Rhea's 65 Dart Convertible
More pictures to come as I make more progress with the convertible.
(9/1/00)
I also have a 1965 Dodge Dart 270 Convertible. When we bought it, it had a 73 225 slant 6 with the original 65 170 head on it (no, no hardend seats). The car was an original 3 speed on the column, but the previous owner put in the 904 automatic (he was kind enough to leave all of the brackets, but torched the clutch pedal!).
My girlfriend (now wife) Stephanie, and I bought this car in May of 1999 in Pittsburgh. We actually found it on ebay. She wanted a convertible and I knew that my 66 Dart wasn't going to be drivable for a while, so I started looking on the internet. After corresponding with the owner, we decided we would bid on it. I was out of town at the F-100 Supernationals in Pigeon Forge TN when the auction ended, but we sat down and figured out our top dollar before I left and Steph won the auction with money to spare!! We flew up and drove it all the way back to St. Louis on Memorial Day weekend. What a way to go!! Top down, sunny and 80 degrees all the way home.
I had originally planned on making it a 66 clone and painting it, but the color grew on me as did the style of the front clip. I still plan on making it a GT clone and have most of the trim to do it. Just missing the end chrome pieces that finish the fender trim under the rear qtr. glass (Anyone have a set?).
Once we got home, I found out that it was a wonder that we made it!! I found several mechanical, electrical, and structural things that I had to change before the next Rad Roddin season. First on the list was a brake change from the 9" drums to 4 piston K/H disk brakes, V8 torsion bars and rear springs, and stock sway bar. Then, I dropped a 318/904 in it. I just finished replacing the entire floorpan and adding a set of subframe connectors.
As the spring of '00 drew nearer, I put the 66 on hold in order to get the 65 ready for cruising. I swapped over a set of 4 piston K/H small bolt pattern brakes. I also swapped the V8 Torsion bars and rear leafs from the 66 and most of the suspension components, which were virtually brand new. With these upgrades, plus the swaybar, the 65 rides and handles a thousand times better than when I bought it. The rear springs do need to be replaced though, as they are a little bit worn out. I had to install a set of air shocks temporarily until I can come up with the cash to buy a set of new springs from ESPO Springs and Things.
These are the before pictures of the suspension. It was in pretty sad shape. The strut rod on the drivers side was bent pretty bad along with the tie rod adjuster. All of the rubber and grease boots were missing or cracked and the suspension was just plain out of whack! It's a wonder that the frame wasn't completely rusted away as there was about an inch of dirt buildup under the control arms. I cleaned and preped these areas and then POR 15d them. I then cleaned up the bottom of the engine and ran the new lines for the brakes.
This is the new suspension installed. I had planned on just lifting up the entire suspension as a unit (bottom left pic) but was unable to as I was doing it alone and the engine hoist was in the way supporting the engine.
I finally received my Master Cylinder rebuild kit from NAPA (after 4 weeks and 8 trips up there!)and completed the rear spring swap and brakes. While waiting for the M/C rebuild kit, I found a new M/C at carparts.com, so I bought one there and will use the rebuild kit for the 66s M/C. The brakes were a little spongy until I bled the system at the M/C lines to get rid of any air bubbles in back (with a vacuume unit), and installed the new M/C. I still need to bleed the fronts, but I at least have pedal on the first pump now.
