Is it worth it??

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2kids

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What do you guys think. I'm considering buying this car. I am an admitted newb and will probably have to find someone to help me fix this engine no matter what. Here's what they say about it:


"71 dart swinger 225 slant 6 cylinder that has been rebuilt but he cant get oil to the top end"

Seller says it was run for like 6 seconds and shut off when he realized the low oil pressure. A couple people have looked at it and said maybe the cam bearing is in upside down or the oil pump may have some broken teeth. Seller had to move and can no longer store the car in his garage.

Is it worth the price? The body is in really good condition.

Here's a link to it, just would be curious about any opinions on the price and the engine.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/1607632004.html

Thanks!
 
I think it is worth it even without a running engine if there is a decent interior that comes with it and the body work has been done properly. Does it already have disc brakes or big bolt pattern? What rear is under it? I would take these things into account, because adding these things add up fast.
 
I think it's a decent deal. If you plan to keep the 6 cyl. then you don't need to worry a lot about the rear end. The 7 1/4" will hold up okay behind a reasonably driven slant 6. If you buy the car, MAYBE you can find a local school with an auto shop class to help figure out the engine problem?
 
Hi Guys,
Thanks for your input so far.

It does not have disk brakes and no big bolt pattern.

The front seat is crap, but the rest of the interior is decent.

Ya, I think I'd be keeping it a /6 - if I get it.

I guess the thing that I was drawn to was that the body sounds really solid. I might be able to drive there tomorrow and look at it in person.
 
There is a GREAT slant crowd up in the NW. If you get it I think I can find you some help. Deal looks OK but not smoking. I would offer less.
Frank
 
Hey 2kids, you are out Seattle way? My son was stationed in Bremerton. When I was out there I saw a TON of Darts/Dusters around Kitsap County. You should have no trouble getting needed parts for this car. Just a note, slant engines can be had CHEAP. Anyone who has sold them can tell you that and if you look there will be some around. I would put a running motor in the car and tinker around with the motor with no oil pressure at your leisure. Some areas of concern are front and rear floor pans, entire trunk floor (dont forget to check the spare tire well in detail) and absolutely go over the whole vinyl top area with a fine tooth comb! Washington State is noted for its ever constant rain and it is tough on cars with vinyl tops. There could be lots of hidden rust under that top and its a pain to fix. Areas to be wachful of are above the entire windshield, below the rear window along that 2 1/2 inch strip of vinyl on the dutchman panel, and on the 'c'pillar panel just several inches from the bottom and along the very bottom near the chrome trim running from the rear window to the side glass. This is where they weld the quarters to the roof metal and along the very bottom where the trim is held on. These areas are where the worst and most prone rust areas will be. Also pay close attention to front and rear frame rails on the car. You are going to want to check the entire front and rear rails paying close attention to the front and rear (mostly the rears) shackles on the rear rails, just behind where the 'k' frame bolts to the front rails, and the torsion bar crossmember. These noted areas are where the frame rust will begin. Dont be afraid to bring along a ball peen hammer and tap away at the rails and listen for weak metal. If the rails, roof metal and floor and trunk pan metal are all decent you have a good platform to work with. If these ares are not so hot I would move on to another car. Good Luck!!
Chas.
 
Thanks to everyone for the help! I'm about 2 hours north of Seattle. I didn't think about putting a running motor in and working on the non-running one at my leisure, sound way more appealing!
 
The slants used a reduced diameter shank on the last head bolt on the rear passenger side of the car to feed oil to the top end. If a normal head bolt is installed in that hole there is no oil being fed to the top end. Food for thought.
 
grumpuscreature said:
The slants used a reduced diameter shank on the last head bolt on the rear passenger side of the car to feed oil to the top end. If a normal head bolt is installed in that hole there is no oil being fed to the top end. Food for thought.
Click to expand...
Thanks David(Grumps)I,ve learned something new today.Not that I plan on having a 6cyl.,but good to know.
 
grumpuscreature said:
The slants used a reduced diameter shank on the last head bolt on the rear passenger side of the car to feed oil to the top end. If a normal head bolt is installed in that hole there is no oil being fed to the top end. Food for thought.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I hope that's all that it is. I bought the car yesterday and will have it shipped in a week or so.
 
grumpuscreature said:
The slants used a reduced diameter shank on the last head bolt on the rear passenger side of the car to feed oil to the top end. If a normal head bolt is installed in that hole there is no oil being fed to the top end. Food for thought.
Click to expand...

Nope. All head bolts are the same. Some heads used a reduced diameter rear rocker shaft bolt, but since the threads are different, you cannot install the incorrect bolt.

If the engine was a complete rebuild (meaning hot tank of block and heads), the most likely cause of no oil to the rockers would be, either the rocker shaft itself is plugged up, or the rear cam bearing was not installed properly.

The first thing to do, is determine if it is low engine oil pressure, or just low/no oil to the valve train.
 
Charrlie_S said:
Nope. All head bolts are the same. Some heads used a reduced diameter rear rocker shaft bolt, but since the threads are different, you cannot install the incorrect bolt.

If the engine was a complete rebuild (meaning hot tank of block and heads), the most likely cause of no oil to the rockers would be, either the rocker shaft itself is plugged up, or the rear cam bearing was not installed properly.

The first thing to do, is determine if it is low engine oil pressure, or just low/no oil to the valve train.
Click to expand...

ok, that sounds like a good first step. Not sure how to do that but I'm going to try and track someone down who does. Hoping there's a helpful /6 person in Bellingham, wa!
 
If it's the rockers, you can clean them out with a piece of wire and some penetrating oil. The rocker shaft is hollow and has holes where the oil feeds into the rockers, and it goes through channels and drips out onto the valves and pushrods. Then say a little prayer that it's that and not the cam. If it does turn out to be the cam, a cam change is one of the best ways to wake up the six. The other biggies are cylinder head work, exhaust and intake.
 
ElFin said:
If it's the rockers, you can clean them out with a piece of wire and some penetrating oil. The rocker shaft is hollow and has holes where the oil feeds into the rockers, and it goes through channels and drips out onto the valves and pushrods. Then say a little prayer that it's that and not the cam. If it does turn out to be the cam, a cam change is one of the best ways to wake up the six. The other biggies are cylinder head work, exhaust and intake.
Click to expand...

thanks! all of this I'm sure will help me once we open it up. I'm hoping it's the easy fix, but we'll see.......
 
Any /6 gurus in or near Bellingham Washington?? It would be great to find someone who knows these engines to have a look in person. I'm no mechanic, but want to learn and willing to get dirty.

thanks!
 
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