Tikey Likey so....who else matters if you like it enjoy it
Why don't late A's get any respect
- Thread starter Princess Valiant
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jos51700
Green Bearing thread connoisseur
Personally, I think this homeboy set the bar for excellent on position of late-A bumpers.
Narrowed, Shaved, and Tucked 75 Dart bumper mod.
Other than that and the ridiculous weight gain (also gummint mandated), late-A's are great!
Narrowed, Shaved, and Tucked 75 Dart bumper mod.
Other than that and the ridiculous weight gain (also gummint mandated), late-A's are great!
I moved the front bumper in as far as I could but the back bumper is stock I didn't cut any bumper brackets.
Did do away with the inner crash bars though just more weight than I wanted.
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^^I agree that moving the bumpers back and ditching that filler is a great improvement. And dropping those big rubber baby bumper things!
I got to re chrome my bumpers and fill in the rubber baby bumper holes when I can afford it.
Pretty hot down your way I'm guessing, 90* here and I'm burning up going outside.
That is a nice looking beak car! Is it a '73 though? or has the front bumper been tucked in?
I'm going with the general consensus, the shock mounted bumpers and gigantic 5mph rubber overriders are the worst part of the later cars. And yeah, '74 was the highest production year, Ma Mopar made more Duster's in '74 than several other years combined. They all had rear shock mounts, although after December they all had standard front bumpers again due to some kind of production issue. Definitely helped me out because I was able to bolt the '71 Dart front clip and bumper right on.
'75 is still smog exempt, it's only the '76's you have to skip for smog.
MidnightSwinger
Well-Known Member
That is a nice looking beak car! Is it a '73 though? or has the front bumper been tucked in?
I'm going with the general consensus, the shock mounted bumpers and gigantic 5mph rubber overriders are the worst part of the later cars. And yeah, '74 was the highest production year, Ma Mopar made more Duster's in '74 than several other years combined. They all had rear shock mounts, although after December they all had standard front bumpers again due to some kind of production issue. Definitely helped me out because I was able to bolt the '71 Dart front clip and bumper right on.
'75 is still smog exempt, it's only the '76's you have to skip for smog.
It’s not mine but I believe it’s a 73. I just googled black swinger and that one best matched my idea of a badass beak car.
Yup, it's a '73. More pictures of it here too
https://barnfinds.com/440-6-pack-4-speed-1973-dodge-dart/
I mean, personally I like the styling of the '70-'72 cars better. But cars like that one and @Fred Scigliano 's just show that if you make a few relatively small changes the 73+ cars can look great. A little work on the bumpers and some paint on the grille can make a big difference with the right trim.
I think a partially blacked out grille really works well with them, not fully blacked out, but leave some trim and highlights. Like Fred's car, or this one for a Dart (also a '73, so no shock mount bumpers)
I still don't like my front bumper at all but trying to figure out what to do to make it look better has been a struggle.
That's a nice clean look. I think the Plymouth's are cleaner than the Dodges.
I think you've done a great job with it.
Honestly the only way to improve it, at least in my opinion, is going to be narrowing and sectioning it. And that's a TON of work.
The only other thing you might consider is a Valiant bumper? You'd have to come up with your own brackets, or add the mounting bosses to your frame rails if you had a front shock mount bumper. And you would have to sort out the lower grille filler panel, since the Valiant bumper is flat. It might be quite a bit less work than narrowing and sectioning yours though...
I'm torn. I actually think the beak on the Dodge's is less noticeable than the bump on the Plymouth hoods for the '73+. And I think the grille trim like on the one I posted works a smidge better on the Dodge's. But it's a toss up really.
Clearly I like the '71 Dodge front end better, so I'm biased. All just opinions anyway. I really didn't like the 73+ cars but I've grown to appreciate them a bit more. And yeah, some fairly small mods and trim changes can make a big difference.
The lack of respect comes in a few stupid *** reasons.
There outside the GOLDEN years of favorite styling
Power plants outside the golden years are off. Earlier the better but later years suffer the most and are the scourge in many eyes even if you up the anti with speed parts are engine swaps.
There as seen worth is less and become even less next to the eyes of the totally full of themselves, self appointed arrogant A holes.
There outside the GOLDEN years of favorite styling
Power plants outside the golden years are off. Earlier the better but later years suffer the most and are the scourge in many eyes even if you up the anti with speed parts are engine swaps.
There as seen worth is less and become even less next to the eyes of the totally full of themselves, self appointed arrogant A holes.
Yea I have one and love it.
Yea, I kind of agree. It's funny how people have pre conceived notions about what is hot with no understanding behind it. Like a A-body is only hot if it has a 340, or a "396" Chenille. As if a 74 360 A-body or a Buick GS 400 is not on the same level
mopowers
Well-Known Member
If some of you like the 73-up cars so much, why put all the effort into eliminating/modifying the parts that are unique to the 73-up cars to begin with? 
If some of you like the 73-up cars so much, why put all the effort into eliminating/modifying the parts that are unique to the 73-up cars to begin with?
Like …… what parts?
mopowers
Well-Known Member
If some of you like the 73-up cars so much, why put all the effort into eliminating/modifying the parts that are unique to the 73-up cars to begin with?
I mean, it’s really just the bumpers. And those were a travesty.
If people like the ‘67-72’s so much, how come so many use ‘73+ brakes and suspension pieces on them? Own those useless SBP 9” brakes!
Daves69
Well-Known Member
I think it’s because of the era, especially if you grew up in it. The demise of the muscle car, unleaded gas and government Overreach. In 72 I was 15 and the thought that I would never own a new good looking muscle car slowly killed it for me. The van craze made me blow chunks. By 1980 I was out of the hobby and it had grave consequences which I won’t go into here. I was into motorcycles as they kept getting faster and faster and cooler. And you got to admit, how many cool looking cars were made in the 80’s that could get out of their own way? So I returned slowly to the hobby in the 90’s and left the motorcycles behind and the cars I’m most interested in are made in the 60’s. They are the ones style and horse power. Not the (expensive) jelly beans you can buy today, they all look pretty much the same except for the color.
Jim Lusk
Well-Known Member
You have to understand the history of the wide A-bodies to understand why that is. When muscle cars started getting popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the best performance models were '67-69. Then '70-71. Add to that the fact that anything '74-newer was seen as a "new" car and full of smog garbage. Whatever was true, this was the perception. Now, that all of these cars are officially OLD, the new thing is no longer a factor, but the performance and smog thing still resonate in the hobby.
The early cars (1966-older) still suffer from some of the same issues as far as performance options go and desirability/value. There is a hierarchy to all of this and it just is. No amount of disagreement will change the facts.
With that said, I do like all years A-bodies, but I have never owned one newer than 1969 or older than 1966. In large part due to the fact that I have been in this hobby for 45 years and "good cars" were still available. They still are available, but well out of my price range.
The early cars (1966-older) still suffer from some of the same issues as far as performance options go and desirability/value. There is a hierarchy to all of this and it just is. No amount of disagreement will change the facts.
With that said, I do like all years A-bodies, but I have never owned one newer than 1969 or older than 1966. In large part due to the fact that I have been in this hobby for 45 years and "good cars" were still available. They still are available, but well out of my price range.
jos51700
Green Bearing thread connoisseur
Who did your chrome?
mopowers
Well-Known Member
I mean, it’s really just the bumpers. And those were a travesty.
If people like the ‘67-72’s so much, how come so many use ‘73+ brakes and suspension pieces on them? Own those useless SBP 9” brakes!
So, you're calling the 73-up's parts cars??
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