Pulled out seats, belts, carpets, and windlace. Had the seats repaired with new cloth and some vinyl.
Bought new ACC carpet and matching mats, new package tray (added 2-4" speakers).
Pulled engine, completely disassembled, took it to my local machine shop for hot tanking and hardened exhaust valve seats.
Pressure washed engine compartment.
Gutted all 4 doors: Cleaned and lubed window regulators and latches, detailed strikers, touch up painted door edges and top edges (next to glass), 3 step cleaning of door panels, made new dust shields (glued them on-no tape for me), painted arm rest bases (silver), installed new window fuzzies, and adjusted everything.
Took radiator out for inspection and paint.
Picked up engine parts from machine shop ($125=hot tank, $40=hardened seats, $120=install seats).
Stay tuned-more to come!
This will be my daily driver.
Mike
Hello everyone,
Last October I drove from home to Philadelphia (800 miles) to purchase a 1965 Coronet 440 4 Dr. Sed..I found it through the e-mail club list at the 62 to 65 Mopar web site. It has 86,000 miles, 318, auto trans, PS, and factory A/C. I trailered it home and as I got close the gas tank sprung a leak.
So the work began!
I replaced the tank with the one from my 65 Belvedere ( after painting and lining ) and refurbishing the sending unit.
Rebuilt the springs, added a second #2 leaf and new anti friction pads, eye and shackle bushings.
Drilled, drained, tapped and plugged the axle for a lube change.
Cleaned and repacked axle bearings. Set end play.
New shocks all around.
Welded a patch in the left rear inner wheel house (right by the seat back lower hold down clip).
Pulled transmission and rebuilt (added part throttle KD).
Rebuilt a 60 amp alternator for the car.
Bought a new RA electronic distributor and added a HEI module to the bottom of the housing.
Added a electronic voltage regulator. CONTINUED
Hope everyone's summer has rocketed off to a great start and you are enjoying your Coronets as much as you can. Even though mine isn't on the road yet, it is closer and closer every day. When I pulled the convertible top mechanism out of the shed to prep for install, I found the rear tack bow to be completely rotted out in one corner. I was sure I was in for a long road of trying to find one, and not super confident I would be able to fix what I had. I spent most of a day restoring the header bow...cutting...welding...grinding...making the corners acceptable for the top pads. The mechanism was installed after paint...but still missing that rear tack bow.
As June 2nd neared, I was preparing for a weeks vacation with my girlfriend. We were going to head north to our cabin to install a kitchen and some new flooring. I knew Midwest Mopars in the Park car show and Swap Meet was going on in Farmington Mn that weekend and asked if we could stop there on the way to the cabin. I told her I wanted to hit up the swap meet to see if I could find the rear bow I needed. She agreed, but both of us thought it was going to be a tough find. I then proceeded to tell her I was going to wear a sign indicating what I was looking for....'66 B-body convertible parts....YIKES! she laughed at me..said I was going to look silly and there was no way she was gonna walk around with me, wearing a sign on my body at a car show. She about talked me out of it.
On the morning of June 2nd, we had both of our vehicles loaded and ready for the trip north. My veggie oil burning Super Duty diesel was hauling cabinets and tools, her Jeepster was pulling an empty 4 place snowmobile trailer. We had 3 stops on trek north.......Mopars in the Park, Lumber Liquidators and private residence to pick up 80 feet of dock. Needless to say, I hadn't made my sign...........She asked if I was gonna make one before we left, almost giving me her approval...So I did, to her dismay. She laughed as I was cutting vinyl on my plotter and installing the vinyl to the substrate making my 5 minute sign. She then reluctantly helped me string it up to hang on my body. OFF WE WENT!
On the way, I called a friend who works for Metro Rubber / Super Soft Seals who always has a booth there. In fact... he is at all the big shows representing. Some of you may have talked him and purchased there. Anyway...he advised me it was pouring down rain and I should come the following day. As we neared Farmington, it looked as if the rain had let up....it had. It was dry, so we decided to make the stop. I promised her the stop would only take an hour, even though I would have stayed all day given the opportunity.
I donned the sign.....again with the laughter. She told me she would stay with the dog at the vehicles, but then last minute decided to tag along. Walking down the rows of parts (HEAVEN), quickly looking for anything convertible I was noticing that this sign was the ticket...not only were vendors reading it, others were commenting...."great idea," "nice sign" or they were just looking at me funny. my girlfriend, the heckler, says to me...."Hey, B Body convertible trim." She had spotted windshield trim on a table that was marked "66 B-body Convertible".
As I am looking at the trim on the table, a guy comes up behind me and says...."I'm your huckleberry." He proceeds to tell me he had parted out a '66 Coronet Convertible...exactly what I wanted to hear! He asked what I was looking for. When I told him, he seemed disappointed. He told me he had brought the convertible top mechanism last year and it didn't sell. Being it was so bulky, he decided to leave it at home this year. Turns out his home was right on the way to the cabin. We made a deal I and stopped there on the way home. I ended up buying the whole mechanism from him for what I figured was a pretty good deal. The rear tack bow.....along with the header bow......were in GREAT SHAPE! Nothing a little paint wont take care of.
Enough of my story......IMHEADINGOUTSIDETOWORKONTHECAR!
Awful quiet around here concerning Carlisle. We've decided to add Thursday to our itinerary because we miss so much. Looking forward to seeing everyone!
I have a 440 HP block that was machined a few years back. Unfortunately it has been sitting since. I took a hone to one of the cylinders, and it cleaned up nicely. Of course that is a smooth surface. Is there some method for cleaning up a block such as this? I am referring to something a shop would do. Trying to clean unfinished cast iron surfaces with naval jelly and elbow grease seems almost impossible - not to mention the time that would be required. Also even if that would be possible, the water jackets and oil galleys would still be rusty.
Anyone know if anyone makes replacement brake drums for a 1955 Dodge? Or do I have to convert to disc brakes? I would like to find drum replacements now, and possibly convert in the future. But, if there are none out there, then I guess the answer is pretty clear. I haven't found a source yet. I am doing a frame off restoration on my '55. Thanks.
Long time, I hope you are all well. Just got her out of storage. Started right up which is good. New is reverse lights are out? No obvious sign of something eating wires. Is there a switch of some sort somewhere that might have failed? All thoughts appreciated as I go hunting.
Looking for a source for the engine wiring harness -67 big block, non-electronic ign.; specifically the section with the horn relay wiring; any suggestions? Classic industries doesn't show it as available, Year One doesn't show it(that I can see). Thanks
