Hello All: First, thanks to everyone who took the time to read my 32 chapters of component restoration that I've posted since I bought my 1974 Gold Duster in April of 2019. I hope they've helped you with your own component resto. This is my final report after completing my engine compartment restoration earlier this month. My goal has always been to keep my car as stock and original as possible. It's not a rare or valuable car - I know that. But I've always been a big fan of factory stock restorations which explains why I've poured the time and care into renewing my engine. The first photo shows what I started with in 2019 - a dirty, sloppily maintained engine compartment that needed a lot of help. Step one was to evaluate what I had: A non numbers matching but correct 1974 225 inch slant six block with an incorrect 1975 "peanut" cylinder head, mated to the original numbers matching A-904 Torqueflite tranny. I immediately found and installed a correct 1974 cylinder head, so now I had the big stuff knocked out. The rest was all little detailing. The next four photos show the finished result as of yesterday. For those of you who enjoy all the little details, I'll go over what I've done item by item. Please feel free to skip over this stuff if you're not into detailing like I am.
* Hood: Non original but correct 1974 hood installed after the factory hood was damaged in 1977. Incorporates a new correct style hood pad.
* Radiator yoke, inner fenders and firewall: All original including original paint finish that I restored.
* Radiator: Correct part number re-cored and rebuilt radiator with the 1974 model year only NOS green radiator cap.
* Engine block: Out of a 1974 A body car but the correct motor for my Duster, painted in the right version of Chrysler Corporate Blue. New water pump, Stant 195 degree thermostat, fuel pump, Holley 1945 date coded carb, rebuilt correct part number and date coded alternator and starter, NOS date coded ECU, voltage regulator and choke pull-off, new ballast resistor, starter relay, seat belt interlock module and NOS cruise control vacuum servo. Fully restored original air cleaner with NOS internal temp sensor and working air bypass door.
* Intake manifold: Factory original with correct single vacuum tap for the power brake booster.
* Exhaust manifold: Factory original, powder coated and attached to the engine with correct brass slide washers, cone washers and triangular manifold keepers.
* Fuel line and filter: Repro with correct date coding.
*Steering pump and gear: Factory original units in their original finish.
*All belts and hoses: Replaced with the best stuff that I could find.
* Wiper motor: Rebuilt and restored original motor.
* Brake booster: Rebuilt original unit, zinc plated with correct part number decal.
* Master cylinder: Incorrect replacement aluminum and plastic MC (I have the restored original in storage).
* Windshield washer motor and reservoir: Factory original.
* Battery: Reproduction 12v Group 24 absorptive glass mat (AGM) battery, resting on the original restored battery tray. Correct battery strap, j-bolt and nut set.
* Fender tag: Correctly formatted replacement for the missing original, based on the original broadcast sheet and window sticker (both of which I have). An original inspection stamp metal tape is fastened under the forward fender tag screw.
If you expand the photos you'll get a better idea of how everything looks. I do this to serve as a resource for those of you who may be restoring your engine bay and could benefit from the research that I've conducted. Feel free to access any of the aforementioned 32 chapters for more detailed info on the resto of the individual components mentioned above. And yeah, I know that its only a slant six, but I still hope that you enjoy the photos. Again, many thanks to everyone who helped me so much to get my motor compartment to this point. Be well, all!
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