66 Charger drivetrain overhaul - time for some changes

[Don Frelier]

The past few days took the gauge cluster out since the voltage limiter must have been stuck last week on the way to work. My gauges pegged and it burned the wire off on the temperature gauge.
The fuel gauge and oil pressure gauge came back on later.

I ordered several things that same day. A new voltage limiter, a tachometer board and a new power pack for the electroluminescent dash lights.
I took the fuel gauge apart and disabled the limiter inside. Added the new one externally. Made a quick repair on the temperature gauge but it doesn't look really good.
I installed everything today with my son's help as I had a tough time seeing anything. But the gauges do work. The tach has mechanical issues with the indicator. I messed around driving it full scale and then bumping the cluster until it returned. Some improvement but it's still pretty sticky I haven't used it for at least 6 years is so since I put the MSD stuff on it.
The new power pack worked for about 15 seconds and was noisy. Then it quit altogether my old one still worked never had an issue. I'm debating contacting the seller.
My son cleaned up the bottom of the driver's seat brackets and welded bolts were the studs should be. They were gone when I got the car.
So closer but not what I had hoped oh well I will stick with it.
Gotta get going on the hood scoop soon...

 

[Don Frelier]

Drove it to work today.
All the gauges worked but temp gauge reads low as does the tach.
Tach works well when it's warmer hardly worked this morning when it was like 50 out.
I can calibrate the tach but the temp gauge will likely stay as is for a while.

June 20th the hood goes in to get painted.
Hopefully fitting the hood scoop on this weekend.
I'll post pictures.

 

[Don Frelier]

Had our "garage night" tonight at my friend's.
My son helped me get the scoop mounted.
Carl was working on the Ford.

 

[Don Frelier]

Getting there:
Hood is back on and painted looks really good.
Needs a little adjustment for height and gaps but I like it.
Pictures shortly...

 

[Don Frelier]

Pictures

 

[qkcuda]

Looks great Don

 

[Don Frelier]

Hood letters on, need to steal the trim off the other hood.
These are OER reproduction letters and they are surprisingly good quality just like the originals maybe even better.

 

[Don Frelier]

Had a great trip to Carlisle.
The car ran perfectly the only thing that cropped up was the vacuum line for the fuel regulator popped off some time Saturday.
We noticed a high idle and lower vacuum reading but we were both so tired Saturday when we got back to the hotel didn't look behind the throttle body.
It's a push lock industrial 90 degree fitting to a copper line so we just didn't suspect it to come loose I guess.
The EFI covers it up driving down the road but I found it yesterday (Sunday) after cleaning up the bugs.
A wonderful time at the show.

On the way home near 86 and 390 in NY.

 

[Don Frelier]

It was sunny and fairly warm today.
It rained hard last night so the roads were washed off from the last salting.
Couldn't wait any longer.
Went over and uncovered the Charger, hooked up the battery and fired it up.
That is always a good feeling becuase I know in a few months it will be "car season".



After a short drive I put it right back in and started to take off the front bumper.
The rear 2 bolts did NOT want to come loose.
I'll have to regroup with some more tools and try it again.

 

[ckessel]

Just read your thread. Very nice project.

 

[Don Frelier]

Rewind:
It ended up being apart most of last summer.
I put new torsion bars and rebuilt the front suspsension.
Most of the mechanical parts were still good from 1989 (only maybe 40,000 miles on them).

The passenger side lower control arm was seized. Had to cut the bar to get it to come out.

 

[Don Frelier]

I cleaned up the strut rods and sway bar

Then we took a trip to Ireland for 2 weeks.
Afterwards I had to do a couple things on the Satellite to get ready for Carlisle so the project stalled.

 

[Don Frelier]

I did get the lower control arm freed up on the passenger side but it was pretty loose.
So I cut the tab off and welded it to my original from the Plymouth.

 

[Don Frelier]

I picked up some reproduction headlight bezels at Carlisle for a good price and finally got everything together in early September.
Drove it a couple times but the passenger wheel needs some alignment work (oddly the drivers wheel is pretty close just eye balling it)
It drives nicely with the heavier PST bars.