1962 Dodge Dart 440...Resto/Mod...Lots of PICS

[Windcalmer]

First off, hello all! I am new here and new to Old cars. I am a welder and fabricator though. So I can make just about anything I cant find. LOL Sorry for the long first post. I just want to make a detailed log of the Resto for anyone that cares to read it. Over at the forum where I built my DIY projector we have PLOGS or Project Logs and that is what I want to do here. So unless its against the rules or I have this in the wrong forum that is what this will be. Posts every few days of the progress I have made. And some questions I might have for the guys and girls that have done a resto before. So here is the story on how I ended up here: Anyway, on to the car. I started with my great-grandmothers 1962 Dodge Dart 440. She died about 14 years ago and my grandfather let it sit in his yard and die. I tried many times to get him to let me to fix it up when it was still drivable. However he decided it looked better covered in rust. So Now that its rusted out and about to fall apart he let me have it. After about 15 seconds of it being on the truck to come over to my house I could see I was gonna need a donor car with a body that would be usable. (This is where I gets good) So not 15 minutes into my searching on craiglist I find a 1962 Dart 440 about 45 miles from my house. The guy wanted $1000 for it and was willing to throw in a running motor, and extra tranny, NOS interior door panels and peices, New floor pans, a upgrade disc brake kit, new master cylinder, rotors, calipers, and tons of other stuff. Oh and a perfect set of OEM hub caps!!! $75 a pop online...FREE!!! So I grab my buddy Animal ((yes Animal. If you saw him you would know why he has that name. Big boy this one. LOL)), my mom and dad and we all truck over to grab it. Everything goes really well. The car is in GREAT shape, and other than falling and hyperextending my elbow the day goes great and we get it back here. So now I have two Dodge darts in the driveway, and one of the two workshops full of car parts, and no clue how I am gonna get this done. I started to feel a bit lightheaded. Then I realized that after 14 years I was getting ever closer to having my great-grandmothers car up running again. See I promised myself that I would drive that car over to visit her grave when she died. So soon I should be able to. Can't wait for that day. So here are my two ladies. The white one is my GGM's Dart and the Black one is the donor car:

[mitchs66]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Looks like you've got your hands full, good luck and hopefully someone here can help you answer any questions you may end up having.
Mitch

[78D200]

Welcome to the forum!

Your GGM's Dart does not look to bad. You sure do have a great project on your hands.

[78D200]

And don't worry about the long posts. We have no rules about them.

[Windcalmer]

Shiny! Thanks for the replies guys.

I have started cleaning up some of the parts I got for free. They were all rusted, but not not bad rust. A few hours with the drill press and a wire wheel and they were back to shiny. I have already painted some of them, and the others are going to be getting paint as so as the weather gets a bit warmer. Its just too cold to do anything other than VERY small parts right now.

Also a few weeks ago my buddy animal and I started tearing down my GGMs Dart. We got the engine almost done when it just got too cold. But here are a fw pics of the only progress I have made.

[66sportfury]

nice!. looks like you got your self a 318 wide block (poly) i love those.

[Polaradude]

Nice project and welcome.

[78D200]

that looks to be a small block in your GGm's car. I though you said it was a 440? Am I missing something here or is it still too early in the morning?

[66sportfury]

i think he means its a dart 440 vin code 3, 440 is a body series, the biggest engine you could get in that year was a 413.

[67 GTX]

440 is the car model
same with the coronet 440
nice project
welcome to the forum
at least the rings around the piston seem to be good if they hold out the antifreeze

[67 GTX]

Originally Posted by 66sportfury

nice!. looks like you got your self a 318 wide block (poly) i love those.

how do you tell?

[Windcalmer]

Yeah the trim level is a 440. Kinda like on a Honda Ex Lx Dx... But the engine is a 318.

So I have my first question for all you guys and girls. I started cleaning up everything and noticed on the new master cylinder that there is rust in two places that kinda worried me. Do I need to be really worried about the rust in the two spots with the RED arrows? The rust is not bad on the threads, just all down in there. And the lock ring was all rusty till I pulled it out ad cleaned it. But there is still rust behind it in the groove and looks to be alll the way down in there. So how do I fix this?

PICTURES:

[78D200]

Originally Posted by Windcalmer

Yeah the trim level is a 440. Kinda like on a Honda Ex Lx Dx... But the engine is a 318.

So I have my first question for all you guys and girls. I started cleaning up everything and noticed on the new master cylinder that there is rust in two places that kinda worried me. Do I need to be really worried about the rust in the two spots with the RED arrows? The rust is not bad on the threads, just all down in there. And the lock ring was all rusty till I pulled it out ad cleaned it. But there is still rust behind it in the groove and looks to be alll the way down in there. So how do I fix this?

PICTURES:

You buy a new one. That rust in there will contaminate the brake fluid causing you problems down the road. Trust me, Buy a new MBS.

[78D200]

Originally Posted by 66sportfury

i think he means its a dart 440 vin code 3, 440 is a body series, the biggest engine you could get in that year was a 413.

AH. That makes so much more sence.

[Windcalmer]

That MBS was the upgraded one that I got from the guy that sold it to me. Is there anyway to clean it out? I have plenty of time to do it right if cleaning it will work.

[66sportfury]

i tried to quote your "how do you tell" gtx note the rockers are set up similar to a hemi. thats one way to tell if its a poly. or the valve covers only have two bolts going thru the top.

[67 GTX]

oh, i see now
thanks 66

[Windcalmer]

Got a few things done today after waking up WAY too late. Grabbed the air filter cover thing and got it all stripped and painted. That too most of the time I had today. Used a wire wheel on the drill press to strip the paint and get rid of any rust. Then gave it a coat of rust stop, then paint. I will get the final coats on tomorrow when the temp gets up around 60F.

Also pulled apart the master cylinder. The inside is in PERFECT shape!!! I was stoked when I saw it. So If I understood right then it is still usable...Right???

PICTURES:

[78D200]

You might be able to use a dermal tool with a wire wheel in there to clean it out. You just don't want to put everything together to have th rust contaminate the brake fluid, then you'll have to replace everything.

[Windcalmer]

Originally Posted by 78D200

You might be able to use a dermal tool with a wire wheel in there to clean it out. You just don't want to put everything together to have th rust contaminate the brake fluid, then you'll have to replace everything.

Yeah, that was my thought. I am gonna pull it back apart tomorrow and do that. Then if I can't get it all clean I will replace it. I just hate to ditch an unused part. LOL

[Polaradude]

I wouldn't ditch it, just clean it really well, and rinse with brake clean.

[Windcalmer]

Oh fun...Got done with the last coat of paint on the air filter cover.............and dropped it upside down on the pavement.

So that was fun. Took me a bit to get all the paint back off of it and smooth again. Now it is beck in primer. Maybe tomorrow I will get it done.

[Windcalmer]

O.K. Sorry for not posting in here for a day or two. Been dealing with some really bad storms up here in North GA. But I did get three, count them, THREE parts done. LOL

Yeah, the paint I was using is the High Temp Rustoleum stuff. I did a REALLY bad job on these so please forgive the finger prints. I almost dropped them when moving them to a warmer room about 45 minutes after painting them. So there are some spots that look bad. All and all I am really good with paint, but whatever. You will see more of it later in the build.

[78D200]

Looking good. If you can't get that MSC clean, see what an engine shop or machine shop can do about cleaning it for ya. I wouldn't get rid of it just yet.

[67 GTX]

looks great

[Windcalmer]

Well after a few hours with the 3 inch wire wheel on the drill press I got sick and tired of it. Ran to the store picked up two pulleys and grabbed an old motor and shaft I had laying about. Ended up with a great bench wire wheel that I can just swap out the brush on the end to whatever size I need or want. Total cost of project $18.67.

I only have a 5 inch wire wheel on it right now and haven't worked out what kinda stand I am gonna put it on. But it will hold up to a 12 inch wheel. Also I can throw a grinder wheel on there and use it for that too.

Just wanted to share. Figured it might help someone down the road when they need an idea.

[Windcalmer]

Long day yesterday and today. Got all the rust repaired and all on the calipers, master cylinder, and a few other parts. Also got the paint on the air filter top bottom thingy done. Here are a few pics of the it. Only had my phone out there with me so the pics suck. but you get the idea.

((Oh and I am leaving all the dents in anything that my great grandmother may have been the cause of. Just to remember her in that way. Just FYI. Its not that I dont know how to or want to fix them. Its all part of it being hers.))

Also, the orange is what I was gonna do it in, but then I decided to tone it down to the grey.

[78D200]

Looking good! It'll be a good tribute car.

[67 GTX]

good work

[Windcalmer]

Got the calipers all DE-rusted, and painted before the rain started here today. Also got the second-6th coats on the master cylinder. I will post pics later. ((Sorry just watched the Godfather for the first time, and about to watch the Godfather 2 for the first time.)) Just wanted to stop and post what I got done today really fast.