might’ve hung around in my youth: a restomod before there was a term for it. (Actually, this might’ve been referred to as a “street machine” back then.) Obviously the 15-inch Cragars are mandatory. Ditto for the 350 V-8 topped with the full Edelbrock package: intake, carburetors, chrome air cleaner and rocker covers. A set of coated headers with aftermarket dual exhaust and a good-looking pair of chrome tips were installed to lend it the right rumble. Five speed transmission? Six speed? Nope. Borg-Warner T-10 with a Hurst shifter, thank you very much, and a set of 3.36:1 gears. The cockpit was upgraded with a Dakota Digital instrument package, that fits in the factory opening, and nice two-tone gray upholstery with red stitching to tie it in with the Red Effect metallic paint on the outside. Front disc brakes and power steering, along with aftermarket anti-sway bars fore and aft, help make it a little easier to handle in modern traffic. This ’56 looked ready to hop in and drive anywhere. It was tastefully built and endlessly appealing to Chevrolet enthusiasts of certain age—and maybe a few coming of age as well. 

1955 Ford Thunderbird – Asking price: $38,000

This Thunderbird reminded me of those two-in-one model car kits that let you assemble your 1/24-scale dream machine as a mild passenger car or a wilder custom. With its wire wheels, whitewalls, and rear fender skirts, this ’55 could pass as a stocker with period-correct 1960s updates. But with the black steel wheels, baby moon hubcaps and blackwall tires, it takes on a different persona—one that better represents the car’s numerous, yet subtle modifications. Under the hood there’s a 292 V-8 inhaling through an aluminum intake with three Demon carburetors and a set of coated headers, all kept cool by a thick aluminum radiator. Further study of the engine bay revealed aftermarket air conditioning and a power-steering pump that boosts the car’s updated rack-and-pinion steering. The Thunderbird also boasted disc brakes, 12-volt electricals and a pair of glasspack mufflers. This was a really tastefully modified and probably fun-to-drive Thunderbird that’s sure to get a lot of attention at the local cars and coffee.

1970 Dodge super Bee – Asking Price: $150,000

At first glance, this looked like a very clean, restored, Plum Crazy Super Bee with aftermarket 20-inch wheels and big disc brakes at all corners. But there were tipoffs that more mods were afoot: like that modern Hemi emblem on the lower front fender and the pronounced grilles in the power bulge hood. Yep, under this B-body’s distinctive skin it’s pure 21st century Dodge with parts lifted from a low-mileage 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT-8 donor car. Power came from a tuned-up 6.1-liter Hemi topped off with a Vortech supercharger and paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. A dyno report with the listing shows 469 horsepower and 519 lb-ft of torque at the Bee’s rear wheels. Up front, the original torsion bar setup and steering box have been replaced with the struts, control arms and power rack-and- pinion steering from the ’08 Challenger. The story is the same in the back where the original solid axle was swapped with a complete independent setup from the modern Dodge. Inside, there’s custom furniture wrapped in leather upholstery, a suede headliner, ididit column, Mopar-branded Autometer instruments, and an Alpine sound system. Modern accoutrements like power locks, air conditioning, remote start and cruise control were part of the package as well. This is probably the most resto-moddy restomod of all the vehicles I selected—old Dodge muscle car style wrapped around modern Dodge muscle car convenience, power and road-holding ability. Someone put a lot of effort and money into this car. The six-figure sale price is steep, but it’s easy to imagine running up a big tab building it.

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