Why don't late A's get any respect

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
FABO Gold Member
Joined
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So I have this 75 dart swinger, very clean car. Rust free south west car.

The previous owner had a T boned 75 dart SE and this car which is a base swinger. So the Previous owner swapped in the 318 and v8 k frame from the wrecked SE to this car.

So here i am years later and I finally located a slant six spool mount k frame which is an item that is much harder to find in 2022 than many would think. I am swapping this car back to a slant six because I like the way it was originally optioned and I actually want another slant car.

So while I'm working on swapping the k frame I had 3 different mopar buddies stop by at different times and every single one of them said the same thing.

"THIS CAR NEEDS AN EARLIER DART FRONT END TO LOOK BETTER"

WHY!!! would you do that to a complete and rust free car with a perfect grille!!!

I don't understand why the hate towards these later 73 and up cars which are actually rarer cars in 2022 than most would think. Parts for these cars that are unique to the 75 and 6 are getting to be non existent.

As Rodney dangerfield would say:
No respect, no respect but why

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What's it matter to you what other people think as long as you like it? Fix it and enjoy it.
 
I agree, its your car. Dont let that negativity get to you. My 76 will stay as is,other than making the bumpers fit better.
 
Sound like you wanna sell it as close to a numbers car as possible.
No one would go through the trouble to do that if it didnt bring some reward..especially if you already have a slant car/s.
Aren't you a used car saleswoman? Do I have that right? Do you keep all these cars or is not the intent to sell them?
Thats the impression I get.
If so, listen to the market and follow the money....
 
These 2 are gathering and preping all the parts for a V8 conversion from a slant 6, for this '74 Dart Swinger.

Good running slant 6, engine, trans, radiator, fan and shroud, k-member and /6 torsions, front engine brackets, PS/AC car.

All the parts for a /6 conversion you could ever want. But . . the parts are here in Minnesota???

Nice Running 47,000 miles.

Brian&Jim.jpg
 
I will admit, I used to not care for the later "beak" cars, but they've really grown on me over the years. Some of them are down right NICE with all of the options the later cars had, PLUS since they are newer they are normally in better shape. What's not to love?
 
George Jets said:
These 2 are gathering and preping all the parts for a V8 conversion from a slant 6, for this '74 Dart Swinger.

Good running slant 6, engine, trans, radiator, fan and shroud, k-member and /6 torsions, front engine brackets, PS/AC car.

All the parts for a /6 conversion you could ever want. But . . the parts are here in Minnesota???

Nice Running 47,000 miles.

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I wouldn’t touch that car if it was me. It’s their car though.
 
Princess Valiant said:
So I have this 75 dart swinger, very clean car. Rust free south west car.

The previous owner had a T boned 75 dart SE and this car which is a base swinger. So the Previous owner swapped in the 318 and v8 k frame from the wrecked SE to this car.

So here i am years later and I finally located a slant six spool mount k frame which is an item that is much harder to find in 2022 than many would think. I am swapping this car back to a slant six because I like the way it was originally optioned and I actually want another slant car.

So while I'm working on swapping the k frame I had 3 different mopar buddies stop by at different times and every single one of them said the same thing.

"THIS CAR NEEDS AN EARLIER DART FRONT END TO LOOK BETTER"

WHY!!! would you do that to a complete and rust free car with a perfect grille!!!

I don't understand why the hate towards these later 73 and up cars which are actually rarer cars in 2022 than most would think. Parts for these cars that are unique to the 75 and 6 are getting to be non existent.

As Rodney dangerfield would say:
No respect, no respect but why

View attachment 1715956907
Click to expand...
Nice looking grille if you ask me.
 
People's taste in old cars revolves. I am so old I remember back in the 80s and 90s few people really wanted a 340 Duster or Demon!!! Too many "real" Mopars out there to be had...cheap enough!!! Look at today! Look back 15 years ago.
Now days notice this. As time marches on here there is a growing audience for the cars of the70s and 80s. True! People are now at the age they relate to these and the old guys that relate to the 40s and 50s cars are dying and moving to the "home".
Not rodding is the back bone of our Mopar hobby whether restoring to OEM or making a strip car. You know fool well, its all about picking a model that YOU find pleasing to your eye only. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder!!!
AS 70-2 Dusters keep getting more $$ and decent ones keep getting harder to find, more people will consider later models and make them into cars others see as "NOW I see what that car can be!"
The car is art and a canvas for the painter, the builder, the dreamer.
 
I raced a 74 Swinger. I'm actually kinda fond of the beak cars. I think the Swingers and Sports look equally awesome. I think the only thing to do to improve the looks is get rid of the HUGE bumper guards!
 
As the owner of a 73 Satellite (and previous owner of a 70 Super Bee) I empathize.

For some reason, many of the the 68/69 crowd and even some of the 71/72 crowd love to dismiss 73/74 B body cars as "not desirable" and even "ugly".

I totally disagree. IMO the 73/74 Roadrunner front end is only bested in "toughness" by the 69 Dodge N96 front end.
 
I really was jonesin' for a 1974 Dart Sport back in 74. Silver/Gray with a Black interior Black vinyl top 318 4 speed.
Ralley wheels and came factory with the DODGE logo on the quarter panels.Found out it was already sold.
Yeah, the 73 -76 A bodies do get less attraction.Same with the 75-79 B bodies.When they came out I had the thought "What were they thinking ?" How can you do that to the Charger ? After I ended up owning 2 of them.
 
Must be a really slow night. Why do you think the +73 cars don’t get as much love and I’m not just thinking of Mopar, but Ford, GM and AMC as well???
 
I can tell you that 99% of it....the bumpers. Those 5mph bumpers are hideous, and got dropped on the manufacturers' toes before styling could do much with them. If you see a late A (or any car from the period) with the bumpers channeled, tucked, and generally unfcked, they're FAR more attractive than a stock late A.

Hell, the bumperette's on my '72 are downright elegant, but look what happened in '73 and then EVEN WORSE in '74 and later.

FYI if you need another Slant 6 spool mount K, call me.
 
YY1 said:
As the owner of a 73 Satellite (and previous owner of a 70 Super Bee) I empathize.

For some reason, many of the the 68/69 crowd and even some of the 71/72 crowd love to dismiss 73/74 B body cars as "not desirable" and even "ugly".

I totally disagree. IMO the 73/74 Roadrunner front end is only bested in "toughness" by the 69 Dodge N96 front end.
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Even though my favorite B body is the 71 Road Runner and GTX, I agree with you. The 73 and 74 cars look great. I've always liked them.
 
RustyRatRod said:
What's it matter to you what other people think as long as you like it? Fix it and enjoy it.
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Exactly
Tooljunkie said:
I agree, its your car. Dont let that negativity get to you. My 76 will stay as is,other than making the bumpers fit better.
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I get crap on my ‘79 Magnum. I like it, IDGAF what anybody else thinks. I’ve been asked & told, WTF?! Dump that thing! Naaaaaaa, second best cheap car I ever bought. $500, cheap fun, reliable daily for 15 years.
 
I just don't get the absolute hatred some folks have with "5 MPH" bumpers.

Bumpers have always been- either sculpted to the body lines.....or not. Sometimes even different between cars that share a unibody, and..... either with or without a valance panel, again, sometimes even of the same platform.

...and most could come with or without bumper "guards", which no one seems bothered by.
 
YY1 said:
I just don't get the absolute hatred some folks have with "5 MPH" bumpers.

Bumpers have always been- either sculpted to the body lines.....or not. Sometimes even different between cars that share a unibody, and..... either with or without a valance panel, again, sometimes even of the same platform.

...and most could come with or without bumper "guards", which no one seems bothered by.
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The bigger bumpers never bothered me. I think on some of the bigger cars, like Lincolns C body Chryslers and Cadillacs they actually add to the look.
 
As an aside, when the 78 Magnum first came out (at age 10), I was in LOVE with that car.

Only decades later did I realize it was a couple years behind the styling and sizing trend.

I still want one, but it has to be loaded up and with T tops but no vinyl.
 
rumblefish360 said:
Exactly

I get shot on my ‘79 Magnum. I like it, IDGAF what anybody else thinks. I’ve been asked & told, WTF?! Dump that thing! Naaaaaaa, second best cheap car I ever bought. $500, cheap fun, reliable daily for 15 years.
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Same deal here with my '79 Chrysler 300...why did you buy that thing?...do you still have that thing?...when are you going to sell that thing? all in various forms of negative questions since the day I bought it new!
 
YY1 said:
As an aside, when the 78 Magnum first came out (at age 10), I was in LOVE with that car.

Only decades later did I realize it was a couple years behind the styling and sizing trend.

I still want one, but it has to be loaded up and with T tops but no vinyl.
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I had a local friend with one years ago. Someone had swapped in a 440. It was a stock rebuild with the MP 484/284 cam, and it was a slug because they didn't degree the cam or curve the ignition. He gave me the car for a week and I put the super tune on it. Degreed the cam, curved the ignition, jetted the carburetor. He was actually scared of the car after that. lol It would get with it for a big car with a low compression engine.
 
DeltaV said:
Same deal here with my '79 Chrysler 300...why did you buy that thing?...do you still have that thing?...when are you going to sell that thing? all in various forms of negative questions since the day I bought it new!
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Kid a grade behind me in high school had one of those. For a bigger car, that thing moved pretty good.
 
I love that late 300 grill, too.

I'd take one of those loaded up with T tops, too.
 
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