Trying to finally get my first Muscle Car - I’m nervous

Lots of good advice. I'll "alter" my opinion somewhat. Find an older 6 cyl or sb 2bl, that hasnt been "worked" on and is close to factory as possible. The less hands/owners it's been thru the better. If its "less" in performance and "more" to original it will probably be more reliable. Set aside a certain % of your budget for emergency repairs. $20k budget?? Set $5k aside for "emergency". Especially if this is your daily driver. Brakes, rad, engine rebuild, whatever pops up. If it's a dd you may not have the time to learn to diagnose/repair something,(no big deal) so you may have to pay someone to get it fixed in a timely manner.
Cutout the minivan and go straight to a wagon. Cool as hell and be in the family forever.
Good luck, and hope my prev post wasnt too negative lol.