I am working on a mopar most people including mopar owners would not give a 2nd look to...1979 Newport 4 door. It's a very nice survivor/unrestored car but massaged to handle the turns and eat up the interstate or 2 lane. I own it only because my father [now deceased] ordered it new in 1979 and it was given to me in 1990. It is a neat car for sure esp the way he optioned it.

While MoPar calls this car a "R" body underneath it's 73 B body all the way.

In my search for a quality performance shock for the front of this particular car I found nothing was available. I read where the C body guys were converting chevy shocks but I found no one had tried doing this with the late B bodies. I had 20 yr old KYB's on this car. After using KYB's for years I have found they suck in quality for the long term as most cheap shocks do esp when they get hot.

The edelbrock chevy shock #33016 is very close to the legnth of the KYB # 4506, so close that it will work if you shorten the lower portion of the upper bushing 2/3 of its height. You also must push out the chevy pin at the bottom and use the metal sleeve from the donor shock bottom.

For the rear I used the spring plate from a 74
B body which allows the use of the Edelbrock shock that is speced for 70-74 B-E Bodies.

I will post pics of this as soon as I am done but here is a pic of the shocking truth for the front.

One other tidbet-the car was ordered with HD suspension and no one makes a poly bushing for the rear spring shackles which is a dissapointment. The nice lady at ESPO springs n things was surprised to hear of the interesting bushing config ma mopar put back there.

If this car appears in your rear view mirror on the interstate I suggest you move out of the way as this is your wolf in sheep's clothing

OK here is the boring car...but the white walls are gone and there are 15x8 wheels sporting full wheecovers with 245-60-15 Yokohomas now....
The paint/chrome and interior other than the headliner are factory original. The 318 engine has been replaced with a very healthy 360 engine custom built for this type of car. It is correct in appearance for a 1979 360-2 barrel engine. The original 2.45:1 8-1/4 rear differential is now a 2.94:1 9-1/4 & the suspension components/tires have been updated with modern technology.

No power windows and locks, but optioned with 318 engine, tilt steering, delay wipers, light package, halogen headlights, fender mounted turn signals, full gauge/led package, cornering lights, dual outside mirrors, cruise control, power 60/40 split cloth bench seat, heavy duty suspension, body side moldings, a/c, tinted glass all, door edge guards, rear window defogger, full size spare, litter container & am/fm stereo. Unlike the other cars we owned back then, this one was rust proofed with Ziebart; which has actually saved it from rapid deterioration, as these cars were never designed to last more than 10 years.

Your 79 Newport looks a little nicer than mine Mine is kind of a Chamois color with a vinyl top of the same shade. I got it last summer, it had been sitting for years as it only has 47,000 miles on it. There were no keys or title to be found so I had to change the lock cylinders and apply for a bonded title so I could become the legal owner.
Not sure what was standard or optional on these cars but mine is pretty basic. It has power locks, cruise, tilt, A/C, 318 and a leaky heater core

Here's a pic with a ruler and the shocks showing the minor difference in the travel. If you had the lca off the car you could move the bottom hole down a 1/2 inch and be right where you started.

Have you looked into any Mustang shocks? I used a set from a mustang on my 73 Fury, of course i was raising the car, so that may have been why i did that. It was a while ago, so i dont recall exactly.

But I do know that they were almost a direct fit.

WOAH !!! Are you kidding me?! I've been looking for a performance shock for the front of my '73 Charger for years. I compared lengths on so many shocks it is'nt funny and I could'nt find anything to match. I have been autocrossing on $10 Monroe shocks for the past 2 1/2 years. Let me tell you, they are TERRIBLE for handling. I'd definitely like to see pictures of the shocks installed on your car and some of the shocks before and after modification. Also, I would like to know how well you like them once they are installed and if you have any problems. This is a very enlightening thread indeed .

Zach
'73 Charger autocrosser

Hey Tom! Any updates? I assume you've had them on the car for a while now. Did they work well without any problems? I am looking at a set for my Charger.

And 4 months later, another

Clair

Yes, updates...the car drives very nice when it will run. There is a problem getting the thermoquad to run on this engine. Still too lean.

Here is a pic of the rear suspension converted to conventional shock config and a 73 b body rear sway bar. Note: dual exhaust factory style, 8 inch rallye wheels w/full wheelcovers on the other side, 245-60-15 yokahomas, 9-1/4 rear 2.94:1sg 0.750 sway bar, Edelbrock shocks, metallic brake shoes, 7/8 wheel cyl.

For a daily driver,(2004 Grand Cherokee)they suck big.Yes I can take the freeway off-ramps 10 mph faster,but the noise they transmit through the unibody gets old fast.The OEM shocks are made by Tokico and I have ordered a new set the E-Brocks are coming off

TQ,
Did you eliminate the spring isolators, or replace them with poly? Steel? Just curious, I (fortunately) don't have to worry about those critters. Also, it looks like you've got the "classic" EB's, not the red ones. Are they the same animal?

Geezer, is there a difference in the mounting hardware on the EB's? I mean, is it a poly bushing that's transmitting the noise, or something else? I can't imagine a shock transmitting noise, since both ends are typically isolated from the frame somehow. Not knocking, just trying to wrap my mind around what's going on. What's the PN on those shocks?

Clair

Clair,I have 34404 and 33404 Reds with poly bushings,only the rear are popping and banging.Suspect the upper mount location,spot welded onto a large unreinforced body panel.

All very good info. for us late B and R body owners.

I would give it a second look, in fact I just did! Sweet car!

I have a '73 Road Runner, so this mod is appreciated greatly!

What did you use to cut down the bushing, an exacto knife or equivalent?

Do I need to take 1/3 OUT or 2/3 OUT of the bushing? I couldn't properly interpret your message.

Thanks for your help!

Dick Ross at www.firmfeel.com has developed several parts for the B3 series of cars. Might check it out if you're going to put some more work into it.

Use the lower 1/3 of the bushing.
Cut the bushing with a hacksaw

Glad to be of help