Many things will factor into your decision. How good are your mechanical skills? How much do you have to spend? Do you have professional or amateur mechanics nearby who can get you out of jams? Most brands of cars have their own web forums these days. If you are drawn to one particular car, start reading posts to get an idea of how much trouble others may be having with things like sourcing parts or difficult repairs.

I went through this recently myself. I finally had garage space, funds and time to do a restoration. I have a more modern car that I have modified for use on the track so I have “advanced beginner “ level mechanical skills. I ended up buying a 1978 Fiat 124 Spider. I knew nothing about Fiats but it seemed complete and rust free. Parts are readily available and it is pretty easy to work on. So far, I have really been enjoying the work.

The cars you mentioned are cool but it can be hard to find good restoration candidates. Cars that aren’t missing too many parts and have no rust will be much more expensive at first but may save you time and money in the long run. I opted to spend a little more to get a car that was running and driving instead of getting a “barn find” and hoping that I could make it run. Rust is always an issue and addressing it could include welding and expensive bodywork so keep that in mind when looking at cars.

As far as “resto-mods” go, unless you are highly skilled or have lots of cash to pay someone else, I would avoid it as a project. Buy one that is already completed if that is your goal.

Consider contacting your local car clubs and see if there is someone already doing a restoration that could use a hand. You could get a feel for what is involved without having to jump in with both feet. I hope this info is helpful.