1969 Dodge Dart Swinger clean up
- Thread starter dadsbee
- Start date
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Not a single drip yesterday, came out this morning to transmission fluid flowing out the shop door. I may have woke up the neighbourhood with profanity, but of course they all get up before we do! LOL
Went to bed last night, laid down and the little voice said "hey asshole, you didn't tighten the lower control arm pivots after you put it on her wheels".
130 foot pounds, with the cars ride height set already. Tough place to get a torque wrench.
1" socket, universal joint and about 12" of extension.
Torque converter drained back overnight, filling the pan up into the dip stick tube. Knew I should have sealed in that new O ring I installed on the tube. Good thing I finished my cookies so I had a tray that would fit under there.
Pulled the tube and another 2 quarts came out. Tipped and shook the car to get the fluid about a 1/2" down the case hole.
Trying two o-rings stacked, one just bigger than the other.
O-rings smeared in RTV and hoping for the best tomorrow.
Went to bed last night, laid down and the little voice said "hey asshole, you didn't tighten the lower control arm pivots after you put it on her wheels".
130 foot pounds, with the cars ride height set already. Tough place to get a torque wrench.
1" socket, universal joint and about 12" of extension.
Torque converter drained back overnight, filling the pan up into the dip stick tube. Knew I should have sealed in that new O ring I installed on the tube. Good thing I finished my cookies so I had a tray that would fit under there.
Pulled the tube and another 2 quarts came out. Tipped and shook the car to get the fluid about a 1/2" down the case hole.
Trying two o-rings stacked, one just bigger than the other.
O-rings smeared in RTV and hoping for the best tomorrow.
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Trunk mat out of the car and it has been doing what they do...
Spare tire cover board is in nice shape.
Time to do some scuffing and scrubbing.
A few coats of paint and then cleared. Not perfect, but it's under a mat. Just want to stop the rust..
Nice trunk mat. They are usually cracked and torn.
Had the rear seat out to put a body plug in that was missing. They have been recently recovered..
Seat bottom, fresh padding.
Spare tire cover board is in nice shape.
Time to do some scuffing and scrubbing.
A few coats of paint and then cleared. Not perfect, but it's under a mat. Just want to stop the rust..
Nice trunk mat. They are usually cracked and torn.
Had the rear seat out to put a body plug in that was missing. They have been recently recovered..
Seat bottom, fresh padding.
Like a scolded dog that pissed on the floor... "outside"...
Grocery run...
Unusual attitude test.
I can't believe how cool this thing runs with that 7 blade fan I threw on. This is 40 minutes in out on the highway. 172F and 62psi oil pressure. Must have a 160F thermostat in it.
Grocery shop and mail pick up while the Wife guards the car... Ruff.. RUFF RUUFFF
71,111.6 miles, pretty certain it hasn't rolled the 100,000 as well.
Grocery run...
Unusual attitude test.
I can't believe how cool this thing runs with that 7 blade fan I threw on. This is 40 minutes in out on the highway. 172F and 62psi oil pressure. Must have a 160F thermostat in it.
Grocery shop and mail pick up while the Wife guards the car... Ruff.. RUFF RUUFFF
71,111.6 miles, pretty certain it hasn't rolled the 100,000 as well.
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scatpackbee
Well-Known Member
I recognize Main and Robert Streets and the Foodland at Village Square Mall.
I’ll be in the lookout for you in town.
Most likely I’ll be in my white ‘66 Bug or my wife’s black Audi A4 convertible.
I rarely take my Dart up north but might this summer.
I’ll be in the lookout for you in town.
Most likely I’ll be in my white ‘66 Bug or my wife’s black Audi A4 convertible.
I rarely take my Dart up north but might this summer.
Getting ready to install the Go Wing today, should really make her fly.... 
Thought I had another heater hose strap in my spares, but can't find it. Oh well, lots of aluminum strips in my scrap box.
Zip bit a slot in the "head".
Flip, flop, fold the top.
Another who and why the hell.... would you put a fender mount bolt behind the door hinge...
Wasn't happy with the passenger door to fender alignment, so spent an hour getting it lined up mucho better. Required fender to inner bolts, splash shield attach bolts and lower fender bolts all loosened and things moved around.
Fender to hood gap was a bit bowed in the center, fixed that up somewhat.
Another use for dental floss besides making bikinis. The reproductions don't have tabs, but I found the OE's do but were already broken off.
Tired script removed and the chrome polished up
Reproduction scripts set in place. Buggers didn't supply the two faced tape to install them even at $70US each!
Nice and clean, just need to find some 2 faced trim tape..
Zip bit a slot in the "head".
Flip, flop, fold the top.
Another who and why the hell.... would you put a fender mount bolt behind the door hinge...
Wasn't happy with the passenger door to fender alignment, so spent an hour getting it lined up mucho better. Required fender to inner bolts, splash shield attach bolts and lower fender bolts all loosened and things moved around.
Fender to hood gap was a bit bowed in the center, fixed that up somewhat.
Another use for dental floss besides making bikinis. The reproductions don't have tabs, but I found the OE's do but were already broken off.
Tired script removed and the chrome polished up
Reproduction scripts set in place. Buggers didn't supply the two faced tape to install them even at $70US each!
Nice and clean, just need to find some 2 faced trim tape..
Car had been upgraded to an electronic voltage regulator and dual field alternator previously, but I don't trust no name aftermarket as they have a habit of melting down. It's a spare now for the glove box.
I picked up a "few" Mopar OEM's from Halifax Hops Ray for only $24US each last week and threw one of those on.
Engine bay is a wrap.
As assembly line original looking as she's gonna get.
Installed the rear facing dash cam..
She's a nice little car. Wife's gonna have a ball getting groceries when she's finally allowed out again... but for now I'll have to sacrifice my services on her behalf...
I picked up a "few" Mopar OEM's from Halifax Hops Ray for only $24US each last week and threw one of those on.
Engine bay is a wrap.
As assembly line original looking as she's gonna get.
Installed the rear facing dash cam..
She's a nice little car. Wife's gonna have a ball getting groceries when she's finally allowed out again... but for now I'll have to sacrifice my services on her behalf...
Dave 74 Dart
Well-Known Member
She is beautiful ! A great addition to your fleet.
Thanks! All put to bed.... gotta get to the hangar next and get working on some airplanes, before the boss strings me up by the nuts...
No rest for you, gotta take some time and get those fine automobiles out for some exercise, I can help with that, and I don't even charge for my services!
Probably gonna get hassled just going to the drug store for my weekly pepsi sale and milk run tomorrow. Total lock down starts in 5 minutes. Cops can now stop us to ask why we aren't at home and where we are going. Our provincial border gets closed as well. About time on that, should have been done a year ago when everyone else did so...
Chargerjase
Member
I have just arrived back from Germany to New Zealand and am half way through a forced quarantine. Our government force us to isolate in a hotel for two weeks before being released into the wild. I feel like a prisoner with guards in the corridors etc. The Dart looks amazing Wayne, thanks for sharing.
Really nice job you've done there.
"Hey asshole" I've heard that in my head countless times. lol
"Hey asshole" I've heard that in my head countless times. lol
Vs29H1B
Well-Known Member
Absolute first class workmanship, materials and attention to all the details. Thank You for sharing this journey with the community.
Seeing I repaired a cooked wire inside this MSD (that I picked up off an auction for 20 bucks) I thought it might be a good idea to carry it as a spare for the one installed on the car for when it craps out, as well as the voltage regulator I swapped out last week. Jack installed and secured, swapping in an iron with a 13/16 socket to fit the wheel nuts vs 3/4" OE.
I had no idea repop lug nuts were not factory correct until I went to use my tire iron. I found a 13/16th tire iron and restored it as good as an IT could until I found a NOS set of lug nuts on EBAY that came 10 each RH and LH thread and are 3/4 from a great guy in Canada who only wanted $90. My car is nowhere near the correct ness of your car but I still like to keep it factory whenever possible. Beautiful Dart
New rear Dart only marker reflectors from Megaparts showed up today.
Darts are a one shot deal for reflectors vs B bodies (and others) that are held in with a rear bracket. These screw in from the front first, then the reflectors get snapped/tape into place.
Reflectors snapped into place.
Not perfect, with paint making up for where the decal was cut out, but certainly more correct than it was.
Exterior and mechanical work on the car is a wrap...
What it looked like when done wrong...
Darts are a one shot deal for reflectors vs B bodies (and others) that are held in with a rear bracket. These screw in from the front first, then the reflectors get snapped/tape into place.
Reflectors snapped into place.
Not perfect, with paint making up for where the decal was cut out, but certainly more correct than it was.
Exterior and mechanical work on the car is a wrap...
What it looked like when done wrong...
Lord Sparky
Well-Known Member
My trunk mat has those same slots on the bumper side, yet there seems to be no reason for them?
Might be for various years or models .
Yesterday was a Dart cruise date with the Wife, today she let me bring my girlfriend along as well....
I see a Thunderbird Super Coupe in the background behind the fuel vault, looks like a 1989 or so, my 88 year old mother has one, with a 5 speed, 105km on the clock, might be coming into my garage in the near future.
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