1963 Dodge Dart 270 Convertible for the Wife

[63DropTop]

Will be using some PTO time this week . 3 more good coats of clear and time to bask in the sun for a few days. Oodles of runs to sand out but that is better than dry spray..... The third coat I was not worried about the dust (natures pearl) since that coat will mostly be sanded off... Looks better in the photo so when it is finally finished and cut and buffed... wow.

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Very nice!

 

[Demonracer]

Jim, adopt me... I'll come help & bring my Demon with me to utilize your skills. JK, I really like the work you've done & how it's turned out so far.

 

[69_340_GTS]

Will be using some PTO time this week . 3 more good coats of clear and time to bask in the sun for a few days. Oodles of runs to sand out but that is better than dry spray..... The third coat I was not worried about the dust (natures pearl) since that coat will mostly be sanded off... Looks better in the photo so when it is finally finished and cut and buffed... wow.

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Beautiful color!

 

[billsdartgt]

maybe the asshat from graveyard cars should hire you to manage his restorations - imagine the money to be made

 

[Jim Kueneman]

maybe the asshat from graveyard cars should hire you to manage his restorations - imagine the money to be made

Nope I care about all Mopars not just one of less than 10 big block B and E bodies

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Only for the wife would I struggle through a metallic color but I can see the light... A day of successes and I am feeling good about it....

Decided to use the rotational aspects of my setup to make the trunk and hood painting easier.... Sanded, more base to fix some weird spots and then 3 coats of UC over it. No metallic striping, no runs and no orange peel.... clearly did something wrong. Bake in the sun for a while then wet sand and the final 3 coats. The LH side is ready for the _final_ 3 coats of clear in the morning and the RH side is about 60% wet sanded and will get its final 3 coats on Sunday morning! It is looking amazing...

Ok 85F today, summer is around the corner..... This is a _hot_ color!

 

[Jim Kueneman]

I need to study my Entomology.... now that it is warmer the bugs swarm in the early morning and go away in the late morning... I shot the LH side and on my 3 coat a swarm of little gnats came..... let it dry and sanded them out.... while each coat was drying I wet sanded the hood and trunk (they had 3 coats of clear yesterday morning) so they can sit in the UV the rest of the day. They are not done all that orange peel has to go or you will see it because of the metallic but I'll wait for the cool of the morning. Finished up the RH side sanding and decided that the bugs were less than the morning so I shot 4 nice coats on that side... ready for the final sanding and buffing just like the LH side! Once the hood and trunk get 4 coats tomorrow she is DONE....

 

[Jim Kueneman]

I’m taking a week break. I earned it. Done. Still need to shoot the inside of the trunk and freshen up under the hood and jambs as they have overspray but done. Oh and forgot to clear the front lower valance but that can be done anytime.

 

[69_340_GTS]

Wow!

 

[Jim Kueneman]

We are gonna get this girl on her wheels next weekend! Torsion bars stripped and painted. Lower control arms that Dave at Precision Machine rebuilt for me in Faux Cosmoline and the first 30 years of grime off the gearbox.

Floor patches welded in and epoxy primered. Shooting the trunk and underside with base and UC tomorrow and time for cutting and buffing!

She is much stiffer now. It barely flexes on the engine stands with the floor solid!

 

[69_340_GTS]

That looks great. I love that Seymour S/S paint. Never saw the gold anodize Metalcast before. I guess it is close to a yellow cadmium color?

 

[Jim Kueneman]

That looks great. I love that Seymour S/S paint. Never saw the gold anodize Metalcast before. I guess it is close to a yellow cadmium color?

close enough for me.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Done... (well almost, forgot to shoot the valance with the last 4 coats of clear....). Reason that I shoot the trunk/underbody/underhood AFTER I do the final coats on the outside? Overspray does not matter, I'm going to cut and buff it anyway! I just shot the underside with a heavy "overspray" since it takes so much paint to get a nice consistent color with this turquoise.... I did put 2 coats of heavy clear so it is easy to clean... Nice oak block flat and ready to get the clear sanded flat....

 

[Stephen Hotz]

Even after seeing the other 2 cars in person your work is amazing. You really got her looking good.

 

[trapster]

I rubber coated the floorboards on mine with a truck bed liner paint. for sound deadening and water repellent.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

One fender and most of the LH door buffed out.... Rest of the LH side is ready for the buffer so a few more hours.... Then time to start sanding the RH side.... She could be on her wheels by Sunday!!!!! This color needs the sun to really wow you....

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Once side done.... Look at the difference in color based on light from the previous post in the late evening in the garage....

 

[Clelan]

That's a beautiful color!

Cley

 

[Jim Kueneman]

LET THE ASSEMBLY BEGIN.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Amazing, one day and over half the crap is out of my bedroom! The prep work over the last 7 months is paying of.. Most is just test fitted to make sure I have the right part, can find the bolts, and can find the parts.... I could not find the LCA bolts an massive washers.... My rule of NEVER EVER throw ANYTHING away until the new one is installed and finished paid off... noticed the cotter pin hole and then it clicked these where castle nuts! I have a box where all the "old parts that I plan on tossing because I'm getting new ones" and there with all the castle nuts for the old front end parts were the 2 big ones and the fat washers.... whew....

What was not right:

• The Energy Suspension kit did not give me the smaller front eyelet for the old /6 so I can't install the springs all the way and get the rear axel in to get it on hits wheels.
• The '66 fuel line is not looking like it is right, I think the torque boxes for the ragtop are in the way.....
• The front hub seals are not right the lip is too wide and will hit the backing plate
• Someone screwed Classic Industries and swapped a low quality LH ball joint into the HD Moog box, need to call them
• Forgot to order the felt that goes above the gas tank
• Forgot to try to find a replacement for the gas tank strap, this one is torqued to much for me.

Other than that it is looking good.. Will order a reseal kit from Firm Feel Monday and bead blast and reseal the steering gear its just mocked up to make sure it is all ok. The engine is likely 4-6 weeks out so I will have to just build out the K-Frame like this then drop it when I get the motor and build it back up.

The interior will fall together this fast too as most of it is sitting in the bedroom ready to install.

 

[JDMopar]

You're doing another awesome job. You are braver and much more confident in drum brakes than me. Just my own quirk, but I couldn't rest unless I had disc brakes on the front. Keep up the good work!

 

[Jim Kueneman]

You're doing another awesome job. You are braver and much more confident in drum brakes than me. Just my own quirk, but I couldn't rest unless I had disc brakes on the front. Keep up the good work!

So the Coronet has drums and the Duster we put disks. Drums have way more stopping power by far but they are hard to control. The only time I get nervous is on the freeway at 80. Things happen way to fast at that speed.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Simple bling without getting dirty for mother on Mothers day... Parts pile is shrinking!

 

[Jim Kueneman]

So it looks like the '65 M&H harness is just going to plug and play under the hood of the '63! To match I used the '65 dash harness but that has the fuse box on the LH side of the column and '65 and up they did not have push button so that was fine... I may need to make a bracket or modify that harness. I wish they made a '63 specific but they don't and the '64's were all backordered and I did not know how long it would be.... Now to call M&H and see if they can make a factory positive battery cable...

Reconditioned wiring clips with Plastidip. There are small cutouts where these go, if you don't use them the clips wont snap on worth beans.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

All problem parts were researched Sunday, ordered Sunday night and have tracking numbers and are on their way as of Monday evening..