1963 Dodge Dart for the Wife....

[JimKueneman]

More blasting tomorrow then time to get busy on the sheet metal work.... Arizona is wonderful, it can be like this for months and not get any indications of flash rust.

 

[EddieF]

I'm blown away how good metal is. I'm from Ew York & remember winter salt buildup so thick that i'd hear door rub fender when opening it. You do great work in great time!

 

[JimKueneman]

I'm blown away how good metal is. I'm from Ew York & remember winter salt buildup so thick that i'd hear door rub fender when opening it. You do great work in great time!

Yea we grew up in he Oneonta, NY area, I would never start with a car from anywhere but the desert SW. This is mostly a typical Arizona car but I am blown away I to cut this much away. The design of this sheet metal promotes rust. I have zero love for metal work.

 

[JimKueneman]

More blasting.... Drivers side is done front to rear. Need to strip the LH fender next..... Little bit of work required on the drivers floorboard.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

Jim it's really coming along nicely. That's a lot of work yall have gotten done in these pics. Doing nice work and quickly as well.

 

[JimKueneman]

Jim it's really coming along nicely. That's a lot of work yall have gotten done in these pics. Doing nice work and quickly as well.

Thanks Chris, this one is a lot more work then the other two. Guess the extra 10 years in its age has something to do with it!

 

[JimKueneman]

More blasting but I am done with the body and front fenders....

 

['68 Coronet R/T]

I know you are relieved to be done with that part of the job!
I hate blasting stuff but it is really the best way to go. Even in the blast cabinet it is tedious work but a lot less of it and no clean up.

 

[Slofut]

Im amazed you've done this in three months! That dash is gorgeous. Love the rotisserie!

 

[JimKueneman]

I know you are relieved to be done with that part of the job!
I hate blasting stuff but it is really the best way to go. Even in the blast cabinet it is tedious work but a lot less of it and no clean up.

I know. I don’t mind cabinet blasting at all

 

[EddieF]

Amazed how rust free it is. Great find great job.

 

[JimKueneman]

This is amateurish compared so of you guys but it will work.... Finish welding in the butt patch (should have lapped it but it is 80% in so I will just finish it) tomorrow and blast around where I cut out the rust and the patches. Maybe if I have the energy shoot those areas with epoxy so I can weld in the patches Monday....

 

[JimKueneman]

 

[JimKueneman]

Amazed how rust free it is. Great find great job.

Like I said this is the norm here, very typical for a car that has lived its life in Arizona. The only rust is where the desert silt gets trapped, builds up and stays wet forever if the car is driving daily.

 

['68 Coronet R/T]

Getting her done!
I ordered the drip rails for my '68 GTX. Wanted to get the roof skin, floor pan and trunk floor too so I could combine freight charges but the cost was approaching $2000 and just before Christmas it seemed too much.

 

[JimKueneman]

Getting her done!
I ordered the drip rails for my '68 GTX. Wanted to get the roof skin, floor pan and trunk floor too so I could combine freight charges but the cost was approaching $2000 and just before Christmas it seemed too much.

Where was that GTX from? Have you tried calling these guys and see if you can get it without shipping if it is part of a normal order? I was thinking about that if I needed bigger parts. They are an AMD dealer.

Restoration Performance Center
1920 E University Ste 101
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 362-1032

 

[JimKueneman]

Well I could not stand the hack job I did on the rear floor. Also the seatbelt anchor metal was pitted and weak. Safety first... I ordered the other front floor patch specifically for this so I just did it. I also spent most of the day welding and grinding the 1000 screw holes the last "restoration" put in the floor when they hammered in galvanized everywhere on the floor and screwed it down with self taping screws...

Any luck I will be painting the floor boards tomorrow so I can get the patches welded in.

 

[JimKueneman]

Oh man a guy I know has told me to come over to do any metal work I wanted to for some time (he is an old car guy too) after seeing the Coronet and Duster.... I finally texted him to take him up on his offer.... WOW I now have a new best buddy!

What I saw when I walked in!



He just bought a Toronado!



Showing me how to use the tools



The finished product! Needs a but of reshaping but it look like the other side now...

 

[texasking]

Love those old Toronados. My Dad had one with a 455. He told me to go drive it when he came home with it, knowing I would have to see what it would do. That thing would fly for a big old boat! Nice work on the Dart, gonna make another clean Mopar to add to your stable.

 

[JimKueneman]

The temperatures are still too cold to risk having the epoxy primer failing on such a large area so the body stayed in the garage. We just scooped up everything left on the shelf to restore and I got a pile if parts ready that needed to be painted black SPI epoxy primer.