Buy New or Buy a Parts Car

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Drg racr

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I came across a 72 Dart 2-dr slant 6 auto parts car I can get for around a grand. It's complete, motor, trans, and it runs. Im thinking of converting my 69 Cuda to street duty, so I'll need the heater box, ducting, some wiring, ect. I might use some interior pieces too, if anything fits (seats, door panels?)
Do you think it would be worth it to buy this parts car, or should I order all new/rebuilt stuff. The cuda is not gonna be a resto, just a driver. for now.
 
Drg racr said:
I came across a 72 Dart 2-dr slant 6 auto parts car I can get for around a grand. It's complete, motor, trans, and it runs. Im thinking of converting my 69 Cuda to street duty, so I'll need the heater box, ducting, some wiring, ect. I might use some interior pieces too, if anything fits (seats, door panels?)
Do you think it would be worth it to buy this parts car, or should I order all new/rebuilt stuff. The cuda is not gonna be a resto, just a driver. for now.
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If what the car has the you need and are in good shape I would buy the parts car. It's right at your disposal, you are the one who removes the parts, and when all is said and done you can sell it and get some of your money back. That's what I did and was the best thing I had going for me on getting my car road worthy again...

JW
 
Not to mention some after market parts don't fit all that great. Its always nice to have a parts car. Take off what you need & sell whats left.
 
You might be able to buy that car for $1,000 or whatever it's going to cost you. And if it's savable, sell it for a profit. No since in cutting up/parting out a buildable car. Mostly everything that you listed as needing could be bought here on FABO for pretty cheap.
 
Drg racr said:
I came across a 72 Dart 2-dr slant 6 auto parts car I can get for around a grand. It's complete, motor, trans, and it runs. Im thinking of converting my 69 Cuda to street duty, so I'll need the heater box, ducting, some wiring, ect. I might use some interior pieces too, if anything fits (seats, door panels?)
Do you think it would be worth it to buy this parts car, or should I order all new/rebuilt stuff. The cuda is not gonna be a resto, just a driver. for now.
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I would be interested in the front fenders of that dart if there in good shape. If you decide to part it out.
 
From the pics, the outer body isn't all that bad. He said the rear frame rails are shot, and a front wheel bearing went out. It was a daily driver. Fenders look okay from what I can see, but I'll get a closer look this weekend.
 
Drg racr said:
From the pics, the outer body isn't all that bad. He said the rear frame rails are shot, and a front wheel bearing went out. It was a daily driver. Fenders look okay from what I can see, but I'll get a closer look this weekend.
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Unless its a complete rust bucket I wouldnt part it. It sounds like the parts your looking for are run of the mill standard stuff that many of us have on the shelf. We have to preserve the restorable cars, not many of them left. Yesterdays parts cars are todays restorations. I know I parted plenty of cars that were not fixable at the time but are now because the restoration market is making so many parts.
 
I personally hate to see a restorable car parted out. some are not feasible to save. but one thing a parts car is great for, and that is place to go to for nut, screws, wiring parts., to check out is a host of things IF your car is not very complete. this is not so important after years of parting out boners, collecting all kinds of parts.
 
Dare I mention the Turn-Signal switch? New aftermarket ones are typically "junk". That 45 year old one probably has another 20 years left in her. What's that worth? Not a G, I know, but it's very frustrating to bolt a new one in and have it fail in less than a week, then have to do it all over again. Not going thru that crap is worth Something!
But I must agree, we all have spare stuff available, often at fair prices. And to drag another eyesore onto the yard is not always the best idea, especially one as mundane as the one you describe. For me it would have to have pristine parts on it.
 
barbee6043 said:
I personally hate to see a restorable car parted out. some are not feasible to save. but one thing a parts car is great for, and that is place to go to for nut, screws, wiring parts., to check out is a host of things IF your car is not very complete. this is not so important after years of parting out boners, collecting all kinds of parts.
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This is why i hit the boneyards at least 1 to 2 times a month if i can. I buy the parts i need for my projects, and parts i can resell to people here that can use them, allowing me to buy more needed parts.

Honestly other than the heater box, sunvisors, A pillar mouldings, vent windows and windshield, there really isnt very much else that crosses over to your 69.

I'd look for a non A/C heater box for you, but everything out in my local yards has A/C
 
moparmat2000 said:
This is why i hit the boneyards at least 1 to 2 times a month if i can. I buy the parts i need for my projects, and parts i can resell to people here that can use them, allowing me to buy more needed parts.

Honestly other than the heater box, sunvisors, A pillar mouldings, vent windows and windshield, there really isnt very much else that crosses over to your 69.

I'd look for a non A/C heater box for you, but everything out in my local yards has A/C
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to find a "made before 2000" mopar around HERE now days is rare at any boneyard!!
 
Didnt you move to Texas?
I have a local boneyard that still has a bit of old stuff still in it. You drive in with your vehicle and drive up and down the rows of cars because its about 12 acres big. I use my pickup, and work off the tailgate.

Heres recent pix. A birds eye view of FM600 wrecking, my truck at the yard, and my haul from yesterday. The ram van lower hinges fit A body mopars with one modification, and i bought bushing rebuild kits for them cheap off rockauto. Going to rebuild them for both barracudas. Ram van speaker grille covers for my speaker deck, some other A body odds and ends, including 74-76 three speed wiper switch, headlight switch, a ram van overdrive switch that we may use with an O/D trans in my sons 69 cuda, and a 69-70 dart instrument cluster i will probably restore and upgrade with a volt gage, led lighting, and solid state IVR I dont think i did too bad finding everything with the size of this place

Oh and a bonus, i also found this oil lamp in a ramvan i got a set of hinges from. Its not a chinese copy either. Found its markings. Made in St. Louis Missouri U.S.A. i will get another glass for it off ebay, clean it up and put a wick in it. I have several of these vintage lamps in my home. Rayo, and Dietz are the main ones i have. This one is an Eagle.

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Without backreading the whole thread, Many of the parts car parts You need won't fit your Cuda.
 
Some new stuff isnt that bad. I have bought repop stuff in the past and didnt have problems. Other list members are right too. Start a thread in parts wanted, and keep checking on the other parts for sale, and parts car threads for what you need. I have 2 barracudas a 67, and a 69. The 69 is an ex drag car that was half stripped. Its been a 3 year journey for me to get half the parts needed to restore it. These cars are 50 years old now, and most pieces on barracudas are barracuda specific except for common stuff i mentioned in my previous post. This is similar the 68-70 chargers in the B body world.
 
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