1969 Dodge Dart Swinger clean up

-
1969dartcleanupweek18.7 043.JPG
 
Not a single drip yesterday, came out this morning to transmission fluid flowing out the shop door. I may have woke up the neighbourhood with profanity, but of course they all get up before we do! LOL
1969dartswingerweek18.7 002.JPG

Went to bed last night, laid down and the little voice said "hey asshole, you didn't tighten the lower control arm pivots after you put it on her wheels".
1969dartswingerweek18.7 003.JPG

130 foot pounds, with the cars ride height set already. Tough place to get a torque wrench.
1969dartswingerweek18.7 006.JPG

1" socket, universal joint and about 12" of extension.
1969dartswingerweek18.7 007.JPG

Torque converter drained back overnight, filling the pan up into the dip stick tube. Knew I should have sealed in that new O ring I installed on the tube. Good thing I finished my cookies so I had a tray that would fit under there.
1969dartswingerweek18.7 009.JPG

Pulled the tube and another 2 quarts came out. Tipped and shook the car to get the fluid about a 1/2" down the case hole.
1969dartswingerweek18.7 010.JPG

Trying two o-rings stacked, one just bigger than the other.
1969dartswingerweek18.7 015.JPG

O-rings smeared in RTV and hoping for the best tomorrow.
1969dartswingerweek18.7 025.JPG
 
Last edited:
Trunk mat out of the car and it has been doing what they do...
1969dartswingerweek18.7 030.JPG

Spare tire cover board is in nice shape.
1969dartswingerweek18.7 031.JPG

Time to do some scuffing and scrubbing.
1969dartswingerweek18.7 036.JPG

A few coats of paint and then cleared. Not perfect, but it's under a mat. Just want to stop the rust..
1969dartswingerweek18.7 037.JPG

Nice trunk mat. They are usually cracked and torn.
1969dartswingerweek18.7 043.JPG

Had the rear seat out to put a body plug in that was missing. They have been recently recovered..
1969dartswingerweek18.7 052.JPG

Seat bottom, fresh padding.
1969dartswingerweek18.7 053.JPG
 
Like a scolded dog that pissed on the floor... "outside"...
1969dartcruiseapril102021 004.JPG

Grocery run...
1969dartcruiseapril102021 005.JPG

Unusual attitude test.
1969dartcruiseapril102021 006.JPG

I can't believe how cool this thing runs with that 7 blade fan I threw on. This is 40 minutes in out on the highway. 172F and 62psi oil pressure. Must have a 160F thermostat in it.
1969dartcruiseapril102021 013.JPG

Grocery shop and mail pick up while the Wife guards the car... Ruff.. RUFF RUUFFF
1969dartcruiseapril102021 015.JPG

71,111.6 miles, pretty certain it hasn't rolled the 100,000 as well.
1969dartcruiseapril102021 016.JPG
 
Last edited:
I recognize Main and Robert Streets and the Foodland at Village Square Mall.

I’ll be in the lookout for you in town.

Most likely I’ll be in my white ‘66 Bug or my wife’s black Audi A4 convertible.

I rarely take my Dart up north but might this summer.
 
Thought I had another heater hose strap in my spares, but can't find it. Oh well, lots of aluminum strips in my scrap box.
1969dartcleanupweek19 001.JPG

Zip bit a slot in the "head".
1969dartcleanupweek19 003.JPG

Flip, flop, fold the top.
1969dartcleanupweek19 007.JPG

Another who and why the hell.... would you put a fender mount bolt behind the door hinge...
1969dartcleanupweek19 011.JPG

Wasn't happy with the passenger door to fender alignment, so spent an hour getting it lined up mucho better. Required fender to inner bolts, splash shield attach bolts and lower fender bolts all loosened and things moved around.
1969dartcleanupweek19 012.JPG

Fender to hood gap was a bit bowed in the center, fixed that up somewhat.
1969dartcleanupweek19 016.JPG

Another use for dental floss besides making bikinis. The reproductions don't have tabs, but I found the OE's do but were already broken off.
1969dartcleanupweek19 018.JPG

Tired script removed and the chrome polished up
1969dartcleanupweek19 020.JPG

Reproduction scripts set in place. Buggers didn't supply the two faced tape to install them even at $70US each!
1969dartcleanupweek19 023.JPG

Nice and clean, just need to find some 2 faced trim tape..
1969dartcleanupweek19 027.JPG
 
Car had been upgraded to an electronic voltage regulator and dual field alternator previously, but I don't trust no name aftermarket as they have a habit of melting down. It's a spare now for the glove box.
1969dartcleanupweek19.5 002.JPG

I picked up a "few" Mopar OEM's from Halifax Hops Ray for only $24US each last week and threw one of those on.
1969dartcleanupweek19.5 004.JPG

Engine bay is a wrap.
1969dartcleanupweek19.5 006.JPG

As assembly line original looking as she's gonna get.
1969dartcleanupweek19.5 014.JPG

Installed the rear facing dash cam..
1969dartcleanupweek19.5 016.JPG

She's a nice little car. Wife's gonna have a ball getting groceries when she's finally allowed out again... but for now I'll have to sacrifice my services on her behalf...
1969dartcleanupweek19.5 020.JPG
 
Thanks! All put to bed.... gotta get to the hangar next and get working on some airplanes, before the boss strings me up by the nuts...
View attachment 1715724402
No rest for you, gotta take some time and get those fine automobiles out for some exercise, I can help with that, and I don't even charge for my services!:poke:
 
Probably gonna get hassled just going to the drug store for my weekly pepsi sale and milk run tomorrow. Total lock down starts in 5 minutes. Cops can now stop us to ask why we aren't at home and where we are going. Our provincial border gets closed as well. About time on that, should have been done a year ago when everyone else did so...
 
I have just arrived back from Germany to New Zealand and am half way through a forced quarantine. Our government force us to isolate in a hotel for two weeks before being released into the wild. I feel like a prisoner with guards in the corridors etc. The Dart looks amazing Wayne, thanks for sharing.
 
Really nice job you've done there.

"Hey asshole" I've heard that in my head countless times. lol
 
Seeing I repaired a cooked wire inside this MSD (that I picked up off an auction for 20 bucks) I thought it might be a good idea to carry it as a spare for the one installed on the car for when it craps out, as well as the voltage regulator I swapped out last week. Jack installed and secured, swapping in an iron with a 13/16 socket to fit the wheel nuts vs 3/4" OE.
1969dartcleanupweek19.5 039.JPG
1969dartcleanupweek19.5 043.JPG
1969dartcleanupweek19.5 044.JPG
 
I had no idea repop lug nuts were not factory correct until I went to use my tire iron. I found a 13/16th tire iron and restored it as good as an IT could until I found a NOS set of lug nuts on EBAY that came 10 each RH and LH thread and are 3/4 from a great guy in Canada who only wanted $90. My car is nowhere near the correct ness of your car but I still like to keep it factory whenever possible. Beautiful Dart
 
New rear Dart only marker reflectors from Megaparts showed up today.
1969dartcleanupweek20 001.JPG

Darts are a one shot deal for reflectors vs B bodies (and others) that are held in with a rear bracket. These screw in from the front first, then the reflectors get snapped/tape into place.
1969dartcleanupweek20 006.JPG

Reflectors snapped into place.
1969dartcleanupweek20 007.JPG

Not perfect, with paint making up for where the decal was cut out, but certainly more correct than it was.
1969dartcleanupweek20 011.JPG

Exterior and mechanical work on the car is a wrap...
1969dartcleanupweek20 016.JPG

What it looked like when done wrong...
1969dartswingercleanup 089.JPG
 
Very nice work .
Mine got sidelined when I got squirreled by a Maico ....now that the bike and the race are done I can get back to the Swinger.

2184C7BD-CDE8-40A6-9ADD-6A2D500CF110.jpeg
1AA08341-DA91-4A3A-92A9-D522F632DC19.jpeg
4A4176D9-9DCA-49AD-AFD4-0FE229C2C023.jpeg
 
Trunk mat out of the car and it has been doing what they do...
View attachment 1715720895
Spare tire cover board is in nice shape.
View attachment 1715720896
Time to do some scuffing and scrubbing.
View attachment 1715720897
A few coats of paint and then cleared. Not perfect, but it's under a mat. Just want to stop the rust..
View attachment 1715720898
Nice trunk mat. They are usually cracked and torn.
View attachment 1715720899
Had the rear seat out to put a body plug in that was missing. They have been recently recovered..
View attachment 1715720901
Seat bottom, fresh padding.
View attachment 1715720902
My trunk mat has those same slots on the bumper side, yet there seems to be no reason for them?
 
Thanks for the finishing touch Richard !! @RPM440+6 Slapped it on a little crooked purposely, but not as bad as a line worker...
1969dartswingeraircleaner 001.JPG
1969dartswingeraircleaner 004.JPG
1969dartswingeraircleaner 009.JPG
 
Last edited:
I see a Thunderbird Super Coupe in the background behind the fuel vault, looks like a 1989 or so, my 88 year old mother has one, with a 5 speed, 105km on the clock, might be coming into my garage in the near future.
 
-
Back
Top