Hello, question from a guy whose driven new but not much old

[IMADreamer]

Hi gang,
I've been lurking here for dang near 4 years now and I guess it's time to post.  Growing up I always heard stories from my Dad and Uncles about their old muscle cars.  My Dad in particular had a 70 Cuda and a 69 Road Runner.  Unfortunately the Cuda was totalled by the dealer of all places and the Road Runner my Dad sold about the time I came along in 1981.  I love the old cars, the sound, the smells, the look.  I truly love them.  I photographed probably around 1500 classic cars in my life and I love hearing the stories behind them.  Well I'm finally at the point in my life where I'm settled in and making some ok money if I want one I can probably get one. 

My concern is as a new car guy (a C6 Corvette owner) am I going to be disappointed in the performance? Now before you jump down my throat and tell me how great these old cars perform I agree.  There is no doubt they can be made to perform. However my Vette is making north of 700hp on spray and handles amazing.  I'm getting a bit older now and the horsepower doesn't do it for me so much any more but I do really love carving up the backroads and I really enjoy going cruising with some of the local car guys.  My second concern is realistically I'm going to be on about a 20k dollar budget for my purchase.  I'm looking for a 70-71 Challenger or 70-74 Cuda.  I think my budget means I'm looking at a 340 or 360 car. 

Lastly, my plan is to buy the best driver I can afford then build it up over the years to come after that.  Does that sound like a good idea to you guys rather than go full resto project?  I'm more than prepared to take a year or two to find the right car.  I've waited nearly 35 years I can wait two more if I have to.  I'd like to modernize the suspension, maybe Hotckiss TVS or even a ridetec?  Then turn my focus to power and looks.

Anyway, I've learned so much from my years lurking here I feel like I'm finally ready to start hunting and stop dreaming.   

[1 Wild R/T]

If your use to the Vette's handling & power you'll be dismally disappointed in a stock E body... Even modified it'll take a pretty serious effort to match your Vette...

[blown motor]

Welcome to the site.
Here's one fool's opinion on your questions. For 20k you will only get a driver and then maybe only a 72-4 Cuda. It will be a long way from 700HP and but there is nothing wrong with a 340, they're a great engine. It certainly won't ride like your Vette but if you can appreciate that this was the technology 45 years ago and take it for what it is then you'll be ok. Modernizing the suspension will certainly help the ride and handling.
I bought a driver (74Challenger) four years ago and every winter I upgrade it a little more. Another year I'll have everything done but the paint as far as cosmetics go. Perhaps sometime I'll do some performance upgrades like head work and so on.
A friend of mine has a C6 Corvette and I've ridden in it. Not doubt he can outperform my Challenger. However I'm sure I get a lot more thumbs up from people on the sidewalk than he does. What you loose in performance (based on your budget) you will gain in reaction from onlookers. For more money you can have the best of both worlds.

[IMADreamer]

Welcome to the site.
Here's one fool's opinion on your questions. For 20k you will only get a driver and then maybe only a 72-4 Cuda. It will be a long way from 700HP and but there is nothing wrong with a 340, they're a great engine. It certainly won't ride like your Vette but if you can appreciate that this was the technology 45 years ago and take it for what it is then you'll be ok. Modernizing the suspension will certainly help the ride and handling.
I bought a driver (74Challenger) four years ago and every winter I upgrade it a little more. Another year I'll have everything done but the paint as far as cosmetics go. Perhaps sometime I'll do some performance upgrades like head work and so on.
A friend of mine has a C6 Corvette and I've ridden in it. Not doubt he can outperform my Challenger. However I'm sure I get a lot more thumbs up from people on the sidewalk than he does. What you loose in performance (based on your budget) you will gain in reaction from onlookers. For more money you can have the best of both worlds.

Thanks for your input.  I'm thinking I might be ok with the sacrifice in performance as long as the car is still fun and I can go out and push it a bit when I want to.  I kind of realize it probably won't corner or accelerate with my Vette.  I guess my only concern with the 340 is it looks like with my budget I'd be getting a later 340 with the lower compression.  It seems like that really limits any future potential of the engine.  That bothers me a bit, but I'm spoiled coming from the LS engine world.

[734406pk]

Good luck with your quest for a E-body! It will never perform like a C6 Vette of course, 45+ year old technology. However, it may just be more fun to drive in contrast, having old school muscle.

[RCCDrew]

I have a friend that has a 2015 Vette. When he rides in my old 340 Cuda he always giggles like a little school girl. I told him "Your car should be able to do everything my car is doing, why are you so amazed?" He said " yeah, but my car doesn't sound like this!" 

[IMADreamer]

I have a friend that has a 2015 Vette. When he rides in my old 340 Cuda he always giggles like a little school girl. I told him "Your car should be able to do everything my car is doing, why are you so amazed?" He said " yeah, but my car doesn't sound like this!"

I definitely agree that is a plus for the old cars.  Nothing sounds like an old V8.  Even my Vette which has headers back redone just doesn't sound like a nice exhaust on an old V8.  A friend of mine has a 70 Hemi, I assume in heaven every car sounds like that.

[734406pk]

I definitely agree that is a plus for the old cars.  Nothing sounds like an old V8.  Even my Vette which has headers back redone just doesn't sound like a nice exhaust on an old V8.  A friend of mine has a 70 Hemi, I assume in heaven every car sounds like that.

Yes! That's it exactly!

[RCCDrew]

I drive mopar simply because I love them, but I'll tell you that you will get TONS more attention in an old cuda than you ever will in a vette. The only thing that gets more attention than my cuda is my General Lee. It's overkill really.

[IMADreamer]

I drive mopar simply because I love them, but I'll tell you that you will get TONS more attention in an old cuda than you ever will in a vette. The only thing that gets more attention than my cuda is my General Lee. It's overkill really.

I don't care so much about the attention.  I get probably more than I want in my Vette and I know it will be way worse in an E body, but man there is just something inside of me that has wanted an E body since I was a kid.  I'm getting to the point where I feel like if I'm going to do it I need to do it.  Just bit the bullet and get one and start the lifetime long journey of fiddling with it. 

I will say this for sure, when I go hang out with my old muscle car friends it's fun.  It's all about the cars and stories and sometimes the bull gets so deep you need waders but dang it's fun.  When I go hang out with a Vette group I want to kill myself after 10 minutes.  They aren't really car guys, they are Vette guys and almost none of them modify them, most don't even drive them but on weekends and only if the sun is right.  None of them have ever bothered racing or any of the fun stuff I like to do.  I guess I just want to officially be a part of the old muscle car club.  As I said I just have this worry that the car just won't live up to the hype in my head because I'm spoiled with what I drive now, but I just don't know if I care.  It's worth a shot right? 

[734406pk]

I don't care so much about the attention.  I get probably more than I want in my Vette and I know it will be way worse in an E body, but man there is just something inside of me that has wanted an E body since I was a kid.  I'm getting to the point where I feel like if I'm going to do it I need to do it.  Just bit the bullet and get one and start the lifetime long journey of fiddling with it. 

I will say this for sure, when I go hang out with my old muscle car friends it's fun.  It's all about the cars and stories and sometimes the bull gets so deep you need waders but dang it's fun.  When I go hang out with a Vette group I want to kill myself after 10 minutes.  They aren't really car guys, they are Vette guys and almost none of them modify them, most don't even drive them but on weekends and only if the sun is right.  None of them have ever bothered racing or any of the fun stuff I like to do.  I guess I just want to officially be a part of the old muscle car club.  As I said I just have this worry that the car just won't live up to the hype in my head because I'm spoiled with what I drive now, but I just don't know if I care.  It's worth a shot right?

There is only one way to find out IMOH. If it is not for you then sell it.

[blown motor]

  I guess my only concern with the 340 is it looks like with my budget I'd be getting a later 340 with the lower compression.  It seems like that really limits any future potential of the engine. 

Not necessarily. My 74 was originally a 318 car, 340 was not an option that year. The engine now is a 73 block 340 built to earlier specs. It's 10.? compression. You may find a car with a similar engine or you can rebuild it to get more performance out of it. Or stroke out a 360. Maybe you'll luck out and find a 440 car within your budget that needs attention in other places and you can slowly work away at that as time and money allow.
The main thing is to do lots of looking, there is lots of stuff out there. Don't be in a hurry to buy, be patient and have the money ready. Sometimes these cars go quick. The right car for you is out there, you'll know it when you find it. Keep us posted and ask us lots of questions. We're all here for each other. Good luck. 

[JoeGrapes]

Here's the thing. Nobody can tell you if you should buy an old car. Everybody has an opinion. There is no comparison between a 70's era car and a modern car. It's that simple. So don't base you decision on performance. I've had a boat for most of my life. My buddy wanted to buy something so he asked me if I thought he should get a boat. I said no. He was surprised by my answer and said why not. I said Donny, if you wanted a boat you would know it in your heart and wouldn't be asking me for my opinion. If you go out and buy a boat because I said I thought you should you will find every reason to not use it and then sell it. And you would never have enjoyed it.   

[RCCDrew]

With enough elbow grease, time and money it will handle. Look at what the Optima Shootout guys are doing.

[Chryco Psycho]

Buy as much car as you can afford , projects are cheaper entry level but will always cost more in the long run , Mopars are never cheap cars to build I would hang out with a few Mopar guys drive a few of the cars & feel it out as much as possible Before buying . Power is no issue a Mopar engine can make a ton of power , handling was the best for the day , Mopar suspensions were better than the competition But it is a Muscle car & 45 year old tech so nothing near a C6 but with some simple mods they will corner 1g -+ & with larger wheels braking can be seriously improved too .
 Welcome BTW