Thread: 1965 Dodge A108

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Once I looked at it again, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I got all the doors hung today. Now that the inside is painted I’m going to work on getting the drivetrain together and back in while my buddy gets the outside ready for primer.

It's looking better already. Are you going to paint the roof white by chance? That thing may even look pretty cool 2 toned!

I’m planning on doing the body blue and painting the grill, bumpers, and wheels white. I saw another one like that but with green instead of blue; it looked pretty cool.

I love that van! I kinda mad at you though because now I'm looking at vans as possible candidates in the future.

Originally Posted by 53 Chevy5

I love that van! I kinda mad at you though because now I'm looking at vans as possible candidates in the future.

Do it! Vans are making a comeback. I've always had them for hauling band equipment so it stays out of the weather; but somehow they keep turning into build projects.

I pulled the motor apart to check everything today. The guy I bought it from said it was low mileage and ran perfect. Thankfully it was as good as advertised. Super clean inside and almost zero wear on the cylinders and bearings. I’m just changing all the gaskets and seals and going with it as is.

Wow amazing what a little paint does! Quite a unique shaped oil pan. I must profess of never seeing one this shape, but then again it's been years since I worked on a straight six...38 to be exact!

Originally Posted by falconvan

I pulled the motor apart to check everything today. The guy I bought it from said it was low mileage and ran perfect. Thankfully it was as good as advertised. Super clean inside and almost zero wear on the cylinders and bearings. I’m just changing all the gaskets and seals and going with it as is.

I once had an old Plymouth Scamp for a work car with the slant six in it. I abused the heck out of it, usually forgot to change oil until about 5 or 6,000 miles since the previous oil change, and just generally neglected it.... After 3 trouble free years of use, it got totaled while parked by a drunk driver, I kept the insurance money, gave the car to a buddy who transplanted the engine into another Plymouth and drove it for more years as his work car! I believe the old slant six is the closest thing to an unbreakable engine that Detroit ever built!!!!

The freshened engine will probably run a zillion miles in your van, neat project! Always fun to have something a bit different from everything else!

We had the sloper six motor in an AP5 Chrysler Valiant we had some years back, and like you, we made the car work and neglected it.
When it would no longer get a warrant of fitness (mandatory in NZ every six months,) we sold it to Theo Dodunski, a panelbeater mate for $50.
At that stage it had over 200,000 miles on the clock.
Theo drove it from our place to his, about 14 miles, and spent the next six months or more doing a beautiful job of transforming it into a ute and getting it back up to a warrantable standard.
He fired it up, drive it 100 ft out of his shed, and had a piston decide to come out the side of the block.

He was not a Happy Camper.

Especially when I told him that after six months any guaranties had expired.

He sold it, and I don't know what happened to it after that.

But it sure was a bloody gorgeous looking little truck.

The slant 6 is looking really nice!

Thanks! My youngest sister had one in a 71 Duster that she regularly ran out of oil and would use the old oil that dad drained out of his truck to fill it. She figured when the oil light started blinking and the top end started rattling, it needed oil! She must have ran it for a couple years like that before she wrecked it; that was one tough old six banger.
Here’s my spray can rebuild, hoping to spray the Slicksand on the body this week and start blocking it.

The Krylon overhaul looks really nice! What brand is the slicksand?

Originally Posted by falconvan

Thanks! My youngest sister had one in a 71 Duster that she regularly ran out of oil and would use the old oil that dad drained out of his truck to fill it. She figured when the oil light started blinking and the top end started rattling, it needed oil! She must have ran it for a couple years like that before she wrecked it; that was one tough old six banger.

My oldest boy went down to Houston to visit my EX, and she had a '73 Camaro that she wanted to give him for his first car. They decided to cash in his return flight ticket and drive to KC. They made it, but when they got here my boy told me that the red light for "Oil" meant add oil, and that they would add oil whenever it came on..... The Good Lord looks after drunks & fools.....

Originally Posted by rspears

My oldest boy went down to Houston to visit my EX, and she had a '73 Camaro that she wanted to give him for his first car. They decided to cash in his return flight ticket and drive to KC. They made it, but when they got here my boy told me that the red light for "Oil" meant add oil, and that they would add oil whenever it came on..... The Good Lord looks after drunks & fools.....

Lol, ain't that the truth! I'm using Evercoat Slicksand. I haven't tried it before but it looks like a good way to remedy small imperfections. We'll see how it comes out.

Time to start blocking while my buddy finishes up some work on the doors. I’m also getting ready to start putting new rockers and quarters in his 53 Chevy coupe as the trade off for him helping me.