I’ve had several vehicles turn into projects that never started with a vision for a build. Sometimes they simply needed enough major repairs to be considered a project. Other times I couldn’t just replace a broken part with a stock replacement when modern improvements were too easy to find.
More power and better handling. The first real project vehicle I did was a 1972 LUV truck engine swapped to a 283 sbc. Changed the steering to use a power rack and pinion. Added disc front brakes. Everything I did before that truck was just bolt on stuff. Cosmetic appearance is nice on some projects, on others the beater look adds to the sleeper factor. I have done it both ways. In the end if the experience from drivers seat does not improve I don’t think I was successful.
A project car is a journey with a car that does not require driving. But like all journeys, it does require a destination, a roadmap and some sort of a budget. There will be challenges along the way that can not be foreseen from the start. Slight chance it could kill you.
Pete