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Topic: my quest: 4 door into a 2 door sedan (Read 9095 times)
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68_Val_Sedan
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that is the 1st car that I converted ... even got props in the text ... |
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67 dart 270 presently a /6 but destined to be a  ,68 Chrysler 300 Convertible 440 auto |
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Alexandre_Garcia
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Arillious,
I'm planning this move for quite a while. I live in Brasil and a bodies here are getting hard to find. Already have 4 in the garage, but did not want to make it in a finished car. So I got the 70 sedan. We had teh 4 dr sedan and the coupe hardtop only, no convertibles, no 2 dr sedans, no fastback demons ever. At once I found and sent Bill Reilly a set of front end and C column covers made in brasil for our cars in a way he would have all the arts required to make a brasilian charger there. If you want one, I can try to locate and may send it to there, no big deal. So all You1ll need will be a hardtop dart to put the parts on and voila, brasilian charger at will! I have not strated cutting it yet, but for sure I'll make it very well documentated, lots of pics, etc...
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Arillious
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hey cool! how much for a 72 or 73 charger front clip (fenders, hood, lights, etc)?
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Alexandre_Garcia
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No need for a complete front clip, the fenders and hood are the same as the ones found on 67-69 US darts. Just the front part of the fender with the headlight buckets differs a little, but I do not think it is required, You can fab your own. Will check the prices and let You know later. The sad part is only that the parts are not hanging in trees anymore. Wanna the rear C column covers too? these are easy, some dudes can fabricate a new one from an existing part in a car without much to worry about. Been there done that...
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Arillious
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c pillar covers look like i may be able to fab on my own (maybe), but if you could quote me a price on all the stuff i need to convert that would be awesome. so what your saying is that all i would need is that front piece that covers the lights??
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Alexandre_Garcia
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yes. all you need is just the front pieces and the grilles. Heard aroud here that someone is producing them in fiberglass. Will check it out and will let you know!
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Arillious
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looks like i wont be able to get a falcon anytime soon  ... its ok, i have a 73 cuda... falcon front looks strangely familiar in the 73 -76 year. cuda beats falcon every time!!! |
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NYrr496
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I've wanted one of those Falcons forever. Even wanted to move to Austrailia. Got married instead.
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It takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar.
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MoPar_or _NoCar
Full Member
 Offline
Posts: 471
MoParaised
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63' Dart GT 225/904/7.25 but totaly original =Black w/Red int.
68' Dart 383 / 727 / 8.75w3.55 suregrip
70' Challenger 440 / 727 / 8.75w3.23 suregrip 80% complete
93' Shadow ES Daily Driver
97' 1500 318 4X4 Chipped and breathes good
08' Avenger R/T Family Sedan
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ALLMOPARCARS
Jr. Member
Offline
Posts: 53
Cleveland,Ohio
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man i wish i had the motivation ! THESE DAYS... I GUESS I'M JUS LAZY =(
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OWNER/OPERATOR/FABRICATOR (LEAGALLY), ITS MY 13 YEAR OLDS FIRST CAR (69 DART GT) GOT TIRE? SWEET!  |
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Arillious
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ok guys  parts got home today  ... and man am i tired.... my brother and i carried them home from the greyhound station. plus allot of other walking around town, plus i had to go for a run today... i am poopeded out of my mind... and yes i said poopeded . will post some pictures tomorrow when i start cutting the pices up and doing fitments and what not. |
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Alexandre_Garcia
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Arillious, just to let You know that by the end on next weekend I'll feel the same way! Started dismantling my car today. Will cut and set back the central post and placing it backwards. The coupe doors are already there as well as the quarter (patch) panels. I'm tired in advance!
And You know, it is all your fault, if You hadn't started the topic, it'd take some months for me to start it...
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Arillious
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Arillious, just to let You know that by the end on next weekend I'll feel the same way! Started dismantling my car today. Will cut and set back the central post and placing it backwards. The coupe doors are already there as well as the quarter (patch) panels. I'm tired in advance!
And You know, it is all your fault, if You hadn't started the topic, it'd take some months for me to start it...
I don't know what to say! all of you RIGHT NOW! get up from the tv.... drop the beer! and go do some work on the car in the garage!... so your gonna move the posts back? i was gonna do that but instead i was able to gt the door jamb area from the 2 door sedan car so i just went with that. if you move the post back. youll either have to stretch the the short front 4 door doors, or since you already have the 2 door doors you can cut out the jam area on the door and replace it with the jamb area on the front 4 door doors, or just modifiy the post to work with the 2 door doors (that what i was gonna do... didn't want to cut the 2 door doors). the 2 door doors wont close or line up at all for that matter with the 4 door post. |
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Alexandre_Garcia
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I'll have to move the posts back because we had no 2 dr posts car here. I'll use the coupe door, will fabricate the strutucture around the glass and so on. Will snap a coupe quarter panel on the part that has nothing behind the post. Will take a lot of care because the car will be according to the AWB route, will move the rear axle some 8 inches forward. Took the doors, front fenders and hood today, will strat removing the posts tomorrow. Fortunatelly there will be a vacation on may first, so will put a lot of time both in the car as well as in a trailler that I got 9 or 10 years ago and never fixed, will do both togheter.
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Arillious
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ok, finnaly what seems to have been forever... i started workin on the car today nothin major. i mainly cleaned up my area. its easy for a small working space to get cluttered and dirty so i had to do some cleaning. next i went to work taking out the window and quarter window guid while busting up some spot welds... man when you have the right tools it makes the job much easyer... i had to use a hammer and a chisle of various sizes to sepperate the seams of the metal. now i have to go back and fix all the bent metal from prying apart sheet metal and what not.... its fixable, but i wouldn't have to if i had a set of those spot weld drill tips. eh whats a guy to do... I'm investing some money right now so i am super limited in buying things at the moment. ill post pictures later on just got in from practice.... had along day today. gym in the morning, work on the car in the after noon, then track practice in the evening. gonna eat and chill with my brother and girlfriend for the rest of the night. Tomorrow I go to war!!!! I'll finish cutting up the new metal parts to fit them in the car!!!! UPDATE: heres the pictures sorry for the lateness g'night guys |
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Alexandre_Garcia
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Went to the garage in the morning, removed the 4 doors and center post, bolted the coupe door on the left side, got a pice of a quarter panel of a coupe car, latched it to the door, scrubd a line where it should be cut, removed the extra metal, lighted the torch and welded it to the body, stopped only because the acethilene went out. One side is almost done, but will have to check out how I will solve the glass and door and quarter frames before welding the posts back to the car. Will get a right side front coupe door tomorrow and hope that by saturday it is all over, them it will be time to move the axles up front, and move the rear frames in to clear wider rims and tires. But thats another war...the first part is almost over.
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Alexandre_Garcia
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jyrki,
Yes, they are different, but sinco I do not have any 2 dr sedan parts, will make them my own. In fact I'm using the upper part of the post welded to the lower coupe quarter panel.
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Arillious
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hi guys sorry i haven't posted anything lately. just been really busy: working on the car, track practice and some races = really tired. so tired that when i get home from the day... i dread thinking of getting on the computer and having to load the pictures from the camera, then resize in photoshop and organize them in their correct folders and what not.... i will post some pictures so you can see my progress. sorry for the delay. hows your work coming along Garcia? cheers guys  |
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Alexandre_Garcia
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Arillious, I've been way busy too, but finished cutting and welding the quarter panels there, bolted both doors, everything wen so smooth I just could not believe. Put around 8 labor hours in the project so far and it is ready to go to the body shop to get a lot of small details done in teh car, some small rust spots, small dents, prepare to paint. Later will bring it back to check it all out, make the window frames and adjust the glasses to then take it back to the final paint. Guess I'll paint it plum crazy. I was really wild about making it an AWB car, but gave it up. Will just minitube it, put some cool wheels, drop a big block there and it is done. The engine is a 426 wedge, already machined and assembled and a fellow is selling as A833 with the proper bellhousing, and I'm getting it too. Guess it makes it.
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Arillious
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Hey guys I'm filling the holes from where i drilled out some spot welds where the bottom of the 4 door post use to be... I'm not making a mistake am i??? I'm really afraid of warping the frame/ rocker panel area... i have 2 fans blowing air while i weld and i fill one hole, finish, then fill in another hole away from where i just finished... should i be worried guys??
heres a picture of what the holes look like.
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loiq
Full Member
Offline
Posts: 370
BigBlockDart.Com
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I wouldn't be too worried about warping anything in that spot. With all the bends and the fact that it's a boxed structure it would be pretty hard to warp the rockers. Just keep doing what you're doing, keep it cool, skip around a lot.
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Arillious
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I wouldn't be too worried about warping anything in that spot. With all the bends and the fact that it's a boxed structure it would be pretty hard to warp the rockers. Just keep doing what you're doing, keep it cool, skip around a lot.
 now i feel comfortable about what I'm doin |
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Alexandre_Garcia
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I'm into the same boat. Drilled the spots, removed the post, and welded it all back togheter, using an oxyacetilene torch. Spot welded the new quarter patchs there leaving the stock 4 doors rockers and fenders, it is so well built and strong that warpage is minimal.
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Alexandre_Garcia
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Arilious, Miracles happens. I managed to locate a brasilian charger front end, do you care for it? wanna make a deal, trade for other parts etc? feel free to mail me at alexandrev8garcia@gmail.com |
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Arillious
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Ok heres some new pictures of my progress. the piece isn't in welded in yet because I'm getting every thing to line up but I'm nearing really close to permanently setting this thing in, just doing some massaging on the area.
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68_Val_Sedan
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why did you cut the outer quarterr section off of the 2 door post piece you got ? you could have saved a bunch of time in welding and lining stuff up ... did you cut the old 4 door, door jamb out as well ? the whole 2 door inner and outer quarter piece would have slide right into place and the inner would have lined itself right up.
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67 dart 270 presently a /6 but destined to be a ,68 Chrysler 300 Convertible 440 auto |
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Arillious
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the outer skin was rusted pretty bad near the bottom. the skin from the rear door lines up with the quarter panel so its easier to line the pieces up that way. plus i would have to cut the skin (on the 2 door sedan parts) to mate with the car's quarter, then cut off the rust and patch it. while the rear door skin just needs to be trimmed a little and then welded in place. i don't know what you mean by the 4 door jamb... if you mean the rear door jamb that was part of the 4 door setup, yea its been removed. the inner quarter is lining up fine actually... there is a loop on the wheel wells that matches up with a hole at the bottom of the inner quarter for the 2 door sedan, and the 4 door sedan has the same loop. do you follow what i mean? its better (i think) to have cut off the outer skin from the 2 door sedan parts, because the rear door skin (from the 4 door set up) is "simply plug and play". as far as lining the 2 door sedan jamb with the car, i have that loop on the wheel well and the 2 door sedan rear window molding. also the door is closing well without any problems. of course the doors need to be adjusted and i am going to install the door locks so i can be sure the doors close correctly, but all in all... alls well so far.
oh and also i need that opening to weld up the inner quarter and spray rust-o-leum (to the metal i had/have to clean up).
heres what the part looked like before
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Arillious
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I'm having some difficulty lining things up "perfectly". the doors close and theres nothing major wired, but I'm trying to get the posts lined up "perfectly" or is that unrealistic. i just finished prepping the other side of the car for the "2 door jamb" and i don't want one side to be a few centimeters off or anything... unless thats expected. i don't know how perfect the posts are supposed to be matched. so far they are lined up pretty nicely.... what do you guys think? any help would be appreciated. oh yea know that I'm adjusting (sliding forward or backward) the top and bottom of the post (part that connects to the roof and the part that connects to the rocker). any measurements or .... anything would be greatly appreciated |
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Dart Body (11).jpg