66 dart gt convert resto

[crvtec90]

heres my early A. original /6 auto. now v8 4 spd. its all here except for some weatherstrip and small odds and ends. kelsey hayes front discs, 8 3/4 rear ( hopefully sure-grip soon) gotta keep movin or im gonna lose track again when the A. D. D. kicks in. i made this roll around dolly for it so i can move it all around the garage in a circle or even roll it outside to blow it off or whatever.

[crvtec90]

so i had this rig-a-jig rottisserie to get the undercarriage at eye level as ur standing in the garage. it worked out well. i had to replace the torque box/ leaf spring support. i didnt do the welding. the only problem with the work is that it looks better than the factory welds. while i had it up i sand blassted all my rusty areas to clean it up. originally a texas car, it was a lot more solid than many other early a cars i have seen, but sand blasting really shows u what u got. the panels with major swiss cheese action are now cut out. ive been waiting for autobodyspecialties to make the rear pans and they are still not ready.

[Jim_Lusk]

Looks like good progress.

[doug 371]

nice job...got any spare vent windows and door glass?

[6469mopar]

Looks like your doing the right thing  ground up resto, ( more pics )

[crvtec90]

i got a cheapo 80 pound pressure blaster that will hurt u if ur not careful. safety goggles and respirator are a must. the sand gets pretty expensive so i have been filtering and reusing a lot. i like blasting in cool weather the best because u can cover up well or wear a blast suit and not sweat to death. my booth is just a tarp hung from the ceiling in the back of my garage. there is an exhaust fan in the wall that helps with ventilation. its messy. sand gets everywhere! its worth it 4 me because it removes paint and rust fast, in all those really hard to reach places.

[Jim_Lusk]

Blasting is great fun. We built a large wooden blast cabinet (big enough for body panels) and then we started getting shocked when blasting. The gun and panels needed to be grounded.

[crvtec90]

got some stuff blasted today. i wanted to do a lot more but my resto doesnt always go the way i want.
IMG]http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/crvtec90/100_0444.jpg[/IMG]
IMG]http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/crvtec90/100_0443.jpg[/IMG]
i have a small compressor linked with an extra tank 4 more air volume but it runs a lot trying to keep up with my 80 pound pressure blaster. i blew the line from the pump to the tank today before i could finish all i wanted
IMG]http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/crvtec90/100_0446.jpg[/IMG]

[crvtec90]

i let these parts soak in acid 4 a while to eat the heavy rust. it made it a lot easier to blast afterwards

[redfastback]

looks awesome.  blasting is the only way to go.

[crvtec90]

today i went to look at a 85 dodge ramcharger 4x4 that belonged to a friend of a friend. it needed a trans rebuild but was in really good shape for its age with lots of good aftermarket parts. im not lookin 4 a 4x4 but it was supposed to have a rebuilt 360. when i got there i found it was just a 318. i already have a brand new 318 and dont need another. the old motor he pulled from the truck was sitting on the floor in front of it. since it was nothing more than in the way to him, he told me i could load it in the truck if i wanted it. he didnt have to tell me twice! i got a 360 4 FREE! damn right it was a good day. its a smog motor and i think it needs a crank, but this beggar is not a chooser. its still a good buildable core.
     

[crvtec90]

waiting on my 3rd member from fed-ex. 3.23 sure-grip 489 case. i need to put my rear axle together so i can get the car back on the ground and under its own weight. i was supposed to have it last week and have been getting very impatient. this is holding me up big time. seems like no matter how big ur garage is it will still get filled up quick. if i could start putting things back on the car i might have some more free space. i called yesterday and yes, they lost it. they tell me they are searching but i might have to file a claim. SCREW THAT! its not like i can just pick up a phone and get another chunk today( at least not 4 what i paid 4 this one) it took me a long time to find this one and i want them to compensate me 4 whatever it takes to get another one just like it. im sure theyll tell me to just hold my breath.

[LILBLUE65]

Crappy!

[crvtec90]

no rear gear 4 tim. i did get my $ back though. the guy who sent it got me the insurance so i need to just be glad 4 that. i still have the puny 7 1/4 to put under it 4 now. might as well use it anyway while the body work and paint is goin on, so that i dont worry about overspray and junk.

[crvtec90]

Scraping undercoat is fun stuff. I cant believe she doesnt want to help me!Got the d.s. quarter panel stripped of undercoat. There was too much rust goin on inside there and i figured i gotta get all of that tar off to see how far the rust had spread. using my handy propane torch and scraper got it done pretty quickly. careful with the heat boys and girls.

[crvtec90]

bam

[crvtec90]

heres the passenger side. gonna weld up all the trim/slide hammer holes and take care of the rust. you can see it rusting pretty good where the slide hammer holes are. i wonder how long it took to get that rusty after the repair was made.
Attached Images
     

[crvtec90]

found a good deal on another used 3.23 chunk. turns out its junk. the ring gear is pitted and so are the carrier bearings. i got my $ back so now i have 2 741 cases to work with. i will probably just buy a new sure-grip carrier and gears since i cant seem to find a decent used set. might as well spend the extra dough 4 new stuff. couple guys i work with have convinced me to go with the 3.55 instead. i love it when i am looking 4 parts and the ad says to "call 4 price" which pretty much means if u have to ask, u cant afford it.

[69DartW250]

Nice progress on the car! Looks real nice. Nice looking shop equipment too, I'm jealous!
Just a note on the 355 gear, I had that gear in my 69 Nova, and also in my last Vette. Both cars were 4 speeds. You will love that gear on the highway. Can still run the car at 70-75 comfortably, but it still have the punch needed to get the car moving.

Can you post pictures of your backing plates again? The brake shoe side. I think one of mine has a bent over tab that should be straight. Yours look to be straight.
If you get time, thats all.

Thanks for the pix, keep up the good work!

George

[crvtec90]

been a while. got to do somethin to keep movin. havent got much done since my air compressor blew up and been real busy messin with all my other cars and projects. seems like before i had time and no $. no i just have no time. heres some pics of the floor under the d.s seat. i dont think any body makes this but i was lucky enough to get it out of another car. once i get it welded up and sealed hopefully it wont look out of place.

[golferjohn]

nice work gotta love ragtops

[crvtec90]

one of my inner fender splash shields was rotted pretty bad at the bottom. i had already blasted and coated it with por-15, thinking i would just patch it with fiberglass. i found a good splash guard recently and decided to just swap the bottom from one to the other. this way, i dont have to blast the whole thing and paint it again. its also good practice 4 me to weld something that doesnt have to be real pretty. i think it turned out alright.

[crvtec90]

both of my front fenders had heavy rust on the inner brace at the bottom where they bolt to the rocker panel. they werent rotted out real bad but were starting to swell up with rust where the metal overlaps and is welded together. i cut em off and got em blasted and coated. the plastic shield on my welding helmet is old and not easy to see through any more so i will remedy that before i get em welded on.

[crvtec90]

got the d.s. front floor pan from auto body specialties. its real close except for the beads toward the rear. my car is 4 spd with buckets and the rolled beads get in the way of the floor brace plate of the seat mount.

[crvtec90]

gonna try to make my own patch for behind the driver seat. i got some pieces with matching beads and im gonna try to piece it all together

[crvtec90]

got the d.s front floor pan welded in today. still need to clean up the welds and make a few more. i am happy with the fit of the panel i got from autobodyspecialties. not sure exactly where the 4 spd hump goes since the car came with an automatic. id like to get some pics and measurements from someone with this setup but i might just bolt in my seats and center console and get a feel 4 it that way. i am just trying to avoid having to install the motor and trans just to figure out where the hump goes, although that is probably the best way to do it. n e ideas?

[LILBLUE65]

Looks like its coming along great.

Rob

[crvtec90]

looks like im not ready to bolt in my seats yet. i forgot how rusted the d.s bracket was. i should have remembered since the floor was rotted out bad right where it mounts up. im gonna just borrow some metal from one of the extras i had. the one in the middle should look more like the one on top when done.
Attached Images

[crvtec90]

uh. here it is.