Engine bay aesthetics

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Someone else posted a similar bracket. Pretty sleek! Maybe on the next one. This is for a ‘73 Dart Sport that I’ll eventually sell or trade up for a ‘68 or ‘69 Road Runner. If I’m lucky enough to find one in rough condition but not a basket case and still in budget, that is. It’s a fun car though and I’m about to rebuild the front end(Mancini Racing), replace the rear shocks(Espo), front sway bar(Hotchkis) front and rear shocks and an 8 3/4 65-67 B-body rear end with a 489 3rd member and Helical Sure grip from Doctor Diff and brand new drum brakes. I might not want to sell it.
 
Just painted the dash and bezels black on black and replaced the dash pad and restored the door and rear panels. Still waiting on a few interior parts, but almost there.

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Not dressed just stock and clean.

Toolmanmike: I noticed that your refrigerant piping does not have the inlet and outlet mufflers on the A/C compressor. Does that make any difference? What's in those mufflers anyway? If someone uses the original mufflers, does the internal stuff need to be rebuilt?

BTW, your engine compartment looks great.
 
Toolmanmike: I noticed that your refrigerant piping does not have the inlet and outlet mufflers on the A/C compressor. Does that make any difference? What's in those mufflers anyway? If someone uses the original mufflers, does the internal stuff need to be rebuilt?

BTW, your engine compartment looks great.
Interesting you mentioned that. I have never really noticed it before. Mine was Chrysler Airtemp but dealer installed. It has the knee knocker unit that hangs under the dash.
 
Get rid of the AC and actually be able to work under there. AC is for sissies!! Its why they have windows that roll down and vent windows (unless you are a modern guy with '70 up Mopar)! ha
Ha JPar disagrees! Hope I did not piss him off in the P & P threads! ha
We do have AC in our daily Toyota pickup and the old '9 Ram Cummins though!
The guys at the drags with the 1000 hp modern Challengers, etc all have AC!!! Right!?
 
Ha JPar disagrees! Hope I did not piss him off in the P & P threads! ha
We do have AC in our daily Toyota pickup and the old '9 Ram Cummins though!
The guys at the drags with the 1000 hp modern Challengers, etc all have AC!!! Right!?
P&p threads??..
AC completely changed the experience of driving the car... It's always on nice days.... The best $475 I ever spent on the car...
Calling basically half the Forum sissies was bound to get you some attention. I just had the cojones disagree with it...
 
P&p threads??..
AC completely changed the experience of driving the car... It's always on nice days.... The best $475 I ever spent on the car...
Calling basically half the Forum sissies was bound to get you some attention. I just had the cojones disagree with it...
Sissies!???? It was just my worped dry sense of humor!!
The difference in "seat of the pants" feel between our old Mopars that are 40-50 years old running 100 with windows down, and the modern muscle car with AC running and windows up... to me there is a difference!
 
Sissies!???? It was just my worped dry sense of humor!!
The difference in "seat of the pants" feel between our old Mopars that are 40-50 years old running 100 with windows down, and the modern muscle car with AC running and windows up... to me there is a difference!


Sorry to sidetrack.
The older I get the more I appreciate comfort. You don't realize how bad a 70's bench seat fights you on a 4 hour trip until you try it. 6 way with a recliner is a plus. For me, cruising around town for a few hours is much more comfortable with a automatic and power steering. I have 2 cars, one 4 speed, manual steering, no ac and a automatic, p/s, a/c. 2 completely different cars to drive, both enjoyable in their own way. Actually, I like my 66 4 speed, manual with bucket seats for highway cruises. I drove it non stop 4 hours north to MITP a few times. It's more comfortable for me than my Swinger.
 
Sissies!???? It was just my worped dry sense of humor!!
The difference in "seat of the pants" feel between our old Mopars that are 40-50 years old running 100 with windows down, and the modern muscle car with AC running and windows up... to me there is a difference!
I bet you had an automatic...
 
I bet you had an automatic...
I have had not that many auto's by % of cars owned. I have always loved banging gears. I have 5 projects right now one came with pushbutton, the other four have or are getting 4 speeds, one getting got a 3 speed.
Now back to AC, sissies and engine compartments! ha
 
I have had not that many auto's by % of cars owned. I have always loved banging gears. I have 5 projects right now one came with pushbutton, the other four have or are getting 4 speeds, one getting got a 3 speed.
Now back to AC, sissies and engine compartments! ha
You're not like half fish with 10 projects going and nothing that runs?..
 
You're not like half fish with 10 projects going and nothing that runs?..
Well lets see. Gone, sold is a 71 Duster slant 3 on floor , all body work done, drive anywhere, ready for top coat when sold. Other week sold my '76 Roadrunner, body paint all done, drive anywhere car, went to Fl. For sale, '76 Volare Duster, slant, all body paint work done, drive anywhere car, lots of new stuff, NEVER a speck of rust, $4100. Traded a '76 Volare wagon for a 64 More door Belvedere, I actually traded to get the good poly, but it is such solid, PO put in a AMD floor, decided to make it my first More door! All body paint just finished, still tweaking that darn PB trans! Probably will need a rebuild I bet.
Then there is wife's 62 Lancer. Doing a color change next month. The slant is out needs work. Maybe my good President Sleepy Joe will contribute $?????????? Gotta stock up on groceries first ya know.
Then there is the 62 Dart ( yea B body!) that is a roller with all body/paint work done a year ago. Need to change over K for V8 . Getting that A833 sitting on the floor. Engine sitting ready to go in from 4 yer ago trade.
Just finished all the patch panels and epoxied 64 Savoy pots roller. Finished 90% of filler and blocking. Need good running BB. Ya know a Max Wedge top end would sure be cool sitting on a stroked 440???? (Yep 4 speed.) But it ain't on my plate!!!! Had such in 68 GTX I acquired back about 2000, long gone, but that is another story.
NO drags for me I can't afford to break stuff I have just got running! ha
 
Just painted the dash and bezels black on black and replaced the dash pad and restored the door and rear panels. Still waiting on a few interior parts, but almost there.

View attachment 1715682762

View attachment 1715682763
One thing I did to help hide wires in the engine bay was take out the wire block next to the brake master cylinder. I just put a piece of metal over it and riveted it on and sealed it... (I'll patch that in proper when I go for paint next time..)
Anyways there's one plug that goes to the headlights and most of that stuff and one plug that goes to the engine. What I did was put that box or that plug in underneath the dash and ran all the headlight wires in a plastic loom inside the driver side wheel well and threw a hole that I made back there. Then I plugged it in inside the cab. I did the same with all of the air condition stuff. I ran the hoses directly out the front drivers fender well underneath the nitrous 1 gallon fuel tank which is where the battery used to be around in front inside the front bumper up through the passenger fender inside the wheel well and into the passenger compartment....
The second plug for the engine I made a whole down low right above the transmission put a grommet through there and ran the wires for the distributor alternator oil sending unit water sending unit and main battery connection. I ended up running the wires in between my tunnel ram inside a gold heat shield loom... It's visible but looks tidy... Also inside that is the controls for my electric fan and electric field pump and an extra wire if I wanted to run my electric water pump as well which is another thing I might do after I get it painted I'm kind of back and forth on that....
 
IMG_20200327_141321.jpg

Also all my MSD ignition and timing retard for nitrous is all inside my glove box hidden away... But easily accessible to set my rev limiter and retard...
 
Well lets see. Gone, sold is a 71 Duster slant 3 on floor , all body work done, drive anywhere, ready for top coat when sold. Other week sold my '76 Roadrunner, body paint all done, drive anywhere car, went to Fl. For sale, '76 Volare Duster, slant, all body paint work done, drive anywhere car, lots of new stuff, NEVER a speck of rust, $4100. Traded a '76 Volare wagon for a 64 More door Belvedere, I actually traded to get the good poly, but it is such solid, PO put in a AMD floor, decided to make it my first More door! All body paint just finished, still tweaking that darn PB trans! Probably will need a rebuild I bet.
Then there is wife's 62 Lancer. Doing a color change next month. The slant is out needs work. Maybe my good President Sleepy Joe will contribute $?????????? Gotta stock up on groceries first ya know.
Then there is the 62 Dart ( yea B body!) that is a roller with all body/paint work done a year ago. Need to change over K for V8 . Getting that A833 sitting on the floor. Engine sitting ready to go in from 4 yer ago trade.
Just finished all the patch panels and epoxied 64 Savoy pots roller. Finished 90% of filler and blocking. Need good running BB. Ya know a Max Wedge top end would sure be cool sitting on a stroked 440???? (Yep 4 speed.) But it ain't on my plate!!!! Had such in 68 GTX I acquired back about 2000, long gone, but that is another story.
NO drags for me I can't afford to break stuff I have just got running! ha
https://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/d/vancouver-1976-plymouth-volare-speed/7272038006.html
 
One thing I did to help hide wires in the engine bay was take out the wire block next to the brake master cylinder. I just put a piece of metal over it and riveted it on and sealed it... (I'll patch that in proper when I go for paint next time..)
Anyways there's one plug that goes to the headlights and most of that stuff and one plug that goes to the engine. What I did was put that box or that plug in underneath the dash and ran all the headlight wires in a plastic loom inside the driver side wheel well and threw a hole that I made back there. Then I plugged it in inside the cab. I did the same with all of the air condition stuff. I ran the hoses directly out the front drivers fender well underneath the nitrous 1 gallon fuel tank which is where the battery used to be around in front inside the front bumper up through the passenger fender inside the wheel well and into the passenger compartment....
The second plug for the engine I made a whole down low right above the transmission put a grommet through there and ran the wires for the distributor alternator oil sending unit water sending unit and main battery connection. I ended up running the wires in between my tunnel ram inside a gold heat shield loom... It's visible but looks tidy... Also inside that is the controls for my electric fan and electric field pump and an extra wire if I wanted to run my electric water pump as well which is another thing I might do after I get it painted I'm kind of back and forth on that....


J Par, that’s amazing. Thank you for that! After starting at my engine bay for a couple hours today, I still don’t know what route I’m going to take. I’m going to cherry pick this thread though! Thank you sir!!
 
J Par, that’s amazing. Thank you for that! After starting at my engine bay for a couple hours today, I still don’t know what route I’m going to take. I’m going to cherry pick this thread though! Thank you sir!!
For sure this next winter or whenever it happens.. when I take the car completely apart for paint when it goes back together it's going to have all brand new wires and be extremely extremely seamless.... Things will be very hidden...
I consider everything I've done up to now practice...
 
Im going to go way off course here, although it’s mostly related. I’m thinking about pulling apart the top end and seeing what I got going on in there and potentially repaint and undo/go over and re wrap my existing harness while I’m at it. The last restoration was done by two owners previous and the guy I bought it from had no clue to the build on the 360. The heads are 3769974 from 75-76 with Mancini cast lifters and the block is an LA 360 from the same time frame. I want to see if the heads are ported and what cam I have and go over the springs and rods to see if they’re still ready to go. If the heads are not, I’ll port them to 2.02 and machine the intake manifold if needs be and put it back together. I want to do this for two reasons, firstly to get more performance and secondly just to do the whole breakdown would be fun. I helped put together a couple engines in my youth, but never for myself and it’ll be good practice for my next car. It’s a rabbit hole though and I don’t want to drop another $$$$, but I might. Lol. I’m currently running an old Carter 625 and a Performer 318/360. I might as well upgrade those while I’m at it. Before that though, I’m going to install my newly rebuilt 8 3/4 rear end and see how much it wakes up. It already is a peppy one wheel burnout machine, but I can’t wait to see how it feels with the Sure Grip and 3.23 gears. I’m eventually going to sell it, but I want to have some more fun with it before I do.
 
For sure this next winter or whenever it happens.. when I take the car completely apart for paint when it goes back together it's going to have all brand new wires and be extremely extremely seamless.... Things will be very hidden...
I consider everything I've done up to now practice...

That’s crazy talk. Pretty rad though that you’ve put so much time and thought into it and it’s only going to get better.
 
Im going to go way off course here, although it’s mostly related. I’m thinking about pulling apart the top end and seeing what I got going on in there and potentially repaint and undo/go over and re wrap my existing harness while I’m at it. The last restoration was done by two owners previous and the guy I bought it from had no clue to the build on the 360. The heads are 3769974 from 75-76 with Mancini cast lifters and the block is an LA 360 from the same time frame. I want to see if the heads are ported and what cam I have and go over the springs and rods to see if they’re still ready to go. If the heads are not, I’ll port them to 2.02 and machine the intake manifold if needs be and put it back together. I want to do this for two reasons, firstly to get more performance and secondly just to do the whole breakdown would be fun. I helped put together a couple engines in my youth, but never for myself and it’ll be good practice for my next car. It’s a rabbit hole though and I don’t want to drop another $$$$, but I might. Lol. I’m currently running an old Carter 625 and a Performer 318/360. I might as well upgrade those while I’m at it. Before that though, I’m going to install my newly rebuilt 8 3/4 rear end and see how much it wakes up. It already is a peppy one wheel burnout machine, but I can’t wait to see how it feels with the Sure Grip and 3.23 gears. I’m eventually going to sell it, but I want to have some more fun with it before I do.
almost anything I get the first thing I do is pull the motor and put it on an engine stand. Then I can get at the engine bay and get that all cleaned up along with all the wiring.. and why the engines out it can get all scrubbed up and repainted...
Some of the things you're talking about made sense and some didn't at all LOL...
But what didn't make sense you'll learn about...
 
What is the cast lifter?...
The heads either have 1.88 intake valves or 2.02s... if they're 1.88 you can have a machine shop put in 202 valves...
That Carter 625 is a good carburetor and that performer will do just fine with the power level you have...and I should have cheap Summit headers and you should be good to go... Get a cam that matches your rear end gearing and your stall converter. Put Springs in your heads to match the cam....
ask a lot more questions about different stuff and make up more threads to learn more before you spend any money...
 
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