When it comes to investing in vintage automobiles, not all classics deserve their status.

Just ask Chris Pyle, veteran mechanic and automotive expert at JustAnswer, who has seen his share of restoration dreams transformed into financial nightmares.

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“If you’re buying an old vehicle for yourself, don’t listen to anyone’s opinion on it. If it makes you happy, that’s all that matters,” Pyle noted.

“But if you want to repair and sell old vehicles, you need to stay away from those who very few people are interested in owning.”

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The Chevrolet Corvair: a collector’s dead end

Once famous for its innovative rear-engine design, the Corvair now finds itself in restoration limbo.

“No one thinks they’re cool now like they did back then, plus the pieces are thin,” Pyle remarked.

The scarcity of replacement components makes this classic more of a headache than an heirloom.

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Ford Mustang Ii: the problem child of the Pony Car

Not all Mustangs are created equal, and the Mustang II painfully proves that. As Pyle explains: “They don’t look very good and they’re weak. You have to put a bigger engine in it, which kind of takes away the sense of classic.

What’s the point of preserving history if you have to fundamentally change it?

Chevrolet Vega: the dream that drains money

Some classics just aren’t worth the investment, no matter how much you spend.

“You can spend thousands of dollars to make it a peach, but it won’t turn heads and you’ll end up with an overpriced car that you can’t sell,” Pyle warned.

La Vega represents the perfect combination of high restoration costs and low market appeal.

Plymouth Superbird: the demonstration in the showroom

Although this aerodynamic icon turns heads, it rarely turns a profit.

“Super cool, but only for a minute,” Pyle noted. “People love to look at them and touch them, but aren’t thrilled to drop $20-30,000 on one to show off.”

This is a classic case of admiration not translating into real purchasing interest.

1980s Pontiac Firebird

Pyle’s assessment of the four-cylinder Firebird is particularly trenchant: “It had a 90-horsepower 4-cylinder engine. My lawn mower has 24 HP, so you can imagine how boring that car was. All the thrill of Smokey and the Bandit and the takeoff speed of a VW bug.

It’s a sobering reminder that not everything about the ’80s is worthy of nostalgia.

Porsche911

Even iconic German engineering has its investment pitfalls.

“You’re going to spend the bank making this car great, then have a hard time finding a buyer,” Pyle observed. “People are too afraid to drive them in front of other cars. So you’re basically selling a car that’s sitting in a garage.

What good is a perfect restoration if it never sees the light of day?

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This article was originally published on GOBankingRates.com: I’m a Mechanic: 6 Classic Cars I’d Never Buy and Why They’re Not Worth It