If you've got the 13" rims, it's hard to find tires, and they're spendy (used to be really cheap for 13" tires)
Ignorant College Student--Need Advice!
- Thread starter howlett83
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If you've got the 13" rims, it's hard to find tires, and they're spendy (used to be really cheap for 13" tires)
If you fix it, it's gonna be a labour of love not profit.
Best thing to do is to get it on the road and go out and enjoy it. 2nd keep the dream small try to fix it in weekend projects. Longer a car sits less likely you'll get back to it.
To me up grading suspension, brakes, rear end, gears and exhaust are best done before worrying about performance.
Best thing to do is to get it on the road and go out and enjoy it. 2nd keep the dream small try to fix it in weekend projects. Longer a car sits less likely you'll get back to it.
To me up grading suspension, brakes, rear end, gears and exhaust are best done before worrying about performance.
The 2 bbls on the 273 were Carter BBD 2 bbls...
If you haven't found a service manual for that yet, try here. They have 66 plymouth and 65 Dodge which are similar to yours for a start...
http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=109
If you haven't found a service manual for that yet, try here. They have 66 plymouth and 65 Dodge which are similar to yours for a start...
http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=109
middleagecrisis
Well-Known Member
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After way to many cars to count over the years, I've learned that it's either a labor of love, or a quick flip to make a few dollars. If you're trying to make money you need to look at the "desireability" of the make/model and availability of aftermarket parts. Your profit margin (or at least mine) always goes down with the more work I put into a vehicle. Of course, this never seems to apply to the multitude of car shows on the Discovery channel, lol. Now a days, I don't look at a vehicle with the thought of how much can I sell it for, just if it's a vehicle I'll enjoy working on and driving. Since you've got it running, now is the time to sell it, if that's the direction you want to go.
I a dmit I didn't read all the posts, but i'm sure they all have good info/advice. I did read what you paid for it though.
look at it as a learning experience as being on here is that too! so what aspects of the auto world do you want to learn? mechanics, body/paint, upholstery, everything??the dart will eventually need it ALL.
I say get it running, if you want to flip it, and maybe, just maybe, you can get your $$ back.
just drive it and enjoy an old car. it doesn't no way have to have perfect shiney paint to love it. a great learning bed to understand all the basics of the automobile.....
if you have an interest in these old cars, you can study them for years learning all the details. when buying you gotta realize different models will have different values, ie early A body with a 273 vs a 70 duster with an original 340. BIG difference. bog work costs enough $$ even if you provide all the labor. makles a big difference if the car is straight, solid ( little rust), all parts are there ( ie bumpers), etc.....
everything costs $$$. maybe store it till out of school. yes your dad is right, it s a money pit. but what isn't??? school for sure!
look at it as a learning experience as being on here is that too! so what aspects of the auto world do you want to learn? mechanics, body/paint, upholstery, everything??the dart will eventually need it ALL.
I say get it running, if you want to flip it, and maybe, just maybe, you can get your $$ back.
just drive it and enjoy an old car. it doesn't no way have to have perfect shiney paint to love it. a great learning bed to understand all the basics of the automobile.....
if you have an interest in these old cars, you can study them for years learning all the details. when buying you gotta realize different models will have different values, ie early A body with a 273 vs a 70 duster with an original 340. BIG difference. bog work costs enough $$ even if you provide all the labor. makles a big difference if the car is straight, solid ( little rust), all parts are there ( ie bumpers), etc.....
everything costs $$$. maybe store it till out of school. yes your dad is right, it s a money pit. but what isn't??? school for sure!
DesertRat
Leading edge boomer
Too bad your partner bailed, to fix it would take 2 or 3 college bugets. It is a desireable car in certain quarters, just not Montana. I would recommend fixing the small things that you can for a little money and help between now and June. In May, detail the hell out of it including a good compound buff out and wax job and put it up for sale. On here, on CL, on Ebay for a price that gets back as much of your money as possible. (you may lose a little but not much) In your geographic area, it seems a mid 60's to mid 80's 1/2 ton 2 WD pickup would be the project for you to learn on and you wont lose money on that. Early Mopars of any flavor are Hideous money pits!! "ask me how I know"
In any case, always glad to see another young person enter the hobby. Say hello to our Cuda Chick and Rainy. They would make good gender specific sounding boards as well.
Best of luck young lady and welcome to FABO! DR------------:coffee2:
In any case, always glad to see another young person enter the hobby. Say hello to our Cuda Chick and Rainy. They would make good gender specific sounding boards as well.
Best of luck young lady and welcome to FABO! DR------------:coffee2:
DaveRS23
KOS
It will take hundreds of hours to make the little car much at all. And many more hours than that of research and searching for parts.
In order to restore an old car back to road worthiness takes 5 indispensable things;
1) enough money
2) enough time
3) enough of the right tools
4) enough dedicated space
5) enough experience or access to
If anyone of those items are lacking, then the project becomes difficult, if not impossible to complete satisfactorily.
How many of those necessities do you have in place?
In order to restore an old car back to road worthiness takes 5 indispensable things;
1) enough money
2) enough time
3) enough of the right tools
4) enough dedicated space
5) enough experience or access to
If anyone of those items are lacking, then the project becomes difficult, if not impossible to complete satisfactorily.
How many of those necessities do you have in place?
Nothing wrong with that car, just needs someone to bring it back to life. Here's a car I did several years ago. I also did a 64 Dart post car. by the way the 64's look really cool without the front bumper.
My advise, and I give it to everybody that asks...." Do everything you can for free first"!! You can turn wrenches, do do things like remove the seats, clean them up, vacuum out the entire interior, make a list of parts that need replaced, take all of the ratty stuff out like carpet that's trashed and such, reinstall the cleaned up seats and move on to another area! Keep your eye out here and on the FB Mopar sites for good deals on parts you need! Things
like nice wheels and tires needn't be expensive, and will bring up the value of the car, and your enthusiasm level on the car by leaps and bounds!!
Don't concentrate on areas you know little about until you learn about them! Why buy a 4 bbl intake and carb when you don't know much about carbeurators?? If you need to have someone come help tuning one just to get it running, you are spending time and money needlessly! You need to get it running and driving first, but spending money under the hood should start with tune up parts, wear items like belts and hoses if it needs them, and study up on carbeurators while you work on those things! Again, make a list of items you NEED to buy first, and another list of items or areas you need to address!!
The biggest thing I can offer is to be patient!!! Good deals come along all the time, you just gotta be patient! You already spent the money to buy the car, don't look at it as money spent, that's past now, look forward with a solid plan as to what to spend your hard earned money on to get it running and driving!! It's a neat little car, don't let it become a bad experience by getting ahead of yourself, and don't get too far into an area you're not familiar with, you don't want to end up with boxes full of parts and no fun little car to work on!!!
Oh, and make use of this site, there are tons of great people here willing to help, lots of parts and information to be had, and bartering for stuff you need with stuff you have is a great way to turn unneeded parts into useable stuff!! I'd be interested in the Ld4 intake if you decide to sell it!! Good luck young lady, I have great Confidence that with your schooling and common sense that you will come out on top of this!! Geof
like nice wheels and tires needn't be expensive, and will bring up the value of the car, and your enthusiasm level on the car by leaps and bounds!!
Don't concentrate on areas you know little about until you learn about them! Why buy a 4 bbl intake and carb when you don't know much about carbeurators?? If you need to have someone come help tuning one just to get it running, you are spending time and money needlessly! You need to get it running and driving first, but spending money under the hood should start with tune up parts, wear items like belts and hoses if it needs them, and study up on carbeurators while you work on those things! Again, make a list of items you NEED to buy first, and another list of items or areas you need to address!!
The biggest thing I can offer is to be patient!!! Good deals come along all the time, you just gotta be patient! You already spent the money to buy the car, don't look at it as money spent, that's past now, look forward with a solid plan as to what to spend your hard earned money on to get it running and driving!! It's a neat little car, don't let it become a bad experience by getting ahead of yourself, and don't get too far into an area you're not familiar with, you don't want to end up with boxes full of parts and no fun little car to work on!!!
Oh, and make use of this site, there are tons of great people here willing to help, lots of parts and information to be had, and bartering for stuff you need with stuff you have is a great way to turn unneeded parts into useable stuff!! I'd be interested in the Ld4 intake if you decide to sell it!! Good luck young lady, I have great Confidence that with your schooling and common sense that you will come out on top of this!! Geof
chryslerfat
Well-Known Member
Its an early A and you dont have experience yet. Get it as clean and shiney as you can and sell it now with a possible loss or you will be upside down real fast and hate you didnt heed the warning.
Pretty sage advice. I do have car experience, am 47, and drove mopar 2-barrel V8s as a kid, and I would still cringe at starting a project like yours - especially at your exp level. You can gain experience just fine while someone else pays for it. Sounds to me like you've neither the time or the money to make this car happen.
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
And stay away from a guy named Justin Figgat at all cost.
dano
Evil Handy Man
While I do not condone any collage student taking on a restoration project, this is one where this car can become an education tool as you move forward.
As other have said and I agree you will loose financially, so it "fish or cut bait" i.e. take the loss or move forward knowing the consequences. It will take work, time and money, then more time and work and money, then a bit more. The car needs to be something your into, otherwise you'll waste more money into something you don't care about. So if you lusted for a 64 GT, great. If you have an affection to Cameros, Mustangs, Challengers, or Tuckers or just something other than cars, this isn't the car for you, plain and simple.
If you plan to keep it, store it for when your ready. If you can use it for school, great, you may need a project car for that.
There is a wealth of knowledge here. Read, then ask. There is information from people here that you can not get out of a book.
As other have said and I agree you will loose financially, so it "fish or cut bait" i.e. take the loss or move forward knowing the consequences. It will take work, time and money, then more time and work and money, then a bit more. The car needs to be something your into, otherwise you'll waste more money into something you don't care about. So if you lusted for a 64 GT, great. If you have an affection to Cameros, Mustangs, Challengers, or Tuckers or just something other than cars, this isn't the car for you, plain and simple.
If you plan to keep it, store it for when your ready. If you can use it for school, great, you may need a project car for that.
There is a wealth of knowledge here. Read, then ask. There is information from people here that you can not get out of a book.
I've been rebuilding my own daily driver a-bodies since before I went to college. I started building Mopars when I was 13. I had built my own car for college, so being in college is not a reason not to build a car...
If you can build your car/keep it running and keep up with your studies, then you will be fine...
Yes, Justin is a scam artist... :finga: :finga: :finga:
Was that Bedrock U, Karl??? ;-)
Ha, ha, Geoff...
No, it was...
Sam
Houston
Institute of
Technology...
Good ol' S.H.I.T....
reading your original post again, you jumped into this venture, to flip it, and have your friend help. he wimped out.
lots of good advice and info here. what you have to do is 1. know if you have an interest in this car or just want it gone, or work on it and drive it, or can it be used at school as learning platform for you and classmates?? or, store it for later in life..?? 2. if you have time, money, know how and tools to do any work on it.
a good learning tool is figure what it will cost to make it a running, driving project and figure what is its real world value at that point. or figure what it will cost to get it to a restored driver quality and what it will be worth then..
those figures will tell you if there is any "profit" to be had or if you will sell it and loss big time. and realize there will always be expenses that show up you didn't figure on.
99% of people on here will tell you we work and spend $$ on these cars for the love of it all. only guys making any money on it is people fixing them for a CUSTOMER that pays I in CASH!!!!
usually the time a real profit will exist is when you buy a project at a price for less that a buyer will give you, OR , you buy a project, use you time to clean it up and spend a few bucks to get it running, and find someone that will give you a small profit.
for most cars it will cost you MORE in parts and materials to restore it than it will bring. if you can do most all the wiork, the only cars that might yield a profit is a car that will sell for enough and the initial projects costs was not prohibitive. it costs basically no more to do the body/paint, engine, interior, suspension for a lets s ay, 69 383 roadrunner than a 64 273 dart, the difference is in cost of the project, and sales price of the car after work on it.
I hope you will be able and have the desire to keep this car, stay on this site and learn and join the fellowship, lot of good people here that are passionate of the hobby.
lots of good advice and info here. what you have to do is 1. know if you have an interest in this car or just want it gone, or work on it and drive it, or can it be used at school as learning platform for you and classmates?? or, store it for later in life..?? 2. if you have time, money, know how and tools to do any work on it.
a good learning tool is figure what it will cost to make it a running, driving project and figure what is its real world value at that point. or figure what it will cost to get it to a restored driver quality and what it will be worth then..
those figures will tell you if there is any "profit" to be had or if you will sell it and loss big time. and realize there will always be expenses that show up you didn't figure on.
99% of people on here will tell you we work and spend $$ on these cars for the love of it all. only guys making any money on it is people fixing them for a CUSTOMER that pays I in CASH!!!!
usually the time a real profit will exist is when you buy a project at a price for less that a buyer will give you, OR , you buy a project, use you time to clean it up and spend a few bucks to get it running, and find someone that will give you a small profit.
for most cars it will cost you MORE in parts and materials to restore it than it will bring. if you can do most all the wiork, the only cars that might yield a profit is a car that will sell for enough and the initial projects costs was not prohibitive. it costs basically no more to do the body/paint, engine, interior, suspension for a lets s ay, 69 383 roadrunner than a 64 273 dart, the difference is in cost of the project, and sales price of the car after work on it.
I hope you will be able and have the desire to keep this car, stay on this site and learn and join the fellowship, lot of good people here that are passionate of the hobby.
Looks like you have gotten good advice here.
I also think you should not spend any more of this car and sell it for what whatever you can get out of it when the weather starts to turn nice.
You picked the wrong car to try and make money on, even a really really nice Dart or Valiant is hard to sell for $5,000. You car has a lot going for it, it already has a V8, it's a two door hardtop with bucket seats, but it'll take some work to get your money out of it.
I like Geof's ( Cosgig) advise; do what you can for free, clean it, shine it and adjust what you can.
These cars are not one to invest in. To own one you need to really love it because it will make you happy but not make you money.
I also think you should not spend any more of this car and sell it for what whatever you can get out of it when the weather starts to turn nice.
You picked the wrong car to try and make money on, even a really really nice Dart or Valiant is hard to sell for $5,000. You car has a lot going for it, it already has a V8, it's a two door hardtop with bucket seats, but it'll take some work to get your money out of it.
I like Geof's ( Cosgig) advise; do what you can for free, clean it, shine it and adjust what you can.
These cars are not one to invest in. To own one you need to really love it because it will make you happy but not make you money.
moper
Well-Known Member
You've already put some value into it with the brakes and running. I'd plug away on the free stuff, and advertise it when the thaw comes. You will be upside down in it in no time if you look at any body or paint, or driveline upgrades. Flipping is for those that know the markets and the product. If you are not sure of either, you should be better served by keeping the cash in your pocket and trying a little Wheeler Dealer flip with modern cars. Stuff that's much easier and cheaper to repair and add resale value.
Woods74
Broke Senior
This, if you want to make money, buy something like a mid 90's to early '00 Japanese car off craigslist with a blown head gasket and worn out struts for $500 fix and sell it for $2500, to recoup the money pit you just purchased for an inflated price.
Don't blow your college wad on this, it can happen in a blink of an eye. Fix it later when you start working, have at it.
Damn straight; been there, done that!
rich006
Learning as I go
I hate to say it, but your father is right. Clean it up nice and maybe give it a tuneup, and set your expectations low for the sale price (start by asking for the price you want, but be prepared to lower the price if it doesn't sell).
Blind Squirrel
Well-Known Member
The average restoration takes between 5 and 7 years and will cost you at least 10K just to have a "nice" car when your done and that is doing almost all the work yourself. Yes, there are others that will tell you different and I'll tell you they either can't tell time or can't do their gaz-in-two's very well. You also have a bunch of tools to sink money in to. Welder, compressor, cuttoff tools, grinders, spray guns, on and on and on. Even storage costs can add up and kill a project. Finish college! But if you must - collect body, trim parts as you can. Buy absolutely no engine parts until you get to a point you can have a conversation with your trusted machine shop and buy everything at once, Engine worlds evolve all the time. Do all the body work, assemble everything, make any adjustments, blow it apart and paint. You will have a really nice car to be extremely proud of by the year 2021 or so. You'll have a great time and a great story to tell if you can make it past the marriage, 2.5 kids, house payment, EPA, student loans and anything else life throws at you. Finish college.
No, life hasn't stopped me yet. 30+ years to my fabulous spouse. More completed projects than space to list and still more on the burner. 2 57 chevy's, 70 nova, 70 duster, 67 elcamino, 68 superbee. Finish college
No, life hasn't stopped me yet. 30+ years to my fabulous spouse. More completed projects than space to list and still more on the burner. 2 57 chevy's, 70 nova, 70 duster, 67 elcamino, 68 superbee. Finish college
67GTConvert
Well-Known Member
Lots of good advice on here,for sure.If you're not really into that particular car then just get it running,mobile,and cleaned up best you can for as little as possible and start advertising it.I'd replace a few things like the engine oil/filter and fuel filter just to keep things from getting worse.
If you do decide you like it and want to keep it for a learning project then first make sure the underbody is solid enough as others have noted.If it has major rust out around the suspension mounting areas then it's a project for someone else or a parts car.
If it's solid underneath then start making it roadworthy by going over the brakes,steering/suspension,tires,exhaust,to make sure all are safe.Once those are taken care of then there's the lighting and electrical to go over.Most mechanical and electrical parts are easily found and often downright cheap at RockAuto.com.
Interior parts can be hard to find but are available and not super expensive.
Bodywork and paint are the killers but really the only way to add to the value of a car.You can have everything else perfect on a car but if it still looks like a $2500 car on the outside,then that's all someone will give you for it.That's why it's so hard to make money on old cars.If you spring for a complete body and paint job,you're guaranteed to lose money on pretty much every old car out there.
If you do decide you like it and want to keep it for a learning project then first make sure the underbody is solid enough as others have noted.If it has major rust out around the suspension mounting areas then it's a project for someone else or a parts car.
If it's solid underneath then start making it roadworthy by going over the brakes,steering/suspension,tires,exhaust,to make sure all are safe.Once those are taken care of then there's the lighting and electrical to go over.Most mechanical and electrical parts are easily found and often downright cheap at RockAuto.com.
Interior parts can be hard to find but are available and not super expensive.
Bodywork and paint are the killers but really the only way to add to the value of a car.You can have everything else perfect on a car but if it still looks like a $2500 car on the outside,then that's all someone will give you for it.That's why it's so hard to make money on old cars.If you spring for a complete body and paint job,you're guaranteed to lose money on pretty much every old car out there.
once you sell it, you may never find another one like it.
Sounds to me like a great opportunity to make friends with a car that will be your friend for years to come. I agree with KrazyKuda in saying that going to college is no reason to not build a car.
I have daily driven a 68 dart for years and I recently graduated college. It's a lot more maintenance than a newer car but I am also not a sheep in the crowd of newer cars that all look the same. These old cars were made to run down the road so don't be afraid to drive it. If you are going to drive it and take care of it, make it your friend and don't worry about the dollar value.
They will never make cars like they did in the 60s ever again, yet money they make more everyday and there is nothing rare about money, so if it were me I would rather have the car. You can recover the money later, its just paper.
sounds like a opportunity to prove the nay-Sayers wrong.
Sounds to me like a great opportunity to make friends with a car that will be your friend for years to come. I agree with KrazyKuda in saying that going to college is no reason to not build a car.
I have daily driven a 68 dart for years and I recently graduated college. It's a lot more maintenance than a newer car but I am also not a sheep in the crowd of newer cars that all look the same. These old cars were made to run down the road so don't be afraid to drive it. If you are going to drive it and take care of it, make it your friend and don't worry about the dollar value.
They will never make cars like they did in the 60s ever again, yet money they make more everyday and there is nothing rare about money, so if it were me I would rather have the car. You can recover the money later, its just paper.
sounds like a opportunity to prove the nay-Sayers wrong.
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