autoxcuda
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1968 Dodge Dart Western Sport Special Restoration
- Thread starter 68wssDartmmb
- Start date
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68wssDartmmb
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68wssDartmmb
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Hopefully both days but for sure the 23
autoxcuda
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- Joined
- Apr 6, 2007
- Messages
- 8,812
- Reaction score
- 3,748
very cool.
I think the documented 63 4-door MW is coming. Its fully restored now.
68wssDartmmb
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Sweet!
68wssDartmmb
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Got the Shock mount and loop bars from HDK, installing them to drill all the holes before painting the car. The fit on these is super fit! Everything is made with quality and precision. I just had to trim down some weld spots that wear sticking out and hitting the tube on the back of the loop end on the front attaching plate keeping it from being flush with the frame. I’m really going to like this setup.
68wssDartmmb
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Left side installed.
68wssDartmmb
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When I took my front fenders off I noticed a lot of damage repaired to the right front part of the inner fender liner and the left side had a poor patch job to the battery try area. So since I’m going to race this car and have fiber glass fenders and bumper I’m going to remove most of the fender liner that goes down to the frame rails. I’m going to run J bars inside along the top of the shock mount bracket and then have it come down to the inside to attach to the top of the frame rails.
68wssDartmmb
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Even after removing the sections of the inner fender panels it was still very solid. I could not move the core support or the fender supports on top. I’m going to run the J bars under where I cut the weld it to the J bars.
68wssDartmmb
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Got the battery try aligned and the holes drilled out
68wssDartmmb
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Also removed the spare tire well to install a fuel cell inside the trunk floor
68wssDartmmb
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Framed it out with 1”x 1” x 1/8 angled steel. Then patching the test with 18 gauge steel sheets
68wssDartmmb
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The roof had por15 put on it at a body shop but it’s got rust underneath it and bubbling up so I took it all back down to bare metal to kill the rust and use a rust converter and seal primer
68wssDartmmb
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I’ll need to fill the roof and repair the holes now that it’s sealed again, didn’t like how that por15 held up or the body shop didn’t do it right
68wssDartmmb
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More pictures
68wssDartmmb
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More pictures
68wssDartmmb
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Grind down the spot welds I removed and trimmed off some areas to make equal to each side then washed out frame and engine compartment, killed the rust and sealed with a converter primer. Next I’ll do the interior and floors.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Back to working on the Dart. Grinding down the welds for the mini tubes. Started on the passenger side first, removed all the under coating and old seam sealer. I got new seam sealer to apply before I sell it. Took an angle grinder with the wire brush adapter and it worked well just a lot of dust and bits flying around. Had to cover myself up pretty good. I’ll do the seam seal next.
abdywgn
dismantler
you make it look so easy! great job!
68wssDartmmb
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Applied seam sealer and epoxy primer to the passenger inner fender from doing the mini tubes. Will start on the other side.
68wssDartmmb
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I got in touch with Denny at HDK and asked if i could swap my parts with the Drag Racing parts, got them back and also the upper control arms with the hiem joints and spacers. Also got QMP ultimate upper ball joints with 1” extra long studs. I need to clearance the chassis so the upper arm swings freely to the bump stop mount without hitting. I really like the HDK parts. I want of front end suspension travel with free movement.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Those parts look awesome! What's the point of the extra long studs on the upper ball joints?
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
Helps with the camber and arm geometry when you lower the car. Also give you more suspension travel. Google the long stud frictionless ball joints for drag racing it’s pretty interesting to read about it.
68wssDartmmb
Well-Known Member
In order to allow the upper control arm to have full range of movement I had to notch out some areas where the arm was making contact before reaching the bumper stop bracket, now the arm can move all the way down and make contact with the stop. I’m very pleased on how the arms fit and function. Should work great for the dart. I want to make sure I get all the necessary things done to the car before taking it to the track and race. We shall see!
I had to notch mine also.
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