Project SCUD, '69 Dart

[wellis77]

So I've been on lat-g for a while but haven't posted my build here because it's on another site. Lately I've seen a few builds on both so I figure what the heck, I'll throw it up.

The back story on my project is I've had the Dart for over 10 years, but it hasn't felt the road in around 7. When I finally began moving on it, the project started out innocent and simple enough. Plans were originally all of the Reilly Motorsports goodies, front and rear, some Mustang FR500's, 5.7 Hemi, A518, 8 3/4, Viper blue paint, buckets, etc, but nothing super crazy or out of the ordinary. THEN, I discovered lat-g and p-t and started dreaming, alot. Then I found the must have wheels for my project:



After I found a set of these with tires for a ridiculous price, I had to have them and the project spun out of control. It went from a relatively simple, mostly bolt-on, panel replacement, resto-mod, that would be finished in a reasonable amount of time, to a full chassis, full-on Viper theme, IRS, custom almost everything, praying it sees the light of day under it's own power in my lifetime project. Unfortunately for me, I didn't know crap about welding, suspension, almost nothing. So I started researching and reading, alot. Truthfully, this was the best thing that could have happened for me because I have learned so much. It has cost me a lot in parts, and learnings, but that is the fun of the process. I am now at a pivotal point in the build and plan to take it off the chassis table later this year, and let it rest on the ground on it's own tires for the first time in I don't know how long. I have parts coming in for this build almost weekly. I have researched the best quality parts I can afford and that's what I'm using on the build. I will only do a build to this extent once, and I'm making the best of it.

I've been working on the car for 3-4 weeks a year for the last two years; I live in Switzerland and build in Grand Rapids, MI when I'm visiting at Christmas. It sucks, but I get a lot done and I've been blessed with some incredible help to get me there, and teach me some stuff along the way. My next trip back to work on the car will be this Christmas, then I hope for a couple weeks at my semester break in February/March 2012. I have some great stuff that is on order and will be ordered shortly and I'll be sure to post updates as it comes along.

The next few posts will mostly be pictures as I bring this thread to the projects current state.

[wellis77]

One of the first things I did after buying wheels was have a rendering put together. I had one done by a guy on a Mopar forum, and eventually wanted to have it reworked. At the time of the rework I couldn't get in touch with the original artist so I connected with Shawn Mascoll via this site and this is what he put together.


So this is the blueprint. The car will be BMW Interlagos Blue Micah and Mercedes Benz Iridium Silver. Ride height is 5" to the chassis and will sit on a custom set of Ride Tech shockwaves.

Following are some pics from last Christmas, cutting the car to almost nothing and starting to mock-up the Viper suspension components and the 5.7 hemi/T-56 combo.










note the size of the Viper UCA's and the fact that I can not fit the Hemi between them.


test fit of the big jabroney (6'6") pilot.


I ordered shorter UCA's and while waiting for those I began cutting up the rockers since I was planning to move the chassis perimeter into the rockers.


New UCA's arrived and I started reworking the suspension. Little did I know, the suspension would go through 3 design revisions, only to be finalized last week!

[wellis77]

So that was Christmas 2010, and this is how I left the car.

[wellis77]

My next trip to the states was between school semesters and I had 3 weeks of playtime. My wife was not with me on this trip and I made no plans to visit with anybody, accept the nieces and nephews of course. This trip was all business. My goal was to have the car sitting on it's own wheels by the time I left. This meant building a full chassis, installing it, suspension, engine/trans, etc, all while overcoming a bajillion obstacles that I had no idea were coming. To alleviate the suspense, I didn't make my goal. I could have but I chose not to rush it and left the car on the table for the next trip; smartest decision ever!

So coming back it was time to build the chassis. I had spent almost a year of a few hours here, couple minutes there, designing it in google sketch-up (not exactly a great CAD program but it's free and you get what you pay for). So from that I started cutting 2x4 steel...


and welding rails...


and assembling a chassis...


the first iteration of my front rails failed as I forgot some basic 7th grade geometry about splitting angles between two tubes, it takes two 12* cuts to get 24*, not two 24*. So this is the chassis with more to come, and being taken away.


A sampling of some of the over-build parts for the suspension, spohn del-spere pivots joints and howe ball joints. 6 more Howe ball joints will be in route next month.


The beginnings of the back brace.


beginnings of the rear suspension drop-out.


And here is where I could have stopped since technically it's a roller.

[wellis77]

from there it was back to suspension mock-up (with the second iteration of front suspension geometry)


brackets designed and laser cut by a buddy (all to be replaced this Christmas with the third and final, and amazing, iteration of the suspension geometry; with huge props going out to Bryce for a hand in making it right!)


I then began working on incorporating bumper mounts (again, being reworked this Christmas)


solidifying engine placement (Hemi soon to be replaced)


rear suspension


rear crossmember/bumper mount replacement (slight rework coming, nothing too major though)


beginning initial mock-up of replacement core support


decisions on what to do about headers (irrelevant at this point)


and this is where I ended this past spring. I could have pulled it of the table with some shock mock-ups or even using the stock Viper shocks I have under the work bench, but I wisely chose not to.

[wellis77]

Since March, the suspension design has gone through it's final iteration and it's now an almost perfectly balanced (suspension wise anyway) design, front to rear. Again, a HUGE thanks to Bryce for taking my design, making it WAY better and getting it just right. Unfortunately this means I have to scrap the LCA's I built for some new ones, replace the UCA's with ones slightly longer, and build new brackets. I'm having Art Morrison bend up a new front cross member from 2x4 and am hoping to have them install the lugs for the LCA's and the steering rack, I should hear back on that in the next couple days. At the same time, I'm going to have them bend up new rear frame rails in a different design so I can have some extra room for a Rick's Tank under the trunk floor. Another reason for the new rails is I pumped WAY too much heat into these rear rails and warped the drivers rail so much that the rear tire has oodles of positive camber (painful lesson to learn). Rather than cutting, bending, rewelding, etc, I decide to replace it with a one piece rail, should work out awesome! I've been ordering a ton of parts throughout the year and have a lot more to go. These include:

Ride Tech Select Series Shockwaves, essentially a Viper kit but with a convoluted bag on the rear instead of rolling sleeve.


fiberglass hood with a Viper hood skin grafted to it. this is not finished yet and the builder will be pulling a mold from it to resale once finished.




I ordered a fiberglass decklid which I will be building a custom spoiler into and incorporating a Gen 3 Viper brake light, picked up some new US Body fenders for 1/2 off from a guy that decided to use steel instead. I ordered a ton of hardware and miscellaneous items for the build and for the rotisserie I'm building. A very cool and modern rear defrost setup from frost fighter. Some items for chassisworks, more panels from AMD will be on there way soon too. I ordered a Woodward Steering rack yesterday. The new UCA's (front and rear) will be bearing mounts from Joes Racing. Some header parts from Stainless Headers to build a set for the new motor, a bunch of new tools to make building easier, a Ford GT-40 lemans filler cap that will be recessed into either the top of the quarter panel or the middle of the deck lid filler panel. A TIG welder, cuz I figure if I'm building stainless headers, I should TIG them (another new skill to learn), and a bunch of other fun stuff.
I'll be sure to post pics of my new toys as they arrive, cuz that's all I really have to keep me going the next three months.

Come January, I'll be ordering an ididit column and my Rick's Tank probably in February.

That pretty much brings us up to date, with the exception of the engine. When I first saw the 5.7 Hemi I wanted one for my build. I got a great deal on one and was good to go. As the build evolved into the Viper inspired project it is now, I continued to ponder the significance of a V10. I was finally harassed into doing the V10 and got a good deal on one pulled from a 2000 RT/10. It's a Gen 2 which is only 450 hp, 490 ft/lbs, but with a few simple mods I'll easily 550-600 at the wheels. Now I just need to figure out how to maintain some semblance of leg room.

[camcojb]

that is a very cool project Will, thanks for posting.

[69z]

I really enjoyed reading and viewing your progress. You are doing a great job! That V-10 is going to need an exceptional exhaust system. Do you have any ideas yet?

[wellis77]

Originally Posted by 69z

I really enjoyed reading and viewing your progress. You are doing a great job! That V-10 is going to need an exceptional exhaust system. Do you have any ideas yet?

Not sure on exhaust yet. My height (6'6") has dictated some decisions on how the chassis went together, in order to maximize headroom, which will make routing exhaust difficult. My tunnel is 8" wide and the exhaust will have to run through there. I was originally planning to bring the outlets through the rocker in front of the rear tire. I'm thinking that idea is going by the wayside for now. I've been researching mufflers and I'm not sure what I'm going to so yet. The V10 has a unique sound and I can't just get an off the shelf Viper muffler because most of them (GTS excluded) were side exit exhaust with the muffler in the side sill. I wish I could demo mufflers...

[wellis77]

Originally Posted by camcojb

that is a very cool project Will, thanks for posting.

Thanks Jody.