Rocky Start Resto..

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We need to have our car re appraised for agreed valuation so I was thinking what have we done over the last couple of years..I think this is most of it...hard to remember :)

Rebuilt A727 Transmission
New B&M flex plate and MOPAR torque converter
New B&M Ratchet Shift Shifter with Cable
Automatic Steering column converted for floor shift
Rebuilt 8 ¾ axel.
Rear axle studs upgraded from 7/16 to ½ inch
New battery
Rebuilt 360 with:
. chrome oil pan
. upgraded cam
. Edelbrock Performance Intake Manifold
. Holley 670 Street Avenger
. chrome ail filter unit
. mopar mini starter
. MOPAR valve covers
. Lokar kick down kit
. Lokar accelerator cable
. Electronic Ignition and pointless distributor
. TTI ceramic Headers
. clutch fan
. new belts, spark plugs, wires, air filter, breather and pcv valve
. new ground wires and battery connectors.
New gas lines
New brake lines
New shocks
New brake pads and all cables
New radiator coolant lines
Upgraded larger radiator
90 Degree oil filter holder
TTI custom crossover exhaust
New Energy Suspension polly bushings (all)
Upgraded torsion bars
Upgraded to disk brakes in front
Upgraded to power brakes
Upgraded to 17 inch aluminum rims, new tires on front.
New Cibie headlights
Custom interior Colour (Rising Smoke)
New high back bucket seats
New carpet
New custom gauge cluster with Autometer electronic speedometer (Kms)
Equus temp, oil pressure, volt, and fuel guage
New Sun tachometer
New stereo – 2 amps, 7 speakers and custom deck holder with new wiring / fuses
Custom console with LED accent lighting
Snorkel from a ’71 Dodge Demon with new engine demarcation pins
High Impact paint with period stripes and call out..

Wonder what I have missed...
 
Well, this will be the last post in the resto I suspect. We have gone as far as we want to this year and it is time for us to enjoy Lafawnda. We are certainly not finished. We have a list of some other things we want to do and we have a few things that we need to fix / change but they can wait. Time to drive !!!

Finally, the paint was sprayed, the stripes put on and today, the first coat of wax. That felt good !

On the other hand, I am kind of sad.... this rebuild has helped me tremendously getting through the after effects of a serious car accident (and the effects of very strong meds) and it has been incredibly gradifying (and sometimes frustrating) working with my two chridren. When I bought the car for the kids, they were 14 and 16 year old. As I write this, one is now packing upstarirs for her third year of university and one is getting ready to learn a trade. Where has the time gone ?

Anyway, you can figure out why we like purple :) ....

A few pics...














My son is on the 7pm to 7am shift this month so he doesn't get to drive the car much...so this pic is for him !

























Ian
 
My God Ian, she is beautiful...she is a wonderful addition to your beautiful family.

Well done my friend, well done!
 
Looks great.
Is you hood stripes a decal or painted on?
If it is a decal where did you purchase it?
 
Sireland67.

Both. The main large stripe was sprayed on (satin finish) and the 3 decreasing stripes were applied on with stripe tape....
 
Ian that looks awsome! This is the first time I have looked at this since I was at your place in the spring. I'm pretty sure i seen it in wolfville the other day it really looks good! I assume you got seat belts by now? I might have some in my mess of stuff (unless I chucked them) can't remember. I have just been too busy so my car is on the back burner again I hope to put a drive on this fall.
Blair
 
Hey you look like Ashton Kutcher in this pic! Or did he come by and show you how to pull the slanty?? LOL!! Nice build and they are always more entailed then first thought! You will never forget your first build!
 

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Actually, a lot of his friends call him Jesus...in my king james bible version, the likeness is
striking :) At Halloween..they didn't let him bring his staff in..

View attachment c3.jpg
 
Dear Diary.... oops, wrong journal !

Well I am back again.. :) I think spring is finally here...I can see the garage door !

This was the situation when we put the car away.

The driver's side seat popped a spring so it had to be replaced, we had a leaky header gasket and the nice fellows at Napa sold us a gas gauge for a Chebby and out gas tank leaked once it filled up pass the sender..even though I had put a new seal in it.

So, last weekend we pulled the seat, took the gauge cluster, and pulled off the tank, installed a new sender with new washers, tested the tank and re installed it. The kid is now an electrician and he wants to rewire the cluster...Iwe burned out 3 gauge lights last year so we are installing leds.

The job I was having nightmares about was putting a Remflex gasket on the car. It took almost 5 months to get after order. With the headers and power steering gear, there isn't much room for fingers let alone wrenches. Anyway, we just a minimum of swearing and a tiny bit of laughter , we did it. A-mazing. The kid has ling, skinny fingers. New seat is read to go in. Just waiting on the cluster now.

It feels great to be working with the kid again in the garage.

I have been wanting a model of the Duster for a long time but with fat fingers, shaking hands and bad eyesight I figured that this would never happen. Until I started talking to John (67 Power Wagon). I have contracted him to build a replica....so, here are a few engine / transmission pics. I should say that he is starting off with a dart model and changing the grill and other components as he goes along to match our car.It is like Christmas all over again.

Anyway, here is the directory that they are in..

http://yamigrl.smugmug.com/Cars/Duster-Model

Until the next time..
 
I REALLY like that console. I was thinking of doing the same exact setup after seeing this pic:

29wtkea.jpg


Didn't like that one too much but after seeing yours I'm definitely doing it. Doing the same column to ratchet shifter as well, hopefully it's not too bad.
 
Very inspiring to look through your restoration from the beginning and see your final product. You earned a beautiful car, I hope you enjoy it!
 
It has been a very long winter.

I am not sure if it will ever be finished...but I like seeing it on the road.

Ian
 
Hey Sassy I was looking at your Dual Snorkel Scoop. I'm installing one on my Duster right now. The very back of the scoop does not want to lay completely flat. It looks like your did not lay flat either. Does it look ok from behind the Windshield
 
Mine is actually flat..just looks otherwise in the picture....

His pic shows better how it follows the hood..

_IGP8183a-M.jpg


I think there were two different ones made..one fr a flat hood and one that has the crease running down the middle the duster..

Since we are ust dealing with plastic..maybe you could leave both out in the sun and after both were warm, start tightening the nuts..I would check with someone else before I did that..
 
My son has now found that it is a bit harder when dad isn't calling the shots :)

With some back stepping, we got the gauge cluster back in, re installed the seats and tightened up the steering column.

We also installed Rob's most excellent headlight wiring kit. man. we should have done this earlier if I had know it would be so easy and show such dramatic results.

Unfortunately, the gas tank is leaking again.

I have a list of suggestions...we will go at this again when it isn't raining.


Ian
 
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