Project 440DD

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dukeboy440

dukeboy440

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Enter project 440DD. Back in the fall, I picked up a 74 dart swinger hardtop. The little slant 6 is still running strong, but it's not staying in the car. Body is pretty solid, rusted out lower rear quarter panel, rest of panels are solid. Trunk floor was junk, replaced already. Driver's floor pan is the only rusted spot of the floors. It's about the size of a silver dollar. Not sure if I'll patch it, or replace the entire pan on that side. Rails are solid. Passenger side fender is junk, replaced with a used one from a member on here. Driver's side is solid.

Plans are for a 440 swap with a 4speed backing it up. Recently picked up a new trunk lid, 8.75 a body rear and a fiberglass hood. Color will be a custom green(sorry purists). Right now, it sits waiting for warmer weather, no heat in my shop. Hoping to at least have it drive-able for Mopar Nats. It'll be a challenge...

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the new heart. Older picture. 440 off for the machine shop

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Got motivated yesterday. Removed old crappy fender and hood. Mock installed the replacement fender and then mocked up the new fiberglass hood I got from Glasstek at the Indy Swap meet for a steal of a price.
 
off with the old

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I also happened to find my build sheet in the rear seat during my disassembly of the interior. I'll have to get a picture. Nothing special on the sheet just kind of meet to find one as much intact as this one. 5th Mopar I've owned and this is the first sheet I've found
 
What are your plans with it after you are done? Street cruiser, Autocross, Strip?? It’s nice to see the '74s being brought back. The thing is that no one cares what you do to them as they are not a sought after year. I have had a few purists say what were you thinking a 1974 never came with a 340 much less a 6 pak but to them I say “I did it the way I wanted the car”. Tell you the truth it runs like a bat out of hell and to hell with them if they can’t respect that.
 
My plans are to build an all around multi-purpose car, not sure of the technical term. A car that can hold its own in multiple phases of the hobby, not just one. It is getting a 440 big block with a 4 speed, maybe a 5 speed one day as funds allow. Car is being built with handling and braking improvements in mind, something that can turn left and right just as well as it goes straight. Horsepower will be kept modest, run on pump gas so that I'll be able to easily drive it from one state to the next if I wanted. As for 74's, I know I'll never get the money I put in back, which is why I'm building it how I want it. :cheers: I'm a jack of all trades so I figure the car should be too :glasses7:
 
not much to update, been out of town for work and very busy. However, I have since picked up some more pieces to the puzzle including a forged steel crank, torker II intake and cam, all for the grand total of 150 bucks. Not sure I'll run the cam, doesn't look worn but it seems to be one of those cams that sounds better than it performs according to research and edelbrock themselves(which is why it was discontinued years ago.)
 
more progress, slow but its a step done nevertheless. Stripped out the old interior, only one floor pan needs replace, the drivers side front. the passenger side has some surface rust but seems solid.
 
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Been very slow so far on the dart. With my sister's accident, father in law's medical crisis as well plus a 9 month old, there just simply hasnt been time or even energy to do much. But I have gotten a few things done.

Before



After sanding the fender down.



New(used) interior pieces for the change from blue to black



New deck lid installed and working and straightening the tail panel up some



Pulled the little slant 6 and its off to its new home in Illinois.









also picked up an Abody A833.







Yes, the bronze shifter arms will be swapped out with steel.



Here's the mini shifter I got as well, gonna be doing some unique twist with it.



And just adding a little detail with some sublime green.





And can anyone guess what I'll be doing with this?

 
Lookin' good so far! I'm also working on a very rusty 74 swinger and I'm taking the same approach. I know it will never really be worth much, so I'm fixing it the way I want it without keeping it original. When I first started I wanted to keep everything period correct, but now I think it will end up a little more modern...
 
low_kota said:
Lookin' good so far! I'm also working on a very rusty 74 swinger and I'm taking the same approach. I know it will never really be worth much, so I'm fixing it the way I want it without keeping it original. When I first started I wanted to keep everything period correct, but now I think it will end up a little more modern...
Click to expand...

That was kind of my thinking. I figure this will be the only car I'll get to build in my life, so I may as well do it the way it suits me. I have people constantly telling me I'm a fool for going with a 440, it's too heavy yada yada yada.. but it's what i want.

Don't let anyone change your mind.
 
Lately I've been thinking about adding a megasquirt fuel injected turbo setup to my slant. That will be a few years away after I finish the body work. The way I see it our later year cars will never be worth much, so why not make it what you want it. If it were a hemi Cuda that would be a different story. .
 
Got the glass pulled and trying to get the rest of car stripped down so it can be sand blasted. I'll be sure to get new pics.

Side note: The part gathering is continuing quite well, traded a 440 I got for free for a working 489 sure grip rear. So I now have my 741, 2.76 case up for sale.

Can't decide if I want to spend the coin for a Lakewood bellhousing or just get a factory bellhousing...decisions decisions.
 
If you're gonna replace the '18 down the road, why spend $$$ on a bellhousing that ain't staying with the car for long? A stocker will do the job for a lot less than a Lakewood. The only Lakewood I would be buying would fit a 440...
 
Sorry, my bad. Just went back and took a good look at the block. Forget the '18 reference, thought you were putting one in to get mobile for some reason (CRS moment). I will say this however. Having been involved with one clutch explosion, I will never have a car that is expected to see more than 5000 RPM on even a semi regular basis that does not have an SFI approved flywheel, clutch, and bellhousing...
 
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