is it all worth it?

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i payed $1500 for my rotted shell, it was rusty in wierd places, and i thought i got a good deal, considering it was a V8 car,

but i had to do the following: both front fenders, both quarters, both trunk extentions, rear trunk/window gutter tray and one apiller,

ive looked around ALOT for 70-72 darts, and the price seems to be around $2500-$4500 for a SHELL rust free of course, but yet the 73+ for a mint rust free RUNNING driver is between $1000-$2500

i continplated buying a 73+ and swaping the front clip, and rear tail panel, but thats like turning a 74 dart sport into a 71 demon....even know most people cant tell, its always on the back of your mind.
 
gonna start working on the dart (
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well i didnt read this whole tread but read most of it..my dart had a top on it and if you take a look at the tread you can see where my car is at now as far as the body....
i never did this kinda work before and have learned that its really not to bad but i love to do stuff my self to learn it and to say i did that..i plan to do it all right here in my shop from the body to the paint and the motor...hope this helps you along some ..mike:blob:
 
abodyjoe said:
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.

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that looks like a really clean car...

also, buying a car that is already done takes all the fun out of the hobby, i have over $30,000 into my 71 and alot of the work was done by me and my dad, and the body/paint was done by my dads friend for around $5000 .

this was my first mopar (used to build chebbys) and the cost is rediculous, i can understand how people spends $50k + on an Ebody
 
also, buying a car that is already done takes all the fun out of the hobby,
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not really.. it may be done body and paint wise but you can have fun personalizing it... just don't have to touch the body and paint.. saves a ton of cash right there.
 
abodyjoe, with all due respect, I've been around Mopars long enough to say I think your examples are the super rare exception - not the rule.
Your yellow Swinger is a beautiful car, but would you ever get the money out of it that you put into it? No.

In my opinion, if this guy likes his later model Swinger, I say go for it, restore the car the way you want. Forget about getting money out of it, most of the time you never will.

Don't count on finding a truly rust free running A-body for $1100 anytime soon........

I've owned my '68 Road Runner since 1993, purchased from the original owner. It's a numbers-matching all original extremely clean car. Am I gonna start modifying the original motor? Hell no. That's why I paid $3000 for a clean '75 Scamp /6, 904, 7.25. I love the car and have a 383, 727, 8.75 plan for it.
 
'buying a car already restore takes the fun out of it"

Well your idea of fun and my idea of fun are not the same, lol

I like to drive-and abuse-my cars. If I'm just going to putt around the block with it, heck I can do that with any newer car
 
TrailBeast said:
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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Only 73s up with BBP has disc brakes from Ma Mopar. All 73s up with factory SPB are drum brakes.
 
The problem with rust is its keeps on growing. I recall the early 80;s when the smart buyers turn down a car with ANY rust.

Now today most cars have and had a bit of rust and 100% rust free cars are hard to find--least at a good price. But be careful, rust never sleeps
 
my car is 4 wheel drum, with the small lug pattern...again i do like it, and i personally dont have a problem with the front end (i was previously a huge fan of the old goats, so its common to me) but i got the car for 800, but paid the shop (by my girlfiends order not mine) 1650 to flush the fuel, new battery, water pump, thermostat, radiator, harmonic balencer, all new tires, light switch, starter solinoid, and a few randome hoses and what not...so there is NO WAY im getting looked at for anything close to what i have in, if i were to sell the car and get a diff body
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haha...yes it is...like i said...the whole rear half essentualy...didnt know when i bought it that it wasnt strucurly sound...just thought it was sheet metal...i was obviously wrong...i just recently got the chance to look under it real well, thats why this thread is started
 
Wow, that's pretty rusty........


BTW, you guys realize those 73-76 dart "bird-nose" hoods line up with a 67-69 Cuda hood, right?
 
there is NO WAY im getting looked at for anything close to what i have in, if i were to sell the car and get a diff body
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in my opinion your better off cutting your losses now. pull what ya can from the car and get a cleaner body. that thing is just going to cost too much time and money to get even remotely respectable..
 
X3 - There is a huge difference between rusty panels and rusty frames, especially if you are farming out the work. I would look for a clean body, and slowly swap that which is really good on yours on to it.

Grant
 
lol...so now every one agrees? dump this body? unfortunetly, if i dump this then im gonna have to get a newer car (may have already said this once), but im temp baned from classics till i have a new car that is fine...which is my main reason for not wanting to give up, as i hate new cars
 
tzayoh said:
lol...so now every one agrees? dump this body? unfortunetly, if i dump this then im gonna have to get a newer car (may have already said this once), but im temp baned from classics till i have a new car that is fine...which is my main reason for not wanting to give up, as i hate new cars
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do yourself a favor. go get something safe and reliable until you have the extra money to play with the old cars. you'll be a lot happier in the long run.
 
Dude, first of all, stop taking orders from your girlfriend.
Restore what you want, or buy and drive what you want.
If she's not on board with that, tell her see-ya!

That car is really rough, frame rot, etc. Was the shop you handed $1650 concerned at all about the rotted frame?! Don't throw good money after bad.
 
It is just as easy to buy a newish car that is equally as bad, and more expensive to maintain or fix. Drive what YOU want. Stand up for what you want. Women like a man with backbone. If not, then maybe...

Grant
 
Scrap it and buy what you. It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. She will stay with you even if you buy something and the bitching will lighten up after awhile.
 
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