I found a pretty good '64 Dart, 170 3 speed 4 door. It would make a good daily driver. The owner is asking $700, has a straight body. Needs headliner - body is in about the same shape as my ten year old Toyota. Repaired gas tank is in the trunk, not hooked up yet ( one gallon temp gas tank ). Exhaust manifold leaks, but I've got a bunch of spare parts if its cracked. The front bumper has a minor twist to it that can be straightened. It looks like a good car, could use new pins in door hinges. Looks to be well cared for considering it's age. Has 185,000 miles.

One owner since Feb '64, claims he's never had any trouble with any Dodge vehicle he has ever owned - always reliable, Dodges are his "pride and joy", gets 200,000 miles from them, owns two others, but he's old and needs to sell his Dart.

Is there anything about early Darts to watch out for ? Only thing I can think of is the brakes might need work as the car has sat for a couple years. I just want a car like this drive to work.

700 bucks and it runs? That falls into my "can't afford not to buy it" category, IF you really like the car, don't mind puttin in a little TLC now and then, and promise to love it and cherish it until. . . . .

Ok, I get carried away, but if it runs decently and hasn't any major rust WHY NOT?

I bought my first car (a 64 Valiant) under similar circumstances. 150 mi. weekend jaunts to here and there, several camping trips over 9,000 ft mountain passes, 60 mi round trip daily commutes, that car never ever let me down. Now, I strive to restore her to her former glory.

If you like the car now, you'll probably love it later.

-ToddC
"I can't believe I drove with the orig. master cylinder over 9000 ft mountain passes!"

cole020@yahoo.com

Tim...
I have a '66 valiant. Look in the spare tire well under the tire: this is a common place for water to collect (and cause rust) if the trunk gasket is old and leaky or detatched. Also, there are plastic plugs in the inner rear fender well panel walls (behind rear wheels, in toward gas tank)..I would remove these plugs and clean out the crap that has probably accumulated between the fender wells and rear quarters over the years (blast it out the drain holes with water from inside the trunk...then compressed air then park it in the sun with the trunk open for a few hours). There was alot of dirt and wood chips in mine...which fortunately hadn't gotten wet before I cleaned 'em out. Then go to the boneyard and get the plugs used in the same hole on early 70's A-bodies: they have a drain channel in them which the early plugs lack. This will allow moisture to drain and air to circulate better in this area, helping to preserve your quarters (provided they don't salt the roads in the winter where you live).

Check with Layson's or your local independent auto glass shop to see if they have or can get the rear window gasket. I can't find a repro for my '66 Valiant (also a 4-door) anyplace...which makes replacing the headliner a bit dicey since the old gaskets tend to be brittle. The '66 4-door rear gaskets are apparently a unique item: different from even the '66 2-door, or so my glass guy tells me (dunno about your year). Windshield gaskets (front) are no problem as they are the same for all the mid-60s A-bodies, including the Barracudas.

The 9" brakes are inadequate if you soup the motor, but o.k. for a daily driver (barely). You can always swap in 10" drums or, preferably, front disks from a later A-body. If you keep the 9"-ers, be aware that you have to reuse your old hubs (press out/press in) if the front drums are beyond turning: new drums are still available but come w/o hubs.

3-on the tree linkage is junk, but if you're mechanically inclined, there's the manual 4-speed (A-833) or 904 automatic swap which can be done. Just be aware that the U-joints were ball-and-trunion type till 1966...so you either have to get a ball-and-trunion output trans or change your front u-joint to slip type. Also bore of the pilot hole in the rear of forged cranks changed about 1968 from 1.50" to 1.75", so this is another issue to be aware of in transmission swaps.

A Canadian company is making brand new repop narrow A-body gas tanks (I just put one in my Val).

Mid-60s Dart headlight beauty rings are easy to damage, VERY hard to find (in good condition).

I think these are great little cars. Driver visibilty is better in these cars than in almost anything else I can remember driving. I've been enjoying mine for many years and it ain't let me down yet. Torsion bar suspension is so superior to what the "other guys" had going in the 60s...I had a '66 Buick Special for awhile that was real spongy in the turns by comparison (please pass the dramamine!). Every corner had that "ooops! here we go!" kind of feeling to it (sorta like driving on WAY under-inflated tires).

A $700 purchase price would justify a fair amount of "fix-it-up" outlay before you're throwing money down a rathole, I would think. A nice A-body isn't easy to find for less than $1K where I live. I picked up a decent '71 Swinger for $200, but it needed immediate valve and brake work.

In short: GO FOR IT! If there was room in my driveway, I would!

Good luck
---Red


Torr66@aol.com

The ball-and-trunion and single master cylinder are the only negatives mechanically. It already has the electronic ignition swap. The 170 does not have much power. I have a plenty of motors, transmissions and axles for A-bodies, I think this Dart is OK "as is".

No rust in the spare tire well, but right quarter has a soft spot, but it's minor that I can fix. Some rot in the front floor boards, but there is no serious cancer.

I would want it as a daily driver, maybe put a cheap Maaco paint job on it and not worry about door dings. I've got a couple long-term projects
('67 Dart Convertible and '50 B2 pickup), this one would be a driver. Sure wish it were a GT,
or even a station wagon, but it's only $700. It's got lots of charm.

This is what it looks like :

<A HREF="http://www.collectorcartraderonline.com/addetail.html?11933696">http://www.collectorcartraderonline.com/addetail.html?11933696</A>


http://www.collectorcartraderonline.com/addetail.html?11933696

Tim, the car sounds like a good buy. I have a 63 Valiant, which is mechanically identical, purchased 15 years ago with 185,000 miles. I drove it for two years with no trouble, then did a full restoration. Now I drive it on weekends only. These are good cars and last a long time if properly cared for.

Check the inner cowl area for accumulated debris and rust. The debris can be cleaned out using a coathanger or other suitable tool through the two plastic plugs on top of the firewall. If there is a lot of rust back there, it is hard to fix.

Check the floorboards for rust. This is sometimes overlooked when the carpet is still intact. Check underneath the car and/or pull back the carpet to be sure.

Otherwise, if the body is solid and the mechanicals are good, I would buy it in a heartbeat (after checking with my wife first, of course:)

Pete Vanderlaan
63 Valiant V-200 225/904

pmvdlaan@picusnet.com

Tim, if you need to replace the ball and trunnion assembly, check out <A HREF="http://www.oldmoparts.com">www.oldmoparts.com</A> (Andy Bernbaum Auto). I bought the kit from him last year and it works great. Actually, these units last forever as long as the boot remains intact. Andy sells the boot and strap kit for about $25, a rebuild kit for $75, and the complete kit including new housing for $145. Of course, to install any of the above, the pin needs to be pressed out, preferably by a driveshaft shop that knows what they're doing. Once everything is done, you can forget about it for years.

Looks like a nice car for $700.



pmvdlaan@picusnet.com

I think I'll have to pass on this one. The old man won't let me drive it, say's it has no current registration, or that the tires don't have enough air.

His neighbor said the brakes are shot. It would be OK for me to replace the master cylinder. I expect problems like that as it has sat for awhile. But the owner says no problem with the brakes, at same time he said that he has purchased parts to redo complete brake system.
The neighbor also said the man is honest

Maybe the motor has a rod knock that doesn't rattle unless the motor is under load. Sounds like it can't be the daily driver I wanted.

I went ahead and got the car. I have projects which I can't yet drive. This Dart is a semi-beater, but it'll be kind of cool just the same. Maybe I'll drive it for a few months, maybe I'll sell it when I've cleaned it up some, but it'll serve as my only "classic" which can actually power itself I have a Dart 'vert which needs about $3,500 in paint and body work which I might have to sell if I don't get busy on it soon.

Is the super Six setup too much for a 170 ? I have an 833 O/D trans which I'd like to use to replace the ball-and-trunion 3 speed setup. Beside the floorboard mods is there anything else to consider?

tim