If I were going to do an older car and soup it up, I'd still have to get something with style.
I had one of these bad boys when I lived in FL:

Leather seats, A/C, cruise control...and I had it rolling over 120 at least once, which wasn't difficult with the 450 big block it had. I easily could have gone faster. When you were parked, you couldn't see all the way over the hood, but as soon as you hit 25-35, it leveled out and the front end dropped a bit so you could see over the hood to drive. The thing was freakin' sweet. I would have liked to have had a convertible version. The only problem with it was that there were four plastic "corners" on the body by the lights that went to shit and fell apart on almost every one I've ever seen.
I wonder what the model from the year I was born looks like. I think I may have another project to do after the bike.
Your Pal,
Jubber