Best Muscle Car for Beginner

There's a really nice '75 Valiant Brougham 2-door for sale up this way. It's basically a tarted up Scamp. 318 V8, disk brakes, 8 1/4" rear. A little used car lot has it and is asking $3900 for it.

I was tempted (still am), but my wife didn't like the color combo, and reminded me I need something more expendable for winter use. (I'm up in the salt belt.)

So the point was, there are some '70's 2-door V8's still out there within your budget. Stick with something more mainstream and you'll be good to go.

I was about to mention Aspens, Valiants, and such.....but I didn't find any on my local CL search, they're rare in my parts.....although I know where a Dodge Super Coupe is still sitting

In reply to Rob_Mopar:

No offense, but if someone said they bought a '75 Valiant for $3900, I'd think he paid $2000 too much for it. $3900 will get you how many other cars?

Also, does this car have the transverse torsion bar suspension like the M-body or is it still traditional?

I'm going to drive that Plymouth Duster slant 6 tomorrow. If I like it I will offer $2,800.. If I think it's too slow and I want a v8 i'm just going to sit tight until a v8 Nova pops up in my price range and condition i want. Who know though, I'm not 100% sure if speed is something really important to me. I enjoy the look of these cars and all the steel, I also like the bench seats... that might be enough for me to go with the Duster.

pres589 wrote: In reply to Rob_Mopar: No offense, but if someone said they bought a '75 Valiant for $3900, I'd think he paid $2000 too much for it. $3900 will get you how many other cars? Also, does this car have the transverse torsion bar suspension like the M-body or is it still traditional?

Still traditional. And depending on how clean, that's about what they might go for....not that I'd pay that for a "luxurious" Valiant, but someone will.

pres589 wrote: In reply to Rob_Mopar: No offense, but if someone said they bought a '75 Valiant for $3900, I'd think he paid $2000 too much for it. $3900 will get you how many other cars? Also, does this car have the transverse torsion bar suspension like the M-body or is it still traditional?

No offense taken.

This Valiant is the last of the A-bodies. Traditional torsion bar front end.

The car has all the bits that get swapped into the earlier cars, but is saddled with the 5 MPH bumpers, and the crushed velour "luxury" (?) interior. But it is clean and solid. A '68 Dart just as clean and solid would be going for about double that. Finding a good solid A-body in this area isn't as easy as it used to be.

Coldsnap wrote: I'm going to drive that Plymouth Duster slant 6 tomorrow. If I like it I will offer $2,800.. If I think it's too slow and I want a v8 i'm just going to sit tight until a v8 Nova pops up in my price range and condition i want. Who know though, I'm not 100% sure if speed is something really important to me. I enjoy the look of these cars and all the steel, I also like the bench seats... that might be enough for me to go with the Duster.

My car was basically identical to that one when I got it at age 16. Steering, brakes, air, slant six auto with a vinyl roof and bench with rubber floormat.

In stock form, it will be not just slow, but SLOW. As in "don't pick any fights with anything that's not a diesel Rabbit" slow. Gears are probably 2.76 to 1. If you get lucky and it's got an 8 1/4" rear end, you'll at least have a pretty easy time upgrading gears for more poke.

It will wake up considerably with the factory 2bbl setup off of an Aspen/Volare (much more power AND better mileage). It will not be fast, but it will be tolerable. It will still be an awesome cruiser however you do it, though.

I still think this 79 Nova for $3K is a great looking deal. This 75 Nova for $2K looks pretty good, too. This 78 Malibu for $2400 would really have my attention! This 77 Impala Coupe for $3500 has a ton of potential. This Black 72 Monte Carlo has a lot going for it, too.

I wouldn't mind some cruising. My commute to work is only 15mins and gym is about an extra 7 mins.. that's the extent of my driving. So if I had a super fast car it won't be like I can open her up anywhere that often.

Javelin wrote: I still think this 79 Nova for $3K is a great looking deal. This 75 Nova for $2K looks pretty good, too. This 78 Malibu for $2400 would really have my attention! This 77 Impala Coupe for $3500 has a *ton* of potential. This Black 72 Monte Carlo has a lot going for it, too.

I got a reply back about the '79 Nova for 3k and he said "alright recently it has been having some electrical problems that occasionally kill the electricity in the car. but when it does crank it drives and shifts smooth. which makes me think its just some kind of connection problem"

maybe the '75 one for 2k might be better.

In reply to Rob_Mopar:

OK, for some reason I thought this would be more like the Aspen, and I could get behind a Valiant better than an Aspen. And I do understand scarcity in these things,

In reply to Coldsnap:

If I were you, I'd be all over that 75...

I'm still undecided if I like the body of '75+ Novas.. is it a v8?.. wonder how much new interior would run me.

Coldsnap wrote:

Javelin wrote: I still think this 79 Nova for $3K is a great looking deal. This 75 Nova for $2K looks pretty good, too. This 78 Malibu for $2400 would really have my attention! This 77 Impala Coupe for $3500 has a *ton* of potential. This Black 72 Monte Carlo has a lot going for it, too.

I got a reply back about the '79 Nova for 3k and he said "alright recently it has been having some electrical problems that occasionally kill the electricity in the car. but when it does crank it drives and shifts smooth. which makes me think its just some kind of connection problem" maybe the '75 one for 2k might be better.

Welcome to owning an old car. There is a good possibility of any of them developing electrical problems. It could very well be the case of a bad ground.

That '72 Monte Carlo is sexy...

I see your point. Probably why everything older goes up in price a lot more.

In reply to 93EXCivic:

Agreed, I think the 72 Monte is the best looking of the bunch. That car with fresh paint would be a head-turner anywhere.

Javalin, one of my friends has totalled 3 of those 77 Impala's in the last 6 months.....they're worth more to the insurance claims adjuster than what the asking price for that one is....

Hell, that '72 Monte is a head turner in tan/grey patches and nothing but a big engine in it.....

The 77 Impala is a nice looking car.

My mother had a 72 Monte with the 350 4V. It was a nice car and pretty fast.

Forget anything 4 door and don't get in too big of a hurry. But when you find the right one at the right price, don't piss around.

Another car I remember from the mid-70s was a Pontiac Grand-Am(?). Kinda like a GTO maybe.

So I have made a google reader with an RSS for Nova in the big towns around from me. Might play the patient game if I don't like the Duster. I can always take an Amtrak train for $30 and drive whatever i buy home. Trying to think of other filters to add for cars with like bodies.

You know..looking at all these nice 72 Novas really makes me want to save an additional 2 months or so.. I could score a nice one off craigslist for about $5,000-$6,000 it seems. Instead of buying something that has a nova body but no V6.

You seem set on a Nova.....may I ask if you have a mullet yet?

Why are you even considering a mid 70's big bumper smogmobile when you can have something a lot cooler for the same money? Examples:

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/3482942461.html

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/3532304655.html

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/3535719814.html

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/3449359750.html

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/3464201076.html

I like those too. What's the best way to shop craigslist? I can set filters for each car model and add that into the google reader. But the problem with being a novice is I don't know all the car makes that I could potentially like. If I just browse craigslist cars and autos it's spammed with all modern cars.

I like those too. What's the best way to shop craigslist? I can set filters for each car model and add that into the google reader. But the problem with being a novice is I don't know all the car makes that I could potentially like. If I just browse craigslist cars and autos it's spammed with all modern cars.

I'm no expert, but for instance to see everything made in the 1960's under $5000 you'd just put in 196* and a max price of $5000 and you get everything that fits that description. Sorry, I haven't read this whole thread, but where are you located and how far are you willing to go for a car?