Opinions on 68 GTS Roller

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indirect_connection

indirect_connection

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I've been searching for an A-Body, and while I don't need pristine, I want to avoid rot. I want a project, but not a restoration. So I came across this car locally, and it really caught my interest. 68 GTS, with fresh B5 blue and new interior. It's just missing the drivetrain.

On the plus side, I love the color and don't have to worry about bodywork or interior. I can just work on the mechanical side (which I enjoy), and get it cruising.

The downside, I'm afraid it will nickel and dime me to death! I'm thinking I could source a junkyard Magnum for cheap, but then I need carb, intake, headers, fuel line, electric fuel pump, distributor, etc. Then it's a trans, lines, linkage, cooler, driveshaft, etc.

I'm also concerned about the missing trim. I know the front hood trim is reproduced and it's too expensive. The trunk panel does not appear to be, and seem like it might be pricy. I don't know if a 67 or 69 panel would fit (I know they wouldn't be correct). The rear window trim is available, but expensive. Multiple GTS badges, which look to be 80 bucks a piece. And lastly, the pictures show holes for trim at the tops of the doors/bottom of the side windows. I can't really find anything like it through a web search. I'm not sure what they're called. Is it a 68 only part?

Seller is asking 7000. Any advice would be appreciated. Here is a link to when it was offered on eBay. 1968 Dodge Dart | eBay
 
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PM me a list of what you think you need, I have parted out dozens of these cars. The trunk panel is an expensive part, restored they are $800, Bill at Special-T's usually has a couple restored panels, I sell him all my extras to restore. The GT uses the same panel, just painted argent instead of black. The 69 panel will fit, but it is usually more expensive, the 67 is 5 seperate pieces and do not work in the same holes. It looks like the GTS letter holes have been filled, hopefully the pictures just don't show the holes. I have lots of the belt molding, that is what the upper door trim is called. I also have lots of the window trim, either part is not that expensive. Whatever you do, don't cut the car up, GTS's will always be worth a premium compared to the 1,000,000 other Darts made!
 
IMO, there are two roads to this
1) if you can't reconcile yourself to the cost of finishing it, you will never enjoy it
2) Just buy it and budget X amount of dollars per year, and it gets done when it gets done. If you get to drive it in spring, even with just ONE seat in it, but you're having fun, then that is a bonus. Many of us don't get to paint until the third or fourth year. Myself it was 20 years before I even started on her, and three years to painted.
Happy Hotrodding
 
Looks like a nice starting point. I'd look for progress pictures on the bodywork, and I'd want to crawl all over it to make sure its as good as it looks. Price wise you wont get a clean 67-69 Dart roller painted for that, nevermind the interior or the GTS part.
 
I've seen this car listed for awhile. The firewall looks scabbed in almost like it was an ac car and they cut out the section and put in a non ac firewall section. Looks like they welded it in and never ground down the welds and blended it.
 
BigStrok3 said:
I've seen this car listed for awhile. The firewall looks scabbed in almost like it was an ac car and they cut out the section and put in a non ac firewall section. Looks like they welded it in and never ground down the welds and blended it.
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I hate **** like that and wouldn't buy it because of that. That's me though.
 
is that antenna mount area right?
 
I think that's a decent deal if the shiny new paint isn't hiding a ton of work.

7K in body and paint!
 
Thanks for the lowdown on the trim. That's good info. And I will definitely check out the firewall if when I make it out to see it. The problem with Houston is it's size. I live in the East suburbs, the car is west of town. It could be a two hour drive with traffic...

Honestly I wouldn't expect this to be a restoration quality paint job. The owner stated he had 8000 bill from the shop that did the bodywork and interior. I would expect that much from paint alone. I'm not looking for a concours car anyway, just a cool driver. And I don't plan to cut it up, but I would lean towards a resto-mod.
 
Here's an AMD fender-

Maybe it's the angle and lighting, but it sure looks odd.

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Not a single one of those pictures looks like B5 Blue to me. Looks darker, maybe B7 or just a blue they picked out of a book.
 
MileHighDart said:
Not a single one of those pictures looks like B5 Blue to me. Looks darker, maybe B7 or just a blue they picked out of a book.
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Yup, I agree. My 70 Cuda is B7 with B5 guts.......My 68 GTS is GG1 Dark Green, with Black guts...
 
Went to go see the car today. Owner was interesting. Originally from Australia, and moving back. He had the Dart, as well as an Australian Valiant 4 door (with twin turbo), and a Cuda with a Keith Black Hemi. The Hemi was intended for the Dart, but he decided it needed a better car.

The car looks beautiful from the outside. Underneath was a different story. The rockers didnt look they weren't prepped and have a bunch of bubbles. The lower side of the engine compartment isnt painted. The rear frame rails are crusty, but fairly solid. The floor over the rear axle was crusty underneath and had a dime sized hole. The only other holes are in the drivers side toewell.

The interior looked very nice. Custom vinyl. the seats (later A body?) were bolted directly to the sheetmetal and felt to have slack in the pivots. The front dash looks to be spray painted stock pieces. Looks great at first, but look closely and you can see the cracks.

I dont think I would be interested in it at the asking price .But I might be able to be happy with it with a few weekends underneath with a wire wheel and some Por-15.
 
The rockers and rails don't bug me. Looks average. The hole in the trunk pan could have been addressed. The interior........custom touches........are not very desirable to me. Definitely was built for the owner, not resale.
 
gdrill said:
The rockers and rails don't bug me. Looks average. The hole in the trunk pan could have been addressed. The interior........custom touches........are not very desirable to me. Definitely was built for the owner, not resale.
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Not to say it's not a '68 dart, that's highly desirable imo... but this one is like a chrome plated turd. I bet every bump in the road would knock bits of rot off into the wind, so much it would look like a brown cloud ..
 
Yep can see the weld all around the heater area and up around the wiper motor where they scabbed it in and didn't even grind down the welds
 
My God. You're talkin about paying 7K for a half a car? Put another 7 with it and by one already done.
 
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