a-body question

[1971scamp383]

im about to buy a 1967 to 1972 dart or duster...i want to know where to look at ...cuz i dont want to buy a rotten car..i think that a-body crossmember  are the thing to watch.. im i right??thanks all

[Thin White Duke]

Search everywhere on the car.  Crawl underneath with a flashlight and don't be lazy.  Trouble spots are spare tire well, floorboards, transcross member, framerails, upper fender lip, rear of upper fender.  Check it all.

[austinbbmopar]

The southeast has good cars still. You need to pay attention to the frame rails both front and rear, look close to all the places where  suspension componets mount. Like torsion bars and spring hangers. Floorboards tend to be bad as well as lower quarters.... these are thing you just need to accept cause 9 times out of 10 they are bad.  Check the rockers below the doors and back to the rear wheel openings. Use magnets around the glass this is where you find the fiberglass and bondo jobs. Front fenders tend to rot out on the bottom behind the wheels, usually comes from leaves and crap sitting behind them trapped for years. When you get a car, be sure to clean this area out by just unbolting the bottom hose it out... that is if you dont want to take the whole thing off.
Most of these cars will have rusted out trunk floors in the spare tire bay. Dont stress that too much isnt too expensive to fix.

If you want a 72 scamp in South Carolina.... i have a good starting point

[rjsjea]

I would pay attention to the panels that are not re-popped yet....fenders/doors some year quarters.  I think the floors are all available now and an easier fix than a quarter.

[67Dart34dr0]

I was underneath, inside, all over. Little surface rust on the floorboards, but that's it. Look for garaged Southeast cars. Be careful to distinguish between what is just a mess and what is gonna rust gone.

[loiq]

Beware if it's got a vinyl top.

[75Dart440]

Check the front frame rails for rot at the upper control arm brackets.  Especially the left side.  Sometimes it looks good but is thin from rusting beneath any paint/undercoating that might be there.  Quick tap with a small hammer will tell if they are thin or not.

[chryco]

 

[72blue]

Beware if it's got a vinyl top.

Yeah my vinyl top duster had more rust up tp than underneath.Mopars were bad for rust and nobody is gonna deny that i figure....but they still rule!

[440dstr]

rear frame rail and where the rear of the spring mount .