Hi Jerry - i would like to try and get it finished and dialed in for Carlisle but with us supposed to be in Switzerland and Sweden in mid-June, IDK. If not Carlisle, then the Nationals, if not by then, whenever it gets done
65 Dart Wagon Conversion to a Sedan Delivery
- Thread starter 65 Dartman
- Start date
-
Spent 3 hours this morning installing the front to rear brake and fuel lines. No lift so it’s up on jack stands. It’s not a pretty sight to watch me get down on the floor and even worse getting up. 76 and needing 2 hip replacements makes it rough.
I wanted these done before installing the rear end - an A Body 8.75 with a 742 case 3.23 gears with a clutch Sure Grip and Mustang based disc brakes. I bought the caliper hardware and used the flex line info from @dodgedifferent2, locally sourced the 94-04 Mustang calipers and rotors, and bent the hard lines to fit. I’m pleased with it;
I’m not going to try and do this job by myself so am supposed to get some help tomorrow. I hope to also install my 76 A Body cop car rear sway bar which being a dinky little diameter bar should work well with the big front bar I got from Heleig.
I wanted these done before installing the rear end - an A Body 8.75 with a 742 case 3.23 gears with a clutch Sure Grip and Mustang based disc brakes. I bought the caliper hardware and used the flex line info from @dodgedifferent2, locally sourced the 94-04 Mustang calipers and rotors, and bent the hard lines to fit. I’m pleased with it;
I’m not going to try and do this job by myself so am supposed to get some help tomorrow. I hope to also install my 76 A Body cop car rear sway bar which being a dinky little diameter bar should work well with the big front bar I got from Heleig.
Well, I got an issue with the rear end - got a small leak between the housing and the pumpkin at the bottom GRRRR! I’m sure i torqued all the nuts but will double check before i do any disassemble. Needs to be taken care of it before the rear end gets installed!
Last edited:
Best time to do it!!
Well I must have screwed up - it’s a good thing there was a leak and I discovered it before the rear end was installed- 3 or 4 nuts at the bottom were still loose - not completed torqued. It’s fixed now!
Hi Don. Sounds like your Mopar Quality Control Department is doing a great job. Fun to follow your thread. Four nuts at the bottom of that differential would not be good. Keep up the great posts. Sgrip65
Not much to see in there but the AC unit is in place and installed with the correct black phosphate nuts (thanks for confirming that Ulf @65dartcharger).
Started working with the wiper motor and arns. This unit is from my long gone 65 Dart convertible. I decided to leave it as was rather than clean and paint it. I see DMT upgraded their wiper pivot kit with the large pivot gaskets. Once I’ve finish rebuilding the heater assembly and getting it installed I think I might be ready for the dash
Started working with the wiper motor and arns. This unit is from my long gone 65 Dart convertible. I decided to leave it as was rather than clean and paint it. I see DMT upgraded their wiper pivot kit with the large pivot gaskets. Once I’ve finish rebuilding the heater assembly and getting it installed I think I might be ready for the dash
Hello Don. Is that wiper motor the variable speed? I have two of the variable switches, but they are not as readily available as the on/off switch. I suppose, back in the day, variable speed wipers were an option which most did not spend the extra money....just saying. I see the sound deadening mat is installed. You will like having that in your panel. Makes a big difference in road noise reduction. I'm glad I used the mat. Looking good. Sgrip65
mygasser
Well-Known Member
if you're anything like me it only takes a phone call that takes a while or a 'dinner's ready' call from indoors and you can forget where you're at quite easily. glad you caught it.
neil.
The wiper motor is the “variable speed” motor that I removed from my long gone 65 Dart convertible which worked quite well before being removed. i have a NOS variable speed switch installed in the dash. Along with the separate power wire, the 4 wires to the motor are imbedded within the portion of the harness that goes to the bulkhead connector.
BTW, the wiper motor and both pivots are installed
BTW, the wiper motor and both pivots are installed
My youngest son came by to help my buddy move the disc brake rear end off that tall stand to a nice lower roll around stand.
My buddy offered to remove the 7.25 rear end with 9 inch brakes; yes, I’ll take his help!
and offered to set the 8.75 in place - some beer would be a fine payment, thank you!
The U bolts and nuts were previously reconditioned in black phosphate with the shock plates blasted and painted black. They are installed awaiting the final tightening to torque specs
My buddy offered to remove the 7.25 rear end with 9 inch brakes; yes, I’ll take his help!
and offered to set the 8.75 in place - some beer would be a fine payment, thank you!
The U bolts and nuts were previously reconditioned in black phosphate with the shock plates blasted and painted black. They are installed awaiting the final tightening to torque specs
Don. For the most part new or all cleaned up parts? Makes it fun to assemble without having to wipe the grease and dirt from the hands and tools. Looking nice. Sgrip65
Yes, Eric (the gentleman Ulf @65dartcharger and I use for finishing the hardware) makes sure all the hardware is spotless, exterior threads and interior threads on nuts threads on nice and smooth. The housing was previously stripped and painted. So yes, working with nice clean stuff is great
lookin' good 
what did you need to do to adapt the mustang calipers?
what did you need to do to adapt the mustang calipers?must be a "Monday" car
lookin' good
@dodgedifferent2 machined the caliper adapters and was selling them. I believe he’s now doing them to order. They might have been patterned from a Dr Diff kit, I dunno? These are for LBP axles. He supplied those parts; the end user would source the calipers, rotor, pads, and flexible line. The end user needed to either turn the centering hub on the end of the axles 40 thou so the Mustang rotor would clear the end or open up the rotor 40 thou to clear the axle. I chose opening the rotor up. If the end user does the legwork sourcing the calipers, rotors etc there’s a big savings over buying a kit.
The 8.75 is sort of installed, I will have to see what is going to be required to install the 76 Valiant Cop car rear sway bar. I will let my buddy crawl underneath and do that - saves wear and tear on me lol!
I have no 15 inch rims; The only wheels I have is a restored set of 14 inch Rallyes, a brand new set of 14 inch chrome Magnum 500’s or a set of 15 inch J Body Mirada 10 spoke aluminum wheels. The Rallyes don’t clear the calipers but the 14 inch Magnum 500s (or later painted Road wheels) do clear these Mustang 94-04 base Mustang calipers. I’m sure they wouldn’t clear the bigger HiPo Mustang calipers (whatever they’re called). I will save the Mirada wheels for the 47. So today is the day to get tires so when it’s time to set it back on the ground, it can be rolled around again. Pictures later today!
I have no 15 inch rims; The only wheels I have is a restored set of 14 inch Rallyes, a brand new set of 14 inch chrome Magnum 500’s or a set of 15 inch J Body Mirada 10 spoke aluminum wheels. The Rallyes don’t clear the calipers but the 14 inch Magnum 500s (or later painted Road wheels) do clear these Mustang 94-04 base Mustang calipers. I’m sure they wouldn’t clear the bigger HiPo Mustang calipers (whatever they’re called). I will save the Mirada wheels for the 47. So today is the day to get tires so when it’s time to set it back on the ground, it can be rolled around again. Pictures later today!
Hi Don. All your material posted on your panel build could be a valuable manual for anyone to follow with another similar build. Thank you for sharing all of this great information. Sgrip65
There is a Swedish member in a Swedish forum who owned this at one time:
He said the larger doors were from a sedan like mine as was the B pillar. He sold it quite awhile ago and has no idea who has it now. Coould be a 2 of 2!
He said the larger doors were from a sedan like mine as was the B pillar. He sold it quite awhile ago and has no idea who has it now. Coould be a 2 of 2!
Last edited:
Martythetrimmer
Well-Known Member
there's a few been converted in Australia, one in particular is awesome. I know I have a couple of images of it, just can't find them at the moment!! One came up for sale just a couple of weeks after I bought my ute. Would have bought it in a heart beat!
Do you know if the smaller wagon doors were used or the larger 2 door sedan doors were fitted? I considered leaving the wagon doors/B pillar when i was planning mine but ended ip fitting the larger doors for, IMO, a more pleading proportions.
BAD NEWS!!! The sway bar ends where they mount to the sway bar plate that is installed under the shock plate want to occupy the same space as the calipers. I will see if I can find an alternate location to mount the sway bar ends directly to the housing. Looking at aftermarket bars, it looks like a lot of them clamp to the housing. We will see!
well, the truck with the tires never showed up! Supposed to be here today!
Martythetrimmer
Well-Known Member
from what I remember some were the standard door. Others extended the doors as we don't have a lot of long doors available here as we never had the 2 door versions. So any factory long doors have been imported! Having looked at a few, the long doors are the way to go! My ute will be my last build, but I'd love the build a sedan delivery with the matching custom features I've made!
Martythetrimmer
Well-Known Member
couldn't find my images, so a quick search I found the images again. These are old images now, never seen or heard of it since! May well be that more have been started than finished!!
The longer doors definitely have much better proportions than the short wagon doors!
Martythetrimmer
Well-Known Member
wish the utes had used the long doors as well. Could do it to mine as I've moved the rear wall back 150mm. But that maybe a step too far!
-
