68 Dart SEDAN Restoration

[Montana Y]

I wanted to share with everyone my restoration of my 68 dart 270 sedan Most of the work was done through October and November of 2017. I have mostly video of the car through the restoration, which I'll upload once I get around to editing it. For now here's a photo or two of the car as it is presently

A little History
The car was bought new by my great aunt and uncle on 12/20/67 for $2700. It came with a slant-6 and a torqueflite automatic. The car is painted med-dark turquois with a black interior. They drove the car through the 70s and then sold it to my grandfather, who let his son drive it as a first car. One day the son hit 110mph in a car that shouldn't be able to pass 95mph. Mysteriously the car soon developed a knock and was parked. My grandfather then bought a slant-6 from a 78 Aspen to put in the dart. This was in 1988

I moved into my grandfathers house in 96 and became the only one in the family to take interest in the car. in 06 they let me have it. Then, last year, I finally got the title and began the restoration

 

[Montana Y]

The goal was to only spend $2700 in restoring it, since that was it's original cost and, coincidentally, it's current book value. It had been parked for 30 years and once fell of a trailer during transit, and had decades of mouse feces in it. I first rebuilt the entire brake system (all drums) complete with new lines and master cylinder. Then I replaced the shocks. A bit of patching was done about the body, and a bit of paint. The interior was completely stripped, and I hosed it down, the water turning black from mouse sewage. I replaced the headliner (it did not go well, but, it's better than before) and installed new carpet. I replaced one door latch and mended all the door panels One tail lamp was broken and I found a cheap used replacement.

The seat benches were ok but the rear seat back had been destroyed by the sun. Rather than spend a lot of money on a new cover I sewed my own from marine vinyl. It cost about $75. Below is a picture of the old and new.

Now with a new interior I went and pulled the transmission (the old motor was long gone). I replaced the filter and bolted it to the Super-Slant 6, which was sporting a new alternator, fuel pump, and coil. We then dropped in the motor. It took a while to line it up. After cursing out the transmission linkage a lot (which didn't line up with the new 2-barrel carb on the super slant 6) I hooked up a battery and fired her up

Or not. I couldnt since this motor had electronic ignition and not points, so I had to wire those up. She turned over but didn't start. I figured I wired it up wrong. I took it to the garage and they told me I had no compression, then charged me $225. They said my engine was probably destroyed for sitting so long. It was heartbreaking.

But fear not! i took it to my cousins, and we gave it a valve job and she ran! She's now registered and I can drive her about. There are only a few things left to fix:

1: A water leak shorted out the dashboard, and I have no gauges
2: The timing advance doesn't work, so if I go over 45mph the manifold glows (yikes)
3: A brake hose and transmission line are loose, so i'm loosing fluids
4: Connect the aftermarket, period correct under dash cassette player and CB radio
5: Properly wire the collapsable Am/Fm/CB antenna
6: Replace all lights with custom LEDs
7: Fix the Hazzard lights and Reverse lights

I'll post again once I get this stuff sorted out.

 

[Montana Y]

Oh yeah, and the final tally came in at $4000

 

[mopar_nocar]

Nicely done. Keeping another one on the road!

sb

 

[Jim Quintus]

Nice project. I'd like to know more abut the LED light upgrades.

 

[hemisedan]

Nicely done, those slant 6/s are just about bullet proof if you get them past 10,000 miles. Same usually goes for the old 318. Yeah, right tell us more when you get to the LED's.

 

[Montana Y]

Just an update, but the dart is dead. I pulled the distributor to replace the vacuum advance but found out autozone sold me the wrong part (again). Now she's so far out of time she can't start.

Also the manifold nearly fell off. I don't think I can do cross-country trips in this car like I wanted to. Maybe I'll get a K-car instead.

 

[hemisedan]

Also the manifold nearly fell off. I don't think I can do cross-country trips in this car like I wanted to. Maybe I'll get a K-car instead.[/QUOTE]

Don’t loose the faith!

 

[Montana Y]

It's been a while, but I thought I might just post an update. The Dart, which I have now dubbed "Dinky" Is mostly OK. In mid 2019 my cousin (different cousin) helped me time it. it was about 10-20 degrees off. Turns out I miraculously re-installed the distributor correctly. She was back on the road for about 4 months. Then one day she just died while I was driving. no sputtering, nothing. On moment she was running, then she wasn't. Somehow I lost all spark. I think it was the voltage regulator, since that was the only original part left in the ignition wiring. I should have probably not ignored the alt meter pegging. I've yet to replace it due to cash constraints.

This summer I plan to do all the bodywork (properly this time) and get it running perfectly.