Here is what $5000 buys you.

[Kern Dog]

I gasket matched using the smaller gasket.

[Kern Dog]

While at the Summit store in Sparks, NV last week, I looked at a display head from Trick Flow. It was the 240 model. The exhaust port didn't look much bigger than stock so I don't know if the gasket match was worth much.
I did blend from the gasket into the port and cut down all casting flash, various small bumps and also smoothed out around the valve guide bosses.
Keep in mind, this is my FIRST time at this!

[Kern Dog]

The intake ports were not much smaller than the stock valley pan tin but I did a little cleanup and blend into the ports.

[Kern Dog]

There were some areas at the edges of the ports that looked like core shift or erosion. Nothing I could do except to maybe epoxy and sand smooth?
Nah....
I nicked a couple of valve seats while porting but I planned to have a valve job done anyway. These had a one angle valve job. I'm getting a traditional 3 angle done.
Today I ordered a set of Speed Pre .030 pistons, PN 2315. They are spec'd to sit .025 in the hole compared to .076 like the stock pistons. That alone is worth a point.
I got a Comp Cam similar to the Mopar Performance 280/474. I had that cam in a stock piston 440 in 2002. It was a good performer.

[Kern Dog]

Now since the engine is in the hands of the machinist, I needed to focus on other stuff so when the engine is ready to go in, the car is ready for it. This means I have to figure out the underhood wiring. The car came with NONE and the '70 Charger uses an electric headlight door motor and some have hood blinkers.
I also need a gas tank. Since the floor is rusted to death, I needed to replace the trunk floor, gas tank with straps and filler neck. The Wife and I went to Sparks and brought back THIS!

[Kern Dog]

To fit the replacement pan through the trunk opening, I am going to cut the sides so that they sit on the inside edges of the frame rails. This makes sense because the rust is mostly inside of that area.
I started by taking measurements of the locations of the spare tire brackets.

[Kern Dog]

The new pan has one difference that I noticed immediately. Look at the narrow spacing of the body plugs over the rear axle hump, then look at how wide they are on the AMD panel.

[Kern Dog]

I don't really care about the difference as long as the panel fits in well. I do wonder though if the 68 and 69 models had a wider spacing and if AMD just used the same panel for all 3 years.

[Kern Dog]

More.

[Kern Dog]

The plan is to join the new pan to the stock seam over the axle hump and spot weld like stock there. The sides will rest on the inside edges of the frame rails. The rear will sit on the shelf that sits above the rear bumper support bar. With proper welds, grinding and seam sealer, I hope to have it look undisturbed.

[lukedukem]

Couple quick questions. On the gasket matching, what did you use to do that job, tools wise?

On the trunk piece, so the one you bought you are cutting down to only fit what you need to replace? My car has smaller area than yours.

Love the thread btw.

Luke

[Ghoste]

Wow, you did have much to report.

[Wakko]

Great updates, thanks. 

[Kern Dog]

Couple quick questions. On the gasket matching, what did you use to do that job, tools wise?

On the trunk piece, so the one you bought you are cutting down to only fit what you need to replace? My car has smaller area than yours.

Love the thread btw.

Luke

Hey Luke,
The porting was done with an air powered die grinder with a 1/4" round collet. I'll try to get a few pictures today. For years, people have said that iron heads can match the flow of the Edelbrock and 440 source aluminum heads but the cost of porting to get them there makes it more cost effective to just buy the aluminum ones. I figured that since this 383 just needs to be up and running, why not try porting them myself? I don't know how much I may have improved the flow or power but I doubt that the work made things any worse.
The YouTube channel Uncle Tony's Garage had a video on head porting. He said to clean up port irregularities and casting flash. I read and have seen videos on smoothing out the sharp edges so I just did that too. Ear muffs, eye protection and keeping your mouth closed when porting are great suggestions!

On the trunk floor. the AMD panel is stamped to fit over the frame rails and to the area where it meets the side "drop offs"  or extensions. Since the rust in this car is limited to the area between the frame rails and also because a full width pan won't fit through the trunk opening, I'm just cutting the new panel to  patch in over the worst area.

[Kern Dog]

Couple quick questions. On the gasket matching, what did you use to do that job, tools wise?

On the trunk piece, so the one you bought you are cutting down to only fit what you need to replace? My car has smaller area than yours.

Love the thread btw.

Luke

Hey Luke....
For porting, I used this simple 1/4" die grinder that was given to me. I made the first pass through everything with the carbide bits, then smoothed over everything with the stone bits.

The local NAPA store sells a die grinder like mine.

[Kern Dog]

Good day. I got a lot done.
I had to go out to get a spotweld cutter. Once I was back home, I drilled out the remaining welds and chiseled out the rest.

[Kern Dog]

The original plan was to just cut the AMD pan to fit to the middle of the inner flange of the frame rails. The right side had some deep pitted metal a bit further in, even past the outer flange of the frame rail. I went ahead and cut the rust out.

[Kern Dog]

Before any trial fitting of the AMD trunk pan, I took measurements in several places as to where the original metal ended. I wrote these numbers on the floor of the trunk for reference.
I took the trunk pan and measured to the center and drew a line with white soapstone. From there, I measured over to my number and added just over an inch on both sides. This allowed me to slip the pan through the trunk opening and cut it to size in place.

[Kern Dog]

I have never done this with new metal before. I just used some Carpenter type common sense and was fortunate that my numbers were right and nothing was cut too short.

[Kern Dog]

The trunk latch bracket was left in place but I did knock the welds loose in the middle so I could pull it up enough to let the new pan slide under it. After all the fitment was done and the edges cut to size, I pulled the pan out to drill holes in the center to plug weld through to the center brace.  I used an air powered punch to make holes around the perimeter.

[Kern Dog]

I measured and then welded on the gas tank strap brackets.

[Kern Dog]

Back in place and held down with a few self tapping screws, welding has begun !

[Kern Dog]

I'm knocking down the welds with a 36 grit flapper disc on a DeWalt 4 1/2 " angle grinder. The welder is a Lincoln MIG with argon/CO2.
Welding is about 3/4 done. The front gets a thick smear of seam sealer. Same with the rear. The sides will get primed and eventually painted.

[70 sublime]

Was it fun getting your head with the welding helmet on up and under the back window area to weld in the front edge ?
I did not think I could bend my body that far any more and just joined my trunk floor at the straight line that goes across the floor on the up angle near the front

I like your claw hammer for metal work 

[Kern Dog]

Ha...Yeah, there is some contortion to getting up and in there to weld in the tight spaces. My 5'6: 140 lb Brother in law would have been a better fit.
The hammer? Yeah..It is an old one used for stripping concrete forms. I'm a Carpenter, certainly not a welder. I had it there to smack the chisel to peel the old metal up. Sometimes I buy new stuff, sometimes I just use what I have laying around.