Top 5 Dream Mopars

[My imp]

I'm really starting to chomp at the bit myself! All this paint talk makes me want to fire up the olde Sata's & go to squirting. I've got a stack of guitars a mile high that need customizing/painting/repairing, or all of the above sitting there waiting their turn. I'm switching my Gibson SG from a stop tailpiece to a Maestro/Accent vibrato. It took my three years to find a piece of mahogany that's the same color, similar grain pattern & depth to fill in holes from the tailpiece barrels. Hopefully, I can bury the repair & stain it the stock red & clear coat. If not, I'll need to paint the body. The only colors I've seen '61 SG's w/Maestro is white & black.any suggestions? I know there are enough guitar players out there. The hardware is all chrome, black, or mother of pearl tuners. It came with the black half pick guard, but I'm going with the full pick guard. Depending on color, I could change the pickup rings also. I'm kind of partial to white pearloid (toilet seat) for the pick guard. The black pearloid looks more grey than black, plus it always appear dirty & duller. Any suggestions (other than don't do it!) will be appreciated. Thanks, Larry

 

[ctfolmar]

Only Five?????

The Volare Roadrunner would be so much cooler with T-Tops. I don't think i can pick my 5 top mopars. There are so many I'd love to have. So here are five of my many favorites.

 

[ramenth]

Only Five?????

That's why I only went with one. I can dream, then I can be realistic. On my budget, though, one E-body per lifetime and I already own it.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Nice picks right across the board guys.
It says top five....but you can play this game as many times as you want...
Just pick another five next time..... :toothy10:

 

[ramenth]

Nice picks right across the board guys.
It says top five....but you can play this game as many times as you want...
Just pick another five next time..... :toothy10:

What if I already own my top five? (Except the Challenger 'vert?) lol

Something that goes against the grain of more "mainstream" Mopars? Check on both accounts. Two M-bodies and one four door B-body that's factory big block powered.

A rare color combo? Check. A Q5 ' '69 Road Runner with a silver gut. Four speed to boot.

A '69 Super Bee?

A round tail light Barracuda. Check.

 

[Jack Meoff]

What if I already own my top five? (Except the Challenger 'vert?) lol

Something that goes against the grain of more "mainstream" Mopars? Check on both accounts. Two M-bodies and one four door B-body that's factory big block powered.

A rare color combo? Check. A Q5 ' '69 Road Runner with a silver gut. Four speed to boot.

A '69 Super Bee?

A round tail light Barracuda. Check.

C'mon Robert....
There's gotta be that one or two oddballs that you've always wanted
Fess up....

 

[Jack Meoff]

I like a lot of Mopars that a lot of people would think....really?
Take this little beauty....this is the Valiant that was restored by that guy Robert mentioned on FEBO. This is a mind blowing resto....and to do it on this car to me deserves large kudos.....definitely a dream Mopar for me.

 

[My imp]

E-booger did one of those, the "Green Brick" I believe. My son-in-law told me of one of his Navy buddies had one for $800. Want me to ask? It's in Va. Beach. Don't remember if it has a 6 or 8 in it, but I can find out if you wish.

 

[jasperjacko]

I've always wanted to do a late 80's lebaron coupe with a v-8 conversion, and a mid to late 70's cop car like from the dukes or the show Hunter. The sedan would be unmarked, no chrome, black or dark blue, pro touring style suspension, black 18" wheels with a 325 rear tire width. Engine: twin turbo efi 500" b engine and 5 or 6 speed transmission. aaawwwwyyyeeeeeaaaahhhhh!

 

[Jack Meoff]

E-booger did one of those, the "Green Brick" I believe. My son-in-law told me of one of his Navy buddies had one for $800. Want me to ask? It's in Va. Beach. Don't remember if it has a 6 or 8 in it, but I can find out if you wish.

I remember the green brick....
No thanks man....I've got my hands full as it is.
It's in my wish list for "one day"...
I've actually seen one or two around here.
Thanks for asking though....

 

[Jack Meoff]

I've always wanted to do a late 80's lebaron coupe with a v-8 conversion, and a mid to late 70's cop car like from the dukes or the show Hunter. The sedan would be unmarked, no chrome, black or dark blue, pro touring style suspension, black 18" wheels with a 325 rear tire width. Engine: twin turbo efi 500" b engine and 5 or 6 speed transmission. aaawwwwyyyeeeeeaaaahhhhh!

Ooh yeah.....
I'm totally with you on the 70's cop cars.
The big C bodies right up to those late 70's Fury's like Hunter's
I know his was a Dodge....but essentially the same car.
The cops all had the Fury up here and I used to drool at the unmarked ones when they went by....

Always wanted one of these monsters.....

 

[My imp]

I've always wanted to do a late 80's lebaron coupe with a v-8 conversion, and a mid to late 70's cop car like from the dukes or the show Hunter. The sedan would be unmarked, no chrome, black or dark blue, pro touring style suspension, black 18" wheels with a 325 rear tire width. Engine: twin turbo efi 500" b engine and 5 or 6 speed transmission. aaawwwwyyyeeeeeaaaahhhhh!

I always wanted a V8 '88 LeBaron convertible. Had a TurboII auto one that was shortened 18" by getting rear ended. Always wanted to put a 340 in it. Probably never would've been able to make it balanced enough once all the reinforcements were welded in. Would've been easier to hang LeBaron body on a 5.0 & do a drivetrain swap! Now, I'll settle for a stroker BB in an '81 Imperial!

 

[NoCar340]

I started a V8 swap on a black '87 LeBaron Turbo over a dozen years ago. It's actually an easier swap than one might think. It would've been a freakin' monster, too. I had more awesome parts for that build than at any other point in my life, except perhaps when I had all the cool restoration parts for my Super Bee. I was shooting for 650HP on pump gas, which should've been pretty easy with the stuff I had--R3 siamese 48° block, 4.125" Callies crank, W2 heads w/titanium everything, huge-by-large mechanical roller cam, etc. The transmission was a full-race A518 with a Coan 3,800 stall that would've been twisting a 5.33-geared 8.75" with a Powr-Lok diff. I even reworked the OE shifter into a Slap Stik mechanism.

Sadly, too many things got in the way and I ended up having to let it go piece by piece. I've not had the funding since to even approach such a build, and without the wild drivetrain a V8 conversion just doesn't seem as much fun now. Thankfully, I don't have to see any of my stuff in action since it all went in different directions across the country via eBay. It still bums me out, though.

 

[Jack Meoff]

I started a V8 swap on a black '87 LeBaron Turbo over a dozen years ago. It's actually an easier swap than one might think. It would've been a freakin' monster, too. I had more awesome parts for that build than at any other point in my life, except perhaps when I had all the cool restoration parts for my Super Bee. I was shooting for 650HP on pump gas, which should've been pretty easy with the stuff I had--R3 siamese 48° block, 4.125" Callies crank, W2 heads w/titanium everything, huge-by-large mechanical roller cam, etc. The transmission was a full-race A518 with a Coan 3,800 stall that would've been twisting a 5.33-geared 8.75" with a Powr-Lok diff. I even reworked the OE shifter into a Slap Stik mechanism.

Sadly, too many things got in the way and I ended up having to let it go piece by piece. I've not had the funding since to even approach such a build, and without the wild drivetrain a V8 conversion just doesn't seem as much fun now. Thankfully, I don't have to see any of my stuff in action since it all went in different directions across the country via eBay. It still bums me out, though.

Maybe it's time to start planning your next dream Mopar..... :headbang:

 

[NoCar340]

Nah. It was getting a little silly. The heads alone would cost nearly $6,000 to duplicate now and the lifters alone were over $900.

OK, things were getting a lot silly. Then again, I no longer have a woman in my life to whom I have to try to explain that $400 for a set of valve springs is a screaming deal or why I spent four hours online tracking down a set of $2,000 valves. Amazingly, she never complained once... she knew what hand had been dealt her when we got involved. She just shook her head and rolled her eyes a lot.

The only thing I miss about my engineering gig is the paycheck. :icon_biggrin:

 

[brotherGood]

I wanna hear about how you swapped from FWD to RWD.

 

[NoCar340]

The FMJ front end lends itself very well to converting a K-based front-driver. Fab up mounts for the solid K-member isolators and bolt 'er home. A little simple surgery on the steering column connects F to K. Hell, the "trans" crossmember is almost perfect as-is. I was going four-link out back, but you'd be surprised how close those rear rails are to RWD cars. Actually, the whole car would surprise you once all the front-wheel drive stuff is gone--they're wider than they look due to the width of the transaxle & final drive. Leaf springs would be easy, and you already have the exhaust tunnel for the driveshaft. The firewall requires some cut & weld surgery, but when you go to actually do all this, it's not as radical as one would think. Believe it or not, the distributor's a bigger issue than the transmission.

I've seen a number of K-based vehicles that have been converted with various degrees of butchery, including a damned-fast 360 Voyager that almost looked factory, right down to the cluster which was modified with V8 Dakota parts.

 

[brotherGood]

Well..to bad we junked my brothers 86 charger

 

[NoCar340]

The L-bodies (Omni-based) are a little trickier because they're smaller. Still, the original rear axle from that '86 Charger is actually wider than one from an A-body.

 

[brotherGood]

True..forgot it was a different body