Hello everybody, My name is Jason and I've been a member here for a month or so. I've even made a few posts. I thought it was about time I properly introduced myself. I stumbled across this site while doing a web search and was immediately impressed, so I signed up. I look forward to spending a lot of time here learning and hopefully making some friends too.
I was a machinist/ auto mechanic all my life. I quit school as soon as I turned 16 and went to work at a local machine shop. I mainly programed and ran CNC lathes but I was proficient on Milling centers as well. I usually kept a second job in a garage learning everything I could about cars and did both up until age 35 after I broke my back on an ATV and was forced to quit work for my health. I'm not the type of guy who likes just sitting around all day but I'm forced to do a lot more of that than I want to because of my health. I've worked on all types of cars in several local garages and even worked at a custom stereo and upholstery shop for a couple of years. Cars have always been my passion but machine work paid my bills. It did teach me to be very detail oriented and I passed this trait on to my work in the automotive world. To say I am a perfectionist would be an understatement. Sad thing is street driven cars are never perfect for long and little cosmetic issues bug me to no end! LOL!
Okay, my ride is a '72 Dodge Dart Swinger Special. This is my first Mopar, though I am a long time fan of their cars and trucks. Lets face it if you grew up watching The Dukes of Hazzard like I did you can't help but like them. For what ever reason I had just never owned one, but now all that has changed and I am hooked.
My Dart was purchased new in Charlotte, NC and has spent her whole life in that general area until I saw her on eBay Motors, took a ride out to Troutman, NC where she was living at the time came home and bid to win! I then took her a whole 75 miles away from her former home to my home in Asheboro, NC. She has 80,000 original miles on her and is powered by the venerable 225 Slant Six with a Torqueflite A-904 auto trans and she has super tall 2.76:1 gears out back in a 7 1/4 open differential. All this doesn't add up to very impressive power off the line but she'll happily cruise at 75-80MPH on the interstate all day long and sip fuel while doing so.
As most of you know the Swinger Special, is special because of its lack of options. This ol' gal has a rubber mat instead of carpet in the floor boards and a radio delete plate in the dash, manual drum brakes, & no air conditioning. The only options that she does have are the 225 engine in place of the standard 198, an automatic tranny, power steering, and a bellows type foot pump windshield washer . I still can't believe that in 36 years no one has ever installed a stereo in her but there is no sign that there ever was one!
She has a sweet new paint job, Forest Green Metallic with a White Bumble Bee Stripe across the trunk lid and wrapping around the rear quarters, a set of Mopar Rally Wheels and fairly new seat covers. All in all she's a pretty nice car with no rust, dents or bondo. My original intentions were to ditch the Slant 6 in favor of a 340 or 360 small block but with gas prices being what they are and they way they continue to rise I've decided to stick with the six for now. That doesn't mean it has to stay stock though. I'm a hot rodder at heart and had always wanted to build a strong inline six. The problem with that is it costs more to build a six and it's easier to just swap in a mild V8 and instantly gain as much or more power than you would have gotten by adding tons of speed equipment to the six. Gas may be the great equalizer on this one though so I am going to search for power and effeincy with the Slant 6. I've already purchased a set of tuned headers, a Super Six 2BBL Intake & Carburetor, an Electric Cooling Fan and a Pertronix Electronic Ignition, a Dana Sure-Grip Differential and a set of 3.55:1 gears which will probably take back any new found fuel economy!
I just love this little car and have been having lots of fun with her. I look forward to many hours spent browsing the forums and posting now and then although I probably won't chime in very often. I dislike being sucked into trivial arguments and have had bad luck with such things in the past on other forums. Although Mopar guys seem to get along better than others from what I've seen here and on the Slant6.org forums. Anyways, that's my story. Hope you didn't fall asleep reading it!
I was a machinist/ auto mechanic all my life. I quit school as soon as I turned 16 and went to work at a local machine shop. I mainly programed and ran CNC lathes but I was proficient on Milling centers as well. I usually kept a second job in a garage learning everything I could about cars and did both up until age 35 after I broke my back on an ATV and was forced to quit work for my health. I'm not the type of guy who likes just sitting around all day but I'm forced to do a lot more of that than I want to because of my health. I've worked on all types of cars in several local garages and even worked at a custom stereo and upholstery shop for a couple of years. Cars have always been my passion but machine work paid my bills. It did teach me to be very detail oriented and I passed this trait on to my work in the automotive world. To say I am a perfectionist would be an understatement. Sad thing is street driven cars are never perfect for long and little cosmetic issues bug me to no end! LOL!
Okay, my ride is a '72 Dodge Dart Swinger Special. This is my first Mopar, though I am a long time fan of their cars and trucks. Lets face it if you grew up watching The Dukes of Hazzard like I did you can't help but like them. For what ever reason I had just never owned one, but now all that has changed and I am hooked.
My Dart was purchased new in Charlotte, NC and has spent her whole life in that general area until I saw her on eBay Motors, took a ride out to Troutman, NC where she was living at the time came home and bid to win! I then took her a whole 75 miles away from her former home to my home in Asheboro, NC. She has 80,000 original miles on her and is powered by the venerable 225 Slant Six with a Torqueflite A-904 auto trans and she has super tall 2.76:1 gears out back in a 7 1/4 open differential. All this doesn't add up to very impressive power off the line but she'll happily cruise at 75-80MPH on the interstate all day long and sip fuel while doing so.
As most of you know the Swinger Special, is special because of its lack of options. This ol' gal has a rubber mat instead of carpet in the floor boards and a radio delete plate in the dash, manual drum brakes, & no air conditioning. The only options that she does have are the 225 engine in place of the standard 198, an automatic tranny, power steering, and a bellows type foot pump windshield washer . I still can't believe that in 36 years no one has ever installed a stereo in her but there is no sign that there ever was one!
She has a sweet new paint job, Forest Green Metallic with a White Bumble Bee Stripe across the trunk lid and wrapping around the rear quarters, a set of Mopar Rally Wheels and fairly new seat covers. All in all she's a pretty nice car with no rust, dents or bondo. My original intentions were to ditch the Slant 6 in favor of a 340 or 360 small block but with gas prices being what they are and they way they continue to rise I've decided to stick with the six for now. That doesn't mean it has to stay stock though. I'm a hot rodder at heart and had always wanted to build a strong inline six. The problem with that is it costs more to build a six and it's easier to just swap in a mild V8 and instantly gain as much or more power than you would have gotten by adding tons of speed equipment to the six. Gas may be the great equalizer on this one though so I am going to search for power and effeincy with the Slant 6. I've already purchased a set of tuned headers, a Super Six 2BBL Intake & Carburetor, an Electric Cooling Fan and a Pertronix Electronic Ignition, a Dana Sure-Grip Differential and a set of 3.55:1 gears which will probably take back any new found fuel economy!
I just love this little car and have been having lots of fun with her. I look forward to many hours spent browsing the forums and posting now and then although I probably won't chime in very often. I dislike being sucked into trivial arguments and have had bad luck with such things in the past on other forums. Although Mopar guys seem to get along better than others from what I've seen here and on the Slant6.org forums. Anyways, that's my story. Hope you didn't fall asleep reading it!
