1963 Dodge Dart for the Wife....

Again without Jim and DMT it would just not be the same restoring these cars.... splash shield seal exactly like the originals.... The GT style trim for the valance is still at the polishers as well as the grill. I am not going to get these parts re-chromed yet. They are so far out of sight under the bumper flaws just don't matter.

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Well as expected aftermarket sucks. The one door handle the rod rotated in the button and moved in and out 1/4". I know know the weak spot so I drilled the rod and installed a short roll pin to keep the rod in place. Did both sides just in case.

Then installed new Mohair from Steel Rubber in the front window rear channels. Nothing is better than this Weldwood contact cement for Landau Tops....
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New after market door handles installed. Also Steel Rubber has universal 1/2" x 1/2" U channel that is a perfect match for the front of the door glass in the vent glass frame... Found a complete set of NOS locks that should be here mid next week so the wife will have the correct Mopar keys and the ignition will match the doors.

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Brutal heatwave continues but should cool off tomorrow.... Puttered in the garage a little today and got a few things done... These window regulators are a PIA to say the least.... time to put in the glass for good and the whiskers need to go in before the glass goes in. It is painful to get them in once the glass is in....
Uses simple gasket paper to make new gaskets for the pinched rear glassed by tracing one of the originals... The fought with the RH vent frame, regulator and glass out in the sun because I can't open the door all the way in the garage... but it is done. Reassembled the LH frame without the vent glass and then buffed and installed the door panel upper bright trim. Got tired and not 100% sure I can get the vent glass in with the frame in the car... I am 99% sure but the last thing I want to do is remove the side window and regulator to get the vent frame if I have to.

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Jim,

Looking beautiful!

Are you going to have the left side vent glass cut, drilled and tempered? When the old one broke I looked for a replacement for twenty minutes or so, found plenty of right side, but just one left, with frame, but $$$$$...

Bet the wife can't wait to show off her new ride!

Lance
 
Jim,

Looking beautiful!

Are you going to have the left side vent glass cut, drilled and tempered? When the old one broke I looked for a replacement for twenty minutes or so, found plenty of right side, but just one left, with frame, but $$$$$...

Bet the wife can't wait to show off her new ride!

Lance

The glass itself is the same for both sides. I have few used ones from other Mopars guys lined up but I have just not bought one yet.
 
Yeah, there is something that happens when the temperature outside passes your normal body temperature that induces a desire to enjoy air conditioning.
You are making great progress as usual so better to take a rest than to knock something else on the floor. :p

I do have the drivers door glass to polish the chrome and install so I am not home free yet.
 
The best place for Mopar radiators and heater core restoration in the world package arrived today... Bob is nothing short of an artist in radiator restoration at GlenRay.... This is actually a high altitude HD cooling radiator from a '65 if you look up the number but I just look for original look not numbers on my restoration....

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Spent a little time until the sweat was in my eyes (not hot just humid now).....

Always file cutting IN ONLY... if you cut out you WILL chip the paint.... NOS key lock in (spent way to much for a full set with OEM keys but they work so nice...) on the trunk and LH door. Need to pull the RH back apart a bit to get that one in... Also need to pull the ignition switch to change that out out too.

Also someone on the early A Facebook page noticed the old nasty pitted rear window cranks where not the correct short ones so I found a really nice set on e-bay off a C body.. look great.
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Nice cloudy day so I pushed the Dart outside so I could work on the doors.... The RH vent frame just did not want to align nicely so I had to hog out the bottom hole so it could be aligned without needed to "spring" it into place.... I tried to get nice even gaps around the vent frame and the windshield frame. The window would catch on the whisker so a few light taps to drive it forward a bit and it cleared the window rear chrome trim. Perfectly alignment with the rear quarter glass!
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I had not installed the LH door glass so it was time. Note here in the vent frame mine had Allen head on the top and a sheet metal screw on the bottom. After a lot of photos of others cars it seems like this was dependent on the factory, Many had 2 Allen heads but some had one Allen and one sheet metal screw. Alway pack the springs on the regulator, door handle and hood (later A's) with grease to keep them from binding and squeaking (also a good bead blasting helps to get the rust and crude out first)... Found some nice hardware on the Facebook page a few months ago... gotta clock it right so you don't smack your knuckles with the window crank!

The LH rear quarter was way out of wack... It took a but of fighting it to get it lined up nice... All the door locks are in and function perfectly (as NOS OEM should...)..

First time with the polished front end parts are in the sun.... looks mean! The doors and quarter are done. We took the interior to Baca in Tucson Friday so when it is done (a few weeks) all I have to do is snap in the door panels and DONE!.....

I have been amazed at how weatherstrip adhesive grabs metal.. Decided to use it to reattach the DODGE letters to the tail panel. Clean it with wax and grease remover then goop them on.

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Just a cool photo of the door and trunk open from the front.... Rear trim is in along with the backup wiring. I need to buy new backup lights these are cloudy and one is cracked... Tail end is DONE other than wiring in the tail lights with some Delco connectors (I am using a '64 harness since no one makes a '63. '63 the light sockets are built into the assemblies while in '64 they went with the more common snap in socket.

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Took a few breaks from work at home day and got a few detail items done.... The door placards were bad... pitted and flaking.... scrape off the rust bumps with a razor blade then go after it with a wire brush to get the black paint off then a light sand with 500 grit. Quick masking job and shoot it with SEM Silver... next mask it off for the black and shoot it with SEM Satin Black.

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Peal the masking and let it dry for an hour. Now mask around the high areas and use 1000 grit lightly and a bit of acetone for the large flat areas. Don't use it for the letters or you will be painting the black again... Good enough as we will buff out the letters on the buffer later after the paint drys. Did both in less than 60 minutes. The clips on the back were coming loose so a bit of epoxy will keep them secured.

Lastly I shot Kurts speaker kickpanels with OER Turquoise and installed the speakers in them... looks cool!

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