1965 Dodge Dart 270 Wagon

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mammlouk

mammlouk

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I just inherited my father's 1965 Dodge Dart 270 Wagon. Assuming the engine is still original it is a 273 2bbl. I've got a sweat roof top carrier rack, power rear hatch window, and AM radio! This car was originally my Grandmother's, purchased new in 1965. I've got a folder about 1.5" thick of repair/service documents to go through. There is minor surface rust in every spot where the paint is chipped, but so far I have only found one spot where a panel has rust all the way through (lower drive side fender.) The picture above is the "clean" side. The driver side fender has collision damage and a small rust hole, so I will probably just replace the fender. The rear hatch also has some sort of collision damage which is impacting the rear window. I imagine that's a much harder replacement to find, so I will probably be getting some estimates from a local body shop. The front chrome trim seems a bit smashed up (possibly low speed collision?). Is this easy to find aftermarket or will I need to try and get mine straightened/repaired?

Some maintenance was done to get it running about 3 years ago when my uncle drove it from Idaho to Oregon. After that my dad trailered it to Connecticut and it sat in his moldy spider and rodent infested garage since then because even though he really wanted to restore it he spent way too much time working to get around to it.

Hopefully some fresh fluids and a carburetor adjustment for the high altitude of Colorado Springs will get the old gal up and running. The plan is for this car to be my daily driver. That means some work will have to happen quickly. The initial push is going to be gutting and refinishing the interior. The seat covers, headliner, and carpet are pretty thrashed. There is mouse poop.

I'm pretty confident that I can get the carpet and seats out. I was surprised to see that stockinteriors.com has molded carpet and headliners for seemingly reasonable prices. Seat covers on the other hand seem pretty outrageously priced. I can do the door panels and dash later, but I don't want to feel like I'm sitting in a giant pile of garbage.

This is my first real restoration project, so any advice is welcome. I'm particularly looking for recommendations on interior prep after tearing everything out. Some sort of rust inhibitor? Do you guys rattle can/spray paint the interiors, use an actual decent paint gun you've bought, or pay a paint shop to spray everything? Also any thoughts on interior style are welcome. The original colors are the creme (probably "Ivory") exterior you see with what appears to be the "Medium Gold" interior. I am leaning towards going with originally available colors, but doing the light blue exterior and either a black interior or a slight deviation to non-factory creme colored interior.

Thanks for any advice. I'll post some more pictures later this week.

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Nice! I too have a 270 wagon but will be pulling all the side trim off. I've acquired both a roof rack and power tailgate window for future installation. I found any kind of replacement seat covers would be expensive unless one went with generic replacements. To solve the problem I will be fitting a 65/66 Barracuda interior (rear fold down seat and front buckets) as upholstery for that is readily available (it's already been test fit and fits perfectly!). As you surmised the tailgate will be a problem unless you can find someone parting a wagon out with a good tailgate - I've bought 2 decent ones as my original is rotted out. I'll be happy to provide any info I can as my resto is both stock and custom-orientated.
 
65 Dartman said:
Nice! I too have a 270 wagon but will be pulling all the side trim off. I've acquired both a roof rack and power tailgate window for future installation. I found any kind of replacement seat covers would be expensive unless one went with generic replacements. To solve the problem I will be fitting a 65/66 Barracuda interior (rear fold down seat and front buckets) as upholstery for that is readily available (it's already been test fit and fits perfectly!). As you surmised the tailgate will be a problem unless you can find someone parting a wagon out with a good tailgate - I've bought 2 decent ones as my original is rotted out. I'll be happy to provide any info I can as my resto is both stock and custom-orientated.
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Sounds like your build will be interesting. Do you have a thread started that I can track?

I'm torn on which way to go with mine. Personally I would lean toward going more custom with a custom modernized dash and interior, maybe a floor shifter or a swap to the older pushbutton just for fun. With it being a family heirloom situation I feel obligated to restore it more traditionally. I'd love to find a way to get something AWD stuffed into it for the icy Colorado winters, but I don't have the requisite skills to pull it off myself and I'm sure the budget to have somebody else do it would be quite large. I haven't seen anything done previously that I could use as a guide.

I will have to look into the barracuda seating. I really like the idea of keeping the front bench, but even having funds available for the project I cringe at spending $500/seat. You mentioned that you are pulling all of your side trim. Is it in good condition? Are you interested in selling it only as a whole set or would you be willing to part it out? As you can see in my second picture the front driver side fender has been beat up a bit. I have the trim piece that is broken off, but if you're willing to part with the pieces for that fender I would gladly take it off your hands instead of trying to repair mine.
 
mammlouk said:
Sounds like your build will be interesting. Do you have a thread started that I can track?
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My thread for what it is is called My 65 Dart Longroof

mammlouk said:
I'm torn on which way to go with mine. Personally I would lean toward going more custom with a custom modernized dash and interior, maybe a f loor shifter or a swap to the older pushbutton just for fun. With it being a family heirloom situation I feel obligated to restore it more traditionally. I'd love to find a way to get something AWD stuffed into it for the icy Colorado winters, but I don't have the requisite skills to pull it off myself and I'm sure the budget to have somebody else do it would be quite large. I haven't seen anything done previously that I could use as a guide.
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My dash is definitely custom - the 65 dash frame is being swapped for a 66 Barracuda frame, with the 66 Barracuda instrument cluster featuring a Dakota Digital conversion. The dash wiring harness is an 80's Mirada harness I modified to suit my needs.

mammlouk said:
I will have to look into the barracuda seating. I really like the idea of keeping the front bench, but even having funds available for the project I cringe at spending $500/seat. You mentioned that you are pulling all of your side trim. Is it in good condition? Are you interested in selling it only as a whole set or would you be willing to part it out? As you can see in my second picture the front driver side fender has been beat up a bit. I have the trim piece that is broken off, but if you're willing to part with the pieces for that fender I would gladly take it off your hands instead of trying to repair mine.
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The seating area already has the bucket seat mounting dimples ready to drill. The Barracuda folddown rear seat bolts right up to the mounting studs on the wheelwells. The only thing to add is the rear seat latches which are welded to the upper front of the wheelwells. I don't have any fender trim, which is part of the reason I'm removing the rest of the trim. I am adding 66 Barracuda fender mounted turn signals so there will be a little splash of chrome.
 
Those signals will be a great addition.

I got the car started up tonight. Lots of cranking and starter, but it finally fired over. The first few firings sent acorns flying everywhere from my exhaust pipe. It was definitely a sight to see. The roofers doing an inspection at my neighbors house were certainly captivated. There seemed to be a slight leak near the fuel filter, but it stopped once things warmed up. Those hoses will be replaced soon enough.

The radiator was empty, but I bypassed the heater and filled the radiator with fresh coolant/antifreeze. The engine was run for more than enough time to heat up, but the coolant never lowered in the radiator. The temperature gauge stayed pegged to the right. I believe a new thermostat is probably in order. I will see if I can pick up a thermostat and gasket tomorrow. Hopefully that clears it up.

I have a full tank of 3 year old gas to burn through so I better get the carb adjusted for the altitude because with how rich it is burning the smell is almost unbearable.
 
I would drain the tank of that old gas as you are asking for trouble by using it! It would be better to drop the tank and clean it out. The old gas will gum up the tank, fuel lines, carb, etc. After your tank is cleaned out, refill with fresh gas and then set everything up for your higher altitude.
 
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congrats on a great wagon project! yes, ditto on the gas tank draining, check the pickup unit in there, may very well need replaced. rad might need a check at GOOD rad shop. yep, pull the thermostat and place in water and bring up to boil and see if it opens. yep replace all hoses, belts, fresh points/condesor tec.
yep correct seat covers are not cheap. but ya gotta have something to sit on. lucky here in poor mans country, we have some really good country auto upholstery shops, not cheap either but an alternative if ya don't have to go back exactly OEM. they can fix springs, add foam,
 
Why do you guys have to agree with the voice in my head telling me to drain and clean the tank?! The big question is what do I do with the old gas? We're talking about a full tank here. I've never dealt with that much old gas before and I don't exactly

I've inspected the coolant hoses and aside from the upper radiator hose everything looks fine. Most of them were replaced right before the thing ended up parked 3 years ago. They will get replaced, but not right away. The radiator was flushed and supposedly checked at that time as well so hopefully it's fine. Good point on checking the current thermostat in boiling water. I didn't see it listed on the repair bill from before the car was parked, so I'm assuming it's stuck. I'll probably pick up a replacement and gasket just in case because if I have the housing disconnected I'll want to replace the gasket anyway and I'd rather have the parts ready to go and return them if I don't need them.

On the subject of distributor points, do any of you have big thoughts on stock distributor vs converting to an electronic ignition?

We have a few local upholstery shops that are supposed to be excellent so I will definitely be getting some quotes. If the prices are anywhere close then I will probably go that route. If they can do the seats with a matching headliner, carpet , door panels, and visors for a reasonable price compared to what I can buy online then I will just have them do the whole thing. I'm not against investing some money in getting this done right, I just don't want to feel like I'm throwing money away that I don't need to.
 
I won't say what I did with the old gas (EPA you know!). I will comment on the points vs electronic - definitely go electronic or convert the Mopar brain box to HEI. There's a member here who makes a HEI conversion harness you might check on. Let us know what kind of pricing you get for redoing everything - headliner and carpet is about the only thing available for the wagon and then needs to be installed on top of buying it. That's the reason I'm converting to a Barracuda interior since the upholstery and seat foam is available from several vendors and I can install all that myself.
 
search here and you will find plenty of opinion on points vs stock oem electronic vs HEI stuff. i'm old fashioned irun points and OEM electronic. works for me, but i'm not a "boy racer"> ha
old gas? I 's sure the Left coast EPA would put ya in jail, but put it in a 5 gallon bucket ( no lid) set it in the hot sun and it will evaporate in few days. beats pouring it the neighbors yard!
 
I bought a remanufactured distributor from Rockauto and put a Pertronix conversion kit in it for my Valiant wagon. Total was about $150.
 
Thanks for the tip. I'll do some reading and figure out which route I want to take.

Alright, so I pulled the thermostat and it seems to be functioning just fine. Hooray! I made a mess in my driveway and wasted the bit of free time I had last night! Oh well. I scraped the old gasket and installed the new thermostat and gasket since I already had it open and made the mess.

I didn't drain the gas yet because I need to stop by the hardware store and pick up a few buckets. Hopefully I can do that on Saturday. I'm pretty sure something is gumming up the pickup sock because when I give it a good burst from the throttle when the engine is under load the engine immediately stalls out. I'll measure what I need and buy some bulk fuel hose and new clamps for this weekend as well. I've never cleaned a tank before, but all the videos make it look like a few hours of work to clean and then a few more hours to get the thing cleaned right, then a few days to get it etched, sealed, and dried. It sounds like I will want to eventually go all out with sealing and everything, but do I really need to worry about it for now?

Hopefully I will pickup some 14" wheels tonight or tomorrow and drop them by a tire shop for rubber so I can get them on the car either Sunday or next week.

I called around and found a local shop that will do the seats for $800 including foam. If I can fit it into the schedule with everything else I'm going to try and swing by to see some samples of the work they've done. I should probably decide on the interior colors so that I can get the ball rolling. Black would be easiest because I won't have any trouble matching the headliner and carpet, but I think that a creme colored interior would look really good with the factory light blue that I am planning for the exterior.
 
You might want to consider buying a new tank rather than dropping , cleaning and sealing the old tank. If you're even thinking about FI way down the road, a Tanks Inc tank set up with an in-tank pump might be just the ticket. If your fuel line from the tank is all gummed up, a new line is readily available.

The price for a complete new interior- seats with new foam, carpet, headliner and door panels sounds like a great deal!
 
65 Dartman said:
You might want to consider buying a new tank rather than dropping , cleaning and sealing the old tank. If you're even thinking about FI way down the road, a Tanks Inc tank set up with an in-tank pump might be just the ticket. If your fuel line from the tank is all gummed up, a new line is readily available.

The price for a complete new interior- seats with new foam, carpet, headliner and door panels sounds like a great deal!
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A new tank is exactly the thought and conversation I was having with someone earlier. I don't mind spending time working on the car, but my time does have value and something as tedious as this looks like it will take way more time than it's worth compared to buying a replacement. I wasn't really planning to consider fuel injection at all down the road, but I came to that conclusion when I was originally expecting the car to be a slant 6. If I'm considering fuel injection, but going to keep the carburetor for awhile would you recommend just getting the 6-bolt pickup tube and using the stock fuel pump? Is there any benefit (aside from having it done and ready) to getting the in tank fuel pump now? It's not an insignificant amount of work (particularly for a novice like me) to add the pump, return line, and pressure regulator if I won't be needing them anytime soon.

I had to re-read my post in case I misspoke. I wish the $800 was for everything including carpet, headliner, and door panels. He said that with the size of the headliner it would likely end up around $3500 to do the whole interior. If I go with black I can get the headliner and carpet for around $400 combined at StockInteriors. Then I can just do the visors and door panels my self. That would put me under $1300 total.
 
Looks like it was I who misread on the interior! I have bought carpet from Stock Interiors (who source it from ACC) for several vehicles and was pleased with the fit and finish. I haven't had any experience with headliner from anyone yet but am sure I will when it gets to that point.

My original plan was to use the FiTech electronic throttle body fuel injection with their Fuel Command Center, which will work fine with the my slant and stock gas tank. I also have an exotic induction set-up - triple Webers - that I would really like to use on my wagon so I'll eventually have to make some kind of decision. If I use the Webers I'll probably move the just the FiTech throttle body to my Barracuda and order the tanks Inc set-up. I can use the FCC on something else. For you, if not converting to injection right away, I would probably get the complete Tanks Inc set-up and be ready for it when that time arrives OR buy a replacement non-in pump tank and swap it over.
 
Okay. So I thought about it a bit and I really don't want to deal with all the extra hassle of the electronic fuel pump right now so I bought the 2nd cheapest new gas tank that showed up in a quick google search. $82.95 with UPS Ground shipping included from 1AAuto. That oughta do the trick for now.
 
That sounds like a great deal and will save you a bunch of aggravation and time!
 
Got the new wheels last Saturday. Finally got tires mounted today. My oldest son helped me get the wheels on the car and torqued down.
 
65 Dartman said:
Pics?
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It was getting dark and my phone couldn't get anything decent so here's a blurry picture of my son getting the job done! I snapped a better picture this morning, but apparently it didn't sync online before I turned the phone off so you'll have to wait.

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Here's the better picture from yesterday morning. The wheels are 14x6 and I settled on 215/70 r14 hankook optimo tires. Well see how everything feels once I can drive it around a bit, but so far I'm happy with the way they fill out the wheel wells and give the wagon a bit more height.

I took out the gauge cluster so I could check the regulator and start getting it cleaned and ready for paint. What a giant pain in the rear.

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