Parked it 12 years ago......Fired it up yesterday
#1068782
09/04/11 08:30 AM
09/04/11 08:30 AM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 228 FL
HelleOnWheels
OP
enthusiast
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OP
enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 228
FL
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Here is the story of my 1967 Dodge Coronet RT. I bought the RT back in 5/99 from a guy who ended up with it in 1991 as a partial trade on a Corvette he was trying to sell. He told me that he parked it in his garage when he got it and never drove it. He was a die hard Corvette fanatic and had little interest in the RT. He left it in the back of his garage from 91-99 until I bought it in '99. I was just out of high school and had a blast driving it around from 5/99 until it broke down in 11/99. The radiator busted a seam and had to be replaced. Here comes the sad part:( I parked it in my garage and never got around to it fro the next 12 years!! The car has not been fired up and even run since it broke down in '99. Same old story we've all heard. I got married and had 3 kids and priorities changed. Here comes the good part....I decided it was time to get it back on the road. I drained the oil, changed oil filters and put new oil in. Sprayed the tops of the heads with Marvel Mystery Oil and put new valve cover gaskets on to seal it up. I put 3/4 tsp of Marvel in each cylinder and turned the motor over by hand to make sure the rings/pistons were not stuck. I installed new spark plugs with new wires. I installed a new battery and hooked up a gas can to provide me with fresh gas for start up. We rolled the car out of the garage and proceeded to check everything one last time before we attempted a re-start. This is the crazy part. After the second attempt to re-fire it, it fired right up and went into a somewhat smooth idle. WOOHOO!!! Within 20 seconds I developed a tranny fluid leak and had to shut it down. We fixed the leak and fired it back up. This time it sat at a very nice sounding smooth idle for approx 45 seconds and then it died. Turns out the carb is all gummed up and it is not shutting off the gas flow when it should. You can hear the gas just pouring out from the carb. This has given me a new found excitement about getting my car back on the road and I have now decided that I am going to spend the next 75 days working feverishly so it can be ready for the Turkey Rod Run in my hometown of Daytona Beach, FL. This is the last place it drove to back in '99. I am sure I will be on here much more in the very near future!! Thanks for reading:)
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Re: Parked it 12 years ago......Fired it up yesterday
[Re: HelleOnWheels]
#1068785
09/04/11 10:38 AM
09/04/11 10:38 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
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Cool deal, I understand when life get's busy. My black 74 with 340 in it sat from 1987-2003. I did start it a couple times a year and kept straight race gas in it for storage. It has lot's of stabilzers in it. Then have driven it lot's since then all over the country as we take on vacation and use as a driver being towed behind our RV. Just recently did it start to act up at idle. Yesterday I pulled the carb off of it and plan on rebuilding it today as soon as I get home from work. Every time I drive my old cars it allows me relive a little of my youth!! Good luck with yours and enjoy!!
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Re: Parked it 12 years ago......Fired it up yesterday
[Re: cdp]
#1068788
09/04/11 02:13 PM
09/04/11 02:13 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 248 Oahu, Hawaii
ParadiseCuda
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 248
Oahu, Hawaii
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Quote:
I recommend putting some TransX or Lucas in the trans to swell the seals back up. Once you drive it a little, it should be fine.
Would that be trans-x stop leak? Which of the lucas products transmission fix or conditioner?
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Re: Parked it 12 years ago......Fired it up yesterday
[Re: cdp]
#1068791
09/04/11 09:28 PM
09/04/11 09:28 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 116 MAIne
MoparABE
member
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member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 116
MAIne
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Re: Parked it 12 years ago......Fired it up yesterday
[Re: cdp]
#1068793
09/05/11 01:12 AM
09/05/11 01:12 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 248 Oahu, Hawaii
ParadiseCuda
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 248
Oahu, Hawaii
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Quote:
I think trans-x is a stop leak/conditioner. My experience is that when our mopars sit for extended amounts of time, the front seal dries up and leaks real bad.
I've had this happen on a couple of cars. Added the trans-x, drove for a while, and it never leaked again.
Thanks cdp
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Re: Parked it 12 years ago......Fired it up yesterday
[Re: LimeliteAero]
#1068794
09/05/11 04:54 PM
09/05/11 04:54 PM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 228 FL
HelleOnWheels
OP
enthusiast
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 228
FL
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Quote:
cool story....we want more pics though.
Here you go...........
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Re: Parked it 12 years ago......Fired it up yesterday
[Re: HelleOnWheels]
#1068800
09/09/11 07:14 PM
09/09/11 07:14 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,165 Florida
cataclysm80
master
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master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,165
Florida
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Quote:
it can be ready for the Turkey Rod Run in my hometown of Daytona Beach, FL.
Nice car & story I'm local also,... DeLand FL.
The Turkey Rod Run is a HUGE show at 5000 to 6000 cars. If your car is ready in time, you should deffinately go to Mopars with Big Daddy at the Don Garlits Drag Race Museum over by Ocala on November 5th & 6th. It's easy to get to,... Take Hwy 40 from Ormond Beach west to I-75 in Ocala, then go south 11 miles. Should take you about an hour and a half to get there. Easy drive, straight shot, not much traffic except other old mopars. It's about 1/10th the size of the Turkey Rod Run, which still makes it a pretty big show.
If your car isn't quite ready in time for the Garlits show, Go without your car. You'll still have a blast.
Tav
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