Dad's Swinger getting a makeover

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1970-dart

1970-dart

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So I did a few things to this 70 swinger that my dad gave me a couple years ago. it has a slant 6 and been wanting to change it over to a small block of some kind and take care of some rust bubbling here and there.

I am by no means a master tech or body repair man and the \6 runs great so I figured I would try to do a bit of sanding and see where the trouble areas were so I had a better idea as to what I was in for and how bad it really was. I rattle can primed it as i went just for precaution but I knew it have to be gone all over again later.

I have a friend that works in a body and paint shop and is going to help me get it going in the right direction. So started some sanding wet/dry and some DA work and it was not bad until i got behind the rear wheels. The truck floor was not bad but the gutter area for the seal was terrible and the trunk drops were gone along with the bottom of the quarters. The deck filler was not to bad and there was some rust around the bottom of the window. the floors were all in great shape

I got both new quarters the trunk floor trunk drop extensions deck filler and the gutter trim rail/sections and will see how it goes as we get deeper into it but im sure there will new rockers and maybe wheel wells also

I also just found a great running late 60s-mid 70s 318( thats what the block numbers decoded) in a 1970 D100 and got that motor out today to start some work on it. the motor runs really good and is tight sounding with no noises at all so im not going to do a lot of work to it other than some new gaskets to start with and of course clean it up


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Looking good man. Bigger kohunas than I have, body work scares the poop outta me. It's one of those things, I look at my car and I see some rust bubbles / holes. I know they need to be addressed, but I don't want to know what's under the paint lol. If I can't see it, it's not broken :glasses7:
 
so this motor runs really good so I'm not going to mess much with the major parts of the engine. I know I need to change the oil pan and I'm going to change the intake valve covers so I'm just working around them for now. and do all the seals/gaskets/frost plug.

So I guess the only thing I'm not going to pull off or apart is the heads and other internal parts. But I will put all new gaskets/seals/frost plugs ECT.

Here are a few pics of some work(about 12 hours or scraping and cleaning) I did to it today and much more to come. I have many but not all pics of work done today.I did engine degrease a few times hitting it with the pressure washer in between. Then I got after it with purple power/brake cleaner and many different wire wheels/brushes/sandpaper and scrapers.

with not dissembling it or having some sort of steam type washer there was no way I was going to get it perfect so I did the best I could with what I had to work with. I got 99% of the grease off and touched up the heavy rust areas with a different kind of cleaner. Then I put on some high temp primer to protect the work I have done. I will start to gather the rest of the parts for the engine and for the swap and As soon and the snow goes away will start on the body panels.

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Looks like you are doing the right things.
Please don't junk the oil pan and pickup off the truck motor they are rare.
That 318 it sounds like it will be a good runner, bet you lunch it has a steel crank.
 
I just looked at you pictures again, and the 318 has a single plane 2 barrel intake, it is a HD 318 mostly used in industrial applications, boats and a few in these years made it in trucks.
It is a steel crank motor after seeing that intake.
 
Also the intake is super rare, for a 2 bbl, I have only had one in my hands in 47 years.
It was on a 69 truck I had.
 
sireland67 said:
Also the intake is super rare, for a 2 bbl, I have only had one in my hands in 47 years.
It was on a 69 truck I had.
Click to expand...


so then you think i should run this motor instead of the 74 and swap the heads off the 74 engine or just run this one the way it is and swap a new intake and carb on it later
 
well we got started late and then my friend had to go run some unexpected errands for his wife so we did not get much done and tomorrow is another day. but got a few things done a little test fitting anf found some other trouble areas that will require some patch work .

that one side was so rusted out it caused some rusting in the rear deck and on down into the trunk area but i am replacing most of the area anyway and we will patch up those small areas by cutting it out and welding in some new metal.

i had cut some of the passenger side quarter off with the air chisel so still have/had to drill out the spot welds and repair some small spots that i messed up. Also this is not a body off job and its not a 40k show car so nothing is going to be perfect. I just want it to be nice and better than what it was when i started out so i did a little clean up and prime/paint in the trunk behind the quarters.

i also ground/wire wheeled some rust off the inside of the trunk lid (it came off the parts car because it was more solid than mine)


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Looking good. Thats a lot of sheet metal to replace but it's well worth it in the end to get rid of the rust. Keep up the good work.
 
Evildart said:
Looking good. Thats a lot of sheet metal to replace but it's well worth it in the end to get rid of the rust. Keep up the good work.
Click to expand...

thank you and your car is pretty cool


a lot of money and a lot of time but it is worth it in the end and i am no where getting rid of all the rust and the car will be far from perfect but it will be better than it was. And someday i hope to do a total body off because i hope t keep the car and pass it on like it was to me.

It was my dads car
 
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No new pics tonight but we finished final form and fit for the pass side quarter. Also the got the trunk drop extension on that side welded in. Tomorrow I hope to get the quarter welded in side and get the other quarter off
 
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