Too far gone? 76 Aspen Coupe

[MY3033]

This is my new to me 76 Aspen. Traded some 72-93 dodge truck sheet metal for it. It is a 318 auto. Power steering & brakes, cruise, and a/c. It does run, but haven’t had a break from the nonstop rain lately to get it up on 4 good tires to try and move it. It is stupidly solid on the underside. Floor pan and rails are solid. However, that’s where the clean parts stop. Quarters have a couple spots as does the front fenders, but I went to college for paint and body so doing some patches is easy. The problem are is mainly the c pillar. The half vinyl roof held in moisture and rotted the back of the roof. There are holes there.
I’ve been a Mopar guy my whole life, and everyone has always told me stay away from aspens/volares. Do y’all think this car is worth fixing the roof for a low buck classic cruiser?
I have my eye on a 76 aspen wagon that is CLEAN, but has no drivetrain. Should I use my coupe as a donor and pick up the wagon?

Anyways, thanks for having me!

 

[Aspen500]

Heck yeah it's worth saving! With the underside solid you're already ahead of the game. Us guys in Wisconsin (and MN, IL, MI, etc) would consider the car to be rust free.

 

[MY3033]

Heck yeah it's worth saving! With the underside solid you're already ahead of the game. Us guys in Wisconsin (and MN, IL, MI, etc) would consider the car to be rust free.

Im in South Dakota, so I understand where you are coming from about rust.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

This guy on YouTube wanted to cut a roof off for one of these. Idk where in the country he is, but he has parts stacked like crazy.



Edit: save the car and enjoy the fun of hunting parts for these things. Plus it costs less than owning an 'Cuda and you can have a lot more fun

 

[MY3033]

Definitely less than a Cuda! My real issue is that I don’t have a lot of parts that fit this thing. I primarily focus on the pickups, and more specifically the 72-93 style. Here is my favorite unit I have, my 83 d150 with a slant 6 and 3 speed manual. I built it with my dad when I was 14.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

Ths big question to ask yourself is how much do you want it. It's going to be a lot of work so if it's a car or model you don't care much about you should trade it on. If it's something you want to own fixed up go for it.
Maybe start by collecting the parts it needs then if one in better shape cones along to you can get it instead and the parts will still be useful.

 

[MY3033]

I don’t think it needs much. It is very complete. Rust fixing ain’t hard to do. And then I think if I put some time into it it could be a great cruiser. I feel like the right set of wheels on it would greatly encourage me. I’m thinking some keystone classics. And since I’m have to repaint part of it, I want to delete the side mouldings and put on the R/T stripe kit, or some type of homage to it.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

I don’t think it needs much. It is very complete. Rust fixing ain’t hard to do. And then I think if I put some time into it it could be a great cruiser. I feel like the right set of wheels on it would greatly encourage me. I’m thinking some keystone classics. And since I’m have to repaint part of it, I want to delete the side mouldings and put on the R/T stripe kit, or some type of homage to it.

Just get it in to running/driving condition and fix things as they break or become apparent. It doesn't need to be perfect. Plus if it's moving you're more likely to work on it. If you let it sit trying to make it perfect it'll become an abandoned project someday.

My Diplomat is my first old Mopar product. The two edge sword of the old Mopar world is that its inhabitants are very particular and very knowledgeable about what is correct for a vehicle and are glad to tell you so.

Have fun with it. If it's not fun, then you're doing it wrong. These cars can be had super cheap and the NOS aftermarket parts are even cheaper.

 

[MY3033]

I’m gonna have a lot of fun. Always been around mopars. I misse the c bodies we had when I was a kid.. I really wish we kept the 68 Newport. But it’s my new project. I’m looking forward to seeing it on the road again. The tags on it are from 1994, so gonna go through it mechanically and then focus is cosmetics. Plus my fiancé wants to learn how to turn wrenches, so I hopefully can teach her while bringing the old aspen back to life. Now if I could only get the radio to work…..

 

[Aspen500]

Your fiance wants to learn to turn wrenches? She's a keeper! I got lucky, mine already knew how, and she likes Mopars.

 

[MY3033]

She loves to learn about it. She has gotten to the point of being able to rebuild small engines by herself. She helped greatly with my last slant 6 I did.

 

[Aspen500]

My thoughts are, there's only so many Aspen and Volare that still exist, it's a shame to lose one more. Well, unless it's a rotted to the door handles condition that is.
Not that you were going to scrap yours or anything.

 

[Duke5A]

Need some better photos of the roof. Had a buddy that peeled a vinyl roof off of a B body to discover it covered in pin holes. Think he used something called All Metal to patch it up after blasting it clean.

 

[MY3033]

Need some better photos of the roof. Had a buddy that peeled a vinyl roof off of a B body to discover it covered in pin holes. Think he used something called All Metal to patch it up after blasting it clean.

I’ve used that product before. I had a 78 Caprice landau, went through the same issue I’m facing now. It has held up great. It’s all about the prep work when using that type of stuff.

 

[MY3033]

I found out why she was parked in 94.
I found some old papers in the car, and one was a sheet from a fellow who had it at an auction. He sold it last summer, but prior to selling it he had owned it since 95. The story he told me was that the last guy who owned it and drove it, was having an affair with a married woman. Her husband found out and dumped sugar in the fuel tank. It was never started after that. The car then sat for a year or so and it was sold. The guy who owned it for the next 25 years never got around to doing anything with it. And that’s why this Aspen went of the road nearly 30 years ago. Good thing I cut the fuel line after the fuel pump before I attempted to start it.

 

[Justwondering]

I could never bring myself to dump sugar in the fuel tank.

My go to was...

stink bait smeared under the door handles.

JW

 

[AMC Diplomat]

I could never bring myself to dump sugar in the fuel tank.

My go to was...

stink bait smeared under the door handles.

JW

tank full of water, brake fluid on the paint job...

 

[AMC Diplomat]

I found out why she was parked in 94.
I found some old papers in the car, and one was a sheet from a fellow who had it at an auction. He sold it last summer, but prior to selling it he had owned it since 95. The story he told me was that the last guy who owned it and drove it, was having an affair with a married woman. Her husband found out and dumped sugar in the fuel tank. It was never started after that. The car then sat for a year or so and it was sold. The guy who owned it for the next 25 years never got around to doing anything with it. And that’s why this Aspen went of the road nearly 30 years ago. Good thing I cut the fuel line after the fuel pump before I attempted to start it.

Well, your biggest problem is finding a new grill. Good luck with that. The rest is easy.

 

[XfbodyX]

Any wagon pics?

You in the north or south part of your state? Ive parts and grilles but youd have to drive a bit.

 

[MY3033]

Any wagon pics?

You in the north or south part of your state? Ive parts and grilles but youd have to drive a bit.

I live near the Watertown area, so northeast part of the state, but am near the Sioux Falls area often. Also attached are pics of the wagon I’m trying to buy.