Henry's 70 Dart Swinger

[cli55er]

this will be a driver, so this is mostly a mechanical restoration.

car has not had much in the way of TLC in many many years, its time.

it is going to be converted to a non a/c car. it doesn't work and it will cost me more to fix it. so i'm deleteing it.

I would like to thank my Father for keeping this car as long as he has, never selling it even when times were hard, and for giving it to me well before he passes this earth. I want to thank him for taking care of our family instead of this car as i grew up. For all the great childhood experiences, and car shows. (dad....next time your at my house....look at the pictures on the wall to the right of my computer)

so if any of you think this thing needs help because my dad didn't care for it, then you are wrong and you can just move on to the next project blog. He did all he could to support our family and to havea hobby at the same time. Kudos to you dad...and standing ovation!

I'm looking for help here, for adivse, for experience. if any of you have done these items before and ran into trouble, then tell me about it. otherwise....dont worry about the state the car is in....its not yours.

here is a list of the things that will be getting attention.

front pads
rear shoes
front rotors
rear drums
rear wheel cylinders
all soft lines
all hard lines (SS)
porportioning valve
rear brake spliting block
master cylinder
caliper seals and dust boots.

Daytona Carb rebuild kit (ethanol approved)
Daytona jets and metering rods (jetting to go with purple cam)
carter fuel pump, 120gph 6.5psi
metal fuel lines from pump to carb (SS)
factory fuel filter with fittings
mopar performance aluminum air cleaner with K&N filter

Cap
Rotor
Pertronix Ignitor II electronic module
Pertronix Ignitor II 45k coil
spark plugs. (autolite double platinum)
wires
mopar voltage regulator

mopar performance aluminum valve covers (ones on there are not right)
mopar twist on breather cap
mopar twist on pcv cap
all vacuum hoses
spark plug wire holders

harmonic balancer (jegs SFI) the one on there is incorrect
timing cover (the one on there has no timing marks)
cranshaft pulley non a/c (one on there is wrong, all 6 holes dont line up on HB)
full engine gasket set

aluminum 8 spline water pump with taper bearings and carbon seal
all coolant hoses

kyb front and rear shocks
engine bay wiring cleaned up
correct Pulleys for a/c delete
header wrap to keep heat off master cylinder

 

[cli55er]

now that you have read that.....anyone have any luck keeping the heat of the MC from the factory high flow cast iron headers? these are not stock 340 headers i'm told...see pic above.

 

[ProStocker273]

Those are hipo 340 manifolds. The only manifolds that came on a 340. I have never heard of anyone having problems with heat from stock manifolds though. Nice car!

 

[cli55er]

thanks for liking the car! i like it as well! obviously lol!

thanks for the comments on the manifolds....for some reason they would get hot enough to boil the brake fluid in the MC. so my dad made a very clever heat sheild which solved the problem.

i plan to wrap them in header wrap to see if that helps.

 

[cli55er]

one other thing i forgot to ask.....can someone tell me if this is a saginaw....i dont think it is, but i'm clueless and a noob.

 

[ProStocker273]

68 hemi cars had there MC offset to clear motor. I'm sure you could do that to help get it away from your manifold.

 

[cli55er]

AbodyJoe identified this as a Federal Pump. Thanks Mate!

 

[DartOS]

I would stay away from the header wrap. It will cause problems on a daily driver. Holds moisture and then rot. You might want to fab a heat shield out of 1/8" aluminum or 0.030" ss. A couple of hose clamps and 1/4" or 1/2" spacers.

 

[cosgig]

Whoever would dis your dad for anything? That's a great car handed down with love from a dad who sounds like a great father, and person, who stood up and did the deal right! He handed down way more than just the car, and you can be rightly proud of that!! Welcome to FABO and thanks for sharing!! Geof

 

[Jason Cunningham]

Wish I had my Dads 70 340 Swinger. We used to "visit" it at the wrecking yard up until around 1990 when it was finally crushed.

 

[grassy]

so if any of you think this thing needs help because my dad didn't care for it, then you are wrong and you can just move on to the next project blog. He did all he could to support our family and to havea hobby at the same time. Kudos to you dad...and standing ovation!

I'm looking for help here, for adivse, for experience. if any of you have done these items before and ran into trouble, then tell me about it. otherwise....dont worry about the state the car is in....its not yours.

Was this *really* necessary... I am surprised you are getting any help...

 

[Robj]

Sweet car! Love the story. I signed my B-body over to my son and he's been working on it. Should be ready for paint soon. We spent a lot time bonding underneath that car up to our elbows in various fluids.

Looks like a nice solid project you have. My 318 Swinger is my daily driver and went through much of the same things on your list. Now it's weekend projects to restore, upgrade or update items. I made it my own even though some disagreed with me and love every minute I'm driving. Some days I miss the offramp on the way home and just keep going further out into the country.

Have fun. Most everyone here is friendly and supportive unlike some of the other forums out there. There's a lot of knowledge here to help you out.

Welcome!

 

[cli55er]

it wasn't necessary, but there was a reason behind it. that's all that needs to be said further on that part. I can't help it if someone doesn't want to help, but I accept it if they didn't like the comment. that's okay by me, it wasn't meant to cause trouble.

back when my dad was doing all this...there was no internet for the small consumer. I have a huge networking advantage over those old days, but I can't even begin to compare to his knowledge of the Detroit iron.

thanks to everyone that does help me out along the way and thanks for all the nice comments. I just started on it, so the real questions are yet to come. if my Dad doesn't have the answer, I'll ask you good fellas.

My son spent time inside of it today while I was working on the engine. he was busy rolling down the windows and climbing the seats and etc. he is only 5 and since the dart has a wing on the back....its a race car. lol! good kid!

my z3 is the car I catch myself passing the exit ramp in, but right now it's being a little turd! grrrr.

I like the story about visiting the dart in the junk yard, I bet you wish you could have bought it back from them before it was crushed.

Today I spent removing all the A/C components. I think I gained 50 hp in just weight savings from the compressor being gone. LMAO! I took pretty much everything off the front of the car except the timing cover. still degreasing everything and need to keep the water out of the motor obviously. All the components will be freshened up before going back on.

 

[cosgig]

Whoa, theres an engine under there!!!LOL!! Those compressors are heavy, and right in the way most times! Now comes the fun part of finding the correct pulleys!! Hopefully you can still use the crank pulley, and make sure you find pulleys from the correct water pump setup! Cant remember exactly when they went to the aluminum water pump, but a quick glance at the pump on your motor will reveal the needs of your search!!

Glad to hear the lad is taking an interest in Dads car....and his Dads Dads car!! Wow, thats a lot of history in the makin there!! Geof

 

[cli55er]

we have owned this car since 1989, I remember the exact day we went to go see it. I remember the driveshaft laying on the ground under it, the faded paint, and of course the stripe and wing! I remember thinking like my son, this is a race car! I was 8 at the time and I was so excited that I will never forget it. this car will never be sold. it'll be my son's some day.


all the correct pulleys have been ordered from bpeusa. talked to them specifically about what I wanted to do and what would be needed.

I also got a new aluminum water pump with taper bearing and ceramic seal. also has the 8 impellers. the old one was aluminum as well, but only 6 impellers.

pretty much everything on my list above has been bought and is on its way to my house now.

I have a 2 groove crank pulley coming, new correct non a/c water pump pulley, alternator brackets, and single groove alternator pulley. he assured me this would fit with my federal pump. we will see if it all lines up.

after taking off the crank pulley that was on there...it is not the right one...only 5 of the bolt holes lined up, so my dad's memory was very good in that respect. if I ever put the A/C back on...i'll get the correct 3 groove pulley from bpeusa.

but living in texas all my life and having driven in the car most of my life with the 2x70 a/c system...it wont bother me. my Packard wont have a/c either. give me the HP and the weight savings any day!

I degreased the motor as best I could. you can see some of the original orange paint. my dad likes the red and it has never bothered me any either. maybe not 100% correct, but idgas. i'm going to consult with him if he thinks we should paint it back orange now that we can get to everything easily.

I love the pic, it makes sense! lmao!

 

[Robj]

Was it running before? Dad going to be the first to get a ride when she's all back together?

 

[cli55er]

yes it was running before, and it was driven and enjoyed. It was just time to send some new parts to the old gal. :0)

you can expect it will be me, my dad, and the little one in the back. hehe! weeeeee!!!!!

 

[cli55er]

broke it down more, found the timing chain was in need of attention.

i plan on a S.A. Gear double roller in either .222 or .250 to replace the stock one.

any experience with S.A Gear vs. Comp cams. Comp cams doesn't list the roller diameter so i'm guessing stock .200 thickness.

yes the cam has some wear on it, its still got life though and i can't afford to pull the motor and have the cam bearings redone. its a Comp cam, not the mopar purple shaft.....but is a performance cam.

if i did pull the cam, we all know i'd be buying all kinds of performance stuff and spending tons of money that i can't right now. lol! so its gonna stay and i'm stopping here. lol!

had fun with my dad on sunday, but my allergies kicked my butt hard.

engine will get the hemi orange paint for a refresh.

valley is nice and clean though, so that is good.

we figured out that the HB that was on the car was incorrect, the 3 groove crank pulley fit perfectly on the new HB. no clue what that HB came from that was on there. the last thing to make sure of is that the crank is steel and not cast. will know when i pull the pan.

anyone have a good engine bay harness. non a/c version is fine. at some point before my dad bought this car someone had to modify the connector for this one wire, i believe it goes to the alternator. before i just try to reuse it, i wondered if anyone had a spare laying around.

the one i have is for a/c and i'll also have to wire tie those a/c wires back, no biggie.

 

[txstang84]

Your best bet to avoid the alternator frying your dash harness is to bypass the ammeter by putting the two wires on it to the same post and install an 8ga charge wire from the charge post of the alternator directly to the positive post on the starter relay. There's too much current flowing through those stock connectors and when the terminals start to corrode, the current flow makes more heat and cooks things under the dash. It's kinda scary when you're driving on a cold night with the heater on and that unmistakable acrid odor of burnt insulation and ozone infiltrates your nose.

You'd also benefit from installing a relay harness to the headlights...they're available from many places anywhere from $30-$120...or you can make your own. it relocates the current draw from under the dash to under the hood...just uses the headlight circuit to actuate the relays.

 

[cli55er]

please elaborate in dipshit terms because i have not gotten to reading the wiring diagrams yet and i'm a bit out of the loop on what you are saying for the alternator. of course, i will have my dad read that as well. he is better with wiring then me. i have seen the headlight wiring harness that plug straight to the battery for constant current and no drop. the headlights on this car are alot dimmer then i wish they were. i had lasik and night driving is a bit challenging.

 

[txstang84]

for some reason they would get hot enough to boil the brake fluid in the MC

...didn't see anyone address this text specifically, but if your manifolds are getting that hot, you may want to look at your timing...sometimes, it indicates your timing might be too far retarded and the spent mixture is still burning as it leaves the chamber, or the mixture is too rich, or a combination of them both.

 

[cli55er]

this could be the reason....the timing was set by ear. the timing chain cover never had indicators on it, so he had to do it by ear. thanks for the advice!!!

 

[txstang84]

please elaborate in dipshit terms. i have seen the headlight wiring harness that plug straight to the battery for constant current and no drop. the headlights on this car are alot dimmer then i wish they were. i had lasik and night driving is a bit challenging.

Well, the one I bought was from Speedway motors; it plugs into one of the factory headlight plugs to actuate the relays (high and low beam), and like you observed, pulls power straight from the battery terminal on the starter relay. It's been one of the better mods I've made to my car IMO, and it only took about 15 minutes or so to install.

By using relays, the drain in the factory circuit is significantly dropped (probably less than 1 amp draw) and that reduces your risk of overheating the 40+ year old wiring that may have some sins running through it. It's a dual purpose improvement...keeps the current draw to the cabin low, and isolates the current only where it's needed-to the headlights-with overgaged wires which drop the resistance. Also consider, when you install new headlights, they burn hotter than the old school ones off the shelf in the 70s, so they draw more power.

 

[txstang84]

I've had the dubious honor of almost cooking my wiring harness from that exact same thing you pictured above...do yourself a favor, bypass your ammeter, repair any burned wires with the correct gage stuff, clean and lube all accessible terminals with wire brushes and dielectric grease, and install a heavier gage charge wire from the alternator directly to the starter relay. You'll still have full battery power available to the inside, but that wire you pictured will only flow the power you required--not the full charge amount coming from the alternator.

 

[cli55er]

my bulkhead connector is also pretty nasty and you can see where it was once melted. this fix from before my dad owned the car is a disaster waiting to happen...even if its been that way for many years. lady lucky i say.

this is what i plan to do.

new engine/light harness from yearone

new wiper/heater motor/trans pigtail harness (a/c deleted) from evans wiring.

new trans harness from evans wiring.

new bulkhead connector from evans wiring.

clean female connectors and check dash wiring to bulkhead connector

this should take care of all the under hood eletrical problems that may come in the future if i used the original stuff.

the under dash harness didn't look too bad to me. but i'll take a closer look tonight.

then once i get that all squared away....it would be a good mod to delete the ammeter and put in a voltmeter so the gauge will still function.

its any wonder that the fate of more of these cars wasn't a fire....but i dont normally hear about that. i'm guessing when they were new and not corroded, the wiring was adequate enough.

thanks for the advice txstand84.