is it all worth it?

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tzayoh

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ive been VERY heavily debating this topic for quite some time and finaly want some outside opinion. i have a 73 dart swinger slant six auto... mechanicly sound, but has some major rust issues in the rear from being parked under a tree for 10 years by the previous owner...so i fixed it up and its now my everyday driver...but im just wondering....is it worth it to fix the body? i was told by a semi reliable source to just ditch it and drop my motor in a rust free shell...that these cars are so common its not economicly worth it to resore a body...especialy in my condition


thoughts?
 
right now you can find 73's for dirt cheap..
unless the car means a lot to you, it might be easier to purchase another
 
this spacific car..not so much...but the late 60s to mid 70s is one of my all time favorites...only down side, is if i get rid of this the woman says i gotta get something "normal", and that iv had enough toys....so its this or like a cherokee or something...
 
I think that if you have the means and the car has some value to begin with then the answer is yes. Currently I am doing all of the sheet metal work on a 73 dart sport 340 4 speed car for a friend. The only option the car had is power brakes. It is very rusty, but the car has some value, so to the owner it's worth saving. It is a ton of work, but he will have a very solid cool car with some history.

My dart swinger actually started out as a very solid 73 model, but have added a 70-71 front clip on it. On paper the car has little value, but I also have no hesitations about changing it any way that I want.
 
the front half of my car is very solid...where the uni connects to the subframe and all is very solid...its oly the back...used to have a rag top...so its got the typical rust there all the way through...big enough to fit my fist in...and the trunk pan still has a little mettal left...and the sub frame in the back is going near where the leaf spring connects
 
Ditch it and get a rust free car.
These cars can be had dirt cheap if you wait for the right deal.
Not that it matters, there are very few cars that I would give other advice about.
 
Dirt cheap I don't think so as the 67-72s are being ate up the 73-76 are starting to pick up price a 74 and back Mopar is still a 74 and back Mopar people used to talk about how 360s were a dime a dozen find your self a 340 and now the 360s are just as in demand as the 340s the 73-76 darts and dusters are becoming the same way
 
Find a 72 or older. The 73 has the less popular front end with the "bird nose". Unless of course you like the bird nose.
 
guess it depends how bad the rust is and what it is going to take to fix it. its a73 6 cyl car so its not really anything special. there are some pretty damn good deals out there right now. its almost always cheaper to buy a done car then it is to do all the repair. i figure ya buy a clean done car then personalize it. i'm real close to pulling my yellow dart apart and transferring everything to a clean body. know what kind of money i'll have into paint and body work? hell even doing the work myself with friends help i'll bet it will be close to $8000. not sure its even worth it..

now if there is something really sentimental about it then that takes all logic away from it..lol


heres an example for ya...

we picked this up for $4000. the car is spotless original paint and int, and runs awesome ( only a 6 cyl car)... can you do your car to this condition for $4000? deals are out there. just have to be patient and ready to jump on it when they pop up.

IMG_1851-1.jpg
 
Looks like a sweet deal on that car joe, not any in north Alabama that clean for that money
 
bamadart said:
Looks like a sweet deal on that car joe, not any in north Alabama that clean for that money
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trust me they pop up all over the place. never say never. know how many times i hear that about here in jersey? the deals are out there. just have to be ready when they pop up.




here is another. we bought this one what 7 years ago for $1100. i thought it was a steal at that money. super clean v-8 car.jersey car all its life. i would have paid $5000 at the time for it. they were going for a lot more then $1100 at the time. just sold it for $5000 a month or two ago.

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mopardrt said:
Dirt cheap I don't think so as the 67-72s are being ate up the 73-76 are starting to pick up price a 74 and back Mopar is still a 74 and back Mopar people used to talk about how 360s were a dime a dozen find your self a 340 and now the 360s are just as in demand as the 340s the 73-76 darts and dusters are becoming the same way
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Like I said you have to wait for the right deal.
I still pick up rust free cars from out west for $500.00 -$1,500.00 (for late A-bodies) pretty regularly depending on the body style and if they run are not.
360's are not still a dime a dozen? :dontknow:
I can't seem to give them away
 
daniel_depetro said:
Like I said you have to wait for the right deal.
I still pick up rust free cars from out west for $500.00 -$1,500.00 (for late A-bodies) pretty regularly depending on the body style and if they run are not.
360's are not still a dime a dozen? :dontknow:
I can't seem to give them away
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i agree. the deals are out there. and yea i have never had a problem finding a 360. i have 3 out in the shed right now.
 
Lets see some pics of it. That will give us a better idea of what you should do.
Although I am not a big fan of the "Parrot nose",this one has grown on me.
The car that is.....:^o
 

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Without pictures of your car, there's no way to judge. All these people tellin you to ditch it. I don't get it. What may seem unsurmountable to you might be easy peasy to a good body man. I sure as hell wanna know where these people are buyin their crystal balls from.
 
Can,t the older front ends install on the newer cars ?

Forget how it came from the factory, make the car how you like it to be. They are so old now few folks would noticed any how.

I would go for a factory V8 car over the 6 slant. Maybe not anymore but in the old days the insurance companies hated seeing a factory 6 cylinder car converted over to a V8, they used to refuse to insure it. Said the car was not design to handle the extra power
 
Yeah but up here in Michigan any running car is worth about a grand.

Prices can vary wildly, in Cal he be lucky to get $500, up in the rust belt come spring time, that car be gone fast for $1,000

You got more cars to pick from on the east coast--more people=more cars
 
thats all just an excuse. jersey cars are rusty messes also for the most part. the salt destroys them. and even in jersey that mess probably isn't worth $1000. look at it a little closer in the pics. its a real mess. god knows what that half assed paint is really hiding. bottom line is there are good deals out there all over the place for a nice clean car. just have to find them and be ready with cash when you do find it.
 
tzayoh said:
here are the bad spots

set


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can't see the facebook pictures.

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Ya gotta take into account that the 73 and up already have disc brakes also.
Don't particularly like the 73 front end but it was worth it in the end to have the disc's and large bolt pattern.
The hood, grill and bumper can be changed.
 
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