Hey Mopar guys

[Hellfish]

I've been looking into getting an early 60s Mopar for my daily driver... it seems kinda fitting to replace my current crappy Mopar PT Cruiser daily with another Mopar. Anyway, how reliable are those things and how hard is it to find parts? How bad is the MPG? I'm thinking specifically of 61 Dodge Dart, or a 61-62 Chrysler Newport or 300.

Thanks

[46mopar]

Any older mopar with a slant 6 cyl is a good beater good on gas and run forever the parts are easy to find .

[Hellfish]

most of the ones I've seen have 383 or bigger. How are those babies?

[theodore]

I think the most common mopar problem is the tranny, I had a valiant with a 318 that wouldn't die...it took about 8 minutes with a brick on the gas to do her in http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[RileyRacing]

Good engines, those B & RB engines (big blocks). Not really milage masters. I can remember driving a New Yorker with a 440, and when you hit the gas, you could see the needle on the gas gage move!! But lots of parts still available.

Could maybe run across an old "A" (poly) 318 depending how early you go. Mel knows about those.

Cool idea, wish there were some around here in good enuff shape to drive. "Golden Lion" 413!

Jay

[Mel]

Here's a good post about early 60's mopar motors from a while back.
mopar post (http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1&Number=201791&page=&v iew=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1)

Unless that Dart is in good shape, I might steer away from it. That was a unibody.... bad news when you have to deal with lots of rust. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

~Melissa

[Hellfish]

oops! I should've said Mopar guys and gals. Sorry Mel!

[maud]

I'd go with '62 and up cause that's when they started using the more modern torsion bar suspension. A '63-'69 Dart with slant six or 318 would be a good beater. The 318 polyhead was used through '66, in '67 the LA small block 318 was introduced, I'd reccomend going with the LA because of parts availability. Personally I like the '66-'70 B-body cars, like the Coronet and Belvedere, they are a joy to drive. I should know, I have 4 we drive (67 GTX, 67 Belv wagon, 69 6-pack Roadrunner, and my daily driver for the past 25 years a 68 Super Bee) They all have 440's. They get between 12-15mpg. A good 318 will get maybe 17-18mpg, a slant 6 maybe 18-19mpg. I'd just as soon get 14 and be able to blow some doors off!

[cornfieldrodder]

I've had a few of them, Hell, they are great drivers. The old torqueflites are hard to get parts for but they are good trinnies. The Dodge and Plymouth cars will often have polydome 318s. Mine all got 18-22 mpg on the highway and maybe 14 or so in town. 3.08 or 2.73 gears are common, so converting to OD isn't desireable. The coil spring cars are heavier than the torsoin bar cars. A 62-65 B body with 383 is about 3400 lbs if its a cheap model. A 60 newport is about 4200. The big car will probably use alot more gas in town, plus the glass is$$$$$ if it breaks.

[Fat Hack]

Get a slant six or small block powered car with a MANUAL tranny and it'll out-live YOU! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

(Till the torsion bars pop through the rusty mounts! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

[Hellfish]

One of the cars I founud is a 62 Chrysler 300 with a 413. That probbaly doesn't get such great gas mileage even if it wasn't pulling a 4200 lb car. I wouln't be commuting in it, but I don't want to get killed on mileage either.

Other than rust, are these things prone to other problems? Are parts hard to get, say at NAPA?

Thanks

[leadsled1953]

i have 3 newports[all 383]. the brakes are weak point.front drums are hard to find.2 of mine are non power brake models with the baby jar szed master cylinder.throw out the anchor i gotta stop.

[Fraz]

Heya HF, if you don't get that 62 Chrysler, or know of another, please pass on the info to me. Want to get one for my dad (VonDad) but SHHHH!!

[cornfieldrodder]

There is a 62 newport near me that I want. They are dead simple cars, (the trans is a bit pricey should one need work) Should he sell it to me, I will commute with it and just make some Arabs happy. Hiway mileage could be about 20 mpg, my dads 58 windsor got about that. In town, the ol' Dakota will fill the bill.

[Django]

Is it a two door or four door?

[Bondo Slinger]

The torsion bar susp. came out in `57 not `62.

And don`t be scared of uni-bodys!

[stealthcruiser]

i have a 62 newport parts car,
no grille or headlights(sold already),engine tranny or instrument cluster.
got some useable body parts if anybody is in need.
pm me.

[Hellfish]

Obviously rust is a problem with unibodies, but what should I look for specifically?

[panic]

Don't ignore the poly motors (1955-58 Chrysler & DeSoto and 1955-66 Dodge & Plymouth). More info? I wrote a small guide to these motors:
http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/poly-book.htm

[Mel]

No worries Hellfish. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

LA polys have more parts available, but I wouldn't shy away from the A series either. NAPA will carry any part you need, you'll just need to wait till morning. They've found everything I need for my one year/ model only 326 A series....

Talk to four-thirteen about 413 mopars since he knows quite a bit about them. Here's another post which may help you as far as finding parts for them... B and RB mopar (http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1&Number=248134&fpart=& PHPSESSID=)

~Melissa

[leadsled1953]

go to yahoo clubs. there is a c body club.lots of info on the newports ect

[leadsled1953]

i see a lot of 60's big mopars laying around so parts cars should be available.2 of the 3 newports i got were sold to me because the kids parents wanted them out of the driveway[20 feet long they are] i have seen nice newports going for less than 2 grand.i missed out on a nice one with a 440 for $1700.

[tikiranch]

Great info guys and gals. Thanks I am always looking for more info about poly motors. Got the original 277ci in my 56 Plymouth. Bought it from the original owner after she couldn't get her licenses renewed. Only reason I rebuilt the motor was because it broke a valve spring and dropped a valve. Did even hurt the block and it bent the valve like a J. I kept the motor stock just because it is my daily driver and I wanted the gas mileage. I mean from the factory it was rated at 200 hp it won't blow the doors off but it gets me to and from work without breaking the bank.

[Bondo Slinger]

[ QUOTE ]
Obviously rust is a problem with unibodies, but what should I look for specifically?

[/ QUOTE ]

Look for rust around the torsion bar mounts, control arm mounts, and the leaf spring hangers. Also if the rocker panels are excesively rusted this will weaken the body.

The rockers on uni-bodies are a main point of strengh.