Let the fun and games begin! (1974 garage find)

[Vegas_Nick]

We made the deal yesterday. 1974 Charger. All stock, 318 2bbl. Electric windows and cruise control. All were still operative when parked. It did fire up with no knocks, smoke or rattles. It has a little cancer on the left rear quarter. Someone ripped off the vinyl on the top and bondoed the entire roof. There are some holes drilled in it for the bondo for some dumb ass reason. Seats, carpet, and dash pad all need to be replaced. The car has been stored in a garage in Vegas for ten years and started occasionally.

Original plan was going to be a dirt/prerunner build which would have hacked out the wheel wells, added tubs, etc. Once my wife went over with me, she had this "teenage girl" sparkle in her eyes and she was like "let's build a bad ass street car". So... I guess change of direction.

For just a minute, I felt like that kid again back in 1986 working at the Dodge dealership back home. Funny how many things come back to you in a flash.







Pink Panther not included!

[tan top]

 

[69rtse4spd]

 .

[Vegas_Nick]

Got it home today. Had to bust open the carb right off. Running off of an electric pump and two gallon gas can so we could get it into the garage. LOTS of work to do for sure. It was just one of those days. It started snowing and sleeting while we were loading it. The driver door locked and now I can;t get it unlocked. I hope it's not a sign of things to come! 





Stopped by the carwash!



This thing was so nasty and gummed up!



Well.. I am going to start building the list! The Brown Truck has been delivering goodies all week. All tune up parts, new radiator, hoses, belts, thermostat, etc. I have all new brakes, wheel cylinders, rotors, drums, etc in the cart at Rock Auto now. This is going to be a long project!

[Bob]

Congratulations!!
Looks very nice.

Bob

[Dino]

This is going to be a long project!

Enjoy every minute of it!   

[Nacho-RT74]

Rockauto sometimes gets very surprising and cheap items. I got my drilled and slotted rotors from there on a nice price for my 74, Centric brand.

And they have also the same pieces for the big 11.75" rotors ( an upgrade I want to make someday in the future )... just need to catch the caliper brackets, which are pins, not slider. HAARRRRRRDDD TO FIND ( and pricey when somebody gets them for sale )

[Vegas_Nick]

Rockauto sometimes gets very surprising and cheap items. I got my drilled and slotted rotors from there on a nice price for my 74, Centric brand.

And they have also the same pieces for the big 11.75" rotors ( an upgrade I want to make someday in the future )... just need to catch the caliper brackets, which are pins, not slider. HAARRRRRRDDD TO FIND ( and pricey when somebody gets them for sale )

They are crazy cheap at times. I have access to the wholesale side of Summit and Rockauto even beats those prices at times.

[Nacho-RT74]

when you get the PN of the part you want, make the search by PN there. Sometimes they don't have listed the application for them, but just the part stocked. That's how I got my NGK grooved spark plugs in around $1.5 each, while everybody had them in $3 or more.

same happened with the stock replacement Wiper blades and refills ( trico classic line ). Listed around in $20 or so, while I got them in $9.9, but not listed on the car application, just searching by PN

[Dans 68]

Have a great time! Sounds like your wife is a keeper.... 

Dan

[Vegas_Nick]

Ripping and tearing today. The wiring is a mess! At least the brown truck is bringing in more parts and fixes for that. I have the one wire alternator, circuit breakers and such to bypass the ammeter. I have the parts for the headlight wiring mod.

I pumped the last of the old gas out of the gas tank, and got the radiator out and water pump off today. New radiator is in the garage and water pump is on the way. I just want it driveable while we build a new motor and trans.



There was no water in the oil or vice versa. I am hoping the block is ok inside and this corrosion is just from sitting with water in it for ten years.




Also pulled out what was left of the battery tray. Looks like I have some welding to do there now. Wondering if I should do a trunk mount battery now??


Fun stuff!

[RCCDrew]

If it's going to be a bad ass street car the battery should end up in the trunk anyway. Why not do it now?

[Vegas_Nick]

Started gutting the inside today. Not as bad as I thought.... not as good as I had hoped.








Looks like....wire brush, patch, POR15, sound mat, and carpet will be the order in here.

What about the seatbelt wiring? I want to make it go away as well.

[Vegas_Nick]

Building a pile of removed parts.

Alternator, voltage regulator, cruise control, emissions pieces. Does anyone take these, buy these, etc?

[Nacho-RT74]

the cruise control parts could beeee... a back up for me ( if my servo control is really missed )

[Vegas_Nick]

the cruise control parts could beeee... a back up for me ( if my servo control is really missed )

Pay shipping and tell me how to get it to you and it's yours.

[Dino]

the cruise control parts could beeee... a back up for me ( if my servo control is really missed )

Pay shipping and tell me how to get it to you and it's yours.

Good man!   

[Nacho-RT74]

let me check if I find the NOS servo I got looong time ago... is missed somewhere into the body shop

[Nacho-RT74]

THANKS GOD... the NOS servo I bougth in $80 around 2 years ago appeared at the body shop!!! so, won't be needing the one you have. REALLY appreciatted the offer 

you can get good money for the full CC set on ebay if you care. If you include the column switch/lever and harness even more. Maybe up to $140-180. Or even more if the windshield Washer bottle is good. Yes, CC cars got a diff washer reservoir than non CC cars

would need to include the brake booster bracket, wire bracket at throttle linkage bracket and carb lever for it.

( just a suggestion )

the washer bottle on no CC cars is located where the servo is on CC cars and these bottles are available new repro

a pic of my engine bay maybe 8 years ago. note the washer bottle on driver side

[Vegas_Nick]

We had a break in the weather today so I managed to get the oil changed, new fuel pump and filter, water pump, and new thermostat and housing on.

[Vegas_Nick]

Took a day off from work. Did the plugs, wires, and installed the new carb. Ordered (reordered) the new radiator. Also need to get the heater valve and heater hoses done. We managed to get the trunk open again and no rust in there! We started grinding on the only weak spot in the passenger rear floor pan. That will be the only patch panel inside thank goodness. Now if my job will get on with mailing our bonus checks, I will appeal to the dpartment of finance for some additional play money!

Slowly getting it there.

Anyone buy new transmission cooler lines and have a good source? One of the ends on mine is all twisted up.

[Dino]

I think I got my cooler lines from Summit. No fitment issues. I went with the stock type, not SS.

[Vegas_Nick]

Cool. I'll give them a look!

[Vegas_Nick]

So this weekend I managed to gut the dash and get ready for the Rallye dash conversion. While I was at it, I ran some new wiring to bypass the old ammeter wiring. Also ran new wires for water temp and oil pressure gauges.

I removed all the old air conditioning parts under the hood. Somewhere along the way we will do the upgrade to the new compressor and condensor. For now, just eliminating it all together. I started to mount up the new alternator and realized that I want the bracket kit from Summit, so back to waiting on that. 

[Vegas_Nick]

Well I started working on my own custom dash today. I looked at classic, and after talking to them, I was just unimpressed with their Rallye option. So here is what I did:

Cut the center out of the old dash:


Made a cardboard mockup/template for the gauge layout and switch panel where the radio used to be:




Made a form from some birch that I had lying around. Steamed it soaking wet and let it sit in the sun so it would form to the curve of the old dash.


Then I started filling and sanding and test fitting gauges:


I had to order a 3 3/8 hole saw for the speedo hole. Once that is here, I'll start laying some glass on the whole thing then comes more sanding and test fitting.