The begining of the resto on my 65 Dart Conv

[gtmopar]

Some people ask me why the hell am i going to restore something that doesn't need restoration? The car was looking tired and in need of a freshening up but I never thought it would get as carried away as I did. Im kinda going backwards posting old pics after I have posted newer pics so Im going to start from the beginning.

 

[gtmopar]

Start of teardown

 

[66340SEDAN]

Is that stripe and paint the original color? If so I think that may be a rare "go go" package offered in 1965! Not sure but Ulf (65dartcharger) would know. Neat car!

 

[Johnny Dart]

Hello,
I am the proud owner of a 65 Dart conv myself. Came from the factory with a Hurst 4spd and a slant six.

What part of Cal are you in ?


Looking forward to watching your build.

 

[gtmopar]

It is a factory go/go convertible. Ive been talking with ulf for a long time and he has confirmed it is. Its originally the soft yellow with black stripe. Hipo 273 4speed. Im up by sacramento ca about 30 mi west.

 

[gtmopar]

Its always deceiving when you think your clean car is really clean until you really start breaking it down and realize that the guy before did a hack job on the body work. Oh well i know ill do it right.

 

[Fstforward]

So, where'd you get that jack, I need something like that for when my car comes off of the rotisserie!!!

FF

 

[65dartcharger]

You're doing great. When is the plan to get it painted?

 

[gtmopar]

Hey ulf hoping to spray it in a few months. I'm getting excited to start putting back together. Sick of all the grunt work and ready to start seeing it come together. Fastforward I got the lift from a guy that wasn't using it at his shop anymore. That one is a snap on and is like 5 grand new! Look at autobody tool mart I think you can get one for 1,800-2,400. They are worth the weight in gold.

 

[gtmopar]

More pics from a little over a year ago

 

[gtmopar]

More build pics

 

[gtmopar]

More pics

 

[gtmopar]

More

 

[Saetun]

We need an update!!!

 

[65dartcharger]

We need an update!!!

Yes, we love 65s!

 

[65Vart]

yes we do

 

[azaustin]

What ever happened to this car? Did you finish it? I have a ‘65 GoGo coupe I’m restoring and a ‘65 convertible from Hamtramk I’m making into a GoGo clone.

 

[GGs66GT]

Hello .... hello ....

We need the rest of the story .... inquiring Mopar nuts want to know

 

[65dartcharger]

The Dart Charger 273 story!

When the Los Angeles / Orange County Dodge dealers started discussions about a Dodge that could compete with the Plymouth Barracuda Formula S as well as the Ford Mustang the Dart Charger 273 was born. When this discussion started is at this point unknown. All the factory cars were assembled at the Los Angeles plant. The selling process were simply the dealership signed an order with a customer. In the next step the dealership contacted the zone representative to order the car. Finally the zone representative ordered the car from Chrysler in Highland Park.

The Dart Charger 273s all had a specification list;

273 x 4 bbl engine
Automatic or 4-speed manual transmission
Power Steering
Special order yellow paint
Special order yellow painted roof or white or black vinyl roof
Black or white/gold interior
13 x 5,5 polished Cragar S/S wheels with Goodyear Power Cushion 7.00 x 13 tires BW or WW
Woodgrained steering wheel
Radio w/antenna
Front fender Dart Charger 273 badges with recessed plate
Instrument panel Dart Charger 273 badge
Cragar S/S center cap with recessed center with Dart Charger 273 badges.

These items are based on the known factory Dart Chargers. Other items seems to have been options.

It is assumed that the production of the Dart Charger 273s started in late August of 1964. The first known Dart Charger was assembled September 8, 1964 and recieved paint code 991. The paint codes for an official Chrysler mono paint style at the time was a two letter code or a two digit code + number one showing a mono paint style car. Ex AA1 is gold roof and gold body in mono paint style. The background for the Los Angeles plant choosing to use 991 as a paint code is up to this point unknown.

The Los Angeles plant used the 991 paint code until mid December of 1964. This might have caused problems for the zone representative as well at Chryslers Highland Park office. The paint code 999 had for years been associated with special order paint. Since 991 was not an offical color to chose for customers, in mid December of 1964 the Los Angeles plant changed the paint code to 999 for special order paint style and used that code until early March of 1965.

In mid February of 1965 Chrysler officialy introduced pale yellow as a spring color. The first known Dart Charger using the paint code 881 was assembled in mid February of 1965 since the pale yellow was now an official color.

From the production start in late August 1964 the Los Angeles used the S.O. number sequense starting with 70xxx used on the fendertag. The reason for this seems obvious, Chrysler wanted to highlight special order paint style with a special S.O. number. All other Darts assembled at the Los Angeles plant used the S.O. number 06xxx. Chrysler stopped using the S.O. number 70xxx in early March of 1965. But already in mid February of 1965 the Los Angeles plant started using the 881 paint code for the new released pale yellow as now it was an official color. The first known Dart Charger using the paint code 881 was assembled February 17 of 1965 and used the S.O. number 06xxx. The reason for this seems to be that the pale yellow wasn't a special order paint style any more.

Regarding the known ”kit cars” as many has heard of it has been said that they were using the paint code 881 and the S.O. number 06xx but this information seems to be incorrect. Chrysler wanted to make these Dart Charger 273s in the yellow color but the ”dealer kits” were put together and shipped out to Dodge dealers in the U.S to be put on any Dart GT with 273 x 4 bbl engine, the dealers had in stock.. The ”kits” consisted of four polished Cragar S/S 13 x 5,5 wheels with Goodyear Power Cushion 7.00 x 13 tires with BW or WW tires, fender badges with Dart Charger 273 badges with recessed plates, one instrument panel Dart Charger 273 badge and four Cragar S/S center caps with recessed center with Dart Charger 273 badges. At this point it is not known were these kits were put together.

The first known Dart Charger kit car was assembled November 12 1964 and the last one known April 1st of 1965. They were put on cars with gold, light blue, white, bright red and ruby red paint as these kits were intended for. This makes sence since they have a different paint code showing no yellow or special order paint and used the S.O. number 06xxx on the fendertag.

The production of the rare Dart Charger 273 seems to have been 180 cars but there is also one dealership in California that in 1965 stated that only 140 cars had been produced. This information is up til now not confirmed. The last factory Dart Charger 273 known was assembled June 3rd of 1965.

The 1965 Dart Go Go package cars was released in March and in April 1st it was a story in the Dodge dealer magazine The Dodge Reporter. The Dart Go Go package consists of a yellow painted Dart GT , convertible or hardtop. It had a black interior, woodgrained steering wheel with a 273 cu in V8 with automatic transmission. Optional equipment was;

Racing stripes (dealer installed)
Mag wheels (dealer installed)
Rally suspension (optional)
225 slant six or 273 cu in V8, 235 hp (optional)
4-on-the-floor w/Hurst shifter (optional)

For what is known at this time these cars were assembled at the Hamtramck and the Los Angeles plant. The first known Dart Go Go package car was assembled March 17 and the last one known June 14, 1965.

So for you FABO members this is the last known information!

Thanks for helping me out with knowledge and information as well as lots of input.

 

[azaustin]

Ulf, thanks for the update on the history of the Dart Chargers and, especially, the Go Go. The coupe I’m restoring is, I believe, a Go Go, but I don’t think there is really any way to tell for sure. I haven’t stripped the paint on the top and cowl yet, and I’m hoping to find some stripes there when I do. However, they could have been sanded off, or, possibly left off since they were a dealer installed item. As you know, from the picture I sent you some years ago, I had a Dart Go Go my senior year of high school (1966-67.) I had no idea of how rare it was then, but certainly appreciate what I had now. The fact that it is an original 4-speed car, like my high school ride, makes it even more special. Thanks again for the information. It is the most information on Go Go’s that I have ever seen in one place, and clears up some questions I have wondered about for years, one of which, was were Dart Chargers and Dart Go Go’s produced at the same time. Apparently, they were.