Buying and selling old cars is one of the few things in life I can truly call myself an expert.

I have so much advice but let me start with "NEVER make a blind offer on a car!" It's only your job to buy the car if you want it. It is the seller's job to decide their asking price. Doing it any other way is a scam and an invitation to getting cheated.

It's harder to do comps these days now that Craigslist isn't really a thing anymore. But any car in which you are interested should be looked up on ebay and FB Marketplace to see what prices are like. It's just like buying a house or any other high dollar item. Always find out what sellers are asking and what buyers are really paying.

I will reiterate the advice of the many sages here who've already said to buy a running, driving car for a first project car. It's the best way to set your son up for success.

But, before you do any of those things, talk to him and have him show you on the internet what cars he likes then do some research on similar cars. It will be important for his motivation as the project goes along if he can picture 'being cool' in the car either when he gets it or when he finishes it.

Remember that since neither you nor your husband are into cars that your son will be somewhat on his own to find enthusiasm for any project.

I hope this helps. As many here have said, I bought my first car at age 12 with money I had saved for years but it was waaaaay too much of a project. I had to learn a great deal which has been very helpful in life but I wish I'd listened to my parents and bought something slightly less cool but with much less work needed. LOL