69 Dart GTS Fender tag help please. Updated!!

Went to work on my soon to be acquired 69 GTS today.fuel pump has been changed and we took the 4160 Holley off and put in an accelerator pump diaphragm. Car starts but won't stay running unless you keep tapping the throttle. I think the sock in the tank may be plugged or the carb needs a rebuild! I had my wife write down the fender tag numbers in hopes that you guys can tell me what I have...No cash has exchanged hands until I can drive it onto a trailer! Her's what we got off the tag and there will be some missing numbers...
M25R11V1 X END
C15 C55 C15 C33 L31 6?1
B5 P68 83 404 1696 C4 Thanks fellas! Ted

If it keeps running by tapping the throttle then the tank sock is not plugged because it is still feeding the carb fuel. What happens if you close the choke a little?

We didn't try that Stumpy...

Good point Stumpy has, seems lean and probably needs the carb serviced/cleaned. Could even be a float level issue?

I think you are correct!

Some detective work ahead of ya - like, does the seller know when that issue started (any changes) ?
Will it idle at a higher idle speed ? Runs roughly or smoothly ? Better when engine's up to temp ?
Hopefully the diaphragm base & cap are flat - they're commonly warped.
Need to check floats for corrosion, leaking fuel (won't float), setting.
Squirt some carb cleaner into the carb, especially the bleeds.
Could be a few things: plugged jets, improper idle adjustment...
Worth looking in the distributor & cap for corrosion while you're there.

Double-check your FT, some of that info doesn't read correctly...

Decoder info: https://www.mopar1.us/6971codes.html

Sometimes it's faster and easier to swap a known good working carburetor over if you have one, or can borrow one.

Me, I would use this to my advantage to maybe reduce the price of the car a little You know it runs but of course not like it should and it's going to take (a little) work or $$$ to get it corrected. Doesn't seem to me like it going to really be a big issue to resolve. A new carburetor, a carb rebuild, a carb swap with a known working used one. Ask the owner if with this issue they would consider less for it? What happens if you get it running correctly and the guy then figures it's worth more than what he was hoping to get, then you just fixed it for him and then wants more $$$. I'd see if he will take less and get it home and get it running correctly. (and don't offer any help at this point on what might be wrong, again

Sorry if I'm misreading the situation here but is seems you are fixing something that you don't own at the moment?

Mike

years ago (1974?) A friend found a 68 GTS sitting in an apartment stall and had been there a while by the dust covering it. We made contact with the owner and he wanted 650 for it as i recall but it wouldn't start (which is why he parked it). I offered 450 and he was waffling. My buddy comments the money is greener than the car (it was green) So the owner took the offer. I popped in a new set of plugs I kept in the glove box of my 69 Swinger for unexpected late night uhhh contests Hit the key and away we went. AC plugs didn't seem to like leaded fuel and 340's at the time and that is what the car had in it Put about 30 or 40 k on it before selling it for 1,000

No cash has exchanged hands yet...I have a Moparts friend in the area that will try to help. I do want this car so I have no problem spending a few bucks on it. Topside..Thank you for that chart! My wife had some things wrong and I did figure out part of the tag.

That IMO is even worse! Buy it/pay for it and I'll help you push it up on your trailer, go get the title transferred and then we'll fix YOUR GTS at home. Just saying because I can see and have seen good deals go bad. If you don't agree then post the contact info here and kiss it goodbye. Just close the deal if you really want it and then we'll all help to get it running so you can drive it OFF of your trailer at your home.

Ted, I hope you're not gonna be in a position where you get the car running and then the price goes up.
If that's the seller's plan, your time and parts should be deducted from the new price, or you should be paid to walk away.
Maybe that's not a worry, but it's worth mentioning.
I've never bought a car that I had to work on before making the deal, but of course I don't know the whole story.
Just trying to be protective.

Here's an update...The owner called me and is having the carb rebuilt. I don't have to pay for it. He knows I will walk from the deal if something isn't right. Thanks for the help guys! I have never owned a Dart before.

thought the same. if you get it running Nicey and he no longer wants to sell it or wants more?

If he no longer wants to sell it it's no big deal... And he is the one that is getting it running. Not me! And I did try to get it for less. He knows what he has.There's been guys trying to buy it for 20 years.

I went through something similar a year ago "kind of" guy comes out to lqqk at a 68 gts I have for sale.12.5 was the agreed price. I consider 12.5 a project! I bought it as! car is rock solid with great dry bones. soiled floors. runs and drives fender tag q11 paint code 4 speed complete car. first problem his wife won't let him carry this much cash. tried to pay me every other way but cash (not happening) asks me if we can meet at his bank and do the transaction there? sure. Problem 2 he wants to drive the car to bank 2 hrs.' away? I don't even know if heater works and its feb, and 0*out. I tell him this and he said he will suit up. I told him I will trailer it for him. problem 3 for whatever reason he refuses. (My guess is he want to see how it runs long distance) I told him again this is a 12.5 project, and he can drive it around the block a hundred times but i think it safer to trailer it the two hrs. Again, he says he's wanting to drive it. the next morning! I messaged him and just laid into him!!!!!! I had had enough. if anything was to go wrong, I'm sure he can jump out of car and get in his father's truck following as I will be left on side of road in freezing weather.so what I'm saying is this. People think that they are going to buy a mopar like a 68 gts for 12.5 and take the grandkids for ice-cream or something? my guess is he is selling it at a price to sell? (project)? and if you keep heehawing around it just becomes not worth it for the seller! I was so sick of him he was the last person I was selling it to! I agree, you ether want it, or you don't! at the Vere least he now asks for more or tell you to pound sand! good luck!! I wouldn't push it through!

If I want something badly I'll jump on it. He who snoozes, loses, is painfully true. However, if you don't have a burning desire to own the car, then it just doesn't matter. And that's not meant to be derogatory, it's just the truth.

There's a lot of missing numbers , like the entire bottom line for starters .

How old is the gas in the tank ? I had a similar issue many moons ago , I dumped gas in a tank that I THOUGHT was empty to get my Superbee running before I bought it , turns out the 5 gallons I dumped in was on top of the gas/varnish that was in it already , the bottom of the float was rotten away i discovered later when I pulled the tank ... try running the car from a known clean gas jug running a line from the fuel pump into the jug ...

Tag should read:

M25 R11 V1X V8X End
C16 C55 G15 G33 L31 M21
B5 P6B B3 404 1696?4
E55 D32 LS23 P9B XXXXXX

This is a normal layout for a 69 GTS 340 automatic.

E55=340
D32=727 automatic trans
LS23=Dart Special hardtop
P9B=340 1969 Hamtramck, MI
XXXXXX=VIN number
B5=Blue metallic
P6B=Premium Blue Bucket seats
B3=Light blue door frame paint
404=April 4, 1969 build date
1606?4=SO# with one digit not reading correctly
C16=Console
C55=Bucket seats
G15=Tinted windshield only
G33=Left Hand outside chrome remote mirror
L31=Fender top turn signals
M21=Drip rail moldings
M25=Body sill moldings
R11=AM radio 2 watt
V1X=Black vinyl top
Should have a V88 or V8X indicating stripe
END=End of sequence

Second that notion. I bought this to use as a temporary fuel tank when the stock tank is unavailable for whatever reason. Tie wrap it to the grille and away we go.

Temporary Fuel Tank

Thanks everyone! The old gas is drained and a carb is being built. Jim...It looks like you hit it pretty good on the options.

Just got the car home fellas! He rebuilt the carb and all is good!

Congrats !

Pictures please.

Stumpy...It's in my driveway and I haven't washed it yet. I sent a couple to Rhino dart...If I could figure out how to post pics from my phone,I would! And he didn't try to get any more money from me. I also ended up with 4 new tires with slots on small bolt pattern rims,the original intake and an extra set of J heads. I bought some reloading componets for trap shooting and he thre in a MEC shell resizer and a MEC 650 progressive shotshell reloader. Plus the bad carb! Right now I am a happy camper!!

That’s awesome!

nice !!! but you know how its go's here!!!! pics or it never happen! ;b

Here is a quick pic Ted sent me. I have more but I will let him figure out how to work this site, he might eventually...LOL..

Thanks Jim! See ya Sunday at Dubuque!

Congratulations Ted! That is a good looking Dart!

Lots of potential there.

looks like you got a deal.

Looks good Ted! Wish I could have drove down to check it out.

Thanks everyone! Scott...Thank you for telling me about the car! It's a dandy!

Get rid of the shackles, and put the Slots on it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lol!! Jeff! Naaahhhhhh.Then you will want me to put in a fuel cell,roll bars ,cut it up and tub it!!

then just put the slots on and leave the shackles !

And should I leave the air shocks on too?

well, DUH..............

Love it

Hmmmmmmm never thought about it as I have always called it the Dart "GTS". But looking at all of the tail stripes should I really be calling it the Dart GT Sport? But my '69 Dart is a stripe delete and does have a front fender callout GTS, so confusing. GTS is so much easier to say

If you really have air shocks remember the floor where the shocks mount was not designed to support the car.

Actually Gran Turismo Sport, so ad that to your conundrum...

No. The Shackles look horrible, and I'm not a fan of Rally wheels on anything older than 70. Plus Slots would give it a good period correct Day 2 look.

Interesting thing is that, nowhere on a 69 GTS is there a emblem or marking of the word DART.

Well it does say DODGE on it in one place...

which is why HI-JACKER air shocks were the BEST back in the day, being able to use 160lbs of air pressure to get your ride high enuff to let them big meats stick WAY OUT from the quarter panels.

I had Gabriel Hi-Jackers on my 69 383 4-speed GTS for over a decade, got them and the Cragar SS's installed at the JC Penney Auto Center in Lafayette, Indiana. They only broke 3 studs before they realized it had left hand threads...LOL.. And the traction bars worked!

Jim...What's your swap s pace Sunday??

my charger came with a pair of 15x6 j.c. penny's one piece 5 spoke wheels on the front.
i sure wished i had kept them !
what a dumazz i was for selling those wheels !

I am retired from swapping, I will just be there on the way back from a transport.

Actually, I need to correct my above statment about that DART does not appear on the car anywhere. While out for a drive tonight in my 69 GTS I notice that the the AM radio is marked DART SOLID STATE

Yep, but if you had an AM/FM factory radio it wouldn't...

Or no radio or the wrong one