After looking around for something to play with for a couple of years, I bought this the other day, from a pest control customer whose yard was totally overgrown. i didn't pay much, and it's not my dream car by any stretch of the imagination, but it gives me something to do in the evenings. she told me it hadn't been driven in 5 years, but i think it was more like 15! Anyway, got it towed home this morning and got it running an hour later. It's a 67 Dodge Dart 4 door with the leaning tower of power, and an automatic. It's my first ever Chrysler product The plan is to get it running and safe, and then drive it. Someone had the firing order off on 2 cylinders. I have to go through the brakes, and clean up some bad connections, but on the whole it's in decent condition.
Perfect pick for a easy going project car. Small, simple and easy to work on. And not something you have to be too worried or obsessed about. Well bought I'm sure!
And not only that, it can be driven as a regular everyday car.
Again, there is just something I find totally interesting in these old once commonplace family cars. Simple fact is you dont see them anymore, since they were mostly used up and scrapped.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Congratulations on the find. The 67-69 Dart is easily my favorite small Mopar, though I do like many other fine Chrysler products. The Dart looks good in any body style, but the best of the lot in my mind is the 68 GTS HT or the 69 Swinger 340.
Trying to figure out the value of it, but there aren't many 4 doors around. If it had 2 less doors it would increase the value at least 10 grand!
I like the look of the Dart too, and I had a look under it when it was on the flatdeck. The underside is pretty good. The seats are pretty rough from sitting in the hot sun, but a couple of Mexican blankets will fix that. I'll change all fluids, do the brakes, and have a look at the front suspension, and then just drive it.
There's an auto wrecker that I'm hoping to visit Friday when I'm in the area that might have some interesting stuff in it. I'll check it for better seats.
Nice score on the Dart! I've owned several slant 6 A-bodies over the years, they are fine little transportation machines, the '67-'69 Darts are the best looking of the bunch. Nice that you can find stuff like that lying around that isn't rotted to death. Out here, and old car sitting in the weeds for several years would require a broom and shovel to remove it.
By the way, I spy 'police spec' hubcaps on it. They started using the caps with the holes from the early to mid 1970s up until they stopped using them sometime in the 1980s (?). IIRC, the holes were added to dissipate heat from heavy braking - apparently in severe braking conditions the heat expansion would sometimes cause the lug nuts to back off?
Nice score on the Dart! I've owned several slant 6 A-bodies over the years, they are fine little transportation machines, the '67-'69 Darts are the best looking of the bunch. Nice that you can find stuff like that lying around that isn't rotted to death. Out here, and old car sitting in the weeds for several years would require a broom and shovel to remove it.
By the way, I spy 'police spec' hubcaps on it. They started using the caps with the holes from the early to mid 1970s up until they stopped using them sometime in the 1980s (?). IIRC, the holes were added to dissipate heat from heavy braking - apparently in severe braking conditions the heat expansion would sometimes cause the lug nuts to back off?
I saw those caps too. I was surprised to find that this car is rolling on 13 inch wheels though. I would have thought 14's for sure. My dad had a valiant station wagon when I was young, actually learned to drive on it. It had the push button automatic though, where this is column shift.
A real walk would be a 235 with an ironglide attached? Weighs more than a big block and a 4 speed.
I remember as a teenager a buddy pulling a 261/powerglide out of a 62 Strato Chief and swapping in a 348/three speed standard. The 348 also had a cast iron bell housing. He was concerned about the front springs and measured from the fender lip to the ground beforehand. After installing the new engine he found the car was an inch higher than with the six! We found that almost unbelievable.
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
Daughters 2007 Accord EX V6 has had a worsening power steering leak for the past 2 months. Has become really bad now. Making a real racket.
So I poked around above and underneath hoping it wasn't the rack. Luckily it was not. Turned out to be a corroded low pressure return line to the reservoir. The leak was on the passenger side as the line passes along the frame. As engineered, the perfect spot to be corroded by road salt.
Took a look at the entire job, and it would have been ridiculous replacing the $150 metal line. It runs all over the place to get to the reservoir, runs in front of the AC condenser then back for some kind of cooling effect? All kinds of stuff would have to come out of the way.
Took the wheel off for access, Cut the 3/8 line at a good clean spot downstream of the rusty leak (just below the rack boot) and upstream of the last section of hose. Double clamped to start and ran a 4 1/2' length of PS hose up and back to the reservoir inlet barb. Left the old hard line in place as it's not worth taking out. Zip tied the new hose in the appropriate spots to keep it off the serpentine belt.
No leaks now! super quiet. The racket I assume was from air being sucked into the rusted line, and cavitating at the pump?
Job done, a couple hours, 26 bucks with a small $8 container of magic " Honda" PS fluid. Can't use just any kind apparently. I'm assuming all V6 Accords of this gen are suffering the same issue these days. If you have one, it's an easy "will work" fix.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Well Mark I was taking notes and it sounds like a good fix. I've got an 05 Accord down south as my runner but it's just the 4 lunger. Hopefully it won't be rusting anymore down there.
Jerel, a southwestern 4 banger 05 Accord should last just about forever with some basic maintenance. No worries about corrosion underhood. Just that the paint and plastic will burn up.
Many V6 Accords 03-07 seem to fall prey to a fatal transmission issue, and ours will probably fail before rust actually kills the car. It's a close race, but until then it's a nice driving car that belies what is going on outside and underhood.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
I had an 07 Accord (4 banger) and my PS return line also rotted out right on that little clip that holds it to the subframe. It was a fun repair! I sold the car a week later. It seemed to be plagued with every problem these cars can have (and it burned oil). I saw it parked at a transmission shop the other day.. My 96 Accord on the other hand has been pretty good. It still drives nice and tight. It's only saving grace is it didn't see many (if any) winters before I got it.
I replaced the hose assembly. I got mine at Rock Auto. Funny a friend of mine has a Civic of the same vintage and his just went this week as well. It's a bit tighter in that engine bay and he said it took him most of the day (with lots of cursing) to replace it.
Opened up the mounting holes in the firewall and pedal support to take a 67 ? and up 11" power brake booster.
Pushed out the pressed in mounting studs on the pedal mount, and round filed the lower holes slotted, to accommodate the (narrower) 3 3/8" booster spacing. All 4 booster studs are 3 3/8" apart.
The support upper booster holes are 3 3/8, but had to be relieved open a little to take the booster stud. The pressed in stud hole diameter is narrower.
Round filed the lower firewall holes slotted to accommodate same. The upper mounting holes are the third from the bottom, already 3 3/8".
Test mounted the booster. Nice!
The pedal support is year unknown (maybe 66?), it came with the 4 speed pedal, Z bar and rod setup. If I'm correct, as of 67, the holes in the firewall and support changed to accommodate the 3 3/8" booster spacing.
The booster is a MPM product, so hopefully it is of decent quality. I've had it for years now. Now I need to make a gasket to seal the booster the firewall.
