416 72 Swinger Project

[Woodward]

25 years removed from my last A-body, a 74 340 Duster, 40 years of working on everyone else's project & and just tired of constantly being asked"why-no-car?"

It begins again....

Because I bought a Dart, and you could best describe it as Project "Body-in-White" near perfect body and frame from OK, I find all my sparetime looking for nearly EVERY screw, nut & bolt for the car. No interior, engine (or anything else underthe hood) the wrong diff (open 741 83/4), pinion, axles (4”), Front drum spindles w/13” tires, and a badly done tub job. So needless to say I’m buying my car… One piece at a time! I do have afew body problems… no free lunch! Now I’m asked why you didn’t buy a complete car?….. I’ll get back with ya,is my “Edited” answer.

So for the better side, I have a clean slate to go in any direction, Street/Strip…Strip/Street… Strip? I feel it’s going to migrate where it wants to go.

Good Karma!

 

[Dartn440]

Looking forward to seeing it. Good luck and welcome.

 

[Woodward]

I just bought the fenders..... I can't believe a company wanted $600 a piece for steel re-pops. Fiber-glass works just fine at $220. :finga:

 

[Woodward]

>Posting some shade tree engineering when running a fuel cell.
>NO BONDO ALLOWED!
>Converting to Disks

 

[Woodward]

rayer: Every shop needs one...right?

 

[340sFastback]

Looking forward to seeing this one go together....

 

[Woodward]

Looks like someone made an attempt to repair the sail with a bad lead job. They over heated the metal, and tried to fix it by brazing the holes, and covering it up with almetal, sigh.....

Rule #1 You can't weld: Over, Under, next to or anywhere near Lead! Just had to scab in a new piece. Again, sigh......

*An after post point to bring up. I made a templet of the window & seal. Because I was replacing part of the channel, I don't want a 1/2 " gap when the glass goes gack in!

 

[Woodward]

The first test pannel of my new color: Pearl Polar Petty Blue! Can't take credit for the name but...:cheers:

 

[Woodward]

Ok.... this one I hear all the time. Take a few extra steps, and do it right the "First Time". Yet people still just cover it up with mud, and ship it. Because rust never sleeps, Surprise! guess what's bubbling up under your couple of grand worth of paint.


Now i'm not an expert at much, but i'm with the do it right the first time, or pay later crowd. Yet people still mud the crud. I repaired my quarter panel in..... just about 3 hours w/a beer brake. It will take that plus to cover it over.... Again it really was not that hard at all to do it right.

 

[pauly]

Looks good! And welcome from the other side of the state!

 

[Woodward]

Sorry, iv’e been neglecting the updates on the Dart, and the inevitable deviation from the original plan.
I’m sure knowone ever went thru this… right? OK…. While chatting with friends as we lean over the fenders and staring into an open hole…. Thinking hmmm fuel injection would work better with the nitrous. Right? So then U need an ECU, ok get an MS3 w/AEM CDI box. Soooo ok, use a plate or juice it thru a multi-port? So my engine is changing for the 3rd time. As well as the $$$ tag. So my plan is now build up a 360 as a 360, and spend the time getting all the little electrons going in the same direction. So the big engine will have to wait till next year, because I really want to drive it this summer! And I don’t have any money left.
The body up dates: The body has been seam welded. The torque plates and roll cage reinforcements were welded up. Rather than buying $200 in pre fab frame connectors, I got 40 in steel and welded up new frame rails using 3 x 4 laser box steel, running thru the car from the bulkhead to the spring perch’s. I used Allmetal as a replacement for the lead removed from the sail area & Put in the roll cage.
The suspension/brakes: Re-curved the springs, swapped the drums to 78 Cordoba disks reinforced the LCA’s and powder coated them… Yea I know… but I know a guy. I made adj prop rods and put in new (more beefy) spring relocates. The brakes…. a Newish MC with a 15/16 bore. ***** A Correction Here*** I miss spoke in an earlier post about -4 brake lines, this of course caused a stir… I meant to say -3. Anyway I have a guy who starting up a company who will bring his truck, and make custom “DOT certified” Braded ss, copper/nickel, SS hard lines right at your place. He‘s doing the job. The rears well…. Had to swallow this one and went with Right Stuff disk conversions in the rear. Reason??? For those who DON’T live in the Mid-West…. I ‘m a tough Michigander…. I just draw the line of sitting in the snow pulling parts from a wreck during -30 degrees BELOW 0 wind chill day! FEDEX anyone? I installed a Prop Valve from a 77 Volari and have but not installed a Willwood Adj prop valve to even out the rears when it’s time. I found some Ferd 15” rims to fit my MT ET Drag Fronts.
And FIANALLY… have my new Pig & Axles…. :blob:Yukon axles W/ an Eaton Detroit truetrac diff in a 489 Axles chopped 2" to fit those 12" wide tires whenever I get them. I have pictures, just some build ones disappeared… dumb computer. :banghead:

Sorry I know is a lot, but just been nagged constantly! About what’s been going on?
And finally got her off the stands for the first time

 

[Dartn440]

Looks nice. I had the same issues with my 72...always being told my 440 would be better if I did this or that...I just want to drive it!

 

[Woodward]

Yup! Bench Racers.......

Always looking for better ways to spend my money...

 

[Woodward]

You know you've been neglecting your posts when you find your build on page 16

Well the floors are done and the frame rails are 70% in.... need the big welder to finish those. I'm still amazed on the complete lack of rust in the floor boards... alittle on the pass side, so hit the floor with POR. Rather than just buying the connectors, I bought 11 ft. of 3x4x1/4 tube stock for $35.00 a few passes with the plasma cutter, a BFM & my Hobart and Bang! new(r) frame! :cheers:

 

[Woodward]

Since my seats were originally (just found out) from a van, they sat on pedestals. So I had to mock up some tracks by weldingtogether (2) 2x2x.125 stock then welding them to the sliding track. I added ½ x 2 bolts and welded then to thenew tracks. To reinforce the underside,the seat bolts passed thru a piece of 2x2 angle iron. Other than adding theother seat, and a lot of inside stuff left, I needed it to be complete enoughto move it to work and start the pre-paint blocking process.

 

[Woodward]

To make sure the frame rails were straight, everything was aligned using a laser. Both frame rails were less than 1/16 offcenter.... got lucky :cheers:

 

[adiffrentcity]

Neat trick! Is that just a commercially available framing plumb/level laser?

 

[Woodward]

I used a 16" bubble/laser level I got from Sears... Great for doing drywall as well! Oh I also used my 4' drywall scale. That way I can be accurate from both sides. Between the pinch welds and the new rails, I kept a tol. of +/- 1/16"

 

[Woodward]

Now that moving is done with me, and with my limited space and parts, I actually accomplished something A-body related!:cheers:

I finished chopping up and welding my axle housing, mocked up the new rear disk system & tires. I still need to assemble the carrier & cut the axles, hopefully tomorrow maybe she will be back on her new shoes :supz:

And No Dream Cruse AGAIN this year..... : (

~Woody

 

[Abodybomber]

Nice work,Woody. Goddamn, love your avatar! Thanks, on the seat mounting tips.

 

[unknownsnake]

Good to see another Michigan member on here. Looks like some good work going on there. If it makes you feel better my car wont be ready for the dream cruise either :/