Project- Bills Buggy

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Just payed off the new motor for the buggy.. its another 360, worked over a bit (cant remember all the specifics) but it should be in the 325-350 horse range... also got another 727 with a stall speed converter...(cant remember what speed.. my brain is toast this weekend) ... Since the weather is crappy, we're leaving the motor and tranny at the garage the guy I bought it off of owns.. neither of us want to pull our cars outside lol.. when the weather breaks I will get some pics.. and later when my brain is working a bit better I will get more specifics on the motor posted up (been really sick this week) .. Getting more and more excited for spring... The question now is do I drop it in this summer, or make that next winters project? I am thinking of redoing the engine compartment, since theres a few issues that have developed since the engine bay was completed years ago... my friends just want me to drop it in as soon as spring hits and have a blast.. but me, im more of the mindset that if I just drop it in, I will never get around to taking it back out to do what I want in the engine compartment... besides the car runs good now, no need to lay it up during the cruising season.. LMAO .. oh well.. at least I have plenty of options to keep me busy and out of trouble this year
 
honestly.....the engine side of thing was the fastest part of my project id say. I had it bought,built,painted and ready to dunk in after jsut a few days time. The sanding,primer,painting ,wiring etc...etc... of the engine bay however was a different story. but once I had it painted and ready for the engine...it literally took me and my father 15 minutes to get the engine on the cherry picker and down into the engine bay and mounted on the engine mounts.not sure what you need to do to the engine bay?....tidy up wiring?....or overhaul the paint.

either way ...I would say get to work on it now!....you could have the old engine out in a night easily.....and if you do need to paint and tidy up some wiring.....you might be looking at a weeks worth of work maybe a little less or a little more depending on if you have an extra set of hands....to get it prepped and painted. and the wiring is nothing...that would go fast.

I would say that if you had another guy helping you and jambed on it...you could pull the engine,restore the bay,install the new engine in about 2 weeks.

I know i kow...easier said than done lol...cold weather,space to work,family time,finding someone with time to help,cash....and so on....just trying to let you know it can be done.

as for material cost .....I would think that around $100.00 would cover (even less if you still have left over paint from doing the exterior!).

but...if you could get it done now...you would be ready to rock come spring time!. or you could do the same stuff come spring....BUT you will have to live with the agony of not being able to drive it while its out of commission lol.

boils down to how bad you want to get it in there,your funds and your free time to get it done.

if none of it meshes wells,then you may just want to put it on the back burner as a project for next winter.
 
DusterDude72 said:
honestly.....the engine side of thing was the fastest part of my project id say. I had it bought,built,painted and ready to dunk in after jsut a few days time. The sanding,primer,painting ,wiring etc...etc... of the engine bay however was a different story. but once I had it painted and ready for the engine...it literally took me and my father 15 minutes to get the engine on the cherry picker and down into the engine bay and mounted on the engine mounts.not sure what you need to do to the engine bay?....tidy up wiring?....or overhaul the paint.

either way ...I would say get to work on it now!....you could have the old engine out in a night easily.....and if you do need to paint and tidy up some wiring.....you might be looking at a weeks worth of work maybe a little less or a little more depending on if you have an extra set of hands....to get it prepped and painted. and the wiring is nothing...that would go fast.

I would say that if you had another guy helping you and jambed on it...you could pull the engine,restore the bay,install the new engine in about 2 weeks.

I know i kow...easier said than done lol...cold weather,space to work,family time,finding someone with time to help,cash....and so on....just trying to let you know it can be done.

as for material cost .....I would think that around $100.00 would cover (even less if you still have left over paint from doing the exterior!).

but...if you could get it done now...you would be ready to rock come spring time!. or you could do the same stuff come spring....BUT you will have to live with the agony of not being able to drive it while its out of commission lol.

boils down to how bad you want to get it in there,your funds and your free time to get it done.

if none of it meshes wells,then you may just want to put it on the back burner as a project for next winter.
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So, I will put you in the 'do it now, not next winter' column of the voting LMAO .. Trust me my friend, I have gone through this in my head 1000 times, and I will probably continue to go over it.. my main priority for spring, is to get my bucket seat tracks fixed and ready, get the bench out, get the plates welding in the floor and the buckets put it, get my quarter stick all set up and installed and then get my super stock springs in.. thats all first.. Cant start any of that til we get the motor swap and tranny rebuild done in my buddies Cordoba... Since we decided his car would be the project this winter.. And as you said, theres money, and other real life issues to deal with.. if my friends have anything to do with it, the motor will be in long before the season is over... but we shall see LOL ... if nothing else it gives people a reason to check back in to the thread every now and again LMAO ..
 
I'll even it out by saying I'd wait on the new engine until next winter, just for the reasons you just said. Being so close to spring now, I wouldn't want to risk not having a car to drive this summer (or for part of it), having new bugs to work out and so on. Unless there's something wrong with what you have now, and it's fun to drive as-is, why not just leave it? Get the Cordoba done (I LOVE Cordobas, want one so bad!), get your interior & shifter worked out, then it will be spring driving weather! But, that's just me. Maybe you work faster than I do. I have a whole lot bigger of a project with my engine swap, since I have to swap brakes, rear, radiator etc at same time, so that could be influencing my feeling about your swap unnecessarily also.
 
72Dodge said:
I'll even it out by saying I'd wait on the new engine until next winter, just for the reasons you just said. Being so close to spring now, I wouldn't want to risk not having a car to drive this summer (or for part of it), having new bugs to work out and so on. Unless there's something wrong with what you have now, and it's fun to drive as-is, why not just leave it? Get the Cordoba done (I LOVE Cordobas, want one so bad!), get your interior & shifter worked out, then it will be spring driving weather! But, that's just me. Maybe you work faster than I do. I have a whole lot bigger of a project with my engine swap, since I have to swap brakes, rear, radiator etc at same time, so that could be influencing my feeling about your swap unnecessarily also.
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For me, its more about making sure I take the time to do what I want in terms of fixing the engine compartment.. and fixing it right.. I mean I can drop the new motor in and go, and not many people would notice at first glance that there are any issues in the engine compartment.. but there are.. several chips in the inner fenders from working on the car over the years (and not being as careful as we should've been) and apparently the master was leaking at some point, or my prep of the fire wall wasnt done right the first time, cause theres paint lifting under the master..

then there are the bugs.. lol.. the guy I got the motor from is a real cool dude.. stand up kind of fellow, had the motor all done up.. got it in the car, put about 10,000 miles on it, and switched gears.. wanted to go big block... pulled the motor and tranny out, and that was that.. its been out for a good while.. Says it ran like a raped date when he pulled it... more than likely I can sit it between the fenders and it'll do the same thing for me... run like a raped date... but.. I'd still feel better spending a little more time, going over things and making sure everything is the way I want it..

Like I said, we shall see... I'll know more when I see how my first priority projects go, and when I pick up the motor and tranny..
 
Yeah, that's the main thing... getting the engine bay done. Small block to small block swap alone shouldn't be bad at all. Either way, you have an awesome car to drive this summer!
 
72Dodge said:
Yeah, that's the main thing... getting the engine bay done. Small block to small block swap alone shouldn't be bad at all. Either way, you have an awesome car to drive this summer!
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Thanks.. I appreciate that
 
Nope, not really saying yay or nay... Just trying to look at it from both sides of the fence. But considering your situation and the order of which you plan on doing stuff to the car. I think I would probably just hold off. Get your seats and shifter and everything taken care of (projects but not with considerable down time). Drive it and enjoy it for the summer. And then come fall or winter go through on the rest of it.

I'm sure it would kick your *** to do it this spring or summer and not being able to get to drive it. Us folks that have to deal with snow only have a few good months out of the year to enjoy our rides so any down time is an issue lol.

Not to mention... You wouldn't want to rush it along and cut corners or sacrifice quality. Just take your time and enjoy it and do it when you think the time has come!
 
That is so true. I am so envious of people in warmer climates. We get literally HALF the time, unless fortunate enough to have a large heated garage.

:wack:
 
72Dodge said:
That is so true. I am so envious of people in warmer climates. We get literally HALF the time, unless fortunate enough to have a large heated garage.

:wack:
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sometimes I question whether or not we really get half the time.. LOL .. sometimes it seems like less than that..
 
DusterDude72 said:
Nope, not really saying yay or nay... Just trying to look at it from both sides of the fence. But considering your situation and the order of which you plan on doing stuff to the car. I think I would probably just hold off. Get your seats and shifter and everything taken care of (projects but not with considerable down time). Drive it and enjoy it for the summer. And then come fall or winter go through on the rest of it.

I'm sure it would kick your *** to do it this spring or summer and not being able to get to drive it. Us folks that have to deal with snow only have a few good months out of the year to enjoy our rides so any down time is an issue lol.

Not to mention... You wouldn't want to rush it along and cut corners or sacrifice quality. Just take your time and enjoy it and do it when you think the time has come!
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I totally hear what your saying.. Mainly I will just play it by ear.. Get my little projects done first and see how its going.. I just look forward to getting my baby back out in the sunshine..
 
Maybe compromise and do it late summer, say after the Mopar Nationals. That way, You can enjoy your car when the weather gets nice (no salt) AND you will have time to get it done before the white stuff starts flying and enough time to work out any bugs...
 
roadrunnerh said:
Maybe compromise and do it late summer, say after the Mopar Nationals. That way, You can enjoy your car when the weather gets nice (no salt) AND you will have time to get it done before the white stuff starts flying and enough time to work out any bugs...
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That sounds like a decent plan
 
hey speedracerx i just read your whole build from page 1 and gotta say you and your group do great work . The dart looks awsome . makes me want to get started on my duster but with this being our slow season and me being the only income we have I definitely cant afford right now . maybe over the summer i can start .
Thank for a great read on a sunday afternoon and for the ideas and motivation. keep up the great work and enjoy your car .
 
ohiocowboy1277 said:
hey speedracerx i just read your whole build from page 1 and gotta say you and your group do great work . The dart looks awsome . makes me want to get started on my duster but with this being our slow season and me being the only income we have I definitely cant afford right now . maybe over the summer i can start .
Thank for a great read on a sunday afternoon and for the ideas and motivation. keep up the great work and enjoy your car .
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Thanks so much for the kind words.. I am glad I was able to provide some inspiration and good reading on a Sunday... I have spent many an afternoon reading others build threads myself.. When you start on the Duster, be sure to start a build thread, I would like very much to see it... Take care and thanks again
 
I'm with Harry on this one. You have enough stuff to do now to keep you busy. Plus you'll be less inclined to rush through the engine install if you do it going into winter. You can take the time to dress up the engine compartment. It's probably your best bet to minimize lost cruising time.
BTW, I've been working on my Dart on the weekends. I only use a propane torpedo heater and foot warmers to keep warm. Winter really sucks! I'm ready for spring!
 
PA Dodger said:
I'm with Harry on this one. You have enough stuff to do now to keep you busy. Plus you'll be less inclined to rush through the engine install if you do it going into winter. You can take the time to dress up the engine compartment. It's probably your best bet to minimize lost cruising time.
BTW, I've been working on my Dart on the weekends. I only use a propane torpedo heater and foot warmers to keep warm. Winter really sucks! I'm ready for spring!
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This is pretty much the way I am leaning as well... Glad to hear your working on the Dart.. I would need more than just the torpedo and foot warmers (im a wuss in the winter) ... I totally agree, winter sucks!
 
Superstock springs ordered for the buggy... and on their way... sweet!!!
 
SWEET, get me a pair also? :) I'm waiting too Thanks LOL. Kidding aside great to see more car **** is on the way.
 
bkd said:
SWEET, get me a pair also? :) I'm waiting too Thanks LOL. Kidding aside great to see more car **** is on the way.
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Wish I could, but I can only afford one set LOL ... Its going to be a month or two before theres new buggy ****.. but it will eventually be coming. Like I said, we have to get my buddies Cordoba done, and then we'll be good to go on the buggy..
 
CAN'T WAIT....And I do understand about the extra pair of springs. LOL
 
Went to my first swap meet of the year, in Columbus Ohio... Didnt actually go intending to get anything, usually this is just a trip the gang takes for 'never know what you might find' factor lol.. I did however manage to finally find the correct antenna bezel for the Dart (finally will be able to fill that hole in the fender) .. and after years of resisting spending $20 on a piece of cardboard, as I always put it, I finally broke down and bought a glove box liner for the buggy..Seeing as how im going to buckets, I wont have the center of the bench to keep things on anymore LOL .. All in all it was a good day, and gave me a couple more small projects for spring
 
Just about 70 degrees out today.. Decided to wake the buggy up from her winter slumber.. Couldnt take her out of course (too much salt on the roads seeing as how we just had over 9 inches of snow here 4 days ago.. LOL and its already gone).. but it felt so good to hear her run... Spring is just about here my friends... Im getting excited again...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200735155251691&l=3053432290271113830
 
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