'75 440 Dart Sport

This site will follow along as I rebuild a 1975 Dodge Dart Sport that I am in the process of installing a 1970 440 engine and automatic transmission into.  This car is either an original 72,000 mile car or an original 172,000 mile car, originally equipped with a slant 6 and automatic transmission, factory air conditioning, power steering, 2-speed wipers, and fender mounted turn signal indicators.   I picked the car up from my brother on July 25th, 2007, and started this project a week after.

Engine Specs:

- 1970 440 RB bored .030 over (446 cubic inches)  11:1 compression ratio.
- Lunati RL-STGII-JS #63799, Cheater for Max Wedge. .513/.528 lift, duration 275@.050, 108 centerline.
- TRW Forged flat top pistons zero'd with the deck with valve reliefs.
- 1967 915 closed chamber heads with 2.14/1.81 valves gasket matched ports
- Schumacher Tri-Y Headers.
- .010/.020 forged factory crankshaft w/ full groove clevite mains.
- Reconditioned Mopar LY connecting rods.
- Melling High Volume oil pump.
- Edelbrock Victor 440 intake manifold.
- Edelbrock Performer 750 carb with strip kit.
- Oil restrictors in deck of block.
- Isky ductile iron 1.5 ratio rockers with 7/16" moly pushrods.
- Mopar Performance Chromed rocker shafts.
- Mopar Performance HP Distributor and Orange Box ECU.

 

Transmission is a 727 torqueflite with a cheetah full manual reverse pattern valve body, built by Mike Ford racing transmissions (Ohio).  Rear axle is an early B-Body 8 3/4 with a 2.94 open gear.  I am planning to replace it with a Moser Engineering Dana 60 assembly down the road.  Engine sits on Schumacher SB to BB engine mounts, and use Schumacher Tri-Y headers.  K-Frame is factory small block unit with the spool mounts.  Exhaust is custom fabricated 2.5" ArmorCoated steel with Flowmaster 40 series mufflers.

Progress:

Engine Compartment - The engine compartment, front frame rails, transmission cross member, and torsion bar mounts are in good condition.  The car was heavily undercoated at the dealer when new.  This undercoat coupled with the oil leaking slant six engine, kept the front frame and floors in pretty good shape.  There were a few rust spots in the upper inner fenders beneath the fender rail, and up near the radiator support on the drivers side.

1975 Dodge Dart Sport with K-frame and front suspension removed.	Engine Bay before stripping	Passenger side inner fender before stripping	Drivers side inner fender before stripping	Firewall before stripping
Slant six drum brake front suspension and K-Member	Passenger side inner fender after stripping	Passenger side inner fender after stripping	Passenger side inner fender after stripping	Passenger side inner fender after stripping
Repair to lower radiator support.	Self etching primer on engine compartment prior to metal replacement in rusty areas	Self etching primer on drivers inner fender	Self etching primer on engine compartment	Self etching primer on passenger inner fender
Radiator support primed.		First coat of high-build primer.	First coat of high-build primer.	First coat of high-build primer.
First coat of high-build primer.	Drivers side frame rail	Passenger side frame rail	3 coats of R-M Curious Yellow with 3 coats of Urethane clear.	Passenger side.
3 coats of R-M Curious Yellow with 3 coats of Urethane clear.	B5 Blue Metallic and Y3 Curous Yellow go great together!!	Another shot of the final paint job.	Drivers side.

SubFrame Connectors / Front Floor Pan - Both front floor pans were in rusted from years of a leaking windshield gasket courtesy of the vinyl room and the rust beneath it.  Dodge didn't paint the roof beneath the vinyl on vinyl top cars, causing them to rust out beneath the top. I fabricated the sub-frame connectors from 2x2 .125" wall square tubing from The Schelle Company in Piqua, OH, and welded in front and rear.

Passenger side subframe connector	Passenger side subframe connector	Passenger side subframe connector	View of new 2x2 welded subframe connetors	Duster, Dart Sport, and Cuda
Original rusty floorpan.	Floor pan removed.	New Year One reproduction Rt Ft floorpan	Passenger frame and crossmember  ready for cleaning.	73 Duster and 75 Dart Sport
Assembly begins on the engine compartment.	New Year One floor pan installed waiting for seam sealer and paint.	New Year One front  floor pans finished.	1970 440 Wedge .030 over forged crank motor.	73 Duster engine compartment.

Engine Compartment Assembly - Next comes the cleanup/painting of the K-Frame, engine, and transmission.  Stainless steel brake lines were fabricated using a Master Cool Hydra-Flare flaring tool.  Front end sheet metal has been temporarily re-installed on the car.  I will tear it back down for the remainder of the bodywork and paint later.  Griffin universal aluminum radiator and Perma-cool transmission cooler are now installed.

Adjustable Wilwood proportioning valve	Front suspension and K-member bolted back in.	Front suspension and K-member bolted back in.	Small block K-Member modified for 440.	440 Engine installed with Schumacher Tri-Y headers.
440 Engine installed with Schumacher Tri-Y headers.	440 Engine installed with Schumacher Tri-Y headers.	Front end sheet metal and grille put back on the car.	1973 Dart Sport grille installed.	Engine compartment
Aluminum cross flow radiator.	Drivers side 2.5" fabricated exhaust	Drivers side 2.5" pipe with Cherry Bomb	Passenger side exhaust pipe	Year One dual snorkel scoop installed
Year One dual snorkel scoop installed	Year One dual snorkel scoop installed	Year One dual snorkel scoop installed	Edelbrock Pro-Form air cleaner	Hole cut for hood scoop

Fuel System - The stock fuel tank was sent out for hot tank to clean and ready the tank for a Competition Engineering universal fuel tank sump with dual 1/2" pickups. A  -08 AN aluminum hard line was run from the fuel pump to the pressure regulator.  While the tank was out, I will had to replace the spare tire well bottom as it was rusted out and it serves as the rear most anchor point for the fuel tank mounts.  As of November 25th I have the 2.5" fabricated exhaust system installed with Flowmaster 40 series mufflers and stainless clamps.  The exhaust will be removed and sent to Piqua Aesthetic Finishers for Armor Coating.

Also at this stage I have driven the car up and down the road a few passes to get the carb and fuel pressure tuned correctly.

Universal fuel sump with dual 1/2" pickups	Fuel tank with sump (rear)	Fuel tank with sump (side)	Fuel tank with sump (side)	Rusty spare tire well
Tank installed and plumbed	2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster 40's turned down before axle.	Holley 125 gph billet fuel pump with 1/2" fuel line	New spare tire well bottom pan welded in place

 Exhaust system is now installed after coming back from Piqua Aesthetic Finishers for Armor Coating.  Quality of the coating is excellent.  Now only time will tell how well it holds up to the elements.

Exhaust system after Armor Coating	Exhaust system after Armor Coating	Exhaust system after Armor Coating	Exhaust installed	New custom plates
View from behind	2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster 40's turned down before axle.	Exhaust head pipes	View from behind showing turn down tips	Fuel system with new Holley billet 125gph pump.