Project Pittsbird is Underway

[Bruzilla]

I finally got my 1974 Roadrunner back to the barn. Had a nice drive from Hawthorne, FL to Fleming Island in it, and it sure was nice to be behind the wheel of a 73/74 Roadrunner again... and even better to do it in a car I paid $2,000 for and was able to drive home instead of tow.

The car is a 318 auto that now has a warmed over 360. The drivetrain is fine, but I've added an Accel supercoil and wires. Body is in great shape with a few small spots of rust bubbling up on the lower driver door, and there's a dent on the fender that need to get pulled. Everything else is just a couple of supermarket dings. You can see the leaf springs are worn and the shocks were totally shot, so I've ordered new leaves and put a set of Hijackers on last night.

The car has a new fuel tank, fuel lines, exhaust, alternator, and PS pump. Downside is the door panels are there but most all the interior from the doors up is missing.

The original seats are gone and replaced with some SUV seats that are going out this weekend. I just bought a nice set of seats from a 76 Aspen that will be going in. Cost: $40. I've also gotten a complete console shifter setup that I also plan on getting in this weekend.

Paint will be black enamel with black and gold stripes to refect the Pittsburgh look I'm going after.

 

[Ron 73]

I hope you'll keep us updated as you go, thats a cool decal there for sure... I learn something new each day hear, i didn't know you could have them made up, It is real isint it? with what your planing, they would look great on it! Looks like its in great shape. Your car looks familiar, the color, mine is a 73 RR clone but as you can see it reminded me of mine before i tore into it, if you look close, it has the same coil you put on yours, lol.. Sounds like you had a nice ride home in her, thats always a winner.. The colors you have planed sound awesome... Wish ya luck in your resto!! Ill be watching..

 

[Bruzilla]

This is my seventh 73/74 Roadrunner, and I've done just about everything to them, from just driving them to frame-off restos, but this one is strictly going to be for fun. I'm working on this car just as I would have when I bought my first one back in 1979, i.e., I wasn't worried about year or model-correct parts or resale value back then, so I'm not worrying about it now. I'm also looking to see how economically I can pull this project off, so I'm doing a lot of shopping around and seeing how I can save costs (ok, this was more my wife's idea than mine, but I think it'll be useful info for new folks who find the costs of working on 70's muscle cars pretty daunting).

One of my first finds was the Aspen seats. I haven't taken the covers off, but the design is very similar to 71-74 B body seats. Dodge modified the rails to fit the F body cars, but it looks like most of the rest of the seat is the same, just a different seat covering. And $40 for the seats, plus $215 for custom black and gold seat covers, sure beats paying close to $1,000 to buy two rebuildable original B-body seats and redoing them. Also, working ebay to death, I got a console, complete end-to-end shifter assembly (including T handle), and a set of brackets for a smidge under $250 shipped, which is less than what most used consoles alone are selling for, so there are bargains to be had.

That Accel Supercoil was the first thing I bought after picking out the car. I've had one on every 70s car I've owned, and they're like an icon of the era to me.

The decal is certainly not original, but the car isn't going to be either. The decals I'm having made are the same size and material as the originals, and will go on the front header and trunk lid.

 

[Ron 73]

I admire anyone doing it for fun, ive had the real ones, im having a blast with mine now, ill be watching. I wish i would have known more about EBAY when i was doing mine! Year One got a lot of cash from me, among others. Over now, maybe the next project will go smoother. looks like your grill is in good shape, i had to make part of mine in the middle, to be honest it was fun, trying to make something out of nothing but "broke plastic" good luck.

 

[Bruzilla]

I used to be a buy-first guy, but then I started watching that American Chopper show. I would see those guys needing some oddball part, and instead of shopping around for one, they just fabricated what they needed. I figured if someone can make something, I can find a way to copy it.

That Creature From The Black Lagoon figure in my avatar pic was created the same way. I had wanted a life-sized Creature since the late 1960s when I built my first Aurora kit, but the better ones I've found cost about $10,000. Since I don't pay that much for anything I can't drive, I decided to figure out how to make my own, and there he is. He's made from a mannequin, sculpy clay, epoxy clay, vinyl, and a lot of exotic auto upholstry, but I've got my Creature.

 

[Bruzilla]

I started converting the column shift to a console shifter. I think I'll refer to this as the DMV conversion because no matter how well prepared you are to get the job done, you aren't. It seems like there is always one more thing you need!!!

I got the console, console brackets, the top plate, everything for the shifter from the T-handle to the retaining clip to connect the shifter to the tranny... but then I found out there's a support bracket that bolts to the tranny that isn't tracked as part of the shifter linkage. There goes another $45 towards the effort!

I'm waiting on some window trim clips to come in, and when they get here I guess I'll switch to reinstalling the front and rear window trim while I wait for the mystery bracket to show up.