HawkRod is doing the 2023 Hot Rod Power Tour!

[70bigblockdodge]

No fixing my oil leaks. So I decided to reupholster the seats, only getting the fronts completed (time). Sunday afternoon vacuuming the car, leaned on the front seats to reach, more foam on what I had just vacuumed, that's it, doing them right now. Bottoms are done last night, seat backs/tops tonight after work.
Then put the new crank pulley on and I'm as ready as it gets.
Good luck Hawk, happy birthday, see you this weekend.

 

[HawkRod]

No fixing my oil leaks. So I decided to reupholster the seats, only getting the fronts completed (time). Sunday afternoon vacuuming the car, leaned on the front seats to reach, more foam on what I had just vacuumed, that's it, doing them right now. Bottoms are done last night, seat backs/tops tonight after work.
Then put the new crank pulley on and I'm as ready as it gets.
Good luck Hawk, happy birthday, see you this weekend.

We'll be the rag tag Mopar crew!

If the leak is still there, a last ditch effort may be to try what @Darter6 does: Take a female maxi pad and find a way to hold it down there in the right spot! It might be a bit embarrassing if someone looks down there, but a test drive will remove any embarrassment!

 

[Darter6]

You call the 73 a beater. I wish my beater looked that good. Nice Car !

 

[HawkRod]

You call the 73 a beater. I wish my beater looked that good. Nice Car !

Thanks, but the picture hides sins.

The passenger side is worse, but I don't have a picture handy of that side.

I fixed rust on it in the early 90s and it was then a daily driver for my son for 7 years, used in snow, salt, etc. The rust has returned and it has a small spot on the door, and rust around both wheel wells. Don't get me wrong, it is still a solid car, and we drove it over 11,000 miles with its stroker 340 last year. But the body definitely needs some attention...

My 70 is different - it got treatment by @eldubb440 back in 2014, so it is rust free and really super nice. I keep adding stone chips and dings to it since I drive it, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[qkcuda]

One last thought Hawk. Do you think 7 quarts of oil is too much? I know you said you had a deep pan, but wouldn't 6 be enough? I ran 5 in a stock pan.

 

[HawkRod]

One last thought Hawk. Do you think 7 quarts of oil is too much? I know you said you had a deep pan, but wouldn't 6 be enough? I ran 5 in a stock pan.

I say 7 quarts, but the pan holds 6 plus the filter. See pan below.

I am still using my stock dipstick in the stock location, and I have filled oil until it reads full (and no more), so I wouldn't think the level would be too high. With a high volume oil pump, I really don't want to run the engine lower than that. I think I'd rather have a little oil leak than starve this beauty of an engine of oil. I obviously must have screwed up when I installed the timing chain cover. So hopefully a wintertime project to get this right is in order. It's a painful lesson learned about sealing up the timing chain covers though...

 

[HawkRod]

OK, it's late and I don't have any pictures. But here's the update.

1) We are taking the 70. F**k the backup car......

2) After a quick drive, MOST of the leak seems to be licked. The front of the oil pan where most of the leak was before is bone dry. There is a small area on the passenger side rail that has a little oil.

3) For the first time, I detected a little oil on the head on the passenger side. Valve cover? This wasn't detected before, but the oil droplet certainly didn't fly up from down below.

So my plan for tomorrow will be to selectively add a few small dabs of RTV where (I believe it's) needed and investigate the drop on the head and see where that came from. But I'm pretty sure we have licked most of the leak. Tomorrow I'll will be doing the best I can to address the remaining spots. Then the h**l with it, we're driving it!

Starting Saturday I'll post pictures as I can of our trip. Power Tour really doesn't start until Monday, but I'll keep you posted with pictures and updates as I go along.

Atlanta or bust!!!!

 

[Darter6]

You gotta keep telling yourself
"IT AIN'T A MOPAR IF IT DON'T LEAK "
Here is another good story. Blowin' down the highway during the Tour I see smoke/haze from under the hood.
Pulled over and find the water pump leaking. It was new as was the rest of the car but.....
Found a parts store that actually had one,bought it and thought to myself I'll replace it at the motel tonight.
Meanwhile the leak stopped. Ok, I'll chance it..17 years later that leaky pump that stopped on it's own is still on the car !!!

 

[HawkRod]

You gotta keep telling yourself
"IT AIN'T A MOPAR IF IT DON'T LEAK "
Here is another good story. Blowin' down the highway during the Tour I see smoke/haze from under the hood.
Pulled over and find the water pump leaking. It was new as was the rest of the car but.....
Found a parts store that actually had one,bought it and thought to myself I'll replace it at the motel tonight.
Meanwhile the leak stopped. Ok, I'll chance it..17 years later that leaky pump that stopped on it's own is still on the car !!!

Don't you love it when stuff fixes itself?!?

I do expect my car to still leak - I just hope the leak is not too excessive. Oil is cheap, but cleaning the underside of the car from it all is a pain in the butt I'd rather not have to do. I'll try to repair the leak properly this winter. Having said that, I refuse to let the car just sit in the garage. I enjoy driving my cars. I expect to put on 2000 to 2500 miles next week. That'll get everything broken in for sure!!!

 

[qkcuda]

Have fun Hawk. I have been working to a deadline of my own. I have a memorial car show on Sunday. I just finished the disc brake conversion on Wednesday, and I have to put the seats back in on Saturday. Hopefully I can drive it around the block a couple of times Saturday to make sure everything is working correctly.

 

[HawkRod]

Have fun Hawk. I have been working to a deadline of my own. I have a memorial car show on Sunday. I just finished the disc brake conversion on Wednesday, and I have to put the seats back in on Saturday. Hopefully I can drive it around the block a couple of times Saturday to make sure everything is working correctly.

I saw a picture of your seats - they look good!

Good luck with your own car preparations and enjoy the show!

 

[Budnicks]

OK, it's late and I don't have any pictures. But here's the update.

1) We are taking the 70. F**k the backup car......

2) After a quick drive, MOST of the leak seems to be licked. The front of the oil pan where most of the leak was before is bone dry. There is a small area on the passenger side rail that has a little oil.

3) For the first time, I detected a little oil on the head on the passenger side. Valve cover? This wasn't detected before, but the oil droplet certainly didn't fly up from down below.

So my plan for tomorrow will be to selectively add a few small dabs of RTV where (I believe it's) needed and investigate the drop on the head and see where that came from. But I'm pretty sure we have licked most of the leak. Tomorrow I'll will be doing the best I can to address the remaining spots. Then the h**l with it, we're driving it!

Starting Saturday I'll post pictures as I can of our trip. Power Tour really doesn't start until Monday, but I'll keep you posted with pictures and updates as I go along.

Atlanta or bust!!!!

Good luck & especially have fun...

As David Frieberger (spell) says;
'don't get it perfect, just get it running/driving'...
Roadkill moments
you see how their **** ends up at times too

should be fun

 

[eldubb440]

Good Luck on the trip and stay safe!

and don't forget your helmet

 

[HawkRod]

Good luck & especially have fun...

As David Frieberger (spell) says;
'don't get it perfect, just get it running/driving'...
Roadkill moments
you see how their **** ends up at times too

should be fun

Yup. These cars are no fun sitting in the garage. My car isn't perfect - never will be. But it is perfect fun!

Good Luck on the trip and stay safe!

and don't forget your helmet

I do NOT plan on using any tools

I do need a helmet for drag racing and for autocross events. I will definitely not drag race since I will only break parts if I get good traction. I need to upgrade my driveshaft and axles before I go drag racing. Autocross? Meh. My car isn't set up for that anyway...

 

[CoronetDarter]

Nice mug shot Hawk.

Reminds me of when I was restoring the Coronet I was applying POR-15 (wearing gloves of course) and got an itch on my face. It was pure reaction time, before I realized it there was a big patch of POR on my cheek.

 

[moparedtn]

Nice mug shot Hawk.

Reminds me of when I was restoring the Coronet I was applying POR-15 (wearing gloves of course) and got an itch on my face. It was pure reaction time, before I realized it there was a big patch of POR on my cheek.

Let he who hath not walked in thy brothers' path cast the first stone...

 

[Darter6]

What the HELL, Go and have a great time. Damn the leaks ! you got the right attitude !!
I wish I was there. Best time is spent on the Power Tour. Yeah, I bitched and moaned in New Orleans
in traffic 100 * heat and following the Hot Rod crew "I know how to get there" yeah in their A/C while I'm boiling over heading down a one way street going the wrong way with my wife calling my cell every 10 seconds waiting at the motel with
"Where are you ?'' (She rode in with the Mustang Magazine crew because of the heat and humidity) BEST TIME OF MY LIFE !!! Now I enjoy telling the stories.
I got more to fill a whole book on New Orleans alone..
JUST GO AND HAVE FUN. As I said, I musta logged 50,000 miles on the 9 Long Hauls I went on.

 

[HawkRod]

What the HELL, Go and have a great time. Damn the leaks ! you got the right attitude !!
I wish I was there. Best time is spent on the Power Tour. Yeah, I bitched and moaned in New Orleans
in traffic 100 * heat and following the Hot Rod crew "I know how to get there" yeah in their A/C while I'm boiling over heading down a one way street going the wrong way with my wife calling my cell every 10 seconds waiting at the motel with
"Where are you ?'' (She rode in with the Mustang Magazine crew because of the heat and humidity) BEST TIME OF MY LIFE !!! Now I enjoy telling the stories.
I got more to fill a whole book on New Orleans alone..
JUST GO AND HAVE FUN. As I said, I musta logged 50,000 miles on the 9 Long Hauls I went on.

Thanks, yes, I am getting excited. I'm not too worried if it gets hot. My car can fry the tires off but keep me cool with A/C! (Yes, I'm getting soft in my old age!) This is my first Power Tour so I really don't know what to expect - but we'll just roll with it. Last year I logged over 11,000 miles on my 73 driving across country, and we had ZERO fixed plans except for where I was picking up, and later dropping off my wife at two different airports. Nothing else was planned, and it was so much fun - not a care in the world. With this we have a specific itinerary, but there will surely be lots of neat stuff to see. Hopefully we have an uneventful drive mechanically tomorrow and Sunday!

Now if you see me on the way, be sure to toss a few coins my way!

 

[GTXDAN]

Hey I think I will show up to see you guys off from the track. I only live about 5 mi east of it.

 

[HawkRod]

Hey I think I will show up to see you guys off from the track. I only live about 5 mi east of it.

Awesome - hope to see you!



Today we made it safely to our campground. The car ran great. I think there is still a minor oil leak, but I haven't even checked that carefully - at this point it doesn't matter anyway.

Now enjoying a cold beverage by the camp fire with @70bigblockdodge