"The Mopar I never wanted" Project thread

[LKT1967]

For an explanation of the thread title, please read my introduction post.

The car is a 66 Coronet 500. Originally a 318 auto, it's been powered by a refreshed 71 440 HP since 94. Edelbrock heads, unknown cam although I believe it's one of the mild direct connection hydraulics. Fuel comes courtesy of a FiTech Easy Street 600... don't hate , its performed flawlessly since install. Shifting duties handled by a nicely built 727 and sb converter. Outback is a 3.91 suregrip 8 3/4.

Joe, the former owner, maintained the car mechanically but had no interest in anything more than getting it safely to the track and back... leaving me with a TON of small projects.

My intention is to stop any further deterioration and to make the car a nice driver... let the next owner decide if it gets restored.

First up... lighting.

I know everyone will be shocked to learn 59 years of service isnt kind to wiring. Rather than tearing the car apart immediately to clean up every connection, I'm starting with LEDs for the running/turns and relaying the headlights. Plus repainting the turn buckets which have lost 90% of the original reflective finish.

A couple of pics incoming....

 

[YY1]

You're gonna need Joe Phillips.

 

[Darter6]

I like the title "The Mopar I never wanted" I have had a few in my past.
Right now I "Acquired" a 72 Dart to help out a friend. Complete car no rust through.
Now I'm at the "What do I want to do with it ?" We will see in the next few months.
Have fun with yours !!!

 

[LKT1967]

Update 1. "Error 404: Traction Not Found"

I succeeded in getting the tails and turns fitted with LED lighting... OMG it can be seen! Along the way I finally replaced the high beams with Halogens... yes, the Nasty Net' was still sporting old school pre halogen sealed beams, functional even... not that they did anything useful. Now I can see as well.

Gage cluster is in pieces. All the gages are now clean and working and led lighting installed. The hold up on reinstall is getting the the bezel and lens painted and polished. It must be done. The old flaking paint and chrome makes it look like I was transporting goth strippers. Black and silver glitter bomb.

Scored a nice pair of used 225/70-14s this morning allowing the Magnum 500s to replace the drag package. Now reality sends a wake up call.... 440 under the hood with the power to get both fronts two inches off the pavement with drag radials. The 245 BFG TAs out back are basically for show. Thinking of playing with the fun pedal results in an audible protest. Great drive though...

A pic from CJ Brown Reservoir.

 

[ckessel]

Gotta love driving old, cool, Mopars.

 

[LKT1967]

Update 1.2

Gage cluster reinstalled. Minor hiccup with no cluster lights. Experience saves the day and I discovered the issue by testing before final install.

Tip... it's very easy to pull the headlight switch without the cluster installed. Sure enough the rheostat winding was buggered up. No switch avail local so I made a slight mod eliminating the rheostat. Works great and the lights aren't too bright. Blacked out bezel turned out better than expected. Not perfect but close enough for my requirements. Best of all... working turn indicators. Now I can avoid running out of blinker fluid.

 

[YY1]

FYI- Mopar headlight switches are the same from at least 1966 through the late 80's/early 90's.

Including 80s/early 90s trucks.

 

[LKT1967]

FYI- Mopar headlight switches are the same from at least 1966 through the late 80's/early 90's.

Including 80s/early 90s trucks.

I saw that when I looked up the cross ref in the oreilly catalog system. I'll get back to it eventually.. maybe. My fix will serve until I get back around to needing adjustable illumination.

 

[LKT1967]

Episode 2.

Spent a fair portion of yesterday working on the "Net". First up, adjusting valve lash. Easy peasy... unless someone flippin glued both faces of a composite cover gasket to the covers and heads. It literally took twice as long to clean up that mess than it did to set the valves. Then it was on to interior work.

I swear the dash pad was well down the to-do list. Really.... but it's right in my face every moment in the car..... out comes the cluster again to install a brand new OER dash pad. Along the way I bid farewell to the no name under dash ammeter which allowed relocating the ancient Autometer oil pressure gage to take its rightful place. Bottom of the dash above the console, right beside the matching and just as ancient Autometer temp gage.

Finished up the day cruising to Kil-Kare and back.... much better experience just from the visuals but the 3.91s just have to go. Anyone got a 3.31 Suregrip laying around????

 

[ckessel]

3.31 is GM. 3.23 is us. Should be able to rustle something up in your area.

 

[RemCharger]

Well.. we had the 3.31 as well. But in certain model C body's

 

[LKT1967]

3.31 is GM. 3.23 is us. Should be able to rustle something up in your area.

My head is stuck in Ford Land. 3.31 is a fairly common 4x4 truck ratio for the 8.8

 

[Darter6]

we had the 3.31 as well.

Yes. My 65 Belvedere I that had a Slant 6 and 3 speed manual had a 3.31 rear axle ratio

 

[RemCharger]

Yes. My 65 Belvedere I that had a Slant 6 and 3 speed manual had a 3.31 rear axle ratio

I've only heard the odd mention of an 8 3/4 3.31... but never seen an actual Pic of a ring gear identification number

 

[ckessel]

Learned something new today. Further proof that I don't walk on water.

 

[YY1]

8.75 3.31 gear is not super easy to find.

Believe it or not, there was also a 3.40 gear made.

 

[BigFlo]

Yes. My 65 Belvedere I that had a Slant 6 and 3 speed manual had a 3.31 rear axle ratio

My 65 Belvedere I that had a slant 6 and 3 speed manual had an 8 3/4 housing, with 7 1/4 ring gear with 3.23 ratio. Ma Mopar did some strange things….

 

[davek]

you will like the 323 gears, had 410 in the Bee and that did not last long. I would like 355 perfect gear JMO

 

[Darter6]

Ma Mopar did some strange things….

Been sayin' for years,"Never say never when it comes to Ma Mopar"

 

[Darter6]

I sold those gears/pumpkin to Doug Dutra of slant six fame.He told me this.
Tho it used a 8 3/4 housing the ring gear was actually 8 1/4''. More of the strange stuff.