72 340 Demon too far gone?

[fireboat]

Sorry for the long post but I'm in a quandry and looking for some advice on two cars that I have.

I have been restoring a 73 Dart Sport clone to use as a driver. I have rebuilt the 360 and 8 1/4 sure grip rear and done a bunch of other work. I still have a LOT of body work to do (including replacing trunk and passenger floors, but not a big deal). The worst is that the firewall and cowl are rusted away in many places. How hard would it to replace the firewall and weld up all of the sheet metal that meets up to it? (My welding is getting better but this looks to be a major challenge)

The other problem is totally unexpected. I bought a donor car for cheap to replace the firewall (and get the rally mirrors) for the Dart. Well, it turns out the donor car is a numbers matching 72 340 Demon. It is a low option car with a bench, and non sure grip but the car is complete and the engine runs and looks clean inside.

I would immediately stop what I have done to the Dart Sport and just restore the Demon except that the body is a disaster. Essentially, from the door jams back it is mostly rust. The rockers, roof, quarters, a posts, floors, trunk lip, rear valance and trunk lid are swiss cheese and would have to be replaced. The car will twist very easily.

I know that a correct 340 Demon will always be worth more, but I'm thinking the body is too far gone.
What do you guys think?
BTW-If I decide not to restore the Demon, I will probably keep most of the major parts.

 

[jeeper]

That is a quandry for sure. I know welding around the cowl area etc. is not going to be fun.

But the swiss cheese car sounds worse.

I guess I will ask you the question that I struggle with myself the most.

What do you want when done?

Once you know that, the rest will come together with time and effort.

FWIW-ROb

 

[IndianaDodge]

I too found a Demon to far gone for my budget to restore, the UNI-frame, roof and floor pans on this 71 demon 340/Auto are completely gone or rusted beyond repair!

I decided to use it as a donor for my 71 Dart!

Good luck on what ever you decide!

 

[DemonDave]

You could always backhalf the Demon using the body of the Dart Sport... you'll be doing a lot of welding on either car anyway!

 

[jeeper]

Wow! now that is rust. I have a few 40's vehicles that don't have anywhere near that rust.

I don't think if you combined the rust in all my stuff it would ad up to that.

Gives me some perspective being in the desert and all.

Sorry, not trying to make you feel bad.

I'm just in shock.

ROB

 

[IndianaDodge]

Do you have any pics?

 

[RedFish]

I personally wouldn't want either car. Those that have as much rust as you described are supposed to become parts donors for cloning and colision repairs.
We can't save them all, nor should we.
Surely you can find a "vertually" rust free A-body of some type to restore.
Good luck with any route you take.

 

[gts340]

A few years ago I parted a 71 340 4 speed Demon. It had a lot of rust, but compared to what yours sounds like and also the one pictured above, it was a restorable car. It osunds like either could be restored but would require much more work than most other cars. I'd say stick to the advice you have already received and restore the one you would rather have when done or use both for parts and get another car going.

 

[fireboat]

Thanks guys for the advice, it makes the most sense to build a car I want to drive.
For some reason I tend to feel an obligation to restore a numbers matching car. But in this case, the Demon would not be exactly what I wanted and probably is beyond my skill and budget to restore.
Redfish, your right, a rust free body would be ideal and I'll keep looking. The bright side is that I am getting plenty of practice welding

 

[gts340]

If one of you guys with the parts Demons has a black steering wheel like the one pictured above that your not using let me know. My car came with the same one and I don't have it.

 

[IndianaDodge]

If one of you guys with the parts Demons has a black steering wheel like the one pictured above that your not using let me know. My car came with the same one and I don't have it.

Check out dodge trucks and vans in the mid 70's to Early 80's, they came with steering wheels very similar to the one pictured above. the horn button is hard plastic but looks very much like the wheel above! also the horn buttons on these two wheels will exchange with each other!