interesting pictures , & stuff ! -*** UPDATE *** 14th January 2025

[b5blue]

  Thanks hemigeno, I kept trashing GM's products till I found out you didn't need to fix on Friday to drive on the weekend.  Kern you really should reel in this urge to correct everyone.

[Kern Dog]

Really? You're playing victim now after following me around to comment on my posts?
Fair question: Do you still actually do any work on your car or just make comments online?
Sometimes this very forum seems like a bar where a bunch of old men sit around and just talk and talk about what they have done, where they have gone and women they have known but none of them actually do anything anymore.
Some of us still do and are trying to keep the forum alive. I joined when the forum was still vital and relevant. It still can be if more of you guys got off the couch and out to the garage.

[b5blue]

Interesting, another "you think you know" statement. (You don't know me.) 

[Kern Dog]

It wasn't a statement. If you actually read, you'd see that I asked questions. You are deflecting and it speaks volumes.
I don't know you, what I do know is that you chime in to comment but never seem to mention anything new that you're doing. Did I miss any comments that you've made about a show you've entered? Did you post about something you've done with your car?
For the record, nobody likes a blabbermouth that never actually does anything.
They will tolerate a loudmouth that gets things done long before a dude that is all talk.
Maybe you are actually doing things but not posting about it?
Forums like these die off when people have nothing to contribute. I know of several members here that used to post about their ongoing projects. Where are they now? How many besides Lloyd, Dino, TimmyCharger and myself.... and maybe 2 others actually still work on their cars? Of course we are all getting older but so what?
Tan Top and Chris 69 post up all sorts of great pictures. Guys like that get a pass...they could be in wheelchairs with only the use of one hand and they'd still be great assets to the forum.

[b5blue]

Again you ignore the threads "topic" with a rant. (Are you asking me to start a topic of "what b5blue has been doing?") 

[John_Kunkel]

Not every difference of opinion needs to be accompanied by a personal attack/insult.

[John_Kunkel]

Really? You're playing victim now after following me around to comment on my posts?

goism

Egotism is defined as the drive to maintain and enhance favorable views of oneself and generally features an inflated opinion of one's personal features and importance distinguished by a person's amplified vision of one's self and self-importance.

[Kern Dog]

Do you guys have any updates on projects or do you only intend to complain and quote other posts?
How many of you actually contribute? When was the last time you drove your car?

[Kern Dog]

You want to see what some may call "interesting stuff" ?

Just in the past month here, Winch mount for the trailer.







Watching some videos on YouTube since I haven't done this before, I made a receiver mount for this Harbor Freight winch "saddle", then bolted the winch to it...







It works quite well but this dude is heavy!

My 13 year old nephew has shown an interest in cars and mechanical things, so...



We thought this Duster might be a fun project for him but we have shifted away from it to another Duster I have out back that is further along. That white one is a TOTAL project. It needs everything.
We took the Charger out to Folsom lake...

[Kern Dog]

An article in Mopar Action showed how sway bar bushing slop can be eliminated by switching the end links to something like these:



The one on the left has a pattern similar to what the old cars used, In the 70-72 Mopars, they are too long and need to be cut, shortened and welded to get to the right length. The ones on the right can be used if you install a sway bar in a car with no tabs on the lower control arms. The horizontal bolt goes through a hole that you drill in the control arm.
Next picture you can see how they swivel. They have ball joints inside for articulation.



For those that want to go in another direction, you can take the next one (on the right) and cut and modify it how you want:



Part number for the link on the left in the first picture:



Here is the other link in the first picture:



Cheers.

[Kern Dog]

Monday of this week, a local buddy and I tore down a 360 that was pulled from another friends Valiant. He thought it blew a head gasket....



Wow...look at how the fire rings are bulged out!



I posted about this at FABO and a few guys chimed in....this is common with an engine that has too high compression.





It blew both head gaskets out. The FABO guys stated that the bulges are almost always UP toward the intake. The LA/Magnum series engines only have 4 bolts around each cylinder (Big blocks have 5) so they are more likely to blow out. I didn't know of this weakness, but I've never had a high compression small block before.
I did the math and it looks like this engine was around 10.6 to one with iron heads, way too high!
I have the block and heads at the machine shop now. I'm going to put this engine in a 67 Dart. It is a roller cam 1990 block and it came with a Hughes hydraulic roller....That ought to alleviate the anxiety that often comes with flat tappet engines.

[timmycharger]

Woah! busy man, you are making the most out of your retirement for sure. I am beyond jealous, few more years for me to go and I plan on doing the same.

So good to see the young man showing interest, my sons are somewhat interested but are not car guys... yet.

Got to love them A bodies, such a great platform.  Will you be posting up the build on the 67 in FABO? Ill have to check that out.  Our family car in the 70's was a clapped out 4 door 67 Dart, followed by a 72 Swinger.  I helped my brother build a 71 Swinger (70 tribute) with a magnum 380HP crate and 4spd, that thing hauled ass. If I didnt have a Charger, I would be driving a Duster right now 

Nice work

[Kern Dog]

Thank you.
Yes, I have a build thread at FABO about the 360 project. I use this same screen name on all the forums that I am on.

https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/threads/the-360-build-that-has-more-turns-than-willow-springs.575774/#post-1974949103

Tim, you were destined to have a Mopar! Growing up around them must have made a strong impression.
My Dad was a car salesman and manager. He always drove something late model. Mom drove a 78 Camaro, a 79 Camaro and an '82 Trans Am so I had more of a GM influence but the General Lee from the TV show won out.

[timmycharger]

Nice, will have to check that out for sure 

Yea Mopar or no car in my family all because of when my father came to this country from Italy in 1971, we lived near a Dodge dealership which all my family bought cars from.  I was heavily inspired by the charger below which my uncle bought just about new and of course the General Lee.  If that dealership was Chevrolet, I would probably be driving a Chevelle haha..