Should I be discouraged or pissed? Seems so many things on my car are wrong

[bigmanjbmopar]

Well after doing some checking, which I seem to be doing a lot now, mainly because I learn something new just about everyday about the parts for my car and what is correct and what it should and shouldn't have and find myself wondering if I should be pissed off or just happy to be a mopar owner.

Some examples, and I show these because I am looking for advice and opinions since changing the things that are wrong cost $$$

1st. The wiper motor - was excited to get it cleaned up and refreshed and it works basically single speed and no park that I can tell still looking into that, but after researching the part number find that it's a 73 motor from a A or B or E body(thanks passion4mopars.com) and then looking at the pictures I took when it was tore apart find that it only has two brushes one for ground and one for single speed(http://vintage.mitchell1.com/PClubData/chassis/del77/V2D775132.pdf). So should I be mad that the PO's did it wrong and should I spend the money to find a year correct one or just live with it? Don't drive in the rain anyway so ???

2nd. A/C car, came with it but it's long gone and the internals minus the air box are gone too. I mean why rip out the vents and brackets and hoses inside under the dash just because the a/c stopped working? So I have tubes sticking out on my fire wall that go to nothing now and look like crap.

3rd. A01 light group. says I should have the "lights on buzzer" looking at the wiring harness I don't see where it was prepped for it. or if the harness was modified to delete it, not that I want it but at least would like to know if it was there. Even though the harness has been brutalized by the PO's and I am still two years later trying to fix and clean it up.

4th. Seats. car came with totally wrong front buckets, ok lived with it for awhile then started pricing correct replacements and almost fell out of my chair for what they wanted plus re do costs, so looked at the rears, they seemed correct. pattern definitely Plymouth they fit not bad shape ok cool maybe I can find some that look like that, blam one day searching ebag found a set that look close, see other thread about guess the seats. Anyway, start looking into the seats and find production tags for the rears of 9/67 top and 10/67 bottom... well ok made then but installed in a 69?? would that be right or should I be pissed? (Back story - car was originally a saddle tan interior now is all black so obviously one of the PO'S changed it so the rears cannot possibly be original just maybe period correct - more like for a 68 maybe not 69) New front buckets I got off ebag says 12/66 lol and the tracks did not line up with the holes in the floor, so had to make two new holes each side fortunately in the reinforced spots in the pan...should I be pissed? Or just love what I've done and be happy?

5th. lower dash switch bezel, found out there is a difference between a 68 and a 69...a little dot in the middle of the wiper motor switch tells you it's a 69, well mine was cracked and not a 69 so looked for a replacement just to find out the one I just bought was a 68 because I didn't find out about the difference until after i made the purchase! again mad at myself but should I live with it or find the correct one? and spend 2-3 times as much? who will really cares other than myself? If I show the car most people won't know or care but some will notice the minor detail not that I care but it's still frustrating.

Don't get me wrong I never intended to restore my car to original just trying to get close as possible and it seems I know not very much about the little things and am frustrated with myself for not using my head and looking at the part numbers before making a decision. but a lot of it is $$$ based I mean if it works then why spend the money to get an original that may or may not need a complete overhaul in it's self? On the other hand when you do spend the money on a part thinking you are making progress just to find out you f'ed up on the part do you sell it to try to get the right one?

Things are adding up now and I wonder how much more I can take, I feel like I am taking 30 steps back for every one forward.

I guess what I am saying here is you try so hard to get things right and learn as you go, and when it goes south you have a choice to make, do it right or live with it and explain to everyone that your car is a mish mash of parts from various years but it runs and is fun as hell to play with.

What would you do?

- - - Updated - - -

One thing I wanted to add about my car is that it is an early year car, it was born on Jan 12th 1969 so in the back of my mind have always wondered if the factory would have used 1968 parts in it since it was so early in the year, but on the same thought know it was 136,923 off the line so just how much 68 stuff would they have used?? if any.

 

[paladin06]

Fix what you can when you can. I bet a $1 will get you $1000 that most people who look at your car don't notice or know anything about the lack of correctness you noted. Just smile and enjoy it. It's a journey....right.

 

[440+6]

I've done some of that learn as you go on a few different cars, mostly minor but a couple biggies too.
Don't get discouraged, when you are finally done and cruising you will forget that stuff.
Build it for you not the nit pickers.

 

[Coyoteduster]

My advice is if it's not an all original numbers matching drivetrain car, don't worry about it. Build it, drive it, and enjoy it, period. You can address these issues one at a time as therapy if you like but 440+6 is absolutely right, build it for you. If it is all original and is worthy of a complete nut & bolt restoration, then that's a different story. Let your conscience and your pocketbook be your guide. :icon_super:

 

[PlumcrazyRR]

I feel your pain. I have been having a lot of the same issues restoring my RR. It seems like the stuff I am finding wrong or really wrong just keeps adding up. You just have to push through it though and in the end build the car in whatever way makes you happy.

And on a side note, I may have the correct year and dated wiper motor you need. I just bought a few parts from someone and I am having someone else send me the parts in the mail and they are supposed to arrive some time this week. An early build 69 wiper motor was one of the parts. When they do arrive, I will check what condition the wiper motor is in and let you know. Since I haven't restored it or anything yet, I would be willing to give you a good deal on it. Just want to make sure it is restorable and all there before I commit to anything though.

 

[monaco66coupe]

69' lower dash bezel

here is the correct unit. You can PM me.

 

[miller]

We talking about a 68-69 car? What kind? Bottom line, is it what you want? Duh, probably so, since you've got it.
Kinda sounds like the previous did 'whatever' to it. Okay. What do 'you' want? Neat deal about any of these older mopars, is you can make 'em like 'you' want. Right?

Bumps along the road with many cars, including mopars. Nothing to get down on, all part of the game. Anything can be changed, so just figure what you want from it, and go for it. There's no time frame on it.

Don't know much about the car. Hell, man, that's half the fun of messing with these things. Learn, at your own pace, and enjoy the ride.

 

[tallhair]

I could tell you so many stories about my first 70 RR (lots of the good stuff was removed and replaced) and it's the one I still have. At 16 me and Dad were putting it right again and I wondered myself, why is it nothing just fits and works right the first time .. it's part of the ritual if you are dealing with a car that had parts removed and swapped and in some cases half assed or just used up.

But I will say when I finally got through everything it made it all worth it.

 

[HT413]

For me, classic car hobby is like my golf game. An exercise in failure on bad days, an exercise in patience on good days.

Hell, if i told y'all what all was wrong with my car, most of you guys would laugh me off the forum, from old collision repairs to bad welding to a low compression RV motor, the list, as they say, goes on...

 

[HawkRod]

I have many of the same experiences as you, bigman.

I thought my 70 Road Runner was almost rust free and unmolested. As I am tearing it apart, I am learning some about its past. It was hit lightly in the rear, so bondo back there. Got a "Darlington stripe" down the whole right side, so more to fix there. A bad job of seam sealer in the cowl area trapped water and rusted it out. Holes punched through the inner fenders to mount all kinds of crap. ^%$#@!

But, it is a journey. I have tried to prepare myself for the issues and "bad" stuff, but it still gets you down some days. My budget is going to be really strained with the restoration, so I will need to start picking and choosing what I fix and what I don't.

This is the fourth car I am restoring. With EVERY SINGLE ONE of the previous three I came to a point where the restoration stalled because some part wasn't good enough and I didn't move forward. In all cases I finally slapped the darn part on and moved on. I now enjoy the cars. I have learned that even if it is not perfect, it does not really matter anyway. Fix what you can, slap on the rest. If you feel like fixing some of that stuff later, that's great. If not, that's fine.

I promise I will ride with you and enjoy the car, even with bogus wipers or incorrect seats!

 

[RJS]

We have all been there, to comment on this statement:

"One thing I wanted to add about my car is that it is an early year car, it was born on Jan 12th 1969 so in the back of my mind have always wondered if the factory would have used 1968 parts in it since it was so early in the year, but on the same thought know it was 136,923 off the line so just how much 68 stuff would they have used?? if any."

The model year started in August so it is far from an early car to have 1968 parts would be very unlikely.
Ron

 

[Xp29h]

I've had my most recent mopar project since last July. My first 3 were all unmolested vehicles that were as they were when they were new. Except for the blown up 426 hemi in my first 69 charger. The one I have now seems to be just like what you're experiencing. The po's didn't really know how to do things right and or they didn't have time/knowledge to fix. Today I was dealing with welded on exhaust with different pipe diameter, the mufflers need to come off, A center console that is not set squarely set in the car and the brackets are all messed up. I could go on an on. I have come to realize it is just part of owning an old car that I am sure is not specific to Mopar! Not to offend anyone that goes to certain meetings, take it "one day at a time" or "one project at a time"

good luck keep on going! It's all good. You'll have the pride knowing that when you finish(not sure we ever do) it will be right!

 

[WP29440SE]

if you had only seen my messes. my recent one , explorer seats, house carpeting screwed to the floor, linoleum for sail panels glued to the pillars, holes in the metal dash for a push button starter, a hole so big in the cluster housing for a stereo (or small television) , you could unbolt the steering column through it, liguid nails in places you would never believe. a complete wiring nightmare . i counted 29 holes in the floor i welded closed from the various bucket seats through the years. dont get me started on the engine bay. the headliner looked like grandmas curtains filled with mouse turds. the package tray was cardboard covered in drapery glued to the body.

i have completely restored the interior using factory stuff. it looks great, but i did for me. some things i can live with, some i cannot. you have to choose your battles.

my charger was an AC car that also had been hacked to death. i pulled the AC box , filled the holes in the firewall before i painted it. i do not need AC and i cant stand how ugly it all looks.

im glad i did.

 

[Propwash]

Also those issues sound like Prior owners jokery...Not the cars. I'd blame them. Never the less, pretty typical after 40 some years of folks so called "Bright ideas". We use to have a thread going over all the jimmy rigged stuff we've seen on these cars over the years. Honestly, best thing to do is sit back, shake your head and chuckle, because almost any old classic you take on, they're probably be someone's grand illusion of a good idea waiting to meet you.

My roadrunner had roofing tin, riveted to the rusty holey floor and then covered in bondo. Main Power wire running to ammeter was spliced with a wire running out to a Radio Shack audio amp. Column was held up by camping rope. The quarter windows were wedged up in place by paint stir sticks.... Brilliant ideas!...lol.

 

[Xp29h]

I've posted this pic before I think. But here's a great example of "prior owner jokery" (good one Propwash!)

 

[bee71]

I'm with you on the frustation. Seems like every time I fix or replace one thing,I find ten or more things that are wrong or need to be fixed or replaced. Nature of the beast?

 

[ODZKing]

Don't get discouraged. No doubt there are things you haven't even found yet.
The PO on my 73 installed MSD box and cut and rewired everything with lamp cord!!!
Under the dash, same. The fuse box was zip tied to the steering column.
You do what you can, when you can and can afford it.
The people who do these things and Non-Mopar people. In many cases Chebby folks. It's like they are building a tractor. Weld this, paint over that, if it moves, it's fine.
We all have horror stories. Just chalk it up to knowing YOU are doing the right thing.

 

[rocky61201]

Here are a couple a pics when I bought my 71. Did your's have twist on wire crimps, lol?
The other pics is blurry and kinda hard to make out, but that's 1 1/2 inch thick bondo on the rear quarter.

 

[marlabuck]

I seem to get frustrated with my 1973 RR at least every other week or so...could not get to sleep 2 nights ago because my passenger door will not lock or unlock with the key...push button works as it should but I'm thinking a rod must have come undone...seriously has been messing with my mind...I find myself staring off into the yonder and know that I am dwelling on a problem that can be fixed...these type of problems seem to meld into other concerns that over the past 3 years I've owned the car and I have had to face but,in the end, I always answer that yes it is a headache but then again when I stare at that big red car I am happy that she is mine...and I am her's...Marla

 

[Mopardik]

Hang in there, man! I feel your pain. I have come across more hair-brained "fixes" than I care to recall over the years. It never ceases to amaze me how far people will go out of the way to rig things, when it's usually just easier and cheaper to do it right the first time.:hmh:

As far as stuff that is "wrong", don't sweat it. I've never been a numbers matching kind of guy anyway, and there are many original items on our cars that can actually be done much better with a little extra time and the benefit of modern technology. It's not even that hard to disguise them to make them appear factory and/or period correct, if that's your thing.

Bottom line; make it better, make it safe, and make it reliable. But above all, make it yours! Do what you want for YOUR enjoyment. That what it's all about, my man! :icon_thumright: