hotrodscamp
Well-Known Member
Hello fellow Mopar enthusiasts! I'm Mike and I live just north of Orlando, Florida. I have a '74 Scamp with a 318.
I've just resurrected the Scamp from sitting about 4 1/2 years, and I've got lots of work to do! I let the car sit when I had to leave town for a business opportunity. I came back after 6 months and the car had developed some "issues". I just didn't run well and it shook a LOT. I didn't have time or money to get it going again, so for the next few months all I did was start it every couple of weeks. One day I went to start it and smoke poured from under the dash!!! I was so distraught I couldn't even look to see what damage had been done. I didn't look back for another 2 1/2 years.
Last year I thought I was ready to get into it and fix it, but it was still too soon. I took apart the dash to see that the "fire" had been at the rear of the ammeter. I bought an NOS ammeter on eBay and started reconditioning the instrument cluster. I bought a few parts I knew I needed as well, fuel tank and sending unit and leaf springs. I lost my steam for the project quickly.
Last month I decided that the mourning period is definitely over and I want my car back!!! I repaired and replace all the damaged wiring I could find, put in a new battery and things started working again
I trailered it to a local shop and had all the fluids flushed and re-filled and had the new fuel tank and sender installed. That put the car in running condition!
My mechanic said the carb was shot, probably beyond a rebuild. I brought the car home and did a rebuild on the carb and I think he was right So I ordered a carb and a few more parts. The carb came in this past Saturday so I put it on and things are looking up!
The car was still having an electrical problem, one that it's had since I bought the car, a probably the cause of the fire. Basically, all lights and electrical devices flickering and "pulsating" at any RPM. That's what brought me to FABO. The first advice I could find here was that it may be a grounding problem. I cleaned, sanded, greased and reconnected every ground I could identify on the car. The flickering diminished, but the pulsating was as strong as ever. I read a thread about bypassing the ammeter, so I did that. No improvement. I replaced the alternator and voltage regulator, no improvement. I was at my wit's end!!!
I came back to FABO and read a thread about the voltage sensing wire to the voltage regulator. I bought the triangular-shaped voltage regulator connector from NAPA and wired it directly to battery positive and to the alternator field connector. The pulsating is GONE!!! I know this means that whatever was pulsating in the electrical system is still there, but with this bypass it has no effect. I would still like very much to find the culprit! But I owe this fix to FABO and I joined today as a Gold Member in appreciation! Thank you SOOOO MUCH!!!!
Today it went back to the shop for the leaf springs, new shocks and some tuning. I should have it back in a few days.
The next project will be wheels and tires. Of course, the tires are shot from sitting all those years! It has 14" rallye wheels with 215/70R14 BFG Radial T/A's. When the car was last on the road I was chasing a shake in the suspension. Everything I could think of replacing has been replaced, from the steering gear box to all the bushings, etc. Someone suggested that it may have a wheel out of round. I'm going to purchase a new set of wheels just to rule that out. The wheels, trim rings and center caps are all pretty haggard looking anyway.
I guess if I keep going I'm going to end up writing a book in here so I'll take my long-winded butt over to the wheels/tires forum and start asking questions!
Glad to be here!
Mike
I've just resurrected the Scamp from sitting about 4 1/2 years, and I've got lots of work to do! I let the car sit when I had to leave town for a business opportunity. I came back after 6 months and the car had developed some "issues". I just didn't run well and it shook a LOT. I didn't have time or money to get it going again, so for the next few months all I did was start it every couple of weeks. One day I went to start it and smoke poured from under the dash!!! I was so distraught I couldn't even look to see what damage had been done. I didn't look back for another 2 1/2 years.
Last year I thought I was ready to get into it and fix it, but it was still too soon. I took apart the dash to see that the "fire" had been at the rear of the ammeter. I bought an NOS ammeter on eBay and started reconditioning the instrument cluster. I bought a few parts I knew I needed as well, fuel tank and sending unit and leaf springs. I lost my steam for the project quickly.
Last month I decided that the mourning period is definitely over and I want my car back!!! I repaired and replace all the damaged wiring I could find, put in a new battery and things started working again
I trailered it to a local shop and had all the fluids flushed and re-filled and had the new fuel tank and sender installed. That put the car in running condition!My mechanic said the carb was shot, probably beyond a rebuild. I brought the car home and did a rebuild on the carb and I think he was right
So I ordered a carb and a few more parts. The carb came in this past Saturday so I put it on and things are looking up!The car was still having an electrical problem, one that it's had since I bought the car, a probably the cause of the fire. Basically, all lights and electrical devices flickering and "pulsating" at any RPM. That's what brought me to FABO. The first advice I could find here was that it may be a grounding problem. I cleaned, sanded, greased and reconnected every ground I could identify on the car. The flickering diminished, but the pulsating was as strong as ever. I read a thread about bypassing the ammeter, so I did that. No improvement. I replaced the alternator and voltage regulator, no improvement. I was at my wit's end!!!
I came back to FABO and read a thread about the voltage sensing wire to the voltage regulator. I bought the triangular-shaped voltage regulator connector from NAPA and wired it directly to battery positive and to the alternator field connector. The pulsating is GONE!!! I know this means that whatever was pulsating in the electrical system is still there, but with this bypass it has no effect. I would still like very much to find the culprit! But I owe this fix to FABO and I joined today as a Gold Member in appreciation! Thank you SOOOO MUCH!!!!
Today it went back to the shop for the leaf springs, new shocks and some tuning. I should have it back in a few days.
The next project will be wheels and tires. Of course, the tires are shot from sitting all those years! It has 14" rallye wheels with 215/70R14 BFG Radial T/A's. When the car was last on the road I was chasing a shake in the suspension. Everything I could think of replacing has been replaced, from the steering gear box to all the bushings, etc. Someone suggested that it may have a wheel out of round. I'm going to purchase a new set of wheels just to rule that out. The wheels, trim rings and center caps are all pretty haggard looking anyway.
I guess if I keep going I'm going to end up writing a book in here so I'll take my long-winded butt over to the wheels/tires forum and start asking questions!
Glad to be here!
Mike
