You are asking a question that no one but you can answer. "Should I buy a Ford or Chivvy?"

I used to like 4 speeds, much better than torqueflites, so that's what I drove. I'm getting old now, and have a steel rod down my left leg. Pumping a stiff Mopar clutch isn't appealling. If I ever got a Mopar again, it'd HAVE to be an auto, just because of my health.

You have to decide for yourself.

Engine? What was IN there? Some of these cars have the potential to be VERY valuable if restored "as built." This means that, say, you originally had a 340 car, and doinked it all up to put a big block in there. You've just destroyed part of the collector value.

One thing you need to do is research your car (VIN) and try to find the "build sheet" and find out if it DOES have potential value.

If it's nothing special, then consider your needs. The way gasoline is nowadays, if I ever got a nice Cuda, I might just put a 318 in there. At least I could afford to actually GO somewhere in the thing.