Lookie what $5000 buys you....

[1 Wild R/T]

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/acc-9002c

Not that you would want to buy new wires, but I have been running these on all my cars with no issues. They come in 90*, 45*, or straight ends and can be bought singularly to make up the kit you need.

Yup, the boots on these can lay directly on the header & it won't effect them..

 

[Kern Dog]

It sure is crowded in the engine bay with a battery up front. I've had the battery in the trunk of the red car for 8 years. Getting to the #1 and 3 spark plugs is sure easier with the battery gone.

 

[Kern Dog]

I pulled the header. It made more sense to me. Clearance was tight with a spark plug socket and I figured that by denting the tubes, it would make all future work easier.
I took a spare head and set it on the bench.....

...Then slipped the header over the studs and screwed in the spark plugs. It was easy to see where I needed clearance. Some whacks with a hammer, wire brush off the flaked paint, a few shots of fresh paint and all is well.

The transmission cooler was mounted in the same place I had it in the red car.

I wanted to do a better job of routing the cooler lines than I did in Ginger. I picked a spot to pass through the core support below the battery tray.

It is a bit of a busy area. The lower section of the core support is triple thick.
I found a spot that looked right. I found a body plug intended for the clutch pedal pushrod hole and traced around it...

 

[Kern Dog]

I used the trusty Harbor Freight air saw....

I fitted the grommet in place.

Using some 5/16" line....

Bent and shaped to fit...

All buttoned up and ready.
Oh....I need ATF and a Power Steering belt. Plus, I need to connect the vent lines from the gas tank to the evaporative tube in the trunk.
I was hoping to start it today. I could if I wanted to drive to the parts store for ATF but nah...I'll get back to it tomorrow.

 

[Kern Dog]

J I G S A W runs!

Woooooo!
It was difficult to get it to start. The carburetor and distributor were not new. This low deck B series distributor is electronic and the only one that I have. I did test it by connecting the wire plug and spinning the shaft with the distributor out of the engine. It did send spark to the plugs.
The carburetor though....It looks fine but it occurred to me that THIS one was on my 75 Power Wagon and pulled off because it wouldn't idle.
I was trying to do a "first fire" on an engine with a few unknown parts.
Lucky for me, the cam and lifters are used but the lifters were put back in the same places. Some extended cranking wasn't going to wipe the cam.
I'd get a backfire through the carburetor or the tailpipes. It had me confused. I verified TDC and #1 firing order and stabbed the distributor. I cranked it to advance some or retard some....Nothing was working.
THEN I looked at the distributor cap. I had the firing order WRONG. I had it clockwise like a A-LA -Magnum series, not Counterclockwise for the B/RB series. I don't think that I have made this mistake in several years, if ever.
Boom...It started right up and blew a backfire and black smoke through the exhaust! It wouldn't stay running though.
It was then that I remembered that this carburetor was the one that I had shelved a few years ago.
I grabbed a Carter 4 barrel that a FBBO member sent me a couple of years ago. I bolted it on and ran a temporary fuel line just to get it to start and run. The Carter has no provision to attach the transmission kickdown button that is needed for the cable kickdown setup.
It started up and ran great! It idles smoother than I expected and it runs quieter too. The exhaust is quiet but does cackle a bit under throttle. No valvetrain noise, no exhaust leaks but....Whoa....The valve covers were pissing oil! They are cast aluminum and the gaskets are Moroso blue silicone with steel cores. The valve cover gasket rails are flat and straight. I suspect that I just didn't have the bolts tight enough.
I pulled each valve cover and cleaned the oil film from the gaskets, then bolted them back down. The lower-outer corners have studs but the holes in the valve covers do allow some movement. I did like I do with the MP VCs in Ginger....Hold the valve covers UP close to the intake while tightening the bolts. This aligns the gasket rails so the bottom edges sit evenly on the heads.
I'll know tomorrow if the oil leaks are gone.
I'm happy that it runs though!

 

[moparedtn]

Congrats and atta boy, Greg!

 

[Kern Dog]

When I saw that I had the firing order wrong, it was an immediate "light bulb" moment. I was confident that it would start once I corrected that. I may tear down the Holley tomorrow or let my carburetor guy go through it. I have a 750 VS on my '67 Dart. That would be a better fit for this 383 anyway.
I didn't see any leaks at the transmission or radiator hoses. Maybe I'll be able to drive it around the neighborhood tomorrow.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Awesome!!!! Maybe there will be a Spring Fling 2022....

But the again if I were you & had a car with O/D thats what I'd be driving...

 

[Kern Dog]

I could put a 2.76 or 2.94 in this for a road trip. I made 4 visits to Van Nuys in Ginger. One was with a 3.23, the other 3 were with a Gear Vendors and a 3.91 diff. It ought to get better mileage now though with the taller overdrive.
I'm still surprised at how tame it sounds. Not that Ginger is all that radical....It is a 493 with 10 to 1 compression and the MP 528 solid with 1.6 rockers. This 383 is 100 cubes smaller, has 9.2 compression and has a MP 280/474 hydraulic cam. I guess that bodes well for streetability.

 

[Kern Dog]

The transmission works. Power steering does too. I filled the reservoir twice....I think the steering chuck was dry!
The alternator runs at a discharge but I didn't know if it was good or not when I bolted it on. I never tested it. I may buy a rebuilt one.
The gauges don't read except the Tach and Ammeter. The speedometer should work. The dash lights are dead. Maybe the panel dimmer is bad?
I found a loose gallery plug at the back of the block near the bellhousing flange. It opposes the oil pressure sending unit. That was causing the massive oil stream, not the valve covers.
It was 11:45 and as I was tinkering out in the shop, the Wife came out sporting "that look" that they get sometimes. One dog of ours barks every time I start the Red car and apparently, he is just as entertained by the exhaust tone of THIS car.

I had to come back inside. More tomorrow though!

 

[moparedtn]

The transmission works. Power steering does too. I filled the reservoir twice....I think the steering chuck was dry!
The alternator runs at a discharge but I didn't know if it was good or not when I bolted it on. I never tested it. I may buy a rebuilt one.
The gauges don't read except the Tach and Ammeter. The speedometer should work. The dash lights are dead. Maybe the panel dimmer is bad?
I found a loose gallery plug at the back of the block near the bellhousing flange. It opposes the oil pressure sending unit. That was causing the massive oil stream, not the valve covers.
It was 11:45 and as I was tinkering out in the shop, the Wife came out sporting "that look" that they get sometimes. One dog of ours barks every time I start the Red car and apparently, he is just as entertained by the exhaust tone of THIS car.

View attachment 1087104

I had to come back inside. More tomorrow though!

What a great shot! I'm thinking the pup had a similar expression to the wife that time.

 

[Kern Dog]

It is funny when Rocket barks at the car at 4:00 in the afternoon. It is not as humorous when he does it before midnight. I had him out in the yard for his pre-bedtime potty session and he was riled up, running around and barking. I didn't see him, it was the Wife that told me. The car isn't very loud but with that fuzzy little tattletale making a scene, I had to cut it out.
I was excited to have this car running! I brought it home on September 5th 2019, 18 months ago.

 

[moparedtn]

It is funny when Rocket barks at the car at 4:00 in the afternoon. It is not as humorous when he does it before midnight. I had him out in the yard for his pre-bedtime potty session and he was riled up, running around and barking. I didn't see him, it was the Wife that told me. The car isn't very loud but with that fuzzy little tattletale making a scene, I had to cut it out.
I was excited to have this car running! I brought it home on September 5th 2019, 18 months ago.

It's always a huge milestone in a project car when it springs to life - like the heartbeat kicks in.
First time down the road without running over anything is another.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

 

[moparedtn]

Good Lord, Terri Garr was so freakin' hot in those days... *shiver*

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Good Lord, Terri Garr was so freakin' hot in those days... *shiver*

And because I agree...

 

[Kern Dog]

Yesterday it ran, today it also drives!
I replaced the alternator and the ammeter now shows a charge at idle. The Carter carburetor was pulled and a Holley 750 was cleaned up and put on. I had to reroute the fuel line to match the right side fuel inlet.
I backed it out of the shop and made two loops in the backyard and was ready to take it on the road through the neighborhood....When fwoooosh! Steam came up at the front of the car.
The lower radiator hose slipped off of the water pump housing. I usually use water only when I get a fresh engine up and running. I'd rather not lose anti-freeze to a leak so I wait to see if the system is leak free before I pour in the Prestone. Good thing.
I'm not sure what I will do with the car once the various small details are addressed. I might register and insure it so I can legally drive it. I may take some small trips to make sure it is reliable before considering anything out of town.
The rear window still needs to be installed but I need to prime and paint the window channel before I can do that. There are some trim clips to replace as well. I bought a set when I bought the rear window.

 

[Kern Dog]

The rear window channel had a few rusty spots that I cut out and patched maybe a year ago? I'd have to go back and check. I have a new AMD rear window to install. I've read that their glass is thinner than stock so the trim clips might have to be set a smidge lower so the trim will sit right.

I recall that the glass is supposed to sit on that black sticky rope type seal. In the red car, Ginger, I used the 1/4" black licorice seal and then spread windshield urethane around it from the inside. It has never leaked.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

So grab the 5/16 seal ribbon & your glass will sit higher causing the trim to fit with the clips in the stock location..

 

[ckessel]

On your antifreeze addition thats coming, since you have furry friends, I would recommend the Mopar coolant. I've found that only the factory puts in" Bitrex" which makes it taste nasty as opposed to the usual Koolaid of parts store stuff. There may be some a/m stuff out there that contains it but you would have to check ingredient/MSDS sheet to know.