Pick Your Next Project
Every restoration starts with choosing the right car, Below we have some examples of classics and some future classics for you to take a look at. theRestohub lists project cars, barn finds, rolling shells and part-finished restorations by make and model — so you can go straight to the cars that match what you actually want to build.
The MGB
The MGB is Britain's best-loved classic sports car to restore — and one of the easiest to keep going once it's back on the road. With nearly 400,000 built between 1962 and 1980, parts are cheap, specialists are everywhere, and there's a project to suit every budget, from barn find survivors to stalled restorations and rolling shells ready for a rebuild. Read more About The British Classic Here
MGB Guide
The Toyota MR2
Fancy something different from the usual British classics? The MR2 brings genuine mid-engined handling and Toyota reliability to the project car world, across three distinct generations from the pop-up-headlight Mk1 to the convertible-only Mk3. Rust patterns and parts sourcing differ from a typical British restoration, so it pays to know what you're looking at. See generation-by-generation buying advice, real restoration costs, and what to check before you view.
MR2 Guide
classic mini
No project car offers more range than the Mini — from a basic 850 to a hot Cooper S, a Clubman, or a later Rover-era car, there's a Mini for every budget and every ambition. Its bolt-together subframe design makes strip-down genuinely approachable, even for a first restoration, and decades of continuous production mean parts are everywhere and cheap. See what to check before you buy, real restoration costs, and a full guide to the different variants.
Mini Guide
Vauxhall Astra
Britain's spare-parts-rich hot hatch icon. From the original 1980 GTE to the Lotus-tuned Mk4, the Astra offers genuine classic pedigree, huge parts availability, and prices that still start well under £2,000 for a solid project shell.
Vauxhall Astra
Volkswagen Golf
From the original Mk1 to the modern-classic Mk4, the Golf is one of the most rewarding project cars in the UK thanks to cheap parts, strong specialist support, and a huge builder community. Whether you're after a barn find, a stalled restoration, or a rolling shell to build from scratch, browse genuine Golf projects below — filtered by generation, condition, and budget.
Golf Guide
Ford Escort
The Ford Escort is Britain's best-selling classic of the 1980s and 90s, and one of the most versatile project cars out there — whether you want a rear-wheel-drive Mk1 or Mk2 with genuine rally pedigree, an 80s XR3i hot hatch, or a Cosworth-badged performance icon. Millions were built across six generations, so parts, know-how, and specialist support are all still excellent no matter which era you're drawn to. Read More About The British Classic Here
Escort Guide
The Triumph Spitfire
If the MGB is the classic choice, the Spitfire is the underdog's pick — smaller, lighter, and often cheaper to buy as a project. Its separate chassis design means the body and frame can come apart for a proper ground-up rebuild, something you can't easily do on a monocoque MGB. Backed by one of the most active owners' clubs in British motoring, it's a genuinely rewarding first restoration. See restoration costs, what to look for, and a mark-by-mark buying guide.
Spitfire Guide
The Honda Civic Type R
Looking for something different from the usual British classics? The Civic Type R brings Japanese engineering obsession and genuine motorsport pedigree to the project scene, spanning the Japan-only EK9 and the UK-built EP3. Most examples were actually built right here at Honda's former Swindon plant, making parts and history easier to trace than you'd expect from a JDM icon. See generation-by-generation differences, what to check on a used Type R, and realistic restoration budgets before you buy.
Honda Civic Type R