started the restoration '70 roadrunner

[mr. b]

looks great nice work

 

[maxb]

Nice vert...though I'm a bit partial. Good job on the inside panels. I was lucky, my panels weren't "speakered". Rear trim fasteners look stock to me (had a 70 Sport Satellite). My guess is the orig owner had the dealer add the rear trim. Also partial to the wheel well trim. Mine also has the bumper guards, very rare.

One question, do you remember removing the quarter glass/frame? Trying to remove mine, passenger side. FSM says to remove front guide first, but I can't seem to get it out.

View attachment 1000550

The paint on your car looks amazing.
My mechanic pal is doing the windows and interior etc. I'll ask him about removing the passenger side.

 

[maxb]

we've got a lot done in a week after getting the body back from paint.
brake booster and master cylinder in with lines, windshield wiper motor mounted after being restored in quebec. Rear end in place and engine/tranny mounted on K member.

 

[maxb]

air grabber mounted after it was restored, tail lights in and 383 call out in hood assembled

 

[F4R/T]

I’m not sure how correct you wish to make your car but the suspension and k frame are all marked from Ma. I know you bought reconditioned k frame , unless you have damage to it you may double check. It will be a stunning car when completed ! You may even get lucky and locate the orig drivetrain.. it will be great either way but i always try to make them how they used to be unless too much is gone . Good luck and don’t get discouraged! Be patient and do it the best you can. Keep us in the loop !

 

[maxb]

looks great nice work

thanks! Started it earlier this year and should be done in a month.---hopefully---
I'm suprised we're getting it done so quickly. Every part has been replaced or restored.
I rebuit the engine with my brother and were not "engine builders". I hope it runs! lol

I wonder if anyone out there has tracked the hours into a full restoration.
I figure roughly 500-600 hours including body work. Does that sound about right?

 

[maxb]

I’m not sure how correct you wish to make your car but the suspension and k frame are all marked from Ma. I know you bought reconditioned k frame , unless you have damage to it you may double check. It will be a stunning car when completed ! You may even get lucky and locate the orig drivetrain.. it will be great either way but i always try to make them how they used to be unless too much is gone . Good luck and don’t get discouraged! Be patient and do it the best you can. Keep us in the loop !

The lower control arms, center steering link, sway bar, steering box, spindles are original as far as I know. Not sure what 'Ma' is? The original engine block blew up 'real good' around 1985 and is long gone.
I'm making it as original as I can but needed a few upgrades(struts) for driveability and safety.

 

[Jerry Hall]

figure roughly 500-600 hours including body work. Does that sound about right?

No, I have 100 hours in just blocking, another 250 in body work. Paint, drivetrain rebuild, restoration of sub assemblies, interior, and the list goes on. I figure 12-15 hundred hours total. I think you are real light, or the car didn't need a lot.

 

[F4R/T]

Ma- Ma mopar, good luck with it sometimes they did go boom and not repairable then all you do is make it the best you can, that color will look so good on that car... good luck

 

[dadsbee]

I have close to 3000 hours in my Bee.. 1100 in metal, body and paint and 1700+ of my own time rebuilding/restoring/assembling everything and I don't sit on my hands!

 

[70runner]

The paint on your car looks amazing.
My mechanic pal is doing the windows and interior etc. I'll ask him about removing the passenger side.

Thx. Finally managed to get the front guide/rollers out. Step 2 says to remove regulator arm stud retainers (spring clips), but I can barely see them let alone remove. I posted in the general forum, but if your mechanic has a method I'm all ears.

Very nice build thread and beautiful RR.

 

[maxb]

No, I have 100 hours in just blocking, another 250 in body work. Paint, drivetrain rebuild, restoration of sub assemblies, interior, and the list goes on. I figure 12-15 hundred hours total. I think you are real light, or the car didn't need a lot.
View attachment 1000566

Yes, on second thought, I think I must be light. My body guy did say over 400 hours- so with everything I have into it and my mechanic's hours as well, I think I'm closer to 800 to 900 hours. The car was in pretty good shape and complete when we started which may have helped keep the hours 'low'. We even kept the original quarters on it.

 

[maxb]

we put the engine,K member and transmission in today -rear end already in..

 

[maxb]

We're almost ready to start it up. -maybe this week,
we just put the gas tank in, gas lines all in, brake lines done, torsion bars in, dash is in.

 

[maxb]

we're working on the grill now also

 

[maxb]

we've got the exhaust done--walker mufflers.
The chroming of the exhaust tips and bumpers and bumperettes all came out nice.
steering wheel is in.
battery and wiring done-hope to start it tomorrow if all goes well.

The two attached bolts on the bottom of the gas pedal were rusted and unusable-apparently a common problem- so we had to order a new gas pedal.

 

[maxb]

2 steps forward and 1 back seems to be the way we are preceding lately.
We were ready to start the engine after filling up the anti-freeze. It leaked out using a pressure tester. Cracked head. These 906's were beautful-new valves, guides, seals, etc etc and one was cracked. Don't know how it happened; see picture, I got them off a guy I sorta know. He was totally unaware and was going to use them himself at one time. They sat off an engine for 5 years before I got them. So we stripped the fresh rebuilt engine down and replaced the heads.
Then--I had a rebuilt holley 750 ready to go and was giving us lots of problems. We put on an edlebrock 750 w/electric choke and it worked well-the engine runs great. We broke in the comp cam no problem. Is edlebrock the way to go instead of holley? The model number I'm getting is 1411.
Then we couldn't bleed the front brakes, the rebuilt(for $335) original master cylinder wasn't working. Put on a $90 cardone and it's perfect. Then the original old air grabber red plastic switch broke while installing it. have you seen the price of those switches?

At least the car runs well, sounds great-roof is going on this week-end and maybe I'll be driving it next week. Started the restoration early this year so I should be pleased with how long it took I guess.

 

[maxb]

btw--I do have the proper 1970 centre caps to replace the darker 1971 caps that are on the wheels at the moment.
BF goodrich TA's are on back order most places-they were hard to get.

 

[chargervert]

The car looks fantastic! I just bought a 70 Road Runner convertible project car,and I am just getting started on it. It's a major project, and everytime I look at it I find more issues that need to fixed. They are pretty rare birds,with only 824 of them built in 1970. I have a long way to go, but seeing this thread is great

inspiration for me! Great work.

 

[maxb]

keep at it--lots of work ahead but well worth it....I've had lots of issues with the restoration but as you know, you can overcome all of them. Whats the build date on your conv?