1969 Dart Swinger 340 4 Speed

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Stranglehold

Stranglehold

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 28, 2020
Messages
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Location
Vancouver,WA
So this is my first post in the members restoration section. I've had this car since 2001, bought it from a friend, solid car with a warmed over 318, 3.21 8.25" sure grip. Ran good, had some fun times cruising around, 14.50 @ 94 (I'm not best driver), and I've been dragging it around with me storing it here and there, and now it's time, 20+ years later, to get after it.

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I saved a few bucks up for this car (probably not as much as I should have) so hopefully I can do some justice to it and have some fun. I'm not a body and paint guy so I farmed this out to a local shop a buddy turned me onto. Some pics after a trip to the dipper.

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There was a bit of a gap in time from the dip to the metal work, but that's where it's at right now. Cleaning up the fenders... separating the hood to shrink some metal, there were some significant low spots.

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Will post some more metal work progress soon and some of the appurtenances that I've been slowly working on trying to have things ready for assembly. First full car resto so I'll have plenty of questions! :usflag:
 
That looks like a really clean foundation! What are you thinking about for color?
 
I agree. Good bones, plus the 10 fingers of doom in his avatar takes me back a few years......
 
RustyRatRod said:
That looks like a really clean foundation! What are you thinking about for color?
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Going T5 copper with saddle interior. No fender tag or broadcast sheet, but from disassembly I believe this is how it was born. Pretty solid, only a couple of panels to patch. Deck lid filler panel and passenger lower quarter needed some attention. Small spots here and there.
 
Car was an Los Angeles car originally, oldest record of sale I have is 1991 in Oregon. Pretty happy after the dipper after seeing my buddy's Challenger that came from the Midwest. My day job is crazy right now so posts might be sporadic, but I'll do my best to keep you folks up to date. Deck lid filler, AMD product, fit well.
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Fronts of the rockers needed some small patches.
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Passenger quarter needed some work as well.
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Trunk floor is in great shape!
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Floor pans good too.
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Add the stitch welds belong to these...
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Figured I'd stiffen it up a bit. USCT pieces, fit well with minor trimming. Bed time, early bird and all that stuff you know :thumbsup:
 
Back with a few metal work updates. Got some doors and fenders on, working on gaps.
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Had to build up metal in some areas take a little out in others. I'm going for factory look but a little more fine tuned. A lot of this stuff would have been painted and shipped out in '69 but I figured why not spruce it up a bit.
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Hood is just Cleco fastened together right now, but close.
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Had some oil canning on the driver's side quarter, had to separate the outer wheel housing to shrink the quarter metal a little then weld back up.
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Looking pretty flat and straight down the sides though. We threw an 8' straight edge on it and there shouldn't be much filler to get things really dialed in.
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I'm going for factory look, body colored steel wheels with dog dish caps (body work will be a little better than factory), interior coming from Legendary and a 340 back in the front painted all turquoise with cast iron manifolds that will probably choke down the motor a bit being that its got stroked now (414). I just love the original look. Makes me wish I was born 20 years earlier. Goal: driving it by next summer, we'll see. Time for a cold one
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BTW, I don't want these posts to come across like I'm doing this metal/body work. This is at a shop. I wish I had half the talent these guys have. They are great to work with and very straight forward. I'm pleased so far. It does cost some $$ but if I was trying to do this at this level I'd be driving it in 2033 :eek: Shot of my friends E body at the same shop, almost outta there
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Stranglehold said:
BTW, I don't want these posts to come across like I'm doing this metal/body work. This is at a shop. I wish I had half the talent these guys have. They are great to work with and very straight forward. I'm pleased so far. It does cost some $$ but if I was trying to do this at this level I'd be driving it in 2033 :eek: Shot of my friends E body at the same shop, almost outta there
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What's the name of the shop? I suspect I will have some business for them when the time comes.
 
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