Where do I start???

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RedScampi

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Some of you may have seen that I recently aquired a 72 Scamp. (see Welcome Wagon). I have thoroughly evaluated the car and I see that it needs a number of things to bring it to the point that I would like to have it. I just got a 3000 dollar windfall so I am speculating on what to do first. Here is a general list of things that need doing. Where would you start in this situation?
1. Needs a sway bar - rock and roll should be inside the car.
2. Exhaust is all clamped together, needs to be welded.
3. Front tires could use replacing because they are older and don't match the new BFG T/A's on the back.
4. Fuel Gauge doesn't work - sending unit?
5. Dash temp gauge doesn't work - aftermarket water gauge doesn't work either!
6. Headliner has some rips - not too pretty but not drooping either.
7. Front seat needs rebuilding and covering.
8. Carpet all around
9. Pin holes in driver and passenger front floors
10. Passenger quarter has smallish rustout.
11. Bubbles under vinyl top behind rear window - scares the crap out of me!
12. Steering wheel is aftermarket and column cap is too small - looks dorky in my opinion.
13. Small cracks on either end of dash pad.
14. Needs new front armrests - Year One is EXPENSIVE!
15. Disc brakes from parts car need to be transferred to this car.
16. Would like a right side rear view mirror.
17. Washer bottle has top cracked out.
18. The car needs to be straightened and painted - I know this is an open ended money pit.

Here's your 3000 dollars, go!:toothy5:

Gary
 
Good morning newbee!!
Glad to see you are enjoying this great site.
I will find you some 72 dart arm rests and You will need to let me know the color.
Some great tec's here will jump in and get you started.
I would get# 5 first on it first so you can keep an eye on your motor.
Pull all the carpet out and lets take a picture of what it looks like, These guy's
and galls know the way to go from there.
I will keep an eye out on right hand mirror.
Try to keep it a roller so you can move the car!.
And if you are driving the car get those dry rotted tires off so you are safe on the road and have a blow out and mess up a good bumper or something ells.
Is this a daily driver? Do you have a resting spot for the dart "garage"?
Pictures will help on the restoration, So if you can not post pictures, Lets get that going first. Ok!! lets let some folks jump in here and get you started, post 360 you are running and pictures of work area's.
My pennies worth.8)
 
Buy a factory service manual !
As started before , TIRES ! if you are driving it.
The problem with the gauges could be the voltage regulater
on back of instrument panel. If you remove the panel
there are many little services that are best perfomed while it is out
which leads us back to the manual. Good luck
 
Welcome to the world of restoring a car!

I would all the other points you mentioned first before doing:
1)
8.
12)
13)
14)
16)
18)
 
Welcome to the world of restoring a car!

I would all the other points you mentioned first before doing:
1.
8.
12.
13.
14.
16.
18.
 
Tire $150
Front and rear sway bars from Hellwig $600
Disc brake swap and rebuild (rotors, pads, calipers, hoses) $300
Front end rebuild $500
Good shocks $175 for monroes or $300 for something better like Edelbrocks AIS

$1700 for the suspension.

Carpet $150
Vinyl Top $125
front Seat covers $250
Used arm rests $100 ?

What do you want to do with the steering wheel ? I have a new grant adapter kit I dont need. I think they are $25 new. I'll take $15 shipped for it.

Or a stock wheel you could probably pick up a nice one for under $100

$600 for parts
Install seat covers is about $150 not including foam if you need it.
 
How much of this work are you doing yourself?
C
 
First off welcome to the board from another Scamp owner! :snakeman:

If your driving it i would start with tires and suspension first and work my way up from there if your not driving it i would do the body and paint first because they are the most time consuming and expensive.
 
Let me first say, WOW! what a great response to my question! Let me see if I can clarify and answer some of YOUR questions. :)
First, It is a driver, but not a daily driver if you follow me. I agree with the overall assessment, safety first, cosmetics later. I bought this car to kind of scratch two itches at once. I love to work on cars but i like to drive them too. I have a 48 Chevy Aerosedan that I have been working on for more than 5 years, and while it's cool, it's also a garage queen. The Scamp will alow me to cuise, go to the shows and yak about MY car for a change. :-D At the same time I can work on it as money frees itself and I get ambitious for one project or another.
memike, I might take you up on the armrests if you can find a good set, they need to be black.
I had to put an alternator, voltage regulator and a new alternator belt on this morning. PO left the door hanging open all night before I got it and jumped it three times - must have fried something. got the title transferred for both the Scamp and Part Dart and registered the Scamp. Here I am 500 dollars later. Now I see why people lie to the DMV about how much they paid for a car.:bootysha:
I intend to do a large share of the work myself, probably everything except the rust repair in the back window. i will probably even tackle the rust in the quarter since i have a Mig welder. I ordered my tires from the evil Walmart place, should be on the car in a couple of days. I'll see if the techs will let me once over the suspesion components while it's in the air. I also found out that the water temp gauge is working. It shows the car running about 150 degrees or so, is this normal? Seems cool to me. I think the swaybar will be next, along with figuring out the fuel gauge, that really bugs me. I'll get some pics of the floors up soon, perhaps tomorrow, i'm tired today! Oh, by the way, I took a battery out of my old F100 and set it in the Part Dart. The 318 fired right up and ran smooth and the 904 moved the car forward and back. I'm beginning to have second thoughts about canibalizing it any more - if it weren't for that dang roof! - I see that some of you start with worse though and make them beautiful. Ok, this is turning into a novel, which I sure will have many chapters. Oh, for the steering wheel I'd like to have one of those nice three spoke type, sorry don't know what to call it. Not stock for this car, but I think it would look good. Thanks again for all your suggestions!
Gary
 
Ok, i got ambitious and took some more shots and uploaded them to my gallery. Take a look a the rust and tell me if you think I should order pans or just scab in some pieces. Thanks!

Oh - BTW - This car has a 7 1/4 posi. I double checked to make sure - the tires both spin the same direction when off the ground. It was under the Part Dart originally. Just how rare is this unit? I'll keep it for now unless I decide to turn this thing into a monster. I'd just like to know what it is and if it's "special". More pics in the gallery.

PICT0005.jpg


PICT0006.jpg


PICT0009.jpg
 
Rust doesn't look bad at all should be fairly easy to fix.
Is that the worst of the rust issues?
 
Wow the car looks good !!
There still is plenty of floor and trunk area!!
Nice.:thumbrig:
 
Thanks for the offer of the stock steering wheel dusterboy. Can you post a picture? I'll try to find a picture of what i'm after.
EvilScamp, the worst of the rust is probably under the back window. Lots of bubbles under the vinyl but I knew that going in. Gonna need a good local Pierce County, WA body shop to deal with that. maybe I can twist my neighbor's arm, he hand built the Street Rodder 2004 car of the year. Nice guy but already works too hard and gets no credit. Here is a picture of the bubbles. I've seen what that can mean - not looking forward to that!
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/vbpgimage.php?do=full&p=4549&d=1203468291
Gary
 
It seems you want to be able to drive it now and have some fun soo i would start here and drive while you do the rest

fix fuel gauge( if you have to drop the tank this would be a good time to fix those little rust spots in the trunk)
swap the Brakes over from the other, replace worn parts off the front end, find and install sway bars
go smooze with the local exhaust guy, tell him you need little welding done

floor pics looked like easy fix since you have a welder..( red oxide primer is cheap at lowes :) )

coolant temp seems little low, i would swap the stat


5) Steering wheel is aftermarket and column cap is too small - looks dorky in my opinion.( this would drive me nuts, so it takes some priority..like me needing a new column for mine..anyone got one? (floor shift, 71 duster)
 
IF, you do not need to drive the car, PAINT it first. Get the body work done and paint it up nice.

IF you drive the car and need the car, Brakes, tires, suspension and then exhaust. Now we are driveable!
 
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