Reversing some"custom modifications"with limited skills....

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Kern Dog

Kern Dog

Build your car to handle.
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A couple of years back I bought a couple of cars from a guy that just wanted to get out of the hobby. Both of the cars were Dart Sports. The first car was a 74 with a slant six and drum brakes. This dude was rusty and incomplete so it was stripped down and scrapped.
The second car is an actual 340 car, but it has had a checkered past...

DSP 1.JPG


DSP 2.JPG
 
Some owner in the past had a 440 in the car as evident by a modified V8 K member, 1.03 torsion bars, a CA emissions compliance sticker and exhaust pipes that were formed to fit 383/440 A body Magnum manifolds.
The car had some oddball quarter panel modifications. Check out that wheel arch!

DSP 29.JPG
 
The car also had electric door poppers and shaved door handles and locks.

DSP 32.JPG
 
I do everything with limited skills, so don't feel bad.

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
Before I got it, there were dual headlights on each side and some heavy tubular grille. The fenders were leaded to the cowl. The guy I bought it from removed the fenders using a chisel.

DSP 69.JPG
 
I debated as to how to restore the wheelwells back to stock. To make the new shape, they used some tubular copper or lead... I couldn't tell what it was...

DSP 16.JPG


DSP 19.JPG
 
Now, as I mentioned, my skills are limited here. I have a grinder, sawzall, welder and a few other things. I also have a tendency to just jump in and figure things out. Sometimes I make mistakes along the way that make more work than necessary.

DSP 23.JPG


DSP 24.JPG
 
I have an air tool that makes a hole punch and a flange. I put a recessed flange in the car body and holes in the new quarter skin. The holes were plug welded, then I went through an welded the entire perimeter of the quarter panel.

DSP 74.JPG
 
The car also had Duster taillights in it, so I had to change the taillight panel back to appear stock.

DSP 36.JPG


DSP 41.JPG


DSP 47.JPG
 
The 2 car deal came with a NOS 73/74 Dart Sport taillight panel. To date, this is the only NOS part that I have ever owned and still worth less than a meal at Taco Bell. I didn't use it though, I just added a divider between the lenses to fill in the gap.
My welding was done in small zaps to minimize warping. I am still trying to improve my skills though. I did get some waves that took some additional grinding, cutting and rewelding to correct. A high spot in the metalwork would be immediately obvious to see while a small low spot could be hammer/dolly'd to within 1/8" for body filler.

DSP 37.JPG


DSP 49.JPG


DSP 27.JPG
 
The vinyl top... Yes. They do look nice on some cars. This one was bumpy. I wonder why...

DSP 54.JPG


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I treated the roof with a product called "Rust Mort" then sprayed the car with epoxy primer. Check out those rust pits!

DSP 65.JPG


DSP 66.JPG
 
I asked around on what to do with the roof. A full metal skin replacement was further than I wanted to go for this car.
I am a bit embarrassed to admit this....I went with a body filler with fiberglass strands in it. I put it on in several thin layers, followed by Rage Gold to smooth it out. The U-Pol stranded filler dries very hard and sands like concrete! I was going through a lot of paper trying to get it all smooth.

DSP 75.JPG


DSP 82.JPG
 
Paint will follow soon. The weather needs to warm up or I need to heat up my garage. The car should look okay with a shine on it. If nothing else, I think that I have learned from a few of my mistakes.
I put in a 360 4 barrel I got from a buddy a few years back. The interior was worn a bit but new carpet and some cleaning has it looking pretty good. Ever notice how most classic Mopars have a distinctive smell inside?
 
I wouldn't sweat it dude. It will probably outlast you if you did a good clean job. ......and it looks like you did!
 
Nice work,K.D..... Seen the "fender lip modifications", in the late 70's Hot Rod magazine body shop articles....
 
Abodybomber said:
Nice work,K.D..... Seen the "fender lip modifications", in the late 70's Hot Rod magazine body shop articles....
Click to expand...
Car looks great... Don't think for one minute you are a Pioneer in fixing that roof which is not that bad really once treated. I will guarantee you some of those cars that just went through BJ would look worse than that if you cut all the paint away....

I have a soft spot for those cars. The one below broke my Mopar Virginity lol...

JW

Dart 340.jpg
 
Abodybomber said:
Nice work,K.D..... Seen the "fender lip modifications", in the late 70's Hot Rod magazine body shop articles....
Click to expand...

Lol.... I can remember seeing crazy things done to cars I would buy in the late 80's... I don't know that much compares to the Sunroof though... That is a tough one to come back from lol...

JW
 
SLOPAR72 said:
Lol.... I can remember seeing crazy things done to cars I would buy in the late 80's... I don't know that much compares to the Sunroof though... That is a tough one to come back from lol...

JW
Click to expand...
Agreed, .....
I like the early 70's to mid 80's mild modifications street machine...That includes shaved marker lights, door handles,etc.... However this being a 340 car,it needed honest love.... K.D.doin', pretty good...
 
Abodybomber said:
Agreed, .....
I like the early 70's to mid 80's mild modifications street machine...That includes shaved marker lights, door handles,etc.... However this being a 340 car,it needed honest love.... K.D.doin', pretty good...
Click to expand...
pm sent
 
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