Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Recently started a thread here about our more recent purchase...

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?t=11557

but this one's been in the family a little longer...


Back in early 1985, aged 23, my brother & I started looking round at a few muscle cars for our first 'interesting' purchase, having been driving for 3 or 4 years.
Had a close shave with a rotten 'bread van' (71?) Mustang :puke: and just missed out on a pretty cool (honest :)) 68 396 Chevelle, but seeing as our mates who were driving cars from the other side of the pond, were mostly into Mopars, we settled on this Sport Satellite that was up for sale just south of London.

The guy selling the car showed us some trophies he'd won with the car over the years, but looking back now, the competition must have been pretty poor as the car did have some rot showing, despite its (then) relatively young age :(

The car had come to the UK in '77 from Belgium, where I think it had been since new. A lot of US cars came to the UK from mainland Europe back in the 70's & 80's as servicemen at USAF bases brought their cars over with them while stationed here, then sold them on to European customers when they got moved on. I'm also led to belive that our Satellite was made for export, so it may have gone direct to a European dealer for sale to Monsieur Jean Doe :toothy5:

I got these pics from a friend over here who's been in the 'scene' since the 70's. These were taken soon after the car came to England... prob 78-80. Car's still in its original colour with original wheel covers, that we were given when we bought the car. We still have them, but havent had the guts (or wheels!) to fit them yet!

We bought the car in June '85, the day before one of our regular race meets at our local drag strip, Santa Pod Raceway.

Sometime between those earlier pics & when we bought it, it had been painted a nasty VW green colour, and a bumblebee stripe added (dont ask :icon_scratch:)

Some pics from that weekend....

Next installment of fuzzy scanned photos to follow later today.... :blush:

car looks good,are you going to add the fuzzy dice.LOL

car looks good,are you going to add the fuzzy dice.LOL

Rats, I knew there was summat I missed off the last Year One order! :thinker:



More fuzzy pics from the last century :hippy2:..........

We stuck with the 318 & 904 for all of 18 months then thought it about time we treated the Satellite to the big block it was made for :icon_keel:
A fairly mild 440 & 727 was put together, but good enough to get a best of 13.6 @ 106 on BFG's & thru the mufflers.

Around this time we also changed the old slut mags for a shiny set of Centrelines... state of the art in the late 80's!

Following pics are from early '87.....

That's pretty much how the car stayed for the next couple of years... except that the rot had really started to show itself in the usual places....

Bottom of the rear quarters, front wings & doors, base of the vinyl and the join at the base of the rear window where the top of the rear quarter meets the panel below the window.

So the next task was to find the replacement parts & someone to nail them on :icon_biggrin:
Dont forget, this was pre-internet, so had to rely on magazines, word of mouth & late nite trans-atlantic phone calls...

Good looking car, and it sure looks like you're doing it right. I LOVE those old school slots, they are getting really hard to find, and look great on certain rides. Wish you were close enough I could come by and steal them off you lol.

You're not in St Albans by any chance are you?

Thanks Buck(!)

Sorry but those slots are long gone :icon_cry:

St Albans isnt a bad guess! About 8 miles away! Or was it not a guess.... :eusa_eh:

Actually, just hope. I spent some time in St Albans back in the early 70's, absolutely LOVE the area and the people. Don't offer a room or I'm on my way back lol. 8 miles huh... that's not far enough for Watford, But know you're a blessed man.

Actually, just hope. I spent some time in St Albans back in the early 70's, absolutely LOVE the area and the people. Don't offer a room or I'm on my way back lol. 8 miles huh... that's not far enough for Watford, But know you're a blessed man.


Hey Buck, small world, eh?! I live in Hemel Hempstead, not as posh as St Albans but a good location between London and some nice rural areas. My brother (where the cars are kept) is in Hitchin, about 20 miles north. Both have some nice areas but also have their fair share of scum-bags, like most places I suppose! :tard:

Anyway, back to the car.......

Following a recommendation from a friend (the current owner of the Ace Cafe in North London... check it out :icon_cool: http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/default.aspx ..... you might have seen it on American Chopper when they were in England?) we took the car about 60 miles east to south Suffolk to a guy called Steve who agreed to do the bodywork for us.

We took the car there in December '90 and he set about dismantling and stripping to see just how bad it was :icon_pale:

Some pics of the early stages....

To cut a long story short, it took about 8 months from start to finish.... seemed like a long time to us back then, but knowing now how long some people wait for this kind of work, I think Steve did well. And that was with fitting in other jobs in between. Ok, it's not quite up to Muscle Car Restorations standards, but at £5500 (approx $7500?) it was a fair bit cheaper too!

More pics of the rot being removed. We had new (Sherman I think) rea quarters and new patch panels for the bottom of the front fenders but all other rotten areas were cut out & replaced with new hand-formed sheet metal.

Gettin late so I'll post more next time. Dont worry, it starts to get prettier from here on in :toothy5:

yep, typical b-body decay stuff, glad you saved her! look forward to more pics! best wishes CD

Thanks CD!

With the patch panels, rear quarters & miscellaneous pieces of sheet metal replaced, Steve got on with the spraying. And we still hadnt decided on a colour!

Although Steve was great with the metal work and confident that he could do a good job with the paint, he wsnt comfortable spraying a metallic colour without an oven.
In hindsight, we should have found a way to go back to the original gold, but in looking for a non-metallic, eventually settled on a dark blue.

Meanwhile, we set about tidying up the engine, getting the trans rebuilt and rechroming the bumpers. In addition to a fresh coat or five of MP engine paint, we had the Edelbrock Performer powder coated silver (to prevent the ally from oxidising) and had the headers aluminum coated (that nasty rough bright silver/white colour that shows all the dirt!.... hence the paper wrapping in the pics, while we fitted them).

Nearly done :toothy5:

July 27th 1991. Finished at last! (apart from forgetting to take the centre caps & new air filter lid :icon_frown:)

More to follow next time....

Beautiful car. How do you determine which one drives it?:rofl:

Thanks Mr B :)

Generally just take turns - one will drive to the destination and the other will drive back.... but we dont get too anal about it! :icon_lol:


First show after all this work, Aug 91, went there with a mate & his 69 RR. I think this site is now being developed for part of the 2012 Olympics :occasion6:

oooh never thought I'd get to use that one on here! :icon_lol:

Very nice!!, great color.

Hi again! Back for a bit more of the history lesson....

The Satellite's remained pretty much this way since '91.
We've swapped around between the centerlines & the Magnums, depending how the mood takes us.
Sometime in the early '00s, we gave up on the cheap Blackjack headers we bought back in 87, which were the cause of many a burnt spark plug boot, shifter cable & starter cable :eusa_wall: and fitted some stock exh manifolds.

Continued to use the car regularly thru the years for cruises, shows & race meets, but havent done much racing since prob the late 80's when we got a best of 13.69 @ 105, thru the mufflers & on BFGs. We did try some slicks that we bought from Summit, but as they sent the wrong size (too tall), didnt manage to improve on the previous best. All we did achieve was to tear the driver's side engine mount & bash the pass side header on the inner fender :icon_rolleyes:

Just one more pic from the old days, then I'll get a bit mote up to date!

This was the 1st Mopar EuroNats at Santa Pod Raceway in England, '94. Pic taken 4 days before my son (now 16 :icon_surprised:) was born. That's him hiding inside the missus' tum, front & centre :binkybaby:

nice transformation with the car.was your son's first word" Dad, can i borrow the car?". LOL

Love it! I am restoring a 69 myself! Love the sport satellites!

Thanks r-r man, dunno about that but he's already said he expects the cars to be left to him in my will :rolleyes:


Fast forward a few years....

The car sat for a couple of years while we got the Polara sorted http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?t=11557
then after using it for a trip into London for the 'Chelsea Cruise' on a particularly busy night, when it played up more than usual in the heavy traffic, decided to give it some long overdue attention. That was Nov 06 :icon_surprised:

The idea was to go thru the 750 vac sec and rebuild as necessary, same with the trans, and fit an FBO ignition kit we won in a raffle at the Mopar EuroNats, then back on the road for early '07 :icon_thumleft:


Then Stu (my brother, who has the car(s) in his garage, remember?) noticed some flaky paint in the trunk under the mat. Then noticed the steering box had a bit of a leak. And some of the steering & suspension parts were showing their age..... etc etc

So gradually the list of jobs grew to a point where we're still taking bit off the car today :rolleyes:


Long story short, so far we've:

- repainted the trunk, leaf springs, axle, tank, exhaust
- rebuild steering box
- fit new rear shocks
- replace wiper seals (& cure the drip we've had for 24 years :roll: )
- repaint interior floor
- tidy wiring under dash
- remove engine for rebuild :eek:
- prep engine bay ready for repaint
- order up sh*t loads of parts from the usual suspects.... seat covers, carpet, door panels, various other odds'n'ends like rad hoses, ignition barrel, dash trim, wiper arms, belt pulleys, front suspension rebuild kit, original style air filter kit etc etc

Other jobs in hand:
- cobble together a console using new & used parts, and replace the never-worked-very-well B&M shifter with a stock item
- fit new rear seat belts (never had any) and replace the front aftermarket with original style (from B,E&A)
- brake master cyl needs a rebuld too as it also has a leak
- fit front-end rebuild kit (bushes, idler, pitman arms etc)
- fit Mopar mini-starter (when engine's back in!)
- clean/repaint steering column while disconnected & out of the car

Engine's currently being rebuilt by the same guy that did a great job on our 426 in the Polara, tho this one should be a lot easier (& cheaper!)



Anyway, enough waffle for now, here's some pics to bring us up to date.

Trunk floor - no holes, just surface rust & flaky paint. We had some paint left over after the last repaint in 95, so got it made up into aerosols for use on areas like this...

Underside tidied too. Ok so it's no rotisserie job, but good enough for us with the funds available.

Tailpipes pianted high temp silver - not white as they appear in the pics!

Moving forward...... towards the front, at least :rolleyes:

Having decided to remove the engine & trans for a rebuild, and also to fit a centre console, we needed to establish a position for the shifter & console mounting brackets while the trans was in place. Dunno if the car ever had a console but we'd fancied having one for quite some time, so gathered up some new & some used parts to make one up.
We did think of using an aftermarket shifter, and bought a Hurst thingumy (sorry, cant remember which model!) that we thought would fit with the stock console. Then got a chance to buy an unused stock shifter from a friend, so decided to go with that initially. If we find it's too hit'n'miss (compared to 'slap-stick' or ratchet type shifters), we'll modify it or try the Hurst.

Steering box needed a rebuild too (leaking) so got the column disconnected from the box so it could be removed.

Although we left the engine & trans in place while we mocked up the shifter bracket positions, we got all the engine ancillaries removed so it was ready for yanking once we were happy with those bracket positions.



http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/Int1.jpg

Bit of a mess... :o

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/enginestripped1.jpg

Choices, choices....

Floor shows signs of water damage from years of leaky wiper pivot seals. Bought the seals a while ago from Laysons :icon_blackeye: so bit the bullet and set about fitting them. Much easier without the seats in!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/int2.jpg

Wiper pivot before removal

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/drivsidewiperpivotbeforeremoval.jpg

New seal fitted to pivot

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/newseals.jpg

Floor stripped.... well, loose bits removed!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/frontfloorstripped.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/rearfloorlooksok.jpg


Refitted the seats temporarily to get a position for the console & shifter brackets. We realised we were a bracket short too; the one that bolts to the tailshaft and supports the linkages, so fabricated one at work as we couldnt find the right one new or used. Hope it works :icon_eek:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/270210003.jpg

Quick word about the console. We got a new console body from BE&A Parts and a bunch of scruffy used parts for nothing from a friend who bought them off ebay but was happy to let us have them for nothing as he later found a better set :icon_thumleft:
The shiny bits polished up quite well and the painted areas responded well to a new lick of paint. Dunno if you have 'Fablon' over there (it may well be a US product for all I know?) - woodgrain on a vinyl roll? A few £ for a couple of yards of the stuff, and that's the console restored for next to nothing.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/310110003.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/310110004.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/310110005.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/consoleafter005.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/consoleafter006.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/270210001.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/rob426uk/satellite/270210002.jpg

Next came the big day, once we'd scrounged a hoist from a friend, we were all set to get the engine out!

Couldn't find the right kind of lifting hook/eye, so made do with a strong nylon rope wound around the hoist's hook. Happy that it was strong enough, just a bit touch & go with the length as we were a bit tight on headroom under the garage door :eusa_eh:

There has been some progress on the interior - floor's now painted - but I havent got any pics to hand, so i'll come back to that!

Getting bang up to date, we've now rubbed down & primered the engine bay, almost ready for a fresh coat or three of blue.

Not having access to any proper spraying equipment (or technique! :icon_sad:) we found someone who's set up for mobile spraying and is willing to come to the garage and spray the engine bay without moving the car (front suspension is still disconnected). All we need to do is all the prep....

No real nasty areas in there, the main reason for the rub-down & repaint was to remove the hammer-finish paint ('Hammerite') that had been on the car for the last 30 years or so!

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7615.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7614.jpg

Bumper off to reduce amount of masking needed prior to spraying...

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7618.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7621.jpg

After 1 coat of (aerosol) primer

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7627Large.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7625Large.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7624Large.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7623Large.jpg


Feels like we're getting somewhere now!! :grin:

wow awesome

Sweet!

Thanks guys!

Awesome might be over-stating what we've done compared to some of the projects on here, but I'll take it!
Better wait & see how it turns out first tho....

Nice progress pics guys, keep em comming.

you guys have done alot of work. i like how that console turned out,it almost looks like you cut out a piece of wood ,polished it and then installed.

Thanks guys!

Yes, we're pretty pleased how the console has worked out ok so far, we've still a few odds'n'ends to get for it to make it complete (wiring for the lights, & carpet trim mainly) so we'll have to wait & see how it looks when the interior's back together.
We figured the vinyl woodgrain may be a little different to the original pattern but as we're getting new door panels, and theyre unlikely to match the original woodgrain on the dash, it wont matter too much if we introduce another slightly different shade/pattern on the console!

you've got some guts pulling an engine with rope

Not ideal, I know! We borrowed the hoist and only realised it didnt have a chain or any kind of lifting eye to attach to the manifold on the day we'd planned to remove the engine, so had to make do with what we could get hold of :head_smack:

Tho I'll bet the strength of that nylon rope folded that many times is more than a match for a piece of old chain....

We'll get the right kit for the install tho :cool:

Sorry chaps, bit overdue for an update....


Engine bay's all painted now and have started putting a few bits back on!! :occasion18:

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/enginebaya.jpg

We ordered a few new brake parts from Inlinetubes but thought we'd take the plunge and make up the long part that goes across the bulkhead, rather than paying silly money on shipping for a part that weighs next to nothing but would have to be packed in a 5ft x 2ft (ish) box

This was our (well, my brother's :icon_winkle:) 1st ever attempt at making brake lines so I think it's come out pretty good all things considered! Used a few pics off the 'net to get what we thought was the correct route, but modified it slightly so it's routed around, and not across the access holes in the inner wings (sorry, fenders)

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/bulkhead.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/passside1.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/distblock.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7850.jpg

I'm sure there are areas that arent correct for a proper resto (paint & plating finishes etc) but were happy to get it as near as we can with what's easily available and we can use (.... so as long at it comes in a paint tin or can be plated by contacts thru our work places) we'll go with that option!
Plus, we havent dismantled all the front suspension parts so have chosen to paint the LCA's, for example, rather than having the plated.

We still have some new front suspension parts to replace, so that's why there are still a couple of rusty/unfinished parts showing.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7851.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7852.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7856.jpg

We also received some new parts just before christmas, from 440source, Bouchillon, Legendary & Mancini, and a carpet from Motor Parts South.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/seatcovers.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/doorpanel.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/fanfilter.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/battery.jpg

New alternator from Bouchillon - not as original looking as we were led to believe from their website, but as the car's never going to be 100% original or original looking, we'll manage with this one for now, thanks!

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/alt.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/pulleys.jpg

Plus these mats - the only ones we could find with the correct 69 Sport Satellite logo, as opposed to the trendier 68 logo :icon_cool:

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/mats.jpg

Also just received this carb feed kit from a company that advertises in MCG - their name escapes me at the mo :sad1: but it fits our Holley with metering plates and looks pretty stock.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7859.jpg

We've spent the last couple of Sundays, when I've been there, trying to get the console & shifter mounting bracket positions finalised, as once the trans is back in, it will be tricky to get to all the fasteners on the underside of he trans tunnel if they need any adjustment. And we need to get the trans back in position (roughly) as there no room in the garage to have it kicking about the floor when we get the engine back!

Although we've already had the trans, shifter & console in position before we took the trans out, so we could drill the floor & brackets, now we've come to put it back together, sods law dictates that the console's now sitting crooked and the shifter doesnt run up & down the centre of the slot :eusa_eh:

So after much slotting of holes, we've just about got it right (again), and should be ok to bolt it down once and for all, next time we're both there (needs 2 people - 1 inside and 1 underneath :icon_rolleyes:)

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7869.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7867.jpg

rebuilt trans, with TCI sump, as an attempt to curb the leaks once & for all!

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/twinstrans_188.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7834-1.jpg

Trans in situ, temporarily....

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7864.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7863.jpg

Love the great work soo far- nice color!

you've gotten alot done on that car and every bit looks excellent.

Car looks good, enjoy it as much as you can.

Wow!! Love your floor mats! Where from?? I will be lookin for a set for mine soon enough I hope!! can't wait to see her together!!

Really nice work, lookin great!

Hi Ben

We got them from Legendary Auto Interiors

see page 103/104 of this catalog http://legendaryautointeriors.com/files/ChryslerCatalog.pdf

Good luck :icon_thumleft:

Well the big day came today and we collected our engine from the guy who rebuilt it for us (Paul, the same guy that did our 426 MW) :icon_biggrin:

We persuaded a friend of ours to come with, so we could use his pick up to bring it back home. Thankfully it stayed dry.......... :icon_cool:

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7878.jpg

Not something you see every day on he streets of North London!

Back at Stu's place, we got it unloaded and onto a trolley, as we arent going to be able to put it in till next weekend, as we've still a few bits & bobs to get painted.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7880.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7879.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7881.jpg

It's really just a rebuild, using mostly the same parts as were fitted when 1st built back in 87 :icon_eek:
The crank, pistons & cam were all ok to reuse, but Paul did fit new rockers & shaft, rings and gave the valve seats & guides a good going over. All the block needed was a bit of honing.

I'll get a full spec of what was done in the next week or 2, so will post more info then.

We'll get the unpainted bolts on the manifold & valve covers painted, once we've fitted the correct studs etc. The alternator in the pics is the old one so will be replaced with the new one once we've received the bolt kits we ordered from 440source a few months ago :rolleyes:

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7883.jpg

Baffles removed to clear new rockers

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7884.jpg



More info to follow as & when....

Bit more progress over the last couple of weeks....

Managed to find a decent pair of 68/69 HP manifolds, to replace the 70/71 pair we had - one of which was cracked. Did try getting it welded but to no avail :sad:

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/2-2-11before.jpg

Bit of elbow grease, wire brush & thinners, then some V.H.T. cast iron paint (aerosol), and they look good as new. Just hope it lasts a while...

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/janfeb11094.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7904.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7906.jpg

And here they are after a few coats of paint, back where they belong

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7909.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7913.jpg

Got the brake booster & wiper motor back in place before trying to fit the engine, thinking it would be easier than after, but in hindsight, we dont think it would have made much difference.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7893.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7901.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7915.jpg

So with the manifolds on, converter filled & in the trans, next job on the list was to get the engine in and clear a bit of garage floor space!

Okay, so we may have overdone it with the soft furnishings, but figured you cant be too careful, with a couple of amatuers weilding a hoist & big lump of iron, near a freshly painted engine bay!

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF7918.jpg

Safely in and unveiled...

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/130211006.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/130211001.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/130211010.jpg

Big relief to finally get that done :occasion14:

Now just a matter of the master cyl, p/steering & alternator pulley & brackets, trans & cooler plumbing, wiring, fit/plumb fuel filter & fuel lines, get rad checked/flushed, fit hood hinges & hood, fit water & oil gauges, modiify sock shifter for ratchet operation, refit dash & get raio converted to am/fm/stereo/mp3, fit new carpets & underlay, get seats recovered, etc etc........

Awesome job! You can never be to careful.

Cool car. This is a great thread. You all are amazing to be able to do this type of project in the UK. It is tough enough in the US with access to parts. I would never have the patitience you all do.

Thanks Adam! Imagine what it was like 20yrs ago before the internet!! It was all done via catalog & late nite phone calls...


Mind you, it was my parents' phone bill :laughing1:

This is the greatest thread ever and a super history of you car. Love it.

Like seeing the car come along thanks for posting! great job!

I can't tell you how amazed I am at how nice the car is with all the detail, thought and work you two are putting into the car. It'd be surprising here in the states, but to know it's being done where it is, it really raises the level to where I can't even think of the proper superlatives. Keep up the good work guys, it's sure you have the faith.

Wow! Thanks for those kind words, guys! :grin:

A quick little update to illustrate how tricky it CAN be, doing this over here...

We found that some of the paint on the engine was a bit thin, when we got it back (Paul, who built the engine, used aerosols that he got sent over from Koffel's with the engine parts).
And as we only had the remains of the last can he used, we now need another can or two, to repaint the valve covers, throttle brackets and touch-up a few little bits.
Trouble is, you cant import aerosols by air, and no one over here seems to keep the right colour (Street Hemi orange) so we either have to settle for a similar colour (GM & Nissan :icon_surprised: commonly get used), or wait a couple of months for some to come over by sea :protest:

Another option would be to get a local auto paint shop to mix up some suitable paint to match what we have left in the Mopar tin, but the satin black they supplied was too glossy and/or never dried fully, so we're a bit sceptical about going that route.

I guess you guys can just pop into your local Chrysler/Dodge dealership....

i like how you completely covered the engine bay with blankets when you put the motor in.

Slow progress of late, but still chipping away at the to-do list. Been a bit one step forward, two steps back... you know how it is

But one area of progress to report - 'in-car-entertainment'


We havent bothered to change the Polara's radio from stock cos we'd prob have to keep the volume on 11 to hear anything above all the other noises, but as the Satellite should be a bit quieter, and we've already got 2x Pioneer speakers in the rear shelf, we thought we have something other than the AM radio that Ma Mopar supplied 42 years ago.

Did consider fitting an aftermarket radio/cd/mp3 player... maybe in the glove box. Could have fitted a decent unit (Kenwood etc), with some front speakers for just over £100 ($160), but we werent convinced by the practicalities of having a radio 5 feet away in a glove-box with a top-hinged door

I'd read in Hemmings Muscle Machines a few months ago about a guy in New York that restores original radios, converts them to stereo, adds a bit of oomph and an additional output for connecting a cd or mp3 player etc so I started looking into getting that done over here.

After a bit of searching I found a guy in Bristol (SW England, not Bristol, TN :icon_winkle:) who does a similar job.

So we sent our original radio (plus the spare we bought years ago as our knobs and clear plastic window were damaged when the body man loosened the windcreen sealant with a propane heater back in 1990 :tongue3: ) to our man Adrian down in Bristol, and after a couple of weeks he returned the radio cleaned up with 'new' knobs & glass fitted, converted to stereo, FM added and an external audio input via the 3.5mm plug lead.

Some pics

This is the original AM radio, c/w Bendix labels, wobbly clear plastic bit, but already with knobs transferred from the spare radio

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8037.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8038.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8042.jpg

and 2 weeks & £275 ($450) later.....

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8320.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8319.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8317.jpg

Not much to show for the money i guess but the proof of the pudding will be when I connect my mp3 player to the 4x 45 watts and see if it can compete with the Dynomax mufflers.....
Unless the wifes in the car :eusa_naughty::black_eye::icon_lol:

That last pic shows the black aux input lead for connecting to an mp3 player (i have a Walkman) or a ye olde cd player.

Adrian also supplied a pair of Radiomobile 60W pod speakers (£30) that we'll look at fitting up under the dash, to supplement the Pioneers in the rear.

Hey uk, I like the way you think, worth every penny. I'd do the same thing cause one thing that turns me off with any older car is seeing a modern style radio in the original hole. I can't tell you why but as soon as I see it I have to turn my head like I'm seeing some terrible car wreck and walk away. Car is looking great.

Thanks, Yes I'm with you on that, a new radio never seems to look right, unless the whole interior has been 'modernised', like on these new-fangled 'pro-touring' cars :icon_confused:

The only visible difference, apart from the black lead hanging down from the dash (which we may coil up & keep in the ash tray when not used), is a small 3 colour LED between the '14' & '16' on the dial, which serves as an indicator to show what function has been set, ie AM, FM or mp3.

Slowish progress over the last few weeks, thanks mainly to a few awkward little parts that were proving difficult to track down, plus some unscheduled maintenance on the Polara, a week before our 1st proper show of the year :eusa_doh: (but that's another story, for the other Members Cars thread) but we're gradually getting thru the 'to do' list...

I took these pics on Saturday while I was at my brother's garage, in between coats of satin black on the steering column brackets, and street hemi orange on the valve covers...

I asked a while ago about fitting an aftermarket trans cooler, and got a few suggestions about what to do with the cooler lines.

Ideally we wanted something stock looking, but as we dont have trans coolant connections in our rad, we plumbed the cooler direct from the trans, and used a mixture of 5/16 hard lines (copper/nickel) and rubber hose (with 'proper' ends) for the awkward areas...

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8557.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8561.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8555.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8558.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF8559.jpg

The transition from hardlines to rubber hoses should be fairly well hidden by the battery tray so we're hoping the plumbing will blend in without being too obvious...


And now we have the paint we ordered from Mancini ages ago, we can get a few bits painted that will allow us to finish off the rest of the engine bay.

Bit overdue for an update.... like 9 months overdue :icon_redface:


Still got the master cylinder to bench-bleed & refit but the front calipers have been rebuilt and fitted with new hoses. We decided to keep the original 4-pot Bendix calipers rather than buying new/rebuilt ones so got them rebuilt by a company over here http://www.pastparts.co.uk/ following recommendation by a fellow UK Mopar club member.

We had the option of either having them left natural (ie stripped & blasted), plated silver or 'gold', or powder coated silver or black.
As we wanted to try & get them looking natural but with some corrosion protection, we planned to paint them ourselves with one of the million different 'natural look' paints from on the market, so had them plated first for extra protection.

First of all, this is how they were before we removed them:


http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF5032a.jpg


And this is how they looked when we got them back from being rebuilt & plated (any brown bits you can see are grease, not rust!):

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/23-2-11caliper1.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/23-2-11caliper2.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/23-2-11caliper3.jpg


Odd that the plating is 2 different shades as I'd have thought they would have got them plated together, but we werent too worried as they were going to be painted as well.


After - Rebuilt, painted & fitted

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/may11013.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/may11010.jpg


As I said before, now we have the engine paint, we've been able to finish off a few little jobs like painting & fitting the plug wire separators/brackets (from Year One) . We left the 2 off that fit under the head bolts (1 each side) as we didnt want to disturb the head bolts quite yet plus acess is quite tricky now the exh manifolds are on. We'll leave them for a later date.


http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/P1040124.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/P1040128.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/P1040127.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/P1040126.jpg


FBO 'orange' box is now fitted under the battery tray; not quite as hidden as if it were inside the car under the heater, as someone suggested, but that's one less hole we need to add to the bulkhead.


http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/P1040110.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/P1040111.jpg

One thing that's been holding us up getting some of the interior back together is what to do about fitting front speaker(s)


We were looking at fitting a couple of 4" pod speakers I bought from the guy that rebuilt the radio, under the dash, but they're a bit too bulky, being pod speakers (ie 4" cubed, approx) so we started looking at whether we can utilise the existing single speaker in the dash.

Having looked at a few threads on here we decided on this:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-0YAfrbQZuST/p_068R410N/Retrosound-R-410N.html?tp=99

The bumpf says

"....The single R-410N 4"x10" speaker is designed for a classic car with only one speaker opening on its dash or rear deck. The woofer features dual voice coils, each one connected to its own tweeter. Your stereo receiver connects to both voice coils, so you get a stereo mix from a single speaker. In effect, you get two 2-way speakers in one frame, for modern sound in your vintage application...."

Okay, so it's not going to give the same stereo effect as if we'd fitted 2 speakers uder the dash, but that was looking like they were only going to be about 18" apart cos of all the other stuff under there (heater & controls, pedal assembly, glovebox etc). Should be good enough for what we want tho.


Original speaker removed:

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/P1050185.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/P1050183.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/P1050182.jpg

New speaker from Retrosound:

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/h068R410N-f.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/h068R410N-b.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/h068R410N-i.jpg

Lets hope it fits...

Once we'd realised the old speaker, as removed from the dash, was fitted to a separate mounting plate that we could remove and fit to the new speaker, the installation immediately became easier as we wouldnt have to modify the speaker or the dash


Old speaker with mounting plate

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF9938.jpg

with mounting plate removed

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF9941.jpg

New speaker & old mtg plate

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF9943.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF9946.jpg


But when it came to fitting it, what should have been a 1/2hr job ended up taking about 3 hours cos there wasnt quite as much room as we though there would be up under the dash. Surprise surprise.


Under dash with old speaker removed

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0140.jpg


On the face of it, the new speaker looked to be a near-as-dammit straight-swap for the old one, but just where the new one is a bit fatter, it interfered with the little bracket that holds the heater/fan control cable. So after a bit of careful trimming of the nice, shiny, speaker body, we eventually managed to get it to fit.


With extra trimmage. Tho we actually removed quite a bit more, by the time it fitted ok.


http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0141.jpg


Hey presto

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0142.jpg


Now that's done, we can get the radio back in and get front & rear speaker wiring finished so the carpet can go down.

Pretty good work! looks great.

Thanks Ron.

Next up, more interior.

With the speaker & console wiring in place, it was time to look into fitting the carpet. After some thought about whether to use Dynamat or similar we decided to go with a thinish 'underfelt' as a means of adding extra sound proofing.

This was decided after thinking about how the heat that comes up thru the floor on the Polara, causing condensation under its rubber mats, and what would happen to the floor if condensation formed under something like Dynamat.
I know it's supposed to be well stuck down to the floor but with all the contours on these floor pans we figured it would be safer to use something breatheable like an extra layer of underfelt, rather than going with the more fashionable (& heavier & more expensive) Dynamat in case there were any air pockets left under it.

Anyhoo, correct decision or not, we got on & cut the felt as best we could to fit the undulating floorpan. To add a bit of extra sound-proofing under the back seat, we used some of the old carpet that we took out. We've also applied a bit of that felt to the trunk divider while we were at it!

After trawling the Mopar forums to see what was best, we settled on a carpet from Motor Parts South, as they had a reputation for fitting best, having the most generous cut in the sill & firewall areas and if you wanted to pay extra for shipping you could have it shipped flat, so as not to disturb the pre-formed shape.
We didnt have it shipped flat but it was loosely rolled, and came with separate jute backing.

First impressions are yes there's plenty of material (unlike other makes I've read about like ACC) but it is a bit baggy in places, esp over the tunnel, so we may add a bit more felt under there.

As there's no pre-cut holes for anything, it's a bit of a fiddle trying to get the heel pad position correct in relation to the pedal and the dimmer switch but after checking as best we could to find its correct position and also making sure the humps & bumps in the floor fitted the shape of the carpet, we took the plunge and got at it with the utility knife.

Havent cut any seat or seatbelt holes yet, but as soon as we get the front seats in I'm sure the loose areas will be be held a bit flatter and tighter. Then we can cut the carpet for the sill plates.

Also fitted some bits to the console 'body' yesterday. Just need to find the carpet bits that we got a year or so ago from Legendary, that attach to the console...

Just to see what it looked like we laid it in position and it does look nice with the new carpet. Well, not bad for what it cost us (all but the 'body' are used parts we've refurbished), compared to buying new repop bits.

NB - the odd bits of metal bolted to the floor (1 round & 1 rectangular) were just used to hold the felt in position while we fiddled with the carpet.


Floor cleaned....

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0144.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0146.jpg


Trial-fit of jute backing...

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0152.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0153.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0149.jpg


Underfelt....

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0163.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0164.jpg


With jute backing in position.....

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0171.jpg

Our attempt to make the switch work without getting caught up with the carpet. Not supposed to use the grommet, apparently, as they werent fitted originally.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0173.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0172.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0170.jpg


Checked out as best we could where the hole should be for the pedal and saw pics of original carpets with the hole completely within the heel pad, completely in front of, and half-on / half-off. This is where ours ended up, having tried to match the bumps in the carpet with those in the floor.

Not something we thought was going to be complicated or important before we started, but as you start to look into how something should be, you get a bit caught up in trying to do it the proper way.. or at least we seem to.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0179.jpg


Reinforced the cut-out with some thin rubber stuck to the back...

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0176.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0180.jpg


Also stuck a bit on the back of the switch hole...

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0177.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0178.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0182.jpg


Console trial-fit....

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0183.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0189.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0191.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0193.jpg


Stu's also fitted the new shoulder bit of the seat belts. Looks a bit too 'baggy' tho so we'll do something about that before someone hangs themselves getting in or out of the car.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0156.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0155.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0159.jpg


Oh and one more thing that needed sorting was where the speedo cable crosses above the exhaust. Used some silicon sleeving on the cable and some plumbers soldering mat on the exhaust, retained by ally tubing...
Not very concourse, but...

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0166.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0169.jpg[/quote]

Wow! Great work UK.....Looks fantastic!

WOW!!! i didn't even know this thread existed till now!!! :edgy:

3 Jack and Cokes later, i have read thru the whole thread and i am thoroughly impressed with the work you and your brother have done!!! :icon_thumright:

Bang-up job for bringing this car back to her proper state!!!

Bravo, Mates!!! :hello2:

im def going to be following this thread!!!!

(love the meaty crisps cardboard btw...can i get those in the states??? i know it's not a pork pie, but what the hell, eh?? lol)

Excellent work, very maticulous, nice to see.

Nice work

Wow - thanks for all the kind words guys! It's nice to know someone's looking in!

I suppose in hindsight, if we'd have known 4 1/2 years ago when we decided to start fixing a few things, that we'd have gone this far, we might have gone the whole hog and returned it back to its original colour (gold - see page 1 :icon_wink:)

But as I may have said earlier, we just started fixing a few bits that we thought needed doing the most. And the body work was prob the best part at the time - albeit the 'wrong' colour :eusa_eh:

Oh well, that'll have to wait another few years. The Polara's body needs doing next :icon_rolleyes:

Anyway, back to now. I'll get a few pics next time I'm there, as I didnt get time last weekend. Minor things I know, but we got the glovebox liner in, put the ashtray back, with the mp3/accessory lead coiled within. Redrilled a couple of holes in the rear console bracket, as the original holes we drilled weren't quite right :icon_rolleyes:, and bolted the front passenger seat in.

Oh and I got those shoulder belts shortened by a local upholsterer and he only charged £5 ($7.50ish?), so a bit of a result. Well it would have been even better if he'd measured how much I asked him to shorten them by properly :eusa_doh:
I asked him to make both of them 45mm shorter - one's not too bad but the other is now quite a stretch to attach the popper. Maybe the elastic will stretch with time....

MarPar - good spot on the Meaty Crisps! Not sure what they were but I guess a bag or two were used to keep us going while in the garage!

UK, a cracking B Body there, and top shelf work you've done so far!!

everything is looking good,like the woodgrain on the console(sharp as heck)

Thanks, yes we're pleased with the way that came out, especially for the cost of it! (or lack of, compared to repro items :icon_wink:)
Of course it wont be as original looking as a proper repro part, but with all the different woodgrain parts in the car, there's no guarantee that proper repro parts would be a good match for any of them.

That radio surround is a NOS (or slightly used old stock :icon_wink:) part, to replace the one that melted when the body man used a propane heater to loosen the windscreen sealer :icon_mad:, but that doesnt even match the original woodgrain on the rest of the dash, so what chance have you got :rolleyes:

Well it seemed like a good idea at the time...

Having struggled a week earlier to get the rear seat in, it must have been that extra carpet we tried to use as insulation under the seat base that was stopping it going in, cos once we'd removed the jammed-in seat base (one side was stuck, the other wouldnt go in at all), then took the extra carpet out, we got the seat base in relatively easy.

So with the arm rest fitted, that's the rear of the interior finished.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0213.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0217.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0219.jpg

Seat fits nice & snug over the tunnel now

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0221.jpg


Although the front door panels could wait till after the car's up & running, where it's positioned in the garage (ie close to the wall), it would be tricky to fit the passenger side door panel once the front seat is in, so thought we may as well crack on & get the front panels fitted next.

Next obstacle is to transfer the emblem that's on our original panels to the new ones. Quite a common theme with these resto panels & seat covers; having to reuse some existing hardware, so no great surprise, but these badges are riveted!
Stu's emailed Legendary so we'll see what advice the have.... if any... before we start grinding the old rivets off

Driver's side cleaned up, lubed & ready for new panel.... but not until we've refitted the old emblem:

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0225.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0228.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0232.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0234.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0233.jpg

pre-punched holes just about visible, but way out of position (too low)

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/rob440uk/satellite/DSCF0235.jpg


Once those panels are on, we can get the passenger seat back in, then the console, then the steering column, the drivers seat, bench-bleed the master cyl, refit then bleed the brakes, then see if the darn thing works!


And we're aming to be done before the end of May... :eek:

Wow, I started on page 4 and it looks like I have to go to the beginning of this thread because it's full of awesome.

Wow, I love this story, awesome history and fantastic work done here. Great job guys!