Hello from Northern Idaho

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Mopar87

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2018
Messages
113
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47
Location
Lewiston,Id
My name is Robert, I've always been a fan of Mopars for one reason or another.Recently I picked up a 73 Plymouth Scamp to add to my collection.After I got it home I found out that 318 thats in it is seized solid because water got into it during its 10 year nap.Other than that its missing the radiator,fan,driveshaft,and exhaust system.The interior is complete in its fabulous 70's green.The body is fairly straight and rust free with the exception of the passenger side rear quarter panel due to what looks like a tire blowing.There is also a couple of dents in the rear bumper.Long term goal is get it presentable looking but first I have to get it running and driving.

Basic plan right now is to put a Magnum 5.2 with the factory fuel injection along with a manual transmission.Suspension wise is where some may start to hate me.I love driving on all the unpaved backroads around here and seeing the scenery.Regular passenger car tires do not hold up well to the gravel and rocks on those roads so the plan is to lift it a couple inches just enough to fit a 27-29" LT tire front and rear to better cope with the roads. NO, I AM NOT GOING TO EVER PUT IT ON A 4X4 FRAME OR ANY FRAME FOR THAT MATTER. NOR WILL IT EVER BE 4X4. I already have vehicles for serious offroading.Basically turn it into a fun vehicle to explore the various roads and go camping in.Contrary to popular belief trucks suck at that because they just dont handle well at all.Sure they can be made to handle but then they can't be used like a pickup-loaded up and/or towing a trailer.Not to mention that the suspension is so stiff to handle that extra weight they end up bouncing and skittering when you drive down a dirt road at anything above a walking pace. Then there is also the "paved" roads around here.Idaho spends roughly $5 on the roads per year,with about $3 being used for gravel when it snows.So they typically don't fix potholes or frost heaves until they are big enough to swallow cars.
 
Oh right I got ahead of myself. Here are some pics of how it looked when I picked it up, and right now its still more or less the same due to working on my other projects and work... *note* it does have a hood just it is not bolted on so when I picked it up the hood was in the back of my truck.

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There is also some fairly interesting things going on with the suspension as it sits right now:Torsion bars are cranked up to max.Passenger side upper control arm mount has cracked.Passenger side leaf spring is flat,Driver side is S shaped.The leaf springs are the biggest problem because the 225/60/14s rub
 
Hey from Cda as well. I am back as well and working on my little 440 duster sleeper. Looks like a good starting point.
 
HA!!! Welcome, and I never knew Idaho was divided up N, S, E, W, until this thread. Good score. My 1975 Dart Sport originally was purchased in Montana, I bought it in Portland Oregon with Idaho plates from somewhere in Eastern Idaho....Ft. Hall I think, and thats the bad history I have...But the spring issue seems to be kinda universal with the '70s vehicles. Found a place that sell's 5 and 6 leaf sets, about $50 a leaf, and everywhere I have gone and looked says no to 6, only 5 leafs for A bodies, (looking in the wrong places???) the best price was in England-I passed. Coil overs, worked for the Dart. I got a stock 318 fan blade, there's something you could have for the postage :elmer: just in case your hunting one and gonna revive the 318 first. Looks like it had A/C at 1 time. Clean enough to do an off (this don't sound right) frame restore-but for a bush wagon you might not have to do much-kill the rust-and the vinyl top?
 
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