'65 GT 273 Conversion

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irishfatso56

irishfatso56

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poughkeepsie, ny
Me and my brother recently converted my 31,000 mile '65 Dart Gt from a 6cyl to an 8cyl. We initially detailed the Slant 6 and showed the car for a few years, but we had a donor car that was perfect for the conversion. That car was a rusted out '65 GT that gave up its 273 2bbl motor, tranny, radiator, linkage, gas pedal assembly, and factory posi rear. Then we upgraded the motor with all the 273 charger 4 barrel equipment. Our ultimate goal is to make the car a tribute car to the rare '65 dartchargers like the incredible car Ulf from Sweeden so meticulously restored.
 

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Here is the car after we finished the conversion. It runs and drives smooth, stops great, and is gonna be a blast to cruise 4 hours down to Carlisle with next week. Cant wait to see all the great early A's there!
 

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[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH-xiNmpw3c"]65 Dart gt 273 start up - YouTube[/ame]
 
Thanks guys! My brother (604B1duster) is the mechanic. I assisted him in the process. Pitched in where i could turning wrenches, but I spent most of my time restoring parts, doing grunt work, and holding the light....hahaha!
 
WOW, that car is outstanding!!! You should rightly be very proud of it, and your work done!! Simply beautiful!!! Geof
 
Nicely done. Now I wish I was going to Carlisle! Love the rattle of those 273's Isky E-4 cam? Sounds good.
 
Love the wheels! 15x6 and 15x7 rear? I almost bought a set a couple years ago @ the Nats.
 
Mike, the wheels are small bolt 15x7 in the rear with 4" backspacing and 255's......the fronts are small bolt 15x4 with 155's.....we have air shocks in the car and there is zero rubbing with car sitting at the ride height it is in pictures. I just read your 273 build thread....very cool!
 
Love it!!! Great job, cant wait to get the 273 in my valiant :/
 
Beautiful. I hope my 65 Dart looks that nice when I'm done. It is a factory 2 bbl V-8. I also have a 64 Valiant slant. Did you notice much difference between driving w/ the slant and V-8? Of course, changing the rear adds another variable.
 
Thanks again guys. It's nice to have our hard work get such a positive response! So to answer your question Bill, the car definitely has more power than it did before, but it is still a very smooth driver. It's a true 31,000 mile survivor, so it was a difficult choice to pull the 6. But at the end of the day, we had a vision of what we wanted the car to be. That was a reliable and nostalgic 273 cruiser. And having a rusted out '65 GT 8cyl donor car on tap to make it happen made our decision easier. I'm posting a wanted ad in the parts section for a nice original 273 resonator/tip that will be going on this car. If anyone has one and is going to Carlisle, please contact me. Thanks again!
 
Just got back from Carlisle.....it's a great event every year, but this may have topped them all! Weather was perfect, cars as far as the eye could see, and bought some great parts! My best score was an NOS 273 resonator, but i just cannot put it on this car. I'm still looking for a nice used original or used repro. Posted an update in the parts wanted section. My '65 made the trip perfectly, and i couldn't be happier with the V6 to V8 conversion!
 
What brand are the wheels?
irishfatso56 said:
Mike, the wheels are small bolt 15x7 in the rear with 4" backspacing and 255's......the fronts are small bolt 15x4 with 155's.....we have air shocks in the car and there is zero rubbing with car sitting at the ride height it is in pictures. I just read your 273 build thread....very cool!
Click to expand...
 
After this show/cruise season is over in New York, the next step in the conversion is to notch the rear pan (using exact measurements taken from a '65 gt) and install a factory resonator. Me and my brother picked up this NOS unit at Carlisle this past weekend. It's an ultra-rare, un-date coded piece (other factory numbers are stamped on top side just like the NOS units on ebay, just not a date code). I was told by a reputable early-A guru at Carlisle that it is a factory built direct replacement for dealerships in the 60's. I've only seen one other one with that blotchy galvanized finish, and it's the NOS example accurate LTD has on their website for comparison with their reproduction. If I cannot find a nice used one before then, this resonator is going on this car in the winter. If anyone has any info on why my resonator finish looks so much different than the NOS ones on ebay, i'd love to hear it!
 

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