Project Larry - 62 Dart 440

[matthon]

Installed and I like it a lot.

Made a small harness for the gauges, power, grounds, grounded the housing, etc., and a ground hub that will have a ground wire directly to the battery.

AAW kit uses a GM headlight switch, had to trim the original screw in aluminum spacer as the threads were too long.
Also had to use original rod, but round the end off about 1/4 inch to match the supplied GM one or you can't remove without taking switch apart.

 

[matthon]

Getting closer.
I made a prediction a few weeks ago that it would be driven by the 21st, seemed impossible at the time.
Made an appointment last week for an inspection/alignment, first available date was 7/21, so it's on!

Tach installed, didn't want to destroy a freshly painted column, so I put multiple wiring heat shrink tubes over the hose clamp, no scratching, looks great.

Wiper system, new wiring, installed, need battery to make sure motor is at off position before installing arms/blades.

Ground hub under dash, same one next to battery, connected by cable.

AAW fuse box, nice.

Alternator installed/wired, I put the coil on the inner fender on my other car, upright mounting, close to distributor, wiring/coil away from heat, wiring off engine.

Power steering installed, need to fill/bleed.

Radiator/hoses installed, bottom hose and upper left off on one end to flush engine once fired.

Made headlight harness from scratch, first time headlights have been installed in years, Lary has his face back, and what a beautifully ugly face it is.

List to make it move by 7/21 is within reach.

With any luck, I'll be done with everything, to drive it, and some non essential tasks, by the end of the weekend, except for the last two items which are scheduled to arrive next week, driveshaft and full exhaust.

After that, drive the heck out of it, and worry about the last few details when it moves under it's own power.

 

[matthon]

Last week I had to pressure wash the car and garage, 60 years of dirt and rust all over made it difficult to work.

 

[moparedtn]

This is going to be so cool when Larry "hits" for the first time!

 

[icetech]

Wishing my car was a 4 speed, Good luck on the 21st!

 

[moparedtn]

Wishing my car was a 4 speed, Good luck on the 21st!

That's been mandatory for any old ride I wind up with - gotta be a 4 speed!

 

[icetech]

That's been mandatory for any old ride I wind up with - gotta be a 4 speed!

Too much work for me to convert, and money.... but would open my options to get away from this pushbutton trans just don't want some boy racer floor shifter for a auto..

 

[Big bill]

Larry is looking good .

 

[Dave6T4]

Too much work for me to convert, and money.... but would open my options to get away from this pushbutton trans just don't want some boy racer floor shifter for a auto..

Other option is to put bucket seats in and use console and shifter from '64-'65 B-body. You would also have to use floor brackets, cables and valve body from console donor car. These are different than push button pieces.

 

[matthon]

Lights work, and are darn bright for just regular headlights.
Removed reverse lights and they became the 'third' brake light from the AAW harness.

 

[matthon]

Dash lights.

 

[matthon]

Wipers installed.
Good thing I ran them before putting arms on, had the motor arm mounted wrong on the passenger side.

 

[matthon]

What happens when you wire the horn relay incorrectly by swapping the ground and green wires?

Well, you hit the horn button late at night expecting a beep or some old horn trying to come to life, instead you get flames from behind the horn button.

Removed column harness, checked everything, no other wires damaged.

Unsettling to say the least.
Onward.

 

[moparedtn]

Mine only works in one spot in the wheels' rotation - but it likes to make my elbow wiggle a lot, too.
*zzzzzzt!*

 

[matthon]

Horn back together and no fire and brimstone.
It's darn loud too.
Torqued the front suspension, mirrors, tinkering, waiting.

Driveshaft and exhaust eta this week.

 

[matthon]

Driveshaft installed.

Rear exhaust pipes loosely installed.

Step 1, install the tailpipe hangers.
May need to drill a hole for the passenger side, or drill new holes on both sides.

Step 2, install the muffler hangers, which have clamps inside. Slide tailpipes over axle through internal clamps. Then mufflers slide into the tailpipes, then clamp together.

I noticed the driver's side framerail has the tailpipe hanger hole, and the passenger side had one as well, but farther forward, huh?

Looking at the tailpipes, the welded on tabs for the hangers are in fact in different locations to line up with the factory holes.

Who knew? Apparently TTI.
Not sure why the passenger side hole is forward. Both sides have the hole with the rectangular slot below.

 

[matthon]

Passenger side intermediate pipe does not fit.
It pulls the muffler into the rear and driveshaft.
If I place it were it should be, the H pipe does not connect, and it misses the header completely, to the right.

Tried collectors on both sides, but they are stamped L and R, and fit best that way.

Tailpipes & mufflers fit perfect.

Passenger header was a be-atch. Took the bolts out of the driver engine mount, the bolt off the trans mount, removed the passenger mount entirely, it finally went in from the top.
Supposed to be from the bottom, but the car was way up in the air with the engine jacked up and it was a no go.

I heard a giant pop, trans mount exploded.

Driver side header went in from bottom no problem, even with the starter, steering, engine mount, dipstick, everything there except the Z bar.

I measured everything per the instructions and the engine is exactly were it should be, no shims needed.
The only odd thing, the difference between center of crank to one side and the other is listed as 3".
Measured ten times, 2 tape measures, 1 laser measure, difference is 4".
No amount of shims will make it 3".
Either they have it wrong, or 62 is an oddball.

Everything loose, that friggin passenger pipe just doesn't fit, the header fits perfect, there's no room for it to move, and moving the header wouldn't solve the issue of the pipe into the driveshaft/rear.

I'm lost.
TTI headers and exhaust on my 64 poly fit without issue.

No pics of the pipes on, took them off before I snapped pics.
Headers on a 62 are not centered in the crossmember, wacky collectors make up the difference.

 

[barbee6043]

Is 62 K member a little different than 63-4-5????

 

[matthon]

It is as far as engine mounts.
62 had a V8 k and a 6 k, the V8 k was neither a big block or small block k.

Big and small had different engine mounts. I bought Schumacher mounts and shims, which TTI mentions in their installation.

Driver side pipe bolts in no problem.

Passenger side will need to be cut and angled. I'll post a pic.

I'd like to know the reason before I cut it, as the 2 pipes are basically mirror images, but it may just be because it's a 62.
Whether the offset of the engine is 3" or 4" doesn't really matter, moving the engine towards one side or the other doesn't make the pipes line up, it only puts the headers into something.

The only bolts I tightened were front/rear header bolts, as I figured where the collectors ended up needed to be accurate.
Everything else is loose.

 

[matthon]