Dot - com's 1968 Dart GTS
Dot - com has been building more than just websites this year. Last year it was time to rebuild a motor, after many options from rebuilding short block to buying a crate motor/short block, I purchased a motor from Midwest Mopars club member, Dick Elander. Watch the transformation from old motor, painting of engine compartment, to the installation of the new motor and a few other goodies besides.
The story....
I have owned this particular Dart GTS since the summer of 1990, the car came from Arizona, rust free and complete. Light Green Medium Metallic and White interior. I had plans to change color of the car to (Hemi Orange, Bright Yellow, or Purple) being that the car had a white interior, but with the persuasion of my father, the decision was made to keep the car green. Noted options on this GTS are air conditioning, AM/FM radio, three speed wipers, but no counsel. We had the cars paint and body work done first. So off to look for a body shop. I knew of some very reputable paint and body men, from the days I owned a window cleaning business, I noticed that all the people in the body shop had either owned Street Rods or Corvettes , and from all your car shows... who are the most finicky people who own cars..... street rod and corvette owners. I went into the body shop with the car, an estimate was made, and agreed on. Besides I talked to the guys in the body shop and said hey "this is a box, no curves here, this should be an easy one." After a month or so the car was completed and I had picked it up from the body shop. Was amazed at the quality of the work done, was done in a base coat and then cleared, bumpers re-chromed ( show chrome) and a white bumble bee stripe was added, and I put the car back together and started to drive around to different shows.
After a few years of showing the car I was starting to get burned out of the car show scene. I had parked the car for a few years, start it up a couple times a year and dust it off. Fast forward to 1998, getting the "bug" back, took the car out started driving it more noticed the front end acting a little funny. So I had fellow Midwest Mopar member Kevin Lawson, re-build the front end with poly bushings from PST. Car rode awesome after that, now noticing the clutch a little mushy, pull inspection plate off noticed the disk encased in oil, (rear main) but also at the same time I had flat lobed the cam, replaced cam with one that was lying around, (a little bumpy also). My wife Heidi has noticed the new "peaked" interest in the car, and talk came about of what would make this car complete and safe... "for the family." I said the motor and drive train. Well enough of me talking look at the following pictures and watch the transformation begin....
Above are some pictures of the motor before the new one was installed. Tired, tired, and put together so it would run, but still look nice. Next came the process of removing the old motor, clutch, and transmission and getting ready the engine compartment ready for a new coat of paint. Started by taping up what I could, primed what I could and "scuffed" the rest. I just have before and after pictures, too involved in the painting project to put the paint gun down and grab the camera.
before
after
We did have time to take one picture before we started to put the motor in, detailed except for wiper motor and painting of the "K" frame.
With the detailing of the "K" member and wrapping things up as best we could, we begin the process of installing the new motor. With the motor out it was time to make some decisions. I had always wanted a car with headers, but this time around I wanted a good set of headers as well as keeping the ground clearance. So a set of TTI aluma-coated step headers were ordered up and put on. I will have some pictures showing how clean they are in the engine compartment and also how "close" they came to a few other items.
The last couple of pictures should be in the TTI catalog.
With the installation of the TTI headers, I had also ordered the A-body "H" pipe that TTI had available. This is in a 2.5 inch diameter as well as a set of Flow master mufflers. I will be installing TTI tail pipes and re-installing my NOS set of exhaust tips. I had gotten the car as ready as I could, not bad for putting in the motor two weeks before "Mopars in the Park" hosted by Midwest Mopars at Raceway Park in Shakopee Minnesota.
Me with Dennis Gage from "My Classic Car" - meeting his approval...
After Mopars in the Park it was now time to focus on the Car Craft Summer Nationals at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds .Work was now on the things I could not get done in time of Mopars in the Park had re-done the dash, detailed the dash bezels I had re-sprayed the door panels and rear side panels. At the last minute my friend Mike and I decided to re-dye the front and rear seats. Touched up the grille, and masked and painted the rear finish panel, all the small things that take up lots of time. Got the dart finished and now we are off to Car Craft.
Mikes Jeep and my Dart at Car Craft - in Mopar Alley
After some "persuasion" from my friend Mike we decided to put the Dart on the Dyno Friday morning, so the gates opened at 8AM but the show did not start until, so I waited in line almost two hours to sign up the Dart to put on the Dyno. So Friday afternoon the car is on the Dyno, have not done anything to the motor, just bolted on the cab right out of the box set the timing and let her rip. The first pull the car did 286.2 HP and 238.7 Torque, at the rear wheels, air to fuel mixture was way low almost flooding the car according to the charts in the 10's and below for mixture ratios. So we head home to meet the wives and do some dinner, as we get closer to home I call my buddy Mike who is behind me and tell him I'm stopping into Champion Auto to see if they have some fuel jets, low and behold they do, we had dropped down 2 and 3 sizes lower than what we had. After dinner Mike thought we should decrease by 2 jet sizes, put them in and advanced the timing to about 25 - 28 degrees. Saturday morning decided "what the heck" lets put her on the Dyno again, so I wait in line sign the Dart up and wait..... Now comes the test to see what my $15.00 investment for the jets will do and..... this time 302.8 HP and 251.4 Torque, the air to fuel mixture was almost right on, plus the motor pulled another 500 RPM more than the first day. Not bad a16 HP gain and 14 for torque. After some laughing with some friends Mike and I figured out drop one more size on the jets and advance the timing to 35 - 38 degree's we should be right on the money. Almost waited in line for the Dyno on Sunday morning but with the rain and all we did not know if they would be running the Dyno. All was fun I had heard number up in the 3500 range for cars, awesome turn out and cars of all makes and models and everything in between.
I would like to thank my friend Mike Johnson, his understanding wife Kim and son Ryan for helping me get this dream "one step closer" to being finished. And especially my wife Heidi, and daughter Hannah for "trying" understanding the craziness of all this.
"Coming soon"
Please feel free to drop me a line with any questions or comments about this website - Thanks
"Dotcom"
Watch for future updates....
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