Anyone else dream of E-Body ownership?

-
Had a 71 'cuda around 1986, think I paid $550 for it - running and inspected. At that time I rarely kept a car for more than a year. It was no exception... Certainly not the only car I wish I still had, but definite the one I most regret getting rid of.
 
Always thought about a 71 Challenger but my biggest dream is a HEMI 4 speed B body.
 
Nope. I think they are kinda ugly. A-bodies...Mopars shoebox.
 
I always liked the higher trunk body line on the 70's Cudas best. Then for our first collector car we ended up getting a 71 Challenger convertible. After that, I like the Challenger also, but still like the Cuda lines still a little better. However, I won't give up my Challenger convertible. I like the 71 style the best for both the Cuda and Challenger, then the 70 next.

My brother and I kept trading a 72 Challenger ralley back and forth in high school, which now my oldest son owns.

I like the e-bodies and how they ride.
 
Had a 71 Challenger in 96 I paid $1500 for running. 383 auto 8 3/4. Wasn't a beauty but no rust, just bad paint. Sold it in 98 for $1200 cos that's what I needed to close on my house. Figured I could always pick up another one. Little did I know the prices would go astronomical and I'd never afford one again. So I'm happy with my Duster.
 
Back in the day I had a 1970 Barracuda Gran Coupe and later
a 1971 340 'Cuda. Also had a new 1971 340 Duster.

I prefer the A-Bodies myself. That's probably why I ended up with the '67
Fastback.
 
I have a 72 and 73 cuda but prefer my 71 duster and 68 fastback. I just like the smaller a body car more.
 
I prefer E-bodies, my wife prefers A-bodies. I do like both my Darts but if anything happened to them I wouldn't be too sad. My Challenger on the other hand would be a different story. Too much history with it.
 
My 1st E was in 1976 a 340 auto 4.10 geared B5 Blue Black vinyl top & interior 1970 Challenger

Next was a 1972 Barracuda 318 auto gold cream interior white top and stripe, super clean low mile car, sold it to the guy that bought the Challenger then a few weeks later let a friend drive it and rolled it over

My 3 rd also in 1976 was a 70 Grand Coupe with 383-auto power windows, air conditioning, houndstooth interior, lemon twist yellow, black vinyl top

My next E wouldn't come until 1978 a Hemi Orange 340 3 speed manual 3.55 gear Challenger Rally, would own this car for 17 years

In 1979 bought a 1971 Curiuos Yellow 383 auto convertible Cuda for $850.00 had gas in the oil and was told the fuel pump was bad. It had been repo ed, ended up being a bad power valve in the factory Holley carb. The car is in Mooresville, In now and the guys grandson wants it, so doubt it will ever be for sale at least not for some time and couldn't afford it today.

Bought a burgundy 1973 Challenger with white top and interior 318 auto. EX ended up with it and she told me she loved that car.

And bought a 1974 in root beer black top and interior that had been totaled. Today it would have been fixed. It had been wrecked in the right front and really wasn't that bad. I cut it up for parts for my 72. Sold some and just to see how it was put together cut it in half across the roof and floor.

I would love to have another E body but they are just too expensive. A rusted out piece of crap they want 5000 and it is a roller. Just too damn expensive.
 
Loved my 71 Challenger! My high school car... The picture was taken back in 1996. I bought the car in 1994 without an engine. My dad and I built a mild 440 Magnum and 727 for it. So many memories with this car from dates to racing... I ended up trading it to a collector for a clean 1970 Coronet 2dr post car to build a Super Bee clone out of in 2005. The last I heard on my Challenger... It was fully restored / cloned into a 440-6 Plum Crazy car then sold out of state for "big money" before the market dropped out on the hobby. If I run into anyone from high school usually the first thing they ask me is if I still have my Challenger...
 

Attachments

  • Scan0002.jpg
    139 KB · Views: 318
Seems like we have some mixed opinions on the e bodies. I'm keeping a open mind but when I go to the Nats I'll walk right past a e body to check out a dart or old b body. The rattle trap Camero thing that was mentioned earlier I can vouch for. Cameros and mustangs sound like a bucket of bolts going down the road. Mopars always seemed to be the best riding :)
 
I had a 73 Rallye 318 Challenger in '90. Paid $500. Rusty but nice interior.

Everything worked.

was OK, but not real fond of seating and "big/wide" feel.

I like my 73 Satellite just as much, It has nearly the same interior, but with a useable back seat, and it feels more balanced, although more squishy.

Somehow the seating position seems better in the Sat than the Challenger.

For 1/2 the price, I'll take a 72 GTX please.

...or a 68 Barracuda FB.
 
The first car I ever bought with my own money was a 71 challenger.
Drove it for 11 years good car, bought it was cheap in the early 80's.
Sold it for a stupid high price in the mid 90's
Also had a 71 cuda and a 73 duster that I bought a few years later.
The duster drove so much nicer than the e-bodies, in stock form, ironacally I paid more for it than the e-bodies, but it was really nice, used the duster for a daily driver except in the winters for about 15 years.
The A-bodies just did everything right, light, good handling, parts everywhere.
 
My cousin has a '72 Polara 4-door with 440/727 and only 45k original miles we wanted to transplant into an E-body but they are just too dang expensive and not enough of them around. Now we're starting to look for B-bodies, by some of the posts on here sounds like that won't be much of a "step down". They just don't look quite as sexy lol...
 
my last Mopar was a 70 Challenger......
 

Attachments

  • Dodge Challenger.jpg
    33.8 KB · Views: 321
  • Dodge Challenger2.jpg
    37.1 KB · Views: 273
I had a1970 challenger R/t 383 car, then a 2010 R/t challenger. I traded it for a jeep, I'm done. I love my 69' Dart GTS.
 
roccodart440 said:
Not to mention they are tanks of a car. Wide and heavy.
Click to expand...

My husband's '72 Challenger weighs 100 pounds less than our '76 Dart, and weighs the same as my '73 Duster. They were all weighed on the same scale. When parked next to the A-bodies it actually looks pretty small (it's shorter in length, and not as tall, but looks wider.)
 
Growing up I went through a phase where I thought the ebody was the greatest ever. I was young. Then as I started to widen my knowledge of muscle cars I was captivated by the 68 barracuda. As the years moved on my tastes changed and for my adult life I have thought of the 68-70 plymouth bBodies as the ultimate dream car. I also love the Super Bees of those years but the charger really doesn't do it for me, any year. I count myself lucky to finally own a 68 barracuda.
 
dustergal said:
My husband's '72 Challenger weighs 100 pounds less than our '76 Dart, and weighs the same as my '73 Duster. They were all weighed on the same scale. When parked next to the A-bodies it actually looks pretty small (it's shorter in length, and not as tall, but looks wider.)
Click to expand...

I had to look into this and I was very surprised

1970

Dodge Challenger R/T 3402 Dodge Challenger T/A 3402 Dodge Dart Swinger3179Plymouth AAR 'Cuda3395Plymouth 'Cuda3395Plymouth Duster3110




















1971 Dodge Charger RT 3685 Dodge Challenger R/T 3495 Dodge Demon 3403125Plymouth 'Cuda3475Plymouth Duster 3403140












1972 Dodge Challenger Rallye 3225 Dodge Dart Sport 3403205Plymouth 'Cuda3330Plymouth Duster 3403100








1973 Dodge Challenger Rallye 3155 Dodge Charger Rallye 3480 Dodge Dart Sport 340 3205 Plymouth 'Cuda 3235

1974 Dodge Challenger Rallye 3225 Dodge Charger Rallye 3565 Dodge Dart Sport 360 3330 Plymouth 'Cuda 360 3300 Plymouth Duster 360 3315
 
E-bodies definitely got a cool factor going......but I like the _A_ bodies since trying to put together an _E_ makes you write a lot of _I_O_ U_ 's...............
 
I'd rather have pretty much any 1968-78 B-body than an E-body...basically the same chassis (even the same K-frame!), not a whole lot (if any) heavier, cheaper parts, and more room.
 
The first new car I ever bought was a 1971 challenger. It was a low optioned 318 car. It cost me $3000 and a 1966 ford falcon futura. It had an overheating problem that the dealer never fixed, also the drum brakes were a little erratic to say the least. What I did like about it was the way it handled, very stable on the highway. It was a little noisy, but I don't think it had much sound deadening in it. The fit and finish was aweful. It was the car that made me swear off Chrysler products for 40 years, until I got my present 65 Barracuda. I still think the 71-71 E bodies are some of the best looking cars ever made.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top