New to the forum and to A-bodies - advice on a build direction
Thanks for inviting me to the party @DionR !
I'm obviously a fan of the pro touring style build because, you know, go fast and turn... I'm also a fan of understated, tasteful modifications. I do think some builds people call pro touring are over the top and look like hot wheel car builds. Those are just dumb and have zero resale value.
As with any project, the budget ultimately determines the path. Since you aren't super familiar with the Mopar A-body platform, my suggestion is to keep it simple, especially if you plan to sell the car.
My recipe for resale would be as follows:
I'm happy to answer any questions you have!
Thanks for inviting me to the party @DionR !
I'm obviously a fan of the pro touring style build because, you know, go fast and turn... I'm also a fan of understated, tasteful modifications. I do think some builds people call pro touring are over the top and look like hot wheel car builds. Those are just dumb and have zero resale value.
As with any project, the budget ultimately determines the path. Since you aren't super familiar with the Mopar A-body platform, my suggestion is to keep it simple, especially if you plan to sell the car.
My recipe for resale would be as follows:
- Keep the exterior as close to stock as possible. Don't put any silly wings or hood scoops on it unless they were period correct for that car.
- For the interior keep it simple. You don't need some out of place console and 20 gauges with 3 double din stereos with navigation and all that other crap. The key is making it comfortable, but also keeping the nostalgic look.
- Yes modern hemis are kind of common, but that's what buyers want right now. Slap a modern hemi with an 8 speed auto with the stock computer and send it down the road. Sublime Technologies (Formerly DIY Hemi) can make a factory engine/trans harness plug and play. Yes the 8 speed will require some tunnel mods, but it seems your shop is capable. I recently saw someone use a tunnel from the modern Challenger as a replacement for the old narrow tunnel. I thought it was a fantastic idea since the modern tunnel was already shaped to fit the trans. It saved a ton of fabrication time.
- Suspension- Again, since you aren't intimately familiar with the A-body, I'd go with a @HemiDenny HDK K-Member. It will make installing a G3 hemi a breeze. The cool thing about Denny's kit is, you don't have to run a huge brake that requires an 18" wheel. You can just use a smaller 12" brake and run 15" wheels. If you tried to use the factory K and aren't familiar with all the nuances, you will get pissed and abandon the project. Also, for reasons beyond my understanding, most people automatically view coil overs as being superior to torsion bars. That automatically intrigues a buyer. For rear suspension, Bergman Autocraft can sell you some leaf springs that will work great and get the car sitting right. Or there are some 4 bar setups out there- I believe QA1 makes one.
I'm happy to answer any questions you have!
