Should I build a Charger or a C-body?

[migsBIG]

I was wondering which on to build, a 1971 Charger R/T or a 1970 Polara 2dr. Both have cool potential, but I can only do one since I haven't won th lottery. I put a poll on moparts if you feel like voting. Here is a link to get you guys into the mood.
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=4238975&page=0&vc=1#Post4238975

[69bronzeT5]

Go for the Charger

[NHCharger]

Your on a Charger board asking weather to build a 71 Charger R/T or a land yacht.

[bull]

Good question. Here are some other good questions: Should you marry someone who looks like Rosie O'Donnell or someone who looks like Angelina Jolie? Should you have a tasty prime rib dinner tonight or staple your tongue to the wall? Should you sit down, put your feet up and watch a good movie or slam your head in the door repeatedly. Decisions, decisions.

[Magnumcharger]

Build an F body. And save a bundle.

[Ghoste]

A 71 Charger RT or a Polara?  Yeah, that is a tough choice alright.

[migsBIG]

Thanks for replying guys, I didn't think I would get any replies this late on a saturday. The reson I posted this is I have a bad time figuring out what mopars I want to work on.
I figured that I would leave my next project ou to guys who might be a little more 'grounded' in their thoughts, thus the poll.
I'll post here what I posted over there. I did also post on the c-body Drydock board to just as many people to honestly vote on the issue.

Well, it has come time to decide which one do I really want and the one I should let go. I have a few cars, but I really want to build a ride with a big 'old snorting big block, thus the delema.
The R/T and Polara are both for sale, but only one of them will go.

The Charger is non number, correct auto and needs a full resto. Originally a green car, this one is kinda low for options, and was raced (but not cut-up).
I've always been a hotroder, so original paint and numbers stuff was never a big point with me. Probably leave the interior buckets black, paint it white and trim it in black. Always liked the thought of making the hood funtional to take in cold air, since the hood scoop plate just unbolts.

The good: Rare car, factory big block, has lots of parts, resale value is good, very little rust and still pretty cool to look at.
The bad: Very costly to restore, would cost probably $10,000 to restore and paint the body before the interior and drivetrain is calculated in (in my erea, body shops charge a premium and i'm kinda picky about the work being done).


Now, the 1970 Polara has a cool shape and style about it and I could easily upgrade it the same way as the Charger, but for less. This is a true $300 car that literatly screams 'BUILD ME'. I love big cars like this, and is one of the cooler C-body's out there.

The good: $300 starting base price and super clean body will save cash. Factory 383, auto, ps, disc brake, ac, power windows, heavy duty cooling and uncut dash harness. A low milage car. The engine knocks harder than the Avon Lady trying to sell her 'pretties' and wouldn't be a problem with replacing with 500+inches of thumper power.
The bad: Car still weights 450 lbs more than the charger (that me, a GF, a dog and a tank of gas in weight). There are ZERO restoration parts for the car, thus specialty part needs or custom made. Will never be as respected as a true muscle car, no matter how much decals and power you put on/in it. It's a C-body? Parking will immediatly getting you thinking about that song 'Give me Forty acres and I'll turn this rig around'. Resale value, even a slant six valiant and has a better return than one of these. Oh, Did I mention it's a C-body?


I have a few more pics to view here of the cars: http://s130.photobucket.com/albums/p265/migsbig/

So there you have it. I either take the charger and make a resto racer with all appearing stock with lots of power OR I work the polara to a Lowered, big tired pro-tourer with enough inches of big block to get the job done.

Charger is estimate at $25K to restore while polara will be about $13K to do.

Help me decide, so I can finally get started on a summer cruiser. 
If your registered to Moparts, please feel free to vote. http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=4238945&an=0&page=0&gonew=1#UNREAD

[dkn1997]

ON moparts, I told you to build the polara.  i changed my mind. build the charger and sell me the polara.  I love that car. 

[Chatt69chgr]

One thing about the Polara is that if you ever did have a wreck in it, it would be like it happened in the next state.  They will never make cars like that again.  Few are restoring them so you would probably stand out with it.  But I would still want the Charger.  I love muscle cars.  We never had one when I was a kid at home----just land yachts------but I have had several since that time and now am working on the best of all---a 69 Charger.  I really don't think you will ever regret restoring the Charger.  Every time you get in it and start the engine, it will bring a smile to your face.  And when that time comes to part with it, and it eventually will, your grandkids will want the Charger.  If they don't, you won't have any trouble selling it. 

[Brock Samson]

 the featured article in collector car magazine this month is on the 69 Polara, worth a look.
nice cars and I can really see your delema,.. still the charger is more of a hot rod while the Polara is a cool daily driver with alot of possibilities if you want to mod it. and alot cheaper to do from the looks of it. i found a 3x green two door hardtop polara just like that at an auction about 20 years ago went for $2.7 K and it was super cherry.
It's really too bad you can't do both,..  hot rod the 'charger and cruise the polaris. which ever one you sell, your gonna continually kick your self forever...
reminds me of that lovin spoonful song.. have you ever had to make up your mind?..

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=LpiE-5wPsU8

[Ghoste]

I would still do the Charger.  I understand the economics of your choice but if forced to pick only one, my vote automatically goes to the Charger.

[rare69]

Let me know what you want for the charger, then i'll tell you which one to do.

[Rolling_Thunder]

I would say the Charger...       I do like C-bodies though...    just not the later years...    give me a 65-66 Sport Fury of VIP   

[BigBlackDodge]

Cool...............looks like that c-body has the 'super-light' option. Illegal in some states.


BBD

[migsBIG]

See, by alot of your guys comments, the Polara is a more popular choice. Still, either car would be fun, just the priorities are just a little tighter. If I stored either car, that's an added $1,000 a year just in stashing that way. That's like aluminum heads or custom rearend center section. Funny thing is, the Polara is winning in the poll.  Still, I couldn't believe how many charger fans have voted for the polara!

[Charger1973]

I'd restore the R/T and drive the Polara.

[Brock Samson]

some fun to see... 

http://fuselage.de/index.html?http://www.fuselage.de/dod69/

[69charger440]

you deserve this  that is an easy one. good luck with the charger

[ACUDANUT]

C-body's ?? they look like a Grandma car and are very,very ugly. CHARGER is the only way to go.!!

[migsBIG]

Dang, the polara is winning. Even hada couple members here offer to  buy it!
Still, I'll probably decide friday, as that's when the voting will be over.

[mikesbbody]

i do actually understand why you like c bodies (i have had a land yacht before and they are cool) but i think this one is pretty obvious its like comparing a thorobred to a donkey! its gotta be the charger  id buy it off you if i had the $ (the charger, not the c body) it sounds to me like you have already made up your mind?

[migsBIG]

I really don't think the charger is a donkey. I'm just saying I am needing help deciding which one gets rodded and which one goes away.

[Charger1973]

I really don't think the charger is a donkey. I'm just saying I am needing help deciding which one gets rodded and which one goes away.

The Polara is a cruiser man...  If you want to go fast and look good, build the RT.   

[mikesbbody]

I really don't think the charger is a donkey. I'm just saying I am needing help deciding which one gets rodded and which one goes away.

no. i meant the c body is the donkey but you knew what i meant didnt you  if not ill say it again go with the charger 

[migsBIG]

Yeah, I had th throw that in there. The polara is nice, easy and such. The Charger is loosing big time to the tuna boat. All the C-body guys have been e-mailing me and saying I should gut the charger and use the parts in the polara!

As for cruisers, I have four of them already, so cruiser is out and a bruiser is in!

[69bronzeT5]

All the C-body guys have been e-mailing me and saying I should gut the charger and use the parts in the polara!

They're all jealous because we could push our Chargers faster than their boats could go

Pick the Charger . But also, you gotta keep in mind, thats where all the C-body guys hang out....if you made a poll over here..you can already see the winner

[migsBIG]

I made a poll where it was fair and not biased. An equal amount of mopar folks hang out on moparts, so if ythere are more people voting for the c-body, then would that lead ya to believe Polara's are more cooler than Chargers?

You should see what the C-body guys are posting on their site:
Pull the motor from the polara and put it in the charger!!!!!!!!!!
Everone does Chargers..... Be different, do the Polara!
I say build the Polara, leave the charger for the Dukes of Hazzard(I do like 69 Chargers though  )
Tom
Miguel, this is a no-brainer. You've already got the B-body you've been after for a few decades, so sell the other one, and use some of that $$ towards having a nice big-block, comfy for everybody C-body.
Nah. Build the Polara and derby the Charger. Restored Chargers are ten a penny.

[Ghoste]

If Polaras are cooler than Chargers then I guess that would explain why Polaras are so commonly used as stars in so many films and tv shows and not just extras.  It would also explain why their value goes up so much year after year and even little kids recognize them.  The C-body coolness would help explain the aftermarket getting on board with all that reproduction sheet metal and trim for them.
Yeah, yeah I know you are just relaying what other boards are saying but I can't help feeling like you're baiting us a little bit too. 

[migsBIG]

Well, I was baiting it alittle. I want to do the Charger, and the polara, just have to pick which one goes first. I was hoping the Charger guys would at least comeout to bat on the b-body.
So, looks like the C-body is gonna win by friday. I should be picking out wheels by saturday.

[The70RT]

Over on MoParts they must be jelous because if they picked a Polara over a Charger. Kinda like picking a Duster over a Cuda......well actually worse. Good luck finding Polara parts. The good thing is If you find any they will be cheap. Oh yeah....hear is another one 

[migsBIG]

A Duster over a Cuda? I wonder if Kenny Wayne Shepard would agree to that?

[BigBlackDodge]

You will regret getting a Polara over a Charger R/T........


It will be like the v8 commercials............after a day or two you'll smack yourself in the forhead and say "I coulda had a Charger R/T!"

BBD

[superduperbee]

Charger!!!!!!!!!!! while the C-body is cool, you can't beat the charger for turning heads. Ray

[dakotaboy]

I'm building a 71 New Yorker ( 4 door to boot). yes they are HUGE and not worth as much as a Charger, but sometimes you gota be different. Parts really are not to hard to find. You just got to get them before some derbyer gets them. I saved my NY from a derbyer and got a new dog house for it from another derby victim.
Those Polaras are sweet. I'll trade ya......... Just kiddin, spent to much time on mine already, there is ALOT of hours    on those long bodies.

I can't complain though my 68 Charger is sittin next to it in the shop being worked on slowly.    And I'm doing most of the work myself. Saving alot of money but burning up that time.

Best of luck on the choice,  I'm OUT

[dpm68]

Hey migsBIG, no preference, although I own a Charger and so does most of the rest here, but ain't that a pretty '64 Galaxie next to that Veedub bus in that pic of yours? I happen to own one of those and I can't seem to let her go. Mine's a 500, and I think that one might be a 500 XL. Yessir folks, they made 500 XL four doors. Too cool.

[migsBIG]

Believe it or not guys, a durby guy is the one who sold mee the polara, because he said it was too nice to smash up. As of the Ford, it's a guy who shares the yard. We are just waiting for his sideoiler to comeback from the shop to re-install it.

[TheGhost]

Since you already own a Charger, I'm gonna be different and say build the Polara.

Of course, I have a soft spot for 70 C bodies.

[suntech]

Or.................sell both, and buy a 68-70 charger project

[migsBIG]

Or.................sell both, and buy a 68-70 charger project

That's not a bad idea, but I've oned about 12 68'-70' charger in the few years and can't see getting another while I have 6 project cars sitting here waiting for their turn.
And lets face it, everytime you go out on one of those, don't you look at your headliner and wonder if there are some "stars and bars" under your paint?

[suntech]

With the parts coming available from AMD nowadays, the resto job wil get a heck of a lot easier, so there are more candidates out there now, that would have been consithered junk just a year ago.

[The70RT]

I'm sure he would rather have a Cuda. Maybe if he has another hit song...    

[ACUDANUT]

C-bodies. are you kidding 

[migsBIG]

No. I'm not kidding. Kinda funny, but the c-body is like blowing the doors off the charger. I really thought the b-body brigade would have blown those votes out of the water.

[The70RT]

Maybe on Moparts. Some on here may not have wanted to hurt your feelings.  It is a no brainer though C bodys are fugly brother. So why come on here and ask a stupid question. If grandma gave you the car and you have a sentamental attachment to it then go for it.  It looks like you knew that you were gonna do the C-body anyway. Isn't their a C-body forum somewhere 

[Khyron]

No. I'm not kidding. Kinda funny, but the c-body is like blowing the doors off the charger. I really thought the b-body brigade would have blown those votes out of the water.

It sounds like you've already made your choice. Personally, They both rank the same in my book. Both nice cars and both different, but i'm not excited over either one of em. ... after all, i'm a 2nd Gen guy.... But If it where me, I would go with the Charger. The polara is different, but so it a 3rd Gen Charger.

[migsBIG]

This wasn't about a c-body forum or my love of c-bodies, this was about deciding on a project. I was hoping to get some votes here for the charger, as I also had a sidebet going on. I bet that the charger would blow the doors off the polara in a vote poll for popularity, and it fell short. As a result of the bet, I will have to restore the polara first and then wear a shirt of  his choice and with 'appropriate wording'  and have to wear the shirt at the M.A.T.S. So that was it,  Pretty much was a chance for others to take a  vote on a car of interest that would be pretty much fun and interesting. Sorry if this felt stupid for you, but it was something diffrento try.

If it makes you feel any better, I'll probably keep the Charger anyway. I've always wanted to build a protourer version. and, lets face it, if I sell the Charger, I'll just regret it later on.

[Ghoste]

I guess I'm more confused than ever man.  You want a get a vote to tell you what car to build but you're going to do the Polara anyway even though you have a side bet going with someone else that the Charger is more popular so you go to a Charger board hoping to get the needed support to win your bet but it never really mattered because you're actually going to do both cars anyway??

[ACUDANUT]

Ya, what Ghoste says.   Besides, there was no poll to vote on anyway.

[TK73]

One of the "weirder" threads I've seen on this site... 

[The70RT]

Wow I hope you don't let strangers on the internet make all your choices for you 

[BigBlackDodge]

Ya, what Ghoste says.   Besides, there was no poll to vote on anyway.

He's wanting us to go the moparts site and vote I believe.


BBD

[migsBIG]

Again, thank you for those that took the time to vote. I had to word it so that I wasn't giving away what I was doing, and to keep an honest bet. This is what I posted on moparts.

Yup, it all went down like this. My pal John was at my other pals John's yard when his tow driver John delivered the Polara and Charger (yes, I know, three john's at once came makes for interesting conversations). We got to talking about how cool the cars are, and kept talking about what to do with em. My Pal decided to say that I should build the Polara as they are more popular than the Chargers. ?
We get to talking about it and we say someinteresting things like 'your nuts and been drinking liquor with the medication again" kinda rants. So a few weeks later, he decides to come by my place and asked if I started work yet on them, of course no is the answer. He then ribs into me about how cool the polara is over both the chargers.  Well, I tell him to put up or shut up, as I know I'm better about mopar cars than him (or so I thought).

I say "OK, we can put it to a vote", but how? My local friends would have easily have voted for me, thus making the voting more biased. I suggested a poll on moparts to decide who was right (and wrong). We could easily monitor the poll and can get a total at the end of the week. Now that I had recieved alot of good ideas, the bad part is I lost the bet.

Polara-WINNER 96 votes 55%
Charger-LOSER 78 votes 45%

As of what the bet was? If he lost, he would have to give me aset of 15X8 ramcharger rims, but if I lost, he get's to put suff on a t-shirt and I have to wear it at the M.A.T.S. and take photos of me talking to all my friends and co-horts. To top it off, it's going to boxed and I can't see it until I get to vegas and open it the day of the show!

So thanks again to everybody for voting and making me swallow crow! I'm am just praying in not something with chevies and a pink shirt. 

I still have both Chargers and the Polara, but that C-body isn't a cool as my 72, so it would still get moved to the side or ever given a new home. My buddy john called mw up and sid he would have my shirt ready for me and that he wouldn't hold me to doin the polara. He wanted to prove a point and that even though it has the name Charger on it, it dosen't mean everybody likes em'.

Thanks again everyone.

[Ghoste]

I'd have probably just posted a link to a poll that asks which do we think is more popular a Charger or a Polara.  I have to say that for the greatest part of this thread I honestly thought you were just trolling and that you were going to do a Polara no matter what but you thought it'd be funny to see if you could provoke a rise out of us.

[Troy]

Well, if you wanted an honest opinion... neither one of those would ever be in my possession. As for coolness, the Charger wins - but it's a 3rd gen which lags the 2nd gen in popularity (sorry, but it's true so don't hate me). You also listed the cost to restore as part of the basis for the decision so the Polara is the obvious choice there AND the Charger will sell for more money so the imbalance is even more dramatic. The C-bodies can be nice cruisers but if I wanted to drive an oversized vehicle that's a pain to park I'd just drive the dually. The only people that will be impressed with a Polara are die-hard Mopar guys. Sure, you'll get thumbs-up from the local Mopar club but everyone else on the road will wonder why you're driving your grandpa's car (and when you're gonna turn it into a derby car). You couldn't give me a Duster either but the guys on Moparts drool over them. I like to think of it as "Brand Loyalty Blindness". In the end, it's whatever makes you happy. I like (and have owned) lots of cars that others may not like but as long as I'm happy driving it I really don't care what others think.

Troy

[migsBIG]

I'd have probably just posted a link to a poll that asks which do we think is more popular a Charger or a Polara.  I have to say that for the greatest part of this thread I honestly thought you were just trolling and that you were going to do a Polara no matter what but you thought it'd be funny to see if you could provoke a rise out of us.

Thank you for your opinions. I was not try to troll or get a rise out of you guys, I was trying to win a bet and hoping I could get some of your votes, that all. I a'm sorry if this went funny or diffrent than intended. I got alittle carried away and was just hoping the passionate feeling we have for mopars and our chargers would have been enough to get me the winning votes I needed. Though the post did seem ok, I will be doing the charger, just not at this time. Thanks and have a good day.

[TheGhost]

I like to think of it as "Brand Loyalty Blindness".

I think of it as diverse tastes.  I haven't seen a B body that I didn't like, same with E bodies and 64-72 A bodies.  I love the "fuselage" style C bodies, but am not a fan of the mid-late 60s C bodies.

[Troy]

I like to think of it as "Brand Loyalty Blindness".

I think of it as diverse tastes.  I haven't seen a B body that I didn't like, same with E bodies and 64-72 A bodies.  I love the "fuselage" style C bodies, but am not a fan of the mid-late 60s C bodies.

What I mean is some people who love every car ever made by Chrysler and nothing else is good enough. That isn't diversified taste. There are certainly some awful looking (and performing) cars in Chrysler's history. You even excluded certain cars so you don't fit what I'm describing. There's nothing wrong with saying "yeah, it was made by Dodge but wow is it ever hideous". Designers can't hit a home run with every vehicle. As a matter of fact, it's rare when they do nail it. Sometimes a rare or unique vehicle is cool just because it's rare and unique but that doesn't make it popular or better than everything else. Having a 2' purple mohawk is rare and unique but you don't see people flocking to get one (or trying to keep it looking right every day). It certainly gets attention though.

Troy

[Brock Samson]

 I'm suprised at some of the nastyness expressed in some of the pro-charger posts folks made here...