More Modern "Rat Rods"

Yesterdays post got some good responses and suggestions of a few cars I missed that should have made the list.  Here they are, in no particular order. # 1 1975-79 2 door Plymouth Volare / Dodge Aspen. Not quite as light as a Duster / Dart-about 3,200 lbs,-these cars still have great potential and are dirt cheap. Power front disc brakes standard all years. Forget six-cylinder versions, there are enough 318 and 360 versions out there.  # 2 1980-83 Dodge Mirada / Chrysler Cordoba. Untill the Challenger returned in 2008, these were the last V8, rear-wheel drive 2 doors built by Chrysler. Their fairly light-about 3,400 lbs, and most have 318 or 360 power. Like all late '70's early '80's stuff-they were slugs because of 2 bbl carburation and salts-flat gearing. A 4bbl and 3.55 gears really wake up these cars. As would a 408 stroker!  # 3 1978-80 Chevy Malibu / Monte Carlo / El Camino. The downsized "G" bodies were about 500 lbs lighter than the "A" bodies they replaced. However, for the 1st three years a lot of them had 350 4bbls under the hood! The 1981-87 models all had 305s. Some 1978-80 Olds Cutlasses with "California" or "High Altitude" emissions had Chevy V8s as well. Some "49 State" Cutlasses had 350 Olds engines.  #4 1977-80 Chevy Caprice / Impala 2 door, 1977-79 Pontiac Bonneville 2 door.  The Full-size GM cars were all downsized for 1977, and were about 800 lbs lighter than the behemoths they replaced. The 2 door- Chevys are exceptionally good-looking even today, with huge trunks and luxurious interiors and most had the venerable 350 4bbl under the hood. Or that engine bay will swallow a 454 or 502 like it grew there. The Pontiacs had the mighty 400 under the hood, which can be stroked to a 455!. Some "California" and "High Altitude" models had 403 Olds engines. Who said full-size muscle was gone?  Mastermind