History
During my freshman year of high school, I got bit by the classic car restoration bug. I convinced my parents to help me acquire a project car to work on with the hopes of completing it by the time I graduated High School in 2007. My father suggested it would be fun to pick up something with a Chrysler Slant-6, like a Plymouth Valiant or Dodge Dart. After a few months of combing through Craigslist ads, we found this 1964 Dodge Dart GT 2-Door Hardtop for sale. We bought it for $800.
I have often heard that 'MOPAR' is an acronym for "Mostly Old Parts And Rust" and this car was not an exception to this claim. This example came complete a dirty Chrysler 225 Slant-6, aging factory paint and plenty of rust. It wasn't all bad news though, we did got lucky because the body was amazingly straight, all the original trim was present, and the previous owner had already purchased brand new Year One replica upholstery, carpet, and much more. All of these extras were included in our $800 purchase price. When we tallied up his receipts we found he had spent close to $2700 just in replacement/replica parts on top of the $1500 he had paid for the car. Needless to say, this was a great find.
However, we soon learned why these cars are rarely seen. Unlike Mustangs, Camaros, or even old Datsun Z-cars, these Chrysler A-body cars are very hard to find parts for. The issue wasn't the engine, Chryslers wide use of the 225 Slant-6 in so many different vehicles from the 1960's up through to the early 1990's means that engine parts are typically easy to come by (if you know where to look). However, body parts are much harder to find, and trying to find simple things like weather stripping and seals in the early 2000's was near impossible. It was at this point I learned the first rule of restoration:
Rule #1 - Research the vehicle you want before you buy so you know how much effort you will have to go through to source replacement parts.
Between 2003 and 2007 the car was stripped of all trim and glass. The old paint was removed down to bare metal and the body was worked over by an autobody repair specialist. Thankfully there was only one noticeable dent driver's side front fender near the "DART" emblem and he was able to pop it out and bondo the rest smooth. We took the car to "One Day Paint" and got it painted.
We also found a set of 14" steel rims with the correct bolt pattern at a "pick-n-pull" self-service auto yard. 14" rims are the biggest diameter rims available without changing the wheel hubs and lug pattern. We painted the rims the same color as the trim strip (GM Indigo Blue Metallic) and accented with chrome rings and baby moon hubcaps. To finished off the look, a set of BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires with raised white lettering were fitted.
Today the car looks like this, and what an improvement it is!
However, we soon learned why these cars are rarely seen. Unlike Mustangs, Camaros, or even old Datsun Z-cars, these Chrysler A-body cars are very hard to find parts for. The issue wasn't the engine, Chryslers wide use of the 225 Slant-6 in so many different vehicles from the 1960's up through to the early 1990's means that engine parts are typically easy to come by (if you know where to look). However, body parts are much harder to find, and trying to find simple things like weather stripping and seals in the early 2000's was near impossible. It was at this point I learned the first rule of restoration:
Rule #1 - Research the vehicle you want before you buy so you know how much effort you will have to go through to source replacement parts.
Between 2003 and 2007 the car was stripped of all trim and glass. The old paint was removed down to bare metal and the body was worked over by an autobody repair specialist. Thankfully there was only one noticeable dent driver's side front fender near the "DART" emblem and he was able to pop it out and bondo the rest smooth. We took the car to "One Day Paint" and got it painted.
We also found a set of 14" steel rims with the correct bolt pattern at a "pick-n-pull" self-service auto yard. 14" rims are the biggest diameter rims available without changing the wheel hubs and lug pattern. We painted the rims the same color as the trim strip (GM Indigo Blue Metallic) and accented with chrome rings and baby moon hubcaps. To finished off the look, a set of BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires with raised white lettering were fitted.
Today the car looks like this, and what an improvement it is!