Well, I'm almost at a decision I think.
TBird is a great classic, the breed will always be my first and favorite car and I would love to restore it, but I think it's gonna go. Too much rust, too much work and too much money for me to commit.
The Mustang is a car I'd love to hold on to and they're super easy and cheap to Hot rod, but I think there's too much baggage attached to keep it. It will damned near kill me to see it go, but I'll take whatever I get from it and drop it in my daughter's education fund which will take some of the sting out of it.
Which leaves the M. The wife has no issues with it, it's big and comfortable, it's got a certain class about it, it handles like a rat in sneakers, it's got decent power "as is" (250HP), it's easy to get in and out of (important given my body condition and I'm only 49) and if I want to go "whole hog" on making it a hot rod it's rust free and straight. Big rear seat and 4 doors means it's easy to haul the family and friends around if I'm so inclined. Chrysler originally designed it as a possible awd chassis so a lot of the architecture is already there for a front engine/prop shaft/rear transaxle car. Heck, I could probably drop a prowler rear in the car pretty much as is and turn it RWD. Same transaxle as in the car right now, just a different cover over the torque converter, a prop shaft and rear subframe. The Prowler actually uses the drivetrain and misc suspension parts from the LH series, which is what the M is (same as an Intrepid/Concorde/LHS) . It's also been paid for a couple times over, like most all my vehicles.
So, it looks like the M stays for now with an option to change my mind in the future........