'68 Dart GTS

[Cudapete]

So I've got the car stripped down to the uni body and started straightening the quarters with fill prime, The car has all its original sheet metal with just 40 yrs of shopping cart dings and some very small lower panel rust that was repaired when I did my driver resto on it last year, so should be relatively easy to make near perfect. Well after driving and enjoying it for a while now I'm ready to give this car the proper resto it deserves and in the meantime I'm going to drive my 65 cuda. I was originally going for the old school super stocker look with big 60's series tires and cragers etc, but I think the house of colors lime time will be a little too flashey for that look so I'm going with the 17" boyd coddington smoothies (my barracuda got the crager look instead). My plan is to keep it very stock appearing with factory stripe and interior etc but cool wheels, paint and put the 408 stroker back in but make that stock appearing also except for the headers. Heres some pics of the progress so far...
had to resize some so a couple are out of order.

 

[gts340]

Lookin' good!

 

[memike]

You have been busy Pete8) , Look'in real good :cheers:

 

[Longgone]

68 Dart GTS, I can relate, although I did a very sympathetic restoration on mine. One day I`ll take it down to a pile of nuts and bolts and redo everything as you are. Looking good, keep the progress pictures coming.

 

[68mopar]

Looks good!! What kind of rims do you have and what size tires? They look great. I want to upgrade mine, maybe 15x7 cragars. Also, how did you get the extra lift in the back?

 

[Cudapete]

Thanks for the compliments guys. Yeah I've been very busy the last few months. As far as the wheels they are Boyd Coddington smoothie twos and are 17x7 up front and 17x9.50 out back with 255 40zr17 cooper cobras in the back and 215 50 17 coopers up front. and I think the backspace was 4" on the rears and factory up front. The ride height is stock in the rear and there was no modification to the quarters or wheel tubs (If I wanted to lower the rear then i would have to mini tub it) I did a one inch drop in the front by adjusting the torsion bars. I'll keep the pics comin as I make progress.

 

[daves66valiant]

Looks like a great canvas. I dig the wheels.

 

[Cudapete]

Thanks I think they will compliment the green with white top and stripe nicely!

 

[Cudapete]

Made some more progress on the car, Gave the quarters one last coat of fill primer and blocked them out, then got both doors and trunk straight. Needed a break from that so I repainted the dash,speedo cluster, upper and lower door frames and console. Order the paint and materials to jamb the doors trunk and under hood area today. All thats left to block are the hood and fenders and it should'nt take to long cause they're straight already. More pics to come as I make progress heres what I have so far.

 

[bayyum]

looks really good, nice job

 

[Cudapete]

Thanks hope to get some color on the jambs by the weekend.

 

[dusted72]

WOW looks like a really clean car to start with can't wait to see it with color.

 

[chachi]

Looks good! I too have a 68 dart and have been thinking of changing rims. It looks like the 17"s fit nicely. Any type of adjustments you make, or did it bolt on perfectly? Also, what series tires are they 50? 45?

 

[Cudapete]

The tires fit perfectly with about an 1/8" trimmed off the wheel lip all the way across the top, and a stock ride height, if you want to lower the car say even an inch in the back and 1" 1/2 in the front then some major modifications to the rear wheel tub and lip would need to be made. If you could get the rim in 8" wide (which i could'nt from coddington came in 7 and 9.5") then you could lower it with very little issue IMO. My wheels are 17x7 up front and 17x 9.5 in the rear 4" backspace in the rear and stock up front. with 25540zr17 in the rear.

 

[homecloned]

I like. 8) Nice work Cudapete. :cheers:

 

[Cudapete]

So here's some more progress . I got the car all jammed in color and will be putting all the panels back on today and aligning everything also got the floors cleaned and painted as well. Then I'm taking a break . After that I 'm gonna do a final blocking fixing any little thing I missed then its going to my friends shop for final paint. I'd do it but since my shop is a 100 year old barn turned into a garage the final paint will come out better at his place.

 

[Dartnut]

Nice color choice, you sure put in a lot of hard work and it shows.
Great job!
Can't wait to see it come together.

 

[Cudapete]

Thanks for the compliments, I'll post a couple more pics of the car together after work today.

 

[Cudapete]

Got everything lined back up and did a final blocking of the whole car , so now I've just got to wet sand the bumpers and bolts and wait for some more funds and its off to be painted! Hopefully in january maybe sooner. As far as the bumpers I'm gonna run painted ones until I can afford some really nice chrome ones, and I think painted ones goes with the pro tour look anyway.

 

[Cudapete]

Finally got the car back from getting painted heres a couple pics from when I picked it up. Been busy working on it and have more pics, just have nt had a chance to down load them yet. Will do that asap.

 

[alex_borges_br]

very beautiful car.. I intend to build a 68 clone with my brazilian dart
I will paint it green too.. but a bit more dark and less shining.
keep working.. nice car

 

[mopardude318]

Wow!!! Looks terrific!!! Very nice job! I wish I had a 68...That's my favorite year dart!! I guess my 70 will just have to do...

 

[Cudapete]

Thanks guys, got the top and glass in the last couple of days, once the trim is on I''ll be posting some pictures!

 

[Cudapete]

Got alot done this week, the headliner is in, the wiring harnesses, dash, glass and vinyl top is in.Also got all the exterior trim on as well, hope to get some interior done this week.

 

[Longgone]

Man you are rollin' !!!! Everything looks great, she`s a beauty!