The sad truth is that restoring a car rarely makes financial sense. There are exceptions, of course. You could get lucky and spot 'the next big thing' in terms of classic investment. You could have deep pockets and money might not be a concern. Or you might work in the trade, be handy with a set of spanners, have a mate who can paint. You could even teach yourself these skills as you go - after all your, time is free but you'll need to buy tools etc. With this generation of classics, a rolling restoration is often the best way to go. You can keep the car going and on the road (and most importantly enjoy) while attending to the most important jobs first. If you're thinking about restoring the running gear, then you probably should consider rebuilding the engine - it'll be out and easy to get to. I'm not sure that buying a donor car is the best way to go - after all, you'll just inherit a new set of problem. So decide what you want at the end of all this - are you looking for an investment to sell or something to enjoy? Once you know where you want to be, make a plan of how to get there and budget accordingly.