Re: M Bodies . . . where did they all go ?!?!?
[Re: Jjs72D]
#2798976
07/20/20 03:19 PM
07/20/20 03:19 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,024 Morningside
AdventurerSport
waaaay out there in left field
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waaaay out there in left field
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,024
Morningside
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I remember seeing them all the time on the road back in the 90s and early 2000s...Chrysler 5th Avenues, Dodge Dipolmats and Plymouth Gran Fury's. One local gentleman had an early 80s Dodge Diplomat 2dr in excellent condition (nearly show car quality, always garaged, never drove in the winter, gold and had that 2dr side profile with the bulge over the rear wheels...nice car). I haven't seen that one around since early 2000s, but it was his summer daily driver. A few years ago a NW Iowa man had passed and his large collection was Auctioned off near me. Had a ton of Mopars and Oliver tractors. Went to the auction, not a lot of 60s/70s stuff, but a couple of old 70s trucks and MANY M Bodies (Plymouth Gran Furys, mostly, as well as a few Chrysler and Dodge models). That's the last time I saw a whole bunch of them at once. Don't see them much anymore. Of course, I see 05-up Chrysler 300s, Dodge Chargers, Dodge Challengers everywhere now (more Modern Mopars).
JS
76 Dodge Adventurer Sport Power Wagon W100 318, 727, NP203 Fulltime 4x4 Russet Red 06 Jeep Commander Ltd 4x4, 5.7L Hemi, QuadraDrive II 06 Chrysler 300C AWD 5.7L Hemi 10 Mopar 10 Challenger R/T, #483/500, 5.7L HEMI 10 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd 4x4 5.7L HEMI 11 Dodge Ram 1500 LoneStar Quad Cab, 5.7L HEMI, Fulltime 4x4, Deep Cherry Red 16 Jeep Cherokee Limited 3.2L Pentastar V6, 9 Speed Torqueflite, 4x4, Black
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Re: M Bodies . . . where did they all go ?!?!?
[Re: 56_Royal_Lancer]
#2798996
07/20/20 03:49 PM
07/20/20 03:49 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,663 South Lyon, MI.48178
kwhmopar1
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,663
South Lyon, MI.48178
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My Grandpa bought a 1977 Lebaron new. Living in Michigan and our roads, that car had rusty fenders like a Volare or Aspen in no time. He really liked that car but it was just a rust bucket.
Junk is something you throw away just before you need it.
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Re: M Bodies . . . where did they all go ?!?!?
[Re: Jjs72D]
#2799004
07/20/20 04:02 PM
07/20/20 04:02 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,621 Shopping @ HoBo Fright
340SIX
Doc Flappergas's Evil Twin
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Doc Flappergas's Evil Twin
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,621
Shopping @ HoBo Fright
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I think that since they were not built as enthusiast type cars, once they developed a serious enough problem, they were junked. When I lived in CA, they were plentiful in the junkyards due to failing a smog check. The CA government allowed a $1000 buy back for cars that failed smog check. I have front disc brakes on my '72 Duster from a Fifth Avenue car. popular in the U-Pul it for motors trans and disc brakes and 7 x 15 steel wheels
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Re: M Bodies . . . where did they all go ?!?!?
[Re: Neil]
#2799032
07/20/20 05:17 PM
07/20/20 05:17 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 21,847 Kirkland, Washington
Pacnorthcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 21,847
Kirkland, Washington
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Anything 80's and up has to be smog tested here so that kills the idea of making a decent performer out of most cars from that era. Our emissions guys have mirrors mounted on long sticks so they can look underneath for modified exhaust etc. If the car can't pass the smog and visual inspection they pull your registration. Lots of those cars are now in non-running condition under a trailer park awning, or crushed and gone. Idaho goes back 40 years!!! Wow. Would have never thought. Washington was 25 years, I don’t think there is anything anymore, even in the Seattle area???
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Re: M Bodies . . . where did they all go ?!?!?
[Re: Sniper]
#2799154
07/20/20 09:51 PM
07/20/20 09:51 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,651 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,651
Freeport IL USA
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I made sure a lot of them were parts donors back in the 90s. You could buy them cheap, drive them a year or two, and make 3x what you paid for them by selling the parts. Motors, transmissions, the K member with the torsion bars, and the very comfy seats, were hot sellers with the guys building street rods. I even killed a few on the dirt track.
Short story: When my son got his drivers license I bought a pretty nice 5th Ave for him. He hated that car, and did his very best to try to kill it, but just couldn't get the job done. After almost a year of listening to him complain, I found him a Daytona (FWD) that he bought. A few weeks later, I sold the 5th ave to a kid that just got his license. About 3 months later, that kid rear ended someone. He had slammed on the brakes so hard the car nose dived and the impact was all above the front bumper. It pushed the radiator into the water pump. The kid brought the car back to me telling me the brakes failed, but the funny thing was, even with the front end hammered, the brakes still worked. I think he thought I was going to give him back his money. When he found out that wasn't going to happen, he just gave me the car. A few hours later, my son stopped by the shop and saw the wrecked 5th Ave. He wanted me to fix it up so he could drive it! I told him that since he didn't want to drive it when it was a nice car, I sure wasn't going to fix it and let him drive it after it was wrecked, so of course I parted it out. Gene
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Re: M Bodies . . . where did they all go ?!?!?
[Re: AndyF]
#2799268
07/21/20 09:19 AM
07/21/20 09:19 AM
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RWG75
Unregistered
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RWG75
Unregistered
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FMJ cars were fairly plentiful in the local wrecking yards back around 2000 but since then they've disappeared. Scrap metal prices went high enough for a long enough period of time to wipe out a lot of that stuff. And the cash for clunker program blew a lot of them into the bone yards. I always thought they were horrible cars but some people like them. Who am I to judge. I recall walking past a ton of them in the u-pull-it during that period of time. Often considered grabbing a bunch of stuff cheap, holding for a decade or two and then cashing in. General thought being that they were popular enough that some demand would build later. Seems like just walking past them was the right call. The other thing I noticed going on around that time was kids bolting on 4 bl carbs and trying to make them fast. Not every county in PA has emission inspections. Was a pretty short lived thing as most of them were too young to figure it out and moved on to ricers. As for trying to beat one to death, good luck with that. Basic bullet proof 318 not putting out anywhere close to enough power to dent the 7.25 and the only thing resembling a crumple zone is the shock mounted bumpers that are still heavy hunks of steel. I've always considered them to be full sized Chryslers stuffed in to a mid size box that was galvanized to within an inch of it's life. Ya know, the reaction to the Aspen / Volare issue of rusting out before leaving the factory was build something that will just about never rust. On one hand, a basic boring box of a 4 door. On the other hand, built like a tank and a great highway cruiser. The last rear drive carburated Chrysler before the company went to hell and real easy to transplant a tweaked 360, 727, 8.25 and make it get out of it's own way. With enough determination, ya can even stuff a big block under the hood. As for the kid that wanted ya to fix the "brake failure", should have tossed him a wrench and said have at it.
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Re: M Bodies . . . where did they all go ?!?!?
[Re: ]
#2799277
07/21/20 09:38 AM
07/21/20 09:38 AM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,452 Michigan
MarkZ
Worthy
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Worthy
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,452
Michigan
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I bought mine when I was still in high school twenty years ago. Used to see them all over the place and the local yards always multiple cars to pick from and even AHB cars would pop up. Turned into a father and son project after Dad bought one through a friend of mine on Dippy.org.
Dad's car is a 1980 S Type Diplomat coupe. T tops. 408/518/9.25. My car has been through a number of engines over the years and now has a 512/518/D60 combo. Take both of them to Woodward every year for the last decade now. Almost never see another M let alone a traverse T Chrysler product for that matter.
1987 Fifth Avenue - 512/518/D60
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Re: M Bodies . . . where did they all go ?!?!?
[Re: a12rag]
#2799340
07/21/20 12:11 PM
07/21/20 12:11 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,945 Central Florida
larrymopar360
Stud Muffin
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Stud Muffin
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,945
Central Florida
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I've enjoyed reading some responses. While I can't usually help with answers here on Moparts, M bodies are my specialty! Mark knows them too! RWG had a great answer.
They are NOT rust buckets, nor where they unreliable. Quite the contrary. The body integrity was great, and they were extremely reliable cars. '85 and up got even more galvanized steel. Of course, they had a few spots prone to go bad, but overall, great, solid cars! The last of a LONG lineage of Chrysler rear drive, solid axle, torsion bar suspension cars. Slant sixes and 318's! I have owned a total of 7 of them over the years. One civi, and six AHB's. I have just the one AHB now, my '89. I love them and would recommend them to anyone. Some of the earlier AHB's had issues with the shock tower failure under ABUSIVE DRIVING in Police use, yes. But '88/'89 got better K frames. I've never had one with that problem, but mine were all either '88 or '89.
Cops didn't love them for their speed with the 318-2, and 2.2 gears, but they loved the just right size, handling, and super tough looks. The 318-4 and 2.9 gears felt much better. I've owned several of those and punching it off the line would always break the back tires loose (I know that's not something to write home about, just giving you an idea of how they weren't sloths). I'm always tempted when a nicely preserved AHB pops up on the market!
You can still find PLENTY of Fifth Aves for sale. AHB's are much tougher to find. They haven't been built for over 30 years, and obviously rode hard!
Last edited by larrymopar360; 07/21/20 12:14 PM.
Facts are stubborn things.
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