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Sunset lights the sky, and there's a shadow over me.. |
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Black clouds in the east
And there's a twister underneath
You're going to see a bit of a change in this journal for a while, because I've done something rather silly.
I've bought another car.
Now, most people wouldn't define that as silly, but when most people think of buying cars, they think of a few things. Going to the local dealer, finding a car you like, working out payment plans, haggling with the dealer, and then driving off in your shiny new car. Sometimes, just new-ish. Not "Yegods, that thing is 10 years older than you are!" You have shiny metal, not patina and rust. The question is never asked "What kind of fuel does it take?"..
Unless you're buying a classic. Which I have done.
I like the car, hence why I bought it. It's still not quite the car you show off to the folks, though. Especially if your folks have told you several times "No buying a project car, it's a stupid idea." So, I blame them. They told me not to.. so I did it.
I've been looking for a project car for some time now. I've always had a fondness for classic rolling iron. The delicious burble and healthy rumble of a V8 warms the cold, dead places of my heart. The sloping backs, meaty sides, and healthy appetites of these old machines make all my happy places tingle in just the right way. My attraction has only grown stronger over the years, as my lust for a classic car became something of a feasible idea. However, the more that time passes, the more things came up, the fewer good deals there were, and seemingly, the less money I had.
This being the year of monkeylord Bush randomly throwing money at the population in order to shut them up, it became possible again. I began setting up a budget for the project, and looking at possible purchases. However, it was much too soon, and I didn't have the money. Then, I had half the money, and it was still too soon. So, I made a list of requirements for my project car, to waste some time until I had more cash, and the market was a bit larger. The requirements were as follows.
#1: Nothing from 1963 or earlier. It'll just be a pain to find parts, and the car will need a hell of a lot more work if it's much older.
#2: I have to *really* like the car. If you like the car, but it's not the one you always wanted or whatever, then it becomes harder and harder to invest time and money into it.
#3: It has to be running. That way, it can work as a rolling restoration, and a backup car if needs be. I can also use it as a runabout for parts and etc.
#4: It has to be less than $1000, but I'll push up to 1.1k if it's something fantastic.
#5: Nothing uber-rare, or foreign. It just makes it harder and harder to find parts, and mechanics who can work on the car.
#6: Nothing crappy. By this, I don't just mean condition, I mean.. the car itself cannot suck. No VW Bugs. No Corvairs. No fox body mustangs. No 4 cylinder anything.
etc, etc.
So, I set these rules, and the next week, I promptly broke one of them. Luckily, only one; number three. A big one, high up on the list.. but I'm an idiot, and can therefore be excused from rational thought process when it comes to things I really like.
Here it is, in all of it's rusty, speed-hole filled, "what the ******** color is that?" glory.
It's a 1974 Plymouth Duster.
A piece of MOPAR history.
And this piece of rusting crap is all mine.
The car was posted on craigslist for 700$, with practically no information. It isn't running. It sat in a field for ~ 6-9 months before I bought it. It has no title.
It's got a 225ci slant-six, that's never been rebuilt, with 94k miles on the clock. It runs on leaded fuel.
So, why post it here, and abuse your eyes with the hideousness of its visage?
Because I'm starting a worklog. For the next few months, I'll be keeping a log of what I do to the car, how much money I spend, and what condition the car is in. So, any parts I buy, I'll jot down. Any work I have a shop do, I'll put the price here. I'll take more pictures as it progresses, and anyone who cares to read will know just what goes into turning a classic piece of crap into what will hopefully be, a pretty damn nice car by the time I'm done.
(Who knows, I may also ask some questions, or post some polls, and see what input people have on the car regarding things like engine, transmission, paint and interior!)
Wish me luck, as I'm going to need it.
A long black limousine
And there's a demon at the wheel...
EDIT -
At user request, I'm posting the interior shot.. s**t.
It looks like it lost a fight with a horny Bengal tiger.
 Twistex · Wed Apr 23, 2008 @ 07:35pm · 6 Comments |
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