VADodgeDart340
Well-Known Member
I am not sure I would call this a restoration.
My 72 Dart Swinger Fix-Up
- Thread starter VADodgeDart340
- Start date
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VADodgeDart340
Well-Known Member
Phase 1 of many:
So I got it home, got rid of all the "pedestrian parts" and put the stuff back on it like it was when I knew the car in the late 70's, or how I think I remembered the car. I am doing a little at a time, small projects to get it to be a weekend driver while I rebuild a junk yard 74 or 75 360 (when I find one) and the original 727. The new front suspension and Power Disk Brakes (thanks to Booster Dewey in Oregon) are installed and the rear has been removed, cleaned, painted and rebuilt.
The "Frankenstein" dual exhaust is coming off next week and being replaced from the manifolds back to the mufflers and a new "police" power steering chuck is being installed to make it corner just a bit better.
Donnie B and I have parted out a few cars to get everything we need and are starting to get a healthy collection of MOPAR parts. I might have to sell my house in Reston and move to a place where I can build a garage behind the house to store everything.
The funny thing is that when we were kids I blew up a 72 340 Duster one night racing and pulled the motor the next day (maybe mid 1977) and buried the old carcase of an engine in my moms backyard in Adelphi maryland. When she went to sell the house in 2006 the inspection people found the pit and pulled the 340, a 318 and a 383 out of the hole... three cracked or broken blocks from three different MOPARS.
So I got it home, got rid of all the "pedestrian parts" and put the stuff back on it like it was when I knew the car in the late 70's, or how I think I remembered the car. I am doing a little at a time, small projects to get it to be a weekend driver while I rebuild a junk yard 74 or 75 360 (when I find one) and the original 727. The new front suspension and Power Disk Brakes (thanks to Booster Dewey in Oregon) are installed and the rear has been removed, cleaned, painted and rebuilt.
The "Frankenstein" dual exhaust is coming off next week and being replaced from the manifolds back to the mufflers and a new "police" power steering chuck is being installed to make it corner just a bit better.
Donnie B and I have parted out a few cars to get everything we need and are starting to get a healthy collection of MOPAR parts. I might have to sell my house in Reston and move to a place where I can build a garage behind the house to store everything.
The funny thing is that when we were kids I blew up a 72 340 Duster one night racing and pulled the motor the next day (maybe mid 1977) and buried the old carcase of an engine in my moms backyard in Adelphi maryland. When she went to sell the house in 2006 the inspection people found the pit and pulled the 340, a 318 and a 383 out of the hole... three cracked or broken blocks from three different MOPARS.
Great starter project car.
VADodgeDart340
Well-Known Member
Many pictures later the car is now a driver ready to go to the body shop. The first thing is to get the body straight and a coat of the original color on the car and a new vinyl roof...
here are some pics from the spring.
I have a 1968 Dart GTS that I also inherited from another friend (we all get older) and 1967 Dart GT that I got from yet another friend and gave it to my buddy Don (Mega-D). More long stories.
here are some pics from the spring.
I have a 1968 Dart GTS that I also inherited from another friend (we all get older) and 1967 Dart GT that I got from yet another friend and gave it to my buddy Don (Mega-D). More long stories.
VADodgeDart340
Well-Known Member
Thanks, it is one of three that I have taken on - 1967 Mustang, 1968 Dart GTS and this one, the 1972 Dart Swinger. I am looking at a 1973 Duster conversion (from a 6cyl to a 340) - converted from a wrecked 340 car. Another interesting story.
Sounds like there is a lot of good parts your way.
Dartnut
Don't hate me because i'm beautiful
It sounds like you have a lot of great projects there.....
How about some more pics of them?
Great job and story on the Dart BTW.
VADodgeDart340
Well-Known Member
Deleted the Ford pics - too confusing
VADodgeDart340
Well-Known Member
So this was a single owner car that I got from a friend in Yorktown Virginia. It was her husbands grandmothers car and had been in the family since 1967. Every scrap of paper was with the car, original sales receipt and all of the special order paperwork, every receipt, every set of new tires (the warranty) and the original 1967 Dodge jumper cables. The car never lit my fire so it went to Donnie B (NoVA_Mxer) who is doing a great job fixing it up. The car is a daily driver to this day with 73k original miles. He just got the complete dual exhaust kit from Accurate Exhaust Systems (thanks Colby).
He wants to paint it back... I think he should do a really cool Copper 2 stage with some flake in it and make it look bad as hell, original or as close to original, but bad as hell - a wolf in sheep's clothing. He is converting the car to a big bolt pattern, disk brakes, new rear... The 273 is getting a mild rework next year. Actually, there are people on this site (FABO) that know this car and have commented on it.
Donnie B (Mega D) is doing it his way, so I guess I cannot blame him for wanting the bigger bolt pattern stuff. Personally I would have left it alone but it never really was an option, the car never spoke to me.
He wants to paint it back... I think he should do a really cool Copper 2 stage with some flake in it and make it look bad as hell, original or as close to original, but bad as hell - a wolf in sheep's clothing. He is converting the car to a big bolt pattern, disk brakes, new rear... The 273 is getting a mild rework next year. Actually, there are people on this site (FABO) that know this car and have commented on it.
Donnie B (Mega D) is doing it his way, so I guess I cannot blame him for wanting the bigger bolt pattern stuff. Personally I would have left it alone but it never really was an option, the car never spoke to me.
VADodgeDart340
Well-Known Member
Blasts from the past (1974 through 1978 I think...)
I had a 1972 Duster that me and my buddy David (always had '69 Road Runners - still does) pimped out in Gold Duster trim to be a sleeper... I blew up one motor and replaced it with another 340 from a 1970 Duster... buried the old motor in my mothers backyard in 1978 (where is the EPA and OSHA when you need them). When she sold the house in 2006 they had to dig it up because the landscapers kept hitting "something hard". Guess I should have dug the hole deeper.
I also had a 1972 340 Demon (another Bob Banning Dodge car)... I have found one picture of that car. But I will keep looking. I had to have this car because the hottest girl in out neighborhood had a brown one with white stripes and white interior... she is probably still hot, I don't have the car anymore. heard it is sitting in a field in Southern Maryland rotting away (the car, not the girl... I can't even remember her name).
I had a 1972 Duster that me and my buddy David (always had '69 Road Runners - still does) pimped out in Gold Duster trim to be a sleeper... I blew up one motor and replaced it with another 340 from a 1970 Duster... buried the old motor in my mothers backyard in 1978 (where is the EPA and OSHA when you need them). When she sold the house in 2006 they had to dig it up because the landscapers kept hitting "something hard". Guess I should have dug the hole deeper.
I also had a 1972 340 Demon (another Bob Banning Dodge car)... I have found one picture of that car. But I will keep looking. I had to have this car because the hottest girl in out neighborhood had a brown one with white stripes and white interior... she is probably still hot, I don't have the car anymore. heard it is sitting in a field in Southern Maryland rotting away (the car, not the girl... I can't even remember her name).
440jimr
Well-Known Member
Any updates?
VADodgeDart340
Well-Known Member
Working on the interior....
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