Pictures from today.

[Oldiron440]

If I didn't have mine I wouldn't buy one or another one. Hell I've been thinking of putting the drivetrain in true race car with a - 2500lbs race weight.

 

[Aspen500]

I don't know why F-bodies have a rust reputation. Aside from the early ones with the fenders rusting out, they didn't rust any faster than the other comparable cars on the road. I remember '76 Camaro's with the 1/4's flopping in the breeze and bottoms of the doors gone in my high schools parking lot (class of '82 here). Mustangs, Chevelle's, Aspen, Nova, Corolla, Rabbit, Torino , etc........Five years old and rotted 1/4's, rusted out floors, rockers almost gone, on and on. Rust is an equal opportunity employer. I've seen 2016 Silverado's with the bed side rotted out above the wheel openings and rockers with the integrity of egg shells. I don't hear anyone saying how they're rust buckets. How about the late 2000's F150's that you can't lift on a frame hoist because the frame rusted so thin it'll just collapse. Early 2000's Toyota trucks that got scrapped at 5 or 6 years old when they literally broke in half going down the road. None of those are called rust buckets. Somehow it's just Aspen and Volare that people think rusted fast. No other car before or since has rust problems I guess. Driven year round with typical cleaning and about every vehicle on the road around here has at least one rust hole by the time they're ten years old, most don't make it that long before the perforations begin. If it's kept washed, outside AND underside, along with all the nooks and crannies, you can extend the no rust showing for maybe 15 years but then it'll go from looking good to a rotted out heap in one winter. That's how my '96 Dakota went. LOOKED fine (turned out looks were deceiving) one fall, next spring the inner and outer rockers, cab corners, bottoms of the front fenders, parts of the floor, wheel openings on the bed, one cab mount brace and other parts disintegrated.

While I'm on a roll what really grinds my gears is when the Mopar snobs don't consider an F-body a "real Mopar". To them, Chrysler Corp only built cars from 1964-1974, didn't build full size trucks until 1994 and didn't build Dakota's until 1997 and then they started building cars again in 2005. Snobs is all they are.

 

[Oldiron440]

Either you had you wheaties this morning or didn't have a beer after work!

 

[old yellow 78]

How about the late 2000's F150's that you can't lift on a frame hoist because the frame rusted so thin it'll just collapse.

I agree with you Aspen500. I was just thinking the same thing on Saturday when I picked up my 2000 F150 from state inspection. I was worried that it wouldn't pass due to the rusted away rockers and the holes in the cab corners and rear quarters. But turns out, that wasn't the problem. The gas tank was rotted out at the filler and needed to be replaced. What an expensive PITA that was to fix! At least Ford had a recall I used for the gas tank STRAPS. They tend to rust away and leave your rusty tank to drag on the ground and explode. Last years inspection required a new radiator support @ $1200!!! WTF, it is only a horizontal piece of metal that has nothing against it to hold water or debris! Several giant holes rusted out in it though for no apparent reason!! The truck leaks like a sieve from the back window, and the bottom of the doors are all rotted out too. "At Ford, Quality is Job 1!!" Yeah, right.
I have never had any such rust problem on any of my F's. The worst rust was on my original '76 Premier that the floors began to rot out in the back. I suppose it had a leak, but I never knew it. Anyway, it was an excellent car in all other ways and I traded it in at over 150K miles, so some rust was to be expected IMO.

I don't know why F-bodies have a rust reputation.

I think it is because the fender rust was so widely reported and so obvious by requiring the entire fender to be replaced. Regardless, I really don't care what anyone else thinks about my Aspen. I love it and actually feel a little smug in owning a car that is so unusual and in such good shape after 41 years!

 

[barbee6043]

I admit my time with the F body has come late in life. I have always enjoyed learning about Mopar models I never had before. Sort of like learning body work. I continue to learn how, due to the fact I can't afford to pay $80/hr for the work. I like my Volares. There are things I love and things I dislike about every model Mopar I have ever had or even seen. The only reason I understand about some of the "issues" with the F bodies is that have read from people with knowledge about how it came happen. What I read stated Mother Mopar changed her method of cleaning and priming. Sounds reasonable. Nothing is perfect.
Rust? Like just said, metal rusts, all cars rust somewhere, at some time. I have restored E, different A and B bodies, couple of F's. With the A, B, and E bodies I can tell you the likely rust areas. Not that every one rusted in those same areas. Few I have had never had any rust, I have a 79 supersix Volare that NEVER had any rust anywhere. No doubt the guy I got it from got it from some old folks and it also came out of central Tx not the rust belt!
Snobs? Lets face it, not every car person finds every model exciting or sexy. My wife's favorite in out 62 Lancer, the RoadToad. She likes it shape, unique. 99% of Mopar guys would not own a Toad if paid to take it home. Then there are the guys that are purists and hate anything not all factory OEM. Some people hate certain models. First gen Chargers maybe, or a later model Duster with the "beak nose". Some people hate F bodies, other love them more than anything. Some people own them because they got one cheap. No doubt in the F world there are purists, hotrodders, racers, etc just all other model groups.
I like the enthusiasm of the F guys, and they remind me of the typical Mopar guy back in the 80's, grass root guys.

 

[Rattle Trap]

Man, I am still kicking myself for remaining concentrated on my goals and not buying a rust free 62 Lancer GT roller a couple years ago.
But speaking of rust. Here's a back lot full.

 

[Oldiron440]

No balls, come on show the dirt side up!

 

[Rattle Trap]

Lol!

You looking for something like this? I've got lots of that. Although that particular one has already been replaced.

Of course there's also more of this 2nd one too. Still need to get my buddies over to spend the weekend slipping this under another car. So much less time and effort to just do it all as one unit.

 

[barbee6043]

You guys have some balls to replace all that!

It was so much easier for those guy back on the assembly line to build it new! Like remodeling a home you have to take it apart before you an make it new again!

 

[old yellow 78]

Road Runner back in 1980 on Hemmings.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2019/...aily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2019-12-09

 

[XfbodyX]

Thats a good pic in hemmings, A responder mentioned the HOT ROD mag project "Thunder Bird" and it was a great series, in fact I folowed it and thats what became my 76 I bought new street driven bracket car. I still have each segment of copy today. Unfortunately today the internet isnt supportive of common low budget parts for improvements weather a 318 or 360.

 

[Rattle Trap]

You guys have some balls to replace all that!

It was so much easier for those guy back on the assembly line to build it new! Like remodeling a home you have to take it apart before you an make it new again!

It's easier than doing collision work. Collision implies massive damage and reestablishing factory measurement points prior to accomplishing anything. With rusty old car you just chop rust out and prep the surfaces better than they ever got at the factory, then add new stuff. Well, better old stuff at any rate. Studying how it went together at the factory makes it easier to reverse and replace in sequence. Took me a long time to finally realize the obvious. Sequence isn't always the easiest, and I could just skip steps to have fewer with many fewer headaches in achieving critical dimensions. Rather than doing structure then floor all individually, a whole lower front with factory established dimensions can twist up under a different car then be laid flat on the rockers and welded down once the front measures to the back correctly. It just means removing the trans crossmember also rather than using it as the point to establish every individual piece going back in front of it. This way I merely triangulate that crossmember to the rear rail measurements and everything else slides into place correctly from there forward. With the front structure reestablished you can push and pull the front doghouse and get that right again really easily. Clamp it and start measuring again. You were going to have to do all of that anyhow to get exterior sheet metal to line up when bolted on. But having it all loose makes is so much easier to get it right than if doing it one piece at a time while the rest that's solid fights you for it.

 

[barbee6043]

I say it is amazing work.

 

[Aspen500]

Thats a good pic in hemmings, A responder mentioned the HOT ROD mag project "Thunder Bird" and it was a great series, in fact I folowed it and thats what became my 76 I bought new street driven bracket car. I still have each segment of copy today. Unfortunately today the internet isnt supportive of common low budget parts for improvements weather a 318 or 360.

View attachment 38379

I read HOT ROD for years. It was a Christmas gift every year from my parents (along with Car Craft and PHR) from the time I was 10 (in 1974) until I turned 16 or 17 and could afford the car mags myself. Quit subscribing probably 20 years ago but, I really don't remember seeing that series. Mostly what I remember from the '70's car mags was custom vans

 

[Justwondering]

Custom vans ... my dad warned me to stay out of those...

JW

 

[Oldiron440]

I remember the article but none of the content as I was heavy into Fords, street racing and girls at the time. I saw march in the magazine and I got back to north Iowa on the 3rd of March 1980 from two weeks in sunny Florida to a snow storm. Ant it great to be home?

 

[M_Body_Coupe]

...While I'm on a roll what really grinds my gears is when the Mopar snobs don't consider an F-body a "real Mopar". To them, Chrysler Corp only built cars from 1964-1974, didn't build full size trucks until 1994 and didn't build Dakota's until 1997 and then they started building cars again in 2005. Snobs is all they are.

Ahhh...you sir are so spot-on in that remark!

I like all Mopar rides, as well as other makes, across numerous years. Certainly, I do have a particular affinity to the F/M/J-body rides, my choice being the M-body coupe platform.

But, I do remember a couple of guys passing by my ride in one of the local big shows and one of them saying: "...man, can you believe that anything with square headlights like that [pointing to my Diplomat] even passes the criteria to make it through the front gate?...".

Grrh...yeah, snob all the way, not sure what (if anything...LOL) either one actually drove. Point being, over the years I have gotten way many more "thumbs up" from the brand-x crowds then my own brethren...shouldn't be, but it is.

 

[Rattle Trap]

Same here. I give and get the most support from other brand owners from our era. I'm fine with that though. But no matter what we drive, we all should remember, if we've done our own work, that it's not a Rolls Royce. Just about everything from the mid 60's-mid 80's was made of bad stampings with missed welds, lots of seam sealer, and bad panel gaps. The Mopars were the worst of all. Sure, you can coach build over restore anything. But is that being true to the original manufacture? I like looking at a seamless reflection down the sides, but I'm not going to make myself crazy trying to make an F-body panel gap perfect. I'll take the time to make better work look sloppy like original with extra seam sealer in the newly tighter gaps too. But one door will have a 5/16 lower gap to the rocker to line up, and another will have 1/2"! I'm not going to cut the bottom of a door off and add 3/16". It is what it is. I remember getting the body lines right on one a few years back. Everything was Sweetness from tip to tail. But to get that I had 1/8" to Split for my hood side gaps. Went out back and started measuring other hoods. Found one that was 1/4" narrower. Solved that problem! It's not any better putting new stampings on the older cars either but you can always do your best while remembering, it is what it is, and there's a lot of play in things before it can be noticed by the eye. Panel gaps are the worst part though.

So being a purist from our era comes with a need to not make yourself crazy over some things, or take them way beyond what they ever were. But with any Mopar they still always need to look like they're supposed to. There's always that degree of purist in us. You might add a console and buckets, maybe delete a vinyl top or add a hood scoop. But you're not going to put 69 Charger tail lights in a 70 Road Runner. Or Charger doors on a Super Bee. Nobody does that anymore. So we've all gotten that bit of purist in us now. Getting disgusted with myself over being that way led me to take a break currently, with another brand product full custom build. Over there I do what I want without remorse or a nagging in the back of my head. Nobody else says, hey that's not supposed to be that way either. Mostly I get, No Way! That really fits? COOL! I even say that to myself when another item just falls into place. Feels good to not be a snob.

 

[MBDale]

Put AMD rockers on my Duster. Not enough gap so I’ve got to figure something out. New rockers I guess.

 

[Justwondering]

I think its already too late for me and 'crazy'.

My hood is hiked up 1/2 inch on the passenger side.
I just keep messing with it and the hinge to get it line up better and someday it WILL line up and my crazy meter will dial down several notches.

JW