Restore or Not ... that is the question

Hello Everyone,

I recently picked up this car to use as a driver/beater. It has clean, driver quality interior, and runs pretty good. I am starting to really get a kick out of driving the vehicle, and I am thinking about restoring/restomodding it.


The problem is that the body is not so good. I am not a body guy, so I have no idea how to evaluate how much work it needs. Maybe you guys can help a brother out. It currently has a crappy respray of an unoriginal color. It is not straight at all ... pretty much all of the panels are screwy. It looks like it may have been in a collision after the crappy respray. The lower rear quarters need replacing. Floors are solid, trunk has surface rust, but no holes. There is a dent inside the trunk on the wheel well that I think is responsible for the crooked trunk lid. It has all of the trim, with maybe 60% being usable as is, and 20% percent needing recovery. Interior is very nice needing very little for the type of car that I want.

What should I do? Drive it death and then scrap/part it out or save it? FWIW, I have a 408 that I am building for my dakota but it might like to be in a 2900# car instead:snakeman:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YEVdfO2vWiWGC5JEUeXAUDOPpGo9UXpwyypT4mKApZE?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NAm_ertMmA16O97KAcS4tDOPpGo9UXpwyypT4mKApZE?feat=directlink

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http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ECdSLf4dA01A0lu6Dr5AyDOPpGo9UXpwyypT4mKApZE?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/04vgHbDD5AyIwwdMLQmLGzOPpGo9UXpwyypT4mKApZE?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Y6CcjBnyOLOQmbNINYigWDOPpGo9UXpwyypT4mKApZE?feat=directlink

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http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gOtrVpdERc38JcGB1WwWFjOPpGo9UXpwyypT4mKApZE?feat=directlink

Engine Bay, original color JJ-1 light turquoise

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UbQ42ImeOJXWgCHhnTcnwJm0Umf52OOgCkSODBeWQcE?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/y3TcZ6JFGX6IEUAInz7Ww5m0Umf52OOgCkSODBeWQcE?feat=directlink