Brian's 67 dart
- Thread starter Gordon340
- Start date
-
Howdy Folks,
I would like to use this thread to recount some of the many things that I have learned thus far in my build. I fully understand that many of the things I have learned may not be the only or even the best way to approach the various aspects of restoring/ building an A-Body Mopar. I invite anyone to add to, improve, or correct anything that I say. (As if any of yall needed an invitation.lol )
To give a platform for tips and techniques requires that someone get something written so others can improve upon it. I know that I have learned quite a bit from just hanging around the different forums here; methods and pitfalls that others have spoken about have saved me a load of frustration & irritation, and others experience & research have guided me to many of the best parts and sources. I look forward to hopefully provoking the thoughts of the other folks on the list. It might be something that would prove to be useful for us to share with one another. (If it is not useful, hopefully it would at least be something that I will enjoy doing.)
Brian
I would like to use this thread to recount some of the many things that I have learned thus far in my build. I fully understand that many of the things I have learned may not be the only or even the best way to approach the various aspects of restoring/ building an A-Body Mopar. I invite anyone to add to, improve, or correct anything that I say. (As if any of yall needed an invitation.lol )
To give a platform for tips and techniques requires that someone get something written so others can improve upon it. I know that I have learned quite a bit from just hanging around the different forums here; methods and pitfalls that others have spoken about have saved me a load of frustration & irritation, and others experience & research have guided me to many of the best parts and sources. I look forward to hopefully provoking the thoughts of the other folks on the list. It might be something that would prove to be useful for us to share with one another. (If it is not useful, hopefully it would at least be something that I will enjoy doing.)
Brian
The first thing I discovered was impatience and a lack of forethought creates many future problems.
I had had the idea that I would like to build another Dart for some time. Nothing concrete or urgent, just something I would like to do someday. I wasnt looking for a new project but one sorta fell in my lap. A V8 67 Dart GT with no rust on the main body offered at a decent price was proffered by the Snap-on tool man that comes by our shop. I started asking some questions and found out that it was a rolling chassis that had been a project car that someone else had started and lost interest in. Bobby had bought it to do himself but had recently discovered a 68 340 survivor for a price that was too good to pass up. He assured me of two things if I bought the 67: 1. All the parts were there and useable, 2. He knew where a 340 was that he could get for a song. (Lesson 1: all the parts are NEVER there. Lesson 2: Dont believe anything about any rare part unless and until you have it in your hands.)
I went and looked at it at night (Lesson 3: Night time is not the right time to look at anything.) It looked good and a quick survey in my mind accounted for all the main body parts and the stacks of other parts looked impressive. The bolts and attaching pieces were in plastic baggies and labeled, most of the main subassemblies were not disassembled just removed from the car (the dash, doors, etc.), and the other subassemblies were boxed together with their pieces in one place. (Lesson 4: Dont let yourself be rushed and take a very detailed inventory when you can see everything clearly).
We agreed on a price and Bobby promised to deliver everything but the engine and transmission (which was at a different location) to my house the following evening after work. True to his word, he arrived with a helper at my house about dusk the next day. The three of us had the car and parts quickly unloaded and Bobby, his helper and trailer were soon gone leaving me and my new treasure alone in my yard. (Lesson 5: Only accept delivery in the daytime when you have plenty of time to supervise the unloading of each piece yourself).
I went to bed that Friday night with visions of Chevy-eating Darts on my mind. I had a hard time getting to sleep, like a kid at Christmas. The 5 lessons that this night would teach me were yet to be manifested -- the coming morning would begin the revelation that being overeager sows poor seeds.
I had had the idea that I would like to build another Dart for some time. Nothing concrete or urgent, just something I would like to do someday. I wasnt looking for a new project but one sorta fell in my lap. A V8 67 Dart GT with no rust on the main body offered at a decent price was proffered by the Snap-on tool man that comes by our shop. I started asking some questions and found out that it was a rolling chassis that had been a project car that someone else had started and lost interest in. Bobby had bought it to do himself but had recently discovered a 68 340 survivor for a price that was too good to pass up. He assured me of two things if I bought the 67: 1. All the parts were there and useable, 2. He knew where a 340 was that he could get for a song. (Lesson 1: all the parts are NEVER there. Lesson 2: Dont believe anything about any rare part unless and until you have it in your hands.)
I went and looked at it at night (Lesson 3: Night time is not the right time to look at anything.) It looked good and a quick survey in my mind accounted for all the main body parts and the stacks of other parts looked impressive. The bolts and attaching pieces were in plastic baggies and labeled, most of the main subassemblies were not disassembled just removed from the car (the dash, doors, etc.), and the other subassemblies were boxed together with their pieces in one place. (Lesson 4: Dont let yourself be rushed and take a very detailed inventory when you can see everything clearly).
We agreed on a price and Bobby promised to deliver everything but the engine and transmission (which was at a different location) to my house the following evening after work. True to his word, he arrived with a helper at my house about dusk the next day. The three of us had the car and parts quickly unloaded and Bobby, his helper and trailer were soon gone leaving me and my new treasure alone in my yard. (Lesson 5: Only accept delivery in the daytime when you have plenty of time to supervise the unloading of each piece yourself).
I went to bed that Friday night with visions of Chevy-eating Darts on my mind. I had a hard time getting to sleep, like a kid at Christmas. The 5 lessons that this night would teach me were yet to be manifested -- the coming morning would begin the revelation that being overeager sows poor seeds.
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
This is cool......I get to read about somebody else's restoration!
Lesson 6; Brian, you have no idea what you've just started.....the stories just go on & on, like a train, once rolling is difficult or nigh impossible to stop! But that's OK as far as I'm concerned, because I want to hear the whole story! :toothy7:
Lesson 6; Brian, you have no idea what you've just started.....the stories just go on & on, like a train, once rolling is difficult or nigh impossible to stop! But that's OK as far as I'm concerned, because I want to hear the whole story! :toothy7:
Longgone
John/68 Barracuda & Dart
Hello Brian , I`ve seen your Dart in the garage photos and it appears you`ve got a great start. You`ve touched on several points that many of us can relate to and I hope we can all share in the trials and triumphs of your/our restorations. Continue the nice job you`re doing and keep the progress photos coming. LOL, your preface does have that Capt.Kirks Duster project flavor to it!
The next morning, with coffee cup in hand, I went to get better acquainted with the Mopar erecter kit I had just bought.
The thing that had really sold me on this car, the main body, was as good in the light of day has it had appeared to be a couple of nights before. A couple of slight dings in the quarters with some minor surface rust on the cowl were all I could see that needed any real attention. No rust throughs in the trunk or floors with solid quarters were a welcome sight compared to my last two projects. The coffee was good and the sun was bright but not hot all was well with the world.
However, things went down hill from there. Both front fenders had been set on the car with a few finger tightened bolts to keep them there. The right hand side was original with one off a white 68 (round marker light hole) residing on the drivers corner. It was here that I began to reap what a slight nighttime inspection had sown the fenders that looked solid in the dim light of a flashlight now revealed some rust lurking beneath the paint surface. A little prodding and poking made things go from bad to worse; Swiss cheese in the bottom of the passengers and a rotted support brace and a good bit of bondo present in the other.
Hum Better go look at those doors a little closer. Pulled them out of my small 10 X 10 shop and set them on some saw horses. The right side looked ok with just a few parking lots dings in the normal places. No such luck with its partner, a close look at the spider webbed paint around the outer door handle revealed a door with a lot of filler in some bad places.
Ditto for the hood seems like it was wacked on the drivers side sometime in its history and the wack had involved the hood, fender, and door. The repair had been done with body filler used in some not well straightened dents instead of more time consuming and expensive metal work or replacement. The former owner and would-be restorer must have figured the drivers fender was beyond repair and the rusted 68 was the best replacement he had found. One of the problems I had managed to find by flashlight was rust in the rear of the deck lid it looked no better in the light of day.
I stepped back and surveyed my now tarnished treasure. The body and some of the larger body pieces were setting in the yard and my little workshop was filled with wall to wall pieces, panels, and boxes. The need for a good bit more room to work and some shelter for the car itself was obvious. A quick trip to the local Sams Club yielded a large garage tent that completely enclosed the car & a trip across the yard to my brother-in-laws gained permission to use his large and recently emptied storage shed located behind his house. (Lesson 6: Be careful of letting your emotions over rule your brain about how prepared you are for the new addition to the family.) (Lesson 7: Its also best to do this when planning for children how many of us would be here if our parents had waited till they were ready to have us? I would have never showed up on the stage of life if my parents had waited. I wonder if the same is not true with the cars that most are building here on the list. If I waited till I was ready to build another car, I would never experience the joy that doing it brings so take lesson 6 with a grain of salt.) J
I began to place the many parts and pieces into groups: body pieces, interior, drive train, etc. soon formed little mounds in the front yard. The little mounds were missing a few things: the windshield & gasket (this would prove a major problem on a 67), the gas tank was absent and only had one gas tank strap was present (little did I know that a 67 only used one), rear windshield gasket, and just about everything in the power train except the drive shaft and the rear end under the car. (Lesson 8: Dont assume because you have a good bit of experience on 69s and 67s mostly look just like them they must be the same in the details. The 67 is a one year only in many aspects and the parts are more scarce for it.)
Started making a list and checked it twice was beginning to wonder if Bobby had been naughty instead of nice.
I carted all the little piles off to the borrowed shed and then erected the tent and pushed the car into it.
The giddy excitement of last night was quickly morphing into a strong dose of reality with a not too little dash of buyers remorse mixed in. Convinced I had made a mistake buying the Dart, I took the wife out to the local OCharlies and blunted the edge off my sorrows with a good steak.
Brian
The thing that had really sold me on this car, the main body, was as good in the light of day has it had appeared to be a couple of nights before. A couple of slight dings in the quarters with some minor surface rust on the cowl were all I could see that needed any real attention. No rust throughs in the trunk or floors with solid quarters were a welcome sight compared to my last two projects. The coffee was good and the sun was bright but not hot all was well with the world.
However, things went down hill from there. Both front fenders had been set on the car with a few finger tightened bolts to keep them there. The right hand side was original with one off a white 68 (round marker light hole) residing on the drivers corner. It was here that I began to reap what a slight nighttime inspection had sown the fenders that looked solid in the dim light of a flashlight now revealed some rust lurking beneath the paint surface. A little prodding and poking made things go from bad to worse; Swiss cheese in the bottom of the passengers and a rotted support brace and a good bit of bondo present in the other.
Hum Better go look at those doors a little closer. Pulled them out of my small 10 X 10 shop and set them on some saw horses. The right side looked ok with just a few parking lots dings in the normal places. No such luck with its partner, a close look at the spider webbed paint around the outer door handle revealed a door with a lot of filler in some bad places.
Ditto for the hood seems like it was wacked on the drivers side sometime in its history and the wack had involved the hood, fender, and door. The repair had been done with body filler used in some not well straightened dents instead of more time consuming and expensive metal work or replacement. The former owner and would-be restorer must have figured the drivers fender was beyond repair and the rusted 68 was the best replacement he had found. One of the problems I had managed to find by flashlight was rust in the rear of the deck lid it looked no better in the light of day.
I stepped back and surveyed my now tarnished treasure. The body and some of the larger body pieces were setting in the yard and my little workshop was filled with wall to wall pieces, panels, and boxes. The need for a good bit more room to work and some shelter for the car itself was obvious. A quick trip to the local Sams Club yielded a large garage tent that completely enclosed the car & a trip across the yard to my brother-in-laws gained permission to use his large and recently emptied storage shed located behind his house. (Lesson 6: Be careful of letting your emotions over rule your brain about how prepared you are for the new addition to the family.) (Lesson 7: Its also best to do this when planning for children how many of us would be here if our parents had waited till they were ready to have us? I would have never showed up on the stage of life if my parents had waited. I wonder if the same is not true with the cars that most are building here on the list. If I waited till I was ready to build another car, I would never experience the joy that doing it brings so take lesson 6 with a grain of salt.) J
I began to place the many parts and pieces into groups: body pieces, interior, drive train, etc. soon formed little mounds in the front yard. The little mounds were missing a few things: the windshield & gasket (this would prove a major problem on a 67), the gas tank was absent and only had one gas tank strap was present (little did I know that a 67 only used one), rear windshield gasket, and just about everything in the power train except the drive shaft and the rear end under the car. (Lesson 8: Dont assume because you have a good bit of experience on 69s and 67s mostly look just like them they must be the same in the details. The 67 is a one year only in many aspects and the parts are more scarce for it.)
Started making a list and checked it twice was beginning to wonder if Bobby had been naughty instead of nice.
I carted all the little piles off to the borrowed shed and then erected the tent and pushed the car into it.
The giddy excitement of last night was quickly morphing into a strong dose of reality with a not too little dash of buyers remorse mixed in. Convinced I had made a mistake buying the Dart, I took the wife out to the local OCharlies and blunted the edge off my sorrows with a good steak.
Brian
Well, after a good nights sleep, my disappointment with a less than perfect car got back in focus a little better. The thing is forty years old get a grip! Being Sunday morning, we headed off to church and, upon arriving back at home, I began to consider the best course of action for getting my restoration under way.
From my last experience I knew there were at least three things that I needed to get my hands on be able to better enjoy this one: 1. A group of like-minded folks, 2. Good information about the car and, 3. A source for parts.
A group of like-minded folks would be helpful on several different levels. Though most people will admire the finished car, few can appreciate what it takes to get there. There are times that it is very reassuring to see others that are struggling with very similar problems and then share in their satisfaction in over coming them. Encouragement from people that have actually been where you are carries more weight that the general good will of folks who are just trying to be kind. Then there is the experience factor. You can be spared so many of the mistakes or disappointments that lie in wait for us by asking questions or just listening in on conversations of those who have been there before you. And finally, a successful project is the sum of many small successes. How many people can actually rejoice with you over getting a seat cover or patch panel on, or discovering the correct piece of linkage that you have been searching for months for? To be able to share these small victories along the journey keeps our enthusiasm high and gives us the patience needed for the long haul. In addition to a few folks I have located locally, this forum has provided all of this and more.
Good information is the key to being able to actually go through the entire car and getting the result that we want. I have been a professional auto mechanic for over 30 years, but still need good information to restore the car to its original condition. (Not to mention the fact that I havent seen this type car in my bay for over 20 years.) This information would include the factory repair manual, pictures of what things looked like when it was new, and some history of my actual car.
The Internet has opened the door to a great big world in this regard. From finding a reprint of the original factory manuals on Ebay to the many pictures scattered all over the cyber-world, I can sit at the kitchen table and the answer to any question is at my fingertips.
In addition, I couldnt believe the many publications and magazines dealing with Mopars that my first visit to the local Books-A-Million revealed. Mopar Action, Mopar Muscle, and Mopar Collectors Guide just to name a few. Then there are the many mags that deal with muscle cars in general and also the old standards like Hot Rod and Car Craft. The articles are great, the pictures answer questions, and even the ads supply information on sources for parts. So much of this has come about in just the last few years!
Parts have proved to be a mixed blessing. All my other builds (last one about 15 years ago), would be supplied with several good parts cars that a couple of weeks of driving around had netted. Before, I was able to come up with a 69 340 Swinger body, a 68 GTS BB body and several V8 and S6 hardtops for a song and within a few weeks; but that time is long gone and so are almost all those cars I had acquired.
This time, there just arent any left at least not any that you see from the road. To my surprise, the last parts car that I had bought (a 71 Plymouth hardtop) was still in the field that I had found it in and was still mine. The only other one that I have been able to get is a 4 door 67 Dart found in a local scrap metal yard that I was able to save from the crusher.
On the other hand, there are more reproduction parts being made with new ones being added every day. Year One has moved in just 10 minutes from the house and carries a good stock of the pieces I have asked for. Several Mopar only salvage yards have sprung up and have a good presence on the WEB. No to mention the big cyber-yard sale, Ebay. But all of this is sooo expensive! Total expense for the 69 GTS I finished in 95, including the car, the 340 engine (with parts and machine shop work), parts cars, new parts and paint & body was about 3 grand. This one may cost that much per square foot!
A few weeks after its arrival, my 67 Dart GT is setting in its tent flanked by a 71 2 door hardtop and a 67 4 door sedan. A stack of manuals and magazines are setting beside my computer and I have joined the NE GA Mopar Club and this forum it was time to jump in and start!
Brian
From my last experience I knew there were at least three things that I needed to get my hands on be able to better enjoy this one: 1. A group of like-minded folks, 2. Good information about the car and, 3. A source for parts.
A group of like-minded folks would be helpful on several different levels. Though most people will admire the finished car, few can appreciate what it takes to get there. There are times that it is very reassuring to see others that are struggling with very similar problems and then share in their satisfaction in over coming them. Encouragement from people that have actually been where you are carries more weight that the general good will of folks who are just trying to be kind. Then there is the experience factor. You can be spared so many of the mistakes or disappointments that lie in wait for us by asking questions or just listening in on conversations of those who have been there before you. And finally, a successful project is the sum of many small successes. How many people can actually rejoice with you over getting a seat cover or patch panel on, or discovering the correct piece of linkage that you have been searching for months for? To be able to share these small victories along the journey keeps our enthusiasm high and gives us the patience needed for the long haul. In addition to a few folks I have located locally, this forum has provided all of this and more.
Good information is the key to being able to actually go through the entire car and getting the result that we want. I have been a professional auto mechanic for over 30 years, but still need good information to restore the car to its original condition. (Not to mention the fact that I havent seen this type car in my bay for over 20 years.) This information would include the factory repair manual, pictures of what things looked like when it was new, and some history of my actual car.
The Internet has opened the door to a great big world in this regard. From finding a reprint of the original factory manuals on Ebay to the many pictures scattered all over the cyber-world, I can sit at the kitchen table and the answer to any question is at my fingertips.
In addition, I couldnt believe the many publications and magazines dealing with Mopars that my first visit to the local Books-A-Million revealed. Mopar Action, Mopar Muscle, and Mopar Collectors Guide just to name a few. Then there are the many mags that deal with muscle cars in general and also the old standards like Hot Rod and Car Craft. The articles are great, the pictures answer questions, and even the ads supply information on sources for parts. So much of this has come about in just the last few years!
Parts have proved to be a mixed blessing. All my other builds (last one about 15 years ago), would be supplied with several good parts cars that a couple of weeks of driving around had netted. Before, I was able to come up with a 69 340 Swinger body, a 68 GTS BB body and several V8 and S6 hardtops for a song and within a few weeks; but that time is long gone and so are almost all those cars I had acquired.
This time, there just arent any left at least not any that you see from the road. To my surprise, the last parts car that I had bought (a 71 Plymouth hardtop) was still in the field that I had found it in and was still mine. The only other one that I have been able to get is a 4 door 67 Dart found in a local scrap metal yard that I was able to save from the crusher.
On the other hand, there are more reproduction parts being made with new ones being added every day. Year One has moved in just 10 minutes from the house and carries a good stock of the pieces I have asked for. Several Mopar only salvage yards have sprung up and have a good presence on the WEB. No to mention the big cyber-yard sale, Ebay. But all of this is sooo expensive! Total expense for the 69 GTS I finished in 95, including the car, the 340 engine (with parts and machine shop work), parts cars, new parts and paint & body was about 3 grand. This one may cost that much per square foot!
A few weeks after its arrival, my 67 Dart GT is setting in its tent flanked by a 71 2 door hardtop and a 67 4 door sedan. A stack of manuals and magazines are setting beside my computer and I have joined the NE GA Mopar Club and this forum it was time to jump in and start!
Brian
Saturday morning arrived and it was time to start, but where and with what? A wise fellow had once told me that he had always picked one thing and stayed on it till it was completely done, then moved on to the next thing until it was all done. Made sense to me.
I decided that on weekends I would work on the body and would work on the sub assemblies in the evenings during the week.
Keeping with the one thing at a time theme, I decided to start at the front of the car and work my way back on the body. Ran a long extension cord out to the car and chucked a wire brush in my drill. Stood there for a second and sorta took it in then fired up the drill and started cleaning the front of the radiator support. I had finally started!
Cleaned the radiator support and most of the engine compartment that day. Didnt find any hidden damage under the paint, even the area under the battery box was solid. Shot some primer on the bare metal, closed the tent and called it a day.
Felt a lot better about everything and I could actually see something I had done. I guess sometimes the hardest part is just getting started.
Went out to the workshop after supper Monday night to begin work on the subassemblies. Grabbed the dash and set it up on the workbench, set a couple boxes of different sized baggies and some masking tape & markers beside it and began to tear it down.
The dash pad was a mess, the defrost vents were trashed, the speaker was history, and everything was faded and not too attractive. Took notes of what I needed and went back in the house.
The restoration of the dash took me about a month, but it would be about 3 months before it was completely reassembled.
Drove down to Year One and picked up: a full body bumper kit (this contained bumpers for the ash tray and glove box door); the glove box liner; defrost vents; and ordered a 69 dash pad. (Why a 69 pad and not a 67? Remember the lesson about the 67 being a year unto itself? The 67 used a pad unique to itself and no one reproduces it. Just Dashes will recover yours, but there is a good bit of down time and it is expensive. The car was getting a 340 engine anyway, so a year correct restoration was already out of the cards. Would this now be called a resto-rod?)
One of the regrets that I have about my dash work was the fact that I used spray cans for the primer and the Satin Black paint. Its not that it doesnt look good I am quite pleased with the way it looks its the longevity that I am worried about. Wished I had painted it with a paint gun. I have never used a paint gun, and to be honest, I am a little nervous about using one. I cant paint worth a hoot. :sad9:
I took the cluster apart and cleaned the gauges and painted the needles with a light coat of Testers model car paint. (Cant use much it will weigh down the needles a little.) Did the same with the radio face (and also cleaned and lubed the knobs and tuner).
Cleaned all the bright metal with very fine steel wool and tested all the switched with an ohm meter.
The plastic molding that runs the length of the dash and frames the cluster and radio was the most difficult for me to do. Cleaned them well with a plastic cleaner that prepares it for paint (from Year One). Taped off the black parts and painted the chrome parts with NAPA Chrome paint. Let it sit for 3 days and removed the tape from the black and then taped off the chrome. The chrome paint held up well under the tape, I wasnt sure the black would so I painted the chrome first the new black paint would never be taped over. The taping took some time but it was worth it. The few things I had to touch up were done with model car paint and small brushes.
I am sure someone has a better way to do the letters under the switches there has to be a better way. I used model car paint with a tooth pick to put the paint on. Anyone want to share here?
I found a new speaker on Ebay and a new A/C mode switch at NAPA.
Assembled the dash and installed the wiring harness for it. The dash pad would be a few more weeks away, but the dash still looked good. Set it up on the work bench, popped open a Diet Pepsi, climbed up on my stood and just admired it.
On the roller coaster of feelings, I was on top of the hill.
Brian
I decided that on weekends I would work on the body and would work on the sub assemblies in the evenings during the week.
Keeping with the one thing at a time theme, I decided to start at the front of the car and work my way back on the body. Ran a long extension cord out to the car and chucked a wire brush in my drill. Stood there for a second and sorta took it in then fired up the drill and started cleaning the front of the radiator support. I had finally started!
Cleaned the radiator support and most of the engine compartment that day. Didnt find any hidden damage under the paint, even the area under the battery box was solid. Shot some primer on the bare metal, closed the tent and called it a day.
Felt a lot better about everything and I could actually see something I had done. I guess sometimes the hardest part is just getting started.
Went out to the workshop after supper Monday night to begin work on the subassemblies. Grabbed the dash and set it up on the workbench, set a couple boxes of different sized baggies and some masking tape & markers beside it and began to tear it down.
The dash pad was a mess, the defrost vents were trashed, the speaker was history, and everything was faded and not too attractive. Took notes of what I needed and went back in the house.
The restoration of the dash took me about a month, but it would be about 3 months before it was completely reassembled.
Drove down to Year One and picked up: a full body bumper kit (this contained bumpers for the ash tray and glove box door); the glove box liner; defrost vents; and ordered a 69 dash pad. (Why a 69 pad and not a 67? Remember the lesson about the 67 being a year unto itself? The 67 used a pad unique to itself and no one reproduces it. Just Dashes will recover yours, but there is a good bit of down time and it is expensive. The car was getting a 340 engine anyway, so a year correct restoration was already out of the cards. Would this now be called a resto-rod?)
One of the regrets that I have about my dash work was the fact that I used spray cans for the primer and the Satin Black paint. Its not that it doesnt look good I am quite pleased with the way it looks its the longevity that I am worried about. Wished I had painted it with a paint gun. I have never used a paint gun, and to be honest, I am a little nervous about using one. I cant paint worth a hoot. :sad9:
I took the cluster apart and cleaned the gauges and painted the needles with a light coat of Testers model car paint. (Cant use much it will weigh down the needles a little.) Did the same with the radio face (and also cleaned and lubed the knobs and tuner).
Cleaned all the bright metal with very fine steel wool and tested all the switched with an ohm meter.
The plastic molding that runs the length of the dash and frames the cluster and radio was the most difficult for me to do. Cleaned them well with a plastic cleaner that prepares it for paint (from Year One). Taped off the black parts and painted the chrome parts with NAPA Chrome paint. Let it sit for 3 days and removed the tape from the black and then taped off the chrome. The chrome paint held up well under the tape, I wasnt sure the black would so I painted the chrome first the new black paint would never be taped over. The taping took some time but it was worth it. The few things I had to touch up were done with model car paint and small brushes.
I am sure someone has a better way to do the letters under the switches there has to be a better way. I used model car paint with a tooth pick to put the paint on. Anyone want to share here?
I found a new speaker on Ebay and a new A/C mode switch at NAPA.
Assembled the dash and installed the wiring harness for it. The dash pad would be a few more weeks away, but the dash still looked good. Set it up on the work bench, popped open a Diet Pepsi, climbed up on my stood and just admired it.
On the roller coaster of feelings, I was on top of the hill.
Brian
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
Timeline, please? So we can get an idea when this is taking place? Great thread, BTW!
1966 dart wagon
Well-Known Member
:worthles: you should put some pics on here(in this topic)to look at for people lazy like me :rr:
I supose that a timeline would make a whole lot of sense, glad I thought of it. O
I bought the car in early July, 2005. Began actually working on it about 2 weeks later (3rd week of July.) Began work on the dash and would continue until early September. At the same time, on weekends, I would do body work.
I will try to remember that everybody wasn't there and could use a little more info. O
Pictures... I will see if I can figure out how to do that and include them. The editoral team around here is tuff. :salute: O
Brian
I bought the car in early July, 2005. Began actually working on it about 2 weeks later (3rd week of July.) Began work on the dash and would continue until early September. At the same time, on weekends, I would do body work.
I will try to remember that everybody wasn't there and could use a little more info. O
Pictures... I will see if I can figure out how to do that and include them. The editoral team around here is tuff. :salute: O
Brian
All the while I was working on the dash in the evenings, the good weather Saturdays were spent on the body.
A few quick comments on the basic body (the rolling chassis with all removable pieces off the body) as it arrived from the previous owner. The body had been taken down to the bare metal and primered from the windshield back. The engine compartment, firewall, and the cowl were still the original dark red. The floor and trunk had been stripped and sealed.
There were two problems with the cowl area: some surface rust in a couple of spots and 4 bent or twisted strips in the cowl vent. No a very big problem for most folks, but Im not most folks. The first weekend after the stripping and priming the engine compartment, I stripped the cowl area to bare metal. I wanted to get a good look at the rust and make sure that it was no worse than I had thought it wasnt. There was some slight pitting with plenty of good metal left. Treated the area with some rust treatment and applied a thin layer of filler to smooth the area. Sanded a while and removed too much filler. Applied another thin layer and then sanded it off again. Did this once more and didnt sand quite so much this time.
My theory on body work is that you have to have some natural aptitude for it and I dont! I am stubborn and a bit of a perfectionist, so I will keep at it till it looks decent but it takes me sooo long.
The next weekend saw the application of sandable primer and block sanding of some of the cowl. A lot of sanding and a lot of primer (see previous paragraph). My brother-in-law walked over and make some comments which launched some more primer and sanding. Septembers first weekend brought a sore arm and good dose of disgust with my lack of abilities for body work.
The next weekend, my BiL (Brother-in Law) and I attacked the strips in the cowl vent. It looked like someone had put a screwdriver between 2 sets of strips and pried them apart from each other and then turned the screwdriver sideways and pushed one high and its twin low. Getting them close was no big deal, getting them right was! Pulling the low ones up with a belt and pushing the high ones down with some gentle persuasion got things a lot closer. But it didnt make them flat nor straight. You couldnt deform or gouge them the only repair would be to cut the vent out and weld in another entire vent. It took a days worth of gentle pulling, pushing, and clamping to get them straight. Everything looked good till you laid a straight edge across the vent strips, some a little high and others a little low still. After pulling the straight edge off, you could see the offending strips when looking sideways across the cowl. My BiL swore that he would point them out to passer-bys if I ever showed the car. Two hours later, even my BiL was satisfied. Primered the entire cowl and block sanded looked good!
I was worn out! I decided that the next weekends would be devoted to the engine. This would allow me to attack the body later with a better attitude.
Remember the 340 I could get for a song? I had paid the song and still had no 340, but I had acquired a bunch of excuses; he wasnt there when I went by, hes on vacation . . I pushed the issue and got a promise of resolution by the next weeks visit to our shop. Next Friday rolled around and bad news arrived it had set out all winter with water in it and cracked the block. I wasnt born yesterday, but Booby had always been honest with me and I am a customer who has spent thousands of dollars on his truck. Ok, fine, I still want it. Next weeks visit was even more smelly. It had been hauled off for scrap metal by mistake. Now wait a minute! Are you telling me that a guy that owns a junk yard let an engine worth its weight in gold freeze and break and then hauled off a set of heads, intake and exhaust manifolds, windage tray, etc that could easily bring a grand or better for junk price? The song was returned with apologies. I have raised two boys, sounds like a story they would have tried to pull over on me I didnt believe it then and I didnt buy it now; but I let it drop. There are hills to die on and this wasnt it for me. I am not sure what happened but I suppose that someone had bragged about having a 340 and when asked what he would take for it, gave a figure but didnt expect anyone to buy it. When Bobby arrived with money in hand, the 340 wasnt there.
I had gone and picked up the 273 and the 904 the week before and took them up to the shop. Now I had to find a 340, a task I didnt look forward to.
It is mid to late September now. I have some pics but will need to scan them in.
Brian
A few quick comments on the basic body (the rolling chassis with all removable pieces off the body) as it arrived from the previous owner. The body had been taken down to the bare metal and primered from the windshield back. The engine compartment, firewall, and the cowl were still the original dark red. The floor and trunk had been stripped and sealed.
There were two problems with the cowl area: some surface rust in a couple of spots and 4 bent or twisted strips in the cowl vent. No a very big problem for most folks, but Im not most folks. The first weekend after the stripping and priming the engine compartment, I stripped the cowl area to bare metal. I wanted to get a good look at the rust and make sure that it was no worse than I had thought it wasnt. There was some slight pitting with plenty of good metal left. Treated the area with some rust treatment and applied a thin layer of filler to smooth the area. Sanded a while and removed too much filler. Applied another thin layer and then sanded it off again. Did this once more and didnt sand quite so much this time.
My theory on body work is that you have to have some natural aptitude for it and I dont! I am stubborn and a bit of a perfectionist, so I will keep at it till it looks decent but it takes me sooo long.
The next weekend saw the application of sandable primer and block sanding of some of the cowl. A lot of sanding and a lot of primer (see previous paragraph). My brother-in-law walked over and make some comments which launched some more primer and sanding. Septembers first weekend brought a sore arm and good dose of disgust with my lack of abilities for body work.
The next weekend, my BiL (Brother-in Law) and I attacked the strips in the cowl vent. It looked like someone had put a screwdriver between 2 sets of strips and pried them apart from each other and then turned the screwdriver sideways and pushed one high and its twin low. Getting them close was no big deal, getting them right was! Pulling the low ones up with a belt and pushing the high ones down with some gentle persuasion got things a lot closer. But it didnt make them flat nor straight. You couldnt deform or gouge them the only repair would be to cut the vent out and weld in another entire vent. It took a days worth of gentle pulling, pushing, and clamping to get them straight. Everything looked good till you laid a straight edge across the vent strips, some a little high and others a little low still. After pulling the straight edge off, you could see the offending strips when looking sideways across the cowl. My BiL swore that he would point them out to passer-bys if I ever showed the car. Two hours later, even my BiL was satisfied. Primered the entire cowl and block sanded looked good!
I was worn out! I decided that the next weekends would be devoted to the engine. This would allow me to attack the body later with a better attitude.
Remember the 340 I could get for a song? I had paid the song and still had no 340, but I had acquired a bunch of excuses; he wasnt there when I went by, hes on vacation . . I pushed the issue and got a promise of resolution by the next weeks visit to our shop. Next Friday rolled around and bad news arrived it had set out all winter with water in it and cracked the block. I wasnt born yesterday, but Booby had always been honest with me and I am a customer who has spent thousands of dollars on his truck. Ok, fine, I still want it. Next weeks visit was even more smelly. It had been hauled off for scrap metal by mistake. Now wait a minute! Are you telling me that a guy that owns a junk yard let an engine worth its weight in gold freeze and break and then hauled off a set of heads, intake and exhaust manifolds, windage tray, etc that could easily bring a grand or better for junk price? The song was returned with apologies. I have raised two boys, sounds like a story they would have tried to pull over on me I didnt believe it then and I didnt buy it now; but I let it drop. There are hills to die on and this wasnt it for me. I am not sure what happened but I suppose that someone had bragged about having a 340 and when asked what he would take for it, gave a figure but didnt expect anyone to buy it. When Bobby arrived with money in hand, the 340 wasnt there.
I had gone and picked up the 273 and the 904 the week before and took them up to the shop. Now I had to find a 340, a task I didnt look forward to.
It is mid to late September now. I have some pics but will need to scan them in.
Brian
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
Did you call him "Booby" on purpose?
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
:bs:
I believe you........
I believe you........
Finding a complete 340 proved to be a difficult task, in fact, I never did. The usual reply to queries related to finding one would include something about a 360 and how plentiful they were. I would be reminded that you start out with more cubes which means cheaper power and more low end torque at no extra charge; and they are so easy to find!
Nothing against a 360 mind you, they are perhaps the king of small blocks. The sky is the limit for power and almost the limit for cubic inches. If embarrassing the bow tie guys was my end the 360 would be my means. However, if the end in view is the re-satisfaction of a desire born decades ago, then the means must be in the image of that which gave it its birth.
For a kid coming of age in the early 70s, cars would be an extension of yourself. It was who you were. Not just any car would do, it had to wear the right colors. As 1972 was moving into history, Chevrolet was the badge of respect that this kid wanted. A 327 57 Chevrolet was the object of my dreams. If that was to be denied, a 67 SS Chevelle would do just fine. For over 5 years I had lived and breathed Chevys. Anybody that needed help putting in a clutch or swapping a motor found a willing helper in this kid. If it wore a Bow Tie it was somewhat magical. If it was a 327, it was treated with reverence.
I finished High School by attending a Tech school my senior year. They gave me the credits needed for graduation and it was something I loved. They turned us loose at 1:00 in the afternoon if we had a job in the field we were studying. I was taking auto mechanics and found a job at a VW repair shop in the afternoons. The guys that ran it even sold me a little Beatle and took a little out of my pay each week to pay for it. I would have about an hour to get to work from school. The actual time needed to get there was about 15 minutes, so I had some time to kill each day.
One of my friends and I would use that time to visit the local car lots and admire the beauties adorned with the Bow Tie. We would raise the hoods to discover the beasts of power; sit in the drivers seat and caress the shifter; and when possible, we would bring the beast to life and hear it roar. We never abused them, we respected them too much.
On one of our visits to the used car lot of the Toyota dealer, the salesman pointed out a new arrival. It was a 69 Dodge Dart Swinger with a 340 and a 4 speed. Neither my friend nor I were very impressed. The salesman tossed me the keys and told me to drive it. I will never forget turning to my friend Roger and saying lets give it a try, it might keep up with a 283. As soon as we got out of sight of the dealer, we decided to find a place and see if it would lay any rubber. We didnt want to marry a Dodge, it was just a one night stand and it was OK to abuse it.
The feel of the car was not like I had expected. The shifter felt good and the engine had a sound of authority. I pushed down on the throttle and was amazed at the response you could feel the power pressing you against the seat.
We arrived at our favorite spot for laying drags. It was side street that crossed a long steep hill. You could turn right and kick it at the same time and make almost anything spin a tire. We were not prepared for what we were about to do. We turned the Dodge up the hill and punched it. It didnt move! Smoke began to engulf the entire car, I slammed it into second and backed off the throttle just enough to get the car moving forward. By now, I was reving the engine like it was in neutral by modulating the gas pedal, vroom!, vroom!, vroom! Couldnt see out of the car and we were afraid the tires were going to blow we let off and went on up the hill. We circled around to see the mark we had left. Two things greeted us as we returned to the intersection: the longest black mark we had ever seen and a bunch of irate home owners who threatened to take out a warrant for us if they ever saw that car there again.
I drove it to work and convinced the 2 fellows I worked for to co-sign with me to get it. Over the next few weeks, I was shocked to discover that the mighty Bow Tie beasts that roamed the streets of Gainesville, GA were not the terrors I thought they were. Most of the street action was red light to red light. 396 Chevelles, 350 Camaros, Mustangs, and so many others were no match for my Swinger. The Bow Ties that I once reverenced had proved to be more bark than bite.
The little car became much more than just that to me. The pleasure I got from just driving it was immense. The feel of mid range acceleration as it pressed you into the seat; the deep throaty sound of the 340, the moan of the AVS when the back barrels were opened, and chirping the tires with ease in any gear was a grand experience! I loved to wash it and just look at it. I still remember the feel of the power bulges in the hood as I would wax over them; the way the rear stripe lay on the rear of the car, the green paint and the white vinyl which made it stand out so, and sound of the 340 as it just sat there and idled!
I loved and respected that car as much as I have anything I have ever owned. Its soul was that wonderful 340! Thats why a 360 wont do! If I am going to build a car to enjoy, it would be adultery to have anything else.
Please forgive this stroll down memory lane. I will return to the present restoration next installment.
Brian
Nothing against a 360 mind you, they are perhaps the king of small blocks. The sky is the limit for power and almost the limit for cubic inches. If embarrassing the bow tie guys was my end the 360 would be my means. However, if the end in view is the re-satisfaction of a desire born decades ago, then the means must be in the image of that which gave it its birth.
For a kid coming of age in the early 70s, cars would be an extension of yourself. It was who you were. Not just any car would do, it had to wear the right colors. As 1972 was moving into history, Chevrolet was the badge of respect that this kid wanted. A 327 57 Chevrolet was the object of my dreams. If that was to be denied, a 67 SS Chevelle would do just fine. For over 5 years I had lived and breathed Chevys. Anybody that needed help putting in a clutch or swapping a motor found a willing helper in this kid. If it wore a Bow Tie it was somewhat magical. If it was a 327, it was treated with reverence.
I finished High School by attending a Tech school my senior year. They gave me the credits needed for graduation and it was something I loved. They turned us loose at 1:00 in the afternoon if we had a job in the field we were studying. I was taking auto mechanics and found a job at a VW repair shop in the afternoons. The guys that ran it even sold me a little Beatle and took a little out of my pay each week to pay for it. I would have about an hour to get to work from school. The actual time needed to get there was about 15 minutes, so I had some time to kill each day.
One of my friends and I would use that time to visit the local car lots and admire the beauties adorned with the Bow Tie. We would raise the hoods to discover the beasts of power; sit in the drivers seat and caress the shifter; and when possible, we would bring the beast to life and hear it roar. We never abused them, we respected them too much.
On one of our visits to the used car lot of the Toyota dealer, the salesman pointed out a new arrival. It was a 69 Dodge Dart Swinger with a 340 and a 4 speed. Neither my friend nor I were very impressed. The salesman tossed me the keys and told me to drive it. I will never forget turning to my friend Roger and saying lets give it a try, it might keep up with a 283. As soon as we got out of sight of the dealer, we decided to find a place and see if it would lay any rubber. We didnt want to marry a Dodge, it was just a one night stand and it was OK to abuse it.
The feel of the car was not like I had expected. The shifter felt good and the engine had a sound of authority. I pushed down on the throttle and was amazed at the response you could feel the power pressing you against the seat.
We arrived at our favorite spot for laying drags. It was side street that crossed a long steep hill. You could turn right and kick it at the same time and make almost anything spin a tire. We were not prepared for what we were about to do. We turned the Dodge up the hill and punched it. It didnt move! Smoke began to engulf the entire car, I slammed it into second and backed off the throttle just enough to get the car moving forward. By now, I was reving the engine like it was in neutral by modulating the gas pedal, vroom!, vroom!, vroom! Couldnt see out of the car and we were afraid the tires were going to blow we let off and went on up the hill. We circled around to see the mark we had left. Two things greeted us as we returned to the intersection: the longest black mark we had ever seen and a bunch of irate home owners who threatened to take out a warrant for us if they ever saw that car there again.
I drove it to work and convinced the 2 fellows I worked for to co-sign with me to get it. Over the next few weeks, I was shocked to discover that the mighty Bow Tie beasts that roamed the streets of Gainesville, GA were not the terrors I thought they were. Most of the street action was red light to red light. 396 Chevelles, 350 Camaros, Mustangs, and so many others were no match for my Swinger. The Bow Ties that I once reverenced had proved to be more bark than bite.
The little car became much more than just that to me. The pleasure I got from just driving it was immense. The feel of mid range acceleration as it pressed you into the seat; the deep throaty sound of the 340, the moan of the AVS when the back barrels were opened, and chirping the tires with ease in any gear was a grand experience! I loved to wash it and just look at it. I still remember the feel of the power bulges in the hood as I would wax over them; the way the rear stripe lay on the rear of the car, the green paint and the white vinyl which made it stand out so, and sound of the 340 as it just sat there and idled!
I loved and respected that car as much as I have anything I have ever owned. Its soul was that wonderful 340! Thats why a 360 wont do! If I am going to build a car to enjoy, it would be adultery to have anything else.
Please forgive this stroll down memory lane. I will return to the present restoration next installment.
Brian
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
".........forgive your stroll down memory lane.........? Man, that's what we live for! Great story, Brian! Keep it up!
Longgone
John/68 Barracuda & Dart
I know what you mean about the 340. IMO the 68-71 340 was among the best engines ever produced by Chrysler. Here`s the one that captivated me all those years ago.
Those were sweet cars, weren't they? They were simple, fast, and good looking. Here in NE GA, it really was a Chevy stronghold back then. There were a decent number of Roadrunners and few GTXs around, but very few 340 cars. This was nice, they never knew what hit em.
Brian
Brian
Just where do you find a complete 340 engine? As I said in the last installment, I didnt. I had to piece one together. This was not my preferred method and made the final cost of the engine higher than if I had been able find a complete core.
I had asked everybody I knew and everybody they knew no dice. There had been some, I will check with so-and-so, he may have one, but none of these panned out. I began the search for enough pieces to make the whole with a little unease. This is not the way to build an engine 40 year old parts from different motors.
I found a 340 block on Ebay two times, one within driving distance, but was out bid on both of them. Each morning at work, I log on to the iATN (International Automotive Technicians Network), and read some of the latest forums. One morning, I browsed through the for sale forum to look for some equipment I was needing at the shop. Much to my surprise, I found this at the end of a post on some equipment for sale in Florida: I also have a 340 Mopar block and heads. A quick phone call discovered that he had the block, 8 rods, 2 new J heads, 8 assorted pistons and a crank believed to be out of a 318.
We agreed on a price and he said he would crate everything up and send it to me and drop me an email when the shipping cost was known. The email arrived a couple of days later and I sent a check off in the mail. He said it would be a few days before he could ship it. Good, things were looking up. A few days later, I was sitting at home watching the news when I see a report on a nasty hurricane that had just gone through the town where my 340 was. Oh no! I waited a few days to let them dig out from under this thing and then called. The hurricane had blown a few trees down at his house and had blown the doors off of his shop (a Chevy shop perhaps), but everybody and everything was ok. He said he would get the stuff shipped as soon as possible, but he had his hands full getting everything back together and repairing the backlog of cars that had created. I told him that was fine, I was in no real rush.
While I was waiting for the block to arrive, I began to remove the external pieces from my 273. My plan was to make the 340 to appear as close to a 273 as possible to retain the original look. The valve covers, timing cover, damper, and pulleys were cleaned & repainted and hanging on the wall awaiting their new gig by the end of the week. The oil pan was banged up and didnt make the cut.
Now, where was I going to locate a forged crank? Hum , I had one setting in the bottom of my 273 but just how would that work? All of the throws and journals were the same as the 340, and it was forged. I sent up a post to the group here and asked about it. Got several good supplies with the information I needed it would work just fine and was tough enough but would need to be rebalanced for the bigger rods and pistons of the 340. The cost of balancing the crank would be $300 to $350.
Much to my surprise, a few days later I located a stock 70 340 crank during my nightly stroll through E-Bay. It had been taken out in favor of a stroker kit and was still standard. I bid on it and won it without much trouble. Sent off the money order and crossed that off my list for now.
A couple of days later, the block, heads, and other parts arrived at the shop in a big wooden case. Took it home, along with my engine stand, and dragged off the pick-up and into the Mopar Palace. Broke open the crate and looked every thing over. Light rust had found its way onto every machined or unpainted surface but I could find no pitting. The block looked good and still had the crank nestled in its bore. There were eight rods with what appeared to be new bushings in the small ends. The J heads looked like they had been bolted on but had been run very little, there were noting residing on the backs of the valve faces and ports but a very light rust. There were eight pistons: 5 new .030 over of an unknown brand, 1 used .030 over and 2 stock 340 pistons. I ran the numbers on the parts: the rods were factory replacement and the block was indeed a 70 340; the heads were the 360 J with the 2.2 intakes.
The crank was supposed to be out of a 318. It seems that the folks I had bought it from had originally planed to use the 340 in a drag racer. They had set the engine back but the time never came to complete it. During the time it set in the corner of their shop, they said someone had stolen the 340 crank and stuck a 318 in its place. They had not discovered this until they pulled the engine out to look at it before they ran the ad on the iATN. I pulled out the crank and stood up the supposed 318 crank. It was a forged crank and had some big holes in the counter weights. I ran the numbers and discovered it was not a 318 crank but was indeed the correct 340 crank for the engine! My Ebay crank showed up that week as well. (Both miked to be about .02 worn, picked the best looking one and had it turned 10-10).
Sent the block off to the machine shop a few days later to be cleaned and miked so I could tell what I had. No cracks with a standard bore. Looked good except for a deep scratch lengthwise down one of the cylinders. A .030 over bore, new cam bearings and freeze plugs soon had the block looking good. Gave it a through washing and put it on the engine stand.
Took the heads apart to take a look. When I pulled out the valves, I was greeted by a nice 3 angle valve job! Nothing showed any signs of wear at all, I could tell they had been bolted on but they showed no indication of use. I cleaned everything up. The ports were stock as well as the combustion chambers. Lapped the valves in, installed new seals with new springs for good measure. Stuck a set of NGK plugs in them, turned them upside down and filled each combustion chamber with mineral sprits to make sure the valves were sealing.
The next morning I began to assemble the block. The first thing was to install the dist. drive bushing. Drove it in place and honed it to fit the new MP (Mopar Performance) drive shaft. (My shop is located at 1733 Cleveland HWY in Gainesville, GA, The Moparts Connection is at 3363 Cleveland HWY 2 miles away.) Flipped the block over and put the upper mains in, followed by the crank. Plastigauged the throws and found the oil clearance to be on the large side of normal (.003). Frowned a little and pulled the crank back out and coated the mains with Vaseline. Placed the crank back in the bore and tightened the mains to specs. The pistons, rods and windage tray soon followed.
The camshaft was a MP 4452759 (260/268 adv. dur 430/450 lift) with the lifters and springs. The best buy I could find on the oil pan was from Mopar as well, even included the oil pump pick-up and dip stick & tube. The 273 pieces went on and I sat back and admired it for a while.
The intake and carb were another E-Bay find. The stock intake was off a 68 340 and the carb was an AVS off a 383 HP from 69. The intake came already glass beaded. I gave it a good cost of Chrysler Industrial Red to match the rest of the motor and installed it. Went through the AVS and reassembled it with a new kit. Put some gas in the carb and tried the accelerator pump not too swift. The new pump piston was too small. I had an AFB setting on the shelf, swapped the pump out of it perfect!
Covered the engine and pushed it out of the way. This took place from mid December to late January this year.
I had asked everybody I knew and everybody they knew no dice. There had been some, I will check with so-and-so, he may have one, but none of these panned out. I began the search for enough pieces to make the whole with a little unease. This is not the way to build an engine 40 year old parts from different motors.
I found a 340 block on Ebay two times, one within driving distance, but was out bid on both of them. Each morning at work, I log on to the iATN (International Automotive Technicians Network), and read some of the latest forums. One morning, I browsed through the for sale forum to look for some equipment I was needing at the shop. Much to my surprise, I found this at the end of a post on some equipment for sale in Florida: I also have a 340 Mopar block and heads. A quick phone call discovered that he had the block, 8 rods, 2 new J heads, 8 assorted pistons and a crank believed to be out of a 318.
We agreed on a price and he said he would crate everything up and send it to me and drop me an email when the shipping cost was known. The email arrived a couple of days later and I sent a check off in the mail. He said it would be a few days before he could ship it. Good, things were looking up. A few days later, I was sitting at home watching the news when I see a report on a nasty hurricane that had just gone through the town where my 340 was. Oh no! I waited a few days to let them dig out from under this thing and then called. The hurricane had blown a few trees down at his house and had blown the doors off of his shop (a Chevy shop perhaps), but everybody and everything was ok. He said he would get the stuff shipped as soon as possible, but he had his hands full getting everything back together and repairing the backlog of cars that had created. I told him that was fine, I was in no real rush.
While I was waiting for the block to arrive, I began to remove the external pieces from my 273. My plan was to make the 340 to appear as close to a 273 as possible to retain the original look. The valve covers, timing cover, damper, and pulleys were cleaned & repainted and hanging on the wall awaiting their new gig by the end of the week. The oil pan was banged up and didnt make the cut.
Now, where was I going to locate a forged crank? Hum , I had one setting in the bottom of my 273 but just how would that work? All of the throws and journals were the same as the 340, and it was forged. I sent up a post to the group here and asked about it. Got several good supplies with the information I needed it would work just fine and was tough enough but would need to be rebalanced for the bigger rods and pistons of the 340. The cost of balancing the crank would be $300 to $350.
Much to my surprise, a few days later I located a stock 70 340 crank during my nightly stroll through E-Bay. It had been taken out in favor of a stroker kit and was still standard. I bid on it and won it without much trouble. Sent off the money order and crossed that off my list for now.
A couple of days later, the block, heads, and other parts arrived at the shop in a big wooden case. Took it home, along with my engine stand, and dragged off the pick-up and into the Mopar Palace. Broke open the crate and looked every thing over. Light rust had found its way onto every machined or unpainted surface but I could find no pitting. The block looked good and still had the crank nestled in its bore. There were eight rods with what appeared to be new bushings in the small ends. The J heads looked like they had been bolted on but had been run very little, there were noting residing on the backs of the valve faces and ports but a very light rust. There were eight pistons: 5 new .030 over of an unknown brand, 1 used .030 over and 2 stock 340 pistons. I ran the numbers on the parts: the rods were factory replacement and the block was indeed a 70 340; the heads were the 360 J with the 2.2 intakes.
The crank was supposed to be out of a 318. It seems that the folks I had bought it from had originally planed to use the 340 in a drag racer. They had set the engine back but the time never came to complete it. During the time it set in the corner of their shop, they said someone had stolen the 340 crank and stuck a 318 in its place. They had not discovered this until they pulled the engine out to look at it before they ran the ad on the iATN. I pulled out the crank and stood up the supposed 318 crank. It was a forged crank and had some big holes in the counter weights. I ran the numbers and discovered it was not a 318 crank but was indeed the correct 340 crank for the engine! My Ebay crank showed up that week as well. (Both miked to be about .02 worn, picked the best looking one and had it turned 10-10).
Sent the block off to the machine shop a few days later to be cleaned and miked so I could tell what I had. No cracks with a standard bore. Looked good except for a deep scratch lengthwise down one of the cylinders. A .030 over bore, new cam bearings and freeze plugs soon had the block looking good. Gave it a through washing and put it on the engine stand.
Took the heads apart to take a look. When I pulled out the valves, I was greeted by a nice 3 angle valve job! Nothing showed any signs of wear at all, I could tell they had been bolted on but they showed no indication of use. I cleaned everything up. The ports were stock as well as the combustion chambers. Lapped the valves in, installed new seals with new springs for good measure. Stuck a set of NGK plugs in them, turned them upside down and filled each combustion chamber with mineral sprits to make sure the valves were sealing.
The next morning I began to assemble the block. The first thing was to install the dist. drive bushing. Drove it in place and honed it to fit the new MP (Mopar Performance) drive shaft. (My shop is located at 1733 Cleveland HWY in Gainesville, GA, The Moparts Connection is at 3363 Cleveland HWY 2 miles away.) Flipped the block over and put the upper mains in, followed by the crank. Plastigauged the throws and found the oil clearance to be on the large side of normal (.003). Frowned a little and pulled the crank back out and coated the mains with Vaseline. Placed the crank back in the bore and tightened the mains to specs. The pistons, rods and windage tray soon followed.
The camshaft was a MP 4452759 (260/268 adv. dur 430/450 lift) with the lifters and springs. The best buy I could find on the oil pan was from Mopar as well, even included the oil pump pick-up and dip stick & tube. The 273 pieces went on and I sat back and admired it for a while.
The intake and carb were another E-Bay find. The stock intake was off a 68 340 and the carb was an AVS off a 383 HP from 69. The intake came already glass beaded. I gave it a good cost of Chrysler Industrial Red to match the rest of the motor and installed it. Went through the AVS and reassembled it with a new kit. Put some gas in the carb and tried the accelerator pump not too swift. The new pump piston was too small. I had an AFB setting on the shelf, swapped the pump out of it perfect!
Covered the engine and pushed it out of the way. This took place from mid December to late January this year.
-
