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1969 Dodge Dart Custom Quick Fix - A-pealing A-pearancesGiving Our Dart The Curbside Touch From the July, 2002 issue of Mopar Muscle By Steve Dulcich Photography by Steve Dulcich
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After: With just a handful... After: With just a handful of appearance mods, including an AAR 'glass hood, a '67 'Cuda flip-top fuel cap, reproduction stripes, and some trick Wheel Vintiques "Cruzer" mags mounting wide Firestone rubber, our Clark Kent Dart looks the part of a true Supercar. Curb appeal. You've either got it or you don't. What does it take? That depends. A set of black steel wheels on a Six Pack Bee has it in droves. On the other hand, black wheels without caps on an Aspen look like you're slummin'. Mother Mopar was hip to curb appeal. Scoops and styled hoods, rallye or stylized steel wheels, stripes and decals ranging from the subtle to absolutely wild, flip-top fuel fillers, exhaust tips, hood pins, wings, and the list goes on; it was all there to convey the message of power. These were the things that outwardly separated the plain-Jane Darts, Coronets, and Satellites from the heavy hitters and visually backed up the power lurking within. Hey, if you've got it, why not flaunt it? My '69 Dart Custom, with its bread-and-butter status within the Dart line, came with none of those factory appearance goodies. While the Swingers and GTSs had the stylized performance hoods, tail stripes, and optional wheel packages, this Dart was nothing but an average transportation car in its day. It had performance and chassis upgrades from stem to stern, but still looked like the regular old Dodge Dart your schoolteacher used to drive. There were the 15x7-inch cop wheels and the large OE-style dual exhaust tips, but to the average observer the suggestion of performance was lost. Want proof? As I waited in the crowd at the valet station at the end of last year's SEMA show, the Dart loped up with its distinctive cam-and-headers sound, trailing a procession of late-model rentals and SUVs. Tossing my bag into the trunk, I overheard, "Is that a six-cylinder?" Before: Understated, sleeper,... Before: Understated, sleeper, or downright dowdy, this '69 Dart is a radical street machine under the skin but just doesn't look the part. While the sleeper look has its rewards, it was time for a change. A clone of a GTS or a Swinger would work, but since this Dart would never be the real thing, we decided to take a mild custom approach to upgrading the appearance. Borrowing from both the factory themes and the drag racing style of yesterday, our plan wasn't overly ambitious: just a few changes for achieving the traditional modified musclecar look. A fresh 'glass Six Pack hood from AAR Fiberglass, a GTS tail stripe from Performance Car Graphics, the new vintage-drag style "Cruzer" wheel from Wheel Vintiques, and a flip-up gas cap from a '67 Barracuda would give us a little respect. Drop us a line and tell us what you think. Most musclecar fans seem fixated on stuffing as large a tire into the wheelwell as possible, and why not? Mopar musclecars are big and brawny, and look so right with serious meats tucking underneath. One of the trickiest parts of ordering a new wheel and tire combo is judging how much tire can be run before clearance problems spoil the fun. It isn't easy to know for sure without trying the tires and wheels for fit-something some custom wheel shops are willing to do to make a sale. On the other hand, if your new wheels are coming to the door via that nice man in the big brown van, you're on your own as far as determining the fit. One way is to look around at combos others are running on identical cars and follow their lead. Sometimes the only alternative is to break out the jackstands, crawl under the car, and do some guesstimating.  The AAR hood is lighter than...  The AAR hood is lighter than stock; the stock hood springs are way too stiff and will damage the hood. Darts use a spiral-wound hood spring, located in the inner fender, with no known readily available replacements in a lighter spec. We reached behind the door with a prybar and levered the outside spring end from its retainer post to unwind it. Use caution, as it unwinds with some fury. We used a prop rod.  Hoodwinked Aftermarket fiberglass...  Hoodwinked
Aftermarket fiberglass hoods have been around as long as musclecars. We spied some of the latest offerings from AAR at last year's Mopar Nationals and were struck by the quality. Unlike some of the cheap-o 'glass floating around, the AAR stuff looked exceptionally straight. For the '69 Dart, AAR had several choices, including a flat hood, a GTS-style hood, and the Six Pack-scooped version, available in either race pin or bolt-on type. We wanted a hinged hood for convenience in this daily driver, so we chose the bolt-on, and the Six Pack version got the nod because this scoop just looks right on a hot Dart. First, off with the old flat hood.  We decided to paint the hood...  We decided to paint the hood white to match the body. We prepped the hood by scuffing it, shot a coat of primer sealer, and then a couple of coats of the Dart's original WW1 Sable White in PPG Delta urethane. The hood was so straight that not a touch of surface prep or blocking was deemed necessary-definitely not your average 'glass. The PPG Delta paint flowed-out and covered beautifully.  The AAR hood bolted up to...  The AAR hood bolted up to the stock hinges and took the stock latch hardware. The hood position was adjusted by trial and error at the hinge, the height at the front adjusted at the factory hood bumpers, and the latch adjusted to catch properly. We had outstanding alignment within the stock range of adjustability at these points without any custom massaging. Once the final position was set, the panel gaps to the fender and cowl rivaled the stock hood.  To finish the installation,...  To finish the installation, the leading edge of the hood was drilled to take the original bright edge moulding from our stock hood. We measured the stock hood and drilled the AAR replacement with the required 1/4-inch holes. The contour of the hood matched the stock moulding exactly.  With the AAR Six Pack hood...  With the AAR Six Pack hood installed, the nose of the Dart took on a much more purposeful performance look. Notice how even the panel gaps are remarkable for an aftermarket hood.  Flip Your Lid We had a silly-looking...  Flip Your Lid
We had a silly-looking black Stant replacement fuel cap right smack center of the quarter on the Dart and had a trick Mopar flip-top cap collecting dust in the shop. What does it take to put it on? The original A-Body Barracuda these came on had a much larger diameter fuel filler recess stamped into the quarter to clear the latch and hinge.  There are a few different...  There are a few different ways to adapt the flip top to the Dart quarter. One is by moving the filler neck's flange from the inside of the trunk to outside the quarter, spacing out the filler enough so that the cap's latch and hinge clear, and adding enough length to the filler to adequately engage the fuel tank. However, the cap would stick out too much for our taste, so we decided to french-in the cap, making recesses in the quarter to clear the hinge and latch. We first marked the locations for the recesses.  The fuel filler neck was factory-fitted...  The fuel filler neck was factory-fitted to the quarter with its flange secured by screws on the inside. The other end was just a slip fit into the tank's rubber grommet, with a rubber boot providing the seal where the filler passes through the trunk floor. The finished install looks... The finished install looks stock-looks trick too. Figuring fit starts with determining the obstacles and gauging how much clearance is available. On the typical Mopar chassis, the first obstacle to the inside is the edge of the leaf spring, while outside we have the fender lip edge to contend with. Both these obstacles can be maneuvered for more clearance if you're determined. Leaf springs can be moved inboard with offset shackles or, more dramatically, with a spring relocation kit. Both of these mods require the spring perches on the axle to be cut off and new ones welded in a new location. Want more? Here's where mini-tubs or tubs come in, both terms for modifying or replacing the inner wheelwell for more tire clearance. To the outside, the first interference is the fender lip. On most cars the inner fender lip angles straight back from the quarter-panel to join the inner fender in a pinch weld. The edge is usually rough, sharp, and in about the same position towards the tire's sidewall as a loan shark's straight-razor would be to your throat. The fender lip in the critical area above the tire can be "rolled" upward and back towards the quarter, yielding a good half-inch of clearance. For even more clearance, the fenders could be flared, a procedure popular in the '70s but generally frowned upon today. With the filler out, the tank... With the filler out, the tank had a gaping hole, which had to be thoroughly sealed. We made a steel tube plug to seal it off. Next to a trial fit, checking for clearance is best done using a wheel close to what will be run. On this Dart, we had 15x7 cop wheels and 235 60-15 tires all around. We wanted to run the 15x8-inch Wheel Vintiques Cruzer in the rear for a deeper "dished" look, but we weren't sure if it would fit. There are three measurements to be aware of when selecting rims. Obviously, the first is the rated width, 8 inches in this case. The width is the distance from bead to bead inside the rim. More important to fit is the overall outside width of the wheel, which for our 15x8-inch Cruzer is 9 inches. Next, there is the backspacing, or depth from the axle mounting surface to the outside edge of the rim. On the wheels we were considering, the spec was 4 1/2-inch backspacing, or right on the centerline of the 9-inch overall width. Our cop wheels have a 4 1/4-inch backspacing, so the new wheels would be 1/4 inch further in, and 3/4 inch further out, to make up the 1-inch difference in width.  To coax the metal inward required...  To coax the metal inward required cutting four slots along the edges where the recess would be hammered in, and also cutting loose the original edge of the stock filler depression in the area to be modified. We used a thin cut-off wheel blade in a die grinder to quickly slice our virgin quarters.  The recesses were easy to...  The recesses were easy to hammer into the metal after making the slits using basic hammer and dolly techniques.  A quick zap with a MIG welder...  A quick zap with a MIG welder sewed the slits back together. Welding in some sheetmetal strips to fill the edges of the recess finished the metal work.  This is the basic shape we...  This is the basic shape we used for the recess after the metal work.  The fuel cap was test fit...  The fuel cap was test fit many times during the metalworking, and as can be seen here, matched the cap fairly well.  The area was masked off to...  The area was masked off to the bodylines, then shot with an epoxy primer for corrosion resistance. The trick for masking without building a thick edge is to fold the tape back over, a technique called backmasking.  The fuel cap seals against...  The fuel cap seals against the filler neck by a spring-loaded seal. For it to work, the cap must be mounted to the flange of the filler, so the filler must go through the quarter-panel from the outside, rather than the stock mounting from the inside. Since the filler is a slip fit into the tank, there's room for this slightly more outward positioning (about 3/16 inch with a 1/8-inch gasket between the flange and the quarter). The flange of the filler was drilled out to 3/16 inch so that the cap/quarter/filler assembly could all be thru-bolted with nuts and bolts.  The area was finished with...  The area was finished with a light coat of filler and glaze, and then reshot with primer in preparation for topcoating; we'll blend this spot into the existing finish. There was virtually no distortion to the quarter-panel in the areas adjacent to the mods. The slot in the top allowed the filler neck to slip in from the outside, since our model had an emissions nipple on the filler neck. Note that some of the boltholes were slotted to allow the final position of the cap to be fine tuned.  Stripe It For Style One of...  Stripe It For Style
One of the signature elements of a Dodge musclecar was the distinctive bumblebee stripe wound around the tail, telling all that to mess around is to get stung. We installed this reproduction GTS tail stripe from Performance Car Graphics just because we like the way it looks.  The sidemarker lights need...  The sidemarker lights need to come out to install the tailstripe. Pop the lenses off and underneath are two screws holding the housing. The '69 Dart stripe is centered on the sidemarkers, so we measured the full width of the decal to the edge of the backing paper. For good alignment, mark the car's body at that stripe measurement using the sidemarker position as a centering guide. There's also a break in the stripe centered at the body character line, which we also marked across so the vertical height can be referenced for placement. These two reference points are all that's required since the side stripes lay down in a fixed orientation due to the ridged backing paper.  Installing a stripe isn't...  Installing a stripe isn't too difficult with a little care. Work in a shaded space and clean the area to be covered with the stripe. We used a painter's tackrag just before installing the stripe. Wet the area where the stripe will be applied with a mild soapy water solution-a spray bottle is helpful here. Peel the backing only from the body side of the stripe. The Dart quarter stripes are different right to left, so be sure you've got the correct piece.  Align the stripes to the guidelines...  Align the stripes to the guidelines and use a squeegee to press it to the body, squeezing the water and air bubbles from the center out. The water allows the stripe position to be adjusted easily, but once it's pressed down, it's stuck. Finally, we had the tires. Tiremakers give specs on their tire's overall width, or section width. Our Firestone 255s have a section width of 10 1/2 inches, meaning they'll bulge out 3/4 inch per side from the edge of our new 15x8-inch rims, which have a 9-inch overall width. We now have enough info to bolt up a cop wheel and see if the new setup will fit.  Once the decal is rubbed into...  Once the decal is rubbed into place, the outer backing paper is peeled back. We similarly installed the opposite stripe. The top of the stripe needs to end up exactly the same distance back at the top of the quarter as the opposite side. Theoretically, using the same body line and sidemarker references, the alignment should end up the same. If not, the straight segment across the decklid will be crooked. We measured and marked the distance to make sure the quarter stripes land exactly the same distance back where they meet the trunk. With the side pieces done, all that was left was to join them with the deck segment. We marked the centerline of the deck and stripe, and then pasted it down.  The side marker housings need...  The side marker housings need to be painted to match. We mixed black and flattening base in urethane until we got a good match (10 percent flat base), and sprayed the housings with a touch-up gun.  Rolling Thunder The correct...  Rolling Thunder
The correct tire-and-wheel combo can make the look just as sure as the wrong choice can break it. We shied away from modern billet and trendy large-diameter wheels for a more traditional "'60s race" appearance. We took one look at Wheel Vintique's new "Cruzer" mags and knew that was the wheel for this machine. We had a set of Firestone SS 20 radials mounted blackwall in front. For the rear, the 'Stones were mounted letters out, but we blacked out all but the "Firestone" lettering for that vintage-racer vibe.  The "Cruzer" is available...  The "Cruzer" is available with flanged center caps or spinners. We went with the spinners: a three-piece arrangement with a true knock-off threaded spinner mounting on a bolt-on spindle with a lug cap sandwiched below. Very nice stuff.  The "Cruzer" wheel takes a...  The "Cruzer" wheel takes a tapered seat lugnut. We prefer a large taper nut, like the Dorman #611-093 on the left, rather than the small seat found on typical mag lugnuts (right).  At the rear, we had 15x7 cop...  At the rear, we had 15x7 cop wheels with 235/60-15s, but with the rolled fenderlip on this Dart, we had room for more. We ordered a pair of 15x8-inch rears, which have a centerline offset of 4 1/2-inch backspacing-and they fit like a glove with 255 60-15 tires. It's all tire from leaf spring to outer fenderwell, and perfectly centered on this car. However, that fit is combination-specific. We have tightly rolled fender lip flanges and an A-Body 8 1/4-inch rear with 11x2 1/2-inch B-Body brakes. Different brakes or rears make for a different fit. Mock-up with a known wheel, and see how much distance there is to the inside and outside before ordering wheels and tires.  Up front we went with 15x7s...  Up front we went with 15x7s mounting 235 60-15s. The front fenders on this car had previously been modified for clearance with this size tire. Again, fit is combination-specific, and the front suspension of this Dart had been altered significantly. Check for specific fit on your car.  Wheel Backspacing: Will It...  Wheel Backspacing: Will It Fit?
Backspacing is the distance from the inside-mounting surface of a wheel to the outside edge. Knowing that the difference in backspacing between our new Wheel Vintiques wheels and the old cop rims is plus 1/4-inch, and the difference in overall width is 1 inch, we know the edges of our new wheels will be 1/4 inch farther in and 3/4 inch farther out.  With a cop wheel bolted up,...  With a cop wheel bolted up, we measured to the leaf spring and found slightly over 1 1/4 inch of clearance. The new wheel, with 1/4-inch more backspacing, will give us just over an inch. Since our tire is 10 1/2-inch section width, and the new rim is 9 inches wide overall, the tires will take up 3/4 inch of that clearance, leaving slightly over 1/4 inch to the tire.  On the outside edge, our new...  On the outside edge, our new wheels will be 3/4 inch further out, and the tire will stick out 3/4 inch beyond that. We ran a straight edge up from the old wheel to the previously rolled fenderlip of the Dart, and found over 2 inches, so the new combo will clear the lip. Higher up in the wheelwell, the outer wheelhouse curves inward toward the tire, but the tire gets narrower as it curves from the sidewall toward thread. This is tough to judge and may present an interference problem at full jounce. It looked like the tires would clear and we were prepared to modify the wheelhouse if not.  Up front the job is much more...  Up front the job is much more complicated due to the steering arc. The only way to know what'll fit is to try it, or to have a fit test done at a tire shop with the special equipment. Using the same techniques as for the rear, a pretty good estimation could be made, although we recommend doing the check with the tires installed. Luckily, most people don't feel the need for massive tires up front. We were happy with the 235 60-15 combo on 7-inch cop wheels that we had up front before. The new Wheel Vintiques' 15x7s have a backspacing of 4 inches, so they will be 1/4 inch farther out than the old 4 1/4-inch backspaced cop rims. We had a slight interference problem to the inner fenders before, on full lock turns, so this could only make the fit better. This Dart already had numerous mods made to the suspension, and reradiused front fender corners, so don't use it as a guide for what will fit on your car.
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