Anybody near Houston??

[Cranky]

The best machine shop I know of is in Rosenberg....City Machine. All the places I used in the Pasadena area closed down due to death or plain moved out. A good buddy of mine moved to Kerrville. Houston Balancing and Engine (Pasadena) lost it's owner to a heart attach and is still in business but do not know if they are still doing decent work but they were mostly a Chevy shop. Never heard anything bad about Nickens place but never heard much about how they are on Mopars. I got into building engines for others but my rear end work grew like wild fire and it was much easier dealing with people with that than it was with engines. Too many wishy washy people that have no idea what they need vs what they think they want when it come to engines so my move to doing rear ends only was easy lol

 

[Jc cooper]

Car is about 90% finished now and hopefully will be completed by next summer,p.s. Friday night drive in show at Kroger’s at Valley ranch another niftee fifteen on Saturday night in woodlands tx drive in show both are well done shows FYI

 

[Jc cooper]

Nickens bros at a first class Mopar builders complete engine service and many years of experience in Mopar ,my 440 over 500 hp nicely assembled,clean and accurate,my experience goes back to 67 with my first GTX, have touched every part of car (Peggysue) is going to be outstanding when completed

 

[Rockett]

What kind of work do you need done to your car ?

I'm not sure, but possibly a rear main seal on my 383.

 

[Rockett]

I’m in kingwood tx area building a67 440 4/s GTX ground up Nickens Brothers out of east side of Conroe built engine and runs great (master builders , talk to Wayne Brown for your needs)

I'll have to check them out, thanks!
Initially, I was thinking of doing all of my own maintenance work. I've got decent garage space & these large B bodies & 383 seem easy to work around. But, I foresee maybe at times in the future needing to enlist the help of a shop. Nothing significant on the car now, but I'd like to figure out where my resources are in the area.

 

[Rockett]

Nickens bros at a first class Mopar builders complete engine service and many years of experience in Mopar ,my 440 over 500 hp nicely assembled,clean and accurate,my experience goes back to 67 with my first GTX, have touched every part of car (Peggysue) is going to be outstanding when completed

Yes!! Looking outstanding already!!

 

[Rockett]

I got into building engines for others but

You know I was thinking, ideally, it would be great to find someone who would do work on the car that I can't tackle by myself, while allowing me to participate. Maybe that sounds like an even bigger headache, but I used to tear down & rebuild engines back in HS Auto Shop (40 years ago) and I learn quick & I have the ability to buy any additional tools that I might need. I'd much rather do that, than to simply drop off the car somewhere & come back when it's done. Other than what might be a rear main seal leaking right now, the car doesn't need anything. But, it will, eventually, I suppose. So, I'm looking for resources in the area.

 

[barbee6043]

I am out west of Shepherd, tx, moved her 2 1/2 yrs ago from Missouri, 40 yrs of Mopar. I am on FAAO mainly,.
Yes, Tx is NOT mopar country.

 

[Rockett]

I am out west of Shepherd, tx, moved her 2 1/2 yrs ago from Missouri, 40 yrs of Mopar. I am on FAAO mainly,.
Yes, Tx is NOT mopar country.

FAAO = For _ _ Only ??
(perhaps we need to "band together" to get the MOPAR movement activated in these parts!)

 

[barbee6043]

FAAO = For _ _ Only ??
(perhaps we need to "band together" to get the MOPAR movement activated in these parts!)

I lived for 39 year s in Missouri, 29 yrs I hr North of KC in the outer sticks and and 10 years in SW Mo. I attended the Mopar events in KC and a few times in Branson way South of Springfield. I admit I have never been a "club" kinda guy but I have always enjoyed mopar people. Up in the sticks of Mo, small towns with pop of like 1000 people had cruise ins once a month in summer months!! Cruise ins were everywhere and popular. Yet Houston has no Mopar club except the once mentioned that, if not mistaken, is a "modern" mopar club!?? Modern mopar are fine, but..
There are active mopar clubs in San Anton , Dallas, and FW also, that put on shows.
Rick, we live about 20 mi South of Livingston. We are up there probably once a week on wife's R/E business. Maybe we can meet sometime.

 

[Rockett]

I admit I have never been a "club" kinda guy but I have always enjoyed mopar people. <snip> Rick, we live about 20 mi South of Livingston. We are up there probably once a week on wife's R/E business. Maybe we can meet sometime.

I'm not much of a "club" kind of guy either..., but I've always enjoyed letting other people see my cars & seeing what else is out there. Seems like maybe a lot of people have classics in their garage that never get out as much as they used to? The exchange of information & resources is valuable, too. Maybe MOPARS are a larger, but a more silent, category here in SE TX than we know?
I'm relatively new to this area as well, & I'm now learning about some of the local weekly "shows" in this area (car shows seemed to be *everywhere* in WI & IL). I will PM you with my contact info.

 

[Rockett]

Maybe we can meet sometime.

Can't PM you ... says your inbox is full.

 

[Cranky]

You know I was thinking, ideally, it would be great to find someone who would do work on the car that I can't tackle by myself, while allowing me to participate. Maybe that sounds like an even bigger headache, but I used to tear down & rebuild engines back in HS Auto Shop (40 years ago) and I learn quick & I have the ability to buy any additional tools that I might need. I'd much rather do that, than to simply drop off the car somewhere & come back when it's done. Other than what might be a rear main seal leaking right now, the car doesn't need anything. But, it will, eventually, I suppose. So, I'm looking for resources in the area.

These days I'm getting where I could use some help around my shop. Getting old does suck lol.

I'm not much of a "club" kind of guy either..., but I've always enjoyed letting other people see my cars & seeing what else is out there. Seems like maybe a lot of people have classics in their garage that never get out as much as they used to? The exchange of information & resources is valuable, too. Maybe MOPARS are a larger, but a more silent, category here in SE TX than we know?
I'm relatively new to this area as well, & I'm now learning about some of the local weekly "shows" in this area (car shows seemed to be *everywhere* in WI & IL). I will PM you with my contact info.

Have you gone to a meeting yet at the club you just joined? Years ago the local 'parking lot' shows and meets close to where I live started getting crazy with so many ricers etc showing up but that's been several years ago. There's a Saturday night car show and meet in Kemah on 325 Marina Bay Dr that's supposed to be pretty good and it's been going on for years but it's been awhile since going there too. Traffic gets a bit crazy in that area since it's close to the Kemah circus (boardwalk) and waiting on the same traffic light for 4 cycles isn't my cup of tea....

 

[Rockett]

These days I'm getting where I could use some help around my shop. Getting old does suck lol.

Have you gone to a meeting yet at the club you just joined? Years ago the local 'parking lot' shows and meets close to where I live started getting crazy with so many ricers etc showing up but that's been several years ago. There's a Saturday night car show and meet in Kemah on 325 Marina Bay Dr that's supposed to be pretty good and it's been going on for years but it's been awhile since going there too. Traffic gets a bit crazy in that area since it's close to the Kemah circus (boardwalk) and waiting on the same traffic light for 4 cycles isn't my cup of tea....

Cranky, what kind of a shop do you have? Are you still building MOPAR rears?

I have not yet gone to a meeting or met anyone at Houston MOPAR Club Connection ... just mailed in the application a couple of days ago. Looking at their Website, looks like "member rides" are mostly vintage MOPARS.

Kemah is quite a distance from me, but I'll have to check out the show you mentioned.

If I get into any serious work on my Roadrunner, perhaps you'd trade some "know how" for some shop help?

Rick

 

[Cranky]

Cranky, what kind of a shop do you have? Are you still building MOPAR rears?

I have not yet gone to a meeting or met anyone at Houston MOPAR Club Connection ... just mailed in the application a couple of days ago. Looking at their Website, looks like "member rides" are mostly vintage MOPARS.

Kemah is quite a distance from me, but I'll have to check out the show you mentioned.

If I get into any serious work on my Roadrunner, perhaps you'd trade some "know how" for some shop help?

Rick

I still do rear ends from time to time. I need to get one of those cheap electric hoists from ChinaFreight to pick up the 80 lb 8 3/4 chunks from the floor and onto my bench. Once it's on there, the rest isn't all that hard and going from the bench back to the floor is much easier lol. Right now I'm rebuilding the rear end in my diesel (finally!) and I'm looking at trying to put the diff into the housing by hand or maybe using a floor jack to get it up high enough. The truck is high enough to sit cross legged behind the rear but don't think I have the umph anymore to lift that heavy chunk of metal. Maybe I'll get lucky and the backlash will be right on the money on the first try but that would be a first lol

 

[kp1226]

You know I was thinking, ideally, it would be great to find someone who would do work on the car that I can't tackle by myself, while allowing me to participate.

I might be able to help you out.

PM me if you would like to possibly work something out.

 

[Cranky]

Time to wake up this thread again. What's the Houston area guys been up to lately? The rear in my diesel is together and should be broke in by now but with this Covid crap, none of my vehicles have been driven much except back and forth to the grocery store.....

 

[kp1226]

Time to wake up this thread again. What's the Houston area guys been up to lately? The rear in my diesel is together and should be broke in by now but with this Covid crap, none of my vehicles have been driven much except back and forth to the grocery store.....

I assembled and installed a faceplated transmission in my car back in November, installed a new timing chain a few weeks ago, and fabbed up a torque arm so that I could get rid of the solid motor mounts, and go back to rubber mounts.

I have also been working with a couple of members on here to sort out their cars since this thread was started.

I will let them speak to that if they so choose to share their information.

 

[barbee6043]

I finished the paint on the 62 more door Dart, fabbed clips for the trim and got it all on, painted the two F bodies, working on brakes for the 62 Lancer RoadToad. Go the two horse slant ready to paint when the $$$ fall in my lap!
I have a parts car to meet a guy from Ms in LOUISANA!!! WHEN will the rods open to LA open back up!??????????????///

 

[Cranky]

I finished the paint on the 62 more door Dart, fabbed clips for the trim and got it all on, painted the two F bodies, working on brakes for the 62 Lancer RoadToad. Go the two horse slant ready to paint when the $$$ fall in my lap!
I have a parts car to meet a guy from Ms in LOUISANA!!! WHEN will the rods open to LA open back up!??????????????///

Didn't know they were still closed. Been seeing some cars around here from LA though....