Time to get started!

[ohyeahappypizza]

So i just got my hands on a 71 Dodge dart "swinger special". I got it for free from my GF's friend, she was only the second owner, and that girls grandmother was the first, and it only has 175k miles on it. It hasnt been run in 4 years, but they said it ran great until they just stopped driving it. He said it needs a new radiator (husband saw it leak, im gonna check the hoses first, but that should be easy) and a new master cylinder (which i also dont think would be too hard. When i used the Vin Decoder it said i had a 225? i know its the slant 6 engine, but can someone tell me if its a 3.2 L or a 3.7L? also would one of THESE be the right one? I want to do alot of work on my own, but dont have that much experience, which is why i came here!

If someone knows of any how-to's on both the radiator and the brake work, that would be awesome. Thanx for all your help, im sure ill be back with plenty of questions

OH ya, also he said the gas gauge stays on full until its empty, then it drops... can anyone point me in the right direction to fixing that? and what is the aproximate MPG for this car? hopefully it wont be to long till i get her running, thanks!

 

[Optik]

Welcome to FABO, great group here and you will find plenty of help/advice.

hope the coolant leak is in the radiator or hose and not a freeze-cracked block. aside from that, everything is pretty straightforward in the cooling system. make sure that the heater core is not leaking as well. check all hoses and both sides of radiator for leak.
the master cylinder is pretty easy, you will have to bleed the brakes once its done but for peace of mind and safety's sake it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the entire braking system with new parts if you have the skills/$$$ to do so. its not that hard and should be the first thing anyone who attempts to work on cars should learn because its the system that you are betting your life on every time you start the car. upgrade to dual-chamber master cylinder if you don't already have one.
good luck and post some pics so we can see what you're working with.
-Tim

 

[daredevil]

get a service manual for your car off ebay or a chiltons manual from the parts store. all the basic stuff is explained in them. welcome and good luck with the car. we want to see pics