What's on your "bucket list"?

[model88_308]

Great story, I've e njoyed it and the pics immensely. I actually learned to drive on a 1970 Dodge pick-up, same color too. Those first lessons were in 1970....

And, tell your friend that 88 said...."So, what's a little surface rust between friends?" I sure hope you can include a little video of the sound, once you get her going!

Well done, young man!!

 

[rayjay]

I see the "pros" on TV dropping the motor and trans in as one unit and I just have to shake my head. It takes them forever. Tilt the motor this way, that way, oops we just scratched the paint, oops we just bent the core support, etc.

This is how a wise person does it. Trans in place but a couple of inches back. Slowly lower the motor with it horizontal, no tilt needed. Jiggle the motor a bit as the mounts meet up. Slide the trans forward, hit all the fasteners, done. I've installed many a motor this way all by myself. There is no drama.

Good job !!

 

[JrobertsJ20]

Frankenstein is perfect...need to have that airbrushed on the tailgate. Engine looks great, wish I could come by and hear it roar Saturday. I'll be out of town, but with you guys in spirit...Great Job...Awesome!

 

[rayjay]

It would be interesting to take it down the 1/4 mile on a test and tune night. I would imagine it's got a 3.23 rear gear, maybe 3.55. If it didn't just blow the tires off it would probably run mid 13s to mid 14s. Might need race gas to really let it show what it could do.

4.11 gears, posi and some sticky tires should see it in the low to mid 13s if not better. Really, now that I remember it's over 400 ci it might go mid 12s.

This is assuming brakes etc up to 85+ mph trap speeds for the current set up.

 

[normaldave]

Something a bit fishy about that new motor eh? What's with the aluminum heads on a small block Mopar anyhow? Well the 340 got bored .030 over, and you know they make these aftermarket crankshafts nowadays that have a longer stroke...So now, he has a 416 cubic inch Mopar small block going into that old rust bucket truck. A new set off Edelbrock performer heads, an old Victor 340 aluminum intake, new Edelbrock AVS carb. He already has 4.56 Sure Grip rear differential, and is adding a new Turbo Action 10" torque converter to this project. (Go big or go home, I guess).

He's got the 8-3/4 with 4.56 Sure Grip...Yeah baby... Going to need some sticky tires shortly.

Can't answer for the brakes, but they are in working order.

 

[rayjay]

He's got the 8-3/4 with 4.56 Sure Grip...Yeah baby... Going to need some sticky tires shortly.

Can't answer for the brakes, but they are in working order.

NO KIDDING !!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMGOSH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With some 9" slicks and some race gas we are talking about high 11's !! Prolly has drum brakes on the front !??@!?!?

The only crashed car I ever saw at the Commerce bracket races was a B bodied Mopar. I didn't see it happen or even know it happened until we went down there as they were hacksawing out the door bar on the upside down car to get the driver out. It was outside the guard rail on the grass past the finish line on the pit side of the track. Well after dark of course.

 

[normaldave]

He reports drum brakes all the way around, but they are good, and he does have power brake booster, new hardware everywhere, and unrelated, the crazy factory power steering system, completely rebuilt.

Forgot to mention, 3" exhaust, Walker Dynomax mufflers, straight H-pipe, turn-downs just in front of the rear axle. He mentioned a bit of wheel hop with the old 318 2-bbl. Going to have to work on this setup a bit.

 

[rayjay]

I saw some clamp-on Lakewoods somewhere....

 

[rayjay]

Not the ones I remember but probably closer. Really need the higher priced spread but for a one shot deal these would do ok.

https://nwga.craigslist.org/pts/d/calhoun-traction-bars/6904089719.html

 

[normaldave]

Getting closer...(shiny, shiny).

Looky who's truck came over to visit, in anticipation of a new motor start tomorrow! (JrobertsJ20). That big, bad AMC 360 ought to bring us some good luck...

 

[rayjay]

I drove a bud's 401 Javelin and it was FAST !!

On the AMC front, there is some good info on the WWW about Wally Booth and the Booth/Arons pro stock team. If you are wondering how they were somewhat competitive all you need to know is that Arons was the founder of Dart and they had a friendly guy at the AMC factory who would issue PNs for aftermarket parts.

 

[rayjay]

I should post a pic of my truck project.....

 

[rayjay]

I have to admit to not being modern enough. I had my phone with a decent camera right in my pocket and didn't think to take a pic of the super nice 70 AMX I saw at S&S Ace Hdwe in Buford this evening. Me and the owner talked for over a half hour until the employees ran us off so they could chain up the gates .

That funky dark lime green color AMC had back then. Flat black hood and fender tops, factory hood scoop hood, 390, auto, discs all around, Moser rear axles [ only knowledge about AMC will know why ] , Holley vac secondary, alu intake, HP factory cast iron manifolds [ a positive imo as I don't like headers on a street car ] styled steel wheels, slightly lowered in the front, very nice interior. Just an all around nice car. If I could have any 'normal' street car from the late 60's to 1970 the AMX would be on the short list. The owner and I had a lot in common, sports cars, SCCA, drag racing, muscle cars, lots of varied experience and knowledge. Yes he was my age , older actually.

 

[rayjay]

I was late enough getting home from the "20 min" trip that I got stuck taking the wife out to eat !!

 

[normaldave]

Sounds like a great day.

Our was decent, but some loose ends to tie up, mysteries to solve. We just turned off the lights in the garage. Fired up the new motor this afternoon after the usual minor hiccups. Broke it in without issue, pulled the idle back down after the proper time, something is not quite right. A few things to sort out, minor mysteries to solve. Updates to follow, once I investigate a bit.

 

[rayjay]

That's why the test stand was so awesome. The motor is right there at a comfortable height.

 

[normaldave]

Update:

So we had a part failure during the break-in on Saturday. One of those things, and rare for us. Thinking there was a quality issue with the cam and/or lifters from the supplier. In short, motor comes back out, over to the machine shop for inspection/cleaning, then new cam and lifters, and rinse/lather/repeat.

This is NOT how your new cam and lifters is supposed to look...


Strangely, the night before, I heard a noise out in the darkened garage, investigating, I found this: Just the headlights glowing, nothing else. (maybe that was a sign, reminds me of the movie "Christine")...

Had a great time Saturday, wife found a cake on sale with the right colors for "Frankenstein" (the newly adopted nickname for the rust bucket truck). She couldn't resist...

A few friends dropped by for the big event:

Well, you might cross to the other side of the street or choose another aisle at Wal Mart if you see this bunch coming your way, but rest assured, Natural Disaster, Civil Unrest, Broke down in the rain on the side of the road at night? They'll likely be your heroes coming to your aid. I'm the scary one on the left, maybe the authorities won't recognize me (this time)

So, a quick vacation, then back to turning wrenches early next week, stay tuned.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

oils today don't have the zinc to protect a tappet camshaft break in.

I haven't tried it with synthetic oils, but up until a couple years ago, Rotella has the most zinc in it, and it was a lot less than the oils in the 90's.

Thank you EPA

 

[normaldave]

Good point, we used all the heavy/sticky, break-in lube, but it's not like it used to be. Machine shop reports more failures early than the "old days".

 

[normaldave]

Our local online newspaper has contacted us to do a story on this project, and this thread. They were very interested in the state, region, even national participation (Cmp1 for example). Thanks again for your support, my friend really is lifted up with your responses.

Check Hometown Headlines next Monday.
Hometown Headlines