chicken coop Dart

[jim]

Alot of people have barn finds but I get a chicken coop find. I just finnished redoing a 67 Barracuda that took me 3 years. A friend told me I need to build a drag car but I have been out of it for years. Well I guess i am going racing. Another friend told me he knew of a Dart that was set up as a drag car. We contacted the owner and went to his dad's house. The boy's dad passed away years earlier. The boy wanted clean up the place. He had a 67 Dart he use to race parked in the chicken coop and wanted to sell it so he could tear down the structure. Paid him $500.00 and loaded the car brought it home. Looks bad but is complete minus the motor. He had extra parts that went with it Extra trans, brand new 6 pack rods, a rusty GTS hood and miss. parts. Just so happens I got a 440 to put in it. I have some vacation left so I plan to finnish this one quickly. Here are a few pics.

 

[chryslerfat]

Looks to be pretty solid still.

 

[jim]

more pics

 

[spikekid999]

hell a good was n she'll look real good.

n i want the dodge plate on teh front lol

 

[pettybludart]

Kool find!!For $500 and some wrenching??Let,s GO RACING!!!Wash first..HAHA!!

 

[abodyhotrod]

that car looks shitty.... nice find!

 

[STR-14]

Words fail me............:-D Nice looking 68. How's the undercarriage?
You do know how this is going to go though, don't you......!
The famous last words...... "this won't take long....." and "while we're at it...........!"
Daryl

 

[daredevil]

great start,nice to see you aint chicken of a project lol

 

[jim]

These computers kick my but sometimes. Anyways finally here is a picture of the motor for the Dart

 

[chryslerfat]

A name to paint on it...............Aint chickenshit...................

 

[66340SEDAN]

Cool find, I would leave the chicken **** on it and drop in that killer 440!

 

[SleeperScamp]

Throw the front license plate in Memikes auction and I will start the bidding at $25.00 ....???? ....?????

 

[res1vw21]

I hope the window hasn't been rolled down all this time! Nice find, is it tubed?

 

[alleyoopmgv]

That is a cool find, post pictures of the progress if you can.

 

[72bluNblu]

Good find! Looks like a trip to the coin op car wash would fix a lot of its ills, looks pretty solid!

That thing will kick *** with that 440!

 

[Bigmacdak]

NICE!! I agree, a trip to the carwash will have all the green poo off in no time. Looks to be a solid old car. As long as it hasnt been sitting on the frame all these years....

 

[Dart-swinger]

That's a 68 front end what do the tail lights looks like

 

[70DartMike]

Nice find! That 440 looks like it'll fit nicely in there. I'm with alleyoop, pics of the progress would be awesome!

 

[mullinax95]

You're a lucky man!

 

[jim]

Man this puppy is insulated. It has original primer,a bluish green factory color,primer,orange paint,primer,white paint and a finnish coat of scum. Took the pressure washer to start cleaning. The white is coming off. The steel hood is shot full of bad rust the trunk lid had the stiffners cut out and it is bent bad. I orderd fiberglass replacments. I think I will go for the Hemi hood. The back half has a home made tubbs and ladder bar set up .All of that will come out. A friend of mine look and will cut all that out and build new from the front frame to the rear but I have to do the tubbs and tin work. On the good side the rear end looks good. It has strange axles a spool and 4.56 gear. A 5.11 gear set was also included in the purchase some thing I will sell later. The car is a 67 but some one replaced the front cap with one off a 68. I have a disc brake set up to repace the 9" drums. The rears already have 11".

 

[cudaspaz]

Looks like your gonna be on a wing and a prayer, but a breast above the rest.

 

[Tarr]

Chicken **** story. Come on and tell us the details or sell it to somebody really cheap so they can tell us.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brad4406]

Nice find. It reminds me of this 71 Duster I got out of a barn in northern SC years ago. Got it for $400 w/ a factory '68 big block K-frame, 8-point cage, sub frame connectors, A-body 8 3/4 w/ strange big bolt pattern axles, and McCandless semi-chassis headers.

 

[jim]

Been really going on the Dart. Rebuilt the trans and installed a Milidon oil pick up on the 440. Bolted up the motor and installed disc brakes. The glass hood and trunk came in. I had a hemi scoop I added and primed. My buddy started cutting out the back floor and trunk to add a new frame which will be solid from the transmission cross member to the rear bumper. We also decided to add to the existing roll cage a halo and extensions to the front frame. Got a 2 core cross flow radiator installed.Had to do some trimming but it fits pretty good. Will start stripping paint. I found it comes off fairly good using a 7' grinder with a wire wheel. Here are a few more pictures. More on the computer less in the shop.

 

[68383GTS]

You will not believe this but I know where a 1971 Cuda 340 4 speed is in a chicken coop.A friend of mine Brian was struck and killed by lightning in 1981.A few years back I started wondering what ever happen to the Cuda.I thought maybe his parents still had it.I ran into Brians best friend a few years ago and asked about the Cuda.He said his sister still has it and its in a Chicken coop.I talked to his sisters husband who has other Cudas as well,He said his wife will not let anyone do anything with it.He also said he starts it up once in a while when his wife goes shopping for the day.Well I got to look at the Cuda this spring and it was the first time I have seen it since 1981.Its in a chicken coop with a wooden floor and no chickens thank god.
Jim