Dave1967
Cuda crazy
64 valiant in the works.
My favorite? Mine
Opinions on the BEST A BODY...............
- Thread starter burrpenick
- Start date
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64 valiant in the works.
My favorite? Mine
Hyper_pak
Old School Chrysler Fan
I knew you would!
CordobaDart
318 SLANTMAN
The A body that is in your driveway, that fires right up when asked, and happily takes a beating or a cruise, that can be taken to work or a show is the best in my opinion.
stroked340
Well-Known Member
'70 duster of coarse..
WildCat
Well-Known Member
This might not be the perfect A Body, but it has been picked as Outstanding Custom @ ISCA show and now will be featured as the January 2018 calendar car for Mike Linnings, so close is good enough for me.
If you want a drag car you want the lightest car possible
Sedans are the lightest cars available
So if you are wanting drag car look for a sedan
Want a good looking cruiser, there are plenty. From the early A's. 2nd gen Barracudas in all 3 body styles
If you want fun in the sun nothing beats a drop top!
Love the look of the early A's but there are problems with getting parts that is easier with the late A's
Have had both 67 Barracuda convertible and Dart convertible. So then it comes down to preference. One isn't better than the other, just a difference of opinion.
The later A bodies have there own following and there isn't anything wrong with them, but you have to like the park bench bumpers and the beak nose. Cars that I use to think was ugly look much better today than they did new. (Seen a 75 nova the other day and thought" that doesn't look too bad" but dated a girl with one and thought it sucked. It did have an adequate front seat, JUST SAYING)
The 75 Duster with the question what is it worth, had a 74 and never really liked the looks but that 75 looks great!
There is no answer to this question. It is all about personal PREFERENCE!
I'm thinkin the 69 dart looks a lot like a little roadrunner but lighter and with care will still take a big block. Add the fun a convertible and that's a great ride in my book.
DionR
Well-Known Member
If you are talking “off the shelf”, I think the ’74’s are hard to beat.
1. Disk brake cars are BBP.
2. Spool motor mounts
3. Better sway bar
4. Thru bolt idler
5. Available 360 motor (not a ’71 340, but better than a ’72).
6. Better seatbelts (hate the ratchet, but at least it isn’t one hanging from the roof).
Granted, style isn’t the best due to the stupid bumpers, and never been a fan of the Dodge nose in those years (which pushes me towards the Dusters). And you couldn’t get the rally dash.
If you are talking something to modify, for me, probably the 70-71 Duster. Of them all, they have my favorite grill and tail lights, available rally dash, and I think the side marker lights rock. Swap the later k-frame, BBP brakes and get the best of both worlds. Add the fact that a ’69 RR Airgrabber hood grafts onto the earlier Duster hood so well, and it’s a win-win. Only real drawback I can see is retrofitting real seatbelts, but a 6 point cage and harness would fix that.
Have to say that the style of the ’68 Dart has always grabbed me, though. And they do seem to be proportioned better. Never like the tail lights, though.
Used to have an early A, and still like the look, but just seemed like everything needed to be updated to get where I would want to be.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that the car that got me into Mopars was my brother’s ’71 340 Duster with an Airgrabber hood. So, I might be a little biased in my opinion.
1. Disk brake cars are BBP.
2. Spool motor mounts
3. Better sway bar
4. Thru bolt idler
5. Available 360 motor (not a ’71 340, but better than a ’72).
6. Better seatbelts (hate the ratchet, but at least it isn’t one hanging from the roof).
Granted, style isn’t the best due to the stupid bumpers, and never been a fan of the Dodge nose in those years (which pushes me towards the Dusters). And you couldn’t get the rally dash.
If you are talking something to modify, for me, probably the 70-71 Duster. Of them all, they have my favorite grill and tail lights, available rally dash, and I think the side marker lights rock. Swap the later k-frame, BBP brakes and get the best of both worlds. Add the fact that a ’69 RR Airgrabber hood grafts onto the earlier Duster hood so well, and it’s a win-win. Only real drawback I can see is retrofitting real seatbelts, but a 6 point cage and harness would fix that.
Have to say that the style of the ’68 Dart has always grabbed me, though. And they do seem to be proportioned better. Never like the tail lights, though.
Used to have an early A, and still like the look, but just seemed like everything needed to be updated to get where I would want to be.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that the car that got me into Mopars was my brother’s ’71 340 Duster with an Airgrabber hood. So, I might be a little biased in my opinion.
I agree DionR. Don't forget Electronic ignition. 74 Duster/ Dart sport 360. Duster in 74 did not even really have a beak nose. Just the back bumper poked out a little. You had to have the shock style for it to poke out in the front. All A-bogies are great though!
norton
Doing the best that I can
That's a sweet looking ride.
DionR
Well-Known Member
Forgot about that. Good point.
Just my opinion, but I don't count the '73 and up Duster nose as a "beak nose". I don't think the '75-76 grill helped it any, but the '73-74 nose and grill (I think) looks good and didn't look anything like a beak. I prefer the '70-72 nose, but I still really like the one on my car.
Agreed! It's all just my opinions and I wouldn't kick any of them out of my garage. Well, maybe the '62...
(not really, just joking 
).
stroked340
Well-Known Member
You forgot "beak nose" grille isn't good looking, tail lights too big, bumpers not as nice as the earlier years interiors are "blah"..when it comes to looks'70-'71 duster hands down top any year duster..that's for sure
stroked340
Well-Known Member
DionR
Well-Known Member
Uh, actually I didn't forget. Maybe you just skipped over it?
I guess you could argue that the Duster nose is a "beak", which would mean I forgot that, but my opinion is that the '73 and up Dusters don't have a beak, only a peak. And I didn't mention the tail lights, that's true.
I also agreed with your assessment when I said I would pick a '70-71 Duster if I was going to modify it.
norton
Doing the best that I can
How can you not include the 72 in your opinion. After all other then the tail lights, marker lights and HP. The 70-72 are the same car.
stroked340
Well-Known Member
You are correct the '72 tail lights are kinda cool,forgot about them..but then Ma Mopar went and stuck those "generic" side markers on them and everything else after '72
This right here. ^ I HAD to have a 72 because I love the one year Taillights but the "stuck on" marker lights will not be staying when/if I do body and paint work.You are correct the '72 tail lights are kinda cool,forgot about them..but then Ma Mopar went and stuck those "generic" side markers on them and everything else after '72
Lustle
Well-Known Member
This is the thread that never ends...
Yes it goes on and on my friends...
Some people started posting in it not knowing what it was...
And they'll continue posting forever just because...
Yes it goes on and on my friends...
Some people started posting in it not knowing what it was...
And they'll continue posting forever just because...
Tail Lights on the 74 Duster look good (not as good as 72) But good. The nose on a 73-74 also looks good (not as good as a Sharktooh) But good. The side marker lights look good too. It's the same body. They all look good- Splitting Hairs
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
74 is my favorite year for dusters.
I had a yellow 74 duster and I sold it and regret it to this day.
I was on a mission to find another 74 when I stumbled on my 72 demon.
I figure they are all cool and sometimes you have to run what is available to you so I am happy with the demon since it is already here.
DionR
Well-Known Member
When I started reading this thread, I expected it to decent quickly into name calling and childish banter. I was plenty surprised to find that people were able to voice their opinions without that. Nice job.
I think the difference was, nobody seemed to be out to prove that they had the best A-Body on the planet. Only to present why they like the one(s) they did. It's all just opinions. Well done.
I think the difference was, nobody seemed to be out to prove that they had the best A-Body on the planet. Only to present why they like the one(s) they did. It's all just opinions. Well done.
DionR
Well-Known Member
I agree completely.
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
I think the tail lights, markers and everything else on 73 and up cars look just fine.
There might be a good reason the sales of these cars picked up dramatically after 73 and production numbers spiked, maybe because it was what the buying public wanted.
If Barrett jackass had told everyone that a 74 duster was worth a million dollars then a lot sheep would be talking how sweet everything is on a 74. It's only because there are a ton of them around, resulting in a lower dollar value that people have to talk crap about them. They are still mopars.
There might be a good reason the sales of these cars picked up dramatically after 73 and production numbers spiked, maybe because it was what the buying public wanted.
If Barrett jackass had told everyone that a 74 duster was worth a million dollars then a lot sheep would be talking how sweet everything is on a 74. It's only because there are a ton of them around, resulting in a lower dollar value that people have to talk crap about them. They are still mopars.
Tweety!!!
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