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G

Gitdowns

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Jan 11, 2008
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Wichita Falls, Tx
My name is Greg, just found this site. I am getting ready to start working on my Dart again. i had it painted many years ago, terrible job, lost interest and it has been sitting in storage ever since. A brief history of the car. It is a 69 Dart Swinger 340/auto car. It was purchased new by my dad and a partner for racing. Side note, my dad bought a 67GTX 440/Auto , a 68 Baracuda 340/auto , the 69 Dart, and then a 70 440 6-pac/auto, new in consecutive years just for drag racing. My uncle still has the 68 Cuda. Back to the Dart. The car was ordered new without the radio and the rear stripe. On the build sheet both are circled with an orange crayon with a line going to the bottom to the words, Deleted Items. The car was picked up new in Jan of 69, taken to my Dads shop, less than a mile from dealership, engine trans pulled, gears changed. They cut the inner fenderwells for headers etc. After the engine was blueprinted and modified to Stock Eliminator specs, trans modified, new TCI converter installed (I still have it), it was all put back together and raced. The car was actually listed as a demonstrator for the dealership untill the end of the season. It was then that my dads partner paid for the car. He made it back stock and drove the car for several years then parked it. My dad bought it back from him in the early 90's and I got it from my dad in 97 before he passed away. I cant decide whether to restore it back to original or restore it back to the way my dad raced it. What does everyone think? The car is F5 green, and had a vinyl top when new. The painter ground the pins off that held the trim around the vinyle top. The original wheels were chrome plated, but I do have all of the hub caps. I have another set of wheels off of another Dart. The 5.5 inch wide ones. The have alot of the original engine parts, heads, carb, dist, etc. I done have the block, intake, or exhausts. The trans is the original one. If I go back original, is there a place that makes new inner fender panels? Where is a good place to get the grill redone? I need to get the chrome around the taillights replaced or replated. Any ideas and info will sure be appriciated.
 
Wecome
The a-body inner fenders are all the same 67 through 76 if that helps.
I have seen the bolt to fender flanges available but not the
entire panel.
To try and clone a survivor classic from what was a racecar
can be extremely expensive. A fun street / strip , cruise-in
ride would be my plan.
It's yours now and you may as well make it yours.
Afterall the previous owners did whatever they wanted with it...
Right ? LOL
 
This wont be a clone, this is a documented car. The only thing body wise wrong is the pins that hold the trim around the vinyl top have been ground off. And the inner fenders cut out for fender well headers. IF I could find some SB fenderwell headers for it, I would make it look like it did when they raced it.
 
Hey greg. Ummm, Parragraphs please. LOL. It's a hard read for me.

Welcome aboard!!!!!!!!
 
Well since you asked:
I prefer to actually drive cars instead of just looking at them.
Or race them on the weekends.
So if I were you, I wouldn’t do anything to prevent me from diving it to work.
The very interesting sentimental (read “cool”) history of your car notwithstanding , I suppose there is room in this world for museum pieces.
But I just don’t have the room in my garage for one.
Life is too short.
I don’t “like” vinyl tops due to their propensity of rust.
Cars do get wet in the real world.
So the decision of what to do is best made by you.

Now to the important point: Welcome.
 
I am not into museum pieces myself. I am leaning towards making it back they way it was when they raced it. Since I wont be selling the car, being 100% original wont be a big deal to me. I just want to be able to enjoy the car
 
hey Greg, i think it's great to have a car that belong to your dad, just build it with him in mind, hey rumble parragraphs again what are you a teacher,we come here to talk about cars not to learn how to write proper,i have no problems reading his post,if you do than i think you need to keep your opioions to yourself,you've made a lot of good people quit posting, because of your comments,i'm not mad,but your comments about peoples writing make people mad an hurt feelings, keep it to yourself and this would be alot better place,were here to talk about cars hell i got a 8th grade edacation what do you expect from me?
 
Wecome Greg. You said it yourself,you just want to enjoy the car. You sound like you have experience with cool Mopars, so whatever you build, will be cool. Sorry about your Father, and I understand the sentimentalities of your situation. I would want to build it as you suggest also. I hope you put it in the Swinger registry. Good luck
Bill

69 Swinger1 (Small).JPG
 
Welcome Greg.
We have some of the best of the best here.
So jump on in and enjoy.
Lost Mom and Dad in the past and I am sure they would want us to enjoy
all the time we have here. Keep us updated and lets getter Dun!!:angel9:
 
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