Old Muscle Cars - Who has em'? Who has restored one? Post em'!

[Kmrumedy]

I got bitten by the restoration bug. This just arrived last weekend. Anyone here and old muslce car/mopar guy? Would love to hear stories about your restorations or your cars. Love to see pics too. ( I figure this project will take 2 years to complete - any words of encouragement welcome!)

[Mr Hemi Head]

Been there and done that. lol
I guess you have to do it at least once to get it out of your system.

Rule # 1
The project will always cost more than you budget.

Rule#2
Don't expect a monetary return from the time and money spent, when you
decide to sell.

Is that a 73 or 74 Challenger ? My first muscle car was a 1973, like the one pictured but without a scoop, factory 340 4 speed car.

Impressive performance for a heavy car.

[Kmrumedy]

Nice call. Yes. It is a 1973 Challenger with a 440 hood.

Yep......I am told whatever I budget.....plan to double it.

I bought the project to learn about mechanics.......

[Mr Hemi Head]

Did you decode the VIN tag? What was the original motor?

[Kmrumedy]

The original motor was a 318 automatic. I bought the car without a motor or transmission. I am leaning towards a small block.

What do you think? Did you ever play with putting a 440 in yours?

[big-n-italian]

buy lots of baggies and paper lunch sacks. put the parts in the bags as you remove them and label everything. you will be glad you did later.

NICE FIND!

[Mr Hemi Head]

No but my next car was a 1970 Challenger R/T 440 6 pack (3 two barrel carbs.). Tons of low end torque and a blast to drive.

That was my favorite E body car...better street manners then the Hemi Challenger. IMO

[JACKED DADDY]

If owning close to 150 muscle cars in my time makes me an expert then my advice would be to buy a more desirable complete car. Parts and labor are very expensive. Thats just JACK DADDYS opinion.

[Mr Hemi Head]

Originally Posted by JACKED DADDY

If owning close to 150 muscle cars in my time makes me an expert then my advice would be to buy a more desirable complete car. Parts and labor are very expensive. Thats just JACK DADDYS opinion.

I agree. If the car is rare then a donor car would be the way to go.

I prefer the ongoing but driveable restoration projects.

[JACKED DADDY]

Im not sure that came out right. Im worried about you spending more time and money to finish your project then you think. If you truly love this project then its more then worth it. If your thinking of flippin it at the end try to keep costs as low as you can. Good luck JD

[2000_Black_RT10]

I've been through a couple Mopars.. here's one of them. I finished this car in 2 years, afterhours, during winters etc..

1970 Hemi RoadRunner, original Hemi engine, 4 spd, buildsheet.. I bought it from Texas which looked liked it was sitting in a field (no interior, etc..), I did the complete restoration, every nut & bolt and underneath restored as it was built in the factory with correct overspray / primer floors, etc.. Neat car, 4 spd w/a bench seat. It was the last Hemi RoadRunner to come off the line in 1970, and it was the only white Hemi one for 1970.

Unfortunately I sold it before the Barrett Jackson $circus$

Lot's of work! I then built a Hemi 68 Barracuda after this car.

[Scratch]

Great looking Roadrunner
Had a 70 RR myself, daily driver. Somewhat restored a 70 GTX (sold) and a 70 AAR 'Cuda (sold, wish I kept that one) and let one get away, a 70 440 Six-Pac 'Cuda that I kick myself for not buying.

[RichieSRT10]

Before


After



It is not a Mopar and was in good shape to start with but it took twice the time and almost double the money to finish this frame off resto. The big word is patience when it comes to restorations.

[doctorbob]

My father bought this cutlass new in 1966 and I restored it in 1993. Best in Class Oldsmobile Car Club of America....Southwest Zone meet in 1993. I now have it for sale on eBay.
Cutlass - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120159282387

[hemibeep]

I have learned that it costs about the same whether restoring a 70 Hemi Cuda or a slant 6 valiant (save the cost of the motor). So, I try to make sure the car is a worthy investment. If you are doing this for a teaching lession, you should be okay. And nut and bolt restoration is too much in time and money. You asked which motor, the car will have a better resale with a big block. A nice option is a speed-o-motive short block that is 496 inches. slap on some edlebrock heads, and let her eat. Makes future resale easier with a real strong running car.
As far as the body, check around the windshield cowl, E bodies are prone to rust bad in that area.
I have done a bunch of mopar restorations, including my viper.
Good luck.

[hemibeep]

Pic of the roadrunner.

[Sellshomesdrivesviper]

Wow, awesome job on that Camaro SS

[dave6666]

My latest acquisition. Check out the back window.

[big-n-italian]

Originally Posted by dave6666

My latest acquisition. Check out the back window.

have you seen the latest edition of Hot Rod Magazine? some gal restored one of those with a "touch" of street machine, and did a darn nice job too! the car is purple with a white stripe - didnt look bad!

[Flyntgr]

No pics, but I have a restored 1961 Chrysler 300G with 413 c.i. and twin fourbarells fed by crossram sonaramic induction intake and dual exhausts. My second car is a slant six (street race 231 c.i., putting out 250 h.p. with Dutra Dual Dual Headers and Eddlebrock 500 cfm 4bl, roller rockers, forged everything, brass valve guides, chrome molly rings, shaved head and decked block with 3 angle valve job and so forth), which will turn low 15's around 92-96mph in the 1/4 miles. don't know what top speed. Then there's the 1980 Avanti 350 Corvette engine with turbo 400 automatic and 3/4 race cam and dual exhausts. My 2005 Viper convert was wrecked by a preceding vehicle which threw up (ran over) a 30.5 lb steel plate, which vaulted into my path while on a bridge overpass. Little Red fish-tailed four times, but the 4th was its undoing, and now my Viper's dead. I'm expecting an '08 some time next month, God willing. God was with me on the overpass, or I'd be looking UP to see the grass. I'm a very careful driver (doing 60 in a 70 at the time of the accident), with a londdistance safety space ahead of me, but no one can avoid all the freak accidents caused by other drivers. The following motorist noticed that the steel plate "followed" me as I moved from the outside slow lane to the inside fast lane. If only I had been driving the usual 80 per, this MVA wouldn't have happend!@%#*!