mousehousemoparman
Well-Known Member
Another story to tell. Last November I purchased a 1978 Dodge Aspen SE woody wagon in Homosassa Springs Florida for the lofty sum of 600.00 from an ad on Craigslist. I drove the car home to Lakeland approximately 75 miles in the dark incident free. The former owner had an altercation with a bus that messed up the bolt on sheetmetal but not bad enough that I couldn't drive the car the next six months with nothing more than an oil change and a set of plugs for the slant six. The 904 shifts fine and the interior is in good shape too.
The Aspen should be proof enough, but isn't this an A-body site? Oh yes this is For A Bodies Only so I should continue my story. Since I bought the Aspen I have been on the search for a pair of good wood grain fenders for a 76 thru 79 Aspen or Volare. I had found regular fenders in Arizona for 50.00 each plus shipping that are in great shape but don't have the rivets and moulding that surround the woodgrain. I could use those as a last resort. I called Wildcat and they have the fenders I need but they want between 350.00 and 425.00 plus shipping and my cheap side says that is too much money for rivets and mouldings over the Arizona fenders. So I kept watching Craigslist and I found another pair advertised in either Ohio or Wisconsin but he wouldn't ship. I finally came across an ad that said package deal, 3 F-body mopars 1200.00 in Ocala Florida. I contacted the seller and found out that it was a 4 door that all the suspension had been removed from and two wagons. One rusty Volare woody wagon that had good mouldings and a 77 Aspen wagon that had been a woody but had the mouldings removed and the vinyl painted over. I eneded up buying the two wagons for 800.00 just for the fenders. I will strip and junk the Volare and have not decided what to do with the Aspen yet other than to swap out the front Fenders. I should be able to sell the Aspen for a grand or so and have the fenders for free. I am still looking for another pair of woody fenders for spares though.
Ok onto the A-bodies. The seller asked me if I was interested in a 77 Chrysler Cordoba with a big block 400 in it. I looked at the car but even though it was in decent shape I told him no. This car is still available if there is any interest. He then asked if I was interested in another package deal so I asked whatcha got? He told me he has a 71 Dart Swinger that had a 383 automatic with a almost rustfree body. It isn't numbers matching as it was originally a /6 car. He also said he had a 70 Duster original 340- 4 spd. car that now has a 318 but has the original 340 needing a rebuild. This car was hit in the nose and the nose is swayed but easily repaired. The next car is a 74 Gold Duster slant six car but somewhat rusty and mostly complete. The last car is a 66 Dart 4 door from Texas with little rust. It is a factory V-8 car that he got with a 318 that now resides in the 70 Duster. I told him that the cars were probably beyond what I could afford. He said he didn't think so. So I asked how much? He said 2500. and I said 2500. each was more than I could afford. He said no it was 2500.00 for all four and he had the titles for each and also extra parts. I said SOLD. Sometimes it isn't too good to be true. The best part is that I was given time to move the cars and that the money could be paid as I moved the cars with the balance due when I picked up the last car. I can't ask for better than that. I have the 71 Dart home already and it is almost rust free. It needs a small patch on each of the front floor boads and another in the trunk. The drivers fender has a little plastic in it and someone drilled a hole for an alarm so I think I will look for another fender. All the rest of the tin is in good conditionM going to pick up another one on Sunday. Gregg
The Aspen should be proof enough, but isn't this an A-body site? Oh yes this is For A Bodies Only so I should continue my story. Since I bought the Aspen I have been on the search for a pair of good wood grain fenders for a 76 thru 79 Aspen or Volare. I had found regular fenders in Arizona for 50.00 each plus shipping that are in great shape but don't have the rivets and moulding that surround the woodgrain. I could use those as a last resort. I called Wildcat and they have the fenders I need but they want between 350.00 and 425.00 plus shipping and my cheap side says that is too much money for rivets and mouldings over the Arizona fenders. So I kept watching Craigslist and I found another pair advertised in either Ohio or Wisconsin but he wouldn't ship. I finally came across an ad that said package deal, 3 F-body mopars 1200.00 in Ocala Florida. I contacted the seller and found out that it was a 4 door that all the suspension had been removed from and two wagons. One rusty Volare woody wagon that had good mouldings and a 77 Aspen wagon that had been a woody but had the mouldings removed and the vinyl painted over. I eneded up buying the two wagons for 800.00 just for the fenders. I will strip and junk the Volare and have not decided what to do with the Aspen yet other than to swap out the front Fenders. I should be able to sell the Aspen for a grand or so and have the fenders for free. I am still looking for another pair of woody fenders for spares though.
Ok onto the A-bodies. The seller asked me if I was interested in a 77 Chrysler Cordoba with a big block 400 in it. I looked at the car but even though it was in decent shape I told him no. This car is still available if there is any interest. He then asked if I was interested in another package deal so I asked whatcha got? He told me he has a 71 Dart Swinger that had a 383 automatic with a almost rustfree body. It isn't numbers matching as it was originally a /6 car. He also said he had a 70 Duster original 340- 4 spd. car that now has a 318 but has the original 340 needing a rebuild. This car was hit in the nose and the nose is swayed but easily repaired. The next car is a 74 Gold Duster slant six car but somewhat rusty and mostly complete. The last car is a 66 Dart 4 door from Texas with little rust. It is a factory V-8 car that he got with a 318 that now resides in the 70 Duster. I told him that the cars were probably beyond what I could afford. He said he didn't think so. So I asked how much? He said 2500. and I said 2500. each was more than I could afford. He said no it was 2500.00 for all four and he had the titles for each and also extra parts. I said SOLD. Sometimes it isn't too good to be true. The best part is that I was given time to move the cars and that the money could be paid as I moved the cars with the balance due when I picked up the last car. I can't ask for better than that. I have the 71 Dart home already and it is almost rust free. It needs a small patch on each of the front floor boads and another in the trunk. The drivers fender has a little plastic in it and someone drilled a hole for an alarm so I think I will look for another fender. All the rest of the tin is in good conditionM going to pick up another one on Sunday. Gregg
