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Armed with $20,000 burning a hole in your pocket, you’re not driving away in anything down at your local dealership. But there is another option. Browsing the classified revealed some awesome US classic cars that are under budget.
Even if the price wasn’t an issue, why would you settle for a modern car? Older American cars are way cooler with better styling, bigger engines, and a lot more pedigree. Fitting nicely under budget Corvettes as recent as the C5 are a safe bet leaving gearheads to choose which body style takes their fancy. Over at Ford, it’s a similar story, albeit one with a great choice of models. Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Coupes, and a handful of hot-rod blank canvases are both cheap and plentiful. For our money, we’d play it safe with an iconic Mustang, which millions of gearheads have and still do.
Outside rare US classics, it is a buyer’s market. Don’t like the price, color, or interior trim, no problem, according to Hagerty’s Valuation Tool, $20,000 buys you a lot of used car. Pick any of the used car search engines, and you really won’t have a problem finding one that meets your needs.
9 1965 Ford Mustang – $15,000
Affordable performance for everyday workers. Ford’s design remit for the T-5 project would transform the US sports car scene forever. In 1965, the Mustang broke cover, quickly followed by setting a record for the faster selling car of all time. In short, the Mustang was the epitome of cool motoring.
Fast-forward to modern times, and a first generation Mustang is still highly desirable. But popularity means there are thousands in the classic car ads, with coupes and fastbacks appealing to gearheads of all ages. The former is where the best bargains are to be had, with as little as $12,000 securing a 1965 example. At the lower end, you’re more like to buy a Mustang for its looks than speed. Base first generations Mustangs shipped with a 120 hp inline six.
8 1988 Chevrolet Corvette – $19,000
Modern classics are where the sensible money should go. More so if you’re a Corvette fan. Skip over the C3’s gorgeous curves and bag yourself an early fourth-generation car. Sure, it loses out in the looks department, but you’ll appreciate the newer car’s beefier engine and chassis.
Corvettes are plentiful, making finding one to suit your taste and budget a piece of cake. Less attractive is the interior. Chevrolet adopted a futuristic interior, adding garish LCDs in place of gauges. You either love them or hate them. Other than that, the C4 is likely the most sensible US classic car at this price point. Coming in at under $20,000 the Corvette delivers tons of thrills for not much cash thanks to a 5.7-liter L98 V8.
7 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS – $20,000
Sticking with Chevrolet. The Monte Carlo SS is a comfortable combination of speed and style. The downside for that SS badge on its flanks is the prices. At the upper end of our $20,000 budget, rarity plays a significant role in collector prices. Even so, you’re getting a lot of metal for your money.
Under the hood of this notchback coupe, you get a 5-liter naturally aspirated V8 cranking out 180 hp. Without question, for the same money, you’ll get more performance elsewhere. But that doesn’t detract from the Monte Carlo SS cool factor. That’s not to say the SS is slow, step on the loud pedal in one of these, and 60 mph passes in a respectable 8.2 seconds.
6 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 – $10,000
No prizes for guessing where Ford’s inspiration for Galaxie came from. First produced in the 50s, when the world was abuzz with stories of satellites and space missions. Ford’s full-sized sedan topped out at 5.8 liters. The Galaxie 500 evolved into a stellar 7-liter V8-powered monster two generations later.
Bigger in the car world is better, especially if the subject is V8 engines. Usually, big cars with big engines are a compromise, with much of the engine’s power offset by weight. In the Galaxie 500, nothing could be further from the truth. With 345 hp on tap, the big Ford is surprisingly lithe, sprinting to sixty in 5.7 seconds.
5 1926 Ford Model T – $11,600
Ford’s rise to global success started here. The Model T wasn’t the first car to bear Ford’s name on the radiator cap, but it was the first car to use a production line. In short, the Model T modernized car production. The significance of a streamlined assembly line isn’t about speed or efficiency but about cost. The Tin Lizzy kick-started Ford’s reputation for affordable cars.
Over 100 years have passed since the Model T debuted. At that time, others copied the body-on-frame design with a front-rear drive layout. While the Model T’s inline four won’t set any speed records with 20 hp on tap, it’s a cool piece of US car history. Surprisingly, prices come in well under our $20,000 budget.
4 1951 Chevrolet Fleetline Deluxe Fastback – $19,600
Ordinarily, the Chevrolet Fleetline is nothing to get excited about, a rather mundane 4-door sedan. But there is hope for Fleetline fans. Alongside the sedan, Chevrolet also offered a Deluxe Fastback model that is way cooler to look at. Deleting two doors was only part of the story, finished off with a sloping rear end. In essence, Chevrolet managed to transform a dull car into an awesome classic.
But, speed fans might be in for a letdown. Despite the sportier coupe body, Chevrolet stopped a few steps short of greatness with a sole engine option. And before you ask, no, it isn’t a V8. Instead, under the hood you’ll find a 3.5-liter Blue Flame inline-six putting down 90 hp. Regardless, the Fleetline Fastback is still an awesome piece of Chevy nostalgia. One that with some searching sneaks under our $20,000 budget.
3 1963 Ford Thunderbird – $14,900
In 2002, Ford underrated gearheads’ adoration of the Thunderbird. The final T-Bird was so poorly received, Ford canned the project after three years. It’s better, then, to look to the past, where $20,000 will land you a ’60s original. The third-generation Thunderbird is a classic that really should command higher prices. From the long, sleek bodywork to the futuristic nose and tail treatment, it’s a stunning if slightly oversized piece of Ford history.
The ultimate personal luxury car? In Ford speak, the Thunderbird wasn’t a sports car and featured four full side seats. Yet despite a Cruise-O-Matic three-speed box, when paired with a Ford FE 7-liter V8, the T-bird took 6 seconds to hit sixty. Not bad for a luxury personal car weighing in at 2,500 lbs.
2 1976 Ford Gran Torino – $14,600
The right car, in the wrong color! But don’t be too hasty in dismissing a less popular color scheme. The Ford Gran Torino rocketed to fame in the 70s hit TV series Starsky & Hutch, wearing its famous red and white paint job. Picking up one today will set you back $30,000 or more. Yet this mechanically identical black one is barely half the price. Call us bold, but we think black is always better.
The price of vanity is a bitter pill to swallow when you consider unofficial replicas are common. All sporting the same choice of Ford power in heavy coupe tipping the scales at 4,000 lbs or more. Even so, the Gran Torino always looked faster than it was. In our books, that makes it awesome.
1 1987 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – $11,100
Sticking with screen stars, the Pontiac Firebird Trans AM GTA is massively undervalued. Stumbling across a gloss black example is surprisingly cheap. A quick scan of the auctions turns up several around the $10,000 mark. That leaves plenty in reserve for the obligatory red strobe light effect a la Knight Rider. Even if you’re not a KITT fan, black is the best color choice.
Carrying Pontiac’s reputation for sportiness, the third-gen Trans Am didn’t get off to a great start. Base spec cars feature underpowered V6 engines. Thankfully, Pontiac had a hotter version in waiting. By hotter, it’s fair to say the 5.7-liter V8 in the GTA was still hobbled on emissions and economic grounds. At best, with a manual box, you’re looking at 215 hp. Still, the Trans Am alone name makes the Firebird an awesome budget classic.
Sources Ford, Classic Cars, Hagerty, IPMS USA
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