408 Build Thread

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BrianT said:
The converter showed up the other day. I appears to be a nice piece.

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That paint on your new converter alone looks better than what's on my car! :glasses7:
 
It's a shame that it looks so good, no one will ever see it again (hopefully) for a long time.
 
Was the block painted with Spray gun or a ratlle can? I guess what I'm getting at is was it actually necessary to have this friend do the block paint ? I realize you're in no hurry whatsoever to have a bad job. Was there any taping off or anything involved on his part or did he just stand there and spread the paint? I've heard you talk about him having it done tomorrow or when he gets back from vacation or before he leaves for vacation and it's starting to sound well you know..... again I realize you are no hurry but you don't want to let things get out of hand either. I guess I'm just probably ( lol ) more anxious than you are to see it done. lol
 
He shot it with a gun. He taped off everything real nice around the timing cover also. I did all of the prep work, scuffing and cleaning the block three different times. I really wanted to make sure that the paint was going to stick on there for a long long time.

I am very pleased with the way it turned out. The paint on the block is shiny like glass. This pic is almost twenty four hours later and it still looks wet!

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I haven't updated the thread for a while so I figured I'd better get after it. The car came back from paint a couple of weeks ago. It's not perfect but it looks A LOT better than the flat black rattle can paint that was on there. There is some flake in the paint and it really pops in the sunshine. You can't see much in this pic but here it is anyway.

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I've been doing little jobs in the spare time that I have. I've got the mounts, fuel pump, pulleys and alternator all back on.

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My buddy Adam is supposed to come over on Monday (Labor Day) afternoon and help me stab the engine. Then it'll just be a matter of bolting everything back on. Maybe I'll be done by New Year's...
 
The engine is in!! There's still a ton of things to do, but she's finally sitting back in the engine bay. Took a few hours, and the TTI headers fought us longer than I thought that they would, but we won.

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Thanks Alex, it's slowly going back together. Last weekend we got the headers bolted up, the drive shaft in, starter and alternator installed, and new AMD front bumper bolted on. Still lots to do though.

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No, unfortunately family issues and laziness have prevented me from touching the car in months. I walk past it EVERY day and tell myself that I need to get back on it, but can't seem to get excited enough to do anything. I have all of the parts necessary to get it back on the road, I just need a weekend and the motivation to do it. Depression is a *****.
 
BrianT said:
No, unfortunately family issues and laziness have prevented me from touching the car in months. I walk past it EVERY day and tell myself that I need to get back on it, but can't seem to get excited enough to do anything. I have all of the parts necessary to get it back on the road, I just need a weekend and the motivation to do it. Depression is a *****.
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I usually find happiness in working on projects, and that motivates me.
 
I enjoyed looking through you build tonight:thumbsup: I know how one can become unmotivated at times when life gets in the way. I am building a 408 for a 62 Belvedere. Most of the B Body guys all cram RB's in their B Bodies, but I wanted to be different as always. In many ways my engine is very similar to yours. I'm using a Magnum block as they are easy to locate and cheap. I have most of the parts now, engine is at the machine shop.
I am down to camshaft selection. Lunati is the choice, I am torn between the 20200713/.560-.565 lift or the 20200712/ .535/.550 lift piece.
Well Brian I hope you get motivated to get out there in the garage and spin some wrenches, if I were closer I would come over and give ya swift kick.....good luck man :poke:
 
We'll get back after it one of these days. My buddy Adam and I went to a Hot Rod magazine event last weekend and saw a lot of cool Mopars. Kinda got the juices flowing again. Not making excuses, but I work two jobs, both of them outside, and when I get home the last thing I want to do to relax is sweat some more in the hot garage.
 
Brian....I joined the forum because of this thread.

I have a '72 B Body that's ripe for a Magnum. Since I was here, I started looking at A Bodies. Now I own a Demon, and I'm searching for a second one.

You are the one that others will come to blame.

Great thread.
 
ScampMike said:
put an A/C unit in the window nearest the car... trust me - it's worth it!
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Totally agree. I found an 18,000 btu window unit on Craigslist for $50 and it's great. It's fairly new so it's pretty efficient. If i run it a lot I notice the elect bill is only about $10-12 more a month. Well worth it for the comfort
 
I appreciate the suggestions but I don't have those kind of windows in my garage. They are casement windows that swing out with a crank and just let more hot air in. If I leave the door between the house and garage open so that the air can come out into the garage, it makes the rest of the house hot because the garage door is the main entrance to the house for everyone in the family and it is constantly going up and down. Just gonna have to wait til things cool down a bit.
 
I know its a ***** to have things get in the way and make a person lose interest / motivation in things they love to do. You'll get back into it.
Right below your username reads "Let's Go!" With that said there is a bunch of us waiting on hearing that engine fire up.
Luke
 
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Oh trust me, I've got about ten local friends that every time they see me they ask if the Dart is running yet? I have a couple of buddies that actually give me a ration of **** about it not being completed. Like I said, I don't want to change the topic of this thread to depression and motivation, or air conditioned garages. Let's stay on point, and we'll get there. Eventually.
 
Just read through your build thread for the first time,,,looks good! The dart is a beauty, you are going to enjoy that ride of yours once it's running:)
Will be good for 25 smiles per gallon, at least!
 
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