68 Road Runner Project-First Mopar

[BrianS]

Hi all-Just joined the site this weekend and after posting in the new members area I thought I would start a thread on the project that brought me here. Picked up this 68 RR this week from a guy who had it on a rotisserie in his shop for the last 10 years. He picked it from another guy who was a classic case of someone who found it easy to tear a car apart but didn't have any idea how to put it back together. The guy I purchased the car from was capable but had a shop full of cars and at 75 he was never going to get to this one and finally decided to sell. Most of the car has been blasted and primed with some body work done. Overall there is no rust and one small dent on the passenger side which should be pretty easy to repair. The car came in about 10,000 pieces. Not really sure why it was torn down to the level it was, I will typically not take something 100% apart until I am ready to restore and install that assembly. Minimizes the chance of lost parts. Anyway all of the parts were supposedly there minus the gas tank and the steering wheel. I spent the last 2 days digging through boxes and bins taking inventory and for the most part that is accurate. There is a hand full of missing items (of course they are expensive items like kick down linkage and column shift linkage, ash tray face) but I called the guy I purchased the car from and he has already found some of them in his shop and is looking for the rest. I will try to take plenty of pics and keep this thread alive!

 

[Ironbuilt]

Welcome from North Carolina. Looking great already, I'm following this build!!

 

[hunt2elk]

Always fun putting someone else's project together, lol. Looks exactly how I bought my Super Bee a couple of years ago. You joined the best Mopar site out there with a lot of helpful members. Is that MM1 turbine bronze?

 

[BrianS]

Always fun putting someone else's project together, lol. Looks exactly how I bought my Super Bee a couple of years ago. You joined the best Mopar site out there with a lot of helpful members. Is that MM1 turbine bronze?

WW1 White

 

[HawkRod]

Nice project!

Lots of good people and help here - so ask away as you have questions!

 

[kiwigtx]

Is that MM1 turbine bronze?

Looks like a PA-10 primer to me.....or similar product as a follow-up to blasting.

 

[hunt2elk]

Looks like a PA-10 primer to me.....or similar product as a follow-up to blasting.

Yep. Originally thought the po had painted the interior and engine bay.

 

[ckessel]

Nothing like putting a car together that someone else took apart. Prepare to buy some reference books.

 

[PRND21]

That’s pretty much how my 65 was when I got it, completely apart. Dash, steering column, window mechanisms, suspension all disassembled. Bought a parts manual, service manual, both very helpful, even bought a parts car later just to see how some of the fasteners were used. Everything that could be taken apart was taken apart, everything was rebuilt or refinished. Just a big puzzle, amazingly only a couple of small parts were missing. Good luck with your project.

 

[Jerry Hall]

Looking forward to future posts.

 

[ruffcut]

Welcome from a 68 RR owner in PA! RUFFCUT

 

[Builderguy]

I will be watching this project, best of luck in your endeavour!

 

[Pistol Pete]

Greetings.

 

[CoronetDarter]

Greetings and good luck. Looks like a great project. I built my Coronet based largely on the help and encouragement from the FBBO community.
What's the drivetrain?

 

[hunt2elk]

https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...oadrunner-the-rebuild-of-an-old-friend.48952/

For inspiration, here is a thread from another member restoring a white 68 Runner.

 

[71Beeper]

Welcome BrianS......great project you have there.
I'm surprised that for a WW1 white car that red oxide primer was used on it.
It should have had the lighter grey primer.

 

[Runner 68]

https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...oadrunner-the-rebuild-of-an-old-friend.48952/

For inspiration, here is a thread from another member restoring a white 68 Runner.

White 68 RM23 car no less. Thanks for the call out Hunt.
Welcome Brian. Ping me anytime you want, we can share notes. I have owned mine sine '78.

 

[64fury74charger]

Great looking bones and it sounds like you will wind up with most of the pieces. We are always here for you and we need lots and lots and lots of pictures. This forum is full of information and lots of experience so take full advantage of it.

 

[BrianS]

I swore no more basket case projects........my neighbor says it is a disease, of course he has a 32 Ford Coupe in his driveway and a 30 Ford PU in his garage and a 32 Cabriolet in storage and he is 82 years old so I will take his word for it. Anyway I jumped in this week and starter on the RR. The entire car minus the hood and deck lid was at one time blasted and primed with rust inhibiter on the bare areas. First off I took the hood, deck lid and the passenger door down to get them blasted. The door had been soda blasted with rust inhibitor on it but I was not liking it at all, the guy I use blasts with garnet and the parts come back sweet. While I was dropping the parts off to be blasted I was asking the owner about how I should handle the minor surface rust on the roof. Short of bringing it down to be blasted again he suggested a few methods. Discouraging results and after trying several different methods I resigned myself to the fact it was going down to the blaster again then as a last ditch effort I tried something that worked! I had already sanded all of the surface rust off but there was still stains in the metal which means rust is still hanging around so I used some rustoleum rust dissolver worked it in with a 3M stripping pad, wiped it off with a damp rag then followed it with naval jelly. About 10 minutes or so later wiped it down with wet rag/dawn dish soap until clean then followed by a clean wet rag. Then dried it off with a clean towel. I let it set in the sun to dry then took a 3M stripping pad and went over it one more time to remove any flash rust and it came out looking like brand new sheet metal. Hit it with the DA and some 80 grit and it was ready for epoxy primer.
I then moved on to sorting/cleaning/ doing more inventory of the parts that came with the car. As I mentioned "all the parts were there" except they weren't, the majority were but not all. Some stuff was tagged and bagged and some stuff was just in coffee cans. It was pretty random items that were missing. Thanks to FBBO I have been able to score pretty much all that was missing (so far)

. I think taking the time to clean/tag and bag will pay dividends later.

 

[Pistol Pete]

Pictures Pictures Pictures

You'd be surprised how often you'll refer back to them.