original restoration or modified?

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ihavenoabody

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Hello, my name is Jeff, and I live in Rio Rancho New Mexico. I have been a Ford fan for a long time now, but I really like a bodies as well!! My friend mark has a very nice mopar, it's a 63" Dart (Im pretty sure it's a 63') He has done a lot of mods to his Dart. It's very fun and good looking. I think he posts on here, but I'm not really sure.
Anyways, I'm getting off topic a bit. Here's the question to everyone. I got my first mopar (yeah!!!) It's a Dodge Demon. I really like it quite a bit. It's a good runner right now, paint is ugly and could use some interior work, nothing too major.
I'm curious of what should I do. Now, for collector's value, it would be better for the restoration to be correct, but I'd like to make some mods to it, as I'd like to have more power and punch. What does everyone think? I'm not sure what to do. I don't plan on reselling it. I am planning to keep it. Thanks everyone who can help me decide and get started!!

Thanks a bunch!!! Sincerely, Jeff D.:wav:
 
Welcome to FABO! And congrats on the Demon, probably my favorite A-body!:-D

As far as whether or not to modify or not, I try and look at a few different things. First of all, is this a rare car? If you've got a 340 4 speed or (in the case of other models) a hemi car or similar, by all means try to keep it more on the original side. But if you've got a /6 auto "grocery getter", you're not going to see a huge drop in value if you modify it some. Is it a numbers matching car? I'm not really a concourse original resto kind of guy, my Challenger is non-matching and I'm not worried about modifying it. But my Butterscotch '71 GT is an all numbers matching, buildsheet and fendertag, pretty much all original car. And its going to pretty much stay that way. My bornze GT is missing entire driveline and has no buildsheet, I'm not going to worry about keeping it stock since it can never be an original car again.

Also, I don't think twice about safety mods and anything that can be undone. Disk brakes, power brakes, bigger torsion bars, better springs, sway bars, etc, are basically all safety items for me. I drive (or intend to drive) all my cars, so I want them to handle well and stop as best they can. And they're all bolt on mods, nothing that can't be undone by someone else down the line. The only time I really think about doing something is if it requires me welding or cutting something. But I still plan on putting frame connectors in my cars because, as far as I'm concerned, its a safety item.

When it all comes down to it, its YOUR car. You should make it what you want it to be, and have FUN. Unless you chop it up into little pieces, someone will likely be able to undo most, if not all, the things you do to it if they really want to.
 
I'm not a resto purist either. I know what I like, I know what I want, and that's what I build. Granted, my car has nothing impressive from the factory, but unless it was super rare, I don't think I'd have a problem at all building it the way I wanted. I say make a plan of what you want, and go for it. Just stick to the plan...
 
i pretty much dont care what i do to my car, its gunna be mine, and when i get my car i dont intend on selling it so, hell do whatever you want to it, but just dont chop the top
 
Welcome from the dark side..LOL!!!! Good first mopar too. I do agree that if it was a rare car(340/4spd, or a demon sizzler, etc...)then keep it original. If it was a plain jane /6 or 318 car, do whatever you want.

Post pics when you can.
 
Welcome!

This is my opinion... Remember it is your car....

If the car has significant collector value.... Factory 340, rare options, and so on.... I think it would be better to lean more to the stock side... This does not mean a 100% pure stock build but a build that allows the car to quickly and easily be returned to stock... In this kind of build you will have a lot of bolt ons (wheels, engine goodies) you would not have body mods, after market dashes, seat swaps, cages.... and so on...

If the car was say.... just your normal slant 6, you can be free and do what you want because the collector value is limited anyway...
 
From a collectors point of veiw, a totaly correct restoration is the only way to go save perhaps at best a orange box ignition upgrade with the OE parts in a box that get sold/kept wth the car.

FOR YOU

Do what you want to the car. Enjoy it to it's max pontail without fear or reprise from anyone about what you did or are going to do with it.
You can make it look stock and use upgrade parts to upgrade the engine for better running, more mileage, enhanced power or just simplely eye candy.

I love the guys that do a great resto job and correctly.
However, when I get a car, it'll never stay stock for long since I like to add a few performance parts just for what I was saying above.

My Duster's 318 got simple period correct type performance parts rather than mmodern one just for the nasalgia part of it and the minor wow every once in awhile when someone realize's it.

Simple things like a MSD hidden under the battery tray will add some mileage and headers, while a pain to install, will help with mileage as well. No one would ever see a modern O.D. trans installed unless they looked under the car. With a better gear set for performance, it also add's mileage.

Things like this are cool additions to a otherwise stock ride. They enhance the car without destroying it. This is called a restomod and it's done everywhere.

Forgive the spelling, I just got up after a long long night at work.
 
Welcome to FABO! Congrats on your first Mopar and it's a Demon!

I just finished building a 71 340 Demon and I built it for me! I say to you Jeff, build it the way you are going to drive it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Even it is a #'s matching car you can always swap in different motor and GARAGE KEEP your correct motor. Then you can modify it, or blow it, simply drop in the orginal motor at a later date.
 
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