My $300 a month budget 69 RR project (AKA, Wholly crap, what did I get myself into)

[HawkRod]

Glad you are back on it Scott!

Interesting note about the LCA. I will be reusing my torsion bars, as I have the Hemi bars and they look to be in good shape when I took them out of the car. Either way, I will have to reinstall mine, so I will remember your note.

By the way, did you remove the LCA bumper? I was told this was needed to allow for some extra clearance. Haven't been there and done that yet, but check and see if removal (if you haven't already) will help.

Good luck on the other side!

Hawk

 

[GearAddict]

Glad you are back on it Scott!

Interesting note about the LCA. I will be reusing my torsion bars, as I have the Hemi bars and they look to be in good shape when I took them out of the car. Either way, I will have to reinstall mine, so I will remember your note.

By the way, did you remove the LCA bumper? I was told this was needed to allow for some extra clearance. Haven't been there and done that yet, but check and see if removal (if you haven't already) will help.

Good luck on the other side!

Hawk

Thanks Hawk, yeah I had the LCA bumpers out as well. Just got done on with the drivers side and am about to throw the tires back on and set the ride height. Same deal on the drivers side, had to loosen the pivot shaft to get the hex to line up, but as soon as I did, it slid right in with no problems.

If I remember correctly you used poly for the LCA bushings on your project? You might not have the same issue since the inner and outer sleeves are not bonded to the poly bushing and will probably rotate freely for you.

 

[HawkRod]

If I remember correctly you used poly for the LCA bushings on your project? You might not have the same issue since the inner and outer sleeves are not bonded to the poly bushing and will probably rotate freely for you.

Yes, you remember correctly! We will see how it all goes together shortly. Mark is getting really close with the body so it will be time to start bolting some of this stuff back on soon!

 

[GearAddict]

Yes, you remember correctly! We will see how it all goes together shortly. Mark is getting really close with the body so it will be time to start bolting some of this stuff back on soon!

I'm looking forward to seeing everything go back together on your ride. I imagine your rock tumbler is running 24/7 right now.

 

[GearAddict]

Spent Sunday at the Mopar's with Big Daddy car show in Ocala on Sunday... Nice show and a few real nice B bodies.

Picked up a set of rebuilt 906 heads for a decent price, which has got me plotting all of the options to get my motor running a little smoother. The combination of the 509 cam and worn valves/seals is leading to low vacuum and a poor running/idling motor (except above 3K RPM where she's a beast).

Right now, I'm thinking the plan is...

Pull the current heads, measure how far in the hole the pistons are, calculate CR with hope to get at least 9:1 with the 906 heads and metal shim tyle gasket. If not at 9:1, consider machining heads and intake to raise comp. Select Cam based on CR and other components.

This is all based on my assumption that my bottom end is fine, as it has not been burning oil.

My goal is to ditch the 509 cam for something that will give me good vacuum, reasonable Idle quality and decent power in the idle - 4K range which is where it will spend most of it's life.

Hoping to do this all for under $600 (heads not included).

 

[GearAddict]

Wow.. after reading my limited posts over the past few months and realize I'm slackin' big time.

I drove the beast to work and back last week, which was the longest drive I have taken her for so far (40 miles round trip). No over heating or odd issues like that, she drove well and the new front torsion bars are a vast improvement on the old ones. I learned a couple of things...

1. I really need to replace the small Grant steering wheel with a stock, larger diameter one.... not enough leverage for the manual steering. So I had my wife place an order for one for Christmas.

2. I still have a gas leak... I believe it is in the seem of the tank... New tank on order, I'm done chasing this issue... new tank, new seals, new sending unit. I have family coming to town for Christmas and would like to be able to take her out for a spin without fear of getting blode up

3. The engine timing is still not right, or I'm fighting some other issue... I'm debating on tearing down the engine or just waiting it out until my bonus check comes through in March and buying a crate engine from someone like CME or buying a 440 block and having a local shop do the machine work.

 

[Basket case]

good call on the steering wheel. I like the manual steering in mine, but I sure wouldn't want it with a small wheel.
I'll bet your tank is leaking on the top, usually rust there along with the trunk floor, but the new tank will solve that,
glad you got to drive it!

 

[GearAddict]

Thanks Dave... I'm good with the manual steering as well, but I wish it wasn't such a workout! Hence the stock steering wheel.

As for the tank, I'm sure I'll figure it out when I rip the old one out... who knows what the deal is, I just know it leaks. I've had it in 3 different shops and none have solved it... That's what I get for letting someone else touch the car.

 

[Basket case]

The only time manual steering is a pain is parallel parking, but who does that anymore?
If you've never has a gas tank off before, you'll be surprised at the surface rust on the top of the tank. Bare metal, with a pad on top, against the trunk floor. I even saw a '68 Charger once, that not only had a big hole in the trunk floor, the gas tank didn't have a top!

 

[747mopar]

Seats came out really nice, give yourself a pat on the back. What's the deal with your dash and what are you looking for?

 

[HawkRod]

Good call on the tank. I have a rule never to compromise on safety with car stuff; anything safety related gets fixed. Period. I would put a leaky gas tank in that category...

As far as the sender, do yourself a favor: Before you install the sender, hook up the sender to your gauge and then connect a GOOD ground to the car. Test out the sender to see that it functions well with the gauge - just manipulate the float by hand. Even if it doesn't read full and empty properly and you choose not to adjust it, at least you know what the gauge reads when full vs. empty.

Hawk

 

[themechanic]

I just watched a video about bench testing sending unit and gauge by FBBO member bigmanmopar on YouTube. His channel uses his FBBO name.

Posted via Topify on Android

 

[GearAddict]

Seats came out really nice, give yourself a pat on the back. What's the deal with your dash and what are you looking for?

Thanks... The re-upholstery project was one of the most rewarding thins I've done on the car... probably due to the fact that I wasn't sure if I was going to screw it up. I was rather proud of how it turned out.

As for the dash.. When I bought the car, the PO had re-assembled the interior from a random mixture of B-Body interior parts, but primarily from a Sport Satty with AC... The RR is a non-ac car so the dash doesn't match the car between the AC vents and the dash trim holes.

I'm looking to replace it with a non-AC RR type dash frame.

There are a few out there (Craigslist, ebay) but they either want to much or are rusted.

 

[Ron 73]

Wow.. after reading my limited posts over the past few months and realize I'm slackin' big time.

I drove the beast to work and back last week, which was the longest drive I have taken her for so far (40 miles round trip). No over heating or odd issues like that, she drove well and the new front torsion bars are a vast improvement on the old ones. I learned a couple of things...

1. I really need to replace the small Grant steering wheel with a stock, larger diameter one.... not enough leverage for the manual steering. So I had my wife place an order for one for Christmas.

2. I still have a gas leak... I believe it is in the seem of the tank... New tank on order, I'm done chasing this issue... new tank, new seals, new sending unit. I have family coming to town for Christmas and would like to be able to take her out for a spin without fear of getting blode up

3. The engine timing is still not right, or I'm fighting some other issue... I'm debating on tearing down the engine or just waiting it out until my bonus check comes through in March and buying a crate engine from someone like CME or buying a 440 block and having a local shop do the machine work.

Sounds like the gremlins are being dismissed! lol, I with my 73 seemed to have nothing but issues with the fuel system and none now, winters ago i decided to replace everything on it and im glad i did, I bought the tank and sending unit fron Vans and replaced everything up front and added a fuel inline gauge and a switch for different pressure allowances, i guess it's called that lol, i have a electric pump and thought it would be a added help, didn't really make a difference from what little i experimented with it but a new fuel system i think is always the way to go with these older cars and plan, like i have a choice for all new in my 69...

 

[GearAddict]

I just watched a video about bench testing sending unit and gauge by FBBO member bigmanmopar on YouTube. His channel uses his FBBO name.

Posted via Topify on Android

Thanks to you and Hawk for the helpful tips... I will definitely try calibrating before I install

 

[GearAddict]

Sounds like the gremlins are being dismissed! lol, I with my 73 seemed to have nothing but issues with the fuel system and none now, winters ago i decided to replace everything on it and im glad i did, I bought the tank and sending unit fron Vans and replaced everything up front and added a fuel inline gauge and a switch for different pressure allowances, i guess it's called that lol, i have a electric pump and thought it would be a added help, didn't really make a difference from what little i experimented with it but a new fuel system i think is always the way to go with these older cars and plan, like i have a choice for all new in my 69...

Thanks Ron... Yeah, things are starting to get sorted out. I have a new fuel pump, pressure gauge, Tank, Sending Unit, seals and tank pad that I will be installing this weekend. Hoping that straightens it all out.

I can't remember if I posted it earlier, but I also solved my vapor lock issues. Installed a 1" wood carb spacer and a new hard fuel line coming off the banjo fitting on the carb that relocated the inlet to the passenger side of the car... this allowed me to get the fuel line further away from the manifold and cut down on the heat soak. So far so good, she starts up after being shut down much easier.

I do believe header wraps are in my future as well or ceramic coated headers to further cut down on the heat under the hood.

 

[Ron 73]

I think the header wraps are the way to go, Im putting them on my 73, i bought wrap for my fuel lines up front but your right with the headers they do throw off a lot of heat, ive had off and on problems with this kind of stuff for awhile and i think if i wrap the headers on those hot muggy days it will be ok!!!

 

[tallhair]

The only time manual steering is a pain is parallel parking, but who does that anymore?
If you've never has a gas tank off before, you'll be surprised at the surface rust on the top of the tank. Bare metal, with a pad on top, against the trunk floor. I even saw a '68 Charger once, that not only had a big hole in the trunk floor, the gas tank didn't have a top!

I pulled my leaking gas tank years ago out of my 70 RR and there was a huge 1 ft diameter hole in the top of the tank and the original pads was a soppy mess .. I smelled gas every time I filled it

- - - Updated - - -

So after a month of being sick with the flu and then respiratory infection, I'm finally feeling well enough to get back under the car.

Today I'm replacing the old torsion bars with a new set of Mopar Performance .96 bars hoping to improve the ride height and front end stiffness.

I got the passenger side replaced and can already tell that it was the right move as the small (.88 I think) bar that I just took out has a pronounced bend to it, approx 1/4" off centerline.

Time to dig into the drivers side.

Also, for anyone reading in the future... I have no idea why the FSM doesn't mention the need to loosen the LCA pivot shaft nut when re-intallng new bars, but It was a must for me as the new LCA shaft bushing doesn't pivot freely, so the tension of the rubber bushing keeps the hex opening clocked up to high to slide the bar in... loosen the nut and presto..slides right in.

If I recall correctly the T bars are supposed to have a slight curve in them to allow for the weight of the front end when installed. The curve is supposed to installed curving up and left and right matters. I may be mis-remembering though. I also recall talking to PST about T bars and James mentioned they produced some replacement bars that were "clocked" in the wrong position so they fixed that but still have the other bars available for those that want to lower the front ride height. So I think there's something to bars having an arch or curve. Having said it's a good idea to replace anyway as you are doing.

- - - Updated - - -

OK... I found the only store in the greater Tampa Bay area that carries Hog Rings... a CarQuest 30 miles away had 400 of them. I bought 100....at the end of the job I had 1 left! All total I think I used 199 to do the job.

I just put the seats in the car and they look great! Only thing I would do different is the padding across the top of the upper seat is a little lumpy. I may try to massage it out, but all-in-all I'm very happy. I'll post pics of them installed later today.

Great job on the rear seat .. I love that particular seat cover style too. I'm looking forward to the fronts. Please post plenty of pics of those if you can when you do it. I imagine you are saving a bunch of fun ticket$ doing the re-upholstery work yourself !

Here's a vid I found of Legendary doing some 69 charger buckets which should be similar for your RR skins. If you haven't seen it I hope it helps

[video=youtube;fh3ixg9-YbE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh3ixg9-YbE[/video]

 

[GearAddict]

I pulled my leaking gas tank years ago out of my 70 RR and there was a huge 1 ft diameter hole in the top of the tank and the original pads was a soppy mess .. I smelled gas every time I filled it

- - - Updated - - -



If I recall correctly the T bars are supposed to have a slight curve in them to allow for the weight of the front end when installed. The curve is supposed to installed curving up and left and right matters. I may be mis-remembering though. I also recall talking to PST about T bars and James mentioned they produced some replacement bars that were "clocked" in the wrong position so they fixed that but still have the other bars available for those that want to lower the front ride height. So I think there's something to bars having an arch or curve. Having said it's a good idea to replace anyway as you are doing.

- - - Updated - - -



Great job on the rear seat .. I love that particular seat cover style too. I'm looking forward to the fronts. Please post plenty of pics of those if you can when you do it. I imagine you are saving a bunch of fun ticket$ doing the re-upholstery work yourself !

Here's a vid I found of Legendary doing some 69 charger buckets which should be similar for your RR skins. If you haven't seen it I hope it helps

[video=youtube;fh3ixg9-YbE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh3ixg9-YbE[/video]

Thanks TH.. We'll see what the gas tank looks like when I get it out this week, I started draining the tank yesterday, so I'll be dropping the tank tonight/tomorrow.

I'm certainly not the expert on T-bars, but it would be a revelatory fact if the T-bars were meant to have a curve in them. My new ones were perfectly straight and the FSM makes no mention of how you would need to orient the bars outside of the basic clocking to make sure the springs are properly loaded once on the ground. I can post pic, but one side was bent and the other was relatively straight on the ones I pulled out.

Thanks for the link to the Bucket re-upholstery vid. I actually referenced their rear bench vid quite a bit, excellent reference material. Legendary makes it look easy.

 

[tallhair]

I could easily be mis-remembering about the arch or maybe it was about reusing T Bars and making sure the arch that developed in used ones was oriented curving up or something .. any way you got new ones which is great.