1974 Dodge Dart Sport

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BornNaked

Hemi of the small blocks
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
10
Reaction score
20
Location
Pittston PA
Hello Everyone,

I've been a long time lurker on this forum. I figured this place would be a great start to my journey.

26 years ago when I was a teenager, my father bought his first muscle car. Our red 74 Dart Sport. The first time it cranked over, I remember jumping out my skin in surprise on how the 340 sounded. Since then, it had sat for decades. Some of that time it was not in a garage. When I bought my home 12 years ago, my father told me in needs to be in a garage so in my garage it went. Since then, I have been waiting for the right time to start the project. I think its time.

So far of what I know about the car.


  • Motor feels sluggish, it leaks a lot of oil. Exhaust is white..ish.
  • I hear a whine when I have the motor running. Probably a belt?
  • Geared low. Id rather make it a driver I think my dad said 4.11 in it now.
  • 3 speed auto transmission is sketchy. I don't know if I'm in park or not and I feel it shifts hard. I may be doing a 4 speed conversion.
  • Rear suspensions sits low. But I don't know if its too low. ya know?
  • No breaks at the moment.
  • Some things like the speedometer do not work on my instrument cluster. I don't know how to go about that yet.
  • Since the car sat outside for a bit, the inside is all mildewy. It all has to come out.
  • I don't think I have the same front bucket sears. Very similar, though.
  • The paint is bubbling and chipping at places, a minor dent here and there.
  • And just recently, I accidentally bent the bumper and the bumper brackets... Its not a great story. Its how I found out I have no breaks.

I apologize in advance for all of the advice I'm about to ask. I'm great with my hands and I learn quick. But I do not know how all of this works yet.



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:welcome: from :canada:
You've come to the right place for answers, lots of great people here, always someone willing to help keep these old girls on the road.
Your Dart looks like it has been pretty well looked after so far.
 
Welcome aboard! Lots of MOPAR guys in your area.

I apologize in advance for all of the advice I'm about to ask. I'm great with my hands and I learn quick. But I do not know how all of this works yet.

Don't worry about that. No apologies. Have a thick skin

The search function is your friend
 
Nice! If your dad put 4.10 gears in it (not available from factory that year), he may have also put a shift kit in the transmission. That would explain why it shifts “rough”. I’d suggest you do basic tuneup (spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap & rotor, fuel filter, change oil), clean it up and drive it. Enjoy it before you start tearing it apart. You’d be surprised how many cars sit in the garage for years, because owners got in over their heads. This forum will give you all the help you need. Welcome!
 
Nice! If your dad put 4.10 gears in it (not available from factory that year), he may have also put a shift kit in the transmission. That would explain why it shifts “rough”. I’d suggest you do basic tuneup (spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap & rotor, fuel filter, change oil), clean it up and drive it. Enjoy it before you start tearing it apart. You’d be surprised how many cars sit in the garage for years, because owners got in over their heads. This forum will give you all the help you need. Welcome!
You know. I very recently came to that realization. I think I have a plan.
 
Welcome from Canada! This site is amazing, you will find all sorts of help, and friendly people willing to offer it, so dont be afraid to ask questions :thumbsup:
And I agree with with what @middleagecrisis had to say, start with the basics and tune it up as best you can and go from there. And hes right, that hard shifting may be due to a shift kit installed if your dad did some racy improvements to it.
 
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