Pictures from today.

slant6billy

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Out and about
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Aspen500

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Another one rescued from a certain death!

I see you guys got in on the white crap too. Join the club:(
 

Mr C

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Is it just me, or do the grilles on the 80 Volares survive better?

Interesting on how they used 5th Ave bumpers on the last of the F body cars.

Nice score! I hope it cleans up well!
 
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Aspen500

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Seems like the grille on '78/'79 Volare's hold up better than '78/'79 Aspen. Wonder why that is???
 

Oldiron440

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The 80 Volare used the same fenders as the Mbody. I think it is to bad Chrysler bailed on the Fbody but the 80 didn't sell.
 
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MBDale

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Thanks guys. I have zero idea what I’m going to do with it. Going to concentrate on my 1979 RT by getting it back together because I took it all apart again and need to do some welding I got called on for Body Integrity inspection so I can have it road worthy for next summer. Also soon to be out of this northern project that I’m on eating 21 days a month on which gives myself zero time to work on anything. The ‘80 has AC! Also NICE DOORS and all the glass is good. I haven’t even had time to dig into the car that much. I’d sell it probably.
 

XfbodyX

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Id really like a list, other then the fenders that people consider to be low quality on the 76-77 cars. I try to be objective in the ways that the 78-79-80 actually got cheaper in build quality as for a couple quick examples are the plastic stick on tail lenses, the plastic hinges us on the interior. As for the fenders it wasnt so much as bad fenders it was the lack of proper protection of inner fender covers like the 78-ups got.

If youd read some historical books, there was substantially more factors to the end of the rwd cars leading into the K cars as mainly the import market with good fuel economy was taking over the market and it was change or get left behind.
 

volare 77

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I agree X. I don`t see the 76 77 F body being any different from the other mopars of those years in quality.
 

XfbodyX

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After I had posted I went on to think a bit further. There was the carb stumble issue but many also forget the fed mandate on emissions which was not just "add a cat" and none of the big three was immune to the growing changes.

I love all the year F-s but clearly am partial to the 76 model year, Ive actually thought of owning a 80 because of how different they are in there own way as well vs others.

I used to buy many first year cars that were either all new or a revamp of old and they all went through growing pains, did I regret it, meh... maybe complained a bit, but at the end of the day I was there in the mix.

Anyone can hem pick each year of a car produced and no automaker wants to go backwards in quality or performance. Like what if the newest hot challenger top car was a 500hp ride, sales would go limp quickly.

But really on the 76-79 F-s there were no great jumps in improvement, from suspension to drive train. Its just my opinion that I can semi back up but the 76 F-s were some of the most highly optioned, widest variety of the F-s produced and then it went on to the 77-s with the t top cars, super pack cars, ect. I love the graphics and the 3 part rear spoiler on the 78-79 but you can dam near bet many of the RT/RR cars of 78-79 were very much cookie cutter copies of each other as chrysler was seeing the future and just being speculative it probably wasnt cost effective to build so many different combos.

Briefly if one has the police car section in there 76 parts books and back, looking at the failure rates of chrysler products unrelated to the F-s, the F-s were not that bad in the big picture.

just some thoughts after necking down a turkey leg for breakfast.
 

barbee6043

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Mother Mopar shoot herself in the FOOT in '76 with POOR quality, lets face it. Stupid.
I admit to being no expert on F bodies, just 3 yrsa experience with the few, bt I had owed ???? of AB, E bodies since '85. I have taken apart ad restored many of each over the years.
My statement just comes from the facts of Mopar changing, I assume their priming or metal prep methods for '76. No doubt it caused BAD problems if these cars were actually rusting on the dealers lot!?
I can see better quality in general between the early A and B cars than the 68-70 cars, and then again another change in the E bodies and 71^ B's. All these cars were but to sell, and back then a car 5 yr old was OLD!!! Lots of improvement could have been had with the interior of the E body.
Historical info states Mopar had shortage of engineers and time when they were developing the E body and I believe the 71B body at the same time, maybe the C body also? Qualit of bodies between GM and Mopar and Ford has always between significant.
Just look at the amount of plastic that goes into each model as time marched on. Stainless vs aluminum trim. Seat and interior quality and design.
I can mention every model Mopar I have had from 62 to 79 and find all kinds of things I love and things I dislike on any and all models.
I am not smart by any means, but I have predicted Mopar models that eventually gained desirablity. I bet before too long, the F body will be considered " desirable" by more souls. I see it as a great platform for the restored set. A sexy shape, can accommodate the modern hemi/drivetrain, great size as not too big or small, the graphics and spoilers, etc.
I like my F bodies, but I need to finish 2 other cars and build a "roof" over everything. Just finished body/paint work on these 2.

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XfbodyX

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Great reply, the only thing I took notice to is....... "I bet before too long, the F body will be considered " desirable" by more souls" people have been saying this for the last 20 years but the sales trends dont equate to that.

Modified mopars of almost any type dont bring near as much as an good org. or restored org and its the same with the F-s, although its the owners prerogative to do as they wish the more mods, the less value, the more option changes, the less value.

Yea one will sell for decent money from time to time, but decent money in the F world is still shit money vs others.

I love my F-s gotta have a habbit or something to spend money on but the F world has never been a money maker. Some of us put stupid money in our F-s and dont fret, its fun.

There are some outstanding 100% flawless F-s in the world, but oddly you wont see them on the internet or a car show.

Anyways, you got your F-s looking pretty good, still planning on selling them or ya gonna keep them for a bit?
 

Oldiron440

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I owned both 76 and 80 Fbodys when they were ten years old, I had a 76 Aspen wagon and a 80 Volare wagon and in comparison the 80 was a much better car. Everything from fit and finish to ride and driveability and it was a six. A very pleasant car to drive. The 76 had its original ft fenders that weren't rusty but the rt quarter needed replacement because of rust and with 65k on it it needed a valve job on the 318. The 80 had about the same miles but was in much nicer condition the big thing was no rust.
On my 76 2 door I bought it in 88 with 73k on the clock it needed front fenders and I replaced the quarters with new because they were super cheap, the originals had rust just around the opening and replacing them aloud me to modify the inner wheel house for more clearance.
But I think after the recall for rust the Fbody names were done.
 

XfbodyX

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I think its hard to gauge cars that were 10 years old, I see 5 year old dodges here with rusted out rear bumpers and beds, and then I see some that are like new with only one difference, one group lives on the dirt roads, the other on the paved.

A good indicator of the F-s future is still the lack of reproduction parts, some have shown interest but not serious. Some who have done little things to help us have since dis continued them.

If they put out new rear QP for our F-s today at a reasonable 2019 price like they do for a 69 charger at $599 per side, how many would sell vs people making a patch panel?

How many today would spend 15k on a F body when its entry level used challenger money with parts to back it up. Hell people owning desirable mopars are dumping them in favor of a SRT 392 type car. Ive driven a few new SRT cars and yea the old stuff is great for the good old days feelings but if you want to go fast, stop fast, ride in comfort none of the old junk compares.

But anyways a good fun topic to debate imo where no one is exactly right.

And in no hater, ive spent more on nos trim and parts to finish a couple in the last year then most have in there whole car so in reality IM the foolish one.

By time the 80-s hit times were changing, here is an interesting link/look.

With the exception of the cutlass, look at what cars were selling.
Best Selling 80s Cars for Each Year of the 1980s | In the 1980s

If I were not older and in bad health a car like this would go a long way, factory 425hp for 16k.

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 | eBay

Using a highly optimistic number of say 5000 (more like 500 really good quality) but lets just use 5k nice F body cars in the country today vs the number of cars on the road today and we end up with a market share of ......READY......0.00002%

This was fun, I got to go get some work done :0)
 
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barbee6043

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I admit I am not into resto rods, but I see it will continue to grow. Call it present day hotrodding maybe? Could push the market for F's to where they are more "in"? I like buying cheap toys, I just demand my $ back if I sell. I admit , any old Mopar, you can spend on it till you have more $ in it than it will ever bring. That's wht it is a hobby and not a business. I mean I do all my own work, not paying $70-100 per hr labor. I have never lost a $ on any mopar but I admit getting my $ back out of my f's could be challenging. Yes I general work for FREE ha. My hobby. Good part is I like them and do not have to sell anything.
Let some F's show up restored with the great do dahs they could come with, add the modern hemi, updated interior.... instant restored? it would be a new dog in the race?? I see the restorod deal growing. Why? Just as the "why" the modern musclecar numbers grow. Watch BJ sales BS and see what sells for $$$$. Desirable high end restored old iron and restorods.
I agree the F's will never bring the $ a 68-70 B Body, few 68-70 B bodies will bring the $ of a 70-1 E body, all being equal. IF there were more GOOD F projects available, I could see its deal becoming similar to the A body crowd. I remember when a original 70 340 Duster was t worth squat.
I love A bodies and had many. Why are they so popular today? 1. Availability for one thing. 2. There are somewhat supported by the aftermarket. 3. Price. Cheap projects. 4. What models sell? Any. Even the 72 and up stuff. No not as many $ as a 71 down, but they sell. The newer models have the same burden to carry as the F's. Too late to the party. Not for many $, in general. People take a slant car and add a v8, people take a 318 car and add a big block. Some people love them stock even the slant. They all will sell 100 time faster than the average F and for more $. Just not too many $$!
Yes a real 340 duster will be worth more than a 340 clone, but not that much more usually.
Anyway, I hpe the F's will always be affordable and I hope someday they will gain their place in the sun.
 
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