The Story Of The Chrysler A-Body - DDG "History" Time, Episode 1

[@JimmyLoose]

I like story time because I can listen while working on my classic Mopar in the garage at the same time. Sometimes I try to find "videos" that I can listen to while I work on my car. This fits the bill.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Yes! That’s exactly the intention here. I did include some clips and shots if one is so inclined to watch them, but the whole point is to have something “listenable.” I have come to a point in life where I am commuting two hours every day I go to work at the resto shop, and I listen to things just like this in the car.

[@baerster]

I also like Story Time, but I listen while only wishing I had a classic Mopar and a garage to work on it.

[@PhilDodgeFury]

@@JimmyLoose i got blue tooth head phones for me birthday, they are perfect for listening to DDG and working 👍

[@CliftonHood-l3h]

Nice video, I'm a proud owner of an A-Body Chrysler Charger with a 360 LA engine. They made them in Australia from 1971 too 78. My father had a 68 VE Valiant with a 273 when I was a child in the mid 1970's. He loved that car. It looks similar too the Dart. My mates father finished restoration on a 62 Valiant with a 225 slant one year ago. And it was last on the road in 1973. The last Valiant was made in Adelaide in 1981. Most of them were powered by a local made 265 Hemi 6 cylinder. Bob Hubbach designed the Aussie Charger and the Dodge Viper. Mopar Or No Car 🇺🇸🇦🇺

[@rexkean]

Thanks for the history! I'd watch more 'history lessons' about mopars. It was, informative.

[@jmr1970]

Interesting A body video. Great punctuations on your words and sentences. No drinking issues. I’ve been in Mopar A bodies since the 1970’s. The family grandma, uncles and aunts as had them since they where new. I currently have two 70 Swinger’s as you know. I have always had one in my possession the best I can remember. Keepin coming Mopar’s or No Car

[@culcune]

Excellent production with a lot of packed in information! Would love to see more images thrown in.

[@dominickserignese8837]

In 1986 when I put my big block 68 Camaro away for the winter , I picked up a 1979 Aspen station wagon to use for a winter Crasher. It had a Slant 6, automatic and it had a factory Sure Grip! It was hilarious doing smokey burnouts with my Aspen station wagon!😂 it was a great car. I used it for a couple Winters and sold it to a buddy of mine and it was still running great!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I love that. A wagon would be great. I actually do really like F bodies. Because of the reasonable prices, they’re basically the new A bodies. Haha. But I really enjoy using them as the butt of my jokes.

[@musclecarmitch908]

Awesome story on the A body! First one I ever rode in was my Papaws little white 60 valiant, I remember being amazed at the push button shifting and the weird fake spare tire cover on the deck lid, but I do remember being sad when he got rid of it for a pickup truck in 1972. I've only had a few A body's my first was a 72 dart, then I had 2 69 valiant's a 68 barracuda notch, 74 360 dart sport, 73 duster, 72 demon and a 71 demon. Just a drop in the bucket compared to the B and E bodies I had in the past! I remember just thinking of them as disposable daily drivers in the 80's they were everywhere and seems like everyone had one at sometime or another. Never thought they would become collectible! Then one day I woke up and they were the only classic mopar I could afford! I loved my 71 demon but a deal came along for a 69 stingray convertible and upon investigation of it found it to be a 427 4 speed factory sidepipe car, couldn't pass it by so I sacrificed my demon to get it, if all goes well I may work my way back up to a 68-70 B body again which is where my automotive heart really is! 😉

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Sounds like a great plan to me. Yeah, just a few A bodies on that list 😅 I think Mopars in total I’ve had 50-60. A bodies, maybe 20-25? I’m not totally sure - but I put pictures of a good few of them in this video!

[@musclecarmitch908]

@@DeadDodgeGarage 😊👍

[@Avendesora]

This is awesome! I feel like I'm gonna understand at least 10% more of what you're talking about on your sunday streams lol. Interesting stuff and very well presented, I'm looking forward to more!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Once again I kinda had you in mind while recording this. Haha. It seems a little more non-car-nut friendly I think.

[@clevelandmaker386]

@@DeadDodgeGarage the best dart is the C body.... Phoenix, Matador, Polara , Pioneer

[@martind701]

Big fan Jamie,keep it up!

[@staceyrenner5418]

Dude, you could make reading a phonebook sound interesting. Thanks for the history lesson buddy! Would definitely love to see more of these for sure.

[@dwaynepadgett9322]

Hello Jamie, my younger brother had a black '64 barracuda with a four speed tranny and a locked up 273. We put in a little smokey 318 out of a '74 Coronet. We would do fishtails in the dirt and whenever it got alittle too sideways, we would just let go of the steering wheel and let off the gas and that crazy car would completely straighten itself out. soo much fun to drive...very reliable and affordable! Love the channel Jamie, see you again on You Tube. Have a blessed day.

[@culcune]

My friend taught me that 'trick' in his '72 Trans Am. I was able to adapt the technique it to my '86 Capri 5.0, and later on, my '93 Mustang GT especially in the rain. Never had scary issues.

[@p38kris]

Cool Video Jamie look forward to more!

[@buffdelcampo]

We have two of them, a 1972 Valiant project car and a 1966 Dart driver. I had a 1969 Dart in the past. I learned a few things watching this. Thanks!

[@geoffkeller5337]

Enjoyed your history video. Would like to see a few more pics if possible. Definitely looking forward to seeing more.

[@JimmyConway70]

The first new car my dad bought was a 1960 Valiant. Therefore, this video was an instant view and like.

[@Hob-E-Adikt]

Jamie, We should have to start paying you as a CAR PROJECT THERAPIST!! Thanks for all of your time and advice! PLEASE, keep up what you do Sir I PROMISE you’re helping many people!!!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

You are paying me by watching my videos! (And the dang ol ads…) so thanks for that!

[@Hob-E-Adikt]

Just got your t-shirt that I ordered and my wife said I didn’t stop smiling for about an hour! ( Those things don’t happen so often these days!! )

[@richjordan9375]

Jamie, I did enjoy this video, though I agree in part with some of the other commenters about more images (and understand your response) so I wonder if it would work OK for this type of video for you to actually do the narration part on camera (like you were in a livestream) instead of showing the static image. You are a video-worthy character who presents well, and I'd bet that would add interest. Barring that leaving your representative images up longer, perhaps segueing one to the next instead of popping back to the static image maybe? It would have been cool to get a mention of the later packages like the Feather Duster, Gold Duster, or Hang Ten; things relevant to what Chrysler was trying to do to maintain interest and sales as the government forced malaise descended. But seriously thanks! Cool video with great info!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I definitely did consider filming the narration. It might murder my storage space 😅 the footage that I did have was on my phone, while the audio is recorded separately, so I had to use sync marks and hand align those clips. The other big problem is, if it isn’t obvious… this is made out of like a hundred short clips, similar to how my videos are structured. There is no script, so I am thinking through my thoughts one by one, trying to get them in the right order, researching details i don’t know or have forgotten in between, and I re-record segments to fix the way I word things when it’s bad. I don’t think I can sync a hundred short video clips with the audio… I gave some thought to the different ways I could do that. I didn’t necessarily want it to just look like a slide show. The static image idea is based around what podcasts usually have when they are ported to KZbin. There has to be a video, so it’s often just a picture. My thought was, I could do that, but add a bit more. I hadn’t quite anticipated this response. Haha. I definitely have some ideas for next time based on the feedback I’ve gotten. And I definitely do appreciate that.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Also - there are a lot of things I didn’t cover at all - *especially* in the ‘73-‘76 years. It was running long and I was out of time. I really wanted to hit on the broad strokes of the different generations and the interchangeability aspects and I think I did that.

[@richjordan9375]

@@DeadDodgeGarage Completely fair points. I don't do videos so I'm not up on the techniques and problems. And I agree you did a great job on the differences and interchangeability parts.

[@EdFox-vr4ck]

Thanks for education. A bodies are something I don't think about very often. I was born in 1960 so I watched all those beautiful Mopar's become a meer shell of what they once wear. In my opinion the late 60s and the first couple of years of the 70's Mopar along with most of the Muscle car manufactures had reached their pinnacle. After that muscle cars looked good but had lost that thunder that I loved so much. One good thing was that in 1978 you could get a good 10 year old B Body with a big block relatively cheep because gas was becoming expensive and fewer people wanted them. A bodies wear good cheep dependable vehicles' and there wear a ton of them around. Slant six Darts and Dusters were the go-to car for teenagers who couldn't afford to run a big HP car. I desperately wanted a 68 Charger with Cragars and a wooden steering wheel but couldn't afford one. Now I'm finally getting around to it. Thank you for all you insight and knowledge, it makes it much more interesting for me as I fulfil some of my car dreams.

[@Gili1973]

Love my 1975 Plymouth Valiant Custom! Thanks for the great video!

[@trojan440]

Early A's were so ugly you had to love them. Whatever you put out is interesting, you put it out there we will watch. You and Tony make it all good. Keep em coming.

[@zairomolino4074]

A body were ugly but well done but yeah strange looking as f***

[@idaholineman5788]

Dig it. The history format is very interesting and informative.

[@jamesrodriquez2863]

I had a 71 Scamp for a few months when I lived in California back in the 80s. It had a 318 in it, and it was no slouch of a car. Like most Chrysler cars, it was great in a straight line when accelerating, but not the best when it came to cornering. To this day the Scamp strikes me as a more sporty looking car than other A-body offerings. Good luck finding one here in the Midwest.

[@lkmsl]

Luv this video ! Very educational ! Need a few more pics though .

[@rafaelramirez4703]

This is therapeutic to listen to while doing chores. Thanks!

[@rickrice3221]

I enjoyed the video; keep them coming! My dad bought a new ‘60 Valiant when I was in kindergarten; he got it home and opened the trunk and thought they shorted him the spare - I rolled up the trunk mat and showed him it was under the floor….A couple cool A body things that you didn’t get too: the ‘60 Valiant sweep of the first (and only) NASCAR Daytona race and it’s Hyper Pac option, the ‘66 D Darts, the ‘69 ‘cuda model was labeled a “MoPar” in the first press releases, and the fact that the “beak” hood on the last Darts was first stamped for the ‘69 Barracuda. Not criticizing; there is a lot of material to cover. Looking forward to your next story!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Sooooo much material… way too much to cover in one go. Awesome!

[@klapaucius77]

I'm a nerd when it comes to this stuff, so love it. I'm also sad that I don't own an A body now. 😢

[@pres589]

Very nicely done. Maybe a few more pictures showing the cars or aspects of the cars that you're talking about would be nice.

[@jimarace]

Excellent presentation. Enjoyed it so much I watched it twice. Thanks.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Thanks Jim!

[@leehouston5436]

Definitely a good overall explanation, much appreciated

[@claztube]

Jamie, I do remember in those early sixties as a young lad my father's parents came to visit us and drove their 'Froggie' Valiant form Madera California to our home in the East Bay city of San Pablo, about 200 miles. It was white and I thought quite odd and kind of unattractive , at that time. My dad had a 2 door Galaxie 500 , 1959 model for us, a family of 6, three boys and my younger sis, and my mom that didn't drive in those years. Like many in time I find the odd quirky looking autos to be appealing and hope one day you can aquire a 1st gen 'A' body Valiant. Thanks for this historical dig, well spoken, in my humble opinion.

[@oldgeezer-cf2pr]

Very informative. Given the video format, would recommend a greater variety of photos and possible video content. Many of your fact statements could be supplemented with visual examples - side by side of grills, engine bays, door layout thru the years, that kind of visual material. Recognize the effort in assembling more content.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Oh absolutely. I definitely had that in mind from the start - there is a lot more I had intended to do - but the photos were almost meant to be extra. The amount of time it took just to put this much together compared to my normal video editing was nuts! I sure couldn’t turn one of these out weekly. Thank you - I appreciate the feedback.

[@brendanlittle7127]

Excellent mate. Look forward to the next one.

[@Legacy_Lou]

Great story Jamie. Really appreciate your hard work and the 411. Keep up the good work brother 🤙

[@RandallSoong-pp7ih]

Awesome history!

[@timrayburn2461]

Great video,thanks

[@franklong8573]

I have a 73 Duster and it has 70 fenders , with a 68 Valiant hood , grill and front valance. No front bumper , cause it's going to be a drag car. 340 auto , with 8 3/4 ( 4.89 and a spool ) , should be just right for the local 1/8 track. Primer grey , with a flat black hood and special sized cop wheels.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Nice! I’ve actually seen a late Valiant pieced together just like that before, with the ‘68 grille setup.

[@danberg1018]

That was a great video!! My 70 swinger looked exactly like yours. I'd still have it my brother hadn't robbed the distributor out of it for his POS 75 4dr. Vallaint. This was over 20yrs ago and I still miss that car.😢

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

😭 I wish I still had mine. One day I was under the car and saw something that looked weird. I reached up and put my finger through the frame rail… then it was dead to me. It would be such an easy repair now.

[@danberg1018]

That would really suck. Putting your fingers in the frame and going through.

[@lincolnwindowtint5721]

In Australia,we had a local variant of the A body. Called Chrysler Valiant. RV1 (R series) 1962 to the VG 1971 which had a 245ci (Hemi) 6cyl aswell as the 318 V8. There was even a ute

[@jayroberson2288]

I did enjoy the episode. I am lQQking forward to the B body etc.

[@benjamintresham9649]

The R and S series Valiant sold very well in Australia 🇦🇺 they only did a 1000 units for the R and 10,000 units for the S. Here we had the Ford Falcons 1960 XK and FB Holden but the Valiant when it came out in 1962 turned the Australian car sene upside down. The Falcon’s suspension had to be strengthened up a heap to take on the rough roads but the Valiant was fine with no failures at all. It also sported the 225 slant six and that engine stayed till 1969 VF Valiant. You should do a little story of the Valiant here in Australia. We built for the VE model year on a Two barrel slant six rated at 160 hp with a air filter top cover you may recognise. Keep up the great work

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Awesome stuff. One of many things I forgot to say in this episode was that it was limited to American production - because those are the only ones I know the first thing about! I definitely need to learn more about the Australian cars.

[@benjamintresham9649]

The 160 hp slant six air filter lid is off the max wedge

[@007fredh]

I enjoyed this video. I would also would’ve liked to see more pictures of the cars you’re talking about and for longer on the screen. I know that means it takes longer to edit the video that probably would be a pain. I am enjoying all your videos and still going through all your backlogs. Thanks so much, Jamie!

[@bigwrenchtech]

Fine!!! I'm last!!!!.....I love this. Story time!! Is it true that the hemi dart only came in Primer? No paint.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Yes! Primer gray with bare black front clip. They were intended for race teams, who would be painting them in their chosen livery anyway. I do think the Hemi cars are deserving of their own episode… some day.

[@evanobrien2429]

Great episode, thanks! I look forward to more of this.

[@bradparsons7320]

I have a 66 plymouth fury 2 has the 318 poly love the look of the late 60s cars

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Me too! I love the poly. I’m fixing one in my ‘64 Power Wagon right now.

[@taylorhartman96]

Really enjoyed the video and love learning Mopar history!! Hope to see more!

[@dougritchie4625]

Great video. My first car was a '68 Dart GT Convertible. Loved that car. Girlfriend at the time totaled it. I've had a lot of cars since then and it's still my favorite. Bought a '67 4 years ago finally in GG1 green with a white interior and love it as well. The A bodies always kinda seemed like the bastard child of Mopar. Most B body guys don't like em. Most car shows, they get ignored, that is if there are any there at all. I'm pulling the 273 out of mine this year and putting in a Magnum 360 made to look like an LA and am excited. Nothing like a light car with a bunch of hp. Long live the A bodies.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Ouch… awesome! I’m going to other way and building a wild 273 for my ‘66 Barracuda. If that doesn’t get the job done I’ll go back to the 360 it had before.

[@rudybriskar5267]

Very informative. I enjoyed this episode.

[@JeffBrown-ov8le]

A question? Father had an early 70s Plymouth Valiant 4 door. It had a slant six with a 4 speed. Did Plymouth make such a vehicle? I never seen another one like it since.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Slant six with four speed definitely existed, and I’m not sure why it couldn’t be found in a four door. Someone would have ordered that special… I’ve never seen such a machine. But it sounds cool!

[@JeffBrown-ov8le]

That car also had no power steering or brakes. It also had no air conditioning. Only one window would roll down. Try driving ithat in 95 degree weather. Mother HATED that car. Lol. I took many dates in it in high school. You really had to concentrate driving it.

[@robertpao2931]

Love the history!

[@ripplerbr]

Excellent show. Thanks.

[@mykd2999]

well done. pleasant, quirky delivery, a lot of personality and a lot of information. i own a 67 dart, 225 slant, 3 on the tree. fun car. looking forward to seeing you and uncle tony collaborate (yes?). you two are my favorite mopar guys. i always loved mopars since i was a kid and heard my first chrysler starter. music!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

The music of my people… that’s awesome! I would love a nice slant six cruiser Dart. Bench seat. Auto is fine. I’d really like a ‘70 Swinger ideally. One of these days! I need to shoot Kathy another email. Really looking forward to that.

[@405bikelifeallin5]

Can't wait for the e body story

[@justralphajerseyguystuckin3671]

Jamie, I liked this History vid, and your narration was great- But, I wish you included MORE still pix of the cars and differences you were describing. PS- I (like you) Love A-Bodies...well...except for the earliest Valiants -lol.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Yes I’ve gotten that comment several times now. And I totally understand. This was made more in the vein of an audio podcast. The pictures I did include were a bonus basically. It took me many hours to put together what I did. I’m not looking forward to that part of the next one 😅 but it’s what the people want.

[@justralphajerseyguystuckin3671]

@@DeadDodgeGarage Jamie, meaning no disrespect, but this is KZbin, I do watch a few podcasts here- but not ones that are just audio, I NEED to see something- even if just pix to keep my attention going, and the podcast I do watch on YT are always 100% video of the podcaster speaking and also vid clips or still pix. If you won't be providing more of that in the future, I don't have the attention span to just stare at a still screen with occasional glimpse of you speaking into the mic. Sorry 😞

[@clembob8004]

Interesting stuff! I would vote for more of this, maybe do a similar B-body history? I have a numbers-matching 69 Dart Swinger 340 automatic, and it is quite fun. But what I like is the interchangeability you mentioned. As you said, it makes it a perfect platform for just about anything you want to do. Just about everyone has owned one of these or knows someone who did. My favorite would have to be the 70-71 Duster 340 or the Demon 340. Actually, the 74-75 Hang 10 Dart Sport is pretty cool as well, quite the colorful interior. I also have the remains of a 64 Dart 2 dr post slant six, but it's been sitting for about 40 years and it is in pretty rough shape. Maybe a few usable parts, that's about it.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

That sounds like an awesome car! If you couldn’t tell from my comments, I love the 340. It lives up to the hype for me. Obviously I glossed over a lot of finer details and models - like the Hang 10! And the Spirit Of ‘76. I used to have a set of those buckets in a ‘74 Duster. Heck I’ve only just realized I never mentioned my ‘74 Duster. That was my first driving A body. By the time I got to the 73-76 cars… I was ready to be done I think. Haha. They were a footnote in this episode like they were in history. But I felt like it was running long. I love the Duster and Demon 340. I’m biased toward the latter - I just really love that ‘70/71 Dodge nose. And owning one helps. Haha. A B body episode is on the list! I have a bunch of ideas. It will be tough to decide what to do next. The response has been almost entirely positive - except the consensus seems to be that I need to include more pictures.

[@ThisValiantAdventure]

“Umm, actually- purchasing the Signet trim level was the only way to get bucket seats in your Valiant. So it DOES matter.” Really hope you read that in the intended voice. 😊 Great video! We loved it. Looking forward to watching it again with my youngest grease monkey in training, who has claimed part ownership of the Valiant Signet… that has a bench front seat.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I sure did. Haha. That’s awesome. I actually had no idea that was the only way to get buckets. I’ve read about the Signet before, and I know that it brought a bit of class to the Valiant. I didn’t want to get into the weeds covering exactly what package did what - especially because I don’t have a bunch of knowledge there. I’m more of a broad strokes guy.

[@tz250wktm8]

You might like to look at the Australian A body derived cars. My 1978 CL ute was not even the last of them. The Aussie Charger raced at Bathurst (premier Australian endurance race) with the Australian "Hemi" 6 against everybody elses V8.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Someone else said that. I had meant to say in this one that it was limited to US models and production - because that’s all I really know. But the A body platform lived a much different (and longer) life elsewhere in the world.

[@jeffgibson184]

🇺🇸👍 I have a 75 Duster CA all its life so no rust at all. Vinyl top removed long, long ago. 225, At,PS,AC. Bought a 2004 5.7 Hemi and automatic with 20,000 miles on them only to find out major mods needed to keep PS,AC still trying to find someone who doesn’t want my house in return to do this installation retired with limited income. Have all the wiring, computer, driveshaft don’t have the fuse box’s in stock form would make a great everyday driver and get respectful MPG. 👍

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I wish that was a job that could be done easily and cheaply. The parts alone make it quite expensive. It’s cool that engine has that low of mikes - it might actually live for a while. Maybe. I am about to sell three of those total piece of garbage 5.7s for $400. I’m tired of looking at them. For the cost, you would have to end up at 25+ MPG and drive a whole bunch of miles to make up for it. Usually, that math does not work out. I used to think building for mileage with modern stuff like that was a good idea too. I don’t anymore. My brother’s ‘67 valiant gets 25 MPG with an edelbrock carb on a roller 360 with Magnum heads, a four speed overdrive, and a 3.23 rear gear - and it sure cost a lot less. And fries tires too. Hard to argue with all that.

[@garageforcerestos]

Nice job Jamie, keep it going

[@tonyb3864]

I like the history lesson. I'm a mopar nerd. And just for reference, back in the mid 70s a friend of mine had a 71 duster with a sharktooth grill and it was a 318 - 3 speed manual with a bench seat. It was b5 blue with a flat black hood and non-functional dual hood scoops like what would be on a 69 super bee. It was not a twister or anything special.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Interesting - you just described exactly a Twister. Non functional scoops and blackouts, shark tooth, rallye wheels (with no trim rings,) but no performance engine.

[@johnernest9962]

Cool stuff

[@battleelf6523]

Really enjoy the content. Thank you.

[@ssmrmgb]

Good video, I enjoy excruciating details about American cars. No really, I am that weird. Keep it coming.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I totally get it! Honestly my style is probably a little too broad strokes to scratch that itch, but damn it I’ll try!

[@fastinradfordable]

You’re awesome. Love you brother man! Audio quality on my i phone from your video is immaculate. Although I drive a diesel rabbit pickup ..

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Thank you! Haha. The audio quality on this one had better be pretty good! I won’t promise that on any other type of video I do 😅

[@samuelgoodman2825]

Hung the front sheetmeta on our roller 67 Formula S.Gotta admit its got us looking at Magnum 360 injected swap.

[@r.hill.2369]

A great video and a nice change of pace Jaime. I learned some things I might never put to use, but that's fine. If you (over time) do an episode on all the post war body styles, I'll be right there. Of course, the E-body episode is the one that'll earn you my Emmy nod. Someone mentioned flashing more images during your narration. I would agree, understanding that this is your initial foray into this format. You ever think about spinning records while you dish Mopar on college radio dude?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Yes - and I understand why they are asking for that. The pictures seemed like a bonus afterthought to me. My real goal here was to make something “listenable” and it seems like that worked!

[@jittychitty]

I enjoy your content for sure... keep it up feller

[@dantupper1784]

"It's an Exner thing..." Book on him is running about a C-note, still a lot of interest in his work, maybe because so many are still both baffled and intriged by it.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Exactly. He was brilliant. His “idea cars” were really cool for the most part. He had a lot of interesting concepts rolling around in his head. Things seemed to get a little strange by the time they made it to production - and they got stranger as time went on.

[@dantupper1784]

Yeah, as before- so many Exner styling nods to Aerospace & Cold War Tech. Thing is- during the Exner Era- Chrysler WAS building the Thor nuke missles and sections of rockets like the Apollo. The Exner sports car project with the long projection behind the drivers head makes me think ot the interwar Boeing P-26 'Peashooter' and others, while his dashes often make me think of early televisions or radar sets. I've done mixed media presentations- Archer inset was great, but I wish viewers knew many images have copyrights- OK for student use, but not any 'Monetized Production', adding time to your research and editing hours. I think I'm going to need to buy that Exner book afterall now.

[@dartdude4084]

Solid history on the a body

[@wbarney59]

Thanks Jamie

[@shrodokahn470]

Listening while running my 74 cuda at Mopars against the world in kaleva, Michigan!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Outstanding! Happy hunting out there!

[@barryrussell4106]

Loved it. I even learned something

[@wiggyjones]

Absolutely loved this video, by the way.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Thanks Wiggy!

[@aspman97]

Good vid, more please.

[@wiggyjones]

I love all the 'forward look' cars. My favorite a body is still the 64, though.

[@craigbowley6783]

Great video. I learned a lot.

[@Jimmysidecarr]

Excellent!

[@TonyDeanWixon]

I like the look of the first Valient.

[@kenjohnson3641]

Story time let me get a beer 🍺

[@0004612]

Go for it, it’s almost noon!😊

[@rh752]

Great idea and good listening! Wish I could put your voice on my navman haha

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Haaaahaha. I’ll see if I have friends over there when possible 😅

[@stage0garage]

Good show chap! A 2nd gen Barracuda is on my top 1 list of Mopars to get next.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I have one…. It’s for sale…

[@stage0garage]

@@DeadDodgeGarage but would it make a 2200 mile drive back to WI? I only need a 71% confidence level. And 100% that there’s no pushrod sitting in the valley 😜.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

It can if we do the brakes, radiator and exhaust 😁oh and an engine mount, and… and… anyway there will be more, but it’s got a sweet running slant and a four speed. Brand new clutch, tires, etc.

[@stage0garage]

@@DeadDodgeGarage you had me at slant 6

[@heritagefarms552]

Great video thank you

[@Bradydog-in7ut]

Very interesting, not the dogs that were 1st produced but the cars starting with the 273 and apex with the great high compression 340 (expect to remortgage your house like Jamie did to get 1 of these very desirable rare cars).

[@kennethflusche7900]

Bought my 71 Valiant in 73, in 75 found out it was a Scamp (Waterever that ment) in 77 found out it had air shocks (again what for) To me it was a nice running 2 door, 6 cyllinder 3 speed manual. My local Junk Yard introduced me to 3 70 Dart Swingers which supplied parts including tail lights the whole time I owned it. Wish I still had it. best $1200 I ever spent on a car.

[@bigwrenchtech]

Hahahhaha, The archer cut away hahahhaha

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

well I said “so a lot of good came out of that!” in the recording, then I decided to just cut out the middle man. Haha.

[@bigwrenchtech]

@@DeadDodgeGarage hahahahah

[@gasser66]

I enjoyed this and would like to see more like this in the future for sure. What I don't want to see again is that original Valiant lol. Very European looking.

[@ilivmopar]

I enjoyed this video how about a B body one next

[@p38kris]

Theres a 62 valiant in idaho near where i live not too bad of shape tbh

[@indyfastal]

I loved the history aspect, however; you might think about adding more photos to explain what you're describing...

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Agreed. The photos are definitely secondary to the audio, and even putting together the photos that are there took me *hours*. It’s really time intensive. More than anything it’s intended to be listened to - but I completely agree. I would like to do a lot more of that.

[@alexlupsor5484]

I wonder if you would address the effect of electrolysis as to possibly the early rusting of the Chrysler production schedule? Do you put any credence to the poor lasting bodies of in particular them B bodies? I was tempted to attach such a system to my 69 RT charger. It didn't amount to much as I sold it as my family grew and purchased more to the point the Family Sedan such as a C body Newport. My altime favorite was my 75 Newport 4 dor hardtop. If is possible I would.much like a late model 300m. Oh well, such is my dream. By the way I have been warned that the front end is weak,on the said dream of mine and front 3nd parts constantly fail. As to,your detailed history of themA bodies, well done. I'm pulled to the 68 through the 75 2dr versions of the A bodies but I to favor the 68-71 darts with the min of a 318, a most overlooked engine in my humble opinion. If you could I would enjoy a reply to my encial question. Thank you love your content and comments.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Soak muck in water, cram it inside metal panels, and leave it sitting there for years… even worse, add salt to the equation. The real issue is one of body design, poor moisture control and lack of adequate drainage. Thanks!

[@PhilDodgeFury]

we got c body exports from canada to Australia in parts , mines a 68 fury badged as dodge phoenix. they have right hand drive only lower ball joints . It’s a pain cos they not available new . any options DDG ? ✨can they be rebuilt?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

That certainly wouldn’t be an easy job. It might be possible but I wouldn’t have any idea where to start or who to ask.

[@samuelgoodman2825]

My 65 Dart GT 273 4bbl is about ready to come off her jackstands.Put a set of built J heads on the original block,it's .30 over and mildly cammed,no longer solid lift.Its a console shift auto,down to brakes and torsion bars,one is broken,don't know why,only had her for a couple months.Her name is Annabelle

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I’ve seen that a couple times. I don’t know how they end up breaking either. Awesome! Sounds like a party. You may have heard mention of this but I have big plans for building a hot 273 at some point in the future. I love those little magic guys.

[@samuelgoodman2825]

@DeadDodgeGarage this is my first 273,iit was setting 20 years,haven't been able to trace its history yet but the engine work was done before I got it,it's literally a mystery motor but I've got it dialed in,can't wait to do some one wheel peels with that 7 1/4 lol

[@stannelson2582]

Fun stuff!

[@robertturner6651]

So; where does the 330 fit into all this? It has a slant 6 and a poly 318 AND a 413 Max Wedge cross ram. I'd love to hear your take on these. 😊

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

It’s not an A body, so it doesn’t merit mention in this context. I think they’re neat! I love the idea of the stripper midsize car for performance reasons. We have the Plymouth equivalent (baseline Belvedere two door sedan) at Rocket.

[@robertturner6651]

@@DeadDodgeGarage so is it a B body?

[@robertturner6651]

I was told at this time in Chrysler development you not only had to have the same car for parts it had to be the same color. (In jest of course )

[@baerster]

My aunt had a 1962 Valiant that turned a flat purple color. Yeah I have told you about it before. It was nothing if not reliable and was remarkably nimble. Nimble enough that I almost slid off the road one time and then I realized actually the car isn't all that nimble

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Impressive. I really want to drive one of those. I was talking with someone else today and was reminded that the early car’s wheelbase was even shorter. I wonder how much twoish inches affects the handling.

[@oscarwalton1188]

Very good maybe you could do one on the flying brick valaint or the model s cuda

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

There are several specific cars I realized would’ve been worth mentioning on this one - and the Green Brick was the main one. I could definitely see doing deep dives on a particular car in the future.

[@jumpinjehoshaphat9075]

I thought the 1965 Barracuda Formula S deserved mention before bringing up the GTS. Dual point four-barrel performance 273 and when backed with a 4-speed and Hurst factory shifter that would really light em up. My 64 Barracuda 273 with 4-speed and Hurst had a curb weight of 2600 lb. The 65 models were three to four hundred pounds heavier but had essential equipment such as larger brakes and suspension components. The 64 was essentially a six-cylinder car with the V8 dropped-in

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I actually did mention that the Formula S existed, and that it was cool. I didn't go into the details on that one, and I wish I had. I absolutely love the 273. There are a lot of things I would've liked to discuss here. Unfortunately, if I get into the weeds on every detail... we'll be here for hours. Haha.

[@rich_mc]

Whats the diff between a 2 door sedan and a 2 door hardtop?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Go watch Uncle Tony’s recent video on classic body styles! It came out a week or two ago, and he explains it better than I could. But the short version - a hard top has a lower roofline, and no support pillar up to the roof behind the door.

[@brkooduh66]

cool story. pictures are nice to have if watching, but at the same time you could just listen with out the pictures, so thats a good

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

That was my goal here. People want to see more detailed explanation with pictures and I totally get that, but I was really aiming to make something listenable, and have the pictures and clips as a bonus if wanted. There are many other history type videos and channels that use that style and don’t include pictures at all. I was aiming for a bit of middle ground. Another factor for me is just how long it took to get all that stuff together and aligned with the audio. I can usually knock videos out pretty quickly, but this one took me many hours! There is a learning curve, as with all things.

[@gregloy5790]

When I was very young my neighbor had a Valiant. I always thought the hood styling looked like a commercial washer.

[@manmatt445]

I liked this. I had a 64 and a half S Barracuda race car. Yes it was an S. Rare. Destroyed on the quarter mile. Part of me died that day.