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California Car Coronet R/T

Congrats on picking up your R/T!

Good luck getting it built, I know what its like to be young and trying to build a car, it took me tons of time, effort, and learning curve.

When I was 16 I bought and built my Dodge Intrepid, not something everyone would customize, but I did, and its not gaudy either (it has a Flowmaster!).
When I was 19 I got to pick up my 1974 Dodge Dart Swinger with my dad that I have now tinkered with pretty extensively, and now I'm 22 and just last year got to buy my all time dream car, a 1969 Coronet. I can't wait to get to work on it!
 
I get Hot Rod magazine because it's almost free. The latest issue has a 69 Roadrunner in it that made my day. It makes the case that you don't have to be rich to love (and build) these old cars. Go out and get a copy of it, and enjoy. I hope more and more young people find out that you make your own fun, and don't have to have a million bucks to have fun with these mopars.
 
If I remember right I talked to your dad when you were looking for a car. I have a 1968 Superbee, since then have started working on it and very happy it did not sell now. I was supposed to get this car when I turned 16 many years ago now but my mom would not let me have the car saying it had too much power. (She was right but..............)

Sounds like your getting a lot done on the car and I hope that my son will be into the old cars like we are. So far he is having fun working on it with me. I will load so new photo's at some point. Good luck with the engine :headbang:
 
were you selling it on craigslist or something or did he see it while he was driving? cause that would be really cool to tell him that aguy we talked to joined the site too!
 
It was on craigslist. I should have it back on the road by spring if money the money is there and time of course. I have the Rally Gauge hooked up and all of the electrical sorted except the horn. Windows, tires, headliner,and fix a trans leak are the next things to fix. I have been buffing out the paint just to make it look a little better so I can drive it a few years before a complete tear down.
 
wait, is it the cream or white colored one with a black bench? if so i totally remember that one!! you wanted like 11500 or something?
 
Yeah that's it!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a bit high looking back now but it was just meant for me to keep. I have been working on it when I have time as it is not at my house right now not being weather tight. So an hour here and there adds up. If I had a good weekend it would be back on the road. Can't wait to get the stripes back on.
 
it was really nice looking bee, maybe you priced it high because inside you wanted to restore it, im glad you kept it, now if i need help i could maybe get some advice from you!
 
So, we took out the drivers seat and the center console yesterday and attempted to hone the 2 bad cylinders in the 440 we got, it has pitting so we are thinking it needs a bigger bore or a sleeve, since its only 2 cylinders we are thinking of just 2 sleeves instead of needing new pistons and everything. we found that the engine may have been bored out before because the pistons are labeled "2292P .030" and we are thinking that means a .030 bore unless anyone here can tell us otherwise. we also found that the previous original owner mustve had too much fun in the car because when we looked underneath the extension housing on the 727 was cracked and smashed and the spline sticking out was shot crooked. and to make things even worse we looked at the floor inside and saw that the metal in between the seats had been sliced open and smashed up. so we think the picked something big up and its started spinning around smashing the floor and the tranny. at least we know that it was the transmission that put the car out of commision rather than it being a cracked block or something. we are going to bring the 440 to a machine shop and pull out the original while the other is getting work done. just another update, even though its a pretty rough update
 
Man, wow, the wow part is that you're 17 and undertaking a project that when I was 17, I could only DREAM of doing let alone the time, skills, tools and space to do such an undertaking and not to mention knowledge! My dad and his brother didn't know crap about cars, nor did they care, so, I was fending for myself reading and amassing information during those years that I think is serving me well some 30 yrs later!

One thing to ponder is that when I was 17, that would be 1982. This Coronet is now currently 45 yrs old, if I bought a car when I was 17 that was 45 yrs old it would be a circa 1937 era car! Today, applying the same logic you would be in what you are currently now in. My point is that time is not your friend on this car; you will need to get at this cars condition more quickly than you think; rust and corrosion are not your friends, and, sadly you have 'em in abundance!

So, an assessment of your skills, time, tools, space and funds is in order! Drive it for 6 months to a year, then tackle it. However, you didn't say much about future plans; college, military, work etc, but, they will take up your time if you engage in any of them. I know I went that way -- still kept the hobby and interest alive, fostered new skills along the way to come back and re-visit my waiting project/hobby, etc. with these new-found skills.

But, it's way cool that you're asking us this stuff and have an interest in keeping this old cars alive and restored! I will help you and assist you as much as I can, and I think most of these guys here feel the same way as I do in saying this, only thing is I wish we all were closer together; sort of a B Body street whereas all of us can dip in, visit each other and assist as needed. But, this is the next best thing!
 
68 Bee

I have added some new rims and buffed out the paint some. Getting there and here is an updated picture. Not a good one and will have to take some better ones soon. Jim
 
Update

We picked up a parts car two weeks ago and are going to be able to use the floor for our RT, we also plan to use other outer parts, but we need to assess the car more the figure out what else is useable on the car, the engine and trans are looking useable so far so we are excited.
(this site wont allow pics to upload for some reason)
 
also, one more question, i have a chance to get some 915 heads with a 68 440 block, should i stick with the 906s or go with 915s? what is the benefits of both? thanks!
 
915s are the best IMO, grab them if you can. They are a 1 year only, `67 head and are the only closed chamber head on the menu. More compression is a major benifit for making power. They made these in HP and non HP, the HP units alraedy have the bigger exhaust valves in them and will be stamped as souch on the machined boss on the end of the head. Either way. HP or not grab them and have the bigger valves installed if non HP, they'll need new seats anyway.
 
Exactly what detmatt said. The 915's have the benefit of the closed chamber but a much better intake port design than the old 516 and the later 452's - and even the early Max Wedge heads! The 906 has the same port shape as the 915 but no benefit of a compression increase. On a 440 you can expect about .4 point of compression increase just in the difference of the chambers. For production heads I always vote 915's.
 
We were actually misinformed and we have 346s, I heard that with porting these heads can actually be nice heads, would it be worth trading these and our 440 block with a few hundred dollars for a 67 block and 915 heads still?
 
Im guessing the answer is to grab the 915s but I just want to be absolutely sure in our decision and I like getting all of your opinions, and thank you two above me for the info on the 915s!
 
Sorry that I have been a stranger for quite some time. Newest update: We have decided the best thing we could do next for the Coronet is to get the body work done, so we needed a car trailer. We havent done much since getting the car besides getting a project car. Ive gone to college and have been busy, but summer is coming up and im hoping to get alot of work done on the car. We came up on a car trailer about a week ago and since have purchased it. we are looking to grab the motor with the 915s as soon as possible. We are looking around for body work people who do nice work for a nice price, if you guys know anyone who fits this criteria in Northern California let me know! Thanks
 
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