1968 Sport Satellite, 383/A727, 3.91:1 rear
About this Mopar:
I saw this car one day back in '92 and fell in love with it. It was in much better shape than it is now. I wanted it so much I didn't even haggle with the seller. I had to have it!
It sat outside while I was starting a family but I kept it and thank God I never have to post one of those "I got married, started a family and had to sell it. Boy, do I wish I hadn't done that" stories. So it got a little rusty and grimy. Lesson 1.
The guy I bought it from replaced the original 383 with one out of a dirt track car. The original was part of the sale but sitting at the back of his basement behind a ton of crap. I never followed up on getting it and he eventually sold it. Lesson 2.
The 383 in it now runs but it's tired as hell. I bought a '78 440 long block and planned to drop it in - stock-no mods-just get it on the road. As happens so often I changed my mind on that and my boys and I broke it down one day. Glad I did because there was corrosion in one of the cylinders. I guess the seller had washed the block before painting it and got some water in the spark plug hole. It must have sat between the ring and cylinder wall and caused a big cancer. I'm sure it would have busted the rings first time I started it. Lesson 3.
After we broke it down I took the short block, pistons, rods, and a steel crank I bought on Craigslist down to B&B Automotive in Oceanside, N.Y. for the machine work. The crank turned out to be cracked. The machinist showed me the difference between good and bad by standing the cranks on end and rapping them with a hammer. Good - nice long ringing sound. Bad - short dull ping. Never would have bought it if I knew that. Lesson 4.
As for right now, the Edlebrock elves came early this year. Eddy aluminum heads with 84cc chambers, manganese guides, and valves big enough to swallow a babies head. A Performer RPM cam with .495 lift and matching new flat tappet hydraulic lifters. A double roller timing chain. An aluminum dual plane, 210/70cc intake manifold. Aaaaaand, once I send in the receipt those wonderful little elves will send me an Edlebrock Performer series 750cfm carburetor to top it all off with – FOR FREE!
It’s a Merry Mopar Christmas!
It sat outside while I was starting a family but I kept it and thank God I never have to post one of those "I got married, started a family and had to sell it. Boy, do I wish I hadn't done that" stories. So it got a little rusty and grimy. Lesson 1.
The guy I bought it from replaced the original 383 with one out of a dirt track car. The original was part of the sale but sitting at the back of his basement behind a ton of crap. I never followed up on getting it and he eventually sold it. Lesson 2.
The 383 in it now runs but it's tired as hell. I bought a '78 440 long block and planned to drop it in - stock-no mods-just get it on the road. As happens so often I changed my mind on that and my boys and I broke it down one day. Glad I did because there was corrosion in one of the cylinders. I guess the seller had washed the block before painting it and got some water in the spark plug hole. It must have sat between the ring and cylinder wall and caused a big cancer. I'm sure it would have busted the rings first time I started it. Lesson 3.
After we broke it down I took the short block, pistons, rods, and a steel crank I bought on Craigslist down to B&B Automotive in Oceanside, N.Y. for the machine work. The crank turned out to be cracked. The machinist showed me the difference between good and bad by standing the cranks on end and rapping them with a hammer. Good - nice long ringing sound. Bad - short dull ping. Never would have bought it if I knew that. Lesson 4.
As for right now, the Edlebrock elves came early this year. Eddy aluminum heads with 84cc chambers, manganese guides, and valves big enough to swallow a babies head. A Performer RPM cam with .495 lift and matching new flat tappet hydraulic lifters. A double roller timing chain. An aluminum dual plane, 210/70cc intake manifold. Aaaaaand, once I send in the receipt those wonderful little elves will send me an Edlebrock Performer series 750cfm carburetor to top it all off with – FOR FREE!
It’s a Merry Mopar Christmas!
