Just bought my first mopar. Looking for help!

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Boogeyman Racing

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Hello everyone, chevy guy for the past 10 years of building cars with my dad and now my wife as well.... I'm 26 years old and have just bought my first 73 Swinger special...
Picked it up at a tow yard down the street for 300 and and a free tow.... I have been looking up as much information on this car as possible but would like to hear your feedback! And a possible direction on which to go with this car... wanted to do a prostreet build with it. But also dont want to ruin it if it is worth anything substantial. Car needs new carpet, and Seats but dash and all the glass are in very good shape.. car has all the lights, grille, and bumpers in great shape. Just a few minor dents around it. It says it came with a 318 but no engine or trans in car. However I learned as of last night that some mopar cars came from Canada? It has a made in Canada badge on the doors and a few other canada badges. Here is some pics and tell me whatchya think of it??? And if I should do a 440/pro street build or keep it stock??
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Looks good! Any rot around the windows? What rear end does it have? $300 is a great deal if it’s solid. Not to familiar with the Swinger Special. Mines a 65 GT. Good luck with it!!
 
Tad said:
Looks good! Any rot around the windows? What rear end does it have? $300 is a great deal if it’s solid. Not to familiar with the Swinger Special. Mines a 65 GT. Good luck with it!!
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Thanks so much for replying! And I'm going to look at the rear end tonight. Still learning my codes etc for mopar. It does look tiny however. And no major rust on the car at all. The weather stripping and chrome molding is all in such good shape because it was in a storage unit forever. It had been in the weather for 2 years before I got it. What's funny is the headliner of all things is in perfect shape
 
Do what ever you want to do to it because it is your car your way and that ends that ****!
A 318 A body really is t what I’d call a money making worthy resto. Even a 340 car could be very boarder line and that depends on what your starting with.

$300 smacked for that thing!

SCORE!!!!!!!!

What trans and rear ended size is in there. Just to be sure it is or is not stock.

You wanna big block it and have a blast!
Knock yourself out bro and go for it!
 
rumblefish360 said:
Do what ever you want to do to it because it is your car your way and that ends that ****!
A 318 A body really is t what I’d call a money making worthy resto. Even a 340 car could be very boarder line and that depends on what your starting with.

$300 smacked for that thing!

SCORE!!!!!!!!

What trans and rear ended size is in there. Just to be sure it is or is not stock.

You wanna big block it and have a blast!
Knock yourself out bro and go for it!
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Okay awesome! Thanks for the info... it's all stock.. I can tell the thing hasn't been messed with at all. It has 58k miles on it.. just has been sitting forever. Worst thing for a car to do.... I was wanting to make it a nice pro street car. Clean interior. 28x10.5 or 275/60 radial... with a 440 and auto trans.
 
What are the first 5-7 digits of the VIN?

If it truly is a Swinger Special, some of them came with 340 engines and are somewhat of an oddity in the Mopar world.
 
Boogeyman Racing said:
Okay awesome! Thanks for the info... it's all stock.. I can tell the thing hasn't been messed with at all. It has 58k miles on it.. just has been sitting forever. Worst thing for a car to do.... I was wanting to make it a nice pro street car. Clean interior. 28x10.5 or 275/60 radial... with a 440 and auto trans.
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Sounds like a good plan to start with. Enjoy!
 
Nice AC and all. Great start for $300. Small block is the easiest since it was a 318 car. 273, 318, 340, 360, 5.2 Magnum, 5.9 Magnum, or a stroker depending how much you want to put into it. Then you can go big block B engines 361, 383, 400. Next is a RB 413, 426, 440. Then there are Hemis, 5.7, 6.4, 426? Pick your engine first since that will help decide the rest.
 
66fs said:
Nice AC and all. Great start for $300. Small block is the easiest since it was a 318 car. 273, 318, 340, 360, 5.2 Magnum, 5.9 Magnum, or a stroker depending how much you want to put into it. Then you can go big block B engines 361, 383, 400. Next is a RB 413, 426, 440. Then there are Hemis, 5.7, 6.4, 426? Pick your engine first since that will help decide the rest.
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Okay since it was a small block car, will I need to change anything out via subframe.. If I wanted to go 440??? I'm used to chevy where almost everything is interchangeable lol
 
Boogeyman Racing said:
Hello everyone, chevy guy for the past 10 years of building cars with my dad and now my wife as well.... I'm 26 years old and have just bought my first 73 Swinger special...
Picked it up at a tow yard down the street for 300 and and a free tow.... I have been looking up as much information on this car as possible but would like to hear your feedback! And a possible direction on which to go with this car... wanted to do a prostreet build with it. But also dont want to ruin it if it is worth anything substantial. Car needs new carpet, and Seats but dash and all the glass are in very good shape.. car has all the lights, grille, and bumpers in great shape. Just a few minor dents around it. It says it came with a 318 but no engine or trans in car. However I learned as of last night that some mopar cars came from Canada? It has a made in Canada badge on the doors and a few other canada badges. Here is some pics and tell me whatchya think of it??? And if I should do a 440/pro street build or keep it stock??View attachment 1715468417 View attachment 1715468418

View attachment 1715468419

View attachment 1715468421
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Sweet deal for $300!! Like other's have said... it's your car, do it however you want to. In my humble opinion, it's not worth keeping it stock without the numbers matching drive train that the car was born with. And there are a lot of engine options that are more fun than a 318. Not that there's anything wrong with the teener motors, but the 360 and 408 strokers can be beasts.

When you close your eyes, what do you see? Color? Wheels? Trim? Let's hear some of your plans, outside of prostreet.

Also, go on EBay and search MOPAR A BODY in parts and accessories. Not that you will buy anything on EBay, but you will find 30+ pages of parts/ideas that you don't know exist yet. There are a lot of "upgraded" Mopar parts that offer an improvement over the original design.

Get on the mailing list for companies like Mancini Racing, Speedway, Laysons, QA1, etc. They will send out coupons or have sales every once in awhile. The savings can add up if you have patience. There are some vendors that are members on this site, and some offer us discounts.

Most of all, ask questions. No matter what the question is, big or small. There are so many knowledgeable people on this site, it's scary. No question is too basic. I had to ask a question about a bolt that I didn't recognize. I got 3 answers within an hour or so.

Last thing, start a build thread. Not only so other FABO members can keep up with your progress, but it's a great way to keep an archive of your build. In case you ever sell the car you will have documentation. Plus, in a year or two from now it's fun to look back and see how far you've come.

Good luck.
 
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jonn6464 said:
Sweet deal for $300!! Like other's have said... it's your car, do it however you want to. In my humble opinion, it's not worth keeping it stock without the numbers matching drive train that the car was born with. And there are a lot of engine options that are more fun than a 318. Not that there's anything wrong with the teener motors, but the 360 and 408 strokers can be beasts.

When you close your eyes, what do you see? Color? Wheels? Trim? Let's hear some of your plans, outside of prostreet.

Also, go on EBay and search MOPAR A BODY in parts and accessories. Not that you will buy anything on EBay, but you will find 30+ pages of parts/ideas that you don't know exist yet. There are a lot of "upgraded" Mopar parts that offer an improvement over the original design.

Get on the mailing list for companies like Mancini Racing, Speedway, Laysons, QA1, etc. They will send out coupons or have sales every once in awhile. The savings can add up if you have patience. There are some vendors that are members on this site, and some offer us discounts.

Most of all, ask questions. No matter what the question is, big or small. There are so many knowledgeable people on this site, it's scary. No question is too basic. I had to ask a question about a bolt that I didn't recognize. I got 3 answers within an hour or so.

Last thing, start a build thread. Not only so other FABO members can keep up with your progress, but it's a great way to keep an archive of your build. In case you ever sell the car you will have documentation. Plus, in a year or two from now it's fun to look back and see how far you've come.

Good luck.
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Okay I shall start one... and thanks so much for the information... and support!
 
Post a picture of the build sheet if you can find it and also the fender tag. This will clear up any questions on the cars value. I think the 340 canadian cars were called western special or something like that. Very few made so they can be valuable, or at least more so than a regular dart.
Looks like a nice color combo for a 73. Most were ugly creme or green. Also looks like a black interior, score. The steering wheel looks to be pre-73 though. Maybe its an early build 73.
Great price on that car. That is 10-15 year ago pricing.
Judging by the lack of rust and the way the paint is baked, it probably lived most of its life out west. Is the interior baked?
 
MoparMike1974 said:
Post a picture of the build sheet if you can find it and also the fender tag. This will clear up any questions on the cars value. I think the 340 canadian cars were called western special or something like that. Very few made so they can be valuable, or at least more so than a regular dart.
Looks like a nice color combo for a 73. Most were ugly creme or green. Also looks like a black interior, score. The steering wheel looks to be pre-73 though. Maybe its an early build 73.
Great price on that car. That is 10-15 year ago pricing.
Judging by the lack of rust and the way the paint is baked, it probably lived most of its life out west. Is the interior baked?
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Okay will do, and it was kept mainly in a storage unit. The owners then defaulted paying the storage... which lead to the towing yard taking the car. It then sat there for a few years before I got it. And yes the interior is black. Not in bad shape actually. The seat is toast. But the dash has only 1 crack, the door panels are pristine. And the carpet isn't to moldy. The most surprising part is the headliner is literally perfect.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
Post a picture of the build sheet if you can find it and also the fender tag. This will clear up any questions on the cars value. I think the 340 canadian cars were called western special or something like that. Very few made so they can be valuable, or at least more so than a regular dart.
Looks like a nice color combo for a 73. Most were ugly creme or green. Also looks like a black interior, score. The steering wheel looks to be pre-73 though. Maybe its an early build 73.
Great price on that car. That is 10-15 year ago pricing.
Judging by the lack of rust and the way the paint is baked, it probably lived most of its life out west. Is the interior baked?
Click to expand...
And yes the sell build date is 72 but sold as a 73
 
Nice! Last year for taillights in the bumper I believe. I'd build a 383 stroker for cheap. The low deck 383-400's fit better than the 440's. get ready for the Mopar penalty $ - the coolest cars are more expensive to build than chebbys. Welcome to the forum!
 
Nice! You didn't get hurt at all for 300 ! Sweet Deal :) You can go big block and nobody will blame you, but small blocks have a lot of opportunity as well and fit better. Whatever you decide, you are sure to have fun!!
 
And, as a bonus if your stripping the car to minimal weight everything on the car that you do not want to use can be sold here, courtesy lamps and switches with wiring, A/C unit and heater box, even the jack and spare tire hold down or any usable sheet metal that you may cut out of it.
 
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