David: A project car is anything you are willing to take on. There are various levels of "projects". The fine original car that someone wants better chrome for, can be a "project". Or maybe the engine is a little tired, so the project becomes getting the engine rebuilt. You can prgress down to where you bring the large parts home on a trailer, and the smaller parts in baskets in the back of your truck. This is called a basket case. Then there is the baaaaaaasket case, where what you bring home is, at best, patterns for the parts you need to build your car. Generally, you become willing to take on bigger "projects" as the anticipated value of the finished project increases. For instance, if you locate the last model Imperial made, sitting in a field up to the door handles in mud, with the windows punched out, you might evaluate the parts you can remove without injuring yourself. However, if you were to locate an early '30s dual cowl pheaton in the same situation, the idea of hiring a backhoe to get it out would seem quite reasonable, provided you think you can find the scratch to get somewhere on the job. Beauty is all in the eye of the beholder. John