1968 Dodge Dart Western Sport Special Restoration
- Thread starter 68wssDartmmb
- Start date
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Love the Dart build! .....and that Savoy is just badass!
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
I agree. For the meantime I just painted over it to seal the bare metal but I am planning on doing just that. Thanks for the suggestion.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Thanks! Yeah I love the Savoy. It’s going to the Kar Kustoms Nationals next week to Santa Maria California. I’m looking forward to it. I love the Dart too!
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Hey Car Nut! What’s with the disagree? What is there to disagree about from a statement to another member? And of course you block people out from responding back to you!
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Back to working on the Dart again, it’s back down to 95 degrees here in Havasu rather then 125 degrees. Got a new AMD inner fender panel to replace that wrinkled up one, I’m glad I did while I’m at this stag of body work. It will look a lot better for the 200.00 investment for the panel. I used a spot weld removal drill bit from Harbor Freight actually worked well. Then grinded them down flush with the joining panels.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Back in January I sent the doors and the trunk lid to be stripped and sealed so I’m putting them back on the car. The trunk lid first. I’ll hang the doors tomorrow.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Still trying to find a good body guy that works from home near by. Haven’t found one yet.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Had my hinges rebuilt and kept original hardware. They came out really nice. He is a member on here. Today I mounted them back on the door and then mounted door to car. I had the doors stripped down to metal then sealed.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Passenger side as well!
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
I’m going to order new fender hardware from 521 restorations and then mount the front fenders, then I’m going to strip down the rear fenders to metal because I don’t know what it’s like underneath the black paint but it’s looks bad. I’ll see when I strip it down.
I would weigh the regulators, windows, and rubber, door handles, interior panels etc, and add weight to the door to simulate the completed weight.
This will sag the doors slightly, and throw the alignment of the rest of the panels off.
This will sag the doors slightly, and throw the alignment of the rest of the panels off.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Ok yesterday I got my front fender hardware from 521. So today I mounted the front fenders, I’m not aligning everything perfectly because it still needs to have body work done. Just getting it all hung on the car so when I find someone to do it they have all the pieces and hardware attached.
From what I see, you are plenty capable of doing the body work. spend the money on quality tools. never look back.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Thank you for that. I never tackled bodywork because I didn’t think I had the knowledge or the patience to do it. I the rate I’ve been going with this and 3 different body shops maybe I will try to get it done. I’ve always been a more mechanical kind of guy.
Its never too late to learn, that car does not need much body work.
POR 15 is "paint over rust" which it work excellent if you follow the instructions.
On thing that I found out is it does not stick worth a crap to clean shiny steel, it will literally peel off in sheets.
I did my Willys frame in around 2007, wire brushed the heavy scale off, used their other products, according to the data sheet, and today it still looks as fresh as it was when it was applied.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Yeah I heard that too. The same guy put the por 15 on my floors with rust and the rust bleed through it and bubbled. Maybe because it was still un painted to seal it I didn’t know. I might have to patch panel the front drivers and passenger side. Thanks for the advice for sure.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Today I installed the grill and headlight bezels to make sure the fenders in the front were spaced out correctly because then the grill mounts will line up correctly. Then I put my LO23 Super Stock Hemi hood on to make sure it all lined up correctly. For now I’m happy with the fit. Next will be making adjustable mounting brackets for my Caltrac Sliders. I’ll post that next time!
Looking alot better.
What is going on with the passenger 1/4 panel?
What is going on with the passenger 1/4 panel?
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
I need to strip down the left and right rear 1/4 panels. I don’t know what’s underneath the primer and paint but I know it’s not good. The way it was when I purchased it.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
I’m going to run Caltrac split mono leaf springs on my Dart. I purchased Caltrac sliders and instead of welding them to the frame rails or bolting them on I decided to make mounting plates out of 1/2 aluminum. It will give me 4 1/2 inches of forward and back adjustment in increments of 1 1/2 inch. Got one drilled and tapped. The holes in the Sliders had a snug fit of a 12mm so I got 12x1.75 bolts to mount the sliders to the plates. Once I drill out the other side in the other half of the aluminum plate I will then cut it in half making a left and right. Once that is done I will post how I will attach them to the frame rails. Hope you guys like the idea.
Thanks
Thanks
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Looks good. I'm curious how you're going to mount them to the frame rail. Nice work!
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
The rest of the photos
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Tomorrow I will go under the car with the plates and take pictures to give you the idea on how I think I will mount them, I want to make plates to sandwich between the frame rails with through bolts but I also want to have it with a set of holes so I can also raise and lower the plates for up and down adjustment. Thanks for liking
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