66 Dart GT HT Whatsitgonnabe?

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Here’s a better picture.
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I got my two pallets of engine blocks on Wednesday. Drove all of it straight to our summer house and unloaded there.

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There were a few small bits too:
- A set of TRWL2295 forged 440 pistons
- A small block bell housing
- A 4-speed shifter mechanism and shifter
- A 4-speed clutch fork with rubber boot

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I also got a very nice oil cooler kit. Obviously not sold recently but never opened.

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That oil cooler looks like the one I snagged out of some kind of Dodge or Chrysler at the junkyard
 
That oil cooler looks like the one I snagged out of some kind of Dodge or Chrysler at the junkyard
It’s actually a Swedish brand. Setrab in Malmö, southern tip of Sweden.

I’m up in the summer house over
night, taking the 413 short block that was in the shipment apart. It has a forged crank.

I’m planning on boring it to 440. That’s where the TRW pistons are going. Some day.

It’s rusted up pretty bad so I’m not sure I’ll be able to get I apart tomorrow before I go home but the crank looks great!



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I found a pair of replacement heads and a friend happened to go to the owner’s town this weekend so she could pick them up for me!
They’re 360 heads, the late, somewhat desirable 308 casting. They’ve had a 3-angle valve job and stiffer springs.
Here they are!

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They haven’t been touched apart from the valve job as far as I can tell.

The guy replaced them with Edelbrock heads ten years ago. They probably need guides and I think maximum lift may be limited by the valve guide bosses.

The springs are Comp 942 which are both too light-duty and don’t allow more than 0.515” lift so I can’t use them. Good thing I already have the correct springs.
 
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I will be machining the valve guide bosses anyway to fit the valve stem seals I got. If I need to go down on the spring pockets, they’ll do that in the same operation.

I might do some bowl porting and gasket match the ports. They’re not great.

I read somewhere else on here that there might be porting templates from DC online. I’ll try to find them.
 
Yesterday I ordered a set of ARP main bearing studs with provision for a windage tray, a degree wheel and a pair of valve train check springs. They should get to Ray in a few days, Jeg’s had it in stock. They’ll be going along with the Coffee Thread calendars.

I hope to be able to test mount my heads and camshaft combo this weekend. The cam is scheduled to arrive 11/9 which is day after tomorrow. Excited to see the valve-to-piston clearance.

I’m debating with myself whether to get thinner head gaskets. The ones I have are pretty’s standard, NOS Chrysler 0.04” compressed thickness from some kind of military storage. I could get copper gaskets that only measure 0.02” compressed. That’ll give me almost 0.5 compression points right there.

They’re $65 though. Plus shipping.
 
My camshaft came today!!
I couldn’t wait so I stabbed it in there. I desperately wanted to see whether the thing would turn over or if the valves would touch the piston or the bores.

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Installed retarded 8 degrees on the crank.

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It all cleared! The valve train geometry is far from ideal, however. Something needs to be done.
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Got a proper molding of the piston to valve clearance. Way too much. This is without head gasket.

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There’s about 1/4” (6mm) at the valve and 5/32” (4mm) in the quench area.

There will be shaving.
 
Re-did the molding since I found that I probably didn’t have the pushrods quite snug.
Exhaust valve clearance is about 3mm and intake about 4. Still without head gaskets so there can still be shaving.
 
Hello!

First off: I'm a newbie. Never renovated a car before. Sure, I used to fix up old mopeds in my teens. Did plenty of them. From the ground up, bare metal to fresh paint and stickers, overhaul on motor and re-upholstered seat. Since then, not so much.

Went to university. Bought an old Bimmer that ran mostly on three cylinders. Rode bikes, even got a road racing license and then I had kids. And a house. And a summer house. Three kids. I'm 44.

I've always wanted a black '71 'vette 454 T-top Stingray but they're just too freaking expensive. Even if they're a rusted away piece of crap.

So I stumble across this '66 Dart GT that a dude did all the work on. He bought it in 2007, fourteen (roughly) previos owners (originally sold in Sweden), ran it as it was for a year and then started renovating it. He cut all the rust out, replaced the floor, the quarters and the part under the doors (whatever it might be called). Then he found this old guy here in Sweden called "the Baron" who builds engines. From him he bought a 1971 360 cui V8 (from an old Dodge van) with Keith Black pistons and rods, an Edelbrock LD4B intake and a Carter 9755S carburetor. He also got a high stall speed 727 and a 8 3/4" rear end with Aubrun limited slip. Don't know the gear ratio. Oh, and'he invested in an electronic ignition system and a brand new alternator.

The engine hasn't been run since it was built and neither has the trans or the rear end. As a matter of fact, neither of them have oil in them. This is a bit of concern for me. How do I know they haven't started rusting inside? As you've probably deduced by now, I'm an impulsive kind of guy. Anyoune with a dominant rational trait would've known all these things. I don't. I also don't know how what "high stall speed" actually means and I dont know much about the internal workings of a good ol' mopar V8.

I do know that I can turn a wrench and get things working. And I love Roadkill and tire smoke. Detailed, this-is-how-it-looked-when-it-was-first-produced, showroom restorations, not so much. Don't have the patience for it. I want to be able to use the car, enjoy the engine rumble, burn some rubber, maybe even go to the strip (even though that is perhaps not a very big sport here in Sweden) and not have to worry about getting a scratch on the chrome. I'm not sure, though, how much effort I'm going to put into it. I don't want the previous owner's effort to go to waste by not making it a decent looking automobile. I also don't want to spend the next five years finding the right type of fabric for the headliner.

All in all, I am a dedicated guy who wants to get this car running and smoking tires and I'm going to need a lot of help and creative input.

I've got the slot mags, I've got a pretty decent engine, I'm falling in love with the look of the car - even though it's not a 71 'vette Stingray - and most of the labour is already done. What could possibly go wrong?

Anyone interested in chipping in?

So glad I found this forum.

/Anders

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I have 66 Gt myself, I see from your photos that the engine is in the car-- the problem I'm having is when I tried to put the engine in its resting on the center link-- can you take a photo of the oil pan at the rear of the engine? What tranny do you have-907 or the 727. As for not having oil in either- I poured a couple of qt in mine- pulled the plugs and sprayed oil down the cyclinders with an squirt oil can- then every so often I go out to the shop and pull my plugs and squirt into the cyclinders. Where are you located.. Mine was a 6 cyl 904 Auto- wife didn't want to drive it- I just happened to surfing craigslist and bought 2001 durango running, drove it around for a month no insurance, no title- the day the title showd up I was pulling the eng out for the dart. At least I know mine will run-sounds like a sewing machine-- I bought eng adapter kit and the 727 I had built- even changed out the rear end for 83/4--3.55 gears...

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I got myself an electric die grinder the other day and read up a little on the 38 heads. I got a (poor) copy of the Direct Connection porting templates but after some scouting I decided I didn’t need them :eek:
I only have short bits so far, longer bits are on their way. This is where I’m at so far.
Before:
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After:
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I have 66 Gt myself, I see from your photos that the engine is in the car-- the problem I'm having is when I tried to put the engine in its resting on the center link-- can you take a photo of the oil pan at the rear of the engine? What tranny do you have-907 or the 727. As for not having oil in either- I poured a couple of qt in mine- pulled the plugs and sprayed oil down the cyclinders with an squirt oil can- then every so often I go out to the shop and pull my plugs and squirt into the cyclinders. Where are you located.. Mine was a 6 cyl 904 Auto- wife didn't want to drive it- I just happened to surfing craigslist and bought 2001 durango running, drove it around for a month no insurance, no title- the day the title showd up I was pulling the eng out for the dart. At least I know mine will run-sounds like a sewing machine-- I bought eng adapter kit and the 727 I had built- even changed out the rear end for 83/4--3.55 gears...

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Nice looking project!
The 360 and 727 have been sold. Right now I have a 400 stroker (500 cui) on a stand in the garage but I’m building a 273 to go in it and will be selling the big block.
You need a center sump to work in a passenger car. If the one you have is rear sump, it’s for a truck, I believe.
 
I have 66 Gt myself, I see from your photos that the engine is in the car-- the problem I'm having is when I tried to put the engine in its resting on the center link-- can you take a photo of the oil pan at the rear of the engine? What tranny do you have-907 or the 727. As for not having oil in either- I poured a couple of qt in mine- pulled the plugs and sprayed oil down the cyclinders with an squirt oil can- then every so often I go out to the shop and pull my plugs and squirt into the cyclinders. Where are you located.. Mine was a 6 cyl 904 Auto- wife didn't want to drive it- I just happened to surfing craigslist and bought 2001 durango running, drove it around for a month no insurance, no title- the day the title showd up I was pulling the eng out for the dart. At least I know mine will run-sounds like a sewing machine-- I bought eng adapter kit and the 727 I had built- even changed out the rear end for 83/4--3.55 gears...

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You need the V8 centerlink which is deeper.
 
Look what I got!

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NIB 10 liter ultrasonic cleaner for $300. Price at Biltema today $500. Well worth a trip in to town.

I’ve got the dual quad holleys for the tunnel ram to clean up as well as the 850 for the stroker. Will definitely come in handy!
 
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