1969 Dart GT Convertible

[71autoxr]

Well finally back on the wheels.
Did some more bead blasting. Amazing that you can erase 40+ years of dirt/grime/rust/crap with 10 minutes in the glass bead cabinet. Tomorrow fenders???

 

[autoxcuda]

The Challenger has a 69 vintage 340 that is mostly stock. It was originally a 340 car. Once the dart is together, the motor is coming out of the Challenger, and going into the Dart. Then I get to build a motor for the Challenger. A big cube 340 block with efi.

Looking at your Dart make me feel guilty. I gotta work on my poor 68 Dart conv. (Tim Herren's old car).

:cheers: Cool to get to working on the Challenger next. I'm building a 416 e-brock headed motor for the beater-Cuda right now. Picking up the machined block on Tuesday. Start primping and assembly next weekend.

 

[67DartGT340]

Wow great job I can't wait to see the final product. Keep up the great work.

 

[71autoxr]

Well I think I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It has been a really long tunnel though. Got he fenders on and mostly aligned, the hood is on and will get final alignment to fenders tomorrow. Attempted the deck lid install but fatigue and hunger got the best of me and quit for the night. It looks so vastly different than it did a month ago that I keep doing a double take and smile. Paint is set for September 25thish. Really only down to wet sanding the entire car and some final panel alignment. (keeping fingers crossed)

 

[71autoxr]

...and now with a trunk. Although that was an adventure in itself. Initially when I took the car apart I noticed that the inside holes of the hinges were ovaled. So whats a guy to do? I welded up the hole and made it round just like i thought it was supposed to be. Once I went to put the trunk lid on the hinges were way out of whack. Took the hinges off and compared to another set I had noticed they are supposed to be ovaled to allow the trunk to open properly. Nothing a Dremel couldn't take care of. Once I got the hinges to line up and had the deck lid installed could not get the gap at the front to be right. Once again dragged out the Dremel and opened the notches in the bottom of the deck lid. Although my wife was not happy having to help take the lid off, put it on, take it off, put it on, take it off put it on...you get the idea. Found the best way to get the deck lid to fit perfectly was also the most inconvenient - from inside the trunk. With 95+ degree temps and cramped accommodations, it was not the funnest place to be. But it worked out perfectly. Once the bolts were tight and all the towels were removed I only had to loosen one bolt to set the height on one side. Also wanted to share a trick for cutting sandpaper that saves a ton of time and makes all the sheets the same size. I have a sheet of plywood on my workbench. I staple a stir stick down, use my sanding block as a spacer, and staple a hacksaw blade the distance of the sanding block away. When I need paper I slide it under the hacksaw blade till it hits the stick, tear, and start sanding. From here until paint is block sanding so likely not to hear from me for 2 weeks until paint!!!

 

[71autoxr]

Well after Murphy reared his ugly head and I was NOT able to use a paint booth, I set up the mock spray booth in my garage. I sprayed Saturday afternoon, took about 1 1/2 hours from mixing paint to completion. Very happy with the results. The color looks green in the shade, but definitely Turquoise in the sunlight. Now I have to decide on the top and interior color. It has been a long haul to get to this point. I cannot wait to get started putting it back together.

 

[Joe Mc]

Rick, I can't believe its been almost 48 hours and no one else has said anything yet!

Allow me "Friggin awesome work dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!":mrgreen:=D>

 

[ElFin]

It looks better than factory. Way to do it!

 

[HemiEd]

Fantastic job Rick! I love it!

I love that color, and it makes me wish I had restored that 69 340s Coupe, that was totally loaded and was that color. What is the paint code?
My 340s had white vinyl top and white interior, with a luggage rack.

 

[RedFish]

Awesome ! I can't imagine anything other than white top and interior.
Some else mentioned a luggage rack. Those require a crowd of holes drilled in the trunk lid. Eventual leaks and rust for sure but... I do like the look of one on a vert when the top is down.

 

[ab7fh]

Mmmmm sure looks great!!

What are you plans for this car? Keeping it as a second Mopar? Or planning on flipping it?

 

[71autoxr]

Rick, I can't believe its been almost 48 hours and no one else has said anything yet!

Allow me "Friggin awesome work dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!":mrgreen:=D>

I thought something was wrong. Although I sit in front of a computer all day, so sometimes it's a few days till I see a reply.
Thanks for all the kind words.
The car was originally R6 - red, but I have seen a few that color and it just doesn't look right on the car. This code is Q4 Turquoise metallic. It really is a pretty color. I can say I have yet to see a mopar factory painted this color. I was really scared it was going to be green. In the shop under the fluorescent lights it is much greener. Or i guess technically it would be less blue since the yellow light cancels the blue, but either way it changes color depending on the light source.

@rick, this one is a keeper too. Too much sentimental value.

Next step is to start ordering all the bits and pieces to finish it up. I'll start with the recently restored fuel tank, 8 3/4 axle, and exhaust. That should free up plenty of room in the shop!!!

 

[Tony Fields]

That is going to be a beautiful vert!

Very, very nice work

 

[HemiEd]

Awesome ! I can't imagine anything other than white top and interior.
Some else mentioned a luggage rack. Those require a crowd of holes drilled in the trunk lid. Eventual leaks and rust for sure but... I do like the look of one on a vert when the top is down.

Don't intend to hijack this beautiful thread, sorry.
I had a case of the total dumbass on that car. I was fully into drag racing at the time, and a friend needed a trunk lid for a coupe, along with the finish panel, so I told him to just come and get it. Of course I let him have the luggage rack as well.
The car was rust free, but had been hit in the right rear quarter. It would seem like an easy fix now, but not in 88.

 

[71autoxr]

Well, it doesn't go together as I fast as I'd hoped, but there is still a lot to do. Since the last post I moved so that was about 5 weeks of packing and hauling. Now back to the car. After getting the car out of the booth and seeing it in the sun it had a touch too much orange peel. Would likely have been excellent for a 1969 factory job, but I didn;t come this far to have it look that way. So, i've sanded and buffed about 1/2 the car so far and have been very, very happy with the results. 2000 grit wet with a Meguires 105 (Ultra Cut) on a wool bonnet, followed by Meguires 205 polishing with a foam pad. The shine and finish is AMAZING. In my short periods of down time I've removed all the front and rear suspension bushings and am getting ready to build the rear suspension. 8 3/4 axle housing has been blasted and is in black epoxy primer (final finish). 8 3/4 truck axles were cut down to A body length by Moser. Tonight I was going to remove the old axle bearings and wheel studs. Previous owner of the truck axle shafts decided to run the wrong size (smaller) studs and used steel spacer on some, and welded others right to the axle. GRrrrrrrr. One step forward, 3 steps back. Also found one of my front sway bar mounts cracked. One step forward, 4 steps back. I've got 11" rear drum brakes to go on, and most of the rear suspension is either blasted and in black epoxy ready to go in, or will be very soon. First order is to finish the cut and buff, then roll the rear suspension under. From there the money spending starts for all new weatherstrip new hardware etc....etc....
In the meantime enjoy some progress pictures.
The first pic is the reflection of my plastic covered Challenger in the drivers door of the Dart.
2nd is the lower control arm shell removed from the LCA (pain in the *** job)
3rd is the welded studs in the axle shaft
4th is pile of front and rear suspension parts laid out for various work for the week/weekend
5th is the drivers door reflection again. You can see the door was buffed but the quarter panel was not as it is flat finish, but reflective.

Hope you like them!!

 

[340_dart_power]

Love the photos and progress. I have Paint Envy, BTW.

 

[mopardude318]

VERY VERY NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[1969dodgedartgt]

count me as an admirer

 

[George R]

Absolutely beautiful!

 

[LH23H2R]

:tongue9::tongue9::glasses8::glasses8::glasses7::glasses7::glasses7: WOW !!!!!! That's some damned fine work there !!!

Looks like you started with a firewall , a 7/16 bolt , and a shot of Crown Royal !!

Q4 Looks beautiful on there ! Great choice !

I admit that I didn't read the initial post , so please forgive me when I ask : was this a 340 GTS originally ?
Also , are you planning to paint the motor Chrysler Engine Blue ( as 1969 340's were blue ) ?

Keep up the GREAT work !8)

 

[DA69RT GT]

I like it alawt.... Great work!!!

 

[71autoxr]

:tongue9::tongue9::glasses8::glasses8::glasses7::glasses7::glasses7: WOW !!!!!! That's some damned fine work there !!!

Looks like you started with a firewall , a 7/16 bolt , and a shot of Crown Royal !!

Q4 Looks beautiful on there ! Great choice !

I admit that I didn't read the initial post , so please forgive me when I ask : was this a 340 GTS originally ?
Also , are you planning to paint the motor Chrysler Engine Blue ( as 1969 340's were blue ) ?

Keep up the GREAT work !8)

Thanks to all for the kind words and motivation to get my butt in the garage and keep plugging away.
Originally it was a slant 6, auto on the floor, red, GT, convertible. (although a lot of the sheet metal, mechanicals came from a 69 V8 4 door). There were several reasons that I made the changes I did. The most important is that I wanted it to be what I would have ordered in 1969.

Tonight's updates:

Well someones poor welding was no match for my angle grinder to knock those poor fitting wheel studs out. Once that was done I dressed it all nice with a 80 grit flap sanding pad. Then proceeded to pull out the Dremel with a cut of wheel and do a number to the axle bearings, and finished off with a chisel for removal and future replacement per the FSM.
Not a mark on the axle shaft so it will take just a slight scuff with emery cloth to the seal surfaces and call it done. One side is complete and tomorrow I'll tackle the other. Never did 8 3/4 axle bearing R and R before, quite a pain in the *** job. The choice to replace the bearings was that the axles were from a no-history truck axle that had seen water at least a few times and the shafts had been sitting out for an undetermined amount of time. $100 well spent.

 

['70_Duster_340]

That's gonna be one amazing car !!! Congrats on your progress :thumblef:

 

[71autoxr]

well got the rest of the front and rear bushings installed (thanks for the press Mike - 20 ton - works like a charm). blasted the rear brake backing plates and bunch of other stuff in the blast cabinet. Found that I like aluminum oxide to strip paint and light rust better than glass bead. Way dirtier and dustier though. Got a lot of parts sprayed in black epoxy primer, which is the final finish for suspension parts. need to mix another small batch to do miscellaneous hardware which will likely be over the weekend since the weather will be nice.

Got 1/2 the car sanded and buffed, got it out in the sun and had to turn it around to do the other side. Just need to score some brake shoes and wheel cylinders and can assemble the rear drums, as well as the rest of the rear suspension. Always found that the axle retaining plates, and the backing plates are always really tough to get over the 5 housing studs so i just barely enlarged the opening with a stone bit on the dremel. What a difference.

 

[71autoxr]

Well I finished sanding and buffing the car, with the exception of the hood scoops. Looks phenomenal. In the down time of sanding and buffing, I've been able to gather all the parts to put the complete rear axle assembly together.

Today (after changing rear shocks on the wife's car, and replacing the alternator on the Challenger) I pressed the bearings on the axle shafts (Timken tapers), I like to put the bearing in a plastic zip bag with some grease and pack them the clean way). I also removed the temporary rear suspension, and added some undercoat to the wheel wells. I need about 2 more cans to make an effective coating. I was able to mount the leafs to the tube with all the refinished backing plates and new U bolts. Ran out of steam but hopefully tomorrow I can get the last remaining bushing from NAPA, assemble the backing plates and brakes, clean the center section and paint it (4:10 sure grip baby!). With a little luck I'll be able to slide it under the car with some borrowed wheels too. Anyhow, more pics, enjoy.