Hello!
First off: I'm a newbie. Never renovated a car before. Sure, I used to fix up old mopeds in my teens. Did plenty of them. From the ground up, bare metal to fresh paint and stickers, overhaul on motor and re-upholstered seat. Since then, not so much.
Went to university. Bought an old Bimmer that ran mostly on three cylinders. Rode bikes, even got a road racing license and then I had kids. And a house. And a summer house. Three kids. I'm 44.
I've always wanted a black '71 'vette 454 T-top Stingray but they're just too freaking expensive. Even if they're a rusted away piece of crap.
So I stumble across this '66 Dart GT that a dude did all the work on. He bought it in 2007, fourteen (roughly) previos owners (originally sold in Sweden), ran it as it was for a year and then started renovating it. He cut all the rust out, replaced the floor, the quarters and the part under the doors (whatever it might be called). Then he found this old guy here in Sweden called "the Baron" who builds engines. From him he bought a 1971 360 cui V8 (from an old Dodge van) with Keith Black pistons and rods, an Edelbrock LD4B intake and a Carter 9755S carburetor. He also got a high stall speed 727 and a 8 3/4" rear end with Aubrun limited slip. Don't know the gear ratio. Oh, and'he invested in an electronic ignition system and a brand new alternator.
The engine hasn't been run since it was built and neither has the trans or the rear end. As a matter of fact, neither of them have oil in them. This is a bit of concern for me. How do I know they haven't started rusting inside? As you've probably deduced by now, I'm an impulsive kind of guy. Anyoune with a dominant rational trait would've known all these things. I don't. I also don't know how what "high stall speed" actually means and I dont know much about the internal workings of a good ol' mopar V8.
I do know that I can turn a wrench and get things working. And I love Roadkill and tire smoke. Detailed, this-is-how-it-looked-when-it-was-first-produced, showroom restorations, not so much. Don't have the patience for it. I want to be able to use the car, enjoy the engine rumble, burn some rubber, maybe even go to the strip (even though that is perhaps not a very big sport here in Sweden) and not have to worry about getting a scratch on the chrome. I'm not sure, though, how much effort I'm going to put into it. I don't want the previous owner's effort to go to waste by not making it a decent looking automobile. I also don't want to spend the next five years finding the right type of fabric for the headliner.
All in all, I am a dedicated guy who wants to get this car running and smoking tires and I'm going to need a lot of help and creative input.
I've got the slot mags, I've got a pretty decent engine, I'm falling in love with the look of the car - even though it's not a 71 'vette Stingray - and most of the labour is already done. What could possibly go wrong?
Anyone interested in chipping in?
So glad I found this forum.
/Anders
View attachment 1714820477
View attachment 1714820478
