Yes, I am well aware of this. And I can't wait!!! :burnout:
66 Dart GT HT Whatsitgonnabe?
- Thread starter 360DartGT66
- Start date
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Today I managed to get the whole front suspension out of the Dart. I had no intention of doing this when I bought the car, but I am sure anyone who reads this is familiar with the development ...
Turns out it was a good thing that I did take it apart. I found some pretty weird stuff. Three of the caster (camber?) adjustment bolts weren't original, in fact they're not even imperial, they're metric. Also, the excentric washers seem to be hand made, all but two of them.
And I found a substantial amount of dirt underneath the front one on the passenger side.
I'm getting more and more convinced that this car has been run off the road pretty hard at some time. There are lots of indications. Both front frame rails and the radiator support have dents underneath, one of the LCA:s has a sway bar tab that's been cut off while the other one doesn't, the dirt under the UCA adjustment bolt, bent bits and pieces here and there under the car.
I haven't checked yet, but I think there might be some rust repair needed under the dirt.
It feels really good to go through the car properly and not just paint her, fill the tires and get rolling.
Turns out it was a good thing that I did take it apart. I found some pretty weird stuff. Three of the caster (camber?) adjustment bolts weren't original, in fact they're not even imperial, they're metric. Also, the excentric washers seem to be hand made, all but two of them.
And I found a substantial amount of dirt underneath the front one on the passenger side.
I'm getting more and more convinced that this car has been run off the road pretty hard at some time. There are lots of indications. Both front frame rails and the radiator support have dents underneath, one of the LCA:s has a sway bar tab that's been cut off while the other one doesn't, the dirt under the UCA adjustment bolt, bent bits and pieces here and there under the car.
I haven't checked yet, but I think there might be some rust repair needed under the dirt.
It feels really good to go through the car properly and not just paint her, fill the tires and get rolling.
... and here are all the parts.
I'd like to get my hands om some thicker torsion bars but I would need to get them in Sweden, I think. The shipping cost would probably kill me. Or my wife would ...
I'd like to get my hands om some thicker torsion bars but I would need to get them in Sweden, I think. The shipping cost would probably kill me. Or my wife would ...
With an old car, all too familiar!
I've got plenty of them - I'll send you 4 with your parts you've order
After 50 years and possibly doing some off road fun, not surprising!
It might take longer than you planned, but in the end it will be worth it AND safer too!
EDIT: I don't think whatever was circled on the LCA as part of a sway bar tab, unless it was home-made. Factory tabs are welded in between the upper and lower parts of the LCA.
It might be the angle of the camera, but it looks like the torsion bar on the right is bent or something and maybe the other side as well!
Maybe post within the Swedish or even European Mopar community for some HD T Bars. I've upgraded the T Bars in my wagon to 340 bars but might upgrade to 1 inch or even bigger.
You're much to kind, sir! Thank you!
rayer:And of course you're right! Now that you mention it, I know what they look like and this is not it. Thanks again. :thumblef:
That's the panorama feature on my phone. They are pretty straight as far as I can tell.
I will definitely see what I can find over here.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Wow thats some hokey **** you found. I have found some wierd stuff under old cars, but the home made eccentric bolts, Wow!!!! Those are a classic. You need to save em, just for giggles.
Were you able to get the torsion bar retainer clips. It looks as if thats the least of what you need with what you just found, but they are still a needed part. If i had spares of these i'd send you a pair for just the shipping cost. I can check with my mopar junkyard owner buddy this upcoming week to see if he might have a couple.
Let me know
Matt
Were you able to get the torsion bar retainer clips. It looks as if thats the least of what you need with what you just found, but they are still a needed part. If i had spares of these i'd send you a pair for just the shipping cost. I can check with my mopar junkyard owner buddy this upcoming week to see if he might have a couple.
Let me know
Matt
Oh, you're right, Matt! I forgot. Since I have an order of stuff crossing the Atlantic in a week or so, I'll see if I can find them somewhere. They can't be very expensive.
By the way, You wouldn't happen to have a throttle linkage stud? Like Holley part #20-67?
edit: The reason I'm asking is that the silly little pin is $24 ...
By the way, You wouldn't happen to have a throttle linkage stud? Like Holley part #20-67?
edit: The reason I'm asking is that the silly little pin is $24 ...
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Is your car automatic or standard transmission? The stud would be different for automatic because of the kick down linkage setup attached to it for passing gear. The holley #20-67 appears to be a throttle stud for engines mated to an automatic transmission.
I dont have any of these for automatic equipped cars. Mine is a 4 speed stick shift. I really need to get to the salvage yard as i have a list of stuff i need as well. The linkage pins i can get from salvage yard would be factory mopar. They would look a little different than the holley one, but not by much. I am thinking this part went up to 1989 on RWD V8 chrysler fifth avenue sedans, and in pickups and vans until 1992.
Matt
I dont have any of these for automatic equipped cars. Mine is a 4 speed stick shift. I really need to get to the salvage yard as i have a list of stuff i need as well. The linkage pins i can get from salvage yard would be factory mopar. They would look a little different than the holley one, but not by much. I am thinking this part went up to 1989 on RWD V8 chrysler fifth avenue sedans, and in pickups and vans until 1992.
Matt
Yup. 727 automatic.
Junk yards here have zero old US cars. In fact, all junk yards are very professional these days. All parts are entered into a big database where you can search for whatever you need in all junk yards that are connected to the system across the country. Then you pay essentially half the price of a new part.
Very efficient but not much fun and finding a rare part for a song is virtually impossible.
Junk yards here have zero old US cars. In fact, all junk yards are very professional these days. All parts are entered into a big database where you can search for whatever you need in all junk yards that are connected to the system across the country. Then you pay essentially half the price of a new part.
Very efficient but not much fun and finding a rare part for a song is virtually impossible.
$13 for the clips at Summit?! And why four?
http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/dcc-4876097/overview/
I think I'll try to find ordinary circlips that do the job.
http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/dcc-4876097/overview/
I think I'll try to find ordinary circlips that do the job.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
$13 for the clips at Summit?! And why four?
http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/dcc-4876097/overview/
I think I'll try to find ordinary circlips that do the job.
What are you wanting to use these for??
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
The junk yards here are still fun. The pick n pull yards in Dallas Ft Worth are more professional and cheaper. Cars are seperated out according to manufacturer. They keep a list of parts. Hoods are $20, fenders $20 , alternators $15 etc. Doesnt matter what it comes off of. Problem is these are high turn yards. If you see something you want, you better get it that day. Cars are kept approx 2 weeks, after that they are flattened and gone. Nothing really old there. At least you can go in after paying a $1 entrance fee, and signing a waiver in case you get hurt.
Sometimes they have contests prior to the crushfest. One time it was all you can carry for $20. They spray painted a start and finish line in the dirt. If you can carry it non stop without setting it down across the distance its yours. Approx 250 feet. I had a friend of mine load up a fender i was going to carry with all sorts of parts i wrenched off a chrysler le baron. I had about $200 worth of stuff for $20.
There was a big ole boy at that contest that day who bear hugged a 350 small block chevy V8 and carried it the distance. Sucker was a long block minus intake and front accessories. Cha ching he got it for $20.
My local haunt FM600 wrecking is a very slow turn wrecking yard. Sometimes stuff ends up there and its there 15 years before its flattened out. The more cooler the make, camaro, firebird, convertibles etc, the longer they keep it. Sometimes clearing out the rows of cars they want to flatten, and putting those vehicles back in the cleaned out row to be picked at a bit longer.
FM600 is 10 acres of cars and trucks so theres a lot out there, problem is they are not seperated by manufacturer. They have 3 sections. 1 American cars, 2 foreign cars/trucks, and 3 American trucks/vans. With 10 acres of stuff to look at, it can take you all day to find what you need.
Matt
Sometimes they have contests prior to the crushfest. One time it was all you can carry for $20. They spray painted a start and finish line in the dirt. If you can carry it non stop without setting it down across the distance its yours. Approx 250 feet. I had a friend of mine load up a fender i was going to carry with all sorts of parts i wrenched off a chrysler le baron. I had about $200 worth of stuff for $20.
There was a big ole boy at that contest that day who bear hugged a 350 small block chevy V8 and carried it the distance. Sucker was a long block minus intake and front accessories. Cha ching he got it for $20.
My local haunt FM600 wrecking is a very slow turn wrecking yard. Sometimes stuff ends up there and its there 15 years before its flattened out. The more cooler the make, camaro, firebird, convertibles etc, the longer they keep it. Sometimes clearing out the rows of cars they want to flatten, and putting those vehicles back in the cleaned out row to be picked at a bit longer.
FM600 is 10 acres of cars and trucks so theres a lot out there, problem is they are not seperated by manufacturer. They have 3 sections. 1 American cars, 2 foreign cars/trucks, and 3 American trucks/vans. With 10 acres of stuff to look at, it can take you all day to find what you need.
Matt
I thought of using circlips (Google gave me the word, is that what they're called?) in stead of buying proper torsion bar retainer clips but I won't need to! Don offered to send some with the stuff I've ordered to go through him already!
Your scrap yard sounds like a whole lot more fun. They've actually opened one of those "pick'n pull" yards in the next town just a couple of weeks ago. Perfect for my other cars. And I'm thinking I might be able to find a sway bar setup I can use there.
Carry a Chevy long block? Truly impressive. But I've seen what farmers can do ... Man, are they strong sometimes.
Your scrap yard sounds like a whole lot more fun. They've actually opened one of those "pick'n pull" yards in the next town just a couple of weeks ago. Perfect for my other cars. And I'm thinking I might be able to find a sway bar setup I can use there.
Carry a Chevy long block? Truly impressive. But I've seen what farmers can do ... Man, are they strong sometimes.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Hi Anders,
Ok if somebody is sending the torsion bar retainers, i wont need to find some for you. An air force buddy is going with me today to FM600 i will get you that throttle stud. I think you also need a throttle return spring mounting bracket. I can get you one. It may be a later year than your 66 gt but will work and look good if painted up.
Just let me know if you want it. And i will get it. Its 9:30 here now. The yard closes at 1pm today.
Ok if somebody is sending the torsion bar retainers, i wont need to find some for you. An air force buddy is going with me today to FM600 i will get you that throttle stud. I think you also need a throttle return spring mounting bracket. I can get you one. It may be a later year than your 66 gt but will work and look good if painted up.
Just let me know if you want it. And i will get it. Its 9:30 here now. The yard closes at 1pm today.
Oh, I would definitely want a bracket! I've been planning on making my own - I mean, It's not a complicated piece of equipment - but a proper one would probably look nicer.
Let me know if you find anything! If I'm not tool late...
Let me know if you find anything! If I'm not tool late...
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Hi Anders,
Junkyard day was muy bueno. I got a set of four 15x7 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue steel rims perfect for my dog dish center caps. They are the Kelsey Hayes big bolt pattern which is what i am going with. Payed $15 per wheel. Picked up an aluminum oil filter adaptor and your throttle stud off the same Fifth Ave. Went to the only 67 cuda in the yard , and got the hood hinges, and wiper linkages for my 69 notchback. I have a return spring bracket for you thats off the junkyard 67 cuda notchback. I want to make a template of it to make a copy of it for myself, or if you would rather , i can send the template to you if you want to make a copy instead. Its your choice on this one. I figure if you went with the template, a padded mailer envelope would suffice to mail this to you.
See pix below. My rims, and your throttle stud.
Matt
Junkyard day was muy bueno. I got a set of four 15x7 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue steel rims perfect for my dog dish center caps. They are the Kelsey Hayes big bolt pattern which is what i am going with. Payed $15 per wheel. Picked up an aluminum oil filter adaptor and your throttle stud off the same Fifth Ave. Went to the only 67 cuda in the yard , and got the hood hinges, and wiper linkages for my 69 notchback. I have a return spring bracket for you thats off the junkyard 67 cuda notchback. I want to make a template of it to make a copy of it for myself, or if you would rather , i can send the template to you if you want to make a copy instead. Its your choice on this one. I figure if you went with the template, a padded mailer envelope would suffice to mail this to you.
See pix below. My rims, and your throttle stud.
Matt
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Pix
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
The look i am going for in 2nd and 3rd pix. Need to run the wheels down by a friend of mine and use his wheel machine to demount the tires, then take em up to work and sand blast them.
Nice score!
You da man, Matt! Don (65 Dartman) is sending me a big box with various things I ordered from Jeg's and Rock Auto along with a carb I bought off Bad Sport. Ulf (65DartCharger) is getting a camshaft and lifters in the same shipment.
So I have two options. Either you send the stud - complete with nut, washer an lock pin! Fantastic! - to Don or you send it straight to me.
A padded envelope can't be much more than a few bucks, in fact, I think the last thing Don sent me was around $5.
You go ahead and ship it straight to me. And include the template, that'll be a fun project!
I'll PM you my address.
Thank you so much, Matt!
You da man, Matt! Don (65 Dartman) is sending me a big box with various things I ordered from Jeg's and Rock Auto along with a carb I bought off Bad Sport. Ulf (65DartCharger) is getting a camshaft and lifters in the same shipment.
So I have two options. Either you send the stud - complete with nut, washer an lock pin! Fantastic! - to Don or you send it straight to me.
A padded envelope can't be much more than a few bucks, in fact, I think the last thing Don sent me was around $5.
You go ahead and ship it straight to me. And include the template, that'll be a fun project!
I'll PM you my address.
Thank you so much, Matt!
I think I might have mentioned early on that I was in Estonia and just happened to be in the right place at the right time. There was a US car show in the little town of Haapsalu which actually is the town where my grand mother was born. Well, she lived a little outside, but still.
Here are some of the nice mopars we saw.
Here are some of the nice mopars we saw.
I have a little visitor in the garage today who doesn't seem to be afraid to get her paws dirty.
A little primer on my trunk lid hinges.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Hi Anders,
The car show you went to in Haapsalu. If you look at the 6th pick down you posted on the left side you will see the back corner of a red chrysler fifth avenue. This was called an M body and was what i got your carb stud,.my wheels, and oil filter adaptor from. These were the last of chryslers carbureted V8 rwd cars ending in 1989. Until recently everything they made was fwd turbo 4 or injected V6. The new chrysler 300 is loosely based on an older mercedes E class chassis, with a new generation Hemi V8. It spawned the new dodge charger, and new dodge challenger .
Matt
The car show you went to in Haapsalu. If you look at the 6th pick down you posted on the left side you will see the back corner of a red chrysler fifth avenue. This was called an M body and was what i got your carb stud,.my wheels, and oil filter adaptor from. These were the last of chryslers carbureted V8 rwd cars ending in 1989. Until recently everything they made was fwd turbo 4 or injected V6. The new chrysler 300 is loosely based on an older mercedes E class chassis, with a new generation Hemi V8. It spawned the new dodge charger, and new dodge challenger .
Matt
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