Dart Restoration

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68dart340

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Edmonton, Alberta
I'll be documenting the restoration of my '68 Dodge Dart here. I will be posting pictures and information on my progress over the next few months.

Here is a before shot..

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..and some from the end of day one.

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Heck, from the before shots it looks pretty good. I cant wait to see the after shots. You're not gonna repaint it gold are you? (Just curious as my 65 is gold with a white interior...)
 
I had a gold 71 cuda with a bronze top when I was in high school and it looked awesome.
Rod
 
C130 Chief said:
Heck, from the before shots it looks pretty good. I cant wait to see the after shots. You're not gonna repaint it gold are you? (Just curious as my 65 is gold with a white interior...)

It started out as a six cylinder, column shifted granny car. So I'm not too worried about sticking to the original colours. It will be a black on black Hemi Dart clone when it's all said and done. I'm a 17 year old kid, so the Hemi won't be for a few years.
 
Black will be super sharp on that car for sure. Big help that you have a straight, pretty rust free body to start with. In fact, the car seems almost too nice to make a Hemi-Dart clone out of (not that the Hemi-Dart wasn't about the most pissed-off combo Mopar produced, and therefore well worth emulating). I say this because it looked like you already had the buckets and console (not the same buckets as a Hemi-Dart), and therefore the basis for a whole lot nicer interior for street use.

Not trying to tell you what to do, but a (flawless) black paint job, white seat console interior and a big orange stroked low deck 6-Pak B-motor, would make for a striking combo. Imagine 451 cubes and painted factory valve covers. Clean, simple, and stupid quick.

The above being said, I keep half an eye open for a straight 68 2-door Dart. I would go whole hog with cut quarters, grey primer / black fiberglass, van seat interior with seatbelt windows and the most obnoxious 13.5:1 cross-ram Hemi I could almost afford. Forget about street cruising, this would be pure old school monster. And there wouldnt be one square inch of chrome under the hood.

Have fun whatever you do, but build a car you can drive and enjoy. A good looking car with a stout smallblock will be plenty of fun, not super expensive, and still capabile of winning a few races. I don't know anything about your budget, but when I was 17 I would have sold my soul for the car in the "before" shot.
 
It's nice to see "kids" (I'm 58) still appreciating the classic muscle cars.

I had a 64 Dart GT when I was 17 (actually my dad's) Wasnt until 69 that I got my first new car 69 Dart GT 318. Car ran in the 14's with a 4 bbl, 4 spd and 4:10's on Goodyear F70 14 polyglas tires!

A ncie small block 340 or 360 crate would do real well. Much easier to keep tuned and less of a headache trying to shoe horn it in there.

In any event, whatever you do to it, make sure you DRIVE it. None of them look good laying around in a garqage.
 
C130 Chief said:
Black will be super sharp on that car for sure. Big help that you have a straight, pretty rust free body to start with. In fact, the car seems almost too nice to make a Hemi-Dart clone out of (not that the Hemi-Dart wasn't about the most pissed-off combo Mopar produced, and therefore well worth emulating). I say this because it looked like you already had the buckets and console (not the same buckets as a Hemi-Dart), and therefore the basis for a whole lot nicer interior for street use.

Not trying to tell you what to do, but a (flawless) black paint job, white seat console interior and a big orange stroked low deck 6-Pak B-motor, would make for a striking combo. Imagine 451 cubes and painted factory valve covers. Clean, simple, and stupid quick.

The above being said, I keep half an eye open for a straight 68 2-door Dart. I would go whole hog with cut quarters, grey primer / black fiberglass, van seat interior with seatbelt windows and the most obnoxious 13.5:1 cross-ram Hemi I could almost afford. Forget about street cruising, this would be pure old school monster. And there wouldnt be one square inch of chrome under the hood.

Have fun whatever you do, but build a car you can drive and enjoy. A good looking car with a stout smallblock will be plenty of fun, not super expensive, and still capabile of winning a few races. I don't know anything about your budget, but when I was 17 I would have sold my soul for the car in the "before" shot.

You bring up VERY good points. The Hemi is more or less out of reach. It has a fun and very fresh 340 - 727 - 8 3/4 combo in it right now. However I do have a line on a running 440 - 727 - 8 3/4 in a car for $800. I think I'll run the 340 for a year or two and then build the 440 when I have the cash. :happy3:

When the body is all sorted out, I hope to have it looking something like this..

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Thats one good looking dart to start with...as said above it's nice to see younger blood still interested in the older cars. Good luck and keep up the progress pictures..it keeps everyone motivated; at least myself on our own projects. Len
 
chasb said:
It's nice to see "kids" (I'm 58) still appreciating the classic muscle cars.

I had a 64 Dart GT when I was 17 (actually my dad's) Wasnt until 69 that I got my first new car 69 Dart GT 318. Car ran in the 14's with a 4 bbl, 4 spd and 4:10's on Goodyear F70 14 polyglas tires!

A ncie small block 340 or 360 crate would do real well. Much easier to keep tuned and less of a headache trying to shoe horn it in there.

In any event, whatever you do to it, make sure you DRIVE it. None of them look good laying around in a garqage.

Sounds like you had some sweet cars!
This one has a warmed over 340 that should be good for 13's with more gear and some tuning.
 
GSS340 said:
Thats one good looking dart to start with...as said above it's nice to see younger blood still interested in the older cars. Good luck and keep up the progress pictures..it keeps everyone motivated; at least myself on our own projects. Len

I appreciate it. :salut:
 
Very nice car to start with!! Nice garage too :thumbup: While a hemi would be oh so sweet, you could build a killer 440 for a fraction of the price and have just as much fun with it.
 
Rob said:
Very nice car to start with!! Nice garage too :thumbup: While a hemi would be oh so sweet, you could build a killer 440 for a fraction of the price and have just as much fun with it.

Yeah, I'm thinking the 440 is the way to go. :thumbup:
 
That's one nice dart you're starting with...Good Luck. As for the Hemi... it's makes an awesome but very $$$ ride. A friend of mind took a 69 ( swinger) 6cyl. car and cloned it into a 68 hemi dart. Went with the create hemi didn't spare any expense. Did the rear wheel wells right and tube upper and lower A arms.. I can go on and on but the bottom line is, his has some much money in it that he's afraid to drive it. He trailers it everywhere...

I'm also glad to see someone 17 getting into this hobby.. I'm 55, My Son never was a motor head..as they used to call us old timers.. I'm working on my grandson ...he loves cars but just have to break him of the CHEVY thing !!! :blob:
 
She's pretty much stripped now. Pulled the engine and transmission lastnight. Just have to take the wiring out under the hood and get rid of the horrid fuel and brake lines. Hopefully it will get into the bodyshop by the end of the month.

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