A classic truck may be the way to go for you.....

One avenue for those who want some classic muscle but don't have Donald Trump's bank account is trucks. On the really old stuff  ( 1950's ) you'll have to do some fabrication-no one really wants a top-heavy vehicle with a ton of horsepower and tiny drum brakes, no power steering, and a suspension that handles like a UPS truck. But upgrading is relatively simple. Whether the truck is a Ford or a Chevy for years guys have been putting Chevelle or Camaro front clips on the classic '53-56 F100 Fords and the 1/2 ton Chevys of the the 1950-59 vintage. This gives them modern power steering and front disc brakes, and allows the installation of a small or big-block Chevy or just about any other GM powerplant you want. I know a guy that had a 389 Pontiac and a Muncie 4-speed in a '56 GMC pickup, and he showed his tailgate to many a hot rod. For you Ford guys that don't want to committ blasphemy ( by using a GM engine ) the other hot setup is to use a Mustang II front clip. This gives you front disc brakes, rack and pinion steering and allows the easy installation of the 289 / 302 or 351W V8s.  Into the 1960's, and things really improve. The 1960-66 Chevy / GMC trucks are already classics, but can still be bought at reasonable prices. Golden State pickup parts, Summitt Racing and others offer disc brake conversion kits. Like I said, the engine bays will swallow any GM engine. I know a guy that had a 1965 GMC pickup with a 455 Pontiac under the hood that was a monster. I've also seen these trucks with a 425 Olds or a 472 Cadillac engine under the hood as well. And of course, the ubiquitious small and big-block Chevys. 1967 was a big year for trucks. Both GM and Ford completely redesigned their pickups with spectacular results. The bodys were sleeker than ever, the interiors were nicer than ever-you now got carpet, and could get a/c and upgraded radios. On the GM front-besides the usual six-cylinder and small-block V8 offerings for the first time you could get a Rat motor in a pickup-the mighty 396. Ford guys could get the big-car 390 V8 in their trucks. Watch the Charles Bronson action flick "Mr Majestyk".  There's a chase scene involving a '68 Ford pickup and several cars. This chase scene was used in the "Built Ford Tough" ads for years. GM and Ford kept these bodystyles until 1972. Didn't mention '50s or '60s Dodge trucks because they were heavy, and ugly, and you could only get a slant-six or the "old" 318 V8 ( Nothing interchanges with the '67 and later "LA" 318-340-360 engines ). And no one really offers suspension or brake upgrades for these either, while there abundant for the GM and Ford applications.  However, by 1972, Dodge had caught up with a new body that they would keep until 1993, and you could get any V8 up to and including a 440 through the '78 model year. the 1973-79 Chevys and Fords were even better than the previous generation. Power steering and front disc brakes were now standard equipment, and the interiors were more luxurious than ever, and you could even get stuff like bucket seats, power windows and door locks and cruise control. Here's where the term "Cowboy Cadillac". originated. Power-wise you could get a 454 in Chevy / GMC ( as well as the 350 small-blocks ). Ford guys could get a 460. In a short-box, two-wheel drive, you had a hot rod. I mean think about it, a 454 V8 in a 3900 lb machine is a potent ride whether it's a '71 Chevelle, or a '77 Stepside!!  An added bonus is trucks with a GVW rating over 6,000lbs ( which included 1/2 tons ) were exempt from having catalytic converters through the '78 model year. Then the government got wise and changed the rating to 8,500 lbs in 1979 which meant you had a cat on it unless it was a one-ton.  Any how, all of these trucks can make a sweet ride for low bucks. ( Compared to restoring a Mustang, Camaro, Road Runner etc. )  Mastermind