Rarity of 100% OEM Restored A Bodies - Rant/Whine

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Nobody takes exception to a painter cutting and buffing to perfection or questions the quarter milers that wring maximum horsepower out of their race car. But a guy who takes on the task of getting everything back to the condition it was when new may very well have the most difficult task of all.
Well done dart4forte!

One of the things I did is I talked with the original owner. Unfortunately he passed away shortly after. He did share some information on the car which helped me get some of the originality back into the car. What really helped was to have a lot of the original parts that came with the car.
 
For sure, slant cars were not wrecked and abused like the high performance models, ie Roadrunners, big block cudas, etc. Most we driven and woreout!! Yep they are still out there in the A body camp. I bet way more in Calif!? Try finding a decent 68-70 B body to restore that is not an over priced POS!? The A bodies are some of the last of the project car breed, ( F bodies for sure too).
I like to restore ( Not really an accurate term for me) projects back to sorta how they came out of the factory with fasterens , clips, screws, etc and then I make it how I want. Maybe get rid of the egr, make it a day two deal with period correct style mags up front, add a tach and some gauges, make it the color I want, etc. I am not hurting a desirable rare- ish car.
Main thing I believe is to just enjoy your car.
 
Here is our '70. Rescued from a 30 year slumber. Nice little slant six three-on-the-tree. We made it roadworthy, then we took it 3300 mile road rally. The first picture is near our home in southeast Michigan. Second one is in Rockport Maine. This car is so much fun as it is, we feel like any modifications we do To it would ruin it. The van however, we did some minor interior mods. I am a fan of originality as a rule. However, sometimes and I mean sometimes just because it's original doesn't mean it's good..

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Has anyone noticed how rare it is to see an A-Body for sale (on any internet site) that is 100% OEM factory correct? I'm not talking about bolt head markings and paint daubs but significant, visible features and options.

I see lots of nice cars but hardly any are correct for the year and model. I occasionally scan ads for 340 Dusters/Demons just because I like them. Most have major deviations from stock: '71 side stripes on other years. Dual scoops on Dusters. Rallye wheels on cars that never offered them. Engine compartments and trunks painted black.

The correctly restored B and E bodies seem to appear much more often. I'm not sure what this means and I don't object to modifications. I simply wish it was easier to find correct A-Bodies.
You need to up your price and you will find the A body cars done correct. These people are not giving their cars away period.
 
The better cars usually sell by work of moth and not ads in CL, Marketplace, etc. Guy that know the car and the owner, and will pay for quality, I agree.

By the same token, people an make changes to their car to make it theirs that does not destroy its originality

Love your more door Customsportsman and the fact you guys drive and love it. Our cars do not always have to have a 426 hemi, or 2 doors, or have $100,000 worth of resto money spent on it to be cool!!
 
Here is our '70. Rescued from a 30 year slumber. Nice little slant six three-on-the-tree. We made it roadworthy, then we took it 3300 mile road rally. The first picture is near our home in southeast Michigan. Second one is in Rockport Maine. This car is so much fun as it is, we feel like any modifications we do To it would ruin it. The van however, we did some minor interior mods. I am a fan of originality as a rule. However, sometimes and I mean sometimes just because it's original doesn't mean it's good..

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Clean looking more door.
I also like the wife/girlfriend outfit matches the van.
 
I laugh at the ppl that tell me mine is worth nothing because it sits so much and they will have to go over everything b4 they can drive it. U know how can u trust a car like that. A guy wanted to buy it recently. I told him I payed $17,000.00 For it so I want close to that. He brings me $1000.00 cash and a check for $700.00. He said he thought I was just trying to dump it cause I told him $1700.00. He thought it was a good deal for an old car. Kim
 
I laugh at the ppl that tell me mine is worth nothing because it sits so much and they will have to go over everything b4 they can drive it. U know how can u trust a car like that. A guy wanted to buy it recently. I told him I payed $17,000.00 For it so I want close to that. He brings me $1000.00 cash and a check for $700.00. He said he thought I was just trying to dump it cause I told him $1700.00. He thought it was a good deal for an old car. Kim
If you said "17" he did not know whether you mean $17, 1700 or 17000!! Here he would have offered $1700, PLUS 2 horses, 3 cows, 2 goats, and a couple of hogs!! ha
 
A little insight into why I wrote this post. A flashback here. It's May 1971 and I'm hoping to make a 1971 Plymouth Duster 340 my first new car. This would be my first high performance car after starting with a 1955 Buick, then a 1962 Ford Galaxie 4 door and finally a 1960 VW bug (ugh.) I brave the C-P dealership sales people and go looking for an example to test drive. It has to be a 4 speed. The dealer has one and I think it's perfect: Autumn Bronze Metallic, vinyl roof, bench seat, four speed and AM radio. Everything else is pretty basic with manual drum brakes and manual steering. Even before getting on the road I was smitten. I came back from my test drive determined to execute my plan to make enough money during the summer to buy the car outright. Naive, yes. It was gone before August. Then, a miracle. The car attached to this window sticker appeared on the lot in a dealer trade. I jumped and bought my first Mopar - a 1971 Plymouth Cuda, 340, 4 speed, FC7, shaker hood and high performance axle package. It was a great car but I always missed that Duster. Now, almost 50 years later, I've seen examples of NOS-restored Cudas but hardly ever, if ever, a car like that Duster, complete and still 100% stock.
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Well......................a 71 Cuda 340 4 spd in FC7 with a shaker is a pretty sweet consolation prize imho, but, that Duster would have been a looker too. You are right though, the likelihood of anyone restoring a Duster like that to 100% original is doubtful, but not impossible, whereas the Cuda would be a solid candidate for a correct resto, unless of course someone just had to make ANOTHER Hemicuda clone......UGH. Personally, my all time favorite Mopar is a 71 Cuda 340, don't care if it's a 4 spd or auto, coupe or convert, I just think that was about the most attractive car ever built period, from the shark tooth grille to the chrome exhaust tips, screams style like nothing else to me.
 
I had a 71 340 Cuda in 1972. PB PS
Ralley dash Billboard 4 speed.
Arguably the most glamorous of them all.I could never beat a dart or duster though.
Wish i had it now for the value.
 
My 68 Barracuda Fastback came with a 318 but was gone when the car was bought although it did come with the original 904 transmission and a completely rebuilt 360 was installed but I purchased original 340 HP manifolds, 1968 340 Air cleaner and pie pan and many other "correct" parts. I agree with the comment made about doing a car how you want it but with that being said I could care less about the cost as long as its how I want it and the cost isn't ridiculous. There have been several changes and additions to mine but they all were done in good taste and using factory parts and appearances where possible but in the end it looks like I want it to look. I have owned B's, C's and E's and have made money on all lof them.


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What paint color/part number is that paint sir? Thank you!!
 
i don't know why someone would want a boring, see one ya saw them all "correctly" restored car anyway..

After seeing numerous properly restored B and E body cars, I would enjoy seeing a pristine 4 door '71 Valiant or a '76 Dart. They are not exciting cars in general but I would still appreciate
seeing them restored.
 
Seems like I read a lot about that 4 door cuda build a few years ago, Caused a lot of yak yak. I guess it is good we don't all share the same visions and interests!!???? lol
 
I did an OE resto on my 67 Barracuda, I didn't break the bank. It may not be a fully date coded car but it is as accurate looking as I could get it.
This car is driven, likely never to be sold (family car already promised to my Niece) so I have no idea on value.

As for why you don't see many OE Restored cars is like many have said, these were entry level cars when new and for the most part don't have the option combinations that demand more money. Because they are not demanding high dollars there is no real loss in playing with them. At the same point many of the parts for these are not that expensive as their high dollar counterparts so returning one to OE shouldn't break the bank. Yes the pool of restored cars will be limited but at the same time the pool of cars that could be restored or returned to OE is much larger.

If I was in the market for an OE car I'd first look for a restored car, then I'd probably look for a finished car that I could "fix", that would be cheaper than doing a restoration.

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Alan
 
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I admit bout all I do these days is get rid of rusted panels, get it reasonably straight, it is topcoated with single stage acrylic urethane. No bc/cc, no super shiny, no wet sanding with 3 grits paper, no buffing. It is put back with the oem fasteners, cleaned, some that were plated maybe sprayed with dull aluminum etc. It is what I call pretty darn correct. But no plating, no date coded hoses, just Gates stuff from the parts store. So I always wind up offerring the car for sale and gong on. Winds up being what I call a pretty decent driver.
Seems like the deal is a prospective buyer comes to look, and starts telling me how he wants a "show Car"! Of course said car is a plain jane old Mopar period. And it is priced for usually what I have in it. Because that is all I can sell it off for. ha So I explain the guys at the local dog and pony car show, that wins it usually has way more $$$$ in his car that gets the trophy. . And my looker wants a perfect paint, and every thing else, for pennies!!! He wants to win the trophy!! and do it for mostly nothing.
 
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