Lookie what $5000 buys you....

[Kern Dog]

Secondly….
The control panel has wiring with a plug that attaches to the heater blower motor resistor.
But… the blower motor has two wires coming off of it. Black and orange.

So far, I can’t find anything in the FSM about where they attach.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

One cable control the blend door to control the temperature by either forcing air through the heater core or allowing air to bypass...
Other cable directs air to the defrost or floor...
Should be a couple cables mounted under the dash to control fresh air both from the heater box cowl door & from a vent on the drivers side...

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Black wire is grounded, orange wire is fed through the blower resistor...

 

[Kern Dog]

One cable control the blend door to control the temperature by either forcing air through the heater core or allowing air to bypass...
Other cable directs air to the defrost or floor...
Should be a couple cables mounted under the dash to control fresh air both from the heater box cowl door & from a vent on the drivers side...

I guess I need a NON A/C drivers side cowl vent box. This car had A/C.
I decided to add the simpler heater/defroster just to have heat while I slowly build and drive the car. I spent 18-19 years in the red car with no functioning heater at all.
Also, the Non A/C firewall stamping is much more tidy. If/When I convert to Classic Auto Air, there will be no big holes to block off.
Finally....the electrical switch on the right side of the panel...how stiff is too stiff for the movement of this? Are new switches available?

 

[1 Wild R/T]

When the switch is stiff it's probably been overheated because there is no relay and all the current passes through the switch... I'm not aware to a replacement switch but to be honest I haven't looked lately...

 

[Kern Dog]

My reproduction Factory Service Manual isn’t real clear on the cable orientation so I took a guess on it. The control panel I got has a slider button on each side of the “Off Heat Def” center.

I did see that the RH fresh air vent is supposed to have a long cable that mounts to a retainer and pull knob near the steering column.
The LH vent is independent of the system in this car as well as the red one. Maybe they used the same LH vent for all models?
The cables in this panel are stiff. The doors on the heater are too. As a result, one cable kinked up near the panel. I didn’t expect much from this unit since I got a good deal on it. The blower switch goes off when I try to put it on HIGH speed. I get low and slightly “more than low” speeds.
I don’t know if it is worth spending money on new cables since it won’t be in the car when I add A/C.

 

[Kern Dog]

I got it out on the road today. The weather is mostly clear and low 50s. The speedo wasn’t reading but no biggie. The plan was to fill it up and get it weighed. The gas gauge is your typical crappy stock gauge with an aftermarket fuel sender. The tank can have 4 gallons in there before the needle lifts off of the E mark. I put about a gallon and a half in it a week ago.

It was not enough.
I ran out about 1/2 mile from the station and coasted about 1/4, then turned down a side road.
The station had these stupid gas cans:

Economically priced too…$18!

I got it started up and went straight to the station and filled up with 89 octane.
THEN I heard the sound of trickling….
The gas tank was leaking. Gas station patrons and employees frown upon flammable liquids being dumped on the concrete so I drove out and onto a side road to get a look.
Of course, it can be hard to see with gas dripping in your face.

It turned out to be that return/vent line, the one with the worm clamps. It had slid off, allowing anything above it to gravity “bleed” out. I stuffed it back on. While I was stopped, I reached under the dash and pushed the speedo cable in better. The end locking tab is broken so I don’t expect it to stay.
Out on the road… the car hauls ***!

Actually…

130 mph at 2500? With 3.91 gears??

The speedo worked fine at first but when I looked down again, it was at hyperspeed.
Here I am at a stoplight:

Hey, Chargers are good looking cars but this takes the whole “It looks like it is going fast even when standing still” saying to the literal sense.

 

[fesser]

What is your "seat of the pants" impression of the 3.91 gears so far? Too low?

 

[Kern Dog]

I had a 3.23 set in it at first and it felt sluggish. The 383 has a short stroke so it needs to rev a bit to make the power. At cruising speeds, the 3.23 would have been fine. I have a 280-474 cam in it so it is a bit lumpier than a 383 Magnum.
The 3.91 is pretty snappy by comparison. At 60 and above, it does feel steep. I have a 3.55 in my red car and it also has a 5 speed with a .64 overdrive. That results in a 2.27 final drive. It lopes along at around 2000 rpms at 70.
Jigsaw is still so raw. I have no carpet in it, the rear seat and package tray are out. The exhaust resonates through the trunk and back. The 3.91 has a whine around 40 mph on light throttle that was noticeable when I had the 3rd member in the red car, Ginger. That car has extensive sound deadener and carpet.
For a fun project car, the 3.91 gear is okay. It performs well and mileage isn't an issue. If I were to want to make road trips in it, I'd switch back to the 3.23. One day I might. I don't have any solid plans other than eventual body and paint.
Here is a shocker.....
I drove onto the scales.....The car weighed 3620 lbs.

Now add in the rear seat, carpet and package tray and I'll probably be around 3680.
When Ginger was still green:

In similar condition... 440, 727, 8 3/4" axle, original A/C, bucket seats and console but no frame connectors or torque boxes: 3750.

 

[fesser]

Ginger looks better the older she gets.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

I’ve always liked 3.55s, it’s right in the middle, speed and acceleration.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Walmart bath mats would be perfect for jigsaw

 

[eldubb440]

Ginger looks better the older she gets.

yeah, not so much

 

[dadsbee]

I always said Mary Anne was the better one..

 

[fesser]

yeah, not so much

View attachment 1411421

Oh my. There is a harsh dose of reality.

 

[Kern Dog]

I always said Mary Anne was the better one..

I am tempted to rename Jigsaw to "Mary-Anne" after I paint it.

 

[Islandkent]

Jig Saw works.

 

[Richard Cranium]

yeah, not so much

View attachment 1411421

Ginger looks like a zombie.

 

[Kern Dog]

I know that I looked better in 1970 than I do now.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Retirement hasn’t been good, remember you still need to shower at least once a week