Considering a '67 Dart GT Convertible as my first project. Am I insane?

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67fish383S

67fish383S

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Hello. Brand new member. Lifelong Mopar guy, or at least lifelong Mopar wannabe. My first car was a '72 Duster with a slant six at age 16. Two months after I bought it for $225, that car caused me to need to do my first engine swap before I had even learned how to change my own oil. Long story. Thrown rod, may or may not have had something to do with the oil thing ;), but I loved it and always wanted another one. Been a home garage mechanic ever since.

Now I'm 53 and finally in a place to consider my first restoration project. Found a '67 GT ragtop with a 273 and a 4-speed, but it just rolls and not much else. Interior is gutted. Visible rust holes in a lot of places on the chassis. That all needs much closer inspection, but I expect there will be a lot to repair. Floor pans and trunk look iffy, but again, I expect they will need replacing. I am new to metal work, but a quick learner and have no particular time frame or major budget limitations. I know it will be a money pit, just looking to build myself a driver, not sell it. It comes with a whole 'nother car and a half (a '69 hard top in about the same condition with a slant six and some interior, plus another interior shell) and even more parts (fenders, quarters, a hood, and tons and tons of trim and interior parts (non of which are guaranteed usable, but some of it must be).

The guy wants $7k for all. Seems like a sweet deal, even if I realize I'm in over my head and want to part it all out to recover the investment. Thoughts? Am I out of my freaking mind? It was a rusted/busted torsion bar that ultimately junked my first car.

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Well may be just a little crazy. Welcome to FABO. 67's do have a few quirks because they are a first year of a new style so some parts are 67 only. If you have the space and the patience it could be a fun project.
 
R4Sedan said:
Welcome Aboard. It don't look to bad. But I cant see the bottom. It will be a sweet car.
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Thanks. I had a look underneath and it didn't seem too bad, but I'm a novice. I intend to go back for another look with a chisel in hand if he'll let me. One article I read said rotted windshield channels was the only guaranteed walk-away issue.
 
Welcome. Great car and as you stated yourself it needs more inspection. I feel $7k is too high given the amount of cancer, but a 4 speed vert isn't that common. As stated there are some 67 only parts then there are convertible only parts. So not the easiest for a beginner. How much are you willing to do your self? What is your goal and what is the budget? Are you looking to stay stock or going all out performance or somewhere in between?
 
dano said:
Welcome. Great car and as you stated yourself it needs more inspection. I feel $7k is too high given the amount of cancer, but a 4 speed vert isn't that common. As stated there are some 67 only parts then there are convertible only parts. So not the easiest for a beginner. How much are you willing to do your self? What is your goal and what is the budget? Are you looking to stay stock or going all out performance or somewhere in between?
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Thanks. Good to know on the uniqueness of the parts. Not sure how much of the '69 donor car will be usable then. I will do as much of the work as I'm able to do. I'm excellent at mechanics, pretty good with body work and will get better as I go, totally new to metal work, but have watched a lot of "Iron Resurrection" and "Garage Squad" and the like (so I'm an expert lol). The goal is somewhere in between. Probably in the 'resto-mod' category, with mostly stock looks and weekend driver type performance and drive-ability. I've got plenty of time and will pace myself on the budget, but recognize I will probably always have more into it than it will ever be worth.
 
I echo what the others have said. I have a 67 convertible, luckily mine was my dad's and a SoCal car.
It was his daily driver with 300,000 miles

No rust to speak of.

Looks like you have most of the trim, rockers are hard to come by as are some of the clips.

Luckily many 68 and 69 parts swap over.

Do you have the rear plastic on either side of the rear seat? That would be a tough part to find.

Good luck and I hope you decide to take on the project, but if you get in over your head don't let it sit in the weather, sell it or give it away.
 
Dana67Dart said:
I echo what the others have said. I have a 67 convertible, luckily mine was my dad's and a SoCal car.
It was his daily driver with 300,000 miles

No rust to speak of.

Looks like you have most of the trim, rockers are hard to come by as are some of the clips.

Luckily many 68 and 69 parts swap over.

Do you have the rear plastic on either side of the rear seat? That would be a tough part to find.

Good luck and I hope you decide to take on the project, but if you get in over your head don't let it sit in the weather, sell it or give it away.
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Thanks for the tips. No idea about how many usable interior parts there are. I'm going to request that the seller and I go through everything in way more detail than he will probably want to, and make an inventory. I'll be on the lookout for the seat trim. I'm trying to go in with eyes open and pull the ripcord sooner rather than later if I realize I took on too much. The wife will make sure nothing is left sitting around for sure. ;)
 
Take a good look at the metal around the top trim with the snaps on it. Also check the drain channel inside the car where the top bolts to the back. If that's bad it usually takes some trunk floor with it. The drain dumps out in front of the rear wheels, that's a common bad spot. Just from the pic, I see a lot of rust repair in your future!
 
They aren't making them anymore! If you can save another one that would be cool. But I think you are going to find some rust in there so be prepared to weld some metal.
 
My opinion is if you love the look of that car and its what you want anything is possible. I've seen some pretty amazing restorations on cars that really are not that desirable on the market but the car was everything to the owner, which is awesome. If there is something you like better then maybe this isn't for you. Keep that in mind.
 
Hello Dennis Jackson,
Welcome to FABO.
If the "Rust holes in a lot of places on the chassis" are not of a safety concern and OR if they are and you can repair them so the car will be road worthy and safe then it looks like a great project car.
Keep in mind that when doing frame repair it can get difficult to work on without a lift, flat surface (jig plate) and or an rotisserie as examples.
Also being that its a convertible the body should be supported (X bracing) to keep it from twisting if you need to replace some of the underside parts (unibody frame rails). There are lots of YouTube on this subject.
Look it over real good and then decide.
Overall it looks like the car is mostly there and sounds like you have the majority of donor parts included with it.
From what we can see it don't look its in that bad condition (Most of us here have brought worse cases back to life)
As Toolmanmike stated some parts are one year only and could be a PITA to find.
Good luck and your fellow FABO members are here to help with questions and conserns you may have along the way.
Keep us updated.
Stay Safe......
Happy Mopar :)
Arron.
 
Some of the more rust prone spots to check: rear spring spring hangers, torsion bar cross member, upper control arm mounts. FYI I was quoted $1800 for a new top installed on my '68. I still need one!
 
Nice find. I also have a ‘67 /6 GT ‘vert, but it’s closer to Dana67Dart’s situation. Mine was pretty original and running pretty well; the 1st owner had it 45 yrs. Actually found the build sheet! If you do pull the trigger, get a service manual and parts list from my mopar.com. That’s an invaluable resource. There are a few NOS parts houses (AMS Obsolete; Len Dawson) and some decent repro shops. I agree with everything that’s been said about ‘67 Dart parts and 68/69 interchangeability, but don’t forget 67 Barracudas also shared a few parts and maybe 67 Coronets. Good luck!
 
Since you are not Gas Monkey Garage and not going to send it out to the blaster (just to get back half of what you sent) get under it with a screw driver and hammer, and see how bad things are, as in subframe, rockers anything you doubt.
If you have all the odd 67 parts AND vert parts that is huge plus.
Hint: any car from Mi. and any vert scares me (and I'm fearless!) LOL . No really just remember, any car can be restored, some just take more work and more $$ as in $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ sometimes!!! Good luck!
 
Mine started out way worse, everybody thought I was crazy, but the fun you can have with these cars far exceeded anything I could have imagined. Go for it.
 
Thanks a ton to everyone for the replies so far. I really appreciate the tips and encouragement. This has been one of the most welcoming and enjoyable forum experiences I've ever had.
 
Just remember, most likely you will lose a dollar for every two dollars spent. Spend thirty grand on a complete restoration, and end up selling the finished vehicle for fifteen grand down the line.
 
Have you ever owned a convertible / tent top? if you own them long enough, you will put another tent on them. Maybe all that black wont get so hot in your region / climate. White top and interior has a broader resale market. Just points to ponder.
 
RedFish said:
Have you ever owned a convertible / tent top? if you own them long enough, you will put another tent on them. Maybe all that black wont get so hot in your region / climate. White top and interior has a broader resale market. Just points to ponder.
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No this would be the first convertible for me. I've seen pics of the white top/interior, which I like a lot, but that would be something for way down the line. If I live that long. ;)
 
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