1st drive in the Roadrunner

[Ltlgto]

My brother-in-law and I strap towed my Roadrunner over to his house this Saturday evening (about 1 mile away). We got the front end up on blocks and the rear end up on ramps so we could get underneath it.
We started on it in the morning on Sunday and removed the fuel tank and all the rubber fuel line. Checked and cleaned the tank, reinstalled it, changed all the fuel lines (rubber) and cleaned/blew out the steel lines. Replaced the mechanical fuel pump (old one wasn't working) removed the electric fuel pump on the frame rail (wasn't hooked up). Put the alternator back on. Placed a borrowed E-brock carb on it and started cranking it over. Fuel came up to the fuel filter by the carb fairly quickly so we knew the fuel pump was working so we connected the line to the carb.
Cranked it for about 5 seconds and she fired right up! :headbang: Got it off the blocks and double checked everything. Warmed it up to make sure we had coolant flowing. I took my first drive back to my house to show my wife! "See, not all my cars are dead in the water" :argue: She was actually pretty happy for me. Drove back to my bro-in-laws.
I could barely find the gears the first time as the shifter is really sloppy. It also has a miss and a lifter tick. Took it out once more to get more gas in the tank. Man, what a great feeling to have a car that can drive, even if not really well. :upside down: Back to it tonight to pull the valve covers to check the lifters and maybe try to adjust the shifter.

 

[roadrunnerman]

that's gotta be a drive to remember,even better when you get it fine tuned.

 

[newbaufish]

Good for you, I hope to run into you locally! Enjoy:headbang:

 

[Basket case]

yeah even if it's a multi colored no interior project, it's a great feeling!
whats the info on your runner?

 

[moparstuart]

yeah get it running and drive it have some fun , joedirt style

 

[tpodwdog]

you never forget your first!...congrats...i know that feeling all too well! glad ya got it!

 

[Sixer]

If it's been sitting, try adding a can of Sea Foam to the oil, it will clean and free up sticky lifters. That will probably take care of the miss to boot, assuming a stuck lifter is causing it.

 

[Basket case]

and a can in tha gas tank (or two) helps did wonders for my truck that had sat for 5 years.

 

[alsant]

yeah sea foam is great stuff,I put it in my new vehicle`s intake and gas ,cleans real good!also used it in my 66 gas tank,and oil.

 

[alsant]

I forgot to say good luck and enjoy!

 

[Ltlgto]

Thanks all! It was pretty fun to get to actually drive it. I think it has inspired me to get the '65 Belvedere going too!



Basket Case, you've seen it in other threads along with the story so I won't re-bore you.

newbaufish, I'll be looking for you!

I have tried the Seafoam. Half a can in the tank with about 5 gallons in it at first and the other half in the top end before an oil change. It still has a pretty loud lifter tick near the rear pass. side.

So now I have a choice to make. I have somebody interested in buying my '56 2 door post project locally that has a '65 Belvedere with a 426 wedge. A real sweet car. Well, he has a ready to go '73 440, can build me an auto trans and has a set of cop wheels with new rubber. I may make him a partial trade for the '56 for all. I also have a '65 Chrysler New Yorker 413 and 727 trans that I purchased for my Belvedere. So lots of choices. I may put the 440 and trans in the Roadrunner and the 413 and 727 in the Belvedere.

 

[Basket case]

yeah please don't bore me with stories about a '69 road runner......JK!
well OK, but I've only got an hour or two......:grin:
It took a couple cans in my truck for the Seafoam to get the carb cleaned out. Never used it in the crankcase.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Al these cars and not enough time:blob1: I feel so bad for you:sideways tongue:

 

[Ltlgto]

Al these cars and not enough time:blob1: I feel so bad for you:sideways tongue:

Hemi-itis, it's more like all these cars and not enough skill/time/space and money :icon_confused:

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Hemi-itis, it's more like all these cars and not enough skill/time/space and money :icon_confused:

I hear ya,if you had the time,you could learn the skill while you saved money for the project:eusa_think:


It NEVER works that way:sideways tongue:

 

[Ltlgto]

1st car show

Well, I was able to take the RR to a car show last month (sans hood). It was pretty fun but I did not drive it in the cruise because of it running so badly. I hope to take care of that soon. It has a definite miss when driving, but runs great without a load. We found that we have no distributor vaccuum.

I ordered and got a Mopar Performance Electronic Conversion kit w/distributor today and hope to get it in the car this weekend. Hopefully this will take care of the miss. I also bought an MSD Blaster 2 coil to go with it.

Any suggestions on making the transplant easier/smoother is greatly appreciated (like mounting locations?).

 

[Basket case]

no pics it didn't happen!:grin:

 

[benno440]

rebuild you shifter and change your rod bushings and clips should tidy it up a bit if no luck after that may have to rebuild the box. Brewers performance ahs all this stuff fairly cheap.

 

[Ltlgto]

no pics it didn't happen!:grin:

Basket case, I almost wish it hadn't happened. I got so badly sunburned on my forehead getting the car ready, the car show, and going to the drags the following day that I almost ended up in the hospital 4 days later.

rebuild you shifter and change your rod bushings and clips should tidy it up a bit if no luck after that may have to rebuild the box. Brewers performance ahs all this stuff fairly cheap.

benno440, I've seen the install kits for the Hurst shifters and think it would help immensly. I'm mostly worried about not being able to downshift into 2nd while rolling. I actually have to go slow enough to be able to go from 3rd to 1st.

 

[Basket case]

Basket case, I almost wish it hadn't happened. I got so badly sunburned on my forehead getting the car ready, the car show, and going to the drags the following day that I almost ended up in the hospital 4 days later.


QUOTE]

you ever sit back and think about some of the things we do for these cars and think WTF?