My Dads 1968 Dodge Dart New Progress 1-15-2017

[426-Hemi]

Looks Great!  I was going to suggest that the window cranks had a black knob with silver dot in the middle, but a quick internet search shows that in 68, they could be either.  My 71 had the black knobs.  I did that on mine to add a little more "color" to the interior.  You have inspired me to get some embossing powder for my next interior.  bought it and immediately lost it.  Hope it shows up soon.  I think the little badge on the seat backs may be metal? - may want to look it up as your sense of detail seems to be to get it right - I like that about this build.  Can't wait to see more as it comes together.

Randy

 

Randy, with a little research, and the single one picture I have of the front of my Dad's '68 Dart, the picture only gets to just past the center of the door on the passenger side of the car. I noticed something looking at that picture in-hand, it has a body line "trim" on it, thats straight. making this car a 1968 Dodge Dart 270 trim car. Which means it could have had some options but not many as it was one step above the "base" model Plain-Jane. -Which would explain the basic 318 V-8 too..... Which was thee biggest engine for this trim level available to it.

With that finding, that would mean I would have been correct to paint those "black" areas in the dash, and the center console of the car, as the base model didn't have a console, and that black area in the dash was thee same color as the base color of the interior. AND only the 2 door model were able to get bucket seats, the 4 door models of this same car had bench seats only! With what I had mentioned, the seats themselves, has merely a stitching where that little metal embossing was! In the next trim level (the GT) the metal trim embossing in the seats were present. The stitching "area" without that metal embossing was not an option for the GT or the GTS, they both got that metal emblem! GT was a higher level of option car, where-as the GTS was merely a "Sport" model of the GT Hence "GTS" As well the GTS was able to get an optional 383 big block were-as the GT was able to get only a 340 4 barrel as its biggest engine, and the 270 model was only able to get the 318, and the base model '68 Dart was only able to get 318 (as an option) as well The GTS wasn't able to get the 170 and 225 slant 6 in them, the GTS was "base" at the 340, 4 barrel.

Interesting how things "unfold" isn't it?

[randyc]

Great tips and information.   I'd hate to have to model my 71 Dart, as over the years I had it, it had bench seat, buckets from a B body (didn't fit right - too wide); and eventually I think it had either buckets or a bench out of a mid 70s 4 door.  Can't remember the front, but I know the back came out of a junk yard car and the front edges of the rear bench were more rounded than the stock seat.   I want to say that it had buckets at the end, but can't remember.  The door cards came out of a Duster - they were white that I dyed black - same door card as the Dart.  Mine had a trim strip down the side but it looked more like an add-on than OEM.  Stock blue 318.  Black vinyl top and bronze body.  I put 68 road runner dog dishes on it for a while, but ended up with Rallyes.  It was a FUN CAR to play with. Added sway bars.  And it had 4 wheel drums.  Always an adventure in stopping.  Especially if one drum was slightly out of adjustment... I do wish I would have kept that car and properly restored it.  I did trade it to my roommate from college, who put a new vinyl top on it and rebuilt the entire driveline, with small 4bbl and duals (tough on a Dart because of fuel tank offset I think).  He never did anything with the body and it eventually got pretty bad before he sold it to a guy wanting to make a drag car out of it.   

You are bringing back fond memories for me and giving me several new tips along the way.

 

Keep on building.  I have screwed this reply up in the quote section...apologies.

Randy

 

Edited September 8, 2016 by randyc

[426-Hemi]

Randy,

Yeah, its always fun to see a "stock" owner sort of build, not a lets see what I can dream up sort of thing. you know? LOTS of fun involved in reproducing, in scale a model of a real car known or once had in any shape or form! I enjoy it tho. As I'm more a stock modeler anyway, (I do enjoy the occasional break neck horsepower builds tho!) But, its the reproduction of a real car I find challenging, And on top of that, you learn things along the way hence this car of my Dad's I'da never known it was a 270 trim level Dart!

So, got your wheels turnin' to build a model of your ole '71 I take it? LOL what fun it be! -Now only if I could turn back the hands of time, to when I was building models YEARS ago, to have the internet at my finger-tips to do research like this instead of picking a family members brain, or pestering the local garage for detailing info..... LOL Plus, to know to pay a bit more attention of family's cars and trucks LOL Cause, I'm still pestering people (family members) on old cars, throughout my childhood, and all.... There are only some, I can remember first hand, without guess work. So....

Glad to have brought a smile and some interest to someones face, its a good thing! As I just found another in the works build of mine I'll be posting sometime later today! LOL

[426-Hemi]

A short & sweet update on this build, as you all have read, I been working on the under-side of 2 hoods, and well, got one done for the under-side of it, and it got clear coated, and is drying. The other one, needed the same, clear coat, BUT because of its nature and what detail the under-side entails, it need some more paint work to show details. The stock "Power Bulge" hood that is, it needed the hood insulation painted in those areas.... I chose a dark color gray insulation this time....

It looks like BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH right now..... As thats the first coating of the color, it will get a 2nd coat, and then allowed to dry good, and then taped off, and just that color will be dullcoated to unify its appearance. -Then it be off to the top-side of the hood and get some nice Dark Green Metallic on it!

I then took the firewall down and had a look at the detail it had on it, cast-in, and what needed painted to show up a tad better, and then seen the nice bright chrome wiper motor, got it dullcoated to look like aluminum, and painted the electric motor to it semi-gloss black. I also painted the heater blower motor flat black, and touched a little silver to the electrical contacts under the wiper motor....

Doesn't look to bad! I WILL be however adding some more to it, then whats seen here, I have yet to add the brakes Master Cylinder, and possibly a booster, (We'll see) as well as other things that you'll see in all my builds....

Thats all for now! More to come as more is done or being done! Comments always welcome! ENJOY

[426-Hemi]

So with all going well, I got right to adding all the parts to the interior after being painted and coated with Semi-Gloss Clear. The dash is looking really good! I like how all of this so far has come out!

Dash looks great, steering wheel came out nicely painted, lets just say I'm surprised at myself! I never claimed to be "good" at interiors, and well, this one shows that I'm my own worst judge.... 

Nicely done! Even the back looks GREAT! 

From back to front... Looks really good! That console looks great as I did it. 

Showing the back seat detail on the sides, that all looks great! 


Some extra's....
The only part left to add to this interior is the fuel pedal and the brake pedal as well as the emergency brake pedal, and this interior will be completed! Then its off to working on finishing up the frame! (I have a little yet to do to it), adding the engine and some more detail to the engine before it goes in so I'm a little ways off yet, but the end is coming!
Thanks for looking, and following along, comments welcome, ENJOY!

[randyc]

Looking good.  I'd love to build my old 71, but til I find a good body at a reasonable price, probably be the 68 I built like it that will have to suffice.  I've built all the Dart kits I think.  Loved building each of them.  If they come out with more, will probably build those too.  

Randy

[426-Hemi]

Thanks Randy! You be sure to PM me you get to building your ole '71!!!!! I'd follow that one as it sounds like it be a lot of fun! 

I hate how that interior in the pics "shines" it has VERY LITTLE shine to it, but my camera's flash, gives it a false shine.... GRRRR

[slusher]

Great looking interior John...

[wisco8]

John you are a WIZARD!! Awesome detailing!!

[426-Hemi]

Thanks Carl! Much appreciated! I try to do my best.....

Thanks Steve, I try to do what I can, with what I have, and certain things, I try to make them as close as I can..... Have you seen some of my other builds? This one, the detail isn't what I normally do (It was one of my first builds, once I came back to model car building!) SO..... Have a look at these:

Thought I'd show some of my other work!

 

 

[426-Hemi]

So a little has been done to this build, I got the pedals added to the interior, as well as making them the part they should be (stock kit-ox model gave 3 pedals to be accelerator, brake and clutch pedals.... Dad's Dart, was an automatic, so I made the pedal line to suit, accelerator, brake and a emergency brake pedals.... All spaced accordingly....
Then while that sat to dry, (was a bit to make it all work out to look the part) I picked up the engine to see what all it was needing to bring its detail up to par with the rest of my builds as this was one of the first builds I began back into model car building in 2013! SO.... Off to that we go!

Black & Red starter wires in-place....  Looking pretty good! -I do however see some touch ups that it needs, the oil pan for starters that red needs some touch up, and the transmission pan needs a little touch up too, but thats OK right before it goes into the frame to stay it'll get those touch ups!

Then right to the heater hoses after the starter wires were cured, & in-place to stay! A little red touch up here is also required ad that will happen a bit more sooner-then-later, as the detail is gonna stack up quickly as time passes so touch up as much as possible per detail addition!

I also see some paint work, I'm gonna change too, the power steering pulley, it should be a cast iron color (the same color as the transmission) as it was never the same color as the engine color! AND that cap to the power steering pump! Thats got to be made flat black as that bright white plastic is a bit to much! -Everything else however looks pretty good!

Notice the Alternator is missing? I removed the one I had originally used that came off the Lindberg make-shift "318" that looked way more like a 273 then a 318, because the older 318's did resemble the 273 quite a bit, but not that much in '68! SO....... That Alternator was a really "early" one, from the early '60's so.. I needed something more mid to late '60's and thats what you'll see in up coming updates to this build. I took that original one off, and put it in with my stash of parts, and then, took out one that was more date specific to this build to put in-place of it. BUT before it goes onto the pulley, it needs some added details, copper wire painting in the casing, and then the chrome needs to be dullcoated to look like unpolished aluminum, and the wires added to it.
So far the whole adding of detail is pretty good, I'm pleased with it so far....
As always, thanks for looking, comments welcome, ENJOY!

[Vietnam Vet67]

Here are some scans from a 1968 Dodge Dart brochure that might help with details.

[426-Hemi]

Thanks Ed!!!! Some of that MAY help as I only have so much I can do from the single picture of the real car I have, and its not the greatest picture to begin with that was taken with a Polaroid camera, and the picture is ripped (Not SURE what happened to it), but its all I got to go from so.....

MUCH appreciated!

[randyc]

Keep going...change that 2nd pic to a butternut yellow and that is the car my great aunt had when I was a kid.   Same wheelcovers, black top and all.  I want to say it was a slant 6 though, form memory of how it sounded.  that's a 40+ year memory going on, though - could be wrong.   no matter.  I'm watching and waiting to see this one.  

[426-Hemi]

Randy, I am. been going on a couple builds as waiting times allow for others to get small things done! (I'm tryin' to get them one so that the engine can be put in the frame!) As the interior is done now, so. its getting close! LOL I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now on this build!

Thanks for watching, stay tuned more to come!

[426-Hemi]

I haven't got a lot on this build to update, but some.... I been cleaning up out around the house and all plus getting ready for a upcoming model car show I want to attend, and have some fun at so. The "cleaning" up a bit around the house paid off, literally, I made some extra cash by turning in some scrap metal I had collected up so been busy a bit doing that to have it for the show!
So anyway, what I got done on this build was those engine detail issues I pointed out that it needed. The Alternator replaced with one that looked much more like a "Mopar" looking one, all done up, was chrome and then I added the "copper" wiring and then let to dry, and dullcoated the whole sha-bang to look the part like cast aluminum. Once that was dry, I added the red & blue wires to it, and let that glue cure (this step takes a little for the glue to cure real good as once its in-place on the engine, it will be difficult to add the wires, one, and two, if they fall off once in-place, is difficult to then add them! SO I leave it alone at least over night before any handling! SO, with that, that part is now on the engine!

Looking at the engine over-all it looks real good. I also touched up the Mopar Engine red on the front nearest the water pump where the heater hoses go into the water pump, because I had to drill where they were AFTER the engine had already been painted! BUT turned out good too! I also repainted the pulley that goes to the power steering pump too (I had originally painted it red (was gonna make it match the engine) so. just thought that making it "right" was necessary! 

I also went on to paint that bare plastic power steering pump fill cap! Thing was just an eye sore! SO, I went on to paint it flat black as the pump itself, was made gloss black, just like the real ones! I ALSO, "drilled" the power steering pump for adding the power steering lines from the pump to the gear box, that will be on the frame! -Ya all know me, gotta stuff in as much detail as I can!

Then once all was in-place, and the touch up paint was dry, I began getting the wiring fished to where it belongs, thats on or to the engine or components of the engine, seen here, that blue wire coming off the Alternator going past the coil to look as tho its a "feed", then will continue into the firewall once the engine is in-place in the frame! Wire, however left "long" to be trimmed and then used elsewhere on the model in the engine compartment! -MAY wind up a horn wire to "wire in" the horn, not sure yet as there is a little wire work needing done on just the firewall as it sits!
Thats it for now everyone, thanks for following along! Stay tuned more to come as things get done! As always comments always welcome, ENJOY!

[randyc]

I get it that it takes a while.  Most weeks, I get maybe 2 hours saturday morning and 2 hours Sunday morning to work on models when my sweetie is sleeping in or doing her thing.  So it has taken me over a week to finish the little details on my Olds Pace car build.  And you are going way farther than I do anymore.  Looking good.  Stay motivated.

Randy

[426-Hemi]

Randy,

Yeah your not kiddin'! The past week has been keeping me busy else where then my work bench! LOL BUT that too, I was getting ready for an up coming show that was on this past Sunday.... SO, I had a good time and actually won some awards there..... (On a few of my completed builds) But now that it has slowed down a bit to a better living speed, I'll be back at the bench regularly..... SO, yeah I get what ya mean with life only allowing so much at times....

Ohhh I'll stay motivated, I wanna get more then one done this year (and thats all I currently got done is one) so..... BUT so many REAL close......... Thats the motivation, so many REAL close completed!

[426-Hemi]

-ohhhh an thank you.. the kudo's is much appreciated!

[randyc]

I got a few minutes last night and thought I'd try to work out a plan to replace wheels on a 66 GTO.  I had a set of Fujimi? (aftermarket) Keystone Klassic big & littles on it originally.  but I put those on a replica of my uncle's 66 Imipala I built for him a few years back.  So the GTO which was one of my favorite builds has been wheelless for a while and thought it would look good wiith a set of 8 lug wheels from the Trumpeter bonneville.   I had an extra set from a replacement Chorme tree they sent.

I had to find tires.  I had to find wheel backs.  Ate up an hour and have no visible results.  But I do have redline tires and the start of a plan.  I kinda butchered the mounting points with the Keystones originally, so having to reconfigure that.  Not the fun part of modeling.  Pretty much why I stick with OOB builds now - so I can continue to feel progress in short bursts at the bench.  After this comes the Revel Cuda kit started a couple years ago.. was held up by paint and then moving, divorcing, remarrying - ya know the whole life thing...LOL

Congrats on awards - always makes you feel better.

Randy

[426-Hemi]

Randy,

Yeah real life just happens and you have to take the hits as they come.. WHEN they slow, or you resolve, and resume the bench time is then WAY more enjoyable as your then relaxed..... or well, thats how it goes for me!

As for the wheels, YES OMG YES.. I know how that is,. you search and search for things and KNOW you have them.. LOL GAWD, it that all too familiar.

 

Speaking of rims and tires, I'm gonna be doing some molds of some of the Mopar rims I have, those less found when needed kinda thing..... -I've got a set of the Mopar "Recall rims" that I plan to mold for sure due to the lack of them when would be liked to have! Among others that I want more of too..... never mind all the engine parts sitting and waiting to go into the molding vault!

 

So with the axle pins, in what way you plan to re-condition the pins? I'd use Evergreen Styrene round rod the size of the hole in the wheel back and then drill a hole (if you can) into the location the factory pin was to glue in the new one.... Couple ways to re-condition that pin, but thats how I do it.....

[randyc]

I may be able to drill the rears.  The front I may have to drill or sleeve over and put new mounting posts.  I also put a "wanted" post in the Wanted section for replacement axle and front suspension.  And maybe replacement wheels, backs, and tires, even though I probably have tires.  

[426-Hemi]

Boy, thats a good one. I ain't got NO other parts for other then "Mopars" as if I had it, I'd offer. BUT I can offer advice from my head on how I'd go about it, you have pics of the '66 GTO? PM them to me! I'll look an think of a way to reincarnate what you already have. but thats up to you.... THAT is, unless someone comes up with the parts from your wanted posting!

Thats an interesting repair!

[randyc]

I think I have it solved.  I found backs with a 1/8" hole.  Found some aluminum tube that fit.  Drilled a 1/16" pilot in center of front uprights (still assembled).  That is a delicate area - springs are right behind the uprights.  And yes I used a full size drill.  Delicately, slowly.  Then followed with the 1/8.  I tested it and it works.  Even seems to be level.  LOL.  The wheel backs don't have to be very detailed as the 8 lug pontiac wheels are solid front.  Track spacing was nigh on perfect.  So that solves the front.  The rear I may do the same way or slightly different.  Thanks for the offer to help.  

I love the Mopars, but build everything as I'm just a car nut period.  And a model kit nut - if it strikes my fancy, I'll build it, no matter what.  

Thanks again.  Now we gotta get back to YOURS...lol

[426-Hemi]

Good to hear Randy! Yeah the front suspension if molded right for the model is a difficult repair and a VERY delicate area, as you very well know now!

As for the level-ness, GREAT! Its always interesting making sure the tires all touch the ground level! UNLESS building something thats 4x4 to be on uneven ground in a Dio! Then its a little different!

As for mine, yeah, I got to get some updates on it too. but I like the commentary too so..... Model talk one way or another is always a good thing!