Blackbird's 73 Roadrunner Clone...

[Blackbird73]

Hello everyone!! I am new to this forum but have been a diehard Mopar fanatic for a long time. It all started when I was about ten years old we lived near a few chicken houses that I would explore... (secretly) that were filled to the brim with old cars. Before I even know what a Mopar was I decided that my favorite cars out of the hundreds of cool cars in those chicken houses were the Mopars... the car that did it for me was a 73 Barracuda. Just a beautiful car even when heavily rusted....

time went on and I joined the Navy what got me through boot camp was lying in my rack and dreaming about the Mopar I was going to buy when I graduated... a couple years later when I hit the fleet I overheard a conversation about a car this guy was having trouble selling...a 68 barracuda notchback. I restored and drove that car every day for over ten years then I had to sell it...not going there about why...but it had to be done.

Soon after that I met my friend John he had some F-bodies he needed worked on and I got a 78 Volare Roadrunner out of the deal..I was back in the game.. love that car..

Now he needs my help again resurrecting his B body Roadrunners...payment for the work is a 73 Satellite. That I will be cloning into a Roadrunner. I look forward to the wisdom and advise from this forum since I have never turned wrenches on a Mopar of this caliber before. From what I understand this is way different than the A and F bodies I have come accustomed to.

 

[Blackbird73]

Pics coming tomorrow....She's ugly but I ain't scared...lol

 

[Bruzilla]

Welcome to the site from a fellow 73-74 Roadrunner junkie and former squidly (AW from 79-89). The good news is you're in a hotbed of Mopar activity. I'm always checking the Atlanta Craigslist for stuff and regretting we don't have as much Mopar stuff down here in Jacksonville.

I would love to have a 76 or 77 Roadrunner as I wanted one when I was in high school, but I've heard way too many horror stories about getting parts.

 

[Blackbird73]

Finally got the cars into our driveway today!!!

ccasion14:

 

[Dennis H]

Wow! Live green.

 

[furryfrog]

Fellow clonerunner here as well. Welcome to the site.

 

[Blackbird73]

Pulled the seized up 318. tomorrow I am de-confusing the color scheme in the engine compartment. Its like 5 different colors...as is the rest of the car lol...

 

[d fark]

I also have a 73 "clonerunner". Welcome and thanks for your service

 

[tommyg29]

Those look like theyre solid.
Should be a lotta fun!

 

[Blackbird73]

Those look like theyre solid.
Should be a lotta fun!

Thanks. They are pretty solid only a little cancer in the floorboards, trunk pan and the door jambs. the subframe is intact and my car needs a huge dent pulled out of the quarter panel. I will get to it soon I tackle my cars front to back. inside then outside. the engine is always top priority. I have a LA 360 that I am putting together. nothing crazy just a stock rotating assembly. Its gonna be a blast!

 

[Blackbird73]

Tomorrow the gloss back is going onto the engine compartment..the fenders need to come off so I can weld the door jam repairs...still fighting the rusted fender bolts..

 

[Blackbird73]

The door jam cancer :icon_thumbdown:

 

[Blackbird73]

Got to this point and the rain started coming down...more progress tomorrow then...

 

[73JF1Bird]

Howdy from Alabama! Love them 73 74 Birds and Satellites myself! Good luck with yours!

 

[Blackbird73]

Howdy from Alabama! Love them 73 74 Birds and Satellites myself! Good luck with yours!

They sure are a good lookin platform. Thank you!

- - - Updated - - -

Looks like tomorrow I will be finishing the door jam repairs then since the fenders are off I will tear down the front suspension and install my poly bushing kit, ball joints and tie-rods. I didnt have time to take pics the other day but I also installed a door from another car got it lined up pretty good for now as in..the door will shut now. there is a inch and a half gap at the back edge because the quarter panel is pushed in so bad that it tweaked the door jam so I will have to tackle that soon luckily I have a third car that we are using for parts to finish out the two good ones.

:headbang:

 

[Blackbird73]

engine compartment is done! got those door jam/inner fender wells patched up. sprayed rubber undercoat and some gloss black (the car is gonna be black dont worry this aint a chebby) Now on to the floor pans....

 

[YY1]

You're a braver man than I for tackling that cowl rust.

Money says if it's that bad at the door jamb seam, it's even worse in the rest of the cowl.

Might be better drilling the spot welds on the top cowl panel so you can get it all.

Too much for me, but I've sen it done.

 

[Blackbird73]

Thanks. the only part inside the cowl that is still bad that I will have to get to later on when I remove the dash and A/C box is the vent dike. other than that the seams are all solid in side the cowl...luckily. I'm going to make a new one and weld it in from the bottom. alot easier than removing the entire cowl top. But yeah its gonna be a pain either way.

 

[Blackbird73]

Fenders are back on. The driver side had lost the headlight mount bracket to rust so I had to chop one of the bad fenders to save it.

 

[Blackbird73]

Headlights fit like they should...wish I could have done more but I have to work on another car also..