You own and love an original 69 383s, what’s next?

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Looks like the best move is to pull the column, seperate the shaft and shorten it by 3”? Redrill and repin it for power steering. Seems few would want to bring it back to manual steer at that point.
 
1969383S said:
Do you undo and or change all you have done and spent countless $$$ to resurrect and keep an original or modify to the next level? Or do you sell a mostly original car and start over again? Knowing you will never get the return on the dollar to sell for what it cost to get it there.

Seems I want to move forward and at a personal delima! Car has been back on the road now for 6 years as such. It has won many awards over those years at the shows.

I know you can pull the drive train and replace without totally changing the fabric of the car per say, but I also know As soon as you do that it all leads to more mods. Bigger wheels and tires, mini tubs or full tubs, and or much more, and perhaps a late model Hellcat Hemi and wiring and such.

Is a restored original uncut “very” solid rust free 69 383s Fastback auto trans car worth enough to save? One of 272!

Or is a killer low riding late model Hemi with air and all the creature comforts more desirable enough to mod a real BB “S” car.

Would you do this or try to sell at a loss and start over with a lesser car?

Opinions are welcome.
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I don't know what your budget(or fab skills, desired work effort, timetable) is, but here in Texas on Facebook marketplace you can start over with notch or fastback Cudas that need mild bodywork for around $8,000, Duster bodies for $2-7,000 and build a car that was going to rot/die to begin with, anyway you want without any guilt of destroying original history.

Get some beaked 73-76 Dart, swap the front clip, install (here in south tex cheap as hell) a 400 big block, ebay $600 turbo and keep pace with the big boys on a double rustyratrod budget. Speedmaster sells the heads for the BBM assembled on black friday for $500 something dollars shipped.

Inkjunkie thinks an LS would be cheaper, but 400BBM might actually compete with a Chevy budget-there is a reason RRR picked that build. Either way, you get it all, cheap, fast , fun, no guilt. Rustoleum oil based enamel paint for $30 a gallon and GO! I once used that rustoleum paint as my baremetal primer, with tons of sanded coats (instead of bondo), got the body lines perfect, and sprayed Y2K urethane epoxy over it.
The Urethane actually held onto it well (for years, no problem -{like moparofficial says, just get out, do it, and make mistakes}), kinda sealed it (although you can get urethane sealer {recommended}) and then just rustoleum enamel spray 3-4 top coats and now they make a clear oil based enamel as well- it doesn't get cheaper than that!

Guilt free, Cheap & fast as hell, and you won't have to care or worry about perfection with a separate rat-rod-Mopar. SOme one keys your car? Rusoleum spray and done.

Honestly, what do the rest of you guys think of this idea?
 
fratzog lover said:
It was a very underappreciated engine. It spanked alot of the 396 station wagon engined cars (the cast crank 325/350 engines.) They coundnt rev near a 383 magnum.
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I am working on that 'spanked' engine right now. I thought my 1968 Impala wagon 396 had a forged crankshaft-what makes you say cast?
@fratzog lover
 
greymouser7 said:
I don't know what your budget(or fab skills, desired work effort, timetable) is, but here in Texas on Facebook marketplace you can start over with notch or fastback Cudas that need mild bodywork for around $8,000, Duster bodies for $2-7,000 and build a car that was going to rot/die to begin with, anyway you want without any guilt of destroying original history.

Get some beaked 73-76 Dart, swap the front clip, install (here in south tex cheap as hell) a 400 big block, ebay $600 turbo and keep pace with the big boys on a double rustyratrod budget. Speedmaster sells the heads for the BBM assembled on black friday for $500 something dollars shipped.

Inkjunkie thinks an LS would be cheaper, but 400BBM might actually compete with a Chevy budget-there is a reason RRR picked that build. Either way, you get it all, cheap, fast , fun, no guilt. Rustoleum oil based enamel paint for $30 a gallon and GO! I once used that rustoleum paint as my baremetal primer, with tons of sanded coats (instead of bondo), got the body lines perfect, and sprayed Y2K urethane epoxy over it.
The Urethane actually held onto it well (for years, no problem -{like moparofficial says, just get out, do it, and make mistakes}), kinda sealed it (although you can get urethane sealer {recommended}) and then just rustoleum enamel spray 3-4 top coats and now they make a clear oil based enamel as well- it doesn't get cheaper than that!

Guilt free, Cheap & fast as hell, and you won't have to care or worry about perfection with a separate rat-rod-Mopar. SOme one keys your car? Rusoleum spray and done.

Honestly, what do the rest of you guys think of this idea?
Click to expand...

The original poster likes his car. Just a few things that bothers him. And they were comfort items.

Those things are mostly bolt-on. Or bolt-on if you are clever and use your head.

The only thing different from the /6 vs 383 car is the entry price. That’s maybe $10K-15K depending what starting condition.
 
Moving ahead with the power steering as planned. I really do not believe anyone would return it to manual steering. The mod to the shaft is fairly simple after a shorten, re-drill and re-pin. Also working on those rear Centerline Auto Drag 15x8.5 with 4.5 Backspace. Air will wait until these are completed.
 
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Pic of now and looking forward to the rear wheel change and certainly the power steering. Car currently has 15x8.5 with 3.75 BS as pictured. Should be able to lower it a tad and drop them slightly extended shackles.

47967E91-01A2-4D42-AAD0-9538491DB65D.jpeg
 
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Finding 4” pattern wheels in that size is difficult. I got “lucky” with a free set, late last year and want to improve on that!
 
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I kept the 68 383 Fastback original and bought a 2009 Challenger R/T 6 speed manual. No problems, best of both worlds. I grew up in Orlando, FL, I don't need AC but the Challenger has it.
 
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