Getting to know me part 3
So there I was no new Dart for me , I guess I'll just have to keep driving my '57 Cadillac convertible .
So in Late Oct. of '65 dad and I went down to the Dodge dealer again and this time we ordered a white '66 Dart GT with black and pearl white interior p/s a/c /6 auto w.s.w tires of course full wheel covers am radio .
I pushed for the wood look steering wheel center counsel floor shifter Hipo 273 Cragars disc brakes but dad said this car is for mom and she doesn't need all that stuff . Drat !
So I kept driving the Cadillac until I got a job driving and putting on lots of miles a day on that Cad it was eating me up in gas . So dad traded me the '63 Dart I was happy and so was he .
You would be surprised at how many neutral starts that the 7 1/4" can take before one breaks the spider gears . And wouldn't you know it happened just 50 miles out of warranty. That's 50,050 miles . How did Chrysler know I'd be doing that ? Oh well dad paid the $150 for repairs .
That reminds me when I was racing my buddy with the Cad and his '61 Lancer 170 /6 and some how I managed to damage the Hydramatic , dad paid for that one too . When asked how it happened I shrugged and said "Don't Know" I also used that with the Dart episode .
BTW that little Lancer was quick .
By '67 I was running up the milage on the Dart to the tune of 20,000 miles a year on that driving job plus I was going to LA Trade Tech and needed a way to move my rollaway .
So I bought a year old '66 Econoline Supervan and drove the wheels off of it . Plus I was able to practice my new learned trade replacing the brakes a few times adding a booster
rebuilding the steering box , rear end , trans , adding a/c dealing with over heating in traffic Swapping the long block from the original 240 cu.in. to a 300 cu.in. adding a Norris cam Offy 4 bbl manifold and Ford 4 bbl carb , rebuilding the front axel . I also lifted it , made steel front push bumper , steel rear bumper with hitch mount . I added multiple batteries and a remote switched Hot terminal out on the front bumper for jump starting other cars . I Camped in it went to Van Ins had a great time with it .
I went to work at the Dodge Dealer where we bought the Darts from and while there I bought my '73 Dodge B100 360 auto a/c p/s Posi 3.23 gears Chrome bumpers and grill windows on the rear and side doors White front seats . I traded the white '73 seats for black '74 seats and swapped the rear doors with windows for solid rear doors . The color is medium burnt orange .
At 10,000 miles the Posi gave up so under warranty they repaired it and I had them put it in a new pickup and got the open 3.23 from that . My thought was I don't want to have to repair the Posi every 10,000 miles .
Well here it is 2020 and 300,000 miles later I still have it . Over the years I've swapped the 727 for a 833 then after the second clutch back to the 727 . at 202,000 miles I swapped the engine out with a '84 cop 318 with only 13,000 miles on it and a new A 500.
Back in '75 a garbage truck backed into the right rear door so I had to replace the door so this was the opportunity to replace both doors sell the good one and replace with the big one piece door and fill the window hole with sheet metal . A buddy did the work at his body shop and insurance paid for it , although I had to hold them accountable for all of it .
In '77 two customers sold me a '64 Dart 270 wagon /6 auto white with light blue interior . I later sold it to a room mate . They loved it and drove it for years and the sold it . the Last time I saw it I was headed north on 101 near Salinas , CA it was on the southbound shoulder with the hood up .
I also bought a '64 Dart GT /6 auto Beige I loved the Dart I had plans to swap in a 360 auto and 8 3/4 and paint it Red with a black interior .
That plan changed when Dad gave me the '66 Dart in '84 . So I weighed the options The '66 had P/S and A/C the '64 didn't . So with much regret I sold the '64 .
Wouldn't you know it the guy I sold it to resold it to another guy who did put a 360 auto in it and painted it red with a black interior . It was fate .
Ok enough for now tune in for part 4 ...
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