64 Dart

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Sergey

Well-Known Member
Joined
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Location
St helens, Oregon
Hey! My name is Sergey. I got into a drag racing this year, raced every Wednesday and decided to build a car, i got a 64 Dart. I’m young, never build a car before and not a mechanic, but have to race and have to figure out how to build a car. Unfortunately I don’t have many people to ask how to do it. It is really helpful to read other people’s restoration posts.
So decided to post my build here, to seek for knowledge and advices. Will really appreciate any advice. I want to build this car before February, so i can learn the car in test and tune days and start racing for points in March. Thank you for watching and your time

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What motor? Headers are tough in those 'narrow A' cars unless you pay $$$
 
Started with mini tubing and fuel cell box, took more thinking then working, after it’s done would definitely do it differently next time. I’m in Portland, Oregon, really grateful for people sharing information at Portland international raceway.

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already looking good! Tubs wont help much unless you pull the springs inboard. Kinda looks like you did already from this angle...
Hooker 5208s? Check port size, they (mine) didnt seal on a larger port 340 head with their lame "O-ring sealing". You can graft a 340 flange onto them/
 
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already looking good! Tubs wont help much unless you pull the springs inboard. Kinda looks like you did already from this angle...
Hooker 5208s? Check port size, they (mine) didnt seal on a larger port 340 head. You can graft a 340 flange onto them/
Not yet, but will relocate the springs, my plan was - spring relocators and caltracks.

Thank for an advice on headers, not sure what headers i have, but they are hooker.

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They look to be 5208's (should be stamped on flange) highly sought after but are a little small for a 408. Go with plan B 904. fits alot better and is quicker with less rotating mass. Its a light car, doesnt need a 727 IMHO.
 
I got frame connectors with a floor profile, but after pulling out the carpet found out I don’t have a floor, so i used 2x3 square tube and did cross bars for the roll cage main loop. I will have to redo the whole floor probably will use sheet metal and transmission tunnel.
Should id floor first and then cut out transmission tunnel or transmission tunnel first? Also any advice on it will be super helpful, i got a 18ga sheet metal.
Thank you!!

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They look to be 5208's (should be stamped on flange) highly sought after but are a little small for a 408. Go with plan B 904. fits alot better and is quicker with less rotating mass. Its a light car, doesnt need a 727 IMHO.
That’s what everyone are telling me, but i just spent so much money on building this 727 with reverse shift pattern and manual valve body and a trans brake, and PIE are saying my motor will be 500-550 hp, so might will go with 727 and already committed to cut out floors and tunnel
 
Welcome to FABO. You have some skills! As a side note I would recommend determining what class you expect to run in and become familiar with it's requirements, then you will not over-build the car or under build. What are others in your class running? As for the mechanics of it- we can help.
 
Place trans in and then mock up tunnel. The only interference on a 727 in that chassis is the pinch weld at the mouth of the tunnel, I just pounded it it flat with a BFH but everything was tight after that. If you run the 727, just fab the pan over the trans in place. No prob there. Consider gutting the inner fenderwells, making some J bars from firewall/rollcage to subframe rail, hoop the shock mounts from the subframe and then getting some real headers on that 408. Dougs and TTI's fit but with your fab skills, you can probably make some nice ones with no inners to hamper design and save some coin. Passenger side is almost a drop in (with a little idler arm clearancing) with off the shelf 67 and up headers but driver side will get you with your tucked steering box location. could adapt 67's around it easily, just the 3 and 5 tubes.
 
Hey! My name is Sergey. I got into a drag racing this year, raced every Wednesday and decided to build a car, i got a 64 Dart. I’m young, never build a car before and not a mechanic, but have to race and have to figure out how to build a car. Unfortunately I don’t have many people to ask how to do it. It is really helpful to read other people’s restoration posts.
So decided to post my build here, to seek for knowledge and advices. Will really appreciate any advice. I want to build this car before February, so i can learn the car in test and tune days and start racing for points in March. Thank you for watching and your time

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I love '64 Darts! Your biggest problem will be rear tire size, especially, if you're expecting 500hp. Apparently, you have some mad fabbing skills. They will be needed. If you are just going to use leaf springs and snubber, you may pound the crap out of the tunnel(at least that's what happened to me with a mild 340 4spd(13.09 best 1/4)).
 
Place trans in and then mock up tunnel. The only interference on a 727 in that chassis is the pinch weld at the mouth of the tunnel, I just pounded it it flat with a BFH but everything was tight after that. If you run the 727, just fab the pan over the trans in place. No prob there. Consider gutting the inner fenderwells, making some J bars from firewall/rollcage to subframe rail, hoop the shock mounts from the subframe and then getting some real headers on that 408. Dougs and TTI's fit but with your fab skills, you can probably make some nice ones with no inners to hamper design and save some coin. Passenger side is almost a drop in (with a little idler arm clearancing) with off the shelf 67 and up headers but driver side will get you with your tucked steering box location. could adapt 67's around it easily, just the 3 and 5 tubes.

thank you so much for advices!! I just got the magnumforce forward strut braces, will weld these in soon!
Will keep you updated on a progress! Thank you so much!

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Ltt me know how those J-bars go in, they are on my Christmas list! They have shock mount tabs too. Racing that Dart, I'd cut the rear fender lips out and contour 'em like the Hemi under glass...Whole lot easier than tuckin' them in under that infernal lip unless you got that figured out too.
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Ltt me know how those J-bars go in, they are on my Christmas list! They have shock mount tabs too. Racing that Dart, I'd cut the rear fender lips out and contour 'em like the Hemi under glass...Whole lot easier than tuckin' them in under that infernal lip unless you got that figured out too.
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i will!
oh yeah! Looks good, just like on a two lane black top belair!
I love this lip on a dart though so much, i’ll might figure out how to tuck the wheels in there first. And also Barracuda doesn’t have a body line, but dart has, so if i’ll cut it out for the wheel i’ll go across the line, i think it will be hurting my eye to look at it, i’ll try to find reference photos first if anybody done it on a dart and see if i like it or not!
Appreciate your advice and sharing information!!!
 
Yeah, maybe arch it right up to that body line and run SS springs so they will never touch it. Yours looks already clear of that lip...straight axle style the front for a gasser look? They sure are light....
 
I will do my homework about ss springs, don’t know about them yet. My plan was when i will be relocating my springs instead of drilling a hole on a frame take the existing bracket and weld it under the frame, it will give it another 3 inches lift, what i was told.
For the front not sure yet, i called the other day local junk yard, they said $350 for a complete strait axle from an A100 dodge van, and i do love how gassers look, but looks too high to me, maybe dropped straight axle? Like 3 inch drop?
 
Sergey, Welcome aboard! Neato lookin project! But I have to ask, why are you coming here askin for help? Looks to me like you need to be showin us how! Nice work!
 
Did spring relocation. Really happy with the stance now! Got her 3 inches up and got 3 - 4 more inches for wider tires on inside. Ordered 28x10.5 - 15 mickey thompson slicks.
Probably will have to go with different offset on wheels or narrow the rear end.
Will get caltracks and monoleaf springs soon too. Time to measure and order a driveshaft and do a driveshaft loop.

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i will!
oh yeah! Looks good, just like on a two lane black top belair!
I love this lip on a dart though so much, i’ll might figure out how to tuck the wheels in there first. And also Barracuda doesn’t have a body line, but dart has, so if i’ll cut it out for the wheel i’ll go across the line, i think it will be hurting my eye to look at it, i’ll try to find reference photos first if anybody done it on a dart and see if i like it or not!
Appreciate your advice and sharing information!!!
i fitted 90's ford transit rear arches to my 65 dart. i just blended the fore and aft body lines into the arches and it looked (imo) pretty good, almost factory.
neil.

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Omg! Transmission is in, had to cut even my gas pedal, will be fun figuring out when it will go now. Will do driveline loop soon and start putting floors in and then transmission tunnel.

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I made a “floating” gas pedal for my ‘64 dart! I just grabbed a pedal off a junk ‘72 dart, cut off the last few inches of pedal rod, with the pedal attached, then cut the stock pedal rod and welded the two together.
 
Yep - it's pretty simply to adapt a 67+ A-body gas pedal to an early A. Looking good man - keep at it!
 
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