This is mostly for aesthetics and keeping with the junkyard look.
That part is already nailed!
I remember several years ago I saw a ad for a decent looking X for sale. Went to check it out. Actually it was in very good shape overall, really didn't need too much so it would have been a easy project. But it was that same "****" brown color you seem to like. I passed on it simply due to that (true story). But hey, I get it and I never judge the taste of others.
Seriously, color choice is very subjective and I've always liked odd ones so no offense intended - just having fun with you.
I'm doing the exact same thing with a X that I originally bought just as a parts car, due to it having a
lot of rust and damage. But after getting it home and inspecting it more carefully, I realized the rust is only in areas that are not critical - all of the structural parts are solid and straight. Kind of the opposite of the usual rusty X. So I decided to revive it rather than strip it. However it is so ugly I'm not sure if I'll be able to live with it
, therefore some day it might get some sort of cosmetic cover up? Not sure exactly what/how, but enough to hide the hideous multi colors from mix and match panels, etc. Or not, we'll see. Also I decided to go with more of a "track car" theme so I don't have to bother with any interior or trim or anything else that I don't want to spend time on. I'm also tempted to cut it up a bit and go for something similar to the original "Runabout" concept. Not any attempt to recreate it, but just more of a custom along that direction.
It has all of the same needs as you described; brakes, clutch, electrical, tires, cooling system, fuel system, clean and service, etc. And like you I want to keep the total budget as low as possible. So I'll try to rebuild the brakes rather than replace them (Fiat calipers sure went from really cheap to really expensive), and things like that. But it only makes for more work/time that I should be putting into my other projects.
Side note: Funny, but I tend to associate the term "rat" with those really stupid American creations that make absolutely no sense to me. Like the stuff that guy here in Vegas makes on a TV show and sells for outrageous money (by the way, I've seen him at local events and he is about four feet tall in reality, which explains the attitude). A friend of mine calls stuff like that "abortions", and frankly if you ever saw one you would see why. I've also heard of them referred to as "clown cars", but I think that is cruel to actual clowns. I certainly don't mind the concept of a "as is", rough looking, non restored, make it work on no budget, totally DIY, be creative with things, type of project car. It can be really cool and interesting. I've seen several really neat ones in the VW world (they seem to gravitate to that). But I just have a negative association with the use of the word 'rat' due to those other things. So for lack of a better term I prefer "outlaw"...just a personal thing.