little known fact... Slant 6s were still being made by Chrysler as recently as 2000 for agriculture, industrial and forklift uses.
Finally got my project car! Restoration Thread
- Thread starter Ryno49
- Start date
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Ryno49
Member
Thanks!
Ryno49
Member
Wow! The more reading I do online the more interest I'm seeing in the slant 6. Also seeing how it is still a popular motor in Australia
Ryno49
Member
Some more photos...
Fisher
Old Guy with a Cool car.
Just a suggestion, start with a large bolt pattern Axle. 8-3/4 Sure grip 789 case rear with 3.23-3.55 gears if your going to drive this car. Upgrade the rear springs, shocks, and these cars ride and handle very well with radial tires. I also added a set of 340 torsion bars to mine. I see you already have disc brakes, thats a nice touch.
As for a motor, the sky is the limit. Again you can build a nice 340,360, or build a stroker 408 all pump gas with a mild hydraulic cam, aluminum intake, carb and headers. And you will have a nice fun car with enough power to burn the tires and be able to merge on the interstate.
At this point you will need to change the sending unit in the gas tank to a 3/8 fuel line pickup. And run a new 3/8 line to the front of the car. That line with a good mechanical fuel pump on the motor will supply 500 HP easy trouble free.
Mancini has the fuel sender, and a nice electronic ignition conversion kits, i got all my stuff from them.
Again make a list of things you want then come back on here and ask for ways to achieve them, lots of good advice on this site. Old school or new school.
As for a motor, the sky is the limit. Again you can build a nice 340,360, or build a stroker 408 all pump gas with a mild hydraulic cam, aluminum intake, carb and headers. And you will have a nice fun car with enough power to burn the tires and be able to merge on the interstate.
At this point you will need to change the sending unit in the gas tank to a 3/8 fuel line pickup. And run a new 3/8 line to the front of the car. That line with a good mechanical fuel pump on the motor will supply 500 HP easy trouble free.
Mancini has the fuel sender, and a nice electronic ignition conversion kits, i got all my stuff from them.
Again make a list of things you want then come back on here and ask for ways to achieve them, lots of good advice on this site. Old school or new school.
489*
Ryno49
Member
Thank you! Great ideas to add to my list.
Elbow grease, and clean the interior up, new upholstery will make it comfy.
Polish it real good, leave the dings and dents, drive it.
Polish it real good, leave the dings and dents, drive it.
Fisher
Old Guy with a Cool car.
Back in Time
Well-Known Member
All good advise here. I made the mistake of completely dismantling my Dart as soon as I got it home.4 Years later it's still partially apart and a ways away from driveable. I have totally lost interest in it and soon plan to sell.I have no place to store it waiting to get excited again so it's going away. Make it safe, drive it and upgrade a little at a time.
Fisher
Old Guy with a Cool car.
Time and Money determines how far apart you can take the car or what you can do to it. Be prepared to spend $25K on this car. At least here in Canada thats the minimum it will cost.
Ryno49
Member
I appreciate the heads up. I'm quickly learning how fast it's going to add up.
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
You've got a fantastic car to start with! The fact that you already have disc brakes and big bolt pattern is a huge plus. A 65-70 B- body 8 3/4 fits in Dusters nicely, with the 65 being the most desirable since it's a fraction more narrow. Ride that /6 until you get a new motor/trans/k member ready to go in. Like was said above, it's easy to lose interest if you tear it into a million pieces and things progress slowly. Been there....done that! 
Good thing we don't all live in Canada or can't do 99% of our own work! Wow,if I would spend that on a Duster playtoy, I would just go buy a late model Challenger!!!
Fisher
Old Guy with a Cool car.
HAHAHA I did most everything myself. The bill for my 426 lowdeck from the machine shop was $13K alone. Plus our Dollar is only worth .070 cents so that makes it costly. I am sitting with $37,000.00 in my car as it sits.
I realize I am old and play with different income and value a $ differently than many now days. I also am the type that if looking for a good running USED engine, I will call car buds and network and find what will work for me. I could never justify that kind of $. I personally can only afford a certain amount of $ to be spent on my car toys, and it is not that much!
If we told the average person on this site, that he will need to spend $9000 ( 70% of your $13,000 Canadian) to rebuild a B motor ( OK so a 426 is odd, thy would throw in the towel!???/
Michael Harrington
Well-Known Member
I miss the old days where you had a good used engine- tore it down, cleaned it honed it and did a farmers rebuild with new rings, gaskets, bearings and oil pump. Hand lap the valves,crane cam and springs, new 4bbl carb aluminum intake, headers dual exh with turbo mufflers and you were the hero of your town. (Yellow plug wires and big Accel supercoil) Closest we could have to that presently is a good running 318-360 from a Ram pickup and rebuild it.
Ryno49
Member
Those were some of the questions that I had about the rear end. Also wondering if there is a certain year range I need to be on the lookout for when finding a motor/transYou've got a fantastic car to start with! The fact that you already have disc brakes and big bolt pattern is a huge plus. A 65-70 B- body 8 3/4 fits in Dusters nicely, with the 65 being the most desirable since it's a fraction more narrow. Ride that /6 until you get a new motor/trans/k member ready to go in. Like was said above, it's easy to lose interest if you tear it into a million pieces and things progress slowly. Been there....done that!
Dartnut
Don't hate me because i'm beautiful
Agreed.
I remember those days fondly and i still do it today!
Not everyone can afford a stroker mill or fancy paint jobs etc.............
69dartwant
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the site! Slants are great, and I'd agree with the guys saying leave in the slant 6 and DRIVE IT! Life is short, and a more reliable engine does not exist. Upgrade and restore as you go! "TIME OF YEAR TO DRIVE EM"
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
I guess it kind of depends on what you want the car to be when done? If you want it to be a pretty strong runner, then look for early 70's 360 to rebuild, and maybe even make a stroker out of. If you just want it to be a decent runner, and get relatively good mpg's....a 318 would be plenty. Either way, I would use the Fitech or Holley Sniper fuel injection. You might luck up, and find a 73 and up A body with the k member you need, and good core 318 and a 904. Keep your eyes peeled on the local Craigslist for stuff like that.
The good old days are still here, I plan on doing that to the old 318 I pulled out of my old power wagon, it still ran good, but it was on its way to a quick death, the last time I had the intake off while it was in the truck, there was chunks of valve stem seals in the lifter gallery.
Oil pressure was getting real low, but still ran great, would randomly smoke bad at idle, then clear up.
Plan on having a machine shop dip the block, install new freeze plugs and cam bearings, most likely the crank will need a 0.010 clean up, and do a valve job.
Stick in a cheap Summit cam and beat the crap out of it.
Might have to spend $500 to freshen it back up.
Michael Harrington
Well-Known Member
sireland67 that sounds fun. Nice to get back to basics by homebuilding an engine on a budget that keeps the spending lean. Another opinion I want to give on the original posters Duster- I like to have a nice looking car. I feel its my reward for all the hard work I do in life plus its fun to have a head turning classic. With that said I would drive the car all while making the body 1st priority. Have a paintless dent removal person do what they can do with any and all dents. Repair all rust spots and rot. prepare it for paint yourself. Paint it or find a painter who works out of their home and have a nice color applied. Fix up the interior. Transplant an 8 3/4 if thats what your gonna run and then buy the wheel and tire combo you like. Id do the engine and trans last. Even if you stall and cant do the engine you have a great looking even bad *** looking car that has an old reliable slant 6 that you can drive ANYWHERE ANYTIME.
Ryno49
Member
So far I’ve decided the plan is to make the car more safe with a brake replacement. Already changed all the fluids and filters. The front seat is badly damaged so I’m going to get the seats redone. Then drive and enjoy while working on some dents and slowly upgrading the car.
Ryno49
Member
Thinking of a well built 318 with 904 auto and a bigger rear end when I come across one. Eventually swapping out to rear discs and adding power brakes. I found I have the 5x4.5 bolt pattern so I can pick my wheel/tire combo once the tires on it need replacing. The goal with this car is to be able to drive it anywhere . Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome, great advice and ideas!
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