Turning a 74 into a 72

[stansblue72]

Well here is what I was up to today. Time to put the poly bushing in the leaf springs.

Here is how I get the old bushing out. I take a long drill bit and drill down between the rubber and metal.

The drill bits walks around the bushing and pulls it out

Here's the leaf springs with there new poly bushing installed and all painted up just waiting to go back under the Dart.

This work for the other end also, you just need to drill around the metal insert in the middle first. Use some wd 40 as the drill is walking around the insert then pound it out with a punch. To get the rubber part out just do like in the first picture. Works really good!

 

[memike]

I would say you know these darts from front to back greendart72.
What a great feet and transformation :cheers:

 

[stansblue72]

I would say you know these darts from front to back greendart72.
What a great feet and transformation :cheers:

I'm getting there Mike!
I could have made it easier on myself and not gone this far, but what the heck I had the dead 72 sitting there and a shop to do it in. After all my times free and it keeps me out of the house (i think that's the part my wife likes!)

 

[memike]

I'm getting there Mike!
I could have made it easier on myself and not gone this far, but what the heck I had the dead 72 sitting there and a shop to do it in. After all my times free and it keeps me out of the house (i think that's the part my wife likes!)

We agree :cheers: Treva and I :-D I hope to have a shop this year 8) No I am sure I will have one this tear :cheers:

 

[stansblue72]

I now have the 8.75 under the dart thanks to a part crackedback sent me. Thanks Rob!

Next will be to get the new coil over shocks I picked up today on.

I want to get the exhaust in so I think I'll stick the engine in long enough to get the pipes in the right place before putting the gas tank back in.

Did manage to get the 72 hood on it's been sitting outside and I wanted to get it out of the rain. So here is what the beast looks like at this time.

I pick up new motor mounts tomorrow so I hope to get the motor in and exhaust situated gas tank in and motor back out this week-end.ccasion:

 

[stansblue72]

The coil over rear shocks instructions said to make sure the coils cleared the lip on the fuel tank and the exhaust. So today I put a 360 block I have in the dart.
Then I set some heads we have laying around on so I could hang the headers on.
Next hooked the exhaust pipes up, installed the fuel tank and checked every thing out to see how it cleared.

All looked good, so now I can take it all back out. Then I'll tighten down the shocks and install the electric fuel pump while I have the tank out.

Gee it sure is a lot easier to install the header with the steering column and steering box out! :toothy10:

 

[stansblue72]

Well I finally got brave enough to try my hand at rust repair. First I figured the thing to do was cut the rusted area out to see what I had to do.

As you can see there was some rust on the inside too. So after fixing that I cut the patch panel off of the 72.

Makes me sick every time I rob something of off it knowing what a nice loking car it was before discovering the rust issues.

But it was a death trap with all the crappy repairs done to it or should I say all the rust hiding that was done.

The back was no better, both rear frame rails are rusted out and one rear spring hanger is a home made disaster.

So anyway back to the repair after removing the paint and a bunch of trial fits we had it in place and ready to go.

I bought a flanger with a punch on the back side just for doing this. Thing worked great! Got it spot welded in place , but I'm going to wait for my son-in-law to come over to finish it up. He is a lot better welder then I am.

This is our first time at patch panel replacement so be kind guys! :-D


I've been just working on little thing at a time, blasting off rust, dirt and old paint then repainting.
Front and rear bumper brackets are done and ready to go back on but think I'll leave it all off till it painted.

Well guess I bored every one long enough. Back to work!!:cheers:

 

[res1vw21]

hey Stan, make sure to chase all the rust in the corners of the patch, they came back and bit me on the scamp. Looken good though!

 

[stansblue72]

Thanks Ross. When I cut the patch from the 72 we figured out that it had a quarter panel replaced at one time. The patch was rust free on the back, still had black paint on it. Was kind of a shame to cut just the piece out of it when it's in such good shape.

 

[stansblue72]

My son-in-law seen an ad for a miller 135 mig welder for $600 bucks. Called the guy and ended up giving him $550. It's brand new and was never used. We had to put it together just to try it out.
I used it to weld the patch panel on and it worked great.

This is with it just spot welded on.

Thin coat of filler over the weld.

And finished to the point that now I'll start on the other side.

Can't wait for some good weather so I can roll it out side and start getting it ready for primer.8)

 

[Caddguy]

I always like the '72 front end and the '74 rear end and thought that would be a great looking car. Now I know you can put a '72 clip on a '74 I think my dreams have come true. Thanks for all the great info and pics.

 

[stansblue72]

I always like the '72 front end and the '74 rear end and thought that would be a great looking car. Now I know you can put a '72 clip on a '74 I think my dreams have come true. Thanks for all the great info and pics.

I almost did just that, leaving the 74 tail lights and bumper on. But decided to go all the way on the conversion with the exception that I'm going to use the doors from the 74.

 

[oneway71]

:cheers:Excellent work, in depth and great pics!:cheers:

 

[SlimPikins]

Hey neighbor, that looks like an awesome project!
I can't weld so that's way beyond my talent level.

 

[stansblue72]

Yeah, it's been a lot of work so far with a whole lot to go! I never welded much either but am starting to get the hang of it now. Where abouts do you live in good old Marysville, I'm off of cemetery Road.

 

[SlimPikins]

Yeah, it's been a lot of work so far with a whole lot to go! I never welded much either but am starting to get the hang of it now. Where abouts do you live in good old Marysville, I'm off of cemetery Road.

Wow, we are neighbors. I'm just north of 88th on 48th.

 

[a68postcar]

looks ok to me. first time or not! keep going!!this stuff aint hard, heck i can do it, so it can't be all that tough. keep it up, you are doing fine.

 

[stansblue72]

Yes we are I live on 86th in the 4700 block

 

[SlimPikins]

Yes we are I live on 86th in the 4700 block

Hahahahahaha, I think I know exactly where you live. I think I've seen that Dart in your front yard before. Have you had a few cool vehicles for sale in your front yard over the last few years?

 

[stansblue72]

Sold a yellow coronet a few years ago. Last summer my green dart and my son in laws red one where parked in the yard a few times.

 

[stansblue72]

Next up was fixing the rust issue on the drivers side lower rear quarter.
Cut the patch panel from the 72 and here is what I found on the inside.

The trunk extension was rusted off and who ever the brain was that did the body work on the 72 screwed the repair up as good as the rest of the quality work he had done on the car.

After removing the 1/2 inch of filler it reveled just how bad the patch was. I did try putting it on but am no where near satisfied with it. You can't see it in the picture but it is beat to crap and warped bad.

I'm going to order a patch panel from AMD and fix it right.
Well that's all for now.
Tomorrow I'm off to Yuma AZ. to spend some time with my folks then drive them home in there motor home. AHH! sunshine!!

 

[dustergal]

I don't know how I missed this post, since I can relate to it. We turned a '76 Dart into a '70. Sorry guys, I just couldn't take that awful '76 rear end. heh

Nice work!

 

[mopardrt]

looking great you can turn mine into a 72 after your done thanks I will drop it off tomarow

 

[stansblue72]

I don't know how I missed this post, since I can relate to it. We turned a '76 Dart into a '70. Sorry guys, I just couldn't take that awful '76 rear end. heh

Nice work!

I hear ya dustergal! The 74 rear bumper just didn't do it for me. Stuck out like a sore thumb.

 

[stansblue72]

looking great you can turn mine into a 72 after your done thanks I will drop it off tomarow

Thanks! I'm pretty good at tearing them apart. You might want to see if I can put one back together first before dropping yours off. :toothy10: