Reducing the Beak?

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standup303

standup303

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I’ve always loved Darts and bought my 74 as an impulse buy. It was already painted Plum Crazy Purple, interior was done, running driving etc. then a few months in I started noticing the differences! Now the beak and bumpers drive me nuts. But the car is painted so I don’t want to swap the front clip out.

I am going to be getting a hood scoop and getting the hood wrapped black. I was thinking of finding a spare front hood valance (beak piece between the hood and grill) and custom fabbing it and the trim piece and grill to remove the beak? Has anyone tried it?

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I have never seen it done but I could see cutting down the header panel to match the grill. It would end up looking close to the later plymouth beakers. Plymouth did it so much better.
 
standup303 said:
I’ve always loved Darts and bought my 74 as an impulse buy. It was already painted Plum Crazy Purple, interior was done, running driving etc. then a few months in I started noticing the differences! Now the beak and bumpers drive me nuts. But the car is painted so I don’t want to swap the front clip out.

I am going to be getting a hood scoop and getting the hood wrapped black. I was thinking of finding a spare front hood valance (beak piece between the hood and grill) and custom fabbing it and the trim piece and grill to remove the beak? Has anyone tried it?

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I believe you can get a 73 or newer Scamp hood and grill the beak is smaller. and part of the hood

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Should be a pretty easy bolt on but I never worked on the Darts in that style and would guess you would have to get a core support off a Scamp. at least the top portion for hood latch and grill placement.
 
Sell it to someone who appreciates it for what it is and then buy something else.
 
Put the factory black out that was used on the beak hoods and header panel. Then add the scoop on it and leave it as is metal wise
 
Fred Scigliano said:
Fenders the same on a Dart as the Scamp Mike? I'm thinking they would be.
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Dodge & Plymouth A-body fenders are different. Dodge wheel opening sweeps back behind the tire while Plymouth is more "squarish", for lack of a better term at the moment. Headlight bezel area is different too. Scamp is the same as Duster, year-to-year.
 
If you decide to get the Scamp hood, grill and fender, be sure to get the bumper too as it too has less of a beak on it. As others have said, a 73+ Valiant (4 door), Scamp and Duster would have all the parts you need.

Sounds like whichever way you go, there’s going to be paint work needed?

As others have said, the ‘73+ Plymouth A bodies have a beak as well but it’s not a pointy as what the Dodge A bodies have.
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Locomotion said:
Dodge & Plymouth A-body fenders are different. Dodge wheel opening sweeps back behind the tire while Plymouth is more "squarish", for lack of a better term at the moment. Headlight bezel area is different too. Scamp is the same as Duster, year-to-year.
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Good to know I thought the fenders were same, so now next car show I see a 73 up Dart I'll have to check it out closer.
 
Thanks all, I’m going to keep an eye out for a Scamp/Duster hood, grille, bezel, bumper. This Scamp is actually one of my favorite A Bodies too.

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Years ago, I knew a gorgeous girl, but she was a beaker. I learnd to love her for what she was... the hottest woman ever born, beaker or no baker! Dusters are o different. Darts maybe!!! :poke:
:rofl:
 
I have run circles around this myself on a '74 Dart Swinger I had.

Went so far as pulling the Beak header out, tried reworking a used one cutting the point out of it. Just did not look right.

Then you have the pointed grille and the pointed bumper.

Best solution was to leave it stock, then pull the front and read bumpers in 1 1/2" closer to the body and get rid of the bumperets on the bumpers.

Was a good improvement, but still a beak car.

As the cards were coming my way I was able to purchase a good looking '69 Satellite, then an opportunity came up to sell the rust free '74 Swinger so down the road it went.

____________

Sometimes things just have a way of working out for the better.

And someone else got a '74 Dart Swinger that they are happy with.

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Leave the hood and stab in a '69 Barracuda grille and bumper.

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I still don't understand the aversion to the 73-76 Dart styling.

Dart 3.JPG


You can slot the front bumper mounting brackets to allow the bumper to tuck in tighter.

Dart 4.JPG


I actually like the styling. To me, this car looks damn good.
 
I see a bit of a slide with this thread going into an opinion on if the beak looks good or not…….
 
I used to call them "picnic table" bumpers when they first came out. On the Novas and Venturas, too, and whatever those Olds were..............
 
Kern Dog said:
I still don't understand the aversion to the 73-76 Dart styling.

View attachment 1716041317

You can slot the front bumper mounting brackets to allow the bumper to tuck in tighter.

View attachment 1716041318

I actually like the styling. To me, this car looks damn good.
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Totally agree. I may be partial because my first Mopar was a 73 Dart sport 340. And I have seen the topic at hand really turn ugly in regards this front end. To each his own but I personally would leave it alone and try to think of a different way to "enhance" other parts of the body and see if it will flip your switch OP.....

JW
 
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