Wanting to get into American muscle
Just jumped back into an A body after 40+ years and am really enjoying it.
Late 60's/early 70's is, IMHO, the way to go. BB's are hot, but the 318 to 360 engines, especially the 340's from 68-70, are strong and have a lot of potential. Had a Duster 340 from new to 1973 and have missed it ever since I sold it. The Darts are very popular. Guess it depends on what you want to do with it when you get it.
You lost me there, BBs? Is that Big Blocks? In the duster I'd be looking for a 340 or 360, not really interested in the 318 or slant 6. As far as Roadrunner, I'd probably search and hold out til I found a 440 in my price range, but I digress.
As far as why the early 70s, a lot of it has to do with price, I'm a full time + freelance graphic/web designer, which makes okay money, but I'm not in the range of a pre-73 roadrunner, since everyone I have seen, it seems you add 5k for having a '72. Besides, I like the '73 faces more anyways.
Not really sure what I'd want to build it into, but if I had to pick right now, i'd probably shoot for a pro touring set up, I like to work with suspension and would rather have a car that corners well than one that can pop wheelies on command like a pro-street build. (I borrowed a buddies corvair swapped '67 bug once, it had 240hp, and popped it's front end up like nobody's business.)
As of right now, I'm on the edge for the duster because, I'll see one picture and think, that it looks mean and powerful, but then I see another and it looks like family's/grandmas car (no offense meant to anyone who owns them). I think a lot of it has to do with the snakeskin tops?