My year long budget transformation is complete.

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myasylum

myasylum

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Joined
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Location
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O.k. I've been waiting for this moment.
The deal is here that I am poor, so I had to make the best out of situation that I had. I found this car for $1000.00 in the weeds, it didn't run. but it was hard for me to pass up a 1973 anything for $1000.00 (From Southern California no less). So against my wifes will I got a cash advance and bought this car.
The car unfortunately had a slant 6, BUT a friend and I did get it running, for free! Someone put in a junk yard slant 6, and didn't connect everything, and left it sit. It was a mess. She left the car here in Wisconsin, didn't pay her rent, and went back to California.
The body is pretty clean, but it looked as though the woman who drove it here ended up in a ditch, so there are a lot of dings and things. Since I could not afford body work, what could I do? So I decided to make the car the best that it could be, for a cheaply as possible.
Through the year, this is what I bought....

Spoiler $99.00 on e-bay
Stripe kit $150.00 e-bay
Rims traded an old PC for them
Tires $150 new in the rear, fronts were still on rims.
Hood Scoop (original mopar scoop) $190.00 Ebay
hood paint job, cleaned up scoop $200.00 Cash ;)
Air shocks $75.00
install old stereo/w sub outputs :) free
Painted grill free
Bumper, and molding delete free
Stripes, spoiler, hood scoop install done by me free
Buff out original paint free

So for the total with the way the car is in the pictures cost me $1864.00 as it sits.

I also bought new carpeting from e-bay, but you can't see that in the pics.

I am also bartering a stoker motor for a web site I've created. He made me pay $1200.00 for parts though, and is sure taking his time building the thing since I'm not a "paying" customer (piss me off), but that's another story. You can check out the website at www.westechauto.com

Here's the before and after pics...

Before... 09/02/2008

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After... 07/26/09

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Now my question for you guys is, do you think it's worth the time and money that I did to this car, just to have it repainted in a couple years and have it all sanded all off again?? Should I have left it?

I fill up my gas at night with no one around so no one can ask me "whats in it" I'd just hate to say "slant 6" with a hood scoop no less, lol!

I know it has some dents, scrapes, and bruises and things, but the thing is this is the best this car can be. I just hope it's not over kill. Nice stickers on a beat up car, you know? Kind of reminds me of a car you'd beat around in in High School. Kind of cool... In a way....

Any opinions?

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I like it I say you did good and I wouldn't change anything you did. SO what if you have to redo it in a few years at least you can enjoy it for now until that time comes. I too am building on a budget. My car was free and a alot worse off then yours but I have fun and fund my build with parts I am selling from my parts car. Oh yeah thats a good idea too, I bought a parts car really cheap and I have made $400 plus I got to keep the running 318/904 and the k member plus a whole lotta other parts.
 
yes, Dusted 72... I had a good parts car fall right into my hands. Same thing, I could have had the engine/tranny K-member and all that, but I blinked and it was gone. Piss me off! Damn second guessing!
 
You,ve done a great transformation with the car and your budget.Wish I could say the same on my overbudget 66 Dart.LOL!Who knows?In a couple years...340/8 3/4??
 
The paint looks pretty presentable to me in those pics. I wouldn't worry about it. The bumps+bruises add character! Drive it and enjoy it. Don't be embarassed about the /6. You mentioned a stroker motor. I'd start saving towards the other upgrades you'll need to go with it. IE: trans, rear end, exhaust,GAS! LOL! Bottom line: ENJOY IT! That's what these old Mopars are for!!! :)
 
yes, it is original paint! other then the hood that I just painted black. See the other side is a lot more banged up. I just showed you the good side of course. the pass side door is banged up a bit, and the rear tail piece is banged up to. You can sort of see it in the first picture. its sad, but still soild though. better then rust, but the price to fix it is the same. maybe i'll post pics of the other side tomorrow?
 
That is looking really great.
You´ve done a terrific job with that small amount (IMO) in the car.
You should be proud of your self !
 
More proof, it is still possible to build a car on a low budget. I just get tired of people saying it can't be done. I found a 66 Valiant in a salvage yard, and spent 3 years shoping for bargain parts, and doing the work myself. Had it at the track with $1,500 invested, in the car, and turning high 13's the 3rd day out, with a slant six.
 
Good job! Don't worry bout what other people might think you know you did a great job and we here,who are "Mopar people" think you did a great job!:cheers:
 
Myasylum,

Congratulations You are the perfect example of what the car hobby is all about. I would be honored park next to you at Carlisle or a cruse in. Be proud of your car It is rust free and very straight. With original paint the minor flaws are considered patina and add to its charactar. I would much rather own a car like yours (solid driver quality work in progress) and the best part is you did it yourself. A 150K rotisorie trailer queen that somone wrote a check for can't hold a candle to what you have, YOU CAN DRIVE YOURS!!!!

If you want a V8 look for a rusty or 4 door doner car or a magnum truck engine. Accumulate the parts slowly and and save a ton of $. Build the K frame Engine trans combo, and rearend on the floor Before hand, and the swap will take no time at all (very little time with your car apart).

I wish more people had the brains to do what you have done rather than sit on the couch and dream of the Billet show car that most of us will never be able to afford and would never drive if we had it.

Keep up the good work

Brian
 
Your car is cool, I would have done the same thing! The little things you did look sweet, the stripes, rims and scoop look awesome! I would check out a paintless dent removal place, they could make the one in your quarter panel look way better, the cost when I had mine done was $50 a dent, may be more now. Nice work, totally worth all the work you did!
 
Here is a better view of the bad side of the car. Take note to the door.
I also taken pictures of the other "dings" on the car. Some of the dents are right on the body lines of course, the worse possible place. You can tell SOMEONE tried pounding these out before, but did a terrible job! These are the things that made me wonder if it was worth doing all this work before I did the body work....

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This dent here by the headlight I have no clue when this happened, but you notice it's still bare metal. That's unheard of in these northern states!

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If anyone has any hints how to make this look better let me know. I don't just want to get a hammer and pound away. I looks like someone already tried that! :cheers:

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Everyone I ask wanted to work on the whole car. They didn't want to do it section by section. They said by doing the whole car they could get everything even and to blend in properly. I told them that I didn't care, and to just take out the dents as best as possible. No one seemed interested in doing it that way. I am getting a new piece for the rear tail lights though. maybe a '72 tail piece or something? I was told the metal was to stretched out to be fixed. I tried. I need to "know" somebody I think.
 
It looks great, and you did it yourself. Very nice color combination, and I've always liked slots on a Duster. Why not save for some "goodies" for the /6. You can get a good timeslip, not go broke driving it, and be different than the rest of the pack.

Find some old body panels somewhere, and practice smoothing them out. Hammer and dolly sets aren't that expensive, and with practice, you can do your own work and save a lot of money. Keep up the good work. Tim
 
What's done is done and you shouldn't second guess the $$ you have put into it. At least now you can enjoy it the way you want it until you can afford the bodywork and complete paint job if that is the route you want to go. If you are having trouble finding someone to fix select dents, perhaps there is a trade school near you that the students could work on certain parts. Or maybe you could find someone to take you under their wingand teach you how to make the repairs yourself.

Car looks great regardless of the dings and scrapes. At least you don't have to worry about major rust issues.
 
Excellent!!! You have the best color combo for a 73 Duster, and I am a big fan of the snakeskin top, since my 1st Duster in 1980 had one!
 
it also has stock 8 1/4 rear end and 3.23 gears! who would have thunk? must have made for a fun trip to Wisconsin, with a slant 6 screaming at 3500 rpms! :p
 
No downside here that I can see, car looks really great. Anybody asks, just say you drive an economical slant six for now but you're working on a stroker for next year.
Just a thought, but if you are a "non-paying" customer working for barter, seems to me he got the better of you, if he didn't pay you either. Seems to me like he's YOUR "non-paying" customer and needs to be made aware of that fact. It appears to me that your "skill" is building the website for him, and your "parts" are the knowledge that you bring to put it together. His "skill" is assembling the engine, and the "parts" are what he should be supplying to put it together. Unless I don't have all the story here, he's one up on you presently if you shelled out $1200.00.My 2 cents.
Daryl
 
I think you got a fine car and didn't break the bank to get it. Work on it as you have funds and enjoy.
 
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