Ignorant College Student--Need Advice!

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howlett83

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Being a girl with no previous knowledge about cars whatsoever, I randomly decided to go to school for Automotive Technology. I am learning a lot, but as far as restorations I know nothing! One of the guys I met at school and I got to be pretty good friends, and he was teaching me a lot of different car stuff. We both needed extra money to pay for school and thought it would be a good learning experience if we pitched in and bought a car to flip.

Long story short, I ended up buying a '64 Dart GT and things fell through with my friend so it's all on me. I am just hoping someone can give me a little bit of advice as far as a restoration. My dad was pretty upset with me buying the car, and says I'm going to end up spending way more money than if I just bought one already restored, and that no one is going to want to buy it at a price where I would even make a profit.

I read the sticky post on this topic, and I guess it is pretty common to spend a lot of money. But the other problem is finding parts for this dang thing! I don't understand why it is so hard to find 1964 parts. I know that the 1965 model was unique to the others, but is it the same for the 64? I am missing a front bumper and I can't find a replacement for it ANYWHERE. I guess I'm just wondering what your opinions are, if I should try and sell it now while I can, or go for it and fix it up even though it will be thousands of dollars?
 
All of these girls have their quirks. Example, the 67-69 trio LOOKS similar, and lots of things interchange, but t he 67 especially had quite a few "one year" quirks. You cannot for example, put 68-69 tail lamps into a 67 without enlarging the rear lamp bucket openings. You can swap front grilles between 68-69, even though they are not correct, but not 67. Stuff like that.

Do you HAVE a straight bumper? Or how bad is it damaged? You might be able to have yours rechromed.

I really must tell ya, that for a college student on a budget, seems to me one of these would be a huge drain. That is, unless, you find one and get into it "cheap" and it doesn't need much to 'get by'.

Welcome to the bunch. What part of MT? I'm in Coeur d Alene
 
No, the bumper is missing completely unfortunately...Also I found a good deal on a LD4B Edelbrock intake. I was thinking about getting a 600cfm carb to put on it.
that up the performance. Is it worth it? Or again should I just sell the thing? I would post pictures but I don't know how.

Nice! I am from Havre, way up at the Canadian border.
 
you should post a few pis of it as well as what it has for engine, trans, rear diff etc. That will make a huge difference in what its worth. A factory V8 is worth more than a slant 6 due to production numbers. A GT is worth more. Is it rusty anywhere like floor pan, trunk, rear window, frame rails etc? Does it start? Can you drive it? Disk or drum?

If you are a "starving student" then it may not be a great idea as old cars are money pits. Parts are expensive and 64's are not on the super desirable list yet, a nice one might bring $10K but its no 'Cuda. Look on ebay and CL to see what they bring in your area to determine if you can make any $$$. If you paid $600 and its rust free, only needs a carb and muffler, then you might get $4000 and make some cash. If you paid $3500 and floors are toast, trans bad and burns oil then thats a different story.

Share what you have but be prepared for "build it" or go "pro touring" from some people as these are mopar fans here and will encourage you to go for it. Just be realistic and either bail out now or be prepared to spend some cash.

BTW, It is encouraging that you are interested in classic cars, or even cars in general, so many kids these days seem to have no interest in them at all, my 27 year old son could care less about anything that burns fuel but I have a 6 year old Daughter that loves my old Mopars and hangs out in the shop with the guys and wants to know it all. What ever happens with the 64, keep thinking about cars and when the time is right, one will find you.

A bumper should be around $100 for a nice driver quality one. Look on CL and on here, you will find one soon. Post a "wanted" and somebody will have one.
 
Welcome aboard! I have a 67 and 69 cuda and what 67dart273 said is correct. Vehicles may look the same but some stuff may not swap.
What time frame do you have in mind? If you are in a hurry that may work against you.
What size motor and the year are the cyl heads? Ld4b is a great intake but fits 66 and up 273 and 318. Heads are different angle on 65 and older.

Good luck and there is a sticky on how to post pics.
 
You'll quickly sink more money into an early A than they are worth. Good luck getting your money back.
 
Buying a car to flip is no small task. You will make your money in the purchase price. That is the cheaper you get the car the better. Second is in doing as much as you can yourself. Rust through will kill your profit, body work and body panels are costly. Paint is expensive and if you cannot do it yourself will cost much more. So do you have the time to do the car? Do you have the knowledge or the ability to find what you need? Remember this It takes as much time and effort to fix a worthless car as a car that will be worth something. If that 64 Dart GT is nothing special (numbers matching, etc.) I would sell it and find a car worth more after it was finished.
 
Ok, I got some pictures up. I didn't think the rust was that bad, but apparently it is...It's a 273 engine. That sucks that the intake won't fit. It has drum brakes, it runs but it's not pretty.
 

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What did you pay for Dart, that'll give you a start on how upside down you're gonna be. I seriously doubt being able to flip her for a profit, unless all the "Money" put into her is labor, than, its just your time and not parts. Gotta be careful with these things, you can spend 3x the amount they're worth.
 
I paid $2500 because I didn't know what I was doing. But no one seems to want to buy it and I'm considering just fixing it up since to get learning experience since I'm stuck with it anyways.
 
howlett83 said:
I paid $2500 because I didn't know what I was doing. But no one seems to want to buy it and I'm considering just fixing it up since to get learning experience since I'm stuck with it anyways.
Click to expand...

At least you have a positive out look on it. Location can change the value of that Dart, Down here in SC, it would sell. If experience is what you're wanting, you will get it for the school of hard knox with an A-body. Like stated above, the panels aren't cheap, and can be really hard to find, keep a close eye on this sight and hard to find parts pop up fairly regular. Good luck and keep us informed with the progress. :happy1:
 
Spend time on hear reading thru and learning. Is the car complete? I know the chrome around the headlight is impossible to find. You will find it here, swapmeets or ebay. Patience is your friend, depending on how quick you want to recoup $$
If you want to put on LD4B, just find an older set(65 and older) cyl heads. They are out there.
Any questions, just ask. There are already a ton of threads on stuff, so some digging will gain you some knowledge.

Cheers
Enjoy!
 
Havre has GOT to be a pretty limited market to sell in. Depends on what you are "happy" with and the shape the drive train is in. If you need it to daily drive, that's getting to be a VERY old car nowadays to be dependable without a lot of work.

Frankly, I have to lean towards your father on this one.
 
The fact that its a factory V8 hard top GT make it worth more than a /6. With that said, I would not go for any "performance upgrades" and just get it running and driving. That will make it worth a bunch more. Think rebuild carb, tune up, fuel pump, brakes and tires. This can all be done for little $$$$ and not a lot of skill. If its a safe driver even with a bit of rust in quarters, its still worth $3500 in most areas of the US. I would just go through the basics to get it on the road then at least somebody can take it for a test drive if they are buying. If it ran and drove, it would be worth at least $3500-$4500 in Oregon.

Does anybody know why some 64's have back up lamps in rear deck lid and some dont? It has 273, convex grill and bucket seats so it has to be 64....my 64 has no lights in deck lid but its not a GT.
 
howlett83 said:
Ok, I got some pictures up. I didn't think the rust was that bad, but apparently it is...It's a 273 engine. That sucks that the intake won't fit. It has drum brakes, it runs but it's not pretty.
Click to expand...

If you found a good deal on an Edelbrock LD4B, then buy it and flip it. Many people here are looking for them...

Or, you can change the heads on the 273 to a head from 66 and later 273 or 318. The heads will bolt onto the 273 block, and then you can use the LD4B intake as they have the proper bolt pattern...
 
Welcome, I like your Dart.
Glad to hear you are willing to have a go with it.
You have come to the right place. Someone here will have a good answer
for most any question you can think up.
The more you tell us about the car the better we can help.
Have you driven & does the car have working brakes?
How I start with an a-body that is new to me is give it a good look underneath.
Our cars can have rust thru in a few places that make the car unsafe.
The torsion bar anchors in the transmission crossmember.
Upper control arm mounts. Rear spring mounts.
And the frame rails in general should be looked at.
 
The best way to figure out what a car needs is to drive it. Make sure it's safe first, check the brake pads, brake fluid, oil, tranny fluid, coolant, alignment, etc. Do a complete service, you'll learn so much about a car from working on it and fixing stuff. Buy a small fire extinguisher to keep under the seat just in case. Don't use the triangular Edelbrock air cleaner and try to stay away from paper filter elements in case for some reason it backfires. Start by driving it once a week, start out just taking it around the block. The next week try 2 blocks, then 3, etc.. Make sure the brakes and steering are good, suspension, etc. Put fresh fluids in, check the common parts that wear out, make sure everything is lubricated properly. The absolute best place to start for servicing and working on a car is with a Haynes or Chilton manual, they'll tell you how to do everything yourself and usually you can find them at a garage sale or car show for cheap (used). If you want to work on it and learn from it, chances are spending money wisely on car parts and tools will teach you more than your actual schooling will. I'm not saying you should stop going, I'm just speaking from experience. Either way, getting it running and driving would be the best thing to do in my opinion because then when you go to sell it you'll have a reliable (should be) "driver".
 
Welcome, I like your Dart.
Glad to hear you are willing to have a go with it.
You have come to the right place. Someone here will have a good answer
for most any question you can think up.
The more you tell us about the car the better we can help.
How I start with an a-body that is new to me is give it a good look underneath.
Our cars can have rust thru in a few places that make the car unsafe.
The torsion bar anchors in the transmission crossmember.
Upper control arm mounts. Rear spring mounts.
And the frame rails in general should be looked at.
Next I would check for wore parts in the front suspension. Have a friend work the steering wheel for you.
How are the brakes? Look at the rubber and steel lines front to back.
May as well look at the fuel line and tank while you are there.
Belts and hoses usually need replaced if its been off the road over a couple
years.
 
Welcome to FABO!

'64 Darts are the coolest! :)

Pretty sure a '63 or '64 bumper would work for you.

Not a huge market for early A-bodies, so hard to flip them for a profit - build a car you like and drive it!

re: intake - IIRC, you need to find a LD4, not LD4B for the pre-'66 273

magnummopar said:
Does anybody know why some 64's have back up lamps in rear deck lid and some dont? It has 273, convex grill and bucket seats so it has to be 64....my 64 has no lights in deck lid but its not a GT.
Click to expand...

I think backup lights were an option
 
Luckily I have a lot of little spare parts in the trunk. I did get it to run and the brakes work, but I just drove it in and out of the garage. I had to have a friend mess with the carb to get it started because I know nothing about carbs. They don't even teach that in school anymore.

I did want to put a DLB intake in and upgrade to a 4 barrell carb, but now you guys got me twisted! I don't know if I should since you say the 273 V8 would make it worth more. I don't know if the carb I have on it works good or not, it's missing the entire kickdown assembly. Plus if there is something wrong with the carb I have on there, and I want to keep it 2 barrell, I don't even know what carb I would need..

I haven't really had a chance to look at the suspension yet, I know I need tie rods and motor mounts. Hopefully the tranny and engine are good. There aren't very many miles on the odometer...

Seems like the most expensive parts that I need to get are the windshield, bumper, bucket seats, paint, rust repair, and tires which I'm having a hard time finding. So that's not including any suspension, engine, or tranny problems that may come up. I haven't had time to really work on it yet because it's at my dad's place since I don't have a garage. I will be there this summer and will work on it a lot then.

If I can't sell it maybe I should just make it a sleeper.
 
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