Taking me a few more weeks and alot more $$$ than i thought

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f55079

f55079

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1/2 way there. My 1st mopar and 1st time I pulled an engine by myself. Wish me luck !

1968 dart gts w/ 383 manual valve 3 speed

I'm pulling the motor to fix the oil pan and put a gasket kit in. Then I found 2 collapsed lifters ( which I had no clue and I had plenty of power) so I'm doing everything now lol more money more money !

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I am 95% sure that car is the same one that I saw for sale on Broadway in Bangor when I was on vacation visting family in Maine. Seemed like a decent car at a fair price. I was a bit turned off by the fenderwell headers but it seemed pretty decent if you were looking for a light car with a monster under the hood!

Either way, that car will be tough when you are done with it. When I left after looking at the car, I just kept thinking that car was built by the previous owner for one purpose: to get somewhere fast. Looks like the car landed in capable hands. What is your timeline to have it back up and running? BTW, great choice for your 1st Mopar!

Save your pennies and good luck and keeps the pics coming!
 
69 cuda fan. I think your talking about the same car it was titled in me. Your right about the headers I'm not a big fan on how it was done but it wasn't a deal breaker for me. I'm not to happy about the chopped rear wheel wells although who ever did it did a good job.
 
Very cool retro Dart. Looks like who ever did rear wheel wheels did a fairly decent job.

While you have the engine out you should consider painting the engine bay the correct exterior color. It looks to be a factory color so it should be easy to match the color.

And, if your on the cheap and don't own a paint gun you can do what I did. Check out my inexpensive paint rehab here: http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=110547
 
Like I said its the 1st time taking a motor apart by myself but I'm the type of person that only learns one way, by doing it! Lol. Here's the biggest problem I'm dealing with now. I didn't know you could wipe a cam shaft by putting new lifters in and crane dosnt make the same cam so I'm waiting to get my heads back so I can bolt them back on to get the piston/ valve clearance so I can chose a cam. Lesson learned!
 
Demon 408 said:
Very cool retro Dart. Looks like who ever did rear wheel wheels did a fairly decent job.

While you have the engine out you should consider painting the engine bay the correct exterior color. It looks to be a factory color so it should be easy to match the color.

And, if your on the cheap and don't own a paint gun you can do what I did. Check out my inexpensive paint rehab here: http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=110547
Click to expand...

I did paint it. I was going to paint it the right way with the right color but with any luck with in the next few years I'm going to do the whole body over. The engine bay was painted black so I just scuffed it back down and re painted it black. One of the fender wells and the front support was a little dented and I didn't want to spend the xtra money on paint if I wasn't going to do it right. Like I said it taking me longer than I expected and want to drive it this summer. I have all winter to take her apart lol
 
Any progress to report on the Dart? Just wondering what has been going on with it since the last update.
 
More money? More time? What else is new? lol
 
No more progress :( I went to Alaska for 17 days and the guy that is going to help me measure the valve/ piston spacing is on vacation. I can't do anything until I get that measurement and order a new cam. It's something I'm not to sure about and don't want to screw that up
 
I'm getting ready to paint my engine. On a factory motor is everything painted like water pump oil pan ect?
 
f55079 said:
I didn't know you could wipe a cam shaft by putting new lifters in
Click to expand...

IF your used cam does not have worn lobes, you just have to break the new lifters in (so it's possible to wipe lobes if the break-in fails, I suppose). On the other hand, a new cam/lifter set isn't that expensive...

The problem is in trying to put used lifters on a new cam - never do that.

Big block A-bodies are a perfect example of the 90-90 Rule: The first 90% of the project takes 90% of the allotted time/money. And the final 10% takes the other 90% of the time/money! BTDT :D
 
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