If you are shopping for affordable classic cars, American cars are usually the way to go. There are many awesome American classic cars that look great, offer excellent performance, and, best of all, are much cheaper than European and Japanese imports.
With a bit of research, you can find plenty of American classic cars that are so good that they leave you wondering why they are so cheap. On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are cheap American cars that you must avoid, or you'll end up with nothing but headaches. These horrible cars may cost peanuts, but they are slow, unreliable, or have other issues you don't want to deal with. This article explores both options - five cheap American classics to snap up versus five terrible ones to avoid at all costs.
10 Cheap American Classic To Buy: Corvette C4 ZR-1 ($19,400)
The highly-anticipated fourth-generation Corvette debuted in 1984 with many upgrades over its predecessor. The C4 was the first complete redesign of the Corvette since the C2 debuted in 1963.
Starting in 1985, the engines started to get more powerful but some gearheads still demanded more power. So, for 1990, Chevy obliged and built the high-performance ZR-1. Equipped with a 375-hp 5.7-liter LT5 V8 engine tuned by Lotus, the ZR-1 had a 0-60 of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph, making it one of the fastest American cars of the day.
9 Cheap American Classic To Avoid: 1975 Corvette ($12,900)
The '70s was a dark period for the American auto industry, as it saw the introduction of strict emission restrictions that drastically reduced power figures in American performance cars. The 1975 model year was especially tough, as catalytic converters introduced that year significantly reduced emissions but also power, which took a bigger hit that year than years before. .
Under the hood of the 1975 Corvette was a 350 V8 engine producing just 165 hp. This was more than 100 hp less than the 1974 Corvette's available 454 and a mere 15 hp more than the first-generation Corvette introduced two decades earlier.
8 Cheap American Classic To Buy: 1965-1973 Ford Mustang ($17,000)
In the mid-60s, Ford introduced arguably its most important model ever — the Mustang. The Mustang was not the first muscle car, but it's widely considered to be the greatest muscle car model, as it has been in continuous production since.
First-generation Mustangs are still great purchases for gearheads who want one of the best muscle cars of the '60s. They are still affordable, reliable, stylish, and have tons of upgrade options in the aftermarket.
7 Cheap American Classic To Avoid: Plymouth Volare Road Runner ($18,000)
The Road Runner is among the most famous muscle car nameplates in history, but the Volare model left a stain in its legacy. To be fair, the Volare was among the best-looking muscle cars of its day.
Unfortunately, it was built during one of Chrysler's worst financial periods in history. As such, a lot of corners were cut during its development, which resulted in poor reliability and multiple recalls.
6 Cheap American Classic To Buy: Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z ($20,700)
As you'll see below, the third-generation Camaro didn't have a great start to life when it debuted in 1982. Thankfully, Chevy redeemed itself when it launched the fantastic IROC-Z in 1985.
The IROC-Z was a special optional package for the Z28, introduced to honor the International Race of Champions. Available with a fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 with 205 hp and several other upgrades over the Z28, the IROC-Z was a joy to drive.
5 Cheap American Classic To Avoid: 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke ($7,000)
As we mentioned above, the third-generation Camaro had a terrible start to life in 1982. Although it had a new design that many loved, the base model was equipped with one of the worst engines ever installed in a muscle car — a small Iron Duke four-cylinder engine developing an embarrassing 90 hp.
Calling the base 1982 Camaro a muscle car is almost an insult. With a 0-60 of around 20 seconds, this car was an absolute shame for Chevrolet.
4 Cheap American Classic To Buy: 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans AM ($24,000)
The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is one of the most recognizable muscle cars of the '70s. The Screaming Chicken, as it's commonly referred to as, gained popularity when it was featured in Smokey and the Bandit.
While the 1977 Firebird Trans Am is well out of reach for most gearheads, the 1979 model is still affordable. Apart from small styling changes to the front end, the 1979 Firebird Trans Am looks almost identical to the 1977 model and was the last model to have a high-displacement engine.
3 Cheap American Classic To Avoid: Pontiac Fiero ($5,000)
GM almost built something special with the Fiero nameplate. When it debuted in the early '80s, the Fiero was among the most beautiful American cars of the day, thanks to its wedge-shaped design. It was also the first mid-engined sports car that Pontiac had built since the 1920s.
Unfortunately, like many other GM models built in the '80s, the Fiero had poor build quality and would often break down. It also gained a reputation for catching fire unexpectedly.
2 Cheap American Classic To Buy: 1989 Ford Taurus SHO ($6,000)
If there's one thing that Ford can be proud of, it's the fact that it's the only giant American automaker that has never gone bankrupt. However, Ford did come close to bankruptcy in the '80s, but it was saved by the Taurus.
The Taurus was a practical, reliable, and affordable sedan that millions of Americans bought. However, as Ford sold more units, people started demanding more power from the Taurus, so Ford introduced the Taurus Super High Output (SHO) in 1989. Powered by a 3.0-liter V6 belting out 220 hp, the Taurus SHO was quick.
1 Cheap American Classic To Avoid: Chevrolet Monza Mirage ($15,000)
In the late '70s, Chevrolet wanted to attract more buyers to the Monza, so they asked Michigan Auto Techniques — an aftermarket parts company — to make a body modification package for the Monza. The result was the Monza "Mirage" - a one-year package that featured a white paint job, flared body panels, blue and red racing stripes, and more.
The Monza looked great, but it had one problem — many of its components were borrowed from the unreliable Chevy Vega, which is one of the worst Chevrolet models ever created.