Project Riddler's Ride - 1976 Plymouth Duster

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74DartSwinger360 - I'll sell all 3 pieces from the pedals for $20 plus the ride.

hemitheus - The hydroboost unit is from a Chevy Astrovan. Early next week I'll have some new brackets cut that will be for the 3rd gen hemi specifically. The ones I have now work for all other motors, just the 3rd gen hemi is a little wider than the small blocks.

Riddler
 
Unfortunately the ride costs about $20 as I'm in Canada and the shipping is priced more than the USA.

PM me to set something up.

Riddler
 
Well I was able to get to the laser cutter to get my new improved 3rd gen hemi hydroboost brackets. This setup requires a 3/8" spacer plate and a 90* master cylinder bracket (1/8") on top of a new hydroboost bracket with the notch on the bottom to clock the hydroboost. I'm hoping to get some mockup pictures soon.

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I'm sort of working on two ends of the car at once. I'm working on getting the trunk wrapped up as well as the body. For the truck I bought an electric trunk release. I'm not 100% sure how it works yet but I do plan on bench testing and hopefully playing with it in the car.

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I then moved on to finally getting the floor completed. I've still got about half more to do but the main portion of the tunnel is completed. Just want to say that the T56 trans is HUGE!

First I spent time making a template till I was 100% happy with it.
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I then moved on to tracing the template to 16 gauge sheet metal.
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Finally I burned the sheet metal template into position. I'm still planning to clean the welds. I'm also planning to remove the engine and trans and complete the tunnel on the underside.
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While I realize this might not be the way you would of done it, this is the way I chose to and it works for what I have in mind. Now to mock up the rear panel and a small sliver of metal for the passenger floor board and the floor should be done.

Riddler
 
Riddler,

I had the same issue putting in the 545RFE that was a huge trans and my trans tunnel does not look like most people do it, but it is what I want. So I say like Burger King have it your way. Looking good.
 
Looks fine to me. Its not like that space is needed for something else.
I imagine you'll need to customize the carpet.
 
Well I'm super happy to annouce the floor is completly solid once again. I'd got to get some more seam seal and then lay that down and some POR15 inside and under the car the new tunnel is done.

This was a much bigger job than I expected and much larger than the mini-tub anyday!

Here's the final pics.

You can see small holes here from rust. I cut that out and replaced it.
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Banged all the metal flat again the new floor, welded it and then used clamping plyers to hold the seams together while I welded them shut.
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Here's the hole I made and replaced with new metal. This was super thin and I couldn't get the welder low enough to weld the holes shut without making more holes.
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The final look before seam seal, POR15 and then sound deadener.
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So the next things I'm going to work on are:

Shorten Steering Column
Fit hydroboost
Make base for the drive by wire gas pedal
Extend the fuel filler neck.

Riddler
 
So believe it or not I found some time today to work on the car. While I didn't get a ton done I have actually touched the car for the first time in 6 weeks. Work and family life have been time consuming.

First thing I did was fabricate a gas pedal mount. I wanted something a little stronger to weld to the floor other than just nut and bolting the pedal to the sheet metal.

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This gas pedal is an LX hemi gas pedal. If anyone wants one of the mounts just ask, I can have more cut. Tapping the holes and welding studs in will be an extra cost.

While my drill was charging I decided to finally finish painting the floor with POR15. I now know I'm goint to have to purchase some more POR15 as my gallon is almost gone. I'm guessing I can finish with a quart...

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Well I'll keep working on the car over the winter and hopefully be ready for paint by the spring... Let's hope I can afford it.

Riddler
 
Well today my brother in law and best friend Jim came over to work on the car. I started work on the hood hinges with gas struts and he started on the Willwood front brakes since I had the front AlterKtion assembled.

Here's the Willwood Dynalite hub and rotor bolted together.
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Here's the back of the rotor with the stainless steel safety wire. Jim is a master of this, I'm super happy to have a friend with these skills.
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Here's a picture of the front hubs with the bearings packed, the seals installed and ready to be bolted to the spindle.
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Here's everything bolted onto the car ready for some wheels.
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Now the front wheels. We bolted these down with just a couple of lug nuts since I want to buy some better lugs. These are just cheapy ones.
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Close up....
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While Jim was working on the front brakes I moved from the hood hinges to the XV front brace. I figured the chassis needed to get finished before I started to do little things. I cut and removed the stock sheet metal and cleaned up the front for welding. Jim welded the brace on for me.
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Then I primed the XV brace so it doesn't rust.
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So now the front brace was done, I turned my attention to the floor pans. The welds needed to be grinded down and then I needed to seam seal and prime them. The rust was starting....
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Now comes the seam sealer..
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Here's the floor pans primed. The primer matches the Epoxy Primer used by the media blaster.
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Just want to say thanks again to my brother in law Jim.

Riddler

hi Riddler, Im just wondering what kind of seam sealer did you use and what did you think if it? im looking to get some and have been trying to read about whats best but there is so many opinions its making it hard to choose
 
So believe it or not I found some time today to work on the car. While I didn't get a ton done I have actually touched the car for the first time in 6 weeks. Work and family life have been time consuming.

First thing I did was fabricate a gas pedal mount. I wanted something a little stronger to weld to the floor other than just nut and bolting the pedal to the sheet metal.

IMG_1972.jpg

IMG_1973.jpg

IMG_1974.jpg


This gas pedal is an LX hemi gas pedal. If anyone wants one of the mounts just ask, I can have more cut. Tapping the holes and welding studs in will be an extra cost.

While my drill was charging I decided to finally finish painting the floor with POR15. I now know I'm goint to have to purchase some more POR15 as my gallon is almost gone. I'm guessing I can finish with a quart...

IMG_1976.jpg

IMG_1975.jpg


Well I'll keep working on the car over the winter and hopefully be ready for paint by the spring... Let's hope I can afford it.

Riddler
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i've noticed that you have been using a lot of por 15. how would you rate that paint overall?
 
I found some time today to get some work done. My goal was to button up the floor. I gave it my best but I failed. I did have a good start and wish some cardboard I can make templates and finally finish the floor.

Here's the bridge over the trans I made. It's 2"x1" C channel and has 1/8" plates to weld to the sheet metal floor.
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I've finished welding it up but never got a picture. I also clearenced a few sections so that I've 1/4" or more of space from the trans to the bridge.

I then moved on to messing with the pedals and hydroboost. I took all the brackets off the pedals I didn't need. Anyone looking for heavy duty 340 brackets etc?
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Here's what I was left with.
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I then mounted up the hydroboost. The brackets were perfectly to the firewall. Just have to take a hammer and smack a buldge down about 1/4". I then however stuck a hemi head on the driver's side and found that the hydroboost won't allow for the room needed to mount the valve covers.
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I'm going to run to the laser cutters this week or early next week and see about getting another brackets cut for clock the hydroboost counter clockwise 90*. This will allow me the extra space I want to have to install and remove the valve covers. I'm also going to have to have a bracket made to clock the master back 90* in the other direction so it mounts flush.

Riddler

Props to you for doing all this work! After speaking with the hydroboost guys and hearing it 'couldn't be done', I gave up on it- glad you didn't!!!

I might have to hit you up for a set of those brackets if my manual brakes don't work well enough for me.
 
I like the pedals. Do you have a source for them?
 
Uhcoog1 - I haven't perfected it yet but it'll get done. Stay tuned to when I get more time.

Idaho - I posted a few pages back. I'll find the link again and you a PM.

HemiDenny - PM me brother. I'll do my best, I've been giving you all my measurements. You gonna clone my car?

FuriousVIP - it's a standard 8 1/4" Mopar rear.

Riddler
 
Well I was browsing the local classified website last night and came across a set of fiberglass fenders. They have already been bolted to a car so alot of the trimming and fitting is done. I have some flass work to do but I've done alot of fiberglass work on my old Neon and while time consuming it's very easy.

Here is the car with the fenders on and the hood placed on top.

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The driver's side fender is almost perfect, just need to glass over some old holes. The passenger side is missing a stud at the top rear, the bottom bracket is missing and also needs some mounting holes glassed over.

Riddler
 
Well I was browsing the local classified website last night and came across a set of fiberglass fenders. They have already been bolted to a car so alot of the trimming and fitting is done. I have some flass work to do but I've done alot of fiberglass work on my old Neon and while time consuming it's very easy.

Here is the car with the fenders on and the hood placed on top.

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The driver's side fender is almost perfect, just need to glass over some old holes. The passenger side is missing a stud at the top rear, the bottom bracket is missing and also needs some mounting holes glassed over.

Riddler

i'd hang the doors before you decide they're perfect. you don't need that surprise later on
 
HemiDenny - PM me brother. I'll do my best, I've been giving you all my measurements. You gonna clone my car?

Riddler

don't sweat it....just curious.....looks nice and beefy
 
Well I ended up finding about two and half hours to work on the car today. I ended up using the first 30 minutes to clean up since it's been a at least a month since I've done really anything.

I decided I wanted more room for the hemi underhood and I "borrowed" tincup's inner fender mod idea.

Here's the before...

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As you can see everything outlined in black I'm planned to remove and weld flat panels in. I'm also going to remove everything from the firewall that's no longer needed.

Here's where I started...

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Well I guess it's time to put some metal back.

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As you can see I cut it really low giving me the maximum amount of room for the big ole Hemi underhood. :)

Here's how I'm going to solve the hole required for the alterKtion.

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Once it's all welded in I'll break out the short hair fiberglass and make it look perfect.

Riddler
 
Nice work Riddler, thats alot of work for 2 1/2 hours of work, nice to see you back at it.
 
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