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The Case For Ratty Muscle Cars

At least he could put studded snow tires on it! I have a ratty 67 Coronet that I've owned for 43 years. It's an original Coronet 440 with a 383 4 speed. I know I'll never be able restore, so this last fall my brother suggested we get it back on the road. Did a 440 engine swap, new Schiefer clutch, new Weber pressure plate. I installed my $100.00 3.54 Dana probably 40 years ago, rebuilt the front end, 1.14 torsion bars. Hoping to put a 3 inch TTI exhaust on it this coming spring. I drove it up the gravel road and realized what a fool I've been for not getting it on the road sooner. Been 40 some years since I've driven a 4 speed car for fun. I have 1 picture of it resting in the same spot for 25 years. Let me know what you think.
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Here is a couple pics of the cop car in my avatar, found it in a junkyard where it had been sitting since 1986, pulled it in the shop 6 years ago and 2 years later drove it on a 1000 mile car event. I've put close to 12,000 miles since then.
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Our J code '68 GTX, I left the body and exterior the way we found it but it's all new underneath with a 472 hemi. I'm not afraid to drive the crap out of it.


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I am with Tony!
WE all know we each get out Mopar thrills in many different ways, no need to list.
We have all seen it. I still see newbies get into the hobby,spend a ton of for a perfect "showcar", or spend years and many $$$ building it, haul it to some little shows, maybe win a trophy, an then find they will not drive it because they will get it dirty, scratch something, whatever,, and then have to have something not so perfect to actually drive and enjoy. So then comes the second not so perfect car. Because they don't want to lose $ selling the first one.
Having a good rusty and driver that one day will get the resto job is great. It is what that car was destined for, ie to be driven!!!!!
Uncle Tony does videos for the "little" guy, not the balls to the wall money man. If we watch his vids it puts some $ in his pockets, I am good with it all. Not everyone will agree 100% with his take on auto.
 
I am with Tony!
WE all know we each get out Mopar thrills in many different ways, no need to list.
We have all seen it. I still see newbies get into the hobby,spend a ton of for a perfect "showcar", or spend years and many $$$ building it, haul it to some little shows, maybe win a trophy, an then find they will not drive it because they will get it dirty, scratch something, whatever,, and then have to have something not so perfect to actually drive and enjoy. So then comes the second not so perfect car. Because they don't want to lose $ selling the first one.
Having a good rusty and driver that one day will get the resto job is great. It is what that car was destined for, ie to be driven!!!!!
Uncle Tony does videos for the "little" guy, not the balls to the wall money man. If we watch his vids it puts some $ in his pockets, I am good with it all. Not everyone will agree 100% with his take on auto.
I get it though. No need to throw insane amounts of money to enjoy something. Holes can be fixed one at a time.
 
I built a 52 Dodge pickup some years ago (which I just sold) but I didn't do any body work to it at all, it was like 6 different colors and I shot some black lacquer over it to make it one color which I didn't want to do but the cab had been sand blasted. It was liberating to work purely on the things that made the truck drive and not worry about the body. Vehicles like this are much more interesting that restored show ponies IMO (at least to me), they have a story to tell and are interesting. I like shiny cars too but a ratty car (on the exterior) is cool, but for me I want the engine compartment and interior to be decent.
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The 73 is my daily driver. Everything is new, rebuilt, or replaced. Except the paint, no paint. Wet sanded and buffed, and thats it. Completely restored interior. I did clear over the bare metal and bondo. I drive it, park in the closest spot to the door, never worry.

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The way I look at it is that the mechanicals and safety issues are always very important. Body and paint is just another chapter and if you can’t just drive and enjoy it, then why worry about having to make it look all pretty and shiny.
Trailer Queens are really nice and I have one, but now it is considered a grocery getter and makes my wife smile every time she drives off in it to head to the Costco parking lot.
My Charger waited patiently for years until I looked into the vinyl wrap and now I can make her look any way I choose.
Just my opinion and experience and that’s all.

:xscuseless:

:thumbsup::lol::popcorn::steering::luvplace:

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