Project Midnight Swinger

-
MidnightSwinger

MidnightSwinger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2013
Messages
3,020
Reaction score
3,588
Location
Woodland CA
1974 Dodge Dart Swinger 225/904/7 1/4. Lots of dents, bondo , and a crappy single stage paint job.

ED6CCEAC-6C17-4193-BB30-CF3FBA639717.jpeg


4ACDBAF5-688B-4EA5-8CC1-F42CB113B1C2.jpeg


D72F4C20-2C96-4406-ADDA-DF95949DE58C.jpeg


C3FB62EF-86AF-4470-9993-AE866492510D.jpeg
 
I found someone on Facebook marketplace giving away a HP 383 and 727 transmission and my motor swap decision was made for me. It’s a good runner with all the good HP bits still there.

89F73D96-ACD9-45D8-82A3-A51DF9CE9B5A.jpeg


22F5F91E-5B2D-49AC-AE8D-307E0AB767D4.jpeg


CEFE95DB-471E-489F-85F1-8BEE84E38F22.jpeg


7DC91DF0-F51F-498A-A282-657BC41D506A.jpeg


9EC758EE-A8EE-47FF-A6ED-813FFF9A3C25.jpeg
 
The slant six is one of my favorite motors, and I have always wanted to turbo one. That was the plan until the 383 fell in my lap.

61164454-FF60-4C35-80B5-D036667B325B.jpeg


8D4A4D7C-BB27-4278-926A-F55FBC8632B1.jpeg
 
Tonight is the official start of Project Midnight Swinger. I have two small kids and a wife who deserve my time and attention. But once they all fall asleep, I’m going to work on the Dart. Hence the name of the build. The Schumacher conversion mounts showed up today, so I decided it was finally time to get started. Got the carb, manifold stack, alternator,coil, distributor and radiator pulled tonight.

416BA701-E990-4A56-B7EE-8E37C946454D.jpeg


AEC4FE11-8103-4723-9B7C-F384C17C0526.jpeg


653D2D48-7071-4ECA-A918-2F32801DED40.jpeg


F78273CA-0078-4D7E-B6AD-6047AB3C248D.jpeg


ABCC9F29-2D10-4219-A458-6B3EF224930F.jpeg


159F9874-1186-4793-A68F-FB5FA84778F5.jpeg


64295F31-BAE6-42EE-86CF-749BFB7C1A1E.jpeg


892AF492-0BB2-4F83-88E4-0F169767109C.jpeg
 
A free 383....and the HP manifolds are still on it. Nice score. I always wanted a big block A body but never built one. Maybe one day, I do have a nice 71 swinger tucked away.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
A free 383....and the HP manifolds are still on it. Nice score. I always wanted a big block A body but never built one. Maybe one day, I do have a nice 71 swinger tucked away.
Click to expand...

Score of a lifetime for me, the big block would not be happening if it wasn’t free. I can’t wait to drive it with a big block!
 
Nice combo! 383's are like big bore small blocks, just a little taller deck height and spark plugs are not as easy to get to.
 
Just a little time today with mock up on the E Body champion radiator. It’s a big boy for sure. I feel like this would be a Bolton deal, if it wasn’t for the fact that the core support is bent up directly in the center, probably from some Dukes of Hazzard hijinks. I believe with ten or so well placed whacks of a BFH, I should be able to get this thing to bolt in and clear the hood no problem. The only reason I’m running the big ebody radiator is it was given to me with the motor, and came with a fan shroud.

5B932FAB-4527-4B56-897F-FECD5691441D.jpeg


D1AAFACE-BF4E-4B8A-ADCF-D23DE3E3796D.jpeg


2114883B-F430-48C2-9B2E-58A75B44839B.jpeg


CDEB1976-0B1C-4EAF-B9AD-1D9E74097C9A.jpeg
 
Ironracer said:
Man, that FB Guy or Gal hooked you right on up!
Click to expand...
You have no idea. I’m so glad I responded to the add. It was one of those “you gotta take everything “ deals, and I happily obliged. My tiny parts/storage closet is full of Mopar goodness right now. I’m definitely paying it forward with anything I sell that he gave me. Trying to pass the good deals on that I can’t use.
 
Nirvana said:
Just a little time today with mock up on the E Body champion radiator. It’s a big boy for sure. I feel like this would be a Bolton deal, if it wasn’t for the fact that the core support is bent up directly in the center, probably from some Dukes of Hazzard hijinks. I believe with ten or so well placed whacks of a BFH, I should be able to get this thing to bolt in and clear the hood no problem. The only reason I’m running the big ebody radiator is it was given to me with the motor, and came with a fan shroud.

View attachment 1715956762

View attachment 1715956763

View attachment 1715956764

View attachment 1715956765
Click to expand...
I'm assuming that you're just mocking that radiator up for now and taking it back out so you can put the motor in? And then put the radiator back in?..
 
j par said:
I'm assuming that you're just mocking that radiator up for now and taking it back out so you can put the motor in? And then put the radiator back in?..
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, and barely mocking it up, I knew I was gonna have to mod the rad support, so I just took some pics for y’all.

The plan is to pull as much as possible from the engine bay, clean it up really good and the attempt to make a rattle can silver paint job look decent. I can’t stand having a white engine bay with a silver car.

The PO was also in the process of converting the interior from B7 blue to Black. So the steering column has to come out to get painted. Once the engine bay paint is dry I’ll swap the 383 in and then install the rad and steering column.

I hope I’m not getting in too deep, my goal is to drive this thing and not have it sit. So far the only thing that is stalling the project is a rear end. 8 3/4 around me are $1500+ with SBP axles. The only 2 8 1/4’s I can find are $650 for an open 2.76,and $1400 for a rebuilt sure grip 3.23. Looking at ford options. I can get a 9” from a Versailles for $300 or an explorer 8.8 for $150 plus the cost of modifying it.

Gotta borrow a big hammer from work and I’ll post pics of the rad mounted.

Jared
 
Nirvana said:
Oh yeah, and barely mocking it up, I knew I was gonna have to mod the rad support, so I just took some pics for y’all.

The plan is to pull as much as possible from the engine bay, clean it up really good and the attempt to make a rattle can silver paint job look decent. I can’t stand having a white engine bay with a silver car.

The PO was also in the process of converting the interior from B7 blue to Black. So the steering column has to come out to get painted. Once the engine bay paint is dry I’ll swap the 383 in and then install the rad and steering column.

I hope I’m not getting in too deep, my goal is to drive this thing and not have it sit. So far the only thing that is stalling the project is a rear end. 8 3/4 around me are $1500+ with SBP axles. The only 2 8 1/4’s I can find are $650 for an open 2.76,and $1400 for a rebuilt sure grip 3.23. Looking at ford options. I can get a 9” from a Versailles for $300 or an explorer 8.8 for $150 plus the cost of modifying it.

Gotta borrow a big hammer from work and I’ll post pics of the rad mounted.

Jared
Click to expand...
I measured for the biggest radiator I could put in my duster and bought an aftermarket aluminum from summit for $140... As far as the rear end goes I think your 8.8 is probably going to be your most budget friendly one... If you can find one from the scrap yard.. I was $1,200 into my 8 and 3/4 and blew that up within 20 passes at the drag strip... I spent the same $1,200 on a Dana 60 and haven't worried about it since.. on the Dana 60 I found one on craigslist for $150 from an old truck with good 410 gears in it. I bought $300 green axles from Dr diff and a spool. For another $125.. I think I spent $75 for the end pieces and another 350 to have it chopped down to a body size and the perches welded on at the right with an angle... Anyways it was a lot of leg work but $1,200 in the end and I could use my brakes from an eight and a quarter which can be gotten at the junkyard as well...
Anyways onto the rattle can of the engine bay.. what I did to mine was stripped it of anything and everything I possibly could and pushed it outside or I could use the hose and scrub the hell out of it like three or four different times... Trying to remove every bit of grease I could using degreasers and any chemical I could find... I did use a good primer and for me I wanted to paint it gold... It seems to look okay with its little 408 small block...
Screenshot_20220619-095153.png
 
j par said:
I measured for the biggest radiator I could put in my duster and bought an aftermarket aluminum from summit for $140... As far as the rear end goes I think your 8.8 is probably going to be your most budget friendly one... If you can find one from the scrap yard.. I was $1,200 into my 8 and 3/4 and blew that up within 20 passes at the drag strip... I spent the same $1,200 on a Dana 60 and haven't worried about it since.. on the Dana 60 I found one on craigslist for $150 from an old truck with good 410 gears in it. I bought $300 green axles from Dr diff and a spool. For another $125.. I think I spent $75 for the end pieces and another 350 to have it chopped down to a body size and the perches welded on at the right with an angle... Anyways it was a lot of leg work but $1,200 in the end and I could use my brakes from an eight and a quarter which can be gotten at the junkyard as well...
Anyways onto the rattle can of the engine bay.. what I did to mine was stripped it of anything and everything I possibly could and pushed it outside or I could use the hose and scrub the hell out of it like three or four different times... Trying to remove every bit of grease I could using degreasers and any chemical I could find... I did use a good primer and for me I wanted to paint it gold... It seems to look okay with its little 408 small block...
View attachment 1715956873
Click to expand...

That looks great, I’ll take the advice to clean it up really well. Definitely a degreaser and then alcohol wipe after scuffing.

I like the Dana 60 idea. I might have to see what’s out there.

Jared
 
there's threads on here about fitting the explorer 8.8 axle which helped when i did the swap with my 68 valiant. disc brakes, 31 spline axles, 3.73 gears and lsd, what's not to like. plus once the long side of the casing is trimmed to fit a second short side halfshaft it's pretty much 'a' body 8 3/4 width too. win, win.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top