1965 dart charger 273

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Urgerman

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Hey all I'm new to this site wanted to say hello to all.

I just bought 1965 dart charger 273 matching numbers have a few question about this car like is it worth restoring to factory spec or make it in too a hotrod.
It has 122000 miles I'm the 3rd owner and it still has the black california plates.
I em missing the emblems out side but I do have the one inside. The vin is a L455 and paint code 991. So wanted to see what you all think and thank you for my first post
 
Welcome to FABO.....
If this is correct from MoparMuscle..... You best keep it original.

http://forums.moparmusclemagazine.c...erformance-cars-and-trucks/1965-dart-charger/


Factory DartChargers

All factory DartChargers seems to have been produced between late August/early September of 1964 until beginning of March of 1965. All factory DartChargers were produced at the LA plant. All VIN# should start with L 455 *** *** and the paint code on the fender tag should read 991 or 999. Production figures 180 cars.

Dealer DartChargers (kit cars)

The kit cars was just simply a kit with the DartCharger badges/wheels that could be put on any car on the showroom floor that had the 273 HP (code 31 on the fender tag). I have so far only found out that these cars were produced at the LA and Hamtramck plant. Production runs between November of 1964 and June of 1965. If the car was a showroom car in any color it had that paint code on the fender tag. Otherwise they had the paint code 881 on the fender tag. Production figures 300 cars.

The Dart go/go package

The Dart go/go package was offered to the public in March of 1965. Production runs between March of 1965 to June of 1965. All these cars were yellow and have the paint code 881 on the fender tag.

Pale yellow

The pale yellow was a spring color that was first offered to the public by Chrysler in March of 1965. Dart go/go package cars. However the only exception was the DartCharger that was released in August/September of 1964. Paint code for this color is 881, 991 or 999 on the fender tag.


These are the cars that currently are in the register;


DartCharger convertibles factory 5 cars

DartChargers hard tops factory 14 cars

DartChargers convertibles kit cars 1 car

DartChargers hard tops kit cars 10 cars

Dart go/go package convertibles 3 cars

Dart go/go package hard tops 2 cars

Read more: http://forums.moparmusclemagazine.c...s-and-trucks/1965-dart-charger/#ixzz2uy00grJv
 
Thank you for that link i think i join the right site about this car and people seem very friendly
 
Thank you for that link i think i join the right site about this car and people seem very friendly

I think you may have a special car there. I hope some other members will be able to add something to the discussion...
 
Anyone know best place to find or buy emblems been looking around and can't find the ones that are a circle and say 273 charger.

I wounder if it's better to put 15 inch rims so I can add disk breaks or just stay with the drum?
 
I will have to repaint the car and also fix what the other owner did he put fender flairs so now I need to remove them and put that back to stock

Also would it be better to put 15 inch rims so I can put disk breaks or just stay with the drum breaks

Another thing anyone know were to find the 273 charger emblems
 
Ulf would be the line to the emblems.

The specific Dart 273 Charger edition is relatively rare. The 273 4 barrel 235 HP engine with the exhaust is the car, but not unique to the Charger. The uniqueness of the Dart Charger LA factory built car car would be the special order color. The 13" Cragars would have been another unique feature specific to the car as these wheels with this trim line would have had the 273 badges in the center cap. There were options available, such as a/c for the 180 factory built cars. Due to tire limitations the autos were almost a second faster in the 1/4 mile.

The Charger engine trim and badges were a way to promote the Charger name. The drive train was essentially the Formula S, minus the Blue Streaks. 14" Cragars were required for the front disk brake option on the Dart Charger. The exhaust note on both the Formula S and Dart Charger were unique. These were factory single exhaust with the shiny resonator, I believe.

For a lot of modifications, a 67 or later would afford larger engines (big blocks) or larger displacement small blocks (as stock). If the color doesn't do it or the original tire size, I would consider a nice Dart GT and modify that.

Some of tHe uniqueness of the DART Charger was to bridge the gap between the Charger I concept car, and the Charger II concept car, introducing the Charger name prior to the B Body Charger in 66. With the additional trim and options the car was online with the Formula S, with both competing for market share against the Mustang. Just read a 1965 road test comparison between the '65 289 271HP Mustang and the 273 235HP Formula S. The 273 did okay, but could have used more cam. The 66 d-dart up'd the 273 to 275HP partly due to hotter cam (plus carb/intake..)

This was the beginning of the Pony car era. The factory built 65 Dart Charger is definitely part of that. Enjoy
 
Kind of surprised it didn't have front disk brakes. Since your car is unique, best to find the original Kelsey-Hayes front disks. Almost the same were used on Mustangs then. They are nice 4-piston type w/ fixed calipers. You need to change the spindle and lower ball joint too. One member here had a nice-looking refurbished set for ~750 a year or so ago. 14" Cragars work and look great on the early Darts. The original power booster might be hard to find, but many options there. Probably best to use a later 2 reservoir type. Many are happy w/ manual brakes even in a front disk car. You also need a proportioning valve in the rear circuit so the rears don't skid first.
 
I will try to pm ulf for that info about the emblems

Ya I was looking for a car to building a hotrod but now finding out more of what I bought would be a shame to hack it up need to decide should I sell the car to someone that wants to restore it and get my self a hotrod car or just do the restoration my self
 
I have repop the emblems. Actually there were some differencies between the Dartcharger badges. The wheel badges had the mounting studs beside each other while the fender emblems had them on top of each other. The emblem on the dash haf the emblems from the dash but on some cars the mounting studs were broken off and the emblem wss mounted with two side adddesive tejp!!
 
Ya I was looking for a car to building a hotrod but now finding out more of what I bought would be a shame to hack it up need to decide should I sell the car to someone that wants to restore it and get my self a hotrod car or just do the restoration my self

DON'T hack it up! Sell it to a restorer and find a plain Dart to hotrod....please?
 
No I agree not to hack it I guess I can always post I on here If I do want to sell it I have a few thing to think about I do love all this info and how nice everyone is it's like a nice big family
 
I would see if Ulf already has a previous listing (owner) in his registry for the car.

So these cars were indicated in one reference as a non-Dodge division offering, so articles, material, data, brochures have been limited.

I don't know if the LA dealers association specified the equipment package/ options for the car (original factory builds), or the sales radius/avalibility (11 western states?). Do you have any history, stories, pictures, current condition, background info.. Ulf has a facebook page.

Trading the car may be an option, also. They typically may not sell for a lot here with the economy etc., or may sit here a while sometimes. Before you put money into it or another, make it a car for yourself first, not for a profit (not that profits bad). Ulf had to have the emblems (badges) made, weld the chrome wheels back together himself, etc. Stuff like that. Read his build thread. Pretty neat.
 
Ya I have documentation from the original owner when he bought the car when he was 16 and few pics of him and the car in his later years until he sold it in 2010. The guy he sold it too took off all the emblems and trim put fender flars and primer gray all the car I don't think he knew what he had. I bought the car last month or so I'm the 3rd owner after seeing the documentation he keep with the car and reading about this car makes me want to take the fender flars out and have the car reprinted back to factory color. I may just fix the body and just drive and enjoy the car since it's so rare enjoy taking it to car shows and explain to people about this car cuz it a neat car. I know I don't have the money to do a full restoration but I may be able to do the body work paint put some trim on and if I ca find the emblems do that as well and just take the wife out to Dinner with the car. I will talk to ulf see if he has this car in his list I think he just needs the vin number to do that should I post it on here or do it in a pm.
 
Ya I have documentation from the original owner when he bought the car when he was 16 and few pics of him and the car in his later years until he sold it in 2010. The guy he sold it too took off all the emblems and trim put fender flars and primer gray all the car I don't think he knew what he had. I bought the car last month or so I'm the 3rd owner after seeing the documentation he keep with the car and reading about this car makes me want to take the fender flars out and have the car reprinted back to factory color. I may just fix the body and just drive and enjoy the car since it's so rare enjoy taking it to car shows and explain to people about this car cuz it a neat car. I know I don't have the money to do a full restoration but I may be able to do the body work paint put some trim on and if I ca find the emblems do that as well and just take the wife out to Dinner with the car. I will talk to ulf see if he has this car in his list I think he just needs the vin number to do that should I post it on here or do it in a pm.

Nice to hear the story! I would be interested to see the last page on the owners manual as well as getting VIN and fendertag Picture. I can decode it for you and see if I have the car in the registry!

Included is a Picture on how the repoppped embelms looks like. The right on is of a fender. I bought it on Ebay and have that as well as some other extra emblems. For my own car I have an NOS set!!
 

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Vin is L455121675 I have pic if the vin and fender tag but it won't let me upload from my phone when I gat back home I will do it on my computer ya I need the two fender emblems
 
her are the pics i have of the two tags
 

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pic of the care only i have since im out of town for work
 

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I would not obsess about the badges. If the car was 1 of 180 made, it is cool to see it survive. Enjoy.

I think they make wheel lips; a 7 1/4" axle should be $100, couple of 13 14 or 15" tires and rims and you should be set It may already have been switched to the larger bolt pattern for the larger tires. The original yellow looked good, but with the car already in primer you can pick a color a new color for now. Original car only had ~7" wide rear tires. I wished I had had those tires on my old Challenger a couple of times. You don't have to rebuild it, change it or paint it in one or two weeks like the T.V. shows.
 
I agree don't try to get it done in a week. Over all I just need to pick one part of the car to work on and just keep moving. that's why we buy them in the first place. To enjoy working on them.
I will look at the axels when I get home this weekend that's a good call to have the buger bolt pattern.
Did you notice in the picture that he shave tha gas cap it's now in the trunk have not decided to keep it in or take it back out.
What are good tire size to have for the front and back
 
It's nice talking to other people about cars I did notice that there is a lot if info on here just going to do a lot if reading and I'm sure if I get stuck someone will have a answer or a solution. I thank you all for the info so far.
 
I noticed the wider mirror for the wider tires, wondered why he had not shaved the door handles, but missed the gas cap.
 
Ya I don't know what he was trying to do. I don't even know if I want to trust his primer job so I think I rather sand it all down to metal just to make sure would. It want to paint over something that I did not know how the job was done in the first place
 
Welcome to FABO. Very nice car you have there. I would definitely recommend keeping it original.
 
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