1963 Dart Restoration Questions
Craig: I have a 63 270 conv. Bought it in 2020. These early A bodies are hard to get decent parts for. The brake drums are on tapered shafts.I kept the drum set up but replaced the rear axles and drums so repairs would not be the night mare they are when tapered. You will need to do that, for drum or disc. I also replaced the front spindles to non tapered.I replaced the fruit bowl master cylinder to dual bowl and vacuum boost, I kept the 6 cyl since it is my wife’s car and really did not want to deal with all that swapping a V8 entails. Your body style came with the small drum brakes so you would need to go to the GT brake set up. Then there is the steering, it uses the same sterring box as the C body and it is hard to put in place. I also installed the typicall under dash AC unit( like they did back then).
The wheel bolt pattern is 5x4 very hard to get rims for.
Your car has 13 “ rims and only the C body that bolt pattern for a few years so getting 14“ rims is both expensive and difficult. The only place I found any reasonable amount of useable parts was MOPAR Carlisle Pa, in August.That is where i found suppliers and rebuilders and parts and pieces.
Parts I bought on line have been mediocre.
Very few people deal in 63/66 A body items .
If you buy on line make sure they will re embutse you, some just give you credit. This model is NOT like a Chevelle or Mustang where endless people sell every possible part.
OEM even old stuff is FAR BETTER than the new made in China offerings.Hope this helps.
Craig: I have a 63 270 conv. Bought it in 2020. These early A bodies are hard to get decent parts for. The brake drums are on tapered shafts.I kept the drum set up but replaced the rear axles and drums so repairs would not be the night mare they are when tapered. You will need to do that, for drum or disc. I also replaced the front spindles to non tapered.I replaced the fruit bowl master cylinder to dual bowl and vacuum boost, I kept the 6 cyl since it is my wife’s car and really did not want to deal with all that swapping a V8 entails. Your body style came with the small drum brakes so you would need to go to the GT brake set up. Then there is the steering, it uses the same sterring box as the C body and it is hard to put in place. I also installed the typicall under dash AC unit( like they did back then).
The wheel bolt pattern is 5x4 very hard to get rims for.
Your car has 13 “ rims and only the C body that bolt pattern for a few years so getting 14“ rims is both expensive and difficult. The only place I found any reasonable amount of useable parts was MOPAR Carlisle Pa, in August.That is where i found suppliers and rebuilders and parts and pieces.
Parts I bought on line have been mediocre.
Very few people deal in 63/66 A body items .
If you buy on line make sure they will re embutse you, some just give you credit. This model is NOT like a Chevelle or Mustang where endless people sell every possible part.
OEM even old stuff is FAR BETTER than the new made in China offerings.Hope this helps.