Hey guys, from Swansea Mass.

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TCFAM

TCFAM

68 Dart GTS 340
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
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Location
Swansea, Mass
My girls is a 68 Darts, GTS 340. This is one of those stories where you wish you never got rid of your first car and didn't. After not driver her for over twenty years I am dying to get it going again. Bought it when I was 18 back in 1985 or so, drove it for two years then garaged it. Got married had four kids with a stay at home wife, went through some hard times but could never bring myself to sell the car. All original, motor, trans, rear. Everything but the suspension parts that wear out is original. Now at the age of 43 and with the kids older and starting to work I finally got it out of storage and am restoring to the best of my ability. I know enough to take things apart and put back together again, but that is the extent of my knowledge. No specialty tools for engine or trans, or know how on how to rebuild them. Looking someone I can trust to check the motor, possible rebuild, I have someone for the transmission and rear. Also have someone that that owes me a favor to do the body work for free. If anybody knows someone close to the , Swansea, Fall River, Massachusetts area that knows mopar motors that can do it for me, it would be great. Spent 3,000.00 to buy it and have another 1,000 into it now when I am done it will be around 5,000 to 6,000 maybe a little more but still a great price for this car.
 
Good morning and welcome to FABO. I'm sure you'll find all you need here. Got any photos? We live to look at pictures. LOL toolmanmike
 
Soon as I find out how to post them they will go up. Got some before and after of the underside.
The body is already primed and waiting for paint, so no before pics on that. Not much different in the body though, just a few rust spots that needed repairing, one rear quarter panel and new trunk. Other than that not much to do to it.
Put in all new ball joints, pitman arm, tie rods, etc, sand blasted anything that can be re-used and primed and painted them. Brought the spings to a place called Mikes in Fall River, two weeks ago, still does not have new ones yet or my old ones with all new leafs. Might try to find someone else, anybody know someone? Will be looking for more parts as I find out what is no good after twenty years. What usually goes bad after sitting for that long, steering box master cylinder? Anything else?
 
I know a guy in the south shore who restores cars and does custom cars. Hes doing a coronet right now waiting on payments i think the guy wants to sell the coronet cause he cant afford it. BUT he knows his cars. I know he restored my dads 68 with him and hes done a couple corvettes. He does everything. Paintjobs everything. He will work with you if you dont have alot of money hes patient. Hes a good friend of my dads. Does some good work. The shops in whitman
 
Hi, I`m an E-body guy but I follow this forum too. I`m in Acushnet, Ma. Sorry I cant think of any shops or locals to recomend at the moment. I`m doing the work on my car myself hope to get it on the road in a month or less!
Your automotive skills sound a lot like mine. My advice just start turning wrenches and when you get stuck on something post your problem lots of guys here to help you out! I have done a hell of a lot more on my car than I thought I was capable of plus you save more of your cash doing it on your own.I am rebuilding the front suspension right now never done it before but I wont let that stop me!Check out the local car shows and cruise nights start asking people who knows their stuff when it comes to Mopar.

I live by this motto,seems to work well when I apply it to my car:
Don`t ever let something as minor as a lack of brains or ability stop you! :D
 
Welcome to FABO from SoCal. You're going to have fun here!
Great decision on never selling your car. Wish I'd had the same foresight with my old '69 340 Swinger, but it got sold during a minor family financial issue. Building my "new" '69 Dart is going to cost so much more that what it would have taken to put my old Dart back on the street.
Gotta see pics of your toy!!!
 
I figured doing it myself would be the best for saving money, not easy when you only have a little knowledge. Know if I could only figure out how to put the brakes back together because I can not find the pics I took. HAHAHA. It does help that my mother has a car lift in her garage so I am not on the ground or on a creaper trying to figure this all out. Love my Mom!!
 
Gotta love Mom ESPECIALLY IF SHE HAS A LIFT!!! I just took pics of my front drums yesterday "72 Cuda" so I would know how to put them back. They must be pretty similar hope this helps.
 

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Welcome I am from Pembroke. You should try to get to my clubs cruise night. It's on Fridays at the Walmart in Halifax at the corner of Rt58 and Rt106. Come up Rt24 and hop off on Rt104 and follow through Bridgewater to Rt106 and take a right. Walmart is about 2 miles up on the left.

We have up to 700 cars on some nights and the first two weeks of the season it's been over 400. Mopars are about in proportion to what was made compared to other brands.

My Cuda will be near the club table and I will have the clubs mascot in tow (a small tan terrier named Frazer).
 
Welcome from a transplant who moved to N.C. from Westport, Mass 4 yrs ago. Mike's on Brayton Ave is kind of high for his suspension work. I ended up ordering my springs from J.C. Whitney. If I still lived up there, I would have been able to assist you on your car. Do they still have the cruise in over in Somerset at the Diner on Rt6? If so there was a guy from Seekonk who used to attend and had a beautiful 72 Challenger. You may be able to get up with him for some assistance in your build. Please post up pictures of your car when you get the chance. Ask away here for advice on anything Mopar related. You should have NO PROBLEM getting helpful advice. Again welcome to the best damn Mopar site on the planet!!!
 
Yes they still have the car night on RT 6. I will probably go soon to see if anybody has anything I might need. My car is not done so maybe I can talk my mother into letting me take her Monaco. That thing is a boat, beautiful car though. Needs a restoration on it, that i my next project. I will post picks of that and my brothers Power wagon, and also my old 73 dart sport that I sold to my cousin who lives in Tiverton. I love the Dart sport most of all but did not have the space to keep it anymore.
 
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