Rumbles ride

[rumblefish360]

Top end ought to be a screamer with 2.73.

Hey SCredneck . welcome aboard. I thought you might like this new place. More focused and with lots of people to help.

Theres a fella by me with a Magnum. He popped in a 440 6 pak. Nice ride he has.

 

[Jonno]

So Rumblefish360 and SCredneck, has anyone dropped a four speed manual in a late B-body that you know of? Will parts from an earlier car work?

 

[rumblefish360]

Yes, the pedals from the 72 - 74 cars work I beileve. I'll look for that thread I have saved, somewhere in this messing thing. A dude dropped in a 383 4spd and a 8-3/4.

 

[Jonno]

Thanks Rumblefish360. If you could find that old thread that would be great. As far as beefing up the suspension, are there specific things to look for?

 

[rumblefish360]

Here is the link to the 383/4spd in a Magnum thread; http://www.magnumgt.com/pistolgrip.htm
You'll find everything you need to know, for the most part, right on there on that pages and it's links on the left side of the page.

On the rear, if you stay with the stock parts, you can get the correct springs for the "ISO" suspension through ESPO.com and with extra lift if you wish. I ordered the springs with the OE ride height. I didn't like it so I added extra long shackles and moved up the rears height.
(To be honest with ya, I don't think they bent the springs properly.)

Espo also has the rubber biscuts that sandwhich the spring but do not have the proper width parts in which they sit in. I looked around and no one has the part in NOS or re-pop.

The late B-body cars come with the 8-1/4 which isn't to bad and the 9-1/4 which is excellent, but both rears are a C-clip design which seem to unerve alot of people.

Shocks ca be had easy. KYB has them and there in my car. Nice upgrade over stock, a little stiffer, but no overkill.

The entire rear suspension can be swapped out for an older one, ut the exact years I keep forgetting. I think I ot it right above, double check me.

 

[rumblefish360]

On the front suspension, there is a company, the name esapes me at the moment, that offers replacement T-bars. The late B bodies have longer T-bars than there earlier year breathern. It is possible to make the mods for earlier T-bars, but I don't think it is worth the effort at this point since you can get new ones in 2 sizes, both larger than stock.

Again, shocks are not an issue. KYB's reside in my car again. Bushings are also not an issue or strut rods.

You can also get larger front and rear sway bars from ADDCO.
Do both bars at the same time. I would also suggest the 4 shocks and T-bars all at once with 245/60/15's on all 4 corners. Once it is done, the car will handle sooooo much better, it'll actually be an enjoyable decent cornering ride.

 

[alleyoopmgv]

I really like your car. i used to have a 79 Chrysler 300, it was a nice road tripping car. i really, really like the later style mopars i also have had a 1975 fury and a 75 coronet. I've always wanted to restore a later model mopar. magnum's , later roadrunner's , cordoba's, 300's i like them all because their different, and you dont see many of them. Is there a website for later style mopars like that? If not, there should be.

 

[Jonno]

Alright then, I will check out the link for the four speed Magnum GT and thanks for the great suspension info.

 

[rumblefish360]

Alley, ;

Though posting up another web site on B bodies isn't good to get this one to grow, the link above also has within it a link, *I think* to another Mopar site, Moparstyle.com, where they have a sub section within just for the '75+ year MoPars.
It's titled "The forgotten B bodies" or something like that. I post there once in awhile.

Here it is; http://www.moparstyle.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=15
There is also this place; http://www.cordobaclubusa.com/subframeconnectorupdate.html
OH, I forgot, the K frame to these cars have a rubber biscut that isolates some road feel, vibration, noise and can be replaced with iron or aluminum parts. A member over there, "Cudazappa" makes these parts out of aluminum./
You can also get them at Mancini racing for more money.

I used the hi durameter (HP units) from MoPar which can be had brand spankin new. There not a solid as the metal ones, they have some give, but nothing like the OE rubber. The police cars had these units. Good parts.

 

[Jonno]

OK now we are getting somewhere! Thanks for the great info!

How many different kinds of stock and optional steering wheels come in Magnums and Cordobas. I like the three spoke ones that I believe have leather wrapping (may be wrong on this). Have also seen some with a circular plastic wood insert all the way around the rim, then there is the standard one like in Rumble360's first photo in this thread. Any others? Colours?

 

[69 Runner]

This guy fabricated his motor mounts. Is the K frame that much different that the factory big block mounts from a slightly earlier B body wouldn't work?

 

[rumblefish360]

The big block and small block K frames differ on the driverside engine perch. IF you have decent OE mounts, you could - with some work, use them and get it in there.

The Schmaucher kit I used had me cut the drivers perch down and redrill a hole for there new styled engine mount when I went from a 318 to a 400.

It was a very easy job to do and took about a 1/2 total once I started to cut.

 

[rumblefish360]

On the steering wheel, I noticed 2 types while driving around. The 3 spoke and the straight across 2 spoke like I have. Aftermarket steering wheels from Grant are an easy purchase and you'll need an adaprter for the colum. Might as well get a cool horn button while your at it.

Jonno, do you have a late B body car?

 

[Jonno]

Currently a wannabe. Missed a chance for a very nice '77 Midnight edition Charger locally a couple of years ago just like the one I lusted after in '77 up in North Toronto when I was a young lad. All white with the wonky grill and custom half vinyl roof. Right now I own a 28,000 mile '74 Dart Sport factory 360 which is too nice for me to cut up and drop in a four speed. Also own the '78 Gremlin X 232-6 which does have a four speed and the Levi's interior. Only 30,000 miles in it, too nice to drop in a 401!
Just checkin' out the water, the next car I'm gonna hot rod, and it will be a late model B-body! Thanks for bearing with me!

 

[rumblefish360]

Thanks for bearing with me!

LOL, No problem, you make it sound like I'm bearing a cross here.
I noticed Ohio has alot of Magnums hitting E-bay for a long time now. It is a bit of a trip, I know.

The hardest thing about these cars is simple body parts. Lock stock and barrel, it's a pain.

Beaware that Magnum bumpers are NOT Cordoba bumpers, They'll fit fine, but there NOT the same. Easy to mistake Cordoba bumpers for Magnum's. A Chrysler 300 also use's the same bumper as a Magnum. Also the GT dash is a 300 dash.

Other "*******" about the Magnum are Magnum only parts.

Trunk floors in general, '79 in particular. (No left side hump)
Hood
Grill and nose parts
Bumpers
Front turn signal light housings
Headlight doors & Tail lights! OMG! Tail lights!!!!!!! You'll fall over on there price and the headlight door price. OMG! Nuts, completely nuts!

Interior door panels , an emblem will say XE or GT on it though Doba and other late B body panels will fit and work fine. Same for horn button.
Name plates can be a minor issue. They pop up from time to time.

*I beileve doors*

IF you decide to get one, make it the most complete unit and clean one you can find. You'll save yourself a big headache in hunting parts of a 2 year run car.
Otherwise, it is a rarer car than the ones you currently have and once noticed as NOT a Monte Carlo or Oldsmobile Cutlass of the era, it gets looked at real closely with alot of questions and heads poking inside the car and engine compartment.

 

[Jonno]

Ha I actually ment thanks for your patience - Canadian eh, we talk funny.

I didn't realize that the '79 Chrysler 300 and the Magnum share the same bumpers and dash, I'll have to take a closer look at the 300s.

And the '79 trunk well thing, I guess that is because of the spacesaver tires becoming standard?

What are the option numbers to look out for with the heavy duty suspension and the trailering package on the Magnums and Cordobas.

How do you know when a car has the 727 trans, and do all '79 cars have the lean burn system? Lotsa questions eh!

I actually should pick up some old sales brochures to find out what options were available.

Thanks,

 

[rumblefish360]

An old sales brochure is a good idea.

1979;

The GT and 300 have a machine turned dash applied to them instead of the wood grain. (See below) The machined turn treatment was applied to the passengerside dash panel, upper dash where the gauges are and the bottom half is blacked out instead of wood grain. If equiped with a center console, the wood grain foward the shifter is swapped out for machine turned decoration.

All suspensions are 5 leaf, HD or tow pakages came with 6 leafs, but I haven't actually seen one.

All the '79 built trunks have a missing hump on the left side, it's flat. I beileve it has something to do with the gas tank. Which is listed as a smaller tank than previous years. 2 gallons less. 20 vs 22.

The '79 tank is not as wide as earlier tanks as well. Dual exhaust is an easier task.

Trans;

All small blocks cone with the 904 lock up. Period.
All big blocks are gone by '79. 1978 was the last year. Big blocks only come with a 727.

All '79 cars came with the leanburn, trucks were exempt and use the older standard ignition box and ballast resister your used to seeing.
I've seen 78 and earlier big block cars use ethier ignition. I'm not sure of the reason. I haven't paid that much attention to it or where they came from. But I allways cut out the leanburn system in favor of the older ignition system at the min.

 

[Jonno]

OK rumblefish360, more questions:

Do all Magnums and '79 300's come with a floor shift and console or are some bench/column shift equipt? I know the '77 Midnight I looked at a couple of years ago was a one piece bench and column shift (also had a 360-2V).

Are all 727's created equal or is there a "regular" 727 and a heavy duty version?

The '79s were only small block, 318 and 360?

 

[rumblefish360]

OK rumblefish360, more questions:

Do all Magnums and '79 300's come with a floor shift and console or are some bench/column shift equipt?

Most are bench seats and column shifted. (Magnum) Not sure about the 300.

I know the '77 Midnight I looked at a couple of years ago was a one piece bench and column shift (also had a 360-2V).

Normal. The Mid night Charger was a dressed up version of a regular Charger as far as I know. Do dads and such were applied to the car for someting different.

Are all 727's created equal or is there a "regular" 727 and a heavy duty version?

In the last years, there all the same as far as I know, BUT, there were P code cars that had nice tranny coolers upfront for long life. Cooler (And harder shifting) trannys are happy trannys.

The '79s were only small block, 318 and 360?

Correct! 318 2bbl.'s and 360 2 & 4 bbl.'s.

 

[Jonno]

OK when you say P code do you mean Police code. Sometimes you see listed on a Magnum or Cordoba that it has a police engine, but I thought the cop option packages were limited to the (B-Body) Fury's and Coronet/Monaco's, mainly four doors at that.