Need some opinions

[clogsmith]

That is one sweet find! I agree with the others, get it running well and check/replace all the items that can age and cause problems (belts, hoses, brakes, fuel system, tires, etc) and drive it for a while. You might find you like it as is. J par is right, don't get upside down on the car. It's easy to have $10K in a $2K car. Ask me how I know.

How do you know? Asking for a friend.

 

[clogsmith]

The minute you do a V8 swap and worse yet have a mechanic do it for you you'll be instantly upside down on the car...
100% guarantee it....
Get it running do cleaning and get rid of it while you can get some money out of it. Dump all that money into the vehicle you love the most like your Jeep...

I don't know anything about dumping money into vehicles. ;)

 

[j par]

I don't know anything about dumping money into vehicles. ;)

Well I'm sure we're all well versed and dumping money in the vehicles...
If you had a dream of owning a 1974 Dodge dart and by all means dump money into it it's all yours... I'm just trying to warn you can get extremely upside down extremely quick and a car that you possibly just inherited and not completely in love with. Maybe a bit fascinated or infatuated but I think you started out saying you're a Jeep guy?...

 

[j par]

Every engine rebuild that I've seen done on a slant six especially by a shop was just as much or more than having a V8 rebuilt...

 

[clogsmith]

what's your end goal on the car? are you trying to turn a profit now or at some point in the near future? do you want to build something out and try and get mega bucks for it? do you just want a fun cruiser and flip it when you're tired of it? do you want a V8 muscle car that you're going to keep?

these are all vastly different things and each of them lead to a different approach to this car from a position of time, effort and investment.

the one thing that matters the most though, what's your budget? and be honest here, that saves everybody a whole bunch of trouble.

Future profit is no concern to the project. I am aware of the desirability of the car. Fun cruiser is probably where I'm at. Have always wanted an older rwd 2dr v8 muscle car, and the Dart fits what I've wanted closer than my 56 Packard Clipper with a blown tranny. I think my biggest hurdle is going to be transmission with the dart. I think I would only want to dump money in the car to make it something I'd really like, which is a standard transmission. Haven't found a whole lot about doing a manual on these. I have a really nice 93 Toyota Pickup SR5 all stock one previous owner I paid little for, value on those has shot way up. You never know.

Someone sent me the TorqStorm slant six supercharger kit. Thinking another option could get added to the list.

 

[j par]

Future profit is no concern to the project. I am aware of the desirability of the car. Fun cruiser is probably where I'm at. Have always wanted an older rwd 2dr v8 car, and the dart fits what I've wanted closer than my 56 Packard Clipper with a blown tranny. I think my biggest hurdle is going to be transmission with the dart. I think I would only want to dump money in the car to make it something I'd really like, which is a standard transmission. Haven't found a whole lot about doing a manual on these. Have a really

Okay now we're talking I would look at Brewer's performance as they have complete kits for what you're wanting to do. The transmission the bell housing the 4-speed pedals...ect..
At least looking on there you'd be able to see what a package would cost sent to your door but if you're not mechanically inclined you're going to usually double anything that you do...

 

[halfafish]

How do you know? Asking for a friend.

Hah! Truth be told, I'm well over $10K into this car and have no hope of ever getting that back or even close to the figure. I bought this full survivor 66 for $2k. This is the day it came home. Other than the radio and radiator (I did an aftermarket just to get the car running), everything on the car was just as it left the factory in 1966.

Since then I've updated the tires and wheels twice (about 1.5K) to get what I wanted. The car needed all new brakes to function so that was a couple of hundies. I have a rebuilt slant to drop into it, that was about 3.5K for the new block and all the machine work and parts. Add in another grand for Clifford long-tube headers and a 2x2 Offy intake with dual Weber downdrafts. So far we're up to 8K. Add in a full front end rebuild kit from PST, a super-nice set of KH front discs, fully rebuilt 8.75 rear end with new gears and brakes. Now we're up to 11K. A complete A833OD setup to replace the miserable A903 and we're at 12K. Clutch, new fuel tank and lines, a much better stereo and we're sneaking up on 12K. Add in all new engine accessories (high quality NOS stuff - fuel pump, water pump, oil pump, alternator) and recore the factory radiator while you say hello to 13K. New torsion bars, adjustable strut rods, and a Firm Feel 20:1 steering box and Firm Feel K-frame stiffner kit slithers you up to 14K. Bilstein shocks and new rear springs are now getting you to close to 15K. I'm sure there is more that I'm not recalling at the moment for another couple grand.

However, I love this car and will never sell it. I intend to drive it till the wheels fall off, then I'll get more wheels and do it all over again.

 

[j par]

Hah! Truth be told, I'm well over $10K into this car and have no hope of ever getting that back or even close to the figure. I bought this full survivor 66 for $2k. This is the day it came home. Other than the radio and radiator (I did an aftermarket just to get the car running), everything on the car was just as it left the factory in 1966.

View attachment 1716080223

Since then I've updated the tires and wheels twice (about 1.5K) to get what I wanted. The car needed all new brakes to function so that was a couple of hundies. I have a rebuilt slant to drop into it, that was about 3.5K for the new block and all the machine work and parts. Add in another grand for Clifford long-tube headers and a 2x2 Offy intake with dual Weber downdrafts. So far we're up to 8K. Add in a full front end rebuild kit from PST, a super-nice set of KH front discs, fully rebuilt 8.75 rear end with new gears and brakes. Now we're up to 11K. A complete A833OD setup to replace the miserable A903 and we're at 12K. Clutch, new fuel tank and lines, a much better stereo and we're sneaking up on 12K. Add in all new engine accessories (high quality NOS stuff - fuel pump, water pump, oil pump, alternator) and recore the factory radiator while you say hello to 13K. New torsion bars, adjustable strut rods, and a Firm Feel 20:1 steering box and Firm Feel K-frame stiffner kit slithers you up to 14K. Bilstein shocks and new rear springs are now getting you to close to 15K. I'm sure there is more that I'm not recalling at the moment for another couple grand.

However, I love this car and will never sell it. I intend to drive it till the wheels fall off, then I'll get more wheels and do it all over again.

Don't forget to tell him this is doing most of the stuff yourself in your own shop with a lift...
How much do you think you'd be into it if you just handed it off to a mechanic to do it all for you?...

 

[66fyssh]

I don't know anything about dumping money into vehicles. ;)

JEEP. Just Empty Every Pocket.

Here's an 81 Toyota pickup I bought off the lot new with white steel wheels, radio delete, and a vinyl bench, 4spd. 20R. Had a lot of fun with it!

Post up some pics of your jeep!

 

[COOL WHIPPS LLC]

Welcome @clogsmith !!! I see you find yourself in a bit of a pickle. As you can see I to have a car of the same vintage of yours, but the '75 Duster version. Mine was not inherited from an estranged family member though; I inherited another guy's problems and paid him for them.
As far as your "What to do" list for this vehicle, I'm going with Option #4. This whole endeavor started with the sale of an '89 Yamaha V-maxx w/ a blown engine for $900 6 yrs ago. Flipped that into a '65 Cuda survivor I ran across through some connections and eventually sold for 7x what I paid for it. This Duster is a bi-product of all that wheelin' and dealin'. The "inheritance" I have versus yours is a Gen 3 Hemi drivetrain/ECM, etc from a wrecked '08 Dodge Charger R/T.
You're welcome to walk this journey with me if you decide you want to make that thing a MONSTER!

The '65 "survivor" that is in another guy's talented hands now, but provided the finances after the Vmaxx sale.

Picked up this lil' gem and some 6.1L Heads to add some spice.

Voila!!! I'd say you're well ahead on the condition of the car...I need a frame rail for this one, but I didn't want a "good" car to cut into like we're planning to. We do have seats, but everything else you see missing....is !

 

[junkyardhero]

because you're not doing the work yourself, getting this up and running and roadworthy will probably set you back a few grand.

it's got good bones and it's super clean. a great candidate for a V8 swap if you want to splash the cash. a bucks down V8 swap would run you about 10K easy money.

a manual trans set up is really dependent on components. standard 4spd stuff is still floating around and it's pricey but not astronomical. but if you dip your toes into the 5 or 6 spd stuff those numbers damn near double immediately. a stock 4 cog setup from a retailer would probably be around 3K.

if you were patient and slowly collected the parts used/2nd hand i'd bet you could gather up all the bits for a manual swap for around about 1~1.5K. then probably pay another 1-ish on swapping over.

 

[clogsmith]

because you're not doing the work yourself, getting this up and running and roadworthy will probably set you back a few grand.

it's got good bones and it's super clean. a great candidate for a V8 swap if you want to splash the cash. a bucks down V8 swap would run you about 10K easy money.

a manual trans set up is really dependent on components. standard 4spd stuff is still floating around and it's pricey but not astronomical. but if you dip your toes into the 5 or 6 spd stuff those numbers damn near double immediately. a stock 4 cog setup from a retailer would probably be around 3K.

if you were patient and slowly collected the parts used/2nd hand i'd bet you could gather up all the bits for a manual swap for around about 1~1.5K. then probably pay another 1-ish on swapping over.

Pretty much, if it requires an engine hoist, I am probably not going to tackle it myself. Everything else, got plenty of jack stands, can't lose giving it a go.

 

[junkyardhero]

Pretty much, if it requires an engine hoist, I am probably not going to tackle it myself. Everything else, got plenty of jack stands, can't lose giving it a go.

oh yeah, you could boogie down in the driveway real easy getting it up and going. a long weekend of wrench swinging would put that on the road.

still gonna be out something like a G though; tires are gonna set you back half that to start. hopefully the brakes, tank and radiator aren't waxed from sitting. not the worst thing in the world, parts are available.

since you're on the fence about it, i'd say just get it up and running and make it safe and reliable to drive. then you can cruise that beast around and decide if you wanna hold onto it. never know, you might fall in love and wind up giving her the full razzle-dazzle.