Early A-Bodies

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I’ve owned my 66 just about 45 yrs. back then it wasn’t cool to drive a Mopar. Now days people are attracted to it
 
Claydart said:
I really just started to notice that when I go to car shows, early A-bodies don't really get any respect! Does anybody else find the same thing I do, or am I just a little paranoid?
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The heck with them....We're family here! That's all that matters!
 
I daily drive mine, and I would say about 50% of the time I get someon stopping me in a parking lot to talk about it. Something about the base model 4 door brings out the nostalgia in people. I get more comments in the Dart than in any of the exotic stuff I've had.
 
Agree. Didn’t see but one early A at Mopar Nationals in Columbus.
My son and I just pulled his 64 convertible out of the “paint shed” this weekend. Lots of dust but it’s built not bought

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Today me and the wife and grandson go for a drive. On the way home we stop by a meat market. For a little town like Rome, they sell great meat.

So we park and before we even get out of the car a truck pulls in and the guys yells hey, is that a 65? Said he was driving the opposite direction and turned around when he saw us driving!! We shoot the **** for 10 minutes. Then on the way out another guy walking in says "you don't see many of these around " and adds, nice car and heads inside the store.

But yeah, car shows, not so much!
 
I agree that the early "A"s don't get a lot of respect. And agree with others that it just doesen't matter. Last show I drove my '62 Valiant Signet driver to I was parked between a Pro Mod trailered '62 Corvette and a trailered Resto Mod '71 Chevelle. Corvette guy said he spent more than 250K having the car built but could not even tell me the cubic inches of his LS motor (he even called it a small block chevy in conversation). When we were leaving he said he was disappointed that nearly everyone who walked around my car had a story about one like it and/or asked me questions about it's styling. He told me he hoped he never had to park next to me again. I took that as a complement of the highest order. He's never been back to any of the local shows around here. Incidents like this continue to motivate me to keep it on the road and take it to every show I can warts and all. I even lost a potential girlfriend not to long ago because she was so paranoid about other people/cars following us into parking lots to find out more about the car. The straw that ended our relationship was when we came out of a Sprouts market to find a group of female teenage soccer players taking photos with the car. She got all miffed when they wanted me in the pic and to squeeze them all in we had to get very close/cozy. Grateful to those girls for helping me to see how insecure she was. You may never trophy in an early "A" no matter how nice, but they do attract a crowd!
 
MoGumbo said:
What is that? That’s cool as F***
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1960-1962 Valiant. Dodge had a similar Lancer in 61 and 62. The wagons are even more cool. They are nicknamed "Toads".

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Get yourself a ‘64, ‘65, or ‘66 Barracuda. You don’t even need to do anything to it. If you can get it started and if there’s at least one brake shoe on it, take it to a show and park it next to a McLaren… see which car the people crowd around and talk about.

Driving one is like being a celebrity. If you don’t have time to talk to people, you have to get out of the car, put your head down, and just walk fast.

BTW, I love your car!! That’s the kind of cars I go to see.

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I check out all Mopars and Skip the dime a dozen KEVYS
 
MoGumbo said:
Get yourself a ‘64, ‘65, or ‘66 Barracuda. You don’t even need to do anything to it. If you can get it started and if there’s at least one brake shoe on it, take it to a show and park it next to a McLaren… see which car the people crowd around and talk about.

Driving one is like being a celebrity. If you don’t have time to talk to people, you have to get out of the car, put your head down, and just walk fast.

BTW, I love your car!! That’s the kind of cars I go to see.

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Love me some 64 Valiant Barracuda.... That would be next in line...

(BTW... Originally a RI kid out of South County)
 
Claydart said:
I really just started to notice that when I go to car shows, early A-bodies don't really get any respect! The people walking around stop and say, "nice paint" or "I like the wheels", but it isn't until I open the hood that I might get a "whoa" or similar comment. With the general lack of early A bodies at these car shows, it amazes me that there is no real respect for these cars in general. Sure there are a ton of later Darts and Dusters, and plenty of 67-69 Barracudas at the shows, but I have only seen 2 other early (63-66) A-bodies at any shows. And nobody noticed one of them until the owner opened his hood and displayed the Hemi inside! I'm thinking that these cars were so common back in the 60s and 70s with all the older people at the time driving around in these fairly cheap vehicles, that everyone that sees them now, just say "oh yeah, I had one of those back in my high school or college time. Does anybody else find the same thing I do, or am I just a little paranoid?
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YEP , I have a 65 dart 270 convertible, and although i know there are more than a few around , the really don't get much respest like the later ones do
 
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