started the restoration '70 roadrunner
- Thread starter maxb
- Start date
This is the proper length for the drain hoses on a 440. I don't know if they changed the hose length due to the base plate being a different height on the low deck motors. But, as you can see, the hoses just clear the top of the rocker covers.
maxb
Well-Known Member
yes you are correct--that is the original style air cleaner set-up the car came with(in the picture from dmoore 2 above with the blue dist. cap) I threw the whole air filter tray, filter and top orange lid in the garbage in 1979 when I went to a chrome lid. I still remember the garbage truck coming down the street and I asked the guy if I could just throw the whole thing in the back of the truck. I really like the 'oval' lid look I have now, even though not original. The car is very original (quarters,colour, 383, airgrabber etc.) but I took liberties with adding a rear decal on the truck, passenger mirror, air cleaner, and 15" wheels. other than that....original.
Last edited:
Looks great! You did an excellent job and in a very short turn around, just how I want to do mine.
As for the chrome around the back, that was more than likely factory. How do I know? One way to know for sure is, if the plastic retainer clips went over a "stud" or if they were pop riveted on. If they had the little mushroom stud, those are welded on and no dealer body shop has the ability to do that as far as I know.
Reason I sound so sure is way back in the late 80's I was writing for Mopar Collector's Guide and was researching a story. I ran into a guy(not literally) that had worked at the St Louis assembly plant from 1960 to that present day, I'm sure he's long retired now, but he was filled with first hand knowledge of these B bodies. He told me mistakes were made all the time, think about it, these were blue collar union workers in the 60's. Their were some that took their job seriously and just as many that didn't. so those rear chrome moldings could have been factory installed as the guy putting those studs on may have put them on every car he did that day or that week before someone noticed and stopped him.
A other anecdote and I'll stop mucking your thread up, he gave me an example of one guy who was in the undercoat pit. He NEVER read the build sheet hanging from the kmember that told the pit guys which under chassis parts were to be installed. He gave every car that came through on his shift total undercoating, whether spec'd for it or not. Another guy that was vacation relief would do the opposite, he'd only spray the minimum that was spec'd for cars without the full undercoating option. I have lots more but this should give you an idea.
Again, your car and the job you did are amazing.
As for the chrome around the back, that was more than likely factory. How do I know? One way to know for sure is, if the plastic retainer clips went over a "stud" or if they were pop riveted on. If they had the little mushroom stud, those are welded on and no dealer body shop has the ability to do that as far as I know.
Reason I sound so sure is way back in the late 80's I was writing for Mopar Collector's Guide and was researching a story. I ran into a guy(not literally) that had worked at the St Louis assembly plant from 1960 to that present day, I'm sure he's long retired now, but he was filled with first hand knowledge of these B bodies. He told me mistakes were made all the time, think about it, these were blue collar union workers in the 60's. Their were some that took their job seriously and just as many that didn't. so those rear chrome moldings could have been factory installed as the guy putting those studs on may have put them on every car he did that day or that week before someone noticed and stopped him.
A other anecdote and I'll stop mucking your thread up, he gave me an example of one guy who was in the undercoat pit. He NEVER read the build sheet hanging from the kmember that told the pit guys which under chassis parts were to be installed. He gave every car that came through on his shift total undercoating, whether spec'd for it or not. Another guy that was vacation relief would do the opposite, he'd only spray the minimum that was spec'd for cars without the full undercoating option. I have lots more but this should give you an idea.
Again, your car and the job you did are amazing.
Hell we threw away millions!
maxb
Well-Known Member
Thanks- That's an interesting take on the trim around the back. I did have a long time mopar restoration guy also say that it was factory, because of the way the studs were put on.
I took the trim off though and have kept it. We then ground off the 'rivets/studs' when doing the bodywork 2 years ago. I have put the car back to as original as I could. Luckily I have pictures of the car from the early 70's when my cousin owned it, and also when I owned it in the late 70's. I was lucky to find the car 35 years later, and that the guy owning it was nice enough to sell it to me. Also lucky to have 3 of the 4 fender tags from the 4 'in a row' show cars off the line. I have pictures of the fender tags from 100020 and 100022 and have my own 100023 tag. They are identical except 2 are D21 4 speeds and 2 are D32 automatics.
Similar threads
