Today my 64 Dart didn’t start. Just a ‘click’ and nothing. My children thought of their dad as the best mechanic ever since I repaired the car with a hammer.

Replacing the starter won’t be difficult but maybe you can help me out:
Now reading through several posts about all different kinds of starters, mine is as far as I can see original. It’s huge.
There are hardly any 60’s mopar cars here so I really need specific part numbers for buying in the US.

So, 3 options;
1) should I have my starter be rebuild here in The Netherlands?
2) should I look for an exact copy of my original one?
3) should I go for a newer small starter?

Thanks for the advice

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Renault 5 '84, '64 Dart GT Convertible

The starter has written on it

Chrysler
2085150 (barely readable could be 2035150)
477

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Renault 5 '84, '64 Dart GT Convertible

I see I'm the first to respond to your question, so I will start at the beginning:

Why do you think you need to replace your starter?

Have you done any testing to rule out any (all?) other parts of your starting system?

There are many parts that go into making the starter turn the engine, any or all of which can be bad.

In some vague order, I will list:

• Low battery.
• Poor connection of one or both battery cables to the battery.
• Poor connection of one or both battery cables to ground/Starter.
• Poor condition of the battery cables (internal corrosion).
• Poorly functioning starter solenoid
  • gummed-up contacts,
  • accumulated crud interfering with movement
• Bad connection(s) between starter solenoid and starter relay.
• Bad connection(s) between starter relay and battery and/or ignition switch.
• Bad starter relay.
• Bad ignition switch connections.
• Bad ignition switch.
• Other, less likely things.

Have you checked any or all of these things? No point telling you how if you've already done it.
If not, someone can tell you how to check each one.

You'll get this fixed.

- Eric

Adding neutral safety switch (or adjustment) to the list of possible problems.
Being not in the states, you might be better off getting your starter repaired, locally. Providing there is a competant shop in your area. If you are not looking for originality and you do need a new starter, I would opt for the newer nipendenso style.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Darn. Missed that one.
But he is getting clicking, so maybe not.

Agreed on the later style starter, especially for availability,
but I would add that it's not that hard to disassemble the original starter, clean the commutator, and maybe replace brushes, and that may be all it needs.

- Eric

It is a good idea, of course, to figure out what's causing the problem before spending money and effort to fix it. But you don't have to start with an unduly-long grocery list of every possible cause of a no-start; a few moments' thought will trim the list down to the likely candidates.

For example: you got a click when you turned the key. That means the neutral safety switch, the ignition switch, and their wiring aren't causing the problem; if any of them were, you would not have heard a click.

Now, what kind of click did you hear? Was it a small click from the relay mounted on the firewall, or a large click from the starter itself? If you're not sure — and maybe even if you are — get a screwdriver with a short blade. Have the car in Park (or Neutral, if it has an automatic transmission) and the parking brake firmly set. Use the screwdriver to carefully bridge the two terminals on the starter: lay the screwdriver blade on the small terminal, then slide it across to the large terminal. If the starter operates, then the starter relay is faulty, or its wire to the starter. If the starter just clicks, then the starter is probably faulty.

A weak/dead battery or a faulty battery cable will usually cause the starter to make a grinding, buzzing, or machine-gun type of noise, but a single click is possible, so here's how to check those: turn on the headlamps. Are they dim? If so, the battery is probably faulty. If they are as bright as normal, turn the key. Do the headlights dim way down when the key is turned? If so, the fault is likely in the battery cable(s), or their connections to the battery.

But it is quite likely your starter is faulty. That number you found on it (which is actually 2095150) is the number that would have been on the original starter on a '64, with any engine except the 170 (2.8). A starter can be forgiven for giving up after 61 years.

Assuming your starter is faulty, what to do about it depends on your priorities. If the unique sound of the Chrysler starter is an important part of the old-car experience for you, then you'll need to either rebuild your starter — likely difficult and costly in Europe; with that many years on it, it's likely to need all the replaceable parts replaced (bushings, brush plate assembly, solenoid contact and possibly coil…the field coils and shunt would need to be carefully tested and possibly replaced; the commutator bars are likely worn past reconditioning with simple dressing so you'd likely need an armature, and the starter drive unit. Parts would have to be ordered from America — or install a replacement Chrysler starter. It doesn't have to be a 1964 item; this kind of starter was used (with minor differences that don't affect you) from 1962 to 1987 on almost all American Chrysler-built rear-drive cars, trucks, and vans. Here and here are German sellers (which would cut down on shipping time and cost) offering what they claim is a new one. I am a bit suspicious; I think you'd probably receive either a remanufactured Chrysler starter (which would be okeh) or a Chinese copy of the Japanese Nippondenso mini-starter (which would also be okeh, but in that case overpriced). You might want to write to the sellers and ask if the starter they have looks just like the pictures in their listing.

If your priority is getting the car to start when you turn the key, and you don't care what it sounds like, then by all means install a mini starter; if nothing else, it'll be cheaper to ship! The Japanese-made ones are tough to find; the Chinese copies are ubiquitous and quite a bit better than they used to be (now the Chinese understanding of metallurgy has advanced sufficiently). Here is a low price out of Germany.

This seller claims to be selling an Italian-made one, which is interesting. On their own page they show the Italian-made one as a premium option over what is certainly the Chinese item.

If you want to go hunting for a replacement original-type Chrysler starter, here are the part numbers to search for:

2095150
2098500
2875560
3656575
3656650
3755250
3755900
4091950
4091975
4111855
4111860
4145359
4145360

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

But the old ones sounded so cool...
The last old one I tried to buy had a newer style one in the box with the old 3257 part number...

That's why I'd take it apart and fix it. The sound is part of the experience.

- Eric

wow thanks.

Yep, it is just a loud 'Click' from the starter, all the other probable causes I've ruled out. With a small hit with a hammer or the back end of a screw driver the starter functioned again but well, it needs to be replaced.
And yes, after 61yrs it is allowed to give up.

Thanks for the links, but I really do like the old fashioned sound... that it doesn't start with a hearbeat but it should be a bit ike the machinery has to put some effort in it to start. So I am going for an original one.

I have called some alternator/dynamo/starter replacement companies over here, but all they do is replace and not rebuild. So I bet I'll be stuck with a Chinese one

it'll be this one I guess (will take out the old starter tonight) https://www.ebay.com/itm/235167601482

are all the numbers you mentioned, exactly the same and they all fit? thanks Dan, much appreciated!

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Renault 5 '84, '64 Dart GT Convertible

NO, NO, NO Read the add. "may not work", and over priced for a used starter, plus then you have shipping. I'm sure people on this site can help you out, myself included.
I have many used starters of that type. I also have a good rebuilder in my area. I'm sure we could come up with a good working rebuilt/refurbished starter for less money than that.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

It sounds like the solenoid is gummed up. Just take it apart and clean it.

Better than having a starter shipped from California where the seller specifically says, "Condition is unknown buyer beware it might not work. No returns or warranty. "

When a seller says that on eBay, it means it doesn't work.
Why buy a broken part for €200 and then pay another €100 to have it shipped to you?

– Eric

@charrlie_S & @MDchanic you are both right.
my ADD just let me not read it all and wanted it quickly.


I don't mind taking it apart, but I want to prevent not being able to drive the car for weeks, since summer is starting and I almost drive it every weekend now.

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Renault 5 '84, '64 Dart GT Convertible

Me too; that is my strong preference. So, contact that German seller claiming to offer the original-type starter, which I linked, and ask relevant questions.

As others have mentioned, a used "not tested, may not work" starter shipped from America is not a wise choice; it's a bad gamble. If that German seller doesn't work out, you'd do better with one of these.
They will all fit and work directly with no modifications.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thank you so much Dan,

I contacted the German seller and waiting for reply. I do want to take my old starter apart and see what’s what. Thanks so far

It’s not the most exclusive car there is, (well there are only 2 of these registrated in The Netherlands) but I do want to keep the car as original as possible, and it is still a very very original car with most parts 61yrs old and going

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Renault 5 '84, '64 Dart GT Convertible

all in all it doesn't look too bad, maybe worth to clean it and get it redone instead of replaced.

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Renault 5 '84, '64 Dart GT Convertible