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73 Roadrunner 340 Auto

If the motor work goes without too many issues should make it to Carlisle in July. If not, it wont be for lack of trying.
 
Block is at a friend's shop getting cleaned up. I took the pistons and all the other small parts home so I could clean them and not be in my friend's way. They race every weekend so the shop is a little full and really busy on Friday nights. Less of my stuff there the better for them. Anyway, I finished soaking and cleaning 4 of the pistons (the other four are soaking now) and they just need a little final cleanup.
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Made a little more progress. This full time job stuff is wreaking havoc on my plans.

Got the intake cleaned up,

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Head light brackets finished up

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se
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Power washed the block

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Windage tray cleaned up.
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Oil pan blasted and primed
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Seat came back from upholstery shop and the carburetor made it back in one piece.
 
Lets try those last few pics again.
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Seat bottom had the springs refurbished, new foam, and new fabric that the gentleman sews himself, no cover here.
The pic doesn't show it well, but he did an excellent job.
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Got to the wheels today. Painted the back side in the AM
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Front side in the afternoon.
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Little closer look. The light has everything to do with the look and the bounce off the metallic.
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Four wheels wont stand like this so you only get three. I like the way they turned out.

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Got a few hours in on the engine.
Ready to pull the cam bearings.
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Honing
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Ran into a slight snag. Installed the new cam bearings and the new cam but had little trouble with #5 bearing. It seemed a little too tight. Put the cam in and again #5 was a little tight. You can spin the cam by hand but there is more resistance than would be expected. Solution: "bluing and scraping" where you use machinist's blue on the ID of the cam bearing to see just where there insufficient clearance is and then you literally "scrape" (with a bearing scraper") this area down. Reapply the bluing and reinstall the cam to check if you took enough off. Way to much of a pain in the *** for me, so I sprung for another set of cam bearings to see if that would solve the problem. If not, I am only out $60 and can go back to bluing and scraping as needed on this new set.

Switched back to my shop and put in the 1/4 glass and then set the window gaps.

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Only took a few minor adjustments to get the window to seal properly. Next, the wife and I installed the drip rail chrome strips using a taped up dead blow. Sorry, only took a pic of the right side.
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Got the rear sway bar bolted in and also took time the make sure all the E-Brake cables reached and worked.
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Looking nice, you're doing a great job with this build. I am excited to see how it will turn out.
 
Ran into a slight snag. Installed the new cam bearings and the new cam but had little trouble with #5 bearing. It seemed a little too tight. Put the cam in and again #5 was a little tight. You can spin the cam by hand but there is more resistance than would be expected. Solution: "bluing and scraping" where you use machinist's blue on the ID of the cam bearing to see just where there insufficient clearance is and then you literally "scrape" (with a bearing scraper") this area down. Reapply the bluing and reinstall the cam to check if you took enough off. Way to much of a pain in the *** for me, so I sprung for another set of cam bearings to see if that would solve the problem. If not, I am only out $60 and can go back to bluing and scraping as needed on this new set.

Switched back to my shop and put in the 1/4 glass and then set the window gaps.

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Only took a few minor adjustments to get the window to seal properly. Next, the wife and I installed the drip rail chrome strips using a taped up dead blow. Sorry, only took a pic of the right side.
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Got the rear sway bar bolted in and also took time the make sure all the E-Brake cables reached and worked.
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Very nice work Builderguy. Just curious, where did you find the quater glass seal with the chrome trim. The one that is curved and seals against the body not the straight one that seals the the door window. My replacement was all rubber no trim so it is not correct.
 
I got those "Top Cat Whiskers" a few months ago from Detroit Muscle Technologies. They are out of stock as of a couple weeks ago. Need another set for my other 73 RR. I called Quirey Quality Design (QQD) for an update of when they would be back in stock. I was told that QQD as working on this as the makers stopped production. QQD is in the process of taking over this business but they wont be available until late this year if all goes well but probably not until spring of next year.
 
I got those "Top Cat Whiskers" a few months ago from Detroit Muscle Technologies. They are out of stock as of a couple weeks ago. Need another set for my other 73 RR. I called Quirey Quality Design (QQD) for an update of when they would be back in stock. I was told that QQD as working on this as the makers stopped production. QQD is in the process of taking over this business but they wont be available until late this year if all goes well but probably not until spring of next year.
Yes that is what I am finding I will assemble mine with the black ones and change them out later.
Thanks
 
Good news, bad news kinda thing. Good news, my heads are done; bad news, they cost three times what they were supposed to cost. Original valve grind was $200, but once they added all new guides and resurfaced them the cost rose to $600. Like dad always said, "If you are going to do it, then do it right or you'll be doing it again!" They do look good.

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More good news, bad news: The distributor is done and on its way back to me but the new cam bearings did not come in today as I was told they would. Should be here tomorrow, maybe.

Now for the stuff that blows my hair back. Was cleaning the torsion bars and found the factory paint ID marks.

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Also found time to paint both the fender braces.

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New cam bearings FINALLY came. Removed the offending bearing and found this:

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Little too tight. Installed a new one and the cam spun just fine. :)

With that done, the crank was next.
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Then the pistons, and by then it was past 11 and time to quit for the night.
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Forgot, I got the distributor back and never put in a photo'

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Need to get the front suspension done so I grabbed the K-frame out of storage and started to prep it.

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Primed with a rust stop that needs 48 hours to dry before I can spray it with semi-gloss.

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I know every animal has it's place, but I could do without the mice making my K-frame their "place" as they
left a ton of crap behind when they left.

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Also dug out the air cleaner. Looks okay but not quite good enough so it will get blasted, a re-spray, and new decals.

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And the correct air cleaner for the crankcase vent:

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I am a little slower at this than the guys who own the shop. I just finished putting my heads on and in that same time the two of them finished a race engine that only had the crank and cam in it. Plus they took time to answer all my MOPAR questions.
Anyway, I am glad to have friends like these who let me build my engine in their shop, using their tools and a ton of their knowledge.

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Rockers are cleaned up but the valve covers still need some work.

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K-frame got sprayed today. It looks like gloss in the photo but it will dry down to the semi-gloss that it is. You would think in a small garage it would be hard to lose a piece but I lost the starter splash guard. I blasted it and sealed it but now I can't find it anywhere. %$@#*$%$

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K-frame got sprayed today. It looks like gloss in the photo but it will dry down to the semi-gloss that it is. You would think in a small garage it would be hard to lose a piece but I lost the starter splash guard. I blasted it and sealed it but now I can't find it anywhere. %$@#*$%$

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With all the parts I lost during my project I always find them exactly where I left them, you know the spot you said to yourself " I'll put it here where I know where it is at" LOL
 
Wow, 15 days since my last project post. I was trying to get the car done for Carlisle but I didn't make it. I entered the car in a show "Mopars at the Red Barn" on July 24th at the Gilmore Auto Museum here in MI , but it looks like I wont have the car done in time for that one either. Too much to do for one guy and no time to get it done, even with taking a bunch of days off from work. I did blow a day driving to Geneva, OH to pick up the exhaust system (suppose to match the original pipes).
So here are the updates:

From this to that.
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K frame on the cart ready for building out

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Tires mounted and balanced

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Needs a new heater core

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Waited long enough, time to color sand

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Motor is just about together

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Ready for paint

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A few more project pics. I broke my own rules and tried a paint I have never sprayed before. Supposed to be more durable as an engine paint. We will see. It is Delfleet Essential single Stage Polyurethane enamel that is a 6:1:1 mix. And they had the mix formula for Chrysler Corporate Blue. The pics may not show it so well, but it is SPOT ON for color.

Looks good in blue

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Here is that exhaust

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