What got you hooked on A-Bodies anyway?

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Mopar-Man

Mopar-Man

Big Block Better Burnout
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Not sure I ever shared my story so here goes:

I think I was about 6 years old and GrandPa and I were riding in his Ford (he was a Ford man mostly) up a two lane road out in the country. It broke down and we walked to a phone booth to call his friend to come pick us up. We went back to the car and waited. Up pulls this gold 1970 Duster. Just a /6 car but I still remember going "WOW!" as I jumped into the back seat. I still remember the ride in that car and it has been 45 years! Of course, I have owned a couple since then and still do.
 
Mopar-Man said:
Not sure I ever shared my story so here goes:

I think I was about 6 years old and GrandPa and I were riding in his Ford (he was a Ford man mostly) up a two lane road out in the country. It broke down and we walked to a phone booth to call his friend to come pick us up. We went back to the car and waited. Up pulls this gold 1970 Duster. Just a /6 car but I still remember going "WOW!" as I jumped into the back seat. I still remember the ride in that car and it has been 45 years! Of course, I have owned a couple since then and still do.
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Always watching the hemi A bodies out run the hemi B bodies. Not any Chrysler cars as famous as a s/s a auto/ ss ahr , 68 barracuda.
 
A friend of mine had a 67 Barracuda convertible for 20+ years. I really liked the way it looked top up, or down. I tried for years to buy it off him, but he wouldn't sell. One day I came across one and was able to buy it. We love the car, lots of enjoyment. We plan on caring and enjoying it for many years.
 
A friend of mine gave me a 65 Dart in 1988, and that started the ball rolling...........
 
My first car was a big two door Monaco 1968, fastest car I ever drove back in the day, 383 4 barrel and it never ever laid down on me, so the long term Dodge truck owner ship began for me, then it was the E bodies a few of them, then they went sky high to own (but I did make some good money selling the ones I had) moved to a nice 66 Barracuda, my children was in high school so that one was sold .. loved the smaller pony size cars and the A bodies fit the bill Been driving MoPar for 43 years
My 66 Plymouth has been with me near 10 years, Victoria and I have been threw many miles together thanks to many great members here on this board/site.
I thank you all :thumbsup:

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Growing up I always knew Mopar built the biggest, baddest, and the fastest muscle cars but its hard to afford a hemi super bird when your only 17 so I bought my /6 duster instead
 
In 1975 my dad brought this home for mom's daily driver. 71 318 3 speed with mag wheels. It became my first car in 1978 .

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Mopar-Man said:
Not sure I ever shared my story so here goes:

I think I was about 6 years old and GrandPa and I were riding in his Ford (he was a Ford man mostly) up a two lane road out in the country. It broke down and we walked to a phone booth to call his friend to come pick us up. We went back to the car and waited. Up pulls this gold 1970 Duster. Just a /6 car but I still remember going "WOW!" as I jumped into the back seat. I still remember the ride in that car and it has been 45 years! Of course, I have owned a couple since then and still do.
Click to expand...
 
Was a Pontiac head at one time.
Then I realized I wanted to lose a thousand pounds and have a car that not many people have, and cool looking.
And be able to have a small block and have just as fast if not faster car!
 
I believe that my love for the A bodies started when i was twelve years old. My dad totaled out his Demon on the way to watch Jaws in the theater. Someone turned out in front of him. so he then purchased a 1975 Dodge Dart Sport, and that was when it all began for me.
Forty two years later I am still driving A Bodies, although I lean towards Duster versions these days.

Mopar-Man said:
Not sure I ever shared my story so here goes:

I think I was about 6 years old and GrandPa and I were riding in his Ford (he was a Ford man mostly) up a two lane road out in the country. It broke down and we walked to a phone booth to call his friend to come pick us up. We went back to the car and waited. Up pulls this gold 1970 Duster. Just a /6 car but I still remember going "WOW!" as I jumped into the back seat. I still remember the ride in that car and it has been 45 years! Of course, I have owned a couple since then and still do.
Click to expand...
 
Bill Conley said:
I believe that my love for the A bodies started when i was twelve years old. My dad totaled out his Demon on the way to watch Jaws in the theater. Someone turned out in front of him. so he then purchased a 1975 Dodge Dart Sport, and that was when it all began for me.
Forty two years later I am still driving A Bodies, although I lean towards Duster versions these days.
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My first Mopar Nationals in 1984 when I saw my first 67-69 Barracuda fastback.Then driving a 72 swinger and a 69 valiant as daily drivers in the 90's. I just loved my lil 69 valiant 4 door.
 
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Must have been when Al Bundy went over a million miles in the old Dodge Dart. I already had a B body and figured try an A body.
 
In my teens I'd pretty much been a Ford guy, but around 1968 or so one of my neighbors bought a new 2 dr HT Dart. I thought this was a really sharp looking car...no offense to early A fans, but prior to that I thought they were kind of ugly.
A couple years later when I was ready to buy my first (and to date only) new car, I checked out Dusters. Bought it, put almost 280k on it. Had a couple Darts afterwards, using the previous one as a parts car.

During the '73-74 gas shortage a number of my co-workers started telling how much better their Japanese cars were, I told 'em "no thanks, I like my Duster". One friend said to tell him how much I liked it once it hit 150k. So I did. :lol:
By then their toyotas, Datsuns, etc. were long gone and my "piece of crap" American car was still going strong.:thumbsup:
 
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Well, my family always had Mopars, my parents had a Duster, my grandma had a Duster, but I think what got me into A bodies was this car!

I was building a new shop for a friend of mine, and saw it sitting out in the field on the neighbors property! My buddy told me "I've been trying to buy that car for years, if you can get it you're a better man than me"!! One stop up to the elderly owners house, and $400 later the car was mine! My buddy was so happy that he vowed that it would be the first car we redid in his new shop!! 25 years later, it's still in my garage!! Sadly, my buddy never got to ride in it as he passed away suddenly, but his memory and expert craftsmanship lives on in the car, and in my heart!!

The car has also brought about a flood of other fish in its wake, and a love for early A bodies that continue to this day!! Thanks Max, for selling me the car, and thanks to Sam for helping ignite the fire that still burns hot!!

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I was in high school in the mid '80s, was out cruising Saturday night with a friend. Saw an orange '70 Dart mini tubbed with tunnel rammed 440. I'd seen other street/strip cars but this thing had an effect on me...the look, the stance, the rumble and roar of that 440 hooked me on Mopars and A-bodies from that point on. After looking at other A-bodies with a new perspective I ended up falling in love with the '67-'69 Barracudas. I've owned a couple different Darts, and currently building a Valiant, but never had a Duster/Demon.

I got to know the owner of that orange Dart, and had a chance to buy it, but passed on it because it would just end up sitting forever as I already have too many projects.
 
My friend had a '70 challenger thought that was badass..then George moved in across the street and bought a '70 340 duster kicked that challengers ***..loved them ever since:D:D
 
For me, It didn't matter as long as it was mopar. Dad was the #1 mechanic at the local Chrysler dealer from 69 thru the 80s. Took care of phone issues at the home of the dealership's owner 20 yrs after dad hung up the tools and when he realized I was dad's son, he went of on a positive rant of dad being "a fu**ing magician" .
So I learned to drive in a 66 Fury. Mom always had the next best trade-in chrysler that dad would bring home. My 1st car was a 74 Dart custom 318, then a 71 Dart Swinger /6. My heart was with e bodies then, to I dumped the dart for a 71 318 Barracuda, then a 71 318 Barracuda ragtop, then a 69 Road Runner, 70 Charger, 69 Cornet, and finally the 69 Fury ragtop I've had for 16 years now.... and the 89 Shelby Dakota I bought new in 89 when I was 22 - still have it.

I never cared for the early A. Not until my then 14 yr old son wanted this basket case of a 65 Barracuda. See my avatar.... in the 2.5 years we spent in the garage bringing it back to life, I've fallen I love with it. No doubt building it with Jake helped that happen.
I enjoyed building that little A so much, I sold the 69 Coronet as a project and brought home a 68 Barracuda ragtop. It's in a 1000 pieces, but I've started picking at it......
 
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When I was in high school a friend had a super clean chevy Nova. I told my brother I wanted a nova and he said "You want a Duster". I said "What is a duster?" I ended up with a 72 dart and never looked back. After years of helping friends work on their chevys I quickly realized how superior mopars are in design and quality.
Fords hany many similarities to mopar but I still prefer mopars and still wouldnt think of owning a chevy.
Yes I got my duster and many many more of them over the years. The A bodys are just fun cars and up until recently they were dirt cheap. I literally have owned close to a dozen dusters and dont think I paid more than $100 for any of them. Most were given to me for free.
 
Mine was "default" via economics. In the past I had B bodies, In the early seventies, a 69 383 Roadrunner, then the '70 440- 6bbl, and somewhere during that time a 64 Dodge 426.

So "now" that I'm old, I can't afford another B. I found my 67 on CL LOL and it was pretty rust free...........I'm neither a great fabricator nor a sheet metal guy, so keeping body work to a minimum was important. Unfortunately it is STILL torn down "painted"
 
I had 2 choices for my first car,a 67 Valiant 4 dr Signet or a 67 Biscane 4 dr. I wanted to be different than the ford/chebby crowd here so I took the Valiant and it turned out to be an awsome choice since it never left me stranded in the 250,000 miles I put on it.
 
First ride in a mopar was 1964 in a new Sport Sat. 383 car. I was 16! The lady loaned it to me and her horse trailer for a trip to a horse show with a little friend of hers.

After going thru many E and B bodies beginning back in the mid 80's I finally settled on the driver friendly and pocket book helpful little A bodies. Whats not to love!!!!
 
For me, there inexpensive. My first Duster, a ‘73/318, one was $750. My second Duster was a barter deal.
My 3rd Duster was $1500.
My current Duster was $500.
I grabbed a ‘71 Dart /6 for $750.

Always done small blocks. Also inexpensive and easy to fit into the car.
Current Duster is a big block 400 B engine that I pirated from a ‘78 parts Cordoba. That Cordoba was spread among 3 other cars and worth the $900 by itself which was a worthy driver.
 
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