Some "Thou Shalt Nots" From Mount Olympus....Or wherever the Musclecar gods live....

Got some flack over the last post about stuff you shouldn't invest in. Hey-your all grown-ups-if you want to pour thousands of dollars into some pile of shit money pit-go ahead. I just felt it was my duty to caution people against it. And I'm going to do it right here. # 1. A rare car missing a key component is not a "deal" at any price no matter how low. Obvious examples would be a Hemi-powered Chrysler vehicle missing the Hemi engine, or a Boss 302 Mustang missing the "Boss" engine. Others would be a '63 Fuel Injected Corvette without the Fuel-Injection System, or a Super Duty 421 Catalina sans the Super Duty engine, or a 427 Thunderbolt without the 427. Get the picture?  Do you really think you can restore such a car and make a profit or even break even? If you do-like that country song- "I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona" # 2. Avoid cars with major rust damage, or fire or water damage. They are usually more trouble than their worth and are endless money pits.  99.99% of the time your better off just spending more money for a better car to start with. # 3. Pay more for the fucking car you want!!!  I get so tired of people whining that they bought a bench seat, column-shifted, automatic, drum braked '68 SS396 Chevelle because it was "All Original" or a "Good Investment" when they really wanted a 400, 4-speed, bucket seat, hood tached, disc braked, '68 GTO!!!  Why would you buy a 350 / Automatic '69 Camaro if you really wanted a 4-speed,302 Z/28 model?   # 4. Lower your sights a little. I get so tired of people whining that they can't find their dream car. I shit you not-I have had to restrain myself from physically slapping people who lust after say-an LS6 Chevelle- that have turned their noses up at pristine L78 / L89 396 11:1 Solid-lifter, aluminum head / aluminum manifold, 780 Holley, 4.11 geared, positraction, 4-speed, Cowl Induction 1970 Chevelles in great condition at reasonable prices because it's not "Exactly what they were looking for". I have seen Mopar freaks turn up their nose at a gorgeous, rust-free, Hot Rod Magazine cover quality 440 / Six-Pack '70 Charger at a dirt-cheap price because the 440 block wasn't "Numbers-matching". I've said before that a guy I knew wanted a Shelby Mustang and turned up his nose at a 1966 Mustang GT with a 225 hp 289, the Pony interior, the Rally-Pac guages,factory air, factory front disc brakes,and the "California Megaphone" exhaust with date-coded mufflers intact-for $2,300!!!  Because "It's still Not a Shelby". I'm not even a Ford guy and I bought the damn thing and sold it for a tidy profit a couple months later!!!  Get over yourselves, people!!!   # 5 A friend of mine said it best- "A rare Turd is still just a Turd."  No one cares about your 305 powered 1980 Corvette, or 301 powered 1979 Trans-Am, or two-barrel step-down engine, or three-speed stick, or two-speed automatic, or bench seats, or drum brakes, or whatever. "Rare" does not automatically mean "Valuable."  A 390 / 4-speed, '69 Javelin AMX is valuable. A 360 / Automatic, '74 Matador is a piece of shit that no one cares about!!  See the difference?  Mastermind