Dodge Dart Rehab! 1966 Dodge Dart Kickdown Cable Install, Transmission Repair, Tuning, And More

On today's episode, we finally look at the green Dart that was hiding in the background of every video shot at Dead Dodge Garage World Headquarters for, like, four months. This is my friend Mitch's Dart. He bought it as you see it, and it came equipped with all kinds of good parts - four wheel disk brakes, subframe connectors, Hotchkis sway bars, and 360 V8, to name just a few choice components. Clearly someone had a vision of banging around corners when they assembled this car. Rather unfortunately, it started puking transmission fluid everywhere one day. Finally, after many trials and tribulations, it's back on the road and out of my life.

[@Oldjohn52]

I REALLY like how that Dart was re-built.

[@007fredh]

Your videos are getting me motivated to get out and work on my cars. Thanks, Jamie.

[@danielweith1075]

WOW, that car is just beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

[@matthewb8229]

The intro just keeps getting better. Also, that car and that color have "classic gasser" written all over it!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I’ve decided to just update it as I feel like it. Haha.

[@garymaccorkle6876]

I had a 65' 2 door slant 6 six 3 speed post Dart in 1970 as my first car. I always wanted to do V-8 swap but it never came to be!!

[@1966DodgeCoronet]

should apply a matte black on trunk lid to match the hood nice vid 👍

[@jamesc9327]

What an awesome video, thank you for sharing it with us. You certainly have a gift with mechanics sir. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@chrissimes9445]

What an awesome driver!

[@dantupper1784]

That Dart has some fun-factor going for it!

[@staceyrenner5418]

Great wheel and tire combo on it, I mean they're not slots but still pretty damn cool.

[@m1a1hm]

COOL!! Dodge Dart.

[@jessemiller9660]

So after watching MANY of your videos and some others on line I went on the hunt. Found a 1967 Dart GT in amazing shape. California car and will continue to be. Your videos have helped immensely. Thank you. Now on to figure out if I need to get a new fuel pump.....

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

That’s awesome! Congratulations! I hope my influence was ultimately helpful, and I’m not convincing you to make bad life decisions. Haha.

[@jessemiller9660]

@@DeadDodgeGarage Oh this is ALL your fault so we are in this together! Hahahah If you have an email I'd love to send you some pics. She "seems" to be 90-95% original but maybe your eyes could catch some things.

[@urielgarcia4567]

Beautiful Dart, the restoration looks good! And I’m impressed at what the kick down cable does thanks for sharing with us 😁

[@kesterhively8773]

That is a little bad ass green machine

[@jimhahn6116]

Love this car ❤

[@jethro1260]

I'm in love ❤️ with that car 🚗. What a good looking ride.

[@vikingfather1]

A friend in high school had a metallic grey GT hard top with a 273 in it. I loved that car, I still covet it 50 something years later! Love this post car too, not sure about the color though.🥸😎

[@CarlosRamirez-oz7pc]

Cool video. Thanks.

[@p38kris]

Pretty green 66 dart

[@DependableAutoTruck]

forgot to say great video have driven mopars since i started driving and now am 66 have a small shop in a small town and mostly work on mostly mopars. thanks for taking the time to share this with us

[@bjdelaronde]

I've watched all your videos just hooked.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Thank you, Brian! I appreciate that. I’ve got more coming up.

[@tedcorey3054]

Cool car , wise decision not taking out in the rain .

[@chrisstephens3854]

What a cool dart. love the green!

[@jimhahn6116]

You should bring one of your cars up to Forks this summer Hot thunder nights in August 👍

[@snoopyboobs]

A little tire slip for a treat. Lol

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Proud of that. Haha.

[@christopherarmstrong2095]

It’s a beautiful green. Totally Bad Ass

[@samuelgoodman2825]

Sweet package

[@scotthay1486]

A very together vehicle and looking good . Stay safe.

[@kenjohnson3641]

Loved the turn

[@rshegg7605]

The poison DART ❤ 🇬🇧🍺 CHEERS BIG EARS.

[@craigbowley6783]

That thing is absolutely beautiful! Looks and sounds 👌

[@OdySlim]

I love the car as well as the secret test & tune facility. Thanks.. Regards from Ody Slim

[@440Nichole]

beautiful Dart !

[@musclecarmitch908]

I love Torque Thrust D's and green!👍

[@djaekley]

If I could have given more than 1 thumb up, I would have.

[@robertspence831]

I kinda like the Bouchillon kickdown kit, or that's how I remember it. I run a mvb these days.

[@ricksaint2000]

Way cool Dart

[@alexgrazioso2506]

Great vid. Gonna adjust my kickdown now. Because 727. Lol

[@michaeladamo6279]

That’s a great little car! some reason the grill looks like a ford van unit.

[@wiggyjones]

Great info on the kick down cable. My 64 Valiant 170 /6 has a weird mechanism instead, throttle is a metal rod also. I believe if I ever go to a 2 bbl carb I'll need a later model cable throttle and a locar kick down like this one. Thanks!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Yep! You should have a three piece kickdown setup with a firewall mounted pivot. Later slant cars use a different setup, something like the one piece rod used on V8s for many years. There is also a different three piece linkage setup used in some applications - I don’t know which have which, really. Also peculiar on your early car is the accelerator rod - it rotates! There is a goofy linkage setup above the accelerator pedal that makes that work. V8s in those years used a big weird linkage with a bracket on the back of the driver side cylinder head. You’d definitely go to a cable setup for the throttle. The 2 barrel carb is turned 90 degrees, but I have actually seen a factory ‘63 kickdown linkage adapted to one and it somehow worked just fine.

[@amsburym]

Man what a good car, it drives great!

[@mikesr3407]

I know 0 about early , or second gen darts !?! Is the V8 emblem on fender factory ? Really great car , great Video and Great Green 💚 ! I think I've had 6 green cars in distant past .

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Yes, that’s a factory emblem! Found on other body styles as well - my ‘66 Charger had the same badges.

[@jhillaudio]

A broken accelerator pedal...if it ain't always somethin', it's always somethin' else.

[@xlmi7021]

Love that color! 1969 EF6 Spring green?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

No idea. Haha. I didn’t think it was a factory color actually. For some reason the various green color codes are Greek to me.

[@farfromdonemotors6796]

Having talked to Mitch at a car show he informed me that engine is from a Little Red Express. That explains the stock intake. I don't know why he has the master cylinder with right hand ports routing the brake lines right across the valve cover though. It is a beautiful car however

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Ah, I forgot that part of the story. Funny of course because he owns an actual lil red. Haha. I’m not sure why they did that either.

[@brianandglendaharkin9457]

👍🏻💯🇦🇺

[@bigwrenchtech]

Green

[@christopher5585]

Inspired by the Valiant "Green Brick" about 15 years ago ?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Could well be! Definitely a similar theme.

[@brianandglendaharkin9457]

Index your plugs so it fire 🔥 between the valves.

[@michaelstrafello7346]

I ran into that problem once with the bucking at light throttle once turned out to be a broken wire on the pick up coil insulation was s fine

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Interesting!

[@DependableAutoTruck]

Bouchillian Performance makes one that uses the stock ram 1500 kick down parts and the ratio is perfect has piece that bolt to carb to hold cable and adapter for any carb linkage to make the ratio correct and it needs a 750 CFM carb and a better intake and exhaust is my thoughts

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Interesting! Hadn’t heard of that setup. Might need to try that next time. Yes the intake is definitely a bit of a let down, I might have to try something different for science. I think the 650 will do what we want for the most part. It’s not going to be a high RPM machine.

[@patrikramberg3787]

Thats a pretty dart! A 4 speed would make it much more nicererrrrrrr

[@richjordan9375]

If you still had the original kickdown linkage (and it would work with your carb/trans) would you convert to a Lokar style kickdown cable or put the factory linkage back in?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I would use the factory linkage! In my experience, it works better. But the cable is an acceptable solution if your linkage is missing.

[@HamJamming]

I greatly prefer the Bouchillon Performance kickdown cable set to the Lokar type.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I don’t like their sliding bracket setup myself. It seems kind of janky - but the cable is essentially late model factory stuff which is nice.

[@HamJamming]

The bracket is actually of extremely high-quality, accurately cut and fully-adjustable.@@DeadDodgeGarage

[@michaelnault5905]

I suppose whoever built it, ditched the foot pump washer/squirter........ :-)

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Well I didn’t see one. Lol. My Duster had it. I think the Demon does too actually, but no washer tank currently.

[@danperry4875]

I have a 1971 340. Sitting in my garage for 42 years. The garage is heated year-round I've been rotating the motor over all the time it's in very good shape. I put a brand new oil pump. Went to Prime the motor and the driver side gets lots of oil in the Rockers flies out and the passenger side only gets a little bit of oil coming out. Do you think I could fire it up and clean it out. Or do you think I should take the head off and check. Thank you .

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Fire it up. I’m surprised you are getting any oil through at all - you must have magically ended up with the driver side oil hole lined up. Each side is only oiled at one point in the cam’s rotation.

[@danperry4875]

Yes it took me awhile to line up the cam holes. When I lined up the driver side it just flew right up. When I lined up the cam hole passenger side hole come out a little bit of a flow Like I mean no pressure. Thank you again

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

@@danperry4875 Gotcha. I have experienced the same thing trying to pre-oil small block top ends in the past. I still wouldn't be afraid to run it and see what you get.

[@jeffrowlette]

Extra bonus mistake - box wrench on the battery

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

You only learn that the hard way once… ok, maybe twice.

[@jeffrowlette]

@@DeadDodgeGarage LOL.....that's how I learned to mention it!!!!! P.S. - it was spectacular 👍

[@ondrafilip4926]

what is the size of the wheels

[@bobthebuilder-vq6md]

Hello my name is Greg. I noticed a dodge power wagon in the back-round and was wondering if you are selling it. Thanks

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

No! Which really means someone would have to offer me a truly ridiculous amount of money.

[@warenmongers5405]

Ya, but manual shifting won't save the transmission either. The kickdown varies the line pressure and if that's low then you fry the bands.....

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Literally what I told him.

[@nobodysgarage]

What size wheels and tires are those?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Ah heck, I don’t know actually. It will be back for a round of more serious tuning in a week or two, I’ll try to grab tire sizes then.

[@BigBadJones]

What color green is that?

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

No idea. It’s definitely not a muscle era Mopar color.

[@jckl5248]

> shifting at ~32 mph sounds about what i got mine to 1-2 at ~16 mph 2-3 at ~35 mph 3-2? lol 77 ram 4500 van (MB400) RV with a 360 upgraded to 4bbl much like the one presented here

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

3-2 never? Haha.

[@michaeladamo6279]

Hey do you think whoever sold the car took off an aluminum intake manifold

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Eh… seems like too much work, and it looks like this one was painted with the engine.

[@michaeladamo6279]

Like you said in the video the exhaust is all noise and the cams not too aggressive that transmission can’t be cheap and the rear end is built. Can’t help but to wonder if maybe they were going to get a crate motor or something and just want a different direction and sold the car I mean, that’s the impression I’m getting like the two components are over built for the motor

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

@@michaeladamo6279 my thoughts exactly. Maybe the budget ran out? Maybe they expected a stockish 360 to do a lot more than it did? They definitely didn't know what was what as far as tuning goes, and I have to assume they had no idea it wasn't getting even half throttle. Maybe they sold it because it was such a turd. I would say it's definitely deserving of more poop in the engine compartment. With some more tweaking I can definitely improve things some more - that's coming next. I am considering offering up one of my spare manifolds to help improve things.

[@blueduster74]

Boo on the 9”

[@mikesr3407]

If you're boo on this car you should see mine ! 😂 Or even worse , check out ( burnout and break stuff ) 68 dart gt conv 4 speed ! If it's actually real I told my wife this guy is Waaay nuts ! 🤔