66 dart convertible

[66Dvert]

whew just now getting going on the dart. After collecting some parts to put my rust bucket back together (hey THANKS WAGGIN and all the others that I was able to get parts from

) I mean it was a mess,When I forst got it (cheap) it didn't look so bad, it ran,stopped and the top worked, or the frame went up and down anyway. the more I tore into it the worse it looked. I just about went ahead and scrapped it , but the rockers and front end looked great and it pissed me off that I was going to get rid of a car I liked. plans are
1. keepin it a slant (I have a 70challenger if I wanna go fast)
2. fix the rust (you'll see why it a rust bucket)
3. make it a driver but really nice!
4. electronic ignition and all the charging upgrades
5. disc conversion for the front and 4.5 on 5 bolt pattern all around
hmmm that should be enough to keep me busy for a long time. I usually get 2 weekends off a month and 1 of em's a honey do weekend, so
heres where I'm at now


got the old trunk pan cut out and will use some of the tirewell in the new trunk pan
whew I forgot how many spot welds there were in this thing

 

[66Dvert]

ok the next step will be the rear section between the trunk pan and the rear seat pans this thing has even MORE spotwelds that the trunk section..I'm gonna go get me a beer!!or 3 or 4

 

[66Dvert]

of course I have to add the rear and front pans, basically I'm going from the Trunk to the Cowl and skipping just a little on the firewall that's it. I can't believe how solid the frame is with all this rot in the pans, I was shocked to see nothing good in the cowl, it was doctored up with about 2 gallonds of bondo, any one got a good cowl for a 66 dart? I might need it oh yeah and I have too do the drivers inner fender MORE spotwelds.. I'm gonna be GREAT and doing plug welding.
that's all for now beer's calling me

 

[bayyum]

good job dude!!!!!!!

 

[superdart426]

I have a complete 66 dart floor pan if u need one.........superdart340

 

[crvtec90]

dude, u r n animal. keep it comin.:read2:

 

[mac daddy mopar]

great work, keep it up.

 

[bremereric]

Nice work and keep it comming...I love working on my car every night and will not know what to do when I am done...guess get another one to work on...

 

[pettybludart]

Your doing some major work there!Keep up the good work!Yep Waggs is a good man and will help whenever possible.8):cheers:

 

[slantscamp]

oh man. this is an awsome thread. keep the pics coming please! do you have any more pictures from removing the cowl? i need to do this repair on the wagon, but i still lack the welding skills to put it back together. im glad you took on this project. hopefully i can learn by your experience. keep up the good work.

 

[GTGrinly]

I've got the same thing going on. I removed the floorpan from a 4 door and putting it into my vert. I'm doing the main cabin floor, and the pan under the rear seat but not between the wheel wells, and the trunk pan. Spot welds suck...

Dave

 

[66Dvert]

Nice work and keep it comming...I love working on my car every night and will not know what to do when I am done...guess get another one to work on...

oh I've got 2 others stacked up waiting for me to get going on this one. I just want to get this one done to drive! the others are another 66 dart vert with a 273 in it and a 70 challenger 383 4 speed. I just finished the b5 blue 440 6pack 4speed one in my avatar, that helped finiance my garage down here. I was sorry to see that 70 go.. it was sweet and it started the repair process just a little better that this one. I must be a glutton for punishment. of course before this stupid economy crap started I did get all my weekends off and was able to really git- r - done.

 

[66Dvert]

oh man. this is an awsome thread. keep the pics coming please! do you have any more pictures from removing the cowl? i need to do this repair on the wagon, but i still lack the welding skills to put it back together. im glad you took on this project. hopefully i can learn by your experience. keep up the good work.

Ya know I looked for the pic's of that part of the process but can't seem to locate them.. hmm I do have a 4 door parts car that I'm pullin the hood fenters and cowl off of for either of the 66 darts that I have. I'll take pic's of that process when I start yanking it apart. The best stuff will go on the v8 vert since it's gonna be black with the pearl white interior (got that interior stuff already except paint for the dash)
the one I'm working on now I'd like to paint it the lexus "metalic off white or vanilla color " sort of like the late caddy's are

 

[66Dvert]

Ya know I looked for the pic's of that part of the process but can't seem to locate them.. hmm I do have a 4 door parts car that I'm pullin the hood fenters and cowl off of for either of the 66 darts that I have. I'll take pic's of that process when I start yanking it apart. The best stuff will go on the v8 vert since it's gonna be black with the pearl white interior (got that interior stuff already except paint for the dash)
the one I'm working on now I'd like to paint it the lexus "metalic off white or vanilla color " sort of like the late caddy's are

ahha! found only one showing some of the mud in this thing
and that mud was on both sides and went right over to the wiper pivott.. no wonder the wipers did't move!

 

[66Dvert]

Yah I didn't have to much work comming my way so I was home early. here's what I did get done
1. got the axle hump out of there , lookin pretty bare in there
2. got replacement trunk extensions 1 needs work but the other one is nice
I HATE spot welds or at least drilling them out. I just tell myself only a couple thousand more to do ,,nahh doesn't help I still hate em

 

[66Dvert]

I came home from work and discovered that christams had come early!!
My floor pans and both rear patch panels came in today, It motivated me some much I had to put some metal Back on the car

my new (to me) pan but not welded in until I check the Squareness of the body. it looks good and I tack welded the frames to the body dolly but I
ll only get one chance to square things up

ohhhh new toys

more new toys

 

[66Dvert]

finally got my cowl not a perfect part but it's a whole lot better than the 10 lbs of bondo on the old one, really the old one had the center grill in metal and the rest was all bondo on either side, plus it's all there except for some minor spots that Ill be repairing and blasting out,, just got done drilling out the spotwelds(did I mention that I HATE drilling spotwelds) and got part of it sandblasted no major work just a couple of areas to do 1,000% better than the old non-existant cowl that I did/didn't have on the car originaly I was suprised that the bottom of the cowl went on (DUH) 1st but the A pillars were put on second and welded to the bottom part of the cowl ,then the top part of the cowl and just a couple of welds to locate it to the a pillars (those back pieces in the first pic , just think a couple of thousand spotwelds and I'll be halfway to putting it back together

 

[pj_elia]

Great work. Looking forward to follow your progress. I have a 66 dart convertible as well waiting to be redone. It was my first car but has been sitting in my garage for 17 years.

 

[PapstXX]

wowwwww great work buddy

 

[65dartcharger]

You're doing great on this project. Keep the pictures coming!

 

[VDART]

wow! ,thanks for the photos--- your skill level & work habits far surpass my ability. Amazing stuff your showing thanks, Lawrence

 

[66Dvert]

whooooeee if my wife saw that it would kill her, she'd die laughing, I'm most probably the worlds biggest slob. or packrat there is, thanks for the thought though. just work on the cowl now and re-assesing some other problem areas, here are some workin areas, cowl is in sealer now and I'm going to seam seal it arounf the hats hopefully today. I have the new parts for the a pillars (not perfect but better that what I had, which was about 15 lbs of cheap rock hard bondo over rust!) thise pillars took over 3 days to chip out the bondo, I was lookin for metal and never found it I have one spot on the frame right by the torque box in front that I'll be templating up today to get the bends correct , here the pic's

 

[pettybludart]

Some great work!I hear ya on the spotweld drilling LOL!.
View attachment 66 Dart project Nov2010 182.jpg

View attachment 66 Dart project Nov2010 180.jpg

 

[66Dvert]

thanks I'm moving forward (first pieces of metal going back on the :love5:

car!!!!! Im, lovin it) just the cowl lower panel and apillar on the drivers side BUT it's the First pieces of forward moovement for me
the red circle is where Ihave to add metal for the windshield rubber , of course I have to finish welding and then clean it up and seal it but IT is MOVIN Forward yahhhooooo!

 

[pettybludart]

Glad to see your now moving forward,that looks to be alot more drilling than I,ve done LOL.These early-A,s will have their day soon enough.:toothy10: