1970 Dart Swinger FINALLY UNDERWAY

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Thanks! Hopefully have more welding progress later tonight.

@Judge Mills, yeah the 8.8 is a good little package deal. We'll see how it works out. Are you using one with disc brakes?
 
Update time!

All the welding is finished on the front end now, went through some issues with the welder farting around on us but all's well that ends well. I tacked things in place where I wanted them and 73swingerbuild did the majority of the welding. :prayer: Finally able to finish up with the POR-15 on the underside of the car, coated the inner fenders, front subframe, and core support before top coated with some flat black enamel. Don't want any sun getting at that stuff. I still have like 2/3 of a gallon left of this...

73swingerbuild welding on the lower rad support...

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Before paint, flux everywhere.

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After POR and flat black

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Welds I did do myself were the boxes on the front of the subframe rails, came out ok. Tacked down the corners of the core support.

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And I got another freebie tool box from the army, rolling bottom this time that I found collecting dust and un-inventoried in a corner. More organization for the shop! Matches the Lyon box I got a few months ago.

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The welds look terrible... those will never hold up. You probably won't even make it out of the garage.

The rest looks awesome though! When does the suspension go in?
 
Wow, looking good! I guess I must have missed this thread somehow, but I'm subscribed now.
 
Hate to mention it, but I think the camber bolts are on backwards... I believe you want the bolt heads on the outside and the nuts towards the inside so that it is easier to adjust when the tire/brakes are on (oh, and the coilovers)... But I could be wrong.
 
I don't think it will be easy either way with the coil springs in the way, but you're right it would be easier to adjust with them flipped the other way. Like you said, alignment shop is gonna hate me haha.

Found out what I have to do with the upper and lower mounts, just need to grind the spacers to fit. They were left like that so they can be custom fit to the coilovers I'm using. Should be quick work just have to make sure they're ground flat-ish. I got those bolts shortened for the upper mounts, just a few passes on the bench grinder and a grade 8 nut to chase the threads.
 
Progress for the night, quite pleased with it. Got the coilovers fitted to the upper and lower mounts, spindles and some of the brake hardware installed.

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Alright, well ladies and gents it's that time of the year again where I resurrect my build thread. Just started to get over the winter lull in progress on the car as we're starting to get some warmer days now and I actually feel like going out to the garage without freezing a wrench to my palms. :violent1:

I'm in the middle of the yearly parts buying spree. So far I've got my motor mounts from hedman/transdapt FINALLY, trans mount, master/slave cylinders for a hydraulic clutch mod, leaf spring bushings, flywheel, mini-starter, and some bolt kits. I also got a hold of my white whale that I've needed for a year, the bell housing to stick my OD 833 on a big block. :prayer:

Picked up a second 8.8 while I was at it since I screwed up on the first one. The plan for that is, instead of chopping one axle tube and re-welding to narrow it. I'll get the plug welds drilled and have the passenger side axle tube from one housing transplanted into the drivers side of the other. Feels like a solid plan to me I just need to find a shop with a jig that can do my axle and driveshaft. (we have one driveline shop in my whole state, and they are to be avoided unless absolutely necessary :protest: )
 
First round of parts starting to roll in now, got my hydraulic clutch bits in along with the leaf bushings and the trans mount. I also picked up some semi-gloss black paint that I'm going to shoot the interior floors with over the weekend providing I can steal my friends torpedo heater and his compressor for a day or two. I have a shop I need to check out tomorrow to see if I can get the axle and driveshaft done. :burnout:

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Got a couple more parts in today, mini starter, flywheel, and the brake hoses for the front. I picked up the paint I need for the engine bay but didn't get to actually start on it, the igniter in the heater we were using broke so I didn't feel like wasting paint in the cold garage.

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Meanwhile, in my ongoing rear axle war, I have this other one that followed me home. It's unbelievably rusted, look at the differential housing. I honestly cannot tell if its 1/4in of paint that's chipping off of there or if the housing is actually that corroded. Fortunately whatever the hell is going on there does not extend to the axle tubes, just the differential housing. Since all I'm doing with it is using it for a donor axle tube and otherwise cannibalizing it, I really don't care. Once I'm done with it it's getting kicked off the tailgate at the scrap pile.

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This is after chipping off two layers with a hammer and a flathead, neato. It's like I'm peeling my differential housing until I find the soft candy center. :finga:
I'd guess this spent it's life under an explorer that was used to dunk a boat trailer into salt water on the regular.

axle1.jpg
 
Wow, I thought the rear I started with was bad. I used an Air Needle Scaler to clean mine up and then sand blasted the housing.
 
Ha I didn't even think of using a needler, I'm just going to keep chipping away at it until I either find the end or strike oil. :blob:
 
FomocoReformed said:
Ha I didn't even think of using a needler, I'm just going to keep chipping away at it until I either find the end or strike oil. :blob:
Click to expand...

Lol, strike oil.

Did you get a price yet from RI driveshaft or that place in MA? I'm curious how far apart they are, if at all.
 
Both axle housing completely stripped down now, save for the pinion gear. Going to drop one of them at the shop tomorrow to get it narrowed and welded, whichever one they'd rather use.

The brake backing plate came off in rare form. :D The new axle doesn't look quite as bad with most of the scale removed, I went at it with a chisel and a mallet for a while.

Draining:

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Thanks bomber!

Dropped the axle off today to get chopped, shop said they should have it done by wednesday. At least I have some spare parts now with two axles.
 
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