What happened to the reasonably priced project car?

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People usually buy projects because the can't afford a "done" car, that is paying it out all at once. A little over 10 years , they can handle. People get into A bodies because they can't afford a B body. Most will admit to that.
Buying four door Dart is fine if that will make the guy happy, otherwise why?
Example: F bodies? Volare Roadrunner? Took me 8 months to sell a drive any where all body/paint work done, new tires, radiator, carb, etc for $3900. Cool what I call driver quality car. No it is not a typical rusted out rust belt salt road car, yes, a Texas car. But if a guy doe not want an F body, then it is not a good idea.
 
sireland67 said:
If you can find one that even rolls for that price, look at prices on 68-70 chargers.
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I admit I had so many 68-70 B bodies back a few decades ago. I can not image the idiot prices paid for sorry Charger projects now days. All the rear sheet metal, all five layers is spot welded together, the plastic grills are a nite mare and so expensive too. Someone said RoadKill's Charger episode started the lunatic prices? Dunno.
 
In 1975 I bought a 70 Hemi Cuda for 2500 couldn’t pay the payments so it was sold for 3500 and I thought I made money. I have bought and sold cars-trucks-tractors-equipment all my life. When I hear the whiners complaining about high prices I just wonder if you would work for the wages we got back then?
 
Lol good lord what did I start...first of all, I am not the type of guy who thinks every car is worth $500 and I am not stuck living in the past. I understand these vehicles are worth money. I guess to clarify, when I said the prices of A-Bodies being high, I meant all A-Bodies. Even the mid sixties Darts, the later Valiants, the Scamps and even the 4 door models.

Obviously there is and always has been a higher draw for Dusters, Barracudas and 67-69 Darts.

Obviously as time goes on, these cars gain value. I guess since I have recently been looking for a 67-74 Dart, Dart Sport or Duster, I have just noticed that not only have prices naturally gone up, possibly due to the pandemic it has caused things to go way up. That is all.
 
69dodgedart360 said:
I will start this off with a warning that this is a whiney rant. But what happened to the cost of A-Bodies? I got my 69 Dart for $400 in 03. It didn't run but everything was there for it to run and drive except for the fact that cosmetically, it was garbage.

As I drink my coffee and browse through the for sale ad's I cant help but have noticed that within the past year or so, everything has gone way up in price. What typically was a $1500 car is now about $3-5000. I live in the SF bay area where things cost a little more anyways but man! Its out of hand lol.

Did the Coronavirus drive up the pricing for everything? Its crazy that you can't even find a decent A-Body that doesn't have rust issues everywhere and a clear title for less than $3000.

Crazy stuff! Rant over.
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I just picked up this ‘73 yesterday -
Anybody want to guess how much?

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The B bodies were the first to take off in price years ago then, the E bodies followed. People bought them up and, most people were drove out of that market due to price so, they moved on to A bodies and, now the same thing is happening with them. Look at the less desirable 73 and 74 Charger prices now...people can't afford 68 through 70 Chargers so they move on to other years that were cheaper but, now the 73 and 74's are going way up....
 
We are all responsible. Imagine you have an old Hot rod sitting beside that Pole barn in sight from the road and some kid just happens to come along and ask if it's for sale..... And on that day you say I been thinking about it. $$$ is the first thing to cross your mind and how much. This kid has maybe a couple hundred bucks. And that's where it ends. Nope, everyone knows the system and how it works. And nobody will just let it go no matter the condition. Sure there will be exceptions but the norm is it's an old car and worth a bunch of money.....

Reality shows, bored rich people, and auctions did this. But the same could be said for beer cans too ( true fact...) Personally, you can have it. Yep, I still have one but wouldn't even consider what people pay for what I call junk today. Nope, I will head right on down to the car lot and get new muscle. But for those who continue the fight, it's your life and if it makes you happy then go for it. Just don't be upset when you get "upside down" in the pocket book and try to recoup your losses. In most cases it won't feel good lol...

JW
 
What are A-bodies that are totally finished going for? I'm just curious if I overpaid or got my car at good price on it. It's a complete rotisserie built car with everything brand new including interior, suspension, 8 3/4 sure grip rear, rebuilt 727, and 340 engine. (Non matching numbers car). 1971 Dart Swinger painted the rare Citron Yella. Paint and body work were done at a high end shop here in my state.
 
1971 CY Dodge Dart said:
What are A-bodies that are totally finished going for? I'm just curious if I overpaid or got my car at good price on it. It's a complete rotisserie built car with everything brand new including interior, suspension, 8 3/4 sure grip rear, rebuilt 727, and 340 engine. (Non matching numbers car). 1971 Dart Swinger painted the rare Citron Yella. Paint and body work were done at a high end shop here in my state.
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You would have to put it up for sale. Then the number will show if you overpaid. Maybe someone wants it more than you and will pay a higher price. Or maybe you just had to have it and overpaid. That's the reality of it....

JW
 
SLOPAR72 said:
You would have to put it up for sale. Then the number will show if you overpaid. Maybe someone wants it more than you and will pay a higher price. Or maybe you just had to have it and overpaid. That's the reality of it....

JW
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I just bought it and want to keep it for now but was just curious on the price. The car wasn't actually for sale when I bought it but i made an offer on it and came to some agreement.
 
SLOPAR72 said:
We are all responsible. Imagine you have an old Hot rod sitting beside that Pole barn in sight from the road and some kid just happens to come along and ask if it's for sale..... And on that day you say I been thinking about it. $$$ is the first thing to cross your mind and how much. This kid has maybe a couple hundred bucks. And that's where it ends. Nope, everyone knows the system and how it works. And nobody will just let it go no matter the condition. Sure there will be exceptions but the norm is it's an old car and worth a bunch of money JW
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And I gave up on stopping and inquiring about old Dodge trucks and A100’s, old anything for that matter, parked in the countryside where I roam after getting the “automated like response” from owners that “I’m gonna restore it“ or “that was my granddaddy’s or my daddy’s, we’re gonna fix her up” or they have some delusional belief that it’s worth waaaay more than what it really is. That along with many that have the idea that it’s a retirement fund only to be sitting there for ages just rotting away, and that most stuff I see is always sitting in a dump of a property, obviously people in the lower income bracket most living in squalor like conditions, many seem “ahem” intelligence challenged and walking up to their door can be uncomfortable let’s just say. Nope, I just drive by year after year looking and shaking my head....not gonna do it:eek:
 
I spent years looking for a rust free 70-72 Dart or duster. The story was always the same I would go to look at the car that was supposed to not have and yes it always had rust. Finally I saw a 70 Dart on ebay with fresh paint and no’s matching and a slant. I didn’t really trust the guy but he had pics of the car stripped down to metal. I drove it home from Reno for 3500 this was in 2009.
I wish now that I hadn’t done a 360 magnum swap it would probably be worth more. I can’t believe what folks now want for a Dart with no numbers matching . I was lucky it was at the height of the recession and the sellers were hurting badly.
 
12many said:
And I gave up on stopping and inquiring about old Dodge trucks and A100’s, old anything for that matter, parked in the countryside where I roam after getting the “automated like response” from owners that “I’m gonna restore it“ or “that was my granddaddy’s or my daddy’s, we’re gonna fix her up” or they have some delusional belief that it’s worth waaaay more than what it really is. That along with many that have the idea that it’s a retirement fund only to be sitting there for ages just rotting away, and that most stuff I see is always sitting in a dump of a property, obviously people in the lower income bracket most living in squalor like conditions, many seem “ahem” intelligence challenged and walking up to their door can be uncomfortable let’s just say. Nope, I just drive by year after year looking and shaking my head....not gonna do it:eek:
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Yes I stopped doing that back in the 90's. You find good cars by networking with car buds. Find an E bodyguy he hates all other models!!
 
69dodgedart360 said:
Did the Coronavirus drive up the pricing for everything? Its crazy that you can't even find a decent A-Body that doesn't have rust issues everywhere and a clear title for less than $3000.
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lol.. what decade are you living in? you weren't finding a rust free abody for 3k well before the covid drove pricing up.. maybe a 74-76 and thats even pushing it..
 
I figure I've got 16 to 17 thousand in mine. It's Insured for an actual cash value of 25. 10 years ago I paid 2800 for it as a solid roller with a blown tranny and possible junk drivetrain including the motor and rear end. Ended up with a very good salvagable running motor which happened to be a 98 Mopar performance 5.9 Magnum crate right from Ma Mopar with 30,000 miles. Intially bought as a father/son make a driver in a couple months fun, learning endeavor. I can't begin to tell you how many hours I have in restoration time now. What's my time worth? Nothing if I enjoy what I'm doing and like the result. The realistic value of this car?...Well, everythings relative isn't it? Lots of variables to determine that. I'm always happy if I'm not upside down with actual cash spent vs value. I have no intention of selling it....ever maybe...I love it so much. This coming from a guy who owned a '61 corvette for 10 years, 30 some odd years ago.
 
dibbons said:
I wonder when the four-door models will began to make a showing, they should still be affordable.
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they have steadily been going up in price..

trucks and wagons have been and are still really hot right now.. vans are going nuts too these days..
 
1971 CY Dodge Dart said:
What are A-bodies that are totally finished going for? I'm just curious if I overpaid or got my car at good price on it. It's a complete rotisserie built car with everything brand new including interior, suspension, 8 3/4 sure grip rear, rebuilt 727, and 340 engine. (Non matching numbers car). 1971 Dart Swinger painted the rare Citron Yella. Paint and body work were done at a high end shop here in my state.
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I don’t have a crystal ball so my best guess it it’s not a 340 car to start with so probably $15 grand. Paint and body work can vary a lot but a $20 thousand job don’t make the car worth 20 grand. Kim
 
abodyjoe said:
lol.. what decade are you living in? you weren't finding a rust free abody for 3k well before the covid drove pricing up.. maybe a 74-76 and thats even pushing it..
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I sold a 71 slant 3 on floor Duster, drive anywhere,all body work done/95% ready for paint work last year. . So it was a rust free , 95% straight, running driving car new tires and radiator, a PO had redone the front set in OEM manner. I bought it a year before from some min stream Mopar guys for $1500. Advertised it on CL and FB Marketplace for several months here in S E Tx for $3500 firm. Second looker bought it as he said, best Duster in the state for best price. I am sure the car would have bought more and quicker in other parts of the country. Tx is GM and truck country in general IMO. This car did not sell fast and sold cheap enough IMO.
I admit 95 % of the similar Mopar projects in Tx. are turds and way overpriced for what they car. Maybe not the rusted turds from back East but.......
I still say after 35 years in the hobby, for th last 25-30years most project are overpriced as to what it costs to get them "Done" to some degree compared to what they will actually sell for if advertised. It is a hobby not a $ making business. Want to make a few dollars, part out cars IF you have customers close. No one wants to pay shipping!!!
 
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