1970 Dart 340

[ab7fh]

Ok, here's the latest: http://rhphoto.com/1970_dodge_dart/

Front end coated in epoxy primer and first coat of Evercoat Rage Extreme has been applied.

Roof stripped

Seam cleaned out

Rear filler panel blasted clean

Built a jig to roll the car around on. Makes things MUCH easier.

 

[383man]

Thats a nice Dart to work with. I really love the look of the 70 Swinger 340's and we built my sons 72 to look like the 70. I know you will have it looking and running great. Ron

 

[340Dart]

You have done amazing work. It looks great. I had a 70 Swinger 340 back in 74. It met an untimely death. I like the 70's so much I made my 73 Scamp into a 70 Swinger 340. Luckly I saved all the parts from the 70. Again you did an excellent job on the car.

Fred B

 

[70dart]

You are doing some really nice quality work! I like the jig you made looks to be sitting nice and level for structural work. I have a ton of similar work to do on mine such as patch firewall, replace front and rear frame rails, quarter panels, tail panel, and complete floor including inner and outer rockers. Hope my work turns out as good as yours. Keep the updates pics coming to inspire me!

 

[Plydust360]

wow, nice progress, I hope mine will look like that shortly.

 

[ab7fh]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. As I've said earlier, this is the first time I've ever dove in so deep into a project like this. I've had to go back and look at pictures of what it looked like when I started to convince myself that I'm actually getting somewhere;)

Lot's of one step forward two steps back kind of stuff...

 

[Johnny Dart]

I've had to go back and look at pictures of what it looked like when I started to convince myself that I'm actually getting somewhere;)

Lot's of one step forward two steps back kind of stuff...[/QUOTE]

I hear that.Although I am not going as far as you,I get the same feelings sometimes.Here are some pics of my 70 Dart project.:thumblef:

 

[memike]

Hay ab7fh!! I can see you have been hard at it and your work is looking great.
This was a car that would have never made it if you did not have the ambition and skills. You are saving a great car, And I am amazed of your hard work, This has been a great thread and you have kept it updated well.
keep up the good work sir. You are building a gem.:thumblef:

 

[Ricksdust]

Very nice work......You have gave me inspration to take on my little body work. The harbor fright sand blaster works good too?:book: I will have to get one also......Thanks Rick

 

[ab7fh]

The Harbor Freight blaster has been working excellent. If you only have a small job, the 40 lb pressure blaster would be ok, but if you need to strip a whole car, or ever plan on it, get the 90lb unit so you aren't refilling so often.

Their 90lb unit has a larger opening at the top for quicker refills. The 40lb unit uses a funnel... I cut the funnel so it's opening was closer to the size of the inlet on the tank, but it's still pretty slow.

I completely stripped both my doors today. It took 4 bags of white play sand and about 3 hours of time. My next session should finish up the exterior!! Woo Hoo!!!

 

[flyboy01]

Coming along nice.

 

[ab7fh]

Sublime is looking better all the time:shock:

 

[ocdart]

Looks like an excellent starting point, wish mine needed as "little" to get 'er on the road. I agree that you should paint it the color you like, but.. I sure like that color. That green "grows" on ya. :thumblef:

Grows on you like moss - wait, that's green too!

 

[ab7fh]

BIG CHANGES!!!

I came upon a deal I just couldn't pass up. Last week I found a 440 block and heads on Craigs List for $100. The guy who was selling the block had a '73 Dart in his garage that was 100% media blasted. Inside, out, and underneath. The car is practically a cream puff compared to what I've been working on, so I bought it

All of those months of work on the Sublime '70 will now be put on hold. I will shoot primer over all the bare metal and park it out back until I am finished with the "new" car.

When I started I had a two year goal to get the Dart on the track. At the rate I was going, and with a ton of other "issues" that I have not even begun to tackle, I felt this was the right move.

Not only did I get the car for $500, but it came with a $500 Art Morrison roll cage kit as well. It also has 2x3 subframe connectors welded in. This time the right way.

I will setup the '73 with the '70 front clip and probably the '70 doors too.

So... this thread will be ending for at least a couple years and I will start a new thread for the new car.

 

[ab7fh]

Here's a link to my new thread: http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=216372

 

[ab7fh]

[update 12-27-07] I'm shelfing this project for a few years. In the meantime I found a real clean Dart which I will be building up for the track. Here's a link to the new thread: http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=216372[/update]

Back in the late '70s and early '80s I owned a 1972 Dodge Dart which I drag raced and drove on the street.

Well, I got the itch to get back into racing:burnout: Our new house is only 3 miles from the Speedworld racetrack and I can faintly hear them running the cars from our house every weekend. That was just too much for me to bare, so I decided to get back into drag racing.

A couple weeks ago I bought a 1970 Dodge Dart off of E-bay. The car was located in New Jersey, a mere 2500 miles from home I decided this was the right car for me mainly because I really needed to get out of the house on my own for a couple weeks and this was just the excuse I needed;)

The car is going to be stripped and repainted. It will get new quarter panels, at least one rocker, one floorpan, new door hinges, fiberglass hood, bumpers, and most likely trunk lid as well.

The new color will most likely be orange, but it just may end up being red, like my old one. Plans for it include at least 500HP and an automatic transmission. I'm not sure if I'll be running a BB or SB yet. I plan on ditching the torsion bar front suspension for an AlterKation K member with coilovers.

The rear end in the car right now is a trussed Mopar 8 3/4", with a three link suspension and coilovers.

 

[ab7fh]

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