I Don't Even Have The Car Yet.

As is somewhat known here, I love MoPar M body coupes.    Been on the prowl for one for a while, but I have yet to find the right one.  Well, find the right one for Challenge price, and not have it sell before I can get out to it and buy it, anyway- just missed out on one in Alabama last week.

(NOT ths one, but it was a LeBaron LS coupe)

Anyway, as part preparations for my JY trip to St Louis with my wife, I did a little local searching on FB and CL for goodies I could either flip or use to make make the trip more worthwhile.   You know, things that are cool, but you wouldn't want to take a 5 hour trip just to see if you want them.  Driving the Prius make this process even easier, and we both get a free Road Trip Adventure out of the bargain.  

Well, when I did my CL search,  I didn't edit the "search surrounding areas" to remove a couple locations in Indiana, so I ended up going to Monon, Indiana "on the way" home to Chicago from St Louis to pick up this-

I was trying to figure out what was up with the color, as well as why someone would go through the trouble to buy $800+  Wilwood brakes for a "Volare", but not realize all the other F, M, and J bodies that it fits.  




When I got out there, I realized he had it under a Street Rod Ford F1 pickup.  Well, that explains the paint, and also the fact that he isn't a MoPar guy.   There are a few funky things about his setup, not the least of which is the cut down torsion bars so that he could use coilovers on the front end, but there are plenty of other parts that I wanted, which include the drop spindles, the nearly brand new LCAs, the R&P with the mounting kit, and possibly the UCAs and 1 1/4" sway bar.   



I may end up doing a Mirada, or buy a Challenge priced murdered out Cordoda LS that is for sale locally, or even an Imperial for Dare To BE Different points, but I have an entire build planned out in my head to do a Mexican Magnum type of build, and am trying my best to hold out for the right M to use these parts on.    We'll see...

In reply to Cooter :

This will be seriously badass!

In reply to Pete Gossett :

Thank you!

I started to price out the parts that I got, and so far it looks like-
 

1. The brakes list for $982.79
2. the drop spindles $585
3. the rack and pinion conversion from Weedetr was $595, maybe more.
4. the sway bar is over $200.  I still need to confirm the sway bar manufacturer; if it is Firm Feel, then it would be $335-395, depending on the bracketry.

There is less than 10K miles on all of these parts, and since they were under a street rod truck, none of those miles were in the snow, and none were in anger.  

Mirada FTW, but the LeBaron coupe would be pretty sick as well.

Those look like good parts. How thick is that sway bar?! Looks like 1.5" or so from here!

Before opening the thread, reading the title made me think:

"We'd like to talk to you about your car's extended warranty."

Awesome score on the parts. 

In reply to dculberson :

The seller was telling me it was 1.5", and I agree it looks that thick in the photos.   I measured it at 1.25.   Pretty sure it is from Firm Feel.  I still need to check the basketry to see if whether it is their standard or upgraded brackets.

AngryCorvair said:

Mirada FTW, but the LeBaron coupe would be pretty sick as well.

I love Miradas, but they are a little too common for me. Plus, I would rather big block swap one for straight line performance.  I really have my heart set on a full-boogie (well at least half-boogie) Mexican M-coupe Q ship setup right down to factory looking wheels, as in the above photo.    

My other choice would be an '81-83 Imperial, with a possible nod to Buddy Arrington.

TIL M body coupes exist. Until 1981, is that right? 
I started driving just before CHP started retiring the Gran Fury, so that face still strikes fear in my heart 

In reply to cdeforrest :

Yup.

'80-81 are the ones I'm after.  They have the better, notchier rearends.   I've tried in the past to make myself like the '76-79, but I just can't get behind it.  (heh)

In reply to Cooter :

Where do you live that Miradas are common?  I think I can count the number I've seen in my entire life on one hand - and I actually look for them. 

In reply to Ian F :

The United States.

That's how big my search is for '80-81 M body coupes.

Volare wagon perhaps?

A late M-body two-door sedan would be cool but I haven't seen one on the street since the mid-90's. 

What you really need is a Monteverdi Sierra..

I'll be watching.  My first car was a '78 Diplomat.  I literally shed tears when my Dad cut that car up to use the drivetrain in his '47 Plymouth coupe.

pres589 (djronnebaum) said:

Volare wagon perhaps?

BTDT.  With a rust free 318/4 speed Aspen wagon I picked up in Wyoming for $650.



Then it got stolen, along with the tow dolly, and I would rather not relive those memories.

cdeforrest said:

What you really need is a Monteverdi Sierra..

I know what they are, and I am certain I don't.

In reply to Cooter :

That Buddy Arrington Imperial is what came to mind when I read your first post.

Pretty sweet!! So when you buy the right project car maybe I can get its stock swaybar and brackets from you, because my T&C has a broken swaybar bracket and im assuming one of the smaller front bars anyway. It is vaguely uncomfortable to turn the steering wheel by very much. I still love it. 

In reply to Vigo :

d00d.  You need to follow me on FB as well as IG.   

I've got you, homie.

Probably shouldn't have, but I couldn't pass it up for the price.  This Firebird spoiler would look great on a Mirada or Cordoba LS, but I said I don't really want one of them...

There was a guy in Park Ridge with 2 Imperials, one Sinatra Edition and one regular. I don't think they moved in 20 years. Now they're gone.

Sorry just felt the need to share that anecdote 

AngryCorvair said:

Mirada FTW, but the LeBaron coupe would be pretty sick as well.

Both made great looking and competitive (circle track) street stock cars back in the 80's

In reply to Suprf1y :

The M bodies are still sought after by dirt track and demo guys.   These were thin on the ground to begin with, and the near-death of CL certainly hasn't made it any easier.  Had enough near misses in the last 3 months that I'm willing to say it's on me for not having one at this point.

And then I found these.   



Seller was asking $150, but was willing to take $120 "just to get them out of here"  (I probably should have bought the GTA wheels he had as well, but I'm running out of room myself.