73 340 RR Back to life

[MoparJimT]

looks fantastic! Love that color. Wish my '73 had looked that good.

Thanks. I am super happy with the results.

 

[MoparJimT]

That is a beautiful car!.

Can I ask about the grill...

is the center horizontal a molding?

The lower horizontal has molding across it as well as paint on the grill. The top and center are painted. I tried to match the color as close as possible. I think it has a bit more shine to it then the original. However I had to keep in mind the car is from the desert and alot of the front end had gotten sandblasted from driving in sandstorms in my youth.

 

[blue69runner]

So good to see you bringing it back to life. It look's grate and did a good job. Yep those darn doors. Had to settle where mine ended up but they work. Grate job. Have fun driving that grate looking runner.

 

[YY1]

The reason I ask is I have a second grill for my Satellite I'd like to black-out like a RR grill.

Masking the center bars is going to be tedious (I bought some Tamiya 3mm model masking tape to try), and...

I see on ebay a molding for the center bar that already has the blackout.

This sure would be a LOT easier.

...but wonder why your RR (or maybe any) doesn't have it.

Did the SSP have a different grill with that molding maybe?

 

[MoparJimT]

The reason I ask is I have a second grill for my Satellite I'd like to black-out like a RR grill.

Masking the center bars is going to be tedious (I bought some Tamiya 3mm model masking tape to try), and...

I see on ebay a molding for the center bar that already has the blackout.

This sure would be a LOT easier.

...but wonder why your RR (or maybe any) doesn't have it.

Did the SSP have a different grill with that molding maybe?

I am not sure but a SSP must have a different grill. Mine is the original grill and the center was painted.

 

[MoparJimT]

So good to see you bringing it back to life. It look's grate and did a good job. Yep those darn doors. Had to settle where mine ended up but they work. Grate job. Have fun driving that grate looking runner.

Thanks I appreciate it. I definately will be driving it. Planning a nice road trip to NorCal to show it to the guy i bought it from in 1978.

 

[ct71rr]

Wow! Very nice and that color is awesome!!

 

[Bighouse]

Awesome car! These have become my favorite 70’s model

 

[Builderguy]

Job well done Sir, job well done!!! Looks great.

 

[MoparJimT]

Thanks Everyone!! I can truly say I could not have made it this far without this Forum. Best bunch of guys I have never met.

So made it back down to AZ to finish the stripes and finish up odds and ends. Got there and the back of the shops roof had collapsed due to a roof leak and the mosoon that came through. Fortunately missed my car by a foot but needed to get it out of there so it was going home no matter how much I got done. I had prepped my cousin Rick that I might need him to come down to pick it up with his trailer. He hit the road Sat am.

First set back,
I went to start it up and it turned over, had fuel, but no spark. Started checking and narrowed it down to the Electronic Ignition Module. Replaced it and it fired right up.
Second set back,
Started working on the brakes, could not get them to bleed properly with the one man vaccum bleeder kit. Could not get them to pump up properly but had some brakes.
Trailer is on its way, started packing up the parts getting everything ready.

Pulled the car out of the bay. First time the car has moved under its own power since 1990.

Third set back. The trans was slipping too much could not get much movement out of her. Checked everything I could, added some more fluid and it got better but not 100%.

Finally got the trans to work well enough to move, got it in and strapped down.

We hit the road at 5 am the next day, 13 hours later we pulled up in front of my house. Unloaded and all the neighbors came out to see. They finally believed the car really existed, they had only heard about it but never seen it.

No, I am not in any of the pics. I got the car in the garage. Now just need to fix the brakes, check out the trans, put the new exhaust in, finish up the console install the radio and stuff. I will keep posting progress.
Thanks again for all the help everyone!!

 

[HawkRod]

Car looks amazing!

Work out the final details and enjoy it - I'm sure it will collect a crowd everywhere it goes!

Hawk

 

[Dan64]

What a great looking car! I'm sure you'll get the little stuff worked out soon enough, the hard stuff is done and it's home, very cool. I don't know much at all about the 73'-74's but i'm starting to really dig them.

 

[MoparJimT]

Car looks amazing!

Work out the final details and enjoy it - I'm sure it will collect a crowd everywhere it goes!

Hawk

Thanks Hawk. Shouldn't take me too long to get it squared away. Then start driving it. I smell a road trip in my future. I spoke to the guy I bought it from in 1978. He bought it in 1975 I would love to get the first 2 years of the history if that was possible.

 

[MoparJimT]

What a great looking car! I'm sure you'll get the little stuff worked out soon enough, the hard stuff is done and it's home, very cool. I don't know much at all about the 73'-74's but i'm starting to really dig them.

Thanks Dan64. I appreciate it. I hope your right sort the remaining issues then enjoy it.

 

[Nxcoupe]

Congrats on getting it home. It looks great. I would be pulling an all nighter working thru the bugs but I'm impatient when I'm that close. Lol. Wonder what's up with the trans?

 

[MoparJimT]

Congrats on getting it home. It looks great. I would be pulling an all nighter working thru the bugs but I'm impatient when I'm that close. Lol. Wonder what's up with the trans?

Thanks nxcoupe, wish I had the time right now. Have a bunch of stuff going right now but I will get it done. This weekend should be productive. I will keep everyone posted.

 

[YY1]

Man, I like that car.

Be careful with that trans.

Once a torqueflight starts slipping, more often that not, it's already toast.

Kickdown linkage needs to be installed and adjusted properly before driving.

Not doing that is the easiest way to tear one up.

Hopefully low fluid was all it was.

 

[MoparJimT]

Man, I like that car.

Be careful with that trans.

Once a torqueflight starts slipping, more often that not, it's already toast.

Kickdown linkage needs to be installed and adjusted properly before driving.

Not doing that is the easiest way to tear one up.

Hopefully low fluid was all it was.

Thanks YY1. Probably does not mean anything because it sat on a bench for a year but the trans was rebuilt so i am hoping it is something minor. I just have not been able to look at it yet. Thanks on the tip on the kickdown. I completely forgot about that. Hoping to dedicate some time this weekend.

 

[MoparJimT]

Hey bbody team. I have been struggling with my brakes. I appreciate any thoughts of wisdom.
Upon reassembly i could not salvage my master cylinder, booster or caliper and wheel cylinders. I search for replacements that were as close to the original as possible in looks. The only parts I could find were rebuilt version and made in china. Not my ideal choice but under a time crunch so it was my only option.

Factory power disk front 10 inch drum rear.
Here my issues
Barely any braking power.
The pedal goes pretty close to the floor but does pump up a little but still the car will roll down my driveway with me hard on the brake pedal. Only way to stop is to pump the pedal hard. Brake warning light is on parking brake is off.
What I have done
I bled the brakes to old fashion way starting with the farthest working closer. Could not get the drivers drum to stop pushing bubbles so tried the lith grease trick to seal the bleeder screw and that worked until the grease dissolved. Decided to replace both wheel cylinders again, did not trust them even though they were new rebuilt ones. This solved the air bubbles and now all 4 corners bleed clean with no air.
Background on the reassemble
I flushed the brake lines with denatured alcohol using a air compressor canister flush setup. Lines were dirty but flushed them to clear liquid then blew clean air through them to dry.
Bench bled the replacement master cylinder with an adaptor kit and it seemed clear of air.
Cleaned the proportioning or combination valve but did not disassemble. Could not source a replacement or rebuild kit.
I just bought a new not rebuilt mastercylinder and and am planning on installing it next. But the proportioning valve is bothering me could it be stuck.
Wheel cylinder did move when the brakes were applied but did not check the calipers yet.
No leaks anywhere that I could find.

Sorry for the long thread. Any help is appreciated. I am stumped.

 

[HawkRod]

Hey bbody team. I have been struggling with my brakes. I appreciate any thoughts of wisdom.
Upon reassembly i could not salvage my master cylinder, booster or caliper and wheel cylinders. I search for replacements that were as close to the original as possible in looks. The only parts I could find were rebuilt version and made in china. Not my ideal choice but under a time crunch so it was my only option.

Factory power disk front 10 inch drum rear.
Here my issues
Barely any braking power.
The pedal goes pretty close to the floor but does pump up a little but still the car will roll down my driveway with me hard on the brake pedal. Only way to stop is to pump the pedal hard. Brake warning light is on parking brake is off.
What I have done
I bled the brakes to old fashion way starting with the farthest working closer. Could not get the drivers drum to stop pushing bubbles so tried the lith grease trick to seal the bleeder screw and that worked until the grease dissolved. Decided to replace both wheel cylinders again, did not trust them even though they were new rebuilt ones. This solved the air bubbles and now all 4 corners bleed clean with no air.
Background on the reassemble
I flushed the brake lines with denatured alcohol using a air compressor canister flush setup. Lines were dirty but flushed them to clear liquid then blew clean air through them to dry.
Bench bled the replacement master cylinder with an adaptor kit and it seemed clear of air.
Cleaned the proportioning or combination valve but did not disassemble. Could not source a replacement or rebuild kit.
I just bought a new not rebuilt mastercylinder and and am planning on installing it next. But the proportioning valve is bothering me could it be stuck.
Wheel cylinder did move when the brakes were applied but did not check the calipers yet.
No leaks anywhere that I could find.

Sorry for the long thread. Any help is appreciated. I am stumped.

Hmmm. This is the classic: Nothing is wrong but something is. Happens to me all the time, unfortunately.

First, I would say it sounds like you have air in your lines "Only way to stop is to pump the pedal hard". I would also concentrate on your front disc brakes, since they provide most of the stopping power. If they worked the car would absolutely stop.

Some other questions and thoughts:

1. In know, a very basic question: Are your bleeder fittings at the top of the calipers? They must be at the highest point. Some people have mounted the calipers on the wrong sides and that leaves air in them.
2. What is the bore of your original master cylinder vs. you new one? They should be the same. An incorrect bore size could cause issues.
3. You say your brake warning light is on. This switch is in your proportioning valve, so that is telling you something is wrong there. Either it is still plugged, or has air in it, etc. On my 70 Road Runner, I disassembled it carefully, cleaned it, and then put it back together. It really is not that hard, so that might be something to try.
4. Are your brake hoses new? Some hoses collapse on the inside. You can't see it, but they then inhibit fluid moving through them.

And, please be super careful with brake fluid. Be SURE you protect your paint; it will eat your new paint very quickly: Ask me how I know (I screwed up the paint on my 70 Limelight Road Runner TWICE due to issues. Grrrrr.....)

Maybe a picture or two of one of your calipers will help as well.

Hope some of this helps,

Hawk