71 Road Runner Restoration Started

[71airgrabberRR]

New Springs and another project..............

So just what exactly is wrong with these springs?? Are they made from inferior materials than the originals or what?? They are the same as what came from the factory on Hemi cars, and cars with 440+6, 440, 383 and 340 cars.

I put a set (for an E body, which has a different part number) on a Challenger about 6 years ago when they became available again, and the current owner loves them. It restored the cars ride height. He loves the way the car handles too. I thought that if they were that good, they would be fine for me.

Any input good or negative would be appreciated.

Thanks.

BTW, I picked up another "project" 2 days ago. My friends all helped with the labor, provided a trailer and even towed it to my house. I was the "director" since my arms are so useless now.

The car needs the same metal as I replaced on the 72 Satellite. Both quarters, trunk extension and Dutchman filler panel. The inner and outer rear wheel tubs have a few holes, but I may end up replacing them too since they are available now as new parts and the ones on the Satellite fit like a glove.

The doors are rock solid as are the floors, firewall, frame rails, front inner fenders, roof etc.

It came with a replacement trunk floor pan and rear bumper support from another donor car.

Here are a few pictures.............

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If you look close you will notice the front fenders change color. That is because the P.O. had another set which were in much better shape, so we swapped them out before we left with the car.

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This is how she looked when we left with her........

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On her way home.......

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It's a 383 car with a bench seat, column shift automatic. Originally was Winchester Gray.

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Here she is in front of the "Birds Nest" shop......

Thanks for all of the hard work fellows..... You know who you are. I wouldn't have been able to get this one without your assistance.

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Here is the Optional front gas tank, a dealer installed item....... LOL

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The interior showing the floor pans and firewall which are perfect.

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And a few pictures showing the original numbers matching engine and transmission.

The last picture shows the trunk floor from a donor car, that was removed by drilling out the spot welds.

The P.O. gathered all of these parts and I am grateful to him that he was so thorough.

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The water pump housing is wrong. The outlet is on the wrong side. I have quite a few of them stashed away that are correct. When my shoulders are back in shape I will look to see if I have one with the correct date code.

 

[mopar4don]

Nice find!
So what are your plans for it?

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Thanks Don.

At the moment I plan on keeping it in place of my other 71 N96 car. I have TOO many cars and I have to thin the herd out a little. So I will be selling my other B-5 air grabber car with a date code correct 383 to make room.

I'm thinking about dropping the 440 + 6 in this one after it's finished, keeping the original engine and transmission safely stored away for future use. I still have not decided on the color or transmission options though. I really like the high impact colors, but the original color would look nice, since the fender tag states it had black striping.

Both of these 71 RR I have are "real" RM code cars, and all of the new parts I purchased for the blue one will work fine on this one.

I have a lot of thinking to do now.........

Thanks again for you help Hagen !!!!!

Duda, the next time you are down here you need to come back over.........

 

[conv67bdere]

Hey 71AirGrabberRR . . . with the "optional" front gas tank, I was really curious as to the where-abouts of the engine . . . so it was nice to see that you posted it later in the pics, right where I'd expect it to be . . . in the back of your pickup ! ! ! LMAO . . . still wonder how, exactly, that is going to propel the car down the road . . .

Looks like a pretty solid car ! ! ! Good luck with thinking too ! ! !

 

[Budnicks]

congrats on the new project/toy, good luck

 

[tallhair]

Great looking project and I'm happy to see you posting again. Hope you heal up soon

 

[Propwash]

Congrat's! All kinds of Mopar fun going on at '71's residence. Best of luck with your new project.

 

[roadrunnerman]

Good to see you haven't lost your touch for finding new projects. So did they do surgery on both shoulders?

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Good to see you haven't lost your touch for finding new projects. So did they do surgery on both shoulders?

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. I would not have been able to get this car without everyone doing the physical work part.

No surgery yet. Instead I have been doing physical therapy 3 times a week for around 2 hours on each visit.
I guess they want to try this route first to see if I can be healed without surgery. It doesn't really make sense to me, as everything I have read states that Tendons do not heal on their own, without surgical intervention.

I still can't raise my arms to shoulder level, and it's much less range of motion going outwards to my sides. The pain is still pretty bad. My next visit with the Dr. is on the 28th.

I will know more then. If I'm not happy with his next recommendation, I am going to ask for a second opinion. I'm getting tired of hurting all the time.

 

[Ron 73]

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. I would not have been able to get this car without everyone doing the physical work part.

No surgery yet. Instead I have been doing physical therapy 3 times a week for around 2 hours on each visit.
I guess they want to try this route first to see if I can be healed without surgery. It doesn't really make sense to me, as everything I have read states that Tendons do not heal on their own, without surgical intervention.

I still can't raise my arms to shoulder level, and it's much less range of motion going outwards to my sides. The pain is still pretty bad. My next visit with the Dr. is on the 28th.

I will know more then. If I'm not happy with his next recommendation, I am going to ask for a second opinion. I'm getting tired of hurting all the time.

The best thing you can do buddy! Been there done that... Prayers and good wish's to you and the family knowing it makes family life hard at times like this!

 

[roadrunnerman]

That's what I would do. Some insurance companies don't want to pay for surgery unless they have to. The longer you wait, the more chance you will have to get scar tissue from what little healing is going on. That will add a little bit to what the surgeon has to do on top of the surgery. Do your therapy like they want, but in the end you will still need to have the repairs done surgically. Once that is done, then you will see improvement with the therapy.

 

[tallhair]

I'm sending prayers .. hope that's OK. I hate it that you are not getting the help you need brother

 

[71airgrabberRR]

I'm sending prayers .. hope that's OK. I hate it that you are not getting the help you need brother

Prayers are ALWAYS welcomed. Thank you my friend. I'm not ashamed of publicly admitting that I believe in God.

The more, the merrier!!!! Everything happens for a reason...............

Thanks everyone.

 

[ct71rr]

Louis, glad to see you are keeping yourself busy!! It sucks that you're still having pain. It never hurts (pun not intended) to get a second opinion. Is your town/city making you see their approved doctor because you were hurt on the job?

 

[72RR4SPeed]

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. I would not have been able to get this car without everyone doing the physical work part.

No surgery yet. Instead I have been doing physical therapy 3 times a week for around 2 hours on each visit.
I guess they want to try this route first to see if I can be healed without surgery. It doesn't really make sense to me, as everything I have read states that Tendons do not heal on their own, without surgical intervention.

I still can't raise my arms to shoulder level, and it's much less range of motion going outwards to my sides. The pain is still pretty bad. My next visit with the Dr. is on the 28th.

I will know more then. If I'm not happy with his next recommendation, I am going to ask for a second opinion. I'm getting tired of hurting all the time.

Wow sorry to hear about your shoulders! My wife is going through the same thing on her left side and is in constant pain. She had the Physical Therapy too which seemed rediculous and did nothing. She ended up seeing a specialist in Boston and he scheduled her for Surgery right away. The bone is compleatly detached from the tendons in her shoulder. The good news is that once you have the surgery you should be good as new! One of my good friends had both shoulders done and he's feeling great. Like you he couldn't raise his arms over his shoulder either now he has full range of motion and no pain. Will say prayers for you as well!

 

[Ron 73]

Keep the faith bro, Better times will come!!!

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Louis, glad to see you are keeping yourself busy!! It sucks that you're still having pain. It never hurts (pun not intended) to get a second opinion. Is your town/city making you see their approved doctor because you were hurt on the job?

Yes I have seen the City Doc. He is squared away and I trust his opinion. He is the one who told the Worker's Comp people that I had indeed injured my shoulders in the manner as described in the injury report, and that I needed further treatment.

The Dr. I saw as a "specialist" was the one that was then provided by the worker's comp carrier.

 

[tallhair]

Glad to see you back .. how's the pain? Hope it's gone or much less buddy

 

[71airgrabberRR]

I went back to the "specialist" again the other day and told him that I am sure my shoulders have been getting worse. I told him that I still have a lot of pain and that now I have a new problem when try to sleep. It feels like my arms actually drop out of the socket now when I try to sleep. The pain is VERY bad when this happens and I can't move my arm when it does. It feels like something is caught in the joint if that makes any sense.

His reply was "Well that doesn't make any sense. You should be almost healed by now. I'm only going to give you 6 more weeks of therapy and then I'm signing off that you have achieved MMI". (Maximum Medical Improvement).

I then told him that with the work I do I can't have ANY restrictions as far as movement / strength is concerned. He said the he was not going to do surgery. Each time I visited him I had a different answer and I told him that too.

What a QUACK !!!!!!

I'm allowed one change of doctor during the course of my treatment. I have been doing a LOT of research and I have what I hope will be a reputable DR lined up. He is also an approved Dr for Worker's Comp. Hopefully I can finally get the surgery that I so desperately need. I'm tired of the pain and having to rely on everyone to do things for me. It's been almost 3 months now.

Tomorrow I'm making the formal request to change Doctor's, and get a second opinion.

I know this is a car forum, but some of you all may have been wondering what's been happening.

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Keep the faith bro, Better times will come!!!

I sure hope so...........................

 

[MT_Mopar]

Hi 71ag, I had a major lung surgery several years ago and I know how it feels to have pain encompass your life. I was working on my car yesterday, bent over in my trunk spare tire well, had some muscle spasms and had to stop, damn that sucks.

My brother told me: "Oh, so your going in for a little body work huh?"

I hope your second opinion doctor is better than the first and like Ron said: Keep the faith, better times will come!