I picked up a cool new project from a very awesome Moparts member. Can't really say enough good things about him. Another positive experience with the Moparts membership.
I've always liked Miradas, and this car is just too cool to pass up.
1981 Dodge Mirada. Black with a red gut. Factory sunroof. Two fender tags full of options. Air/tilt/cruise/power sunroof/rear amp/remote driver and passenger mirrors/remote trunk release/power drivers seat/Tuff wheel. I'm sure there is more I'm forgetting.
It had a super sweet rear wing on it when I got it.
Here's some pics the P. O. sent me, mixed in with some I took.

It has a '73 340 in it. With a 727. I also picked up a B-body 8.75 to go under it.
The plan for this one is low to no-buck rebuild. A passenger seat and rear seat came with it that were in better shape than the ones in it. The first thing I need to find/buy for it is a set of rear quarter extensions. Mine are gone. I took the remains off when I changed the decklid.
My plan is to get the 8.75 under it, find a set of used/traded rear springs and shock plates to eliminate the isolated rear springs. I'll do rings/bearings/gaskets and maybe a steel crank in the 340, go through the 727, and get it mobile. Probably try stripping it and shooting some paint on it. The lower quarters are soft. A little rust on the drivers door and in front of one of the wheels. I saved the trashed deck lid for some patch material.
The Bee is still a higher priority, but I will tinker with this as well.
Because my mental stability is in question, by me, I'm also working on talking the owner of the garage into moving some Chevy truck parts into her home garage and renting me another stall to bring my GTS over and start on that, too.

Cool! I used to have an 82 Cordoba. They are cool cars that you rarely see any more. Good luck finding the extensions. That's probably going to be the hardest part of the project.

I've found them in two places. One is a fiberglass place that seems to specialize in GM stuff and I heard their quality is way less than stellar.
VFN Fiberglass has an entire rear section in race weight. Don't know the quality, but I thought of maybe getting one of those and cutting off what I don't need. We'll see. I've heard NOS ones, if found, seem to fall apart in a couple years. So not going that route.

Looks like a great project and the wing, umm, sure is something.

Someone's about to get distracted again huh?

Looks like a great start! (except the spoiler)

can't believe you don't like that wing.....

looks like a nice project

After its first bath.



With the decklid changed and the wing history.

The 340.

Interior. I changed the rear seat and the passenger seat, but for some reason I didn't take an 'after' picture.

The valve covers match the carpet.

Glad you like the car. Another one I wish I could have bought and actually kept.

It's a real cool car. You get first refusal if I ever sell it!

I know you said you wanted to stay bucks down but are you going to add a third pedal and stir your own oatmeal?

i have had a lot of cool mopars but i wish i still had my 81 mirada i regard that car as one of the two that got away from me. it was a cool ride i beat on it for several years and as the 7.25 diff broke it got an 8.75 then the tranny went and it got a 727 then the 318 died and it got a 360 it was an awesome car. i still plan on building one up as a hot street car one day.

A pro-touring '81 Mirada would be cool...

I had an '80 with a 340 and an '81 with T-Tops, thought about getting

another one some day. Just an FYI you may already know....if you want

to put duals on that, just move the gas tank over to center it,

there's enough fuel filler tube in there to do it. Good luck.

Just now seeing this. Mission accomplished.

been looking for a good Mirada for a month of Sundays.....those others for sale?

We have two 81 cordobas one sport model with slant 6 same interior as yours and the other t-top 318 with white Corinthian leather

Can still find them occasionally - and for cheap. Most people around here mistake them for '79 Ford Thunderbird. I have had lots of fun with these and the Dusters.

I have a 1980 Mirada that I love cruising around in. It's a real Frankenstein: A-body headers, Brake booster from a K car station wagon, Ford 8.8 rear with sure grip and 3.73:1 gears out of 1998 Explorer, A518 nonlockup from 1991 one ton van, and 5.9 Magnum from 2000 Durango R/T. Love the efi. Hard to beat the factory tune. Hop in, hit the key, drop into gear and rip. It's everything the car should have been. Now that I'm an old dude, I also appreciate the AC. Would love to add a blower kit someday.

Also built one up for Father-in-Law: 383B, 727 & 8.75 rear. Had to weld in frame connectors on this one. Used B-body headers. Also put in a hydroboost power brake assist from an Astro.