Nor-Cal '73 Swinger

[Saetun]

Bought a new front bumper off of the local craigslist in really good shape hoping to replace the one I had. (mine had been hit dead center & was a little convex right where the licence plate holder would go. Unfortunately the replacement bumper i bought was a little too big so I took a sledge hammer to the original & it straightened out much better than anticipated. Deleted the bumper guards & wiped it down.

 

[Saetun]

Alright... Knowing the Dart's had a heater core leak for who knows how long, I've been putting off pulling the interior & carpet for a few weeks. Well, times up. I've pulled back the front of the carpet & seen plenty of rust, time to find out the extent. Here's a few pics as I got into pulling the interior

 

[Saetun]

Was really hoping I'd get lucky & only have surface rust & be able to wire brush & POR 15 & be done with it. Well, I got close. mostly surface rust & molecularly bonded 40 year old insulation but, as can be seen in one of these pics, there is a quarter sized rust through on the passenger's side. There are also a couple of pinholes in the same immediate area on the forward passenger's side, a victim I'm sure of the heater core leak. Don't know the best way to handle this. Really would appreciate some feedback from folks who have been here before. Heres the pics as I got the floor as clean as I could without pulling out the angle grinder & wire wheel. (which is on the agenda for tomorrow.)

 

[1BadDodge71]

looks great!nice knowing there are no holes on the floor

 

[Saetun]

Alright.... grabbed the grinder & the wire wheel today & got to the rust. Was able to get most of it off of the floor but decided that the front passenger's panel needs to be replaced. The rest of the floor looked really good after the wire wheel treatment. Vacuumed it up, cleaned with Marine Clean & finished up with POR 15 on everything except that passenger's panel, which again, will be cut out...

 

[Saetun]

Haven't added anything here for a bit & since I finally took a couple of pics of the exhaust work I thought I'd at least put these up. I('m totally impressed with the work & feel I was treated very well. Down pipe is over the steering & the x-pipe is done well. Duals into flowmaster 40's with tips just out past the bumper.

I'll update again soon as the cam, (This one) lifters & springs are in the mail as I type & the 302 heads are on my bench waiting on the springs before going in for larger valves (1.88"/1.60") & a gasket match.

I received a mini starter from another member just today & I'll drop that in just as soon as I can.

 

[Saetun]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fJOTCeTWiQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fJOTCeTWiQ[/ame]

 

[Saetun]

Got great news from the head shop (not that kind!) today. Junkyard 302 heads came out of Magnaflux with no cracks!!!!! 1.88"/1.60" valves, bowl work & gasket match will hopefully be finished tomorrow!

Having a terrible & ever growing need for instant gratification does not go hand & hand with having a passion for cars. jfyi

 

[Evildart]

Nice to see another beak in the Bay Area getting fixed up.

 

[Abodybomber]

Congarts,nice thead so far.What cam? My choice,The smaller Summitt,cam/lifter set.Make sure,you run a zinc based oil/additive on break in.Ground,by Crane.

 

[Saetun]

Congarts,nice thead so far.What cam? My choice,The smaller Summitt,cam/lifter set.Make sure,you run a zinc based oil/additive on break in.Ground,by Crane.

Comp XE268 is sitting on my bench right now.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-20-223-3/

As well as the new double roller timing set (Lunati). The shop working on the heads is installing the springs which are the Comps that are recommended with the cam.

I picked up a hughes 2000rpm converter which will really just leave me deciding what to do with the 2.76 gears in the 7.25" rear. I'd really like to find an A-body 8.25" locally, but my budget is just about exhausted. So, I may just pick up a junkyard gear set (like 3.23 or so) for the 7.25" & drive it until it explodes. Who knows, good deals seem to always be plentiful when your dead broke.

 

[Abodybomber]

Times two,Saetun!(LOL)Know the budget thing,well.Nurse it,leave the converter untill the trans rolls over.Check out the local diff shop,for used gears.Not likely,you never know....

 

[bad440]

it's looking great! the factory black is very cool. my 73 came in this nasty looking tan color,and with about a hundred more door dings lol

 

[Saetun]

it's looking great! the factory black is very cool. my 73 came in this nasty looking tan color,and with about a hundred more door dings lol

Don't be modest, Mike. Those are factory original door dings! Not these crappy aftermarket chinese door dings that all the kids are running around with these days.

 

[Abodybomber]

Hey,a dent.It runs.Fun,here we come...

 

[7dswinger]

it's looking great! the factory black is very cool. my 73 came in this nasty looking tan color,and with about a hundred more door dings lol

Allot like my 70 Dart, painted sh** brown from the factory and then somebody painted it puke green after that, now that it's all faded through it's both colors!

Looking good, maybe we'll see each other at an event! Love the exhaust, I'm going to a shop Friday to get 2.5'' pipes on mine, h pipe and super 44's or super 10's

 

[Saetun]

Allot like my 70 Dart, painted sh** brown from the factory and then somebody painted it puke green after that, now that it's all faded through it's both colors!

Looking good, maybe we'll see each other at an event! Love the exhaust, I'm going to a shop Friday to get 2.5'' pipes on mine, h pipe and super 44's or super 10's

Definately, we'll have to calibrate before good guys in Pleasanton later this month (24-26?). Castro valley has a show at the bart station on Sept 5, I believe and I think theres a Mopar night at the Sac raceway coming up soon.

As for exhaust, I cannot recommend anyone other than Emmanuel's Mufflers in Alameda. The guy just does quality work, period. I used to use Neil's Mufflers in Castro Valley because my dad knew the proprietor well. But after having the exhaust in the Dart, I took my Ram to Emmanuel's as well and I'll be taking any vehicle I need work on to him exclusively.

 

[bad440]

Don't be modest, Mike. Those are factory original door dings! Not these crappy aftermarket chinese door dings that all the kids are running around with these days.

lol your kinda right jeff,we were on sunset blvd. in hollywood ,just cruisin and this chick in a brand new lexus pulls out of the left turn lane right into my quarter panel.made a big black stripe and screwed up the sheetmetal.i pulled over and jumped out and the whole right side of her car was done.bumper cover came off fender was wiped .get this the car was hot.she went to jail and i got nil. at least she went to jail.....

 

[bad440]

jeff did you get the heads back yet?

 

[Saetun]

Okay, the Hughes Torque Converter is now in (2k RPM) & I was able to pick up a quick ratio power steering box for pretty cheap, which is being installed this weekend. The old P/S box that was in there was in bad shape due to neglect & the guy I sent it to had a buddy with the quick ratio so why not upgrade now, right? The head shop called me yesterday to tell me he's running behind & that he found a broken EZ-out in one of the threads. No big deal, he says, just a pain to get out compared to just a broken stud.

So while I wait on the P/S box & 302 heads, I've got these sitting on my bench waiting patiently (me, not so patiently...) to go in (with the help of member, Bad440).

 

[Saetun]

I shared in another thread that I discovered, much to my dismay, that I had a 7.25" rear end w/ 2.76 gears, when I had just assumed all along i had a 8.25" back there.

current 7.25" rear:

 

[Saetun]

After posting on the forums explaining my rear end displeasure, another member, (thx Evildart) hooked me up with an 8.25 from his Dart which he had pulled a while back. It's got the 2.45 carrier in it, but its a complete A-body housing, Drum to Drum & upon getting it home & inspecting it, I received a very nice surprise when I realized that its got 11" drums on it. Looks like a rear end upgrade AND a very nice rear brake upgrade is my not so distant future.

Just need to track down a 2.76+ carrier & a ring & pinion set, but my budget is just about done for the year (read, "completely done") so this nice new housing will sit for a while until the new carrier & gear set can be sourced out.

 

[bad440]

don't worry,be happy....yeah right!

 

[Evildart]

I'm glad that the 8.25 went to someone that could use it and not to the scrap yard.
Old Mopars live on.

 

[Saetun]

I got the 302 casting heads back today. Magnafluxed, cleaned, 1.88"/1.60" valves installed, new springs, new retainers, gasket matched & ported, bowl blended & chamber unshrouded. He was nice enough to ask if I'd like them painted, but he didn't have Chrysler blue. I happened to have some, so he primed 'em up & I masked & shot 'em with a rattle can.