Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

The parts stores used to stock this stuff, now it's all overnight. Who'd a though late model cars like this would ever be old?

I know! :'(

[squirrel]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

Heater works good now. The brakes....need some work. The rear shoes are not quite worn out, only about half way, so I'll let them go longer. Fronts are getting pretty thin, so I ordered them and wheel grease seals. The parts stores used to stock this stuff, now it's all overnight. Who'd a though late model cars like this would ever be old?

Maybe I'll get some brake pics tomorrow.

[squirrel]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

I got the NORS heater core in the UPS last night, so I started working on it this morning. The heater isn't too bad to work on, only takes maybe half an hour to remove. I cleaned it up, replaced the core, and put it back together



THe old core was definitely leaking. I never replaced it in 30 years, but it looks like someone might have worked on it before 1981, a few things were funky.



I managed to bust off a cable bracket while trying to put the retaining clip back on it...but it also had signs of epoxy on it, so maybe I busted it a few years ago when I was working on getting the cables to work better?




as soon as the jb weld dries I can try again, hopefully more carefully this time.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

D'oh! Just in time for winter :'(

[squirrel]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

I guess the first thing I get to fix is the heater core. Windows fogged up nicely on our first trip into town in the car in two years. Oops.

[squirrel]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

mmm....registration....insurance....ready for the road again, after it gets a bath.

Another fun story: Janet took Nuclear Engineering in college, and her roommate called her car the Nukemobile because it's such a nice bright radioactive yellow.

so Janet had this painted on the car after we got it repainted in the early 90s

[trukluvr]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

Damn nice car Jim. I wish my junk looked and ran HALF that nice.

[Huskinhano]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

Great story for a great car. Reminds me of a guy I worked with back in the late 70's with a 68 340 Dart. He had out run the local cops in it one night : Sooo what are your plans for it?

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

I can't seem to get too excited about doing a whole bunch of work on the car at once, since it's just an old Dart.

SOME people would give their eye teeth for a car like that to do a "whole bunch" of work on....you're killing me....

I guess when you drive a blown bb 55 Chevy everyday all else becomes insignificant... ;D

[Monk]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

Dart Swingers are cool

All kinds of possibilities here

[antmnte]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

Neat car and story,its great how you can keep stuff like that around outside for years
and it still be usable after that time.

[mlcraven]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

I know we've been through this a few times, but someone tell me again why insurance companies cannot just insure drivers instead of their vehicles? Anyhow, a nice old car with lots of family history, and from an era when car companies had some imagination when it came to naming their products.

[BigBlockMopar]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

Well if you really get bored about working on it I would be willing to step up to the plate and take it of your hands for a little bit so you can find a suitable modern and trouble free daily for Janet again... :P

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

way cool that you've hung on to that car all this time

and I learned something new, milk to a Mopar is like garlic to a vampire.... good to know :D

[squirrel]

Re: Janet's 70 Dart Swinger

heh...I added AC in 1991 right about the time our twins were born, got an add on system for free, for the labor of taking it out of an old lady's Valiant. I removed it from the Dart a couple years ago, it has trouble getting power to it from the crappy mopar fuse block, and some other issues. But it never really gets hot here in Sierra Vista, maybe it hits 100 once or twice in June when it's still dry out, so we can get by without it. And she has a couple late models now with all the creature comforts.

I guess we'll just try to fix up the interior for now, and she can drive it around some more. I can't seem to get too excited about doing a whole bunch of work on the car at once, since it's just an old Dart. Even though I know they're starting to be worth a little bit these days.

for example: I've had a factory disk brake setup (small pattern) sitting in the shed since about 1997....too much trouble to install it....and the funky old drums are still almost in spec.