School me on 68 dart parts

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NONHOG

NONHOG

Recovering hoarder
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So heres my plan, I joined this site to learn what to look for when buying a Dart . Whats hard to find, whats not . etc.
What to look for when searching out the father/son project.
I don't mind a long term project or some rust repair . Budget will be a factor.
I know enough to find the nicest possible and go from there.
Just hoping for some insite and friendly tips .
thanks in advance
 
Fenders and 1/4's are one year only specific because of the round side marker lights. Dash is one year only because of the lower dash pad. I believe door panels might be different?

That's all I can think of for now. I would find the straightest nicest Dart you can find for your alloted funding. READ, no rust buckets!
 
There are pieces common to multiple models and years that can be hard to find and harder to pay for. Bucket seats and their tracks and the steering column for floor shift cars top the list.
 
RedFish said:
There are pieces common to multiple models and years that can be hard to find and harder to pay for. Bucket seats and their tracks and the steering column for floor shift cars top the list.
Click to expand...

Are steering columns that hard to find for floor shift cars?
 
YUP. Many have resorted to modifying the upper collars to delete the shifter and indicater bits.
 
OK then, what years are the same in the Darts? 67 68 & 69 and then does 1970 have the column mounted ign. key?
 
Hello NONHOG, welcome to the site. The upholstery, headliner, and most interior parts are reproduced now so you shouldn`t have any trouble finding those pieces. Bumpers can be straightened and rechromed. The headlight and taillight bezels, sidemarker lights, and many emblems are all being reproduced. The GT and GTS trunk finish panels are scarce and expensive so look for a car with a good one. Mopar Performance makes a ton of reproduction engine and drivetrain parts so again you should be able to find most everything that you need there. Like the guys said ,spend the extra time to find a clean, rust free car, and that will make the best foundation for a straight and sound build.
 
thanks guys ,
I had a 67 Dart also , real nice one owner car . Older fellow pass away and I was 1st one there with the cash. Didn't talk the widow down and sorta felt bad for driving away with the "Simonized once a year" 67 slant six GT
Miss that one ! sold it to a local kid, don't ever see it ? Thought I needed the money to go toward my 66 Chevelle SS396 vert . Miss the Dart more :-D
Also miss my ol 67 Valiant , it was rough but original Slant 6 , radio delete
Oh the good ol' days!
At least my kid wants a Dart now instead of a 69 Camaro .
 
As mentioned, there are specific one year only pieces but there are more that interchange (some with a little massaging) than do not (especially if you are not a stickler for correctness).

I know you are a couple of years away from buying one but it is good to familiarize yourself with the ins/outs and pros/cons. Also, knowing what options/accessories you want before buying is smart thing to do. For example, if you do not need buckets with a center console, you will have an easier time finding one. If you are not looking for a factory hi-po model, again, you will have an easier time. Good luck with your information search.
 
What about 4 door parts ? Its easy to see the front clip would work but what about the truck lid ? Thinking a 4dr might be a good starting point. ?
 
NONHOG said:
So heres my plan, I joined this site to learn what to look for when buying a Dart . Whats hard to find, whats not . etc.
What to look for when searching out the father/son project.
I don't mind a long term project or some rust repair . Budget will be a factor.
I know enough to find the nicest possible and go from there.
Just hoping for some insite and friendly tips .
thanks in advance
Click to expand...
I have a few Darts in our family and we use them all as our daily drivers. We have no other cars! Me, 64 Dart 4 door with 1st year 273 V-8. Wife 67 Dart 4door with 318, (This is a bastard year for Darts, stay away from this year, especially 4 door version). Son, 69 Dart 4 door with 225 slant six. We have purchased all of our Darts for around $2200.00. Then plan on about $1000.00 to fix and get road worthy. The 4 door cars are usually cheaper due to everyone wanting to "muscle out" the 2 door models. I should mention though, the 4 door versions with V-8 engines usually had the 2nd lowest sales figures, the only one that had lower sales figures were the wagons.
I can't mention enough though to RUN away from 67 4 door Darts. They have alot of parts that will not interchange with other Darts,ie Windshield gasket and lockstrip for 67 4 door is only used for this model. The replacement gasket and lockstrip are not being produced yet and you can't use one from a 2 door or convertable or from a 68 or 69 with out changing over to reveil moldings. Everytime I work on my wife's 67 I want to burn it to the ground! I have been on the last 6 weeks trying to replace our broken windsheild on our 67, WHAT A PAIN IN THE ***!!!!
Also, when purchasing parts through your local parts store, they usually only have info back to 69 right now. Next year they will only show back to 70. Each year their info drops off another year, so right now your 69 and newer would be fairly easy to get parts for now.
It also seems that every Dart I get has the back winsheild leaking, rusted trunk, and bad heater core. The 4 door versions can usually be found in non molested codition due to them not being cool when muscled. The 67 we got had been totally butchered by someone trying to fix up their hot rod! God I wish I had a dollar for everything I have found needing to be fixed, while fixing other things, all of which were bungled "fix" jobs from the previous owner! By the way, my son never respected the first 2 cars he had and did not want to know anything about them other than to drive them. Soon after he got his 69 Dart I caught him in the driveway with my tools changing his own oil and spark plugs! Hope any of this helps, Good Luck!
 
Dash pieces are hard to find in good condition unless you want to buy refurbished which are quite pricy. Lots of times the radio bezels are cut out for after market radios and the originals are hard to find. I think these are 68 specific also.
 
Something I'd love to do on my bench seated Dart! But HOW to do it where it looks good and believable.


RedFish said:
YUP. Many have resorted to modifying the upper collars to delete the shifter and indicater bits.
Click to expand...
 
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