Need some help from classic Mopar fans...

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Geeky1

Geeky1

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I'm somewhat-seriously considering buying a car to play around with... I have a pretty good knowledge of how cars work, but I've got almost no hands-on experience with working on them, and I'm hesitant to work on the car I drive both because it's not the simplest car in the world by far, and because I can't do much with it, as I have to have it running to drive to school the next day...

So anyhow, I'm looking at a 1964 Dodge Polara sedan. However, I know nothing about these cars. So. What do I need to know? Are there any areas on the car that are particularly common places for rust to develop? Can they be made to handle reasonably well for their size? I don't expect an M3 or anything like that but I'd like it to be able to go around corners without scuffing the lettering off the tires... ;)) What kind of parts interchangeability is there between the sedans and the coupes and convertibles? Is there any chance of just dropping a dash out of a '65 in (I don't like the 64's)? Most of these cars obviously didn't come with A/C, and, uh, I *need* A/C. So. Are there any aftermarket systems for these cars? I checked with Vintage Air (the only company that came to mind off the top of my head) and they didn't have anything that I saw specifically for the Polaras... Is there anything in particular I should look for with the 318ci engine? Any common issues? Also, does it have any potential to put out a respectable amount of power (i.e. 450+ net hp) or should I just pull it and put a 383 or a 440 in it?

So yeah, basically I'd be interested in hearing any info or opinions you guys have on the Polaras, along with any suggested reading. I'm also open to suggestions for other cars that I might want to look at, although they have to have been made no later than 1975, I've gotta be able to pick one up that's got a decent body and runs for about $1200 or less, and it has to be made by any of the Mopar divisions, or Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercury, or AMC. Oh, and I'm partial to bigger cars like the Polara. I'm not much of a Ford/Chevy fan, although I won't rule either one out entirely.
 
First thing:Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercury, or AMC arent Mopar Divisions. Maybe I read it wrong.

Second thing: Polaras are cool! You could check out Hotrod Air, and the 383 or 440 is always a viable motor, but the swap takes Knowledge and mechanical knowhow I definitely don't posess, so It's probably not good for a beginner. A 4 barrel Manifold, heads, headers etc would be good ideas for performance parts for the 318. I don't know muich about old mopars, so I'm not sure if they came out with a 318 that year.


Your biggest trouble is the $1200 part. Not much of anything, new or old, can be had with a very straight body and running motor at 1200 dollars. My '60 Biscayne, with a tiny bit of rust and no key and other small issues, was a steal at 2200. Something in me says look at a '60-63 GM Fullsize Sedan. Oldsmobile had some pretty cool stuff then, as did all of the other GM brands. Also, find something with a strong running V8 that has a lot of aftermarket support. Also, get something with power steering and power brakes. 4100 lb. chunks of steel don't stop too well with unassissted drum brakes. On the parts interchangeability, I believe the Dodges and Plymouths all had stuff in common. I know that on GM products, many of the glass parts and underpinnings had alot in common. (all the GM fullsize cars from 1958-64 had the same frame)

Here's a list of a few cars along the lines of what you might like:

Olds F-85
Dodge Polara
Dodge Dart
GM: Nova, Orion, Ventura, Apollo (notice how it spells Nova)
Ford Fairlane
Ford Falcon
Mercury Comet
Chevrolet Biscayne (any year they were made, they're usually cheaper than their Nel-Air/Impala counterparts)
Buick LeSabre
AMC Rebel
AMC Matador
AMC Javelin
AMC AMX
and for the grand finale: How about a bright yellow Checker Marathon?

Good luck finding anything with a good body that runs for under 1200 dollars.
 
Mopar = Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth.

Good source for info = www.allpar.com
 
High-Test:
Yeah you read it wrong but I probably could've phrased it better. I could've put an 'or' in between the "any of the Mopar divisions" and the "Pontiac, Buick, etc." bits. :)

$1200 may be too low, yeah. However that's what I've got right now >_< I'm going to have to look around and see what kind of stuff is available around here for that kind of money... If I can't find something I'll wait. But if nothing else, the one advantage of living in CA is that most of the cars out here, especially if they've spent their whole lives in the central valley, are pretty much rust-free. Surface rust yes, but extensive rust throughout the car isn't too common.

So we'll see. Thanks for the suggestions too, I'll google them... I'm somewhat familiar with most of them but I'd like to make sure I remember what they all look like and stuff.

Duke:
Thanks :) Waiting for posting permissions on Allpar. Been reading the site a lot though.
 
Also see if you can find a Chilton's maintenance manual for that Year or rather series of years.
My old man's repair "bible" was a Chilton's manual.

Do you really want a car as big as the Polara? I think a 4-door Polara isn't too much shorter than my Excursion.
 
Gil
Do you really want a car as big as the Polara? I think a 4-door Polara isn't too much shorter than my Excursion.
Click to expand...

That really wouldn't surprise me much. But yeah, I'm pretty sure... I like the '69 Cadillac Sedan DeVilles too. And those are even bigger :D I mean the car I'm driving now is about 17' long and has a curb weight of 4035lbs, so... :p
 
Comming from a family that converted from Mopar to Chevy in the late '50s and early '60s, I have a bit of knowlege about both...

However, the Polara is a car that I really have never herd of in most conversations with my Father and Grandfather. They have had 300Ds, Valiants, Satellites, Cordobas, Imperials, Desotos, Furys, Golden Commandos, etc...

To answer a few questions to the best of my ability:
1) A/C is something nice, but do you really need it?

2) Swapping dashboard layouts might be difficult, so I wouldnt do it... Plus, wouldnt you rather want to drive a mostly origional car anyway?

3) The 318ci V8 was a good engine, but as far as high-performance goes, its not the best candidate to do so. My father had a '70 Police Plymouth Satellite with the 318, and although it got around great at the time, it was still a pretty slow car compared to the Chevelles/Malibus and Torinos his friends had. If you have to, go dust off a 440... They are big, powerful, and pretty cheap to find and maintain (as far as I know). Its no Chevy 350, but it will work just fine.

4) If youre looking for old Mopars, I would go for the origional Baracudas or if youre lucky try to find an early Charger. But as a born and raised GM guy, I would highly recomend Impalas, Bonnevilles, Riverias, etc...
 
Geeky-

I forgot you guys don't have rust there! :dopey: 4035 lbs?! what do you drive?

You could get a '66-68 Chevy fullsize 2 door pretty Cheap.
 
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