Posted By: OLD318
50 years old today :) - 01/06/20 09:02 PM
Well...
According to the build sheet and the fender plate, the old girl
is 50 years old as of today!
I got her in April of 1982 to go to college in...
HINT: it was NOT in this condition
It was a complete rust bucket... that should have been junked but I kept it...
For some strange reason...I always thought it looked kind of cool....
At that time....I assure you... NOBODY else did!
It has the original drive train 318/904/8.25 - 2.71
I rebuilt the rear end with 100% NOS parts
The long block and trans were rebuilt by Jasper ( I put them back in the car)
it has a mild shift kit in it...
I've added:
Super Bee Bulge hood 100% complete with scoops, drains, block off plates etc. (try to find that today)
Factory defroster package
NOS factory clock, map light, and ash tray light
NOS front bumper guard package with the rubber inserts and additional front frame piece
MP aluminum 4bbl intake
600 CFM Holley 4bbl with 340 heated intake and electric choke
FBO ignition system w/ recurved distributor, FBO wires, white box ECU
2.25" Super Bee dual exhaust system from AccurateLTD w/o tips
Hemi suspension system (MP hemi leaf springs, .96 MP torsion bars)
Steer-N-Gear Stage 2 power steering gearbox
Firm Feel upper control arms
Firm Feel front sway bar
Billstein shocks
Tall 11.75 front disc brake conversion with stainless brake lines (and fuel lines)
15.7 wheels with Cooper tires 245/65/R15
Hi amp alternator 3 wire system (not single wire)
MAD electrical upgrades: Headlamp relays, Ammeter bypass, AC compressor relay
I had the AC system completely rebuilt by Classic Auto Air and converted to R-134a
and a PPG Deltron 2K base coat clearcoat paint job
that I sprayed myself.... with the help of a community college auto body program (or 3)
Oddly all of the community college body programs have closed down due to lack of interest
The entire rear body had to be replaced.... I did it myself....
The passenger quarter panel is an NOS replacement that took me 20 years to find....
fit like a glove!!! the driver side is a skin which sucks...but it is what it is....
With only a few exceptions: I did every nut, bolt, widget, doo-hickey and screw myself...
The exceptions being: the long block and trans were rebuilt by Jasper back when Jasper allowed DIYers.
The headliner and vinyl top were done at the same time by an upholstery shop in York PA while the body was stripped
The front seat backs had to be done by the same upholstery shop because legendary auto interiors
made the seams wrong on them and they initially wouldn't fit.... The shop fixed this and installed them
other than that...it's all on me....
The only labor I ever paid for was for a couple of alignments, the vinyl top/headliner install and front seatbacks.
The chrome was done by Tri-City plating (front and rear bumpers),
All the small stuff ( Vent window frames, tail light bezels etc) was done by Paul's Chrome plating...
The car starts on a dime and runs and drives really nice...
It's a clean, safe, quiet, smooth running, sharp looking cruiser
The 318 is very smooth 23" Hg at idle
Very peppy for it's size (and weight)
But obviously isn't going to win any stop light races....
Over the life of the car It took just about $50K in (parts and materials only) to redo this car front to back.
Obviously, I didn't pull this off over a few weekends....
I have a box with a stack of receipts so high my wife can't even believe it!!! to back this up...
If you've ever REALLY built a mopar to this extent, you know what it costs......
if you haven't .Well, you're in for a shock....
According to the build sheet and the fender plate, the old girl
is 50 years old as of today!
I got her in April of 1982 to go to college in...
HINT: it was NOT in this condition
It was a complete rust bucket... that should have been junked but I kept it...
For some strange reason...I always thought it looked kind of cool....
At that time....I assure you... NOBODY else did!
It has the original drive train 318/904/8.25 - 2.71
I rebuilt the rear end with 100% NOS parts
The long block and trans were rebuilt by Jasper ( I put them back in the car)
it has a mild shift kit in it...
I've added:
Super Bee Bulge hood 100% complete with scoops, drains, block off plates etc. (try to find that today)
Factory defroster package
NOS factory clock, map light, and ash tray light
NOS front bumper guard package with the rubber inserts and additional front frame piece
MP aluminum 4bbl intake
600 CFM Holley 4bbl with 340 heated intake and electric choke
FBO ignition system w/ recurved distributor, FBO wires, white box ECU
2.25" Super Bee dual exhaust system from AccurateLTD w/o tips
Hemi suspension system (MP hemi leaf springs, .96 MP torsion bars)
Steer-N-Gear Stage 2 power steering gearbox
Firm Feel upper control arms
Firm Feel front sway bar
Billstein shocks
Tall 11.75 front disc brake conversion with stainless brake lines (and fuel lines)
15.7 wheels with Cooper tires 245/65/R15
Hi amp alternator 3 wire system (not single wire)
MAD electrical upgrades: Headlamp relays, Ammeter bypass, AC compressor relay
I had the AC system completely rebuilt by Classic Auto Air and converted to R-134a
and a PPG Deltron 2K base coat clearcoat paint job
that I sprayed myself.... with the help of a community college auto body program (or 3)
Oddly all of the community college body programs have closed down due to lack of interest
The entire rear body had to be replaced.... I did it myself....
The passenger quarter panel is an NOS replacement that took me 20 years to find....
fit like a glove!!! the driver side is a skin which sucks...but it is what it is....
With only a few exceptions: I did every nut, bolt, widget, doo-hickey and screw myself...
The exceptions being: the long block and trans were rebuilt by Jasper back when Jasper allowed DIYers.
The headliner and vinyl top were done at the same time by an upholstery shop in York PA while the body was stripped
The front seat backs had to be done by the same upholstery shop because legendary auto interiors
made the seams wrong on them and they initially wouldn't fit.... The shop fixed this and installed them
other than that...it's all on me....
The only labor I ever paid for was for a couple of alignments, the vinyl top/headliner install and front seatbacks.
The chrome was done by Tri-City plating (front and rear bumpers),
All the small stuff ( Vent window frames, tail light bezels etc) was done by Paul's Chrome plating...
The car starts on a dime and runs and drives really nice...
It's a clean, safe, quiet, smooth running, sharp looking cruiser
The 318 is very smooth 23" Hg at idle
Very peppy for it's size (and weight)
But obviously isn't going to win any stop light races....
Over the life of the car It took just about $50K in (parts and materials only) to redo this car front to back.
Obviously, I didn't pull this off over a few weekends....
I have a box with a stack of receipts so high my wife can't even believe it!!! to back this up...
If you've ever REALLY built a mopar to this extent, you know what it costs......
if you haven't .Well, you're in for a shock....
