How did you become a Mopar A-body Enthusiast?

[mycuda]

Well, started out Pontiac at young age. Worked in custom shop in the 80's.
Got this roached 69 GTO and put heart and soul and $ into it. Fiberglass quarters, 12 bolt 4.11
POSI, 400 V8 w/ tripower, and 400 turbo trans. I was in high heaven after completion.
Enjoyed my hard work at age 18 and boy was I cool. Long story short..... I decided I need
to be faster than the Dart swinger 340 down the block. That would pass me after about 80mph.
This 4200 lb lead sled wasnt doin the trick.
Found 67 cuda, 273 original 727. Put 383 bored .60 over, solid motormounts, Fenderwell headers, slight ported open chamber heads and 727 rmvb W/ 3500 stall, (Over period of 10 Years)
huge Crane roller cam, tunnel ram w/ twin 560 cfm carbs, and 150 shot of nitrous, Suregrip 4.10.
And wallahhhhhh! Now I felt like I accomplished something! No one came close but a supercharged corvette now and then. Still have car today.
Since I have bought, rebuilt, restored and resell Strictly A bodys ONLY...... I Insure 7 vehicles all Mopar.......Tell us your story to present.

Dave

 

[abodyjoe]

i always liked mopars but my first car was a pontiac. have had three pontiacs over the years. still have a soft spot for pontiacs..

had the chance to buy a friends 64 valiant and i jumped on it.. 6cyl daily driver, then a 360 then a 440.
always liked darts.. something about them.. maybe its because they were dirt cheap back in the day who knows.. have had b-bodies, a e body a lil red bit always gravitate to the abodies...

right now we have our 70 dart that i love,,, the 65 d100 that i may sell because i'd really like to have another 64 valiant..


first pontiac

second pontiac

third pontiac... love to have another 78. i'd do a LS swap these days..

 

[RPMagoo]

Bought this, in the early 90s.. -- Hemi -- Built by The Ramchargers, in Michigan.

 

[MichaelB.]

Loved Mustangs (think vintage Fastback like in the movie Bullet) but a pal of mine in high school told me that Mopar was the stuff. My Uncle had a 1968 Plymouth GTX with a 440 cubic inch plant that he would street race Chevys & Fords with while a travel-trailer was attached ~ and win. Consistently. That impressed me so I listened to my High school chum & bought another 1968 GTX for $900. It had a weak 383 transplant (which I blew up quickly) then I got a 440 out of a junkyard & built it myself for the replacement. I was the fastest kid in school from then on out.

I went through a string of B-Bodies (including a 440+6 pistol grip 4:10 9&3/4 Dana 1970 GTX) while my pals had a few A-Bodies. I always liked the smaller lighter Mopar. I ended up with an original owner 1973 Duster with a 340, 250,000 miles and a automatic. It would spin one tire for miles. I broke the leaf spring at the trunk mount (rust) then went on to many other great cars afterwards. But my luv for the A-Body persisted. I found my Dart for sale by accident and fell hard. Bought it over the phone then contacted the gent (from the reams of records that came with the car) who had originally installed a lot of the good parts. He led me to here.

That was many years ago... - And it will be many more now 'cause I dig it.

 

[Darter6]

In 1970 My dad came home with a Dart Swinger with a Slant Six. He was always into big Chrysler's,big engines and this was his first non big block car ever.That same year my brother ordered a Orange 340 Duster,4 speed and 3.91 gears.Me I was driving a 66 Valiant 170 3 speed then a 67 Dart 225.A few years later I got my own 70 340 4 speed Duster.

 

[lenky1]

As a kid growing up dad always talked about his 2 cars. 73 mach 1 and 72 340 duster. Both were built engines. He always said he missed that duster. So I went out and bought a 71 duster and restored it 340 and all. A few years pass and I go buy another 71 318 duster and drop it off in his driveway. Next mornin he calls and says wtf u bought another 1. My response yeah but it's not mine. Thank you dad it's yours I tell him.

 

[stroked340]

Friend next door had a '70 challenger thought that car was bad *** til George moved in across the street with a '70 340 duster 1 ride in that car and I was sold..A-bodies rule!!!

 

[Princess Valiant]

My adoptive dad has an A56 1969 cuda 340/4speed car that he bought as a used car in 1972

As of the time I moved in with him in 2001, the car was still on the road so I learned to drive in it because he wanted me to learn to drive a manual and its a 4 speed car .....he used to say anyone could drive an auto but it takes a special kind of driver to shift.

We raced the car a few times and went a lot of miles of memories with it.

We still have it now but it is retired from family car duty and is showing its age really bad, so it's a future project car.

 

[barbee6043]

its 1966, me I am almost 18, lady with quarter horses and friend to us "horsey" kids owned an interest in local Chrysler dealership. she owned a 64 sport fury, 383 car/ loaned it to me and another horsey girl to use it and her trailer to us to go to shows sometimes hour away.! loved that car, back then, I also wished she was single and wasn't she enough to be my mom! she could ride like Casey Tibbs, pull a calf, and she was HOT!

 

[64physhy]

I actually like a variety of muscle cars. Started out with a '72 el Camino in the late 80's. When I was in the Marine Corps, my parents moved and sold it without telling me (which I bought with my own money, still torqued about that). I went a few years without muscle, other than a mud truck, and in '96, my ex-wife and I saw a '64 Barracuda sitting at a shop. She was actually the one who liked it and wanted it, so I talked to the owner, and he said he wasn't selling it. About a year and a half later, I found it for sale by a different owner, and bought it.
It was my first resto-type project. Man, what a challenge before the internet was what it is now. I found everything through catalogs, mail and email lists, junk yards, and little on ebay when it was just starting out. I had a second job solely for funding the project, and spent about a year getting it to where it is now. The motor was already done, so it was all body, paint, and trim that I did (well, paid to have the paint done). When we got divorced, I got the car and still have it.
During a deployment in 2008, I got the itch for more power. At first, I was just going to soup up the Barracuda, but then I found out that my in-laws' neighbor had a 74 Duster for sale. I was able to get an email out to him, and he held it until I got back. It had a 318 in it and was in fairly good shape, other than some rust in the right rear quarter. I got it with the intention of making a hot rod, but ended up with a 414 stroker making 515HP and 526Lb/Ft, a race-built 904 with low first, and manual reverse pattern (scored for $400! Hangs the hoops for about 20') and had a Dana 60 built.
I was running the Duster at a (then) local track for T&T and other non-sanctioned events, but don't have a bar, and run well under 7.35 in the 1/8. Got orders, and it has pretty much sat (both have) for the last 5 years, other than occasionally starting them when I'm home. I just retired after nearly 27 years in the Marine Corps, and just moved to TX, but haven't got all my junk moved out here yet. Looking for a house with a good sized workshop so I can back to playing with my toys!

 

[n.y.340 dart]

64physhy Semper Fi!

 

[Sedanman]

My first car was a 67 Valiant Signet 4dr 225 /6 I bought from a car lot that was on consignment by a preist who drove it from WA to Chicago for $500 when I was in my mid 20's. It had 150,000 on it when I bought it and I put another 200,000 on it in the 6 years I had it. I kept it going by buying used parts from other A bodies that would end up in the junk yards. I sold it to my cousin who had it for a year before he ended up trading me for a 79 LeBaron I had and I parted it out.

 

[racerdan80]

Wasn't originaly, my dad had a 66 charger and a 69 GTX and those cars are what started my mopar fascination. Was at a Hooters car show and struck up a conversation with some older gents with some very nice early 50's Fords. They asked what I was into and I told them, they told me a lady in their club was thinking of selling her plymouth but they couldn't remember what model it was. Gave them my number and a week later I got a phone call. Went to look at the car, 68 barracuda and for 1500 it wasn't half bad. It was a little rough and I knew it was going to take some time and money. But there was just a bit of charm when I stood back and really appreciated that fastback look.

 

[pomonamissel]

well had b bodies and a bud had early full size , i bought a 69 gtsport 340 auto car , that had been rolled over on a dirt road , smashed the roof down , broke the windshield , it was a smooth roll was not hurt bad . was just going to pull the running gear , but broke out the port a power and push the roof back , installed a windshield . and it became a beater driver , ran hard . would boil the rears tires . stock as a rock , bow by my buds 70 lt-1 ss nova . it was a fun car . chevy guy friend of mine bought it from me , all he'd say was '' man that things fast '' funny he never said that about his chevies , lol . well i've got other 69 gtsport 340 auto same package with air , another salvage sale , but i'm hanging on to this one , lol . but i've got a 64 barracuda i plan on a 340 6pck with a a833 4spd and a 8 3/4 r/e qa-1 suspen goodies with kh disc's , bought that one from the original owner still factory finish . that going to be a fun fast one , lol .

 

[Ottmundr]

My dad was never a chevy or ford guy, so he brought me up right in regards to cars. Back in 1981 or so, my dad came home with a RAT of a 66 Coronet 440 convertible with a 383 and 727. He fixed it up, shaved all the chrome off it, painted it red with a white top, man that car was fun and FAST. We were out for a cruise one morning, and we got T-boned by some drunk jackass in a 60's camaro. He took off towards the direction we came from. Some dude yelled out the camaro's license number. My dad did a U turn, and we chased that drunk driver jackass down. Since the passenger side was already smashed in, my dad just pulled over in front of said jackass, and he was stuck because a good Samaritan followed us and boxed him in. He ended up fixing it again after that. You couldn't tell it was hit. He ended up selling that beautiful car in about 83 or 84.

In 86, he bought a 67 barracuda vert with a 273. Fixed it and I got to drive it a little before he sold that one. Next was the 68 barracuda vert with a 318 .040 over. All these cars were red.

I am extremely fair skinned, and I always wanted a 68 fastback or notch. When I had the money, I could never find them, and when I didn't have the money, they were EVERYWHERE. (I didn't think to look for a 70-72 duster/demon, or 67-72 dart) I ended up getting a 67 barracuda vert with a /6, and I loved that car with the top down at night, never in the day. I ended up fixing that thing up and selling it to start a business. I think I got around $4500 in 92 or so.

My best friend in high school had a 66 charger with a 383, and his sister had a 67 charger with a 361. His dad had TWELVE 1956 DeSotos.

Fast forward 23 years, and I finally got my 68 fastback. Since I don't have access to a garage, it's rather difficult to work on the car, since I am not even allowed to change the OIL in my driveway. California and the HOA. I have to work on my car in the parking lot at work after my shift ends, so it's kinda slow going.

Edit:
I've been thinking about this thread all evening, and I've realized that I now want to get me a 66 or 67 two door coronet hardtop, or a 68 or 69 coronet 4 door hardtop or wagon for a sleeper.

 

[etngeorge]

My Dad was a Mopar guy. I loved his Hemi Desoto. When I was fifteen, my older brother bought a 65 Dart with 273 Hipo. He would let me drive it occasionally( with him as shotgun). That was in 69. We would go to local dragstrip where 340 Swingers were the toughest out in stock class. No other car stirs such memories.

 

[Daves69]

Well silly me, I traded my $380 '71 340 auto Challenger RT for this '69 Formula S that was smacked in the nose and a freshly painted '66 Satty 2dr w/o an engine or trans and misc. parts. What sold me was the 440 4spd. in the Barracuda.

 

[Dana]

I was conceived on the hood of a 68 GTS 340 4spd! No ****

 

[Ddaddy]

My grandfather was a Mopar man from way back and always talked to me about Dodge from the time I was old enough to understand words. He had a '67 Dart GT and a '69 Monaco. My mother had a '63 Dart that was supposed to be my first car but my older sister wrecked it before it came to me. My other older sister had a '71 Demon that became the car I took to college. Since then I owned dozens of A bodies and wrenched on them until I all until I switched to driving new cars for work about 30 years ago. In 2005, I bought a Dodge Magnum and in 2006 I traded it for a Charger SRT-8 (still have it). Now I'm back into the A bodies again now my '69 GTS that is the near twin to the '69 GT 340 I had when I first got married. Funny how I still know every detail of the car 30 years on.

 

[Lelo Dart]

My first car was a 69 383 Polara 2 door given to me by my grandparents. Loved that car. Longer than a Cadillac. I thought it was fast and on the highway if you gave the gas pedal a little extra mash it would kick down to second and you could see the front end rise up a little.
My Dad had a old book of the best cars or something like that and one of them was a Dart. It mentioned that the Dart was a light car with the same power as cars like mine and was a popular choice for the drag strip. It made perfect sense to me and I had to have one.
Fast forward twenty some years, I was at a job and across the street was a (rough looking) 72 Dart like it was put there just for me. Reminds me of my old Polara and my dream car to boot.

Mine had a white vinyl top but other than that looked just like this^^^^^

 

[Brad4406]

I was making payments on my mom's Lincoln Continental Mark VI four door, but overheated it and warped the head.

I went into the USAF a while after, so mom and dad paid for the repairs and sold it. I was stationed in AK, and my best friend talked me into buying a '65 Barracuda off a fella in Fairbanks. It was 225 /6 with 3 on the tree and 8 1/4 sure grip. Drove it for 2 years there and then all the way to Charleston, SC. My best friend sold me a '69 318 and 904 for it out of his '69 Barracuda he was putting a 440 and 4-speed into. Drove it for a couple more years, pulled the drivetrain out and sold it.

Mopar from then on, other than a couple years in dad's '77 F100. My '65 Barracuda I have now is the same as the last one, white paint with black interior, but didn't have an engine or trans when I got it.

 

[clementine]

I fell in love with a rusted out 66 GOT when my older sister dated a guy who owned it. Got a 67 ... then a 65 and ran a 455 with a shot and a doug Nash 4+1. Ran 11.07 @ 122. Not bad. Then another Pontiac..63 lemans...32 Chevy....56 dodge with a 55 Desoto 291.... then all of a sudden 2 yrs ago I accumulated a 67 383 FB....a 34 Plymouth PE and a 95 grand cherokee....im loving it. Pontiac are cool. Can't wait to drive this barracuda though.

 

[67Dart273]

My alltime favorite Mopar was my '70 440 6BBL, but I could not even find a decent Satellite HT at a reasonable price and reasonable shape. I bought the 67 more as "default" because I could not find anything else reasonably priced. I always liked the A bodies, never owned one before "my older days." It's been apart, I sure hope to get it somewhat together this summer

The 70 in about 73 or 74 before it was fixed and repainted. In about 3-4 years it will be sold, at the least it would ever have been worth. Yeh. Stupid. At the time this was taken, a 340 had been swapped in, for better mileage. This was during the "gas crunch" of the '70s

If I get lucky and win the lottery---for which I don't buy tickets, LOL--I would pick up another '70

The 67 not too long before it was torn down. It looks way better here than "in person." I wish I had not done this, just driven it and HAD FUN!!

 

[Back in Time]

In 1967 I traded my 57 Chevy 4 door in on a 65 273 4 speed Dart that had been bought new then fitted with 2 4's ,Racer Brown Cam and Dome Pistons/ gears etc. The car was a Rocket and a lot of fun.Life got in the way and I traded it for a 65 Buick Gran Sport. Over the years all my Friends were Chevy guys and I gravitated that way. When I retired I decided to replicate my Dart but somehow ended up with my 64 Dart slant 6 car. Have been piddling around with it for 3 years now and have finally realized I'm just not into this car so plan to sell it as soon as I can get things together to do so. I prefer A-Body Mopars but am really just a car guy so I will be buying something I can just buy ..drive and enjoy. Don't know yet what it'll be but will know it when I see it and can afford it.

 

[thesiren74]

My dad was going buy a 68 4 door slant 6 dart all black back in like 86', i was 7yrs old pulled up seen the front and was in love! Then at the age of 19 found a 67'dart gt in the paper for 750 buck's! All original 273 commando bronze with a wasted interior,sadly didn't know what i had at the time and traded for my duster i have now.man i miss that dart..