Restorer Explains The Mopar Tax, Where A Hard To Find Carburetor Runs $400 To $600, A Thermoquad Has Sold For $1,100 And A Fiberglass A12 Hood Is Worth $3 To $4,000

Ever priced a door handle for a Cuda next to one for a Camaro or a Mustang? According to Mopar restorer Mopar Keith, the Cuda handle will cost you about 50% more, “all day long.”

Restorer pointing at a Mopar carburetor next to an air-cooled engine in a car

That gap has a name. The Mopar tax is the extra money restorers and owners pay for any Chrysler, Dodge or Plymouth. Keith walked through 10 parts in his shop to show just how steep it gets.

Why A Chrysler Engine Costs 50% More To Build

Keith says the tax exists because the cars are scarcer. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, he saw far more Novas, Vegas and Mustangs than Mopars. Fewer cars means fewer parts and fewer reproductions.

He says you could build an entire Chevy engine from what the local parts store has in stock. Build a Chrysler engine and it will cost 50% more.

Demand adds fuel. At auctions, people want Mopars for the colors, the stripes, the shaker hoods and the six barrel engines. “Everybody really wants a Mopar,” he says.

Carburetors: $400 To $600 For One You Can Hardly Find

For an original restoration, only an original carburetor will do. Keith starts with the 6191 Holley, a single feed four barrel used mostly on 1970 and 71 383 engines. This one is restored, but the bowl is not reproduced, and they run about $400 to $600 at a swap meet or on eBay.

The Thermoquad for a 1971 340 car is higher up the list. Keith has one on his own 1971 Challenger R/T and says he has seen them sell for $1,100. Six barrel carburetors are the most expensive of all, and Hemi carburetors are “hens’ teeth.”

A Tiny Idle Stop Solenoid Runs $600 To $700

These little solenoids give a car its proper curb idle. Keith says they are “some of the most expensive parts for the size of what they are.”

A restored one usually runs $600 to $700, and he adds you will be lucky if it works. Six pack and Hemi cars use a 4429, while four barrel cars use other numbers.

Grilles, Latches And Why A Broken 1971 Challenger Grille Still Fetches $600

The aftermarket now sells plastic grilles for the 70 or 71 Duster, the 71 Cuda and the 69 GTX. But the 1971 Challenger grille is hard to find in good condition, and the corners are always broken. Keith values a broken one at around $600, and a nice one at about $1,200.

Not reproduced at all are the 68 GTX and 68 Road Runner grilles and the 69 Coronet Super Bee finish panel, which are in high demand.

The hood latch release matters too, because each one has its own bend to fit through the grille. A good one can cost $150 to $200, even $200 to $300. A pair of latches is about $600 to $700, and to his knowledge they are not reproduced.

A reproduction 70 Cuda grille, which sits at around $1,200, is constantly on back order, and the end bezels run $50 to $150 each.

A 1970 Master Cylinder And Booster Package Worth $1,200

The 1970 E-body master cylinder and booster is highly sought. A rusty one can cost a couple hundred dollars, and a rebuild can be $300 to $400. A booster rebuild alone cost him $400, not counting the purchase.

The whole package on his pink Trans Am, he says, is easily worth $1,200, maybe more.

Air Cleaner Bases: $2,000 Original, $750 Copy

A reproduction maker in Canada has copied some air cleaner pieces, and Keith says you can barely tell a copy from an original. An original lid goes for $400 or $500 and a reproduction is about $150.

For a base it is $2,000 for an original that still needs restoring and about $750 for a copy. The A12 pieces are much more because fewer cars were made.

The 340 unsilenced air cleaner from 1970 and 71 is not reproduced, and he saw one on Marketplace for $1,000. A nice twin snorkel version is $200 or $300. Rarest of all is the N94 base, offered from May to October of 1970 on Hemi Challengers with a TA hood. Even most people have never seen one.

A Rubber Bumper Costs $1,500 Each

Dodge rubber bumpers were offered only in early 1971 production, only in bright colors, and only as a front and rear set. A single Dodge Challenger bumper runs about $1,500. Keith traded one of his rear bumpers to the reproduction maker for a mold, since a good rear is hard to produce.

Plymouth offered them in front or front and rear for 1970 and 71, and those are in reproduction. The fender tag code is A21 for one rubber bumper and A22 for front and rear.

The 1970 Hurst Shifter Handle Nobody Wanted

The 1970 Hurst slip-in shifter is a shorter handle that clips in, and it was only used that one year. Keith says it is harder to find because nobody wants it, and bolt-on handles are easier to work with.

The handle runs about $200 to $400. A reconditioned shifter could be $500 or $600. Brewers Performance in Ohio sells a conversion kit.

Fiberglass Hoods Worth $3,000 To $4,000

There are four fiberglass hoods Keith calls hard to find and expensive. They are the 1970 Challenger TA hood, the 1970 Cuda hood, and the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner and Dodge Super Bee A12 hoods.

A good A12 hood is worth around $3 to $4,000, he says, though he would only call it a couple of grand if you could find one. He keeps a replica in his shop.

The Last Part: Textured Window Trim For $2,200

The surprise is the 1970 and 71 Barracuda textured rear window trim, which copies a vinyl top so the chrome looks like part of the roof. A set sells for $1,500 to $2,200. “I had no idea this stuff was this expensive,” he says.

How To Beat The Mopar Tax

Know which parts are reproduced before you buy. A reproduction lid at $150 can be better than an original at $500, and a copy base at $750 beats a $2,000 original that still needs restoring.

Decide where you need a correct original, and use a modern carburetor where a show judge will not look. Send a rebuild to a specialist rather than paying for a rusty one at full price.

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