markmopar
Well-Known Member
Woo-hoo!
My recently acquired '64 Polara convertible runs!
About six months ago a good friend decided to get out of cars due to health issues and loss of enthusiasm(he picked another expensive hobby-guns). He sold me the car without an engine but otherwise complete for $3000. Lots of bondo but it looks good going down the road. I also bought another car('64 440 wagon converted to 2 door) and a lot of parts and sold a bunch of stuff for him.
The last week of March I got the car home. We spent that Thursday cleaning out the nests from under the seats since it sat for the last year or so. Saturday afternoon(the 28th) the girlfriend and I started cleaning up a 383 I already had in anticipation of getting it into the convertible. Threw on some new paint and the next thing I know I'm digging out parts. New clutch, pressure plate and flywheel I had leftover from another build. Some new mounts, hoses and filters. Replaced the cobbled together crossmember for the 4-speed with one I had in my stash.
As of 12:50AM On April 1st it roared to life briefly. I only fired it for a few seconds to spare the neighborhood the noise of open headers. With a large smile on my face, I went to bed.
Later that day I buttoned up the exhaust and a few other bits and went around the block. Then across town. The I remembered that while it's still tagged in my buddy's name, there's no insurance! Home we went.
To do:
subframe connectors! This car needs them so bad the driver's door won't open right.
remove and fix leaky driver's side header
install oil and temp senders
hook up heater hoses
replace leaking master cylinder
fix gauge lights
disc brake swap and add swaybar
finish cleaning up engine compartment
fix hacked wiring
and lots more.
I haven't thrashed that hard on a car in years and I was a hurtin' pup. 42 seemed like 80 that night.
Pics at http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/21824735
Sorry for the dark pics, it was getting late.
Since then I added a new Evans engine harness I had left over from a '62 Belvedere wagon I had. The original harness was a mess of spilces and cracked wiring.I just had to swap the bulkhead connector. The Evans harness has the electronic regulator and ignition.
Then I went under the dash to find out why the lights don't work. What I found wasn't pretty. The main feed from the engine compartment is melted all the way to the ammeter. Looks like it's been that way a long time.
This week I'm pulling the whole dash as a unit and swapping in another.
My recently acquired '64 Polara convertible runs!
About six months ago a good friend decided to get out of cars due to health issues and loss of enthusiasm(he picked another expensive hobby-guns). He sold me the car without an engine but otherwise complete for $3000. Lots of bondo but it looks good going down the road. I also bought another car('64 440 wagon converted to 2 door) and a lot of parts and sold a bunch of stuff for him.
The last week of March I got the car home. We spent that Thursday cleaning out the nests from under the seats since it sat for the last year or so. Saturday afternoon(the 28th) the girlfriend and I started cleaning up a 383 I already had in anticipation of getting it into the convertible. Threw on some new paint and the next thing I know I'm digging out parts. New clutch, pressure plate and flywheel I had leftover from another build. Some new mounts, hoses and filters. Replaced the cobbled together crossmember for the 4-speed with one I had in my stash.
As of 12:50AM On April 1st it roared to life briefly. I only fired it for a few seconds to spare the neighborhood the noise of open headers. With a large smile on my face, I went to bed.
Later that day I buttoned up the exhaust and a few other bits and went around the block. Then across town. The I remembered that while it's still tagged in my buddy's name, there's no insurance! Home we went.
To do:
subframe connectors! This car needs them so bad the driver's door won't open right.
remove and fix leaky driver's side header
install oil and temp senders
hook up heater hoses
replace leaking master cylinder
fix gauge lights
disc brake swap and add swaybar
finish cleaning up engine compartment
fix hacked wiring
and lots more.
I haven't thrashed that hard on a car in years and I was a hurtin' pup. 42 seemed like 80 that night.
Pics at http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/21824735
Sorry for the dark pics, it was getting late.
Since then I added a new Evans engine harness I had left over from a '62 Belvedere wagon I had. The original harness was a mess of spilces and cracked wiring.I just had to swap the bulkhead connector. The Evans harness has the electronic regulator and ignition.
Then I went under the dash to find out why the lights don't work. What I found wasn't pretty. The main feed from the engine compartment is melted all the way to the ammeter. Looks like it's been that way a long time.
This week I'm pulling the whole dash as a unit and swapping in another.
