1965 Dodge Dart Charger

-
Started with the horns today. They seems to be in good condition. The first horn was the "high tone" horn. Even if I glass beaded the same spot it was too much paint on the same place. I needed to use the knife to get rid of the paint from different spots.

The date code is 15 meaning January of 1965. Looking at the cars build date on January 27 this horn just got to the assembly line before it was added on the car. The center bolt for the bracket was yellow dichromated from the beginning and the bracket was full of paint on both sides meaning that the bracket was added after the horn was painted!

View attachment 001.jpg

View attachment 002.jpg

View attachment 004.jpg

View attachment 005.jpg

View attachment 007.jpg
 
Did some cleaning on the clips and the cover for the positive cable on the alternator. I cant do more cleaning or the plastic stuff will losen up. The clips needs to be ready for the paint job on the car as they were on when the paint was shoot.

The windshield wiper switch seems to be coded with partnumber but not date coded. Here is the ok stamp from the manufacturer.

View attachment 004.jpg

View attachment 005.jpg

View attachment 006.jpg

View attachment 007.jpg
 
Put together some small stuff for the bracket for the steering colomn and the brake pedal. Tomorrow my friend Emil will put it in the "bath" to get rid of everything so it will be bare metal. As you see on the pics the LA cars does not seems to have a sharpe edge with black paint on the lower part of the brake arm.

Started with the transmission too. It was a work with dirt, oil and grease! Looked like ****! After some carving with a knife I got out all the dirt in the place where the converter is. Now it looks better. I'm not sure how to do the transmission body? Any ideas to get it factory finish?

The converter had a beautiful light green color. Will need some cleaning and then I think it is ready. Even found a date code. 11 4 1 meaning November 4 or 1964. Not sure of the no 1 but it can be shift 1 that day.

The neutral switch was in excellent shape thanks to all dirt. (conserved) It is like other NOS ones I've seen. This one is date coded 474 meaning week 47 of 1964.

View attachment 001.jpg

View attachment 002.jpg

View attachment 003.jpg

View attachment 004.jpg

View attachment 005.jpg

View attachment 006.jpg

View attachment 007.jpg
 
Continued with the dip stick tube. It is in absolutely mint condition except for two things. Some guy has bent the pipe with some kind of tool and there is one small little blemish. However it is a very good reference tube due you very nice light gray phosphated finish.

Does anyone out there have a dip stick tube in mint condition? Any help would be very appriciated.

View attachment 001.jpg

View attachment 002.jpg

View attachment 003.jpg

View attachment 004.jpg
 
After some help from some friends over there I was able to find a NOS rear view mirror in mint condition. Complete with gasket and the screw to hold it in place. Can't believe it. 20 years of searching. And it showed up today!

View attachment 001.jpg
 
Thanks for the comment.

Tonight I did the acceleratorpedal, the bracket and the clips that holds the speedometer cable under the floor. The pedal and the bracket was NOS so that was easy. The clips that holds the pedal to the bracket just needed some cleaning and now it looks like new. I glass beaded the nuts so now they are ready for new finish.

I also checked out the "NOS" ´HI/LO floor switch that I bought on Ebay. Well, it's not for 1965, that's for sure. It's not even close.

Just for curiosity I checked out the brackets for the horn. My Dart is produced in January of 65, my 270 sedan is made in October of 1964. On the picture you see another style on the bracket. The horn is made week 29 of 1964. Did they change for the production year or? Any help is gladly appriciated.

View attachment 002.jpg

View attachment 004.jpg

View attachment 003.jpg

View attachment 006.jpg
 
Vent to the bodyman the other day. He did some serious rubbing on the front valence panel behind where the bumper was.He got the orginal paint as it was from the factory. Now he will go to the paintshop to get the paint. They just shoot a picture with some kind of machine and the machine makes the formula for the paint!!!!! Talk about rocket science!

I have found out that when the body showed up at the paint boot they sprayed the body with some kind of whitish paint inside and then added the red primer, green primer and then some kind of white primer to sand off for best result before the final paint was sprayed. We just sanded the front valence with fine sand paper and then it showed up.Look at the whitish paint above the wiper motor.

Today I have been working with the body to find out how they added the body sealer. It seems from my car that they did it after the car was sprayed with whitish primer inside. All body sealer has paint on it.

Also checked out my brother in laws car and it the same even if that car is assembled in Detroit.

On the inner fenderswells the factory used tape to mask off the holes toward the engine compartment so they didn't get undercoating in the engine compartment.

View attachment Moparbilder 009.jpg
 
Next package from US showed up today. The horn relay looks like new and when I added it to the brake booster support it really makes diffrence from it's past.

The bolt to the pedal and the nuts that holds the master cylinder is great. I just wish I had the gasket between the booster and the master cylinder. But some day......
 

Attachments

  • 003.jpg
    92.2 KB · Views: 626
  • 001.jpg
    105.7 KB · Views: 627
The accelerator bracket is done with the right finish and I had the gasket as well but when I added the cable the clip that holds it to the bracket was something else. It seems like the LA built cars had a unique clip to hold the wire compare to Detroit and St Louis built cars with had a washer and a smaller lock ring. I would be glad to get this comfirmed. You can see the difference on the picture from my 4 door. I ewen had an NOS plastic plug for the pedal shaft!

I also found a NOS gasket/seal for the hose connector for the vacuum chamber for the distributor. Now the distributor is completed. Does anyone else have the extra bunch of washers for between the spring and the hose connector?

View attachment 001.jpg

View attachment 008.jpg

View attachment 009.jpg

View attachment 005.jpg

View attachment 007.jpg

View attachment 006.jpg
 
I've got 3 or 4 cable style gas pedals and all of them use the washer and small clip on the right. Have never seen one with the larger on the left - maybe it was a LA thing. My wagon was built in LA but came with a slant so the pedal assembly would be different.
 
I've got 3 or 4 cable style gas pedals and all of them use the washer and small clip on the right. Have never seen one with the larger on the left - maybe it was a LA thing. My wagon was built in LA but came with a slant so the pedal assembly would be different.

Has anyone else seen if there is a difference in the fastening of the cable?
 
I mounted the glove box door hinges. It seems like the left hinge has no spring. Was that standard?

I checked 3 of my 65 dashes and 1 66 dash and just 1 spring on each - all on the right side. I'd say it was standard.
 
I found out that the horn was mounted to the body before the black paint was sprayed behind the grille. The screws that hold the bracket to the horns was silver cad before they were painted black.

I friend from Finland sent me a super mint bolt for the master cylinder cover. I just need to glass bead it and a new black phosphated finish. The high horn and the bracket got some paint tonight. Will look good tomorrow.

I need help to find a bracket with the hook. Mine is broken. Any help is gladly appriciated.
 

Attachments

  • 001.jpg
    77.1 KB · Views: 511
  • 002.jpg
    79.1 KB · Views: 497
  • 003.jpg
    77 KB · Views: 533
  • 004.jpg
    81 KB · Views: 511
I'll take a look at my extra horns/brackets. Does the bracket need to look like the one you showed?
 
I looked at the 6 spare horns - 3 Hi 3 Lo (all working) I have and 3 have the 90 degree bracket and 3 have the same as you showed. I went back to see where the date code was on the brackets but couldn't seem to find where it. So where would I look for the bracket date code?
 
I looked at the 6 spare horns - 3 Hi 3 Lo (all working) I have and 3 have the 90 degree bracket and 3 have the same as you showed. I went back to see where the date code was on the brackets but couldn't seem to find where it. So where would I look for the bracket date code?

There is no date code on the bracket. Just the horn. On the backside you can see the date code. See previous photo. What I have found out is that 65 has the ones as I needed. For 64 they some kind of "S" shape on the bracket.
 
OK this is what I found: of the 8 horns - 4 hi 4 lo, a pair of them is 46 4; another is 33 4; another is 35 4 and another is just plain 40. I could not find any date codes on the other 3 - at least in the same place as the others. I have not checked the original horns on my 65 Barracuda, which was built in Mar or so of 65.
 
-
Back
Top