65 Dart Wagon Conversion to a Sedan Delivery

[65 Dartman]

Cool build somehow I missed it before. Here is where I get gaskets from RA in the universal section sold by the foot. You need to measure the side profile to be sure it will work.
Body Weatherstrip Windshield Molding / Seal Parts | RockAuto

When we took out the windshield, the gasket was in superb shape - I’ll clean and soften it just a bit and reuse it. With a new GM chrome lock strip, it’ll look great. I already have my door seals with the wind lace in metallic blue as per original. Now, the tailgate seals, that’s another “what to do about this?”

 

[65 Dartman]

More surprises! The bottom of the driver’s door is peppered with holes! It looked like surface rust but not even! Can’t blame this on being a California car - the doors were pulled from a Virginia 66 Plymouth 2 door sedan!

 

[RustyRatRod]

Well fix that bad boy! Git crackin! lol

 

[65 Dartman]

Don! Will you leave the drip rail from the door or continue with the "glass" area all the way to the front doors?

Don. Any pics of your drip rail issue? Or maybe you have already posted pics of this question.

Ulf - the front is connected with the rear with a slight dip in the middle

The more I look at the fabricated drip rail where there’s a dip after the door drip rail, the less I like it. To straighten it out would require raising the rear of the door drip rail to level it out to the rest of the side drip rail where it joins at the rear. Then it wouldn’t “look” right above the door. I’m considering just cutting and removing all the side and back drip rail from the rear of the door back - just the over-the-door drip rail would remain. All the rest i’d Remove - would be like modern cars that have no drip rail at all

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I went ahead and did it - removed the drip rail from just behind the door all the way to the back. After the metalwork and some filler, I like the look a lot better! From a rail dip edge to none! There will be no drip rail in the rear and of course on the other side except over the passenger door.

 

[sgrip65]

I went ahead and did it - removed the drip rail from just behind the door all the way to the back. After the metalwork and some filler, I like the look a lot better! From a rail dip edge to none! There will be no drip rail in the rear and of course on the other side except over the passenger door.

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Don. I think that will,look just fine. No window there anyway.....right? sgrip65

 

[65 Dartman]

Don. I think that will,look just fine. No window there anyway.....right? sgrip65

Correct, no window there! Getting ready to cut the rear and passenger side drip rail this afternoon.

 

[65dartcharger]

Correct no window there! Getting ready to cut the rear and passenger side drip rail this afternoon.

That looks great Don!

 

[65 Dartman]

A friend of mine said he’s seen several 2 doors at this U Pull It about 70 miles from here. So we drove up and found another 66 Valiant 2 door sedan. The door looked pretty nice with no surface rust on it and straight. After getting it home, found out it’s got some issues at the latch where the top mounting screw has pulled threw the door sheet metal and ripped the metal a bit. As long as that’s it, i’m Happy. Did strip the door down to a shell in prep for sanding it. If I need anything off the door with all the shotgun holes, i’ll Have it.

You can see where the top hole is greatly enlarged where the bolt has pulled through

 

[65 Dartman]

Finished up removing the drip rail over the rear window. With a bit of metalwork and filler, it’ll tie in nicely with the driver’s side and passenger side when I get to that point.

 

[65 Dartman]

After deciding where to cut the door latch out from the door I got yesterday, I used it as the template for cutting out the identical area from the original wagon’s front door. The latch mounting screw pulled right through tat the top hole and ripped the metal at the left lower mounting hole. It was about ready to pull through as well!

The patch on the left is from the wagon’s original driver’s door - identical to the sedan door.

The replacement from the wagon front door is a virtual drop-in to where the damaged area used to be! Ready to do some welding!

 

[65 Dartman]

And welded in with just a touch of glazing filler and some self etching primer - done and now onto the next project.

The proportions don’t look right due to how close I got my phone camera to it!

 

[65 Dartman]

Got the paint stripped from my replacement door - not a bit of rust nor any dents or door dings at all! Got it primed and refitted to the body. I’ll Have to take it back off to sand and refinish the inside where needed but the hard part is done.

 

[sgrip65]

Don. Margins look good. Great work. sgrip65

 

[65 Dartman]

It actually lined up better than the other rusty door! Can’t wait to see the S.D. in OEM white with it’s blue interior!

 

[65dartcharger]

I went ahead and did it - removed the drip rail from just behind the door all the way to the back. After the metalwork and some filler, I like the look a lot better! From a rail dip edge to none! There will be no drip rail in the rear and of course on the other side except over the passenger door.

View attachment 1715392616

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That looks great don. Then you get a factory delivery look all the way. Awesome!

 

[65 Dartman]

Removed the OEM wagon passenger side B pillar today. It actually wasn’t as easy as that with all the spot welds holding it in place. Also removed all the excess metal and sandblasted the replacement B pillar from the 2 door sedan which is sitting on the floor. It fits like it was made for it - ready to weld it in place. One step closer! That white panel is the hood leaning against the shelving. Have I ever mentioned am doing this in a one car garage!

 

[sgrip65]

Don, One-Car Garage? Wow, and I am in a 32x48 building, and at times, I felt like I did not have enough room. Looking good. sgrip65

 

[65 Dartman]

Well , sort of a 1 car basement garage - the wagon on one side, compressor and work benches on the other side which has no outside door. I store a lot of stuff in the other half of the basement, leaving Judy enough room for the washer & dryer - priorities you know! Luckily I have a 12 x 16 storage building which is adequate.

 

[65dartcharger]

Well , sort of a 1 car basement garage - the wagon on one side, compressor and work benches on the other side which has no outside door. I store a lot of stuff in the other half of the basement, leaving Judy enough room for the washer & dryer - priorities you know! Luckily I have a 12 x 16 storage building which is adequate.

I guess that if you have a huge interest for something you can be satiesfied with a small shop as long as you can work on your car. Larger shop = more junk! At least here in Sweden.

 

[65 Dartman]

I guess that if you have a huge interest for something you can be satiesfied with a small shop as long as you can work on your car. Larger shop = more junk! At least here in Sweden.

I actually have plenty of room to work on the wagon, as evidenced by the driver’s side modifications. As I need a body part (doors, fenders, etc, I get them from my storage building and return them after fitting or working on them or whatever needed to be done with them. Some parts, like the motor and the rear end, I store in the area where the washer and dryer are, which is a separate area from where the car and work area is. I bet if I had a large shop, I’d probably have more stuff in it that I’d never use.

 

[65 Dartman]

Well after some sandblasting around the perimeter of the passenger door, found more shotgun holes in the bottom. Got to make a decision on trying to repair with a patch panel from the OEM wagon door (which is not too bad after sandblasting it) or going to the junkyard and buying the passenger door from the Valiant that I got the driver’s door and hoping it’s as nice on the exterior and perimeter as was the driver’s door! $100 for that door and hoping it’s good as driver’s door or lots of repair time on this door?

 

[65dartcharger]

Well after some sandblasting around the perimeter of the passenger door, found more shotgun holes in the bottom. Got to make a decision on trying to repair with a patch panel from the OEM wagon door (which is not too bad after sandblasting it) or going to the junkyard and buying the passenger door from the Valiant that I got the driver’s door and hoping it’s as nice on the exterior and perimeter as was the driver’s door! $100 for that door and hoping it’s good as driver’s door or lots of repair time on this door?View attachment 1715396302

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I like the word shot gun holes! Never heard of it.

 

[65 Dartman]

Decided to take a break from metal and/or bodywork on the 65. I have 3 driver’s door latches that all have some issues, 2 more major than the third. So I took it and gave it a bath in Evaporust yesterday. The only real issue it had was the the bracket with the rod from the inside door was pretty well frozen - maybe rust between the retaining spring, the bracket and the latch itself? If rust hopefully the evaporust will take care of it. Today it looks like brand new except that bracket is still hard to move. 4 or 5 minutes of working with it back and forth, a little spray grease and it’s like new. Now to give the passenger side a bath too! You can see the referenced latch bracket as it wasn’t completely covered by the Evaporust as it was still pretty stuck at bath time!

 

[65dartcharger]

Decided to take a break from metal and/or bodywork on the 65. I have 3 driver’s door latches that all have some issues, 2 more major than the third. So I took it and gave it a bath in Evaporust yesterday. The only real issue it had was the the bracket with the rod from the inside door was pretty well frozen - maybe rust between the retaining spring, the bracket and the latch itself? If rust hopefully the evaporust will take care of it. Today it looks like brand new except that bracket is still hard to move. 4 or 5 minutes of working with it back and forth, a little spray grease and it’s like new. Now to give the passenger side a bath too! You can see the referenced latch bracket as it wasn’t completely covered by the Evaporust as it was still pretty stuck at bath time!
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Turned out great. How about a 3 gallon jug in the suitcase next year? Just kidding Don! Is it expensive stuff?

 

[65 Dartman]

Turned out great. How about a 3 gallon jug in the suitcase next year? Just kidding Don! Is it expensive stuff?

If I could bring some over to you I would! I bought a 5 gal can of it on Amazon and think I paid less that $80 for it with free shipping IIRC!