Leave it or Hot Rod it?

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TrailBeast

TrailBeast

AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
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That is the question.:D
The Wife has this near completely stock 72 Dart Swinger hard top and she thinks she might want it modified with more power, overdrive, AC, tinted windows, another paint color and custom wheels.
It has HEI ignition, a 340 grind cam in a semi recently done .030 over 318 that runs perfect as is.
It is licensed, insured and has brand new tires, so it is completely drive able as it sits, and she does take it to the store or something like that once in awhile.
It runs and drives really well.

I tell her she may want to reconsider changing it from stock much, but she says she would like to keep it and daily drive it if it had the above mentioned mods, but if not then she doesn't have much interest in driving it.
(the oil gauge on the inner fender was from when I replaced the cam and broke it in after we got it.)
So modernize and hot rod it or leave it and eventually let it go?

lside.jpg


engine.jpg
 
It's a nice car, but it will never be a high dollar car that was ruined by tasteful mods. A lot of cars selling lately are modified to have later model systems. It makes them more comfortable to drive. If you can keep the wife happy by making the car what she wants, great. If you change the car, and she doesn't use it, at least it will be a comfortable, good driving car that may potentially be worth more in the end.
 
Do it!

Why not, right?

Happy wife happy life. She wants to drive a cool car. If you can build her one, I say do it!

That color hurts my eyes. How bout panther pink? I think J par has some left over?

Before I went full stupid on my 71 dart it had a 318 with a 750 carb and a decent cam. That thing would boil the tires and was a TON of fun! It even got decent mileage as long as I kept my foot out of it.



Clean little dart. Looks like a great car to play with!
 
Its your wife man, keep her happy.
AC, OD and you can add lower gears to give it a bump in the power feeling.
 
Me too, do the mods. As mentioned above, it's a nice car but it's nothing special that should be preserved. If you haven't picked up on the happy wife happy life business from the others, I'll add my $.02 as well.
 
Slowswinger said:
Do you have a dollar amount range you would like to spend on this project?
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Lets just say we picked it up for less than your average trans rebuild cost, so we could afford to dump some into it.
I can do all the changes including the paint myself.

I'm thinking to leave the 318 and the rear gears since they are pretty low (don't know what they are) but if I had to guess it would be somewhere in the 323 range.
An intake, Edelbrock 600 electric choke, a 42RH OD and dual exhaust even with the stock manifolds should do it for her.
Of course the tinted windows, AC, paint and wheels.

Probably 5k should cover it easy enough.

I'm surprised how many are on the "Do it" side.
 
I agree with all of the above. Your a very lucky guy; you obviously have talent, 2 beautiful cars in the driveway and a wife that wants to upgrade her mopar! Decisions, decisions....
 
HOT ROD ! Make all the dodge guys happy put an L S in it , just kidding
 
Do what the wife wants. You caint really be this stupid.
 
By the sound of what was said, I think at some point you are gonna end up with the car or selling it anyway.
 
A copy of a factory 340 cam can really wake up a 318, with exhaust and intake of course.
 
I personally would leave it alone if it runs and drives. An old timer once told me only a fool would rebuild or replace a perfectly good engine. (This is when I was a kid wanting to replace my perfectly fine slant 6)
 
Oldschool underhood mini blower, overdrive, ac, tinted glass, and make sure the seats are comfy.
 
magnumdart said:
Build it into a monster. When she figures out she can barely drive it, you'll have a new toy.
Click to expand...
It amazes me that some guys wives like old cars , even RANI .
My wife will only drive a new one ! But will drive it till it starts giving trouble-
 
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