Time for a little refresh

[1 Wild R/T]

I bought my Challenger R/T Vert a little over 20 years ago, it was a little rough but like Humpty Dumpty I put it all back together..... Well it's been on the road for almost 20 years & over 75,000 miles... Thought the years I've kept it in pretty good shape & done small projects along the way, like two years ago I went through the front end replacing bushings & such... Well I've been collecting parts for a few years for a semi major mechanical refresh & after taking the car for a short new years day drive I spent today taking it apart...... Hopefully the progress can stay on track... I'm gonna have to wait for a few minor things but I'm not gona deal with any paint & body guys so I should be fine...   Anyway, todays progress...

[67vertman]

Wow, you have cut "her" off at the knees. 

Good luck with the minor fresh up of your baby. 

[1 Wild R/T]

Just a few hours of work.... After I tear things apart a little more & clean things up I'll know if I can stay on schedule.... Hoping to be back on the road mid February...

[soundcontrol]

Looking good! Well, you accomplished about what I did in a year now. 

[340challconvert]

Good Luck with the refresh. I am currently working on my car that's been in storage since 1984.  Not a full blown resto, but a repair and cleanup of my car.  Looking to get it on the road by the summer.
Great job in pulling the drive train so quickly.

[1 Wild R/T]

Thanks guys.. Yeah, I might be a little faster but I did this stuff for a living, I have all the tools, I have a lift... I try to gather most of the stuff ahead of time.. Seriously I had a short day, I could have torn everything apart, If I were doing it as a customer pay job it might be 6 hrs billable probably less...  But it's not a job for me anymore & I'm assuming it's not a job ever for most for you guys... Hopefully your all smart enough to stay away from cars as a profession.....

[Katfish]

Throw a 518 in it, great time while it's all apart..................................
Make the next 75k more enjoyable.

[1 Wild R/T]

Throw a 518 in it, great time while it's all apart..................................
Make the next 75k more enjoyable.

I've done a 518 conversion, back in 1998... If you look through older threads photos & info from my install are often referenced... I probably was the first guy to modify the trans case rather than the car tunnel.... This is a numbers matching R/T, it'll stay with it's original parts.. If it were a small block or a clone it would already have a 518....  It has enough torque to make a freeway gear quite livable..

As it is I cruise at 75-80 mph & really after a few miles you don't even hear the engine.. It's pretty quiet with stock exhaust... I am raisin the compression & adding a little more cam so it may be louder when I'm done.. But I suspect raising the compression ratio may raise the fuel mileage as well.... Currently if I drive it real nice it gets 15 mpg... If I drive it normal it gets 12.... I'm hoping to see 15 more frequently...

[Cudakiller70]

 I could do 1/2 as much in twice as long!  That's an impressive tear down, you certainly must have done this a few times I don't see any major water or oil pools any where? I'm usually swimming or skating in it.
Are you staying with stock exhaust?
Good thing your not waiting on the SS trim guy! 
Mid February? What year? 
Hoping it goes well for ya!

[1 Wild R/T]

Drain pan & practice, a few plugs & minimal clean up....  Yes I'm hoping for February as in six weeks... But if it takes 10 weeks so be it... I should have gotten everything torn down today but I woke with a slightly scratchy throat so I stayed home rather than go work in a cold shop... I have a heater but honestly I think a day of rest was a better plan... I got a call about a work trip to Texas but I should have a couple weeks of flexible time before that happens....  Stock exhaust yeah, I like a quiet car... It's funny, I cruise at 75-80 & my buddy with the same gear drives at 60 & complains about the noise... Yes I like the exhaust to have a little bark but I don't need to wake the dead...    Funny thing, the trim on this car could use some work but I have a few extra pieces & I think I'll gather spares of the rest of it & then when I have everything I can get it polished & swap it out... Then if I decide I don't need spares maybe I'll resell it...

[soundcontrol]

Take lots of pictures and post, its nice to see how the pro's work.
(and that will slow you down a bit, so we feel better about our progess...   )

[Cudakiller70]

Take lots of pictures and post, its nice to see how the pro's work.
(and that will slow you down a bit, so we feel better about our progess...   )

How's it going? No pics 
  

[1 Wild R/T]

Unfortunately work has gotten in the way of progress... I've torn the engine down & it's on my stand but thats about it...

[Cudakiller70]

Unfortunately work has gotten in the way of progress... I've torn the engine down & it's on my stand but thats about it...

Yep it's that 4 letter word again always getting in the way. Well it's not like it's been real nice out, just been good steady rain which we need badly.

[1 Wild R/T]

Well work did it's part & a few friends kept throwing the "your this far you should do rings & bearings" well I did... And ya know what? I should have left it alone cause as it turns out half groove main bearings are obsolete for 383"s.. They'll sell ya full groove but I've run those before & for a mild street motor I don't like the loss of oil pressure or the increase in oil consumption... So I was held up over two months searching for bearings...  Since I was there went through the 727 too....     Anyway as of today it's back on the road, I've got some fine tuning to do but first it's going on a road trip to Spring Fling... It's stinky at idle & has a lean stumble just off idle kinda contradictory... I'l get it, just running outta time...