MuuMuu101's 68 Dart, A Learning Process...

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MuuMuu101

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Hey guys, I'm mostly a lerker over here. I usually spend most my time on moparts and have a projet thread there but I thought you guys would enjoy my build thread since everyone here are savy A-Body guys. Anyways as a little background, I'm currently a 3rd year Mechanical Engineering student working on his first project car. I have currently been involved in the SAE Mini-Baja club at my university and will be helping out with the drivetrain subsystem this year (Last year I did Marketing and Body - specifically carbon fiber).

A little about the Dart. The Dart is a fairly stock 273/904/7.25 car. Original color was Monotone white but the previous owner did a bad repaint to more of a Metallic white. Car originally came with Kelsey Haynes disc brakes and AC. Over the years one of the previous owners decided they didn't like AC (in CA) and wanted power steering (and did a very shady job of replacing it). Rust isn't too bad. Just surface rust in the trunk and bubbles here and there underneath the paint. Odometer states ~44k but I assumed it flipped over once. Overall, it's a nice cruiser and a fun car to drive around town in.

Future plans for the car is to go for more of a modern Trans Am sort of deal (not necessarily pro-touring but pretty close). I'm looking into a SB Stroker, T56, 17-18" wheels with Brembo disc brakes, Side Exit Exhaust, Complete Suspension Rebuild (Probably going with Hotchkis and Firm Feel), and A Better Interior.

I have literally never worked on cars before buying the Dart 4 months ago so hence the "Learning Process". Here's my link from moparts. Most of my pics are posted through photobucket so you should be able to see them without logging in. If you guys are super interested I'll probably start posting more frequent updates on here as well.

The thread, as of now, is basically, "Here are all my problems I've been dealing with, I need to fix them, HELP!" I guarantee you there will be cooler stuff like modifications to this car in the near future (granted $$$ and time allow).

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=7291833&an=0&page=0#Post7291833

Thanks for looking! :)

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Great start and clean Dart. Look forward to seeing how your build goes.


Thank you! That was one of my criteria for getting a car was to be a driving vehicle that was presentable. I just got lucky I found this clean 68 Dart (favorite A-Body of all time :finga: btw). But my first upgrade to it (besides fixing all the small problems and dangerous shortcuts the previous owner took) will probably be shocks and subframe connectors. But the first major subsystems I plan on taking on is drivetrain, wheels, and brakes. Basically I'll be swapping out to big bolt pattern with an 8.25 or 8.75 and fab up the brembo brake system from whatever I find on Craigslist, and top it off with wheels and tires (probably another CL find to keep it cheeper). It will probably take me at least a year to do all that. Luckily I have friends who I'm sure will be more than willing to give advice and direction.
 
Well, for those of you who didn't read the moparts thread, a month ago I had a leaky master cylinder that caused me to have major brake issues (i.e. no brakes and crashing into trees sorta deal). So it's been sitting in my garage for now. I barely picked up a jack and stands yesterday so this weekend I'll be at it (since it has been sitting in my garage for the past month). I got my MC yesterday but I found out within seconds I had the wrong unit. With some help from moparts I found out I had an early 80's B-Body unit in the car or something. So I'll be returning my rockauto unit and buying my new unit at the local parts store within the next couple days. Hopefully it fits. I should be getting my wheel cylinders in the mail tomorrow as well. I will also be changing out most my hoses. I got to get this thing running smoothly and safely for Fall Fling. That's the goal!!!
 
A short list of upgrades I've done in the last 6 months are home made sub frame connectors using 2"x2"x.125" wall square tubing like they did on valiant effort ($23), homemade hei just like slant six Dan from good junkyard parts ($25) bbp disc brakes from a 74 dart with a 85 5th Ave master cylinder ($450 roughly) bbp 7.25 rear with 10" brakes for now ($65). Ive also upgraded my old fuel line to new 3/8" and matching sending unit. Going to be upgrading my headlights with relays also like slantsixdan to stop the flicker, brighter lights, and less load on the charging system. Oh and I upgraded to a 70 amp alt and bypassed the amp gauge.
 
A short list of upgrades I've done in the last 6 months are home made sub frame connectors using 2"x2"x.125" wall square tubing like they did on valiant effort ($23), homemade hei just like slant six Dan from good junkyard parts ($25) bbp disc brakes from a 74 dart with a 85 5th Ave master cylinder ($450 roughly) bbp 7.25 rear with 10" brakes for now ($65). Ive also upgraded my old fuel line to new 3/8" and matching sending unit. Going to be upgrading my headlights with relays also like slantsixdan to stop the flicker, brighter lights, and less load on the charging system. Oh and I upgraded to a 70 amp alt and bypassed the amp gauge.

Subframe connectors are cheap to make. I don't see why people pay $180-300 for them. My friend has done it in his 71 Demon so when it comes time to do them I'd probably ask him for help/insight. What's hei? Today I am going to pick up my new MC (found out mine is from an early 80's RWD car like a Dodge Aspen). I already have Kelsey Haynes disc brakes and 10" drums on the 7.25. So far the diff isn't whining and running smoothly but I would like a better diff with a better gear ratio in the future (currently at 2.94:1). I want bbp primarily for better wheel and brake options. I actually am going to need to work on the fuel system soon. My gas gauge doesn't work so a new sending unit is probably in my future. And I'd like to get a better alternator. The one I have isn't that great. My headlights grow brighter when I rev the engine and sometimes the car will stall due to low current on start up so I have to rev it a bit.
 
Hei is a gm ignition setup. It does away with the pesky ballast resistor. The spst relay mod will help with your head lights pulsation. The small ga wire being used to power your lights is insufficient and would be used to trigger the spst relay. Check out slantsix.org for these upgrades.
 
Sweet! Thanks. I'm really bad with electricals even though I took an electrical engineering class last year. Honestly it's black magic to me, but I'll check out slantsix.org. I don't go on there much since I don't have a slanty but I'll check it out.
 
Slantsixdans instructions are really easy to follow and just that it one wire at a time. Biggest thing is to make sure the module is grounded.
 
Finally got to use my jack and stands I bought this week. Rear wheels are off trying tor replace the wheel cylinders but man are they rusty and won't budge. Maybe I should pick up some WD40 in the morning? No?
 
Most people around here use PB Blaster. It really works well at getting rusty bolts loose. To me, it seems to work better than WD 40. Great looking car!
 
Pb blaster is really good. We use a product at work called clp that I prefer. I've seen it at Walmart in with the gun cleaning stuff. It comes in a little black bottle with yellow lettering.
 
Thank you for the compliments!!! I'm thinking about picking up some Pb Blaster today and possibly replacing the hard lines as well (another thing I've never done). Here are some pictures. The bolts holding the wheel cylinder and the brake line fittings are just not budging...

Sorry for the bad cell phone pics.

Passenger side:
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Driver side:
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Due to issues with the wheel cylinder I decided to replace the fuel filter. Accidentally spilled fuel on some wires and on the intake manifold so I don't really want to start it right now. Thursday or Friday I'll do a complete radiator flush and replace the upper and lower hoses as well as the bypass hose. I may even go out and by a proper battery tie down instead of a bungee chord. A little frustrated and I'm not sure if I can make this safe enough to go to the Fling. It kinda sucks because when I told my dad about Fall Fling he got kind of excited and told me my uncle was coming in the day before from Lebanon (first time in America) and that he would probably like to go and is anxious to see my car.

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When I did the brakes on my valiant for the first time the lines were so bad I had to replace them. I ended up bending and double flairing all my own (first time double flairing). They turned out good, best tip I can offer is buy the best flair tool set you can and of you settle for a budget tool set open it up and inspect it for straight castings. I've seen so many not casted straight and will not produce a good double flair.
 
Pb blaster is really good. We use a product at work called clp that I prefer. I've seen it at Walmart in with the gun cleaning stuff. It comes in a little black bottle with yellow lettering.

I have some CLP sitting in my garage! I'll have to use that next time my PB runs out! :cheers:
 
Did a little work on the car today. My uncle (mom's side, not the one from Lebanon) came in tonight because he's catching an early flight tomorrow and we're closer to the airport. A little background on my uncle, he came in to the US when he was a teenager and has currently been doing body work for the past 50+ years. Well, I showed him the car for the first time, I'm not going to lie but I was kind of excited. He helped me align the door better so now it closes nicer and doesn't squeak. Then he saw everything else (from paint, to the steering shaft, to AC, to windows, and all that) and he basically told me to fix the brakes and then sell the car or not to put any more money into it.

He really didn't like the rust and didn't believe it was a CA car. He just thinks it's too much work and stuff. I'm a little bugged and pissed off right now because I have school and work to deal with. It kind of sucks to have your Uncle's disapproval. After a while he started to realize I was getting bugged and said, "Well, at least you're learning." I get he's looking out for my best interest and doesn't want me to go bankrupt, but still.

The plan as of now is replace radiator hoses and flush the radiator on Friday. Saturday I hope to replace the MC so I could maybe just go to Fall Fling with the car. If not I'll just take my other uncle in my Scion.

Sorry, I just needed to vent. A little discouraged.
 
As my car sits right now I'm in it $3k and we are getting ready to paint. I had to replace my passenger quarter, both trunk extension, and lower driver quarter. Your car doesnt look that bad. Maybe take and upload a lot of photos.
 
As my car sits right now I'm in it $3k and we are getting ready to paint. I had to replace my passenger quarter, both trunk extension, and lower driver quarter. Your car doesnt look that bad. Maybe take and upload a lot of photos.

It's not nearly that bad. All it is, is surface rust in the trunk, some bubbles under the paint on the bottom quarter panels, and some surface rust around the rear sail panel (by the trunk lid) and window trim. Anyone from the east coast, I'm sure, would love to own my car. He's just worried it's all going to come back "like cancer." After I decide to repaint it in the future.

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There are some other larger bubbles as well, but that's all the pictures I have for now.
 
Id por15 or rust bullet the trunk, the lower quarter is an easy fix but how is the trunk ext near the bottom? I beleave the rust below the door is worse than it appears but not a big problem. Id inspect the floor especially where the floor mounts are. how are the rear sub frames? I dont know about the sail panel but I wouldnt think it would be that bad. If I do another car Im going to have my boss sand blast it for $400-$650.
 
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