71 Road Runner Restoration Started

[ct71rr]

You know, if you really want to show off your skills, you should do 3 cars at once. And, it just so happens that I have a '71 that needs resto:toothy12:. Very nice work (as usual)!!!

 

[tallhair]

You know, if you really want to show off your skills, you should do 3 cars at once. And, it just so happens that I have a '71 that needs resto:toothy12:. Very nice work (as usual)!!!

Good one. He could do it too but he's just got one rotisserie

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Nothing .............. was done today

Good one. He could do it too but he's just got one rotisserie

Thanks for the compliments, but I'm doing good to finish up one car at a time.

I spent a good amount of time at the local hardware store. Looking at kitchen sinks, cabinets, faucets, you get the idea...............

Ended up buying a new faucet and a 35 gallon sized FL Peach Tree !!!!!!

When I finally got home, I had to install the faucet. We had a water leak that needed fixing, and it was just easier / quicker to replace it rather than to try and locate parts for it.

Tomorrow after planting the tree, maybe I can get something done on the SSB.

I've been thinking about swapping out the gauge cluster to a Rally one. Still tossing that idea around.............

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You know, if you really want to show off your skills, you should do 3 cars at once. And, it just so happens that I have a '71 that needs resto:toothy12:. Very nice work (as usual)!!!

Good Stuff !!!!

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Thanks again for the kind words.

 

[Ron 73]

Same hear, new rotors and brakes on the wife's Merc, My son in law came to help and the caliper is froze up and its 100 bucks! That will bring us to AM and hoping thats it, more then 200 bucks going in that thing so far. sucks! :sad1:

"I've been thinking about swapping out the gauge cluster to a Rally one. Still tossing that idea around............."

the Rally dash is cool but MHO so is the stock Satty one to, either/or its going to look sweet Louis!

 

[747mopar]

Some real nice work going on here, the little details really make for a better finished product.

 

[tallhair]

First things first. If Momma ain't happy no ones happy

 

[71airgrabberRR]

First things first. If Momma ain't happy no ones happy

There is another saying that is similar...........

Happy wife, Happy Life !!!! LOL

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Today I planted the FL Peach tree, and cleaned out our 300 gallon stock pond that our big dogs use as a play pool. Once it was filled back up with water, I went to work on the 72 SSB.

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I was able to install the steering column and bucket seats.

 

[tallhair]

There is another saying that is similar...........

Happy wife, Happy Life !!!! LOL

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Today I planted the FL Peach tree, and cleaned out our 300 gallon stock pond that our big dogs use as a play pool. Once it was filled back up with water, I went to work on the 72 SSB.

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I was able to install the steering column and bucket seats.

You are cruisin for another Pecos Pete mixed with Paul Bunyon with a little Daniel Boone and Steve Martin thrown in on the side response here brother ! Tame it down you are making me look bad!

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Both items will come back out, but I wanted the car to be able to drive around in my yard under it's own power. I have the driveline listed for sale on CL, (along with some other A/B/E body stuff) and someone is scheduled to come over on Tuesday and possibly buy the engine / transmission since I won't be needing it now. I wanted them to be able to hear the engine run.

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The steering column will need to be converted over to a floor shift and I have to weld in the reinforcement plates for the inner seat track. These plates help hold the seat in place if you are unfortunate to come to a very quick unexpected stop. (i.e., crash)

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Plus I still need to weld in the floor brackets for the console.

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On a different note, remember several Months ago when I mentioned the AC evaporator core in our Durango ???

Well it's still not fixed.......................... I need to take the dash out and get the job done. It's long overdo.

 

[tallhair]

So what are you going to do after breakfast?

 

[Ron 73]

I needed that!!! Well, What ARE you going to do after breakfast! I love this build, or builds? :eusa_think:

 

[71airgrabberRR]

I needed that!!! Well, What ARE you going to do after breakfast! I love this build, or builds? :eusa_think:

I'll probably take a nap...... LOL

 

[71airgrabberRR]

After Breakfast............

I needed that!!! Well, What ARE you going to do after breakfast! I love this build, or builds? :eusa_think:

I know this thread started out with my 71 Road Runner and morphed over to a little on the 70 Challenger, a LOT on the 73 Lemon Twist 340 Duster, and has now taken another turn............. The 72 SSB.

It's been confusing for me too !!! LOL

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So with that little introduction, this is what I did today after breakfast..............

I needed working room to replace the driver side quarter panel on the Satellite Sebring, and I wanted the Durango to be on the concrete pad in front of my shop under the awning. I am planning on replacing the AC evaporator on the Durango soon so this was a necessary step.

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Making "working room" involved emptying out the enclosed car hauler that has been a temporary storage unit for my RR parts. Once this was done, I put the Bird back in the Bird House......... again.

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Since the car is a lot taller when it's mounted on the rotisserie, I had to flip it over upside down so that it would clear the roof.

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Then I proceeded to place everything Bird related back in the trailer. A lot of the smaller parts still have to be boxed up and placed back inside the car hauler.

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Now that I had an empty spot that was previously occupied by the Bird, I drove the SSB into the shop.

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Then our Durango was driven onto the concrete pad in preparation of the dash removal.

Tomorrow I have several people who said they were going to stop by and look / listen to the 318 in the SSB. They all seemed very interested in the drive train. So time will tell what happens next.

Pull the drive line, or install the new front brakes first.

I also now have a line on a few rally dash clusters and wiring harnesses too. Several are here in FL which would be nice so I can see what I'm getting before hand. Several FBBO members sent me pictures of what they had available as well.

Thanks to everyone that responded. Now I have to decide on which set up to go with.

The SSB will be getting a rally dash, and possibly a RR hood with call outs too. I removed the leaf springs from the original 8 3/4 rear end from the 71 RR today. It will end up in the 72, since I will have to get a Dana 60 for that car.

 

[roadrunnerman]

Good one. He could do it too but he's just got one rotisserie

Yeah, but knowing his skills, it wouldn't surprise me if he builds a rotisserie that can hold 3 cars at once and spin like a ferris wheel.

 

[Photon440]

Yeah, but knowing his skills, it wouldn't surprise me if he builds a rotisserie that can hold 3 cars at once and spin like a ferris wheel.

Great! Then we can all watch as he restores a 1870's steam powered ferris wheel drive assembly for it.

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Great! Then we can all watch as he restores a 1870's steam powered ferris wheel drive assembly for it.

Of course it would have to be a HEMI head steam powered engine................. LOL (or at least have a six pack on it !!!!)

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While waiting for several people to come over and look at the drive train in the SSB, I began organizing parts for the Road Runner and Satellite Sebring by type, etc. putting them in corresponding boxes.

Once this was done I took out several of the smaller parts that interchange between both the SSB and the RR. I decided that since these parts needed cleaning up and painting, why not do both sets at the same time. That way when the time was right on the RR the parts would be ready, plus it would help to preserve them as well.

So I started with the upper fender mounting brackets and head light assembly to fender brackets. They were given the usual glass beading / painting treatment.

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The next parts to get this treatment will be all of the metal window trim for the interior of both cars.

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The people who said they were coming over never showed up. One called and said he may be able to meet this weekend, one other sent a similar text, and I never heard a word from the 3rd person.

So I feel like I partially wasted a day. I could have used the day to work on the Durango, but I didn't want to have it torn down and block access to the shop. I need to keep this area accessible to load the drive line up after it is removed from the SSB.

Who knows what is actually going to happen next. It could be the finish the interior metal for both cars, install the new front brakes on the SSB, or fix the Durango.

Something will happen though. That's guaranteed.

 

[Queen B]

If your gonna keep it make it what you want but if your gonna sell it go original. Great car please keep us posted on the restoration.

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Another Rainy Day ..................

Today I spent a part of the day glass beading the interior metal window trim parts. I was able to get most of these parts cleaned up and painted for both cars. I still have to finish the rear window trim for one car.

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[tallhair]

I'm glad to see you back. How's that Durango working now? The pic reminds me of the Y1 ads where half the car is pristine restored and the other half is rusty gold

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Here is a picture showing one of the side rails during this process. It always amazes me how nice these parts look after they have been cleaned in this manner.

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I haven't touched the Durango yet. Just as sure as I start on it, someone will decide they want the engine out of either the Satellite or my 73 Challenger. (I have both of them listed for sale on CL.) One person will let me know hopefully by Tuesday if he wants one of the engines.

Once I take the Durango apart, the entrance to my shop will be blocked for a day or two. Besides it's been raining here and I don't want to take a chance on getting the interior of our Durango wet.

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As you can see the extremely high humidity caused the black to dry in a shade of gray.

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So I stopped painting for the day and left the other finished parts inside my glass bead cabinet to help keep them from flash rusting.

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I was lucky to score one of these. It's a reproduction part, but it will look good when it's installed. It's the dash emblem and mounts on the plastic wood grain.

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When it arrives I'll post up a few pictures comparing this one to an original part.

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Until then.............. Have a good weekend.