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Inferior aftermarket stuff!!

If the car is causing you more pain than pleasure then maybe you should sell.
I've followed most of your posts from the Borgenson power steering saga to the current non-starting situation and it seems that challenges that are commonplace in a hobby like this cause you more stress and grief than most. I actually enjoy fixing my car and fully expect every job I do to be a nightmare of broken or ill-fitting parts and the overcoming of these issues is what motivates me.
If you're not that type then maybe this hobby is not for you. It would be a shame though, as I think if you stick with it for another few months, all the gremlins will be ironed out and you'll have a reliable classic that only needs basic servicing.
 
All the issues and the frustration are part of the process and for me those things fade away when I am driving these cars and not worried about the cars leaving me stranded on the side of the road.
Not everyone feels that way and sometimes you have to decide if it’s worth it to be a keeper or steward of these time capsules.
For me it is definitely worth all the headaches and dealing with parts and other people who don’t get it. Just my opinion and that’s all.

:thumbsup: :drama: :mad: :luvplace: :steering:

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After watching that video, I'm thoroughly convinced that Dulcich is a full blown Stoner!
 
ARP are normally good about redesigning things to make it better
He should contact them with the question and see what the answer is they may have a reason or if they have messed up and they will fix
But a lot of after market parts are junk but so is some OE stuff junk
 
ARP are normally good about redesigning things to make it better
He should contact them with the question and see what the answer is they may have a reason or if they have messed up and they will fix
But a lot of after market parts are junk but so is some OE stuff junk
These cars were very reliable when they still retained original parts. Once the OEM stuff was used up and aftermarket replacements became more common, the reliability of the cars dropped off a bit.
Aside from the Lean Burn and the Aspen/Volare/Diplomat transverse torsion bar designs, these cars had great engineering.
Whenever one of my reproduction electronic ignition ECUs craps out, I reach for a 40 year old original box. They rarely fail but look worn out. The new distributors look like a factory electronic unit but have different internal parts that are inferior. My aftermarket stroker crank worked fine but the hub register at the back was .026" larger than stock, causing me to have to get the flywheel machined oversize to fit it.
 
If the car is causing you more pain than pleasure then maybe you should sell.
I've followed most of your posts from the Borgenson power steering saga to the current non-starting situation and it seems that challenges that are commonplace in a hobby like this cause you more stress and grief than most. I actually enjoy fixing my car and fully expect every job I do to be a nightmare of broken or ill-fitting parts and the overcoming of these issues is what motivates me.
If you're not that type then maybe this hobby is not for you. It would be a shame though, as I think if you stick with it for another few months, all the gremlins will be ironed out and you'll have a reliable classic that only needs basic servicing.
I remember your contributions during the power steering project. Your comments here made me stop and think about my relationship with this car from an outsider’s perspective..

I’ve never thought of what I am doing with this car as being a hobby. It’s what is required to achieve the end goal, which is to be able to drive the car.

I used to have a Challenger years ago and that was just my daily transportation. It was how I went everywhere, the grocery store, to school, to work. It was my choice of transportation. I was just a guy that drove around in an old Mopar. Car and I both were a lot younger back then. I had more patience, the car was very reliable. I drove it clear across the country from the East Coast out west here, it brought me here. It rarely ever let me down.

Over 20 years later, I have less patience and I’m more grumpy than I was back then.. In my daily work I’m having to solve problems constantly all day long. But they are computer problems. I am a programmer. So when the weekend comes around I want to be able to relax and not have to deal with more problems. But I also missed driving my Challenger..

When I bought this car I was looking for a driver, not a project car. I didn’t realize how much of a project this car was going to be.

If I give up now then the whole prior year’s work will have been for nothing.. I have enjoyed driving the car for the little amount of time that I’ve been able to do so.

So I’ll see what I can manage to do before the hot summer comes on. Then reevaluate my situation at that time. Maybe it will all work out.
 
I was also very disappointed in the wrong length ARP fasteners I purchased (too short). Debating on whether to use 'em or not. Paid plenty for them plus shipping.

My next (and third) restoration is sitting here in the yard. I might just re-use everything I possibly can. If not, I won't restore it at all (sick and tired of paying for inferior stuff).
 
Im very satisfied with the bolts Ive bought from Partsmix.
But many other aftermarket parts ive bought....jeez....
 
As others have stated, there's a very real difference in the material quality of original-type stuff from back in the day as opposed to what is available now - and yeah, the bulk of the blame is because modern technology + Chinese availability of manufacture.

Sad part is - the market pretty much demands the cheap crap, so for any seller to stay in competition/business, they are forced to go that route to keep pricing down.
This is true pretty much in all walks of goods and services in this life, not just the hobby...

The older I get, the more I get a kick out of seeking out that which is still good and domestically produced today first, followed by what "vintage" stuff I can find second.
There's a tactile feel to old school quality - it's made better, feels better in the hand, fits better, the metallurgy is superior, etc.
I don't know if it has to do with nostalgia, impatience with inferior crap or even hearing my own biological clock accelerating, but I'll spend the time to seek out the "good ****" now.
 
I went so far as to buy a vibratory tumbler and clean my fasteners , they come out clean , sometimes I’ll soak them in some evaporust then run them thru a time or two. Now I need a good plater to put the black oxide coating on them but boy are they nice! I also bought the collection of resto books for references to help locate and identify fasteners .. Can’t beat oem fasteners for most things except some engine fasteners I prefer ARP.
 
So, I am putting ARP Head bolts in a 440, and remembered this post (had to search for it, LOL) and I thought I would share. The long head bolts are the same length, and the shorter ones are about two threads shorter. Also, if you look at the heads/washers, you will notice the ARP washers provide 3 to 4 times the surface area available to clamp to the head. OEM only uses a small band while the ARP washer is much wider. I am not sure what Dolsich is whining about, let alone throwing the bolts around...

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So, I am putting ARP Head bolts in a 440, and remembered this post (had to search for it, LOL) and I thought I would share. The long head bolts are the same length, and the shorter ones are about two threads shorter. Also, if you look at the heads/washers, you will notice the ARP washers provide 3 to 4 times the surface area available to clamp to the head. OEM only uses a small band while the ARP washer is much wider. I am not sure what Dolsich is whining about, let alone throwing the bolts around...

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I reckon he's under the "gotta produce content for the channel" now like all the others...
 
I saw that video yesterday. W T F is with his hair? Is he going for a "Young Doc Brown" from Back to the Future sort of look?
I'm kinda leaning towards Covid hair. I only had two hair cuts last year. Now that Va. is opening up I'll get more this year.
 
I've mostly been using NOS aftermarket stuff from the 70's and that stuff is GREAT quality. But the few newer things I bought for the charger were varied, Classic industries floor pans were junk but 440 source roller rockers were great.
I really think foreign manufacturing is the reason, because all of the old aftermarket stuff is top notch.
I also bought repro fog light covers for the 74 challenger, and they had no markings on them unlike OEM ones.

Side note, I would still use the ARP hardware instead of the OEM stuff because the OEM stuff was heated and cooled thousands of times and could be warped or less structurally sound.
NOS (New Old Stock) aftermarket stuff?????
 
Its not just aftermarket parts.
Years ago Dad bought a new 70 Challenger. Traded in the 66 Coronet. I wasnt even driving yet but I maintained the Coronet. I turned 16 and learned of drive in the Challenger. One day i noticed a clunk when leaving a stop. Sho nuf, broken motor mount. Told Dad and he was livid. Said I was going to fix it myself, so I did. It lookedike the insulator had never been attached to the bracket.
Fast forward a while and was talking to a neighbor and he asked me what I had been doing to to the car son I told him. He informed me Dad had already replaced the original at the dealer.
Boy I never let Dad off the hook for that.
 
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