Man Picked Up 1963 Dodge But Was Shocked When He Lifted Hood

A detailing expert was shocked after opening the hood of a 1963 Dodge.

He drove two and a half hours to Brant, Michigan, to pick it up.

And when he finally opened the hood, his heart skipped a beat.

LEARN MORE! Son Buys Abandoned 1974 Dodge Challenger From Dad Who Didn’t Know He Had A Treasure

How the 1963 Dodge Dart Got Here

The third-generation 1963 Dodge Dart 440 was in desperate need of cleaning.

He had last appeared on the street in 1978 or 1979 and had not seen the light of day since.

The owner’s father bought it for $100 with unknown mileage to give to his children, Ben and his sister.

He fitted the biggest tyres to try to make it run “like a tank”.

And it worked, with his sister avoiding the “Tank” – which became her name.

Now Ben wants to see the vintage car on the road and has given it to his own son, Michael.

This meant it was time to reveal what lay beneath the layer of dirt that covered him.

The condition of the vintage car

Towing it out of the barn after 50 years wasn’t going to be easy.

The car was hoisted onto the trailer, taking with it half a century of soil – and a few other unwanted visitors.

The mouse droppings inside were worrying, as was a layer of mold along the dashboard and steering wheel.

In addition, the tapestry was in tatters.

But it was when he lifted the hood that his blood ran cold.

There was no rust around the big V8 engine block, and wires and cables were missing.

Resident mice seemed to be the most likely culprits for this.

It wasn’t as pleasant a surprise as the one found under the hood of this mysterious 1973 Dodge Challenger.

Meanwhile, he found in the trunk only a can of soda, 50-year-old bottles of lubricant and a spare tire.

This is similar to the condition of those Minis found in a barn and had to be rescued from an overgrown garage.

Restoration

Barn find expert and content creator Detail Dane then proceeded to clean up, starting with the dirt-covered wheels and tires.

The pressure washing process filled his workshop with mud – however, a glimpse of the turquoise finish underneath was rewarding.

Almost as satisfying as this Ford F250 getting its first cleaning in 35 years.

Afterward, the chrome-covered bumpers, grille, beltline, mirrors and pillars gleamed as if they had just rolled off the assembly line.

By the time he started working on the engine bay, the mice had scurried elsewhere in his workshop, allowing Dane to vacuum and degrease the interior.

Once the exterior was cleaned and polished, it turned out that the paint had a glossy appearance that had become matte over the decades.

The interior was the next challenge, covered in mouse droppings and trash, and with the upholstery and floor mats nibbled away.

Once the seats were removed, he was able to vacuum and effectively clean and degrease the stained vinyl, revealing a light turquoise shade underneath.

The interior mold was then steam removed from the dashboard and steering wheel.

Despite the remaining stains and rust, a few days later the 1963 Dodge 440 was back in Ben and Michael’s yard, with the memories coming flooding back.

Michael then decided to have the mechanics repair it at a shop to get it running again, with Ben sharing that the emblem on the dashboard came from a 1949 Dodge his father drove.

As for the mice, they proved more difficult to dislodge, but the eviction notice was served.