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Mopar opinions wanted
Hi Gents and gals; let me give you a bit of background on my situation. I am a Mopar man at heart and in the past I have restored a 66 Coronet 500, 68 charger, 69 d100, 70 d100. I never should have sold my 68 charger a few years ago but I got more than it was worth which allowed me to pt a chunk of money into both of my kids post secondary education, and buy another car which probably won’t be of as high of caliber Mopar. i am now actively looking at cars in my general area, and I am struggling with the larger picture of which type of Mopar I should pursue; I like most Mopars, some more than others and I get the obvious concept of buy what you like, but at the same time if one genre of car is generally more dedireable and will likely have more future value than another, that is a factor for me as well. so for example, for the money I have to spend right now I have looked st a nice 71 road runner, a nicely optioned and good condition 73 challenger 340 that has been repainted a non factory colour years ago, and an excellent condition second owner 74 challenger all matching numbers 318 car. so this is an example of where I’m struggling and I’d love some inputs from other Mopar gurus; the 71 RR is a pre smog non matching numbers 383 with a factory pistol grip 4 speed, vs a smog controlled 340 73 challenger that is a factory sun roof, power steering power brake a/c car, vs a minty 74 challenger 2nd owner all matching number 318 car. This is just an example of the types of things I am batting around, and am looking at many more cars than these but it paints a picture. would love some inputs/opinions on these kind of decisions from other Mopar nuts! it is fun car shopping and looking at cars, that’s for sure! |
I think it comes down to personal preference what do you like better, but I think the 71 RR is the best muscle car. I don't know how the rest do in the value world.
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The 1973 340 Challenger has many options making it a desirable car for restoration and resale, not the kind of guy I am.
The 1971 Roadrunner is not for me, just don't like "71-'74 B Bodies, but if it's what you like it could be "molested", made into the car you want, screw the purists. I would consider the 1974 Challenger only because it has the best metal body from your description. Remove the "numbers matching stuff" if you like and bolt in the stuff you want. I would 408 stroke it, mild or wild and go from there. |
Thanks for the inputs; keep them coming! The 73 challenger 340 was originally b5 blue and I would very likely put it back in b5. It’s an automatic. The 71 RR would need a front bench seat and seat covers, wheel arch trim and Rallye rims. The 74 challenger is a locally bought car with tons of paperwork, is a 1 owner garages it’s whole life car, and is in show car condition. Im a bit of a purist so I wouldn’t mess with it as it is so original; but it’s a 318 auto car. |
Also I should mention I would have the funds after buying any of these cars to “put them right”. |
Here is a picture of the 74 to give you an idea of the condition. |
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If the 74 is that clean it would be nice just for that reason, I like the colors. But as I said before I think its a personal preference thing I can see a benefit to each one. I like 71/72 Bbodys big blocks and four speeds, never been a fan of Ebody small blocks unless I was racing one. But that's my preference.
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I think all those fall about in the same price range of each other. Might be a little more market in the B-Body, But I don't think it would be by much. Just my 2 cents.
For me as a Mopar guy.... I would do any of them, So I see your issue....lol Keep us posted on what you build and how things are coming along... :) |
Thanks for the responses gents; Racerhog, you are correct I would be able to get any of the three cars for right around the same price. There are more out there I am looking at also but I thought these 3 really paint a picture of my dilemma! |
OR, you could look to a low mileage late model SRT8 Challenger "post depreciation", for probably a similar price and a much more comfortable wow factor.
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Originally Posted by Drag Pak
(Post 147983)
OR, you could look to a low mileage late model SRT8 Challenger "post depreciation", for probably a similar price and a much more comfortable wow factor.
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Originally Posted by RacerHog
(Post 147986)
How'a about one of them SRT8 Jeep's.... WOW
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Might be a good idea to try to test drive a few different vehicles and think about what you expect out of your next purchase.
Every car is a compromise. You can have straight line speed, but end up refilling nitrous bottles every week and that might just ruin the fun for you. Ride quality, safety, technology and luxury all detract from manuverability and speed. But, if your goal is to have something with flash and fun, that usually means a mix of all those things. I had an '87 New Yorker with a talking, electronic dash, fabric interior and a miserably slow 4 cylinder engine. But everyone who saw it thought it was great, everyone who rode in it loved it. I ended up really enjoying driving that car and took it out every chance I got. Even placed in some local car shows and got some gift cards with it. Consider the job you want the car to have. There certainly isn't much money in winning shows and drag races any more (after maintenance and upgrades). So, whatever you do with it should be extremely fun and satisfying. Otherwise, your car might end up living inside a garage somewhere (or worse parked outside), like so many project cars do. |
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