Need Help Please - Dodgy K-Member, Factory??

[enforcer505]

well all i can say is those welds look bad, but they will probably be stronger then a cleaner one. i no this seems weird but why not just keep the frame? why not clean it up? where will you find another one for that money? if the frame is under the car, when... really whats the big deal? if it came from the factory that way.. then wouldnt it be more authentic to the build?

[Carlwalski]

I wouldn't put that frame on my Subaru, period lol. I build my cars "inside out" meaning it doesn't matter what the part is or where it can be seen it must be the best it can be or else it's not going on - seen or unseen. Besides the k-member is very visible, you must have seen people at car shows doing the ole on the right shoulder on the ground looking up into the engine bay, I have so to me it's very visible. Even if I am the only one who knows or has seen it, it's still got to be fixed, even more so, it would bug me no-end.

I'll be sending it back to Tim Banning and getting my refund, once I have a new one sorted either by way of mounts to the original mint 383 frame or by getting a Megaparts one for nearly 4 times less than I paid for this one. I'm not sure where you got "you won't find another one at that price" from? Last but not least I like to improve upon factory items (which isn't hard) hide the majority all all upgrades making it a better car, correctness isn't a major for me and this build.


Thanks all the same. 

[hemiken]

Good luck with Megaparts Carl.

Let us know how you get on with them their buddy.

[Slotts]

Carl,

Maybe you could sell that K frame to Kenny!

Just trying to be helpful.

Slotts

[hemiken]

  That would be gre......... not real good unless you send it to Slotts first to get a dimmer switch fitted for me so i can brighten the lights underneath to show everyone what Ma Mopar did from the factory.

[cudadave72]

Either way it sounds like the guy you bought it from seems to be a pretty stand up person, espeacially if he follow through with your refund in a timely manner. Anyways good luck!!

[wally426ci]

I just wish my pockets were as deep as yours Carl!! 

[Carlwalski]

Deep? They're not deep, just deep when it's car time. Everyday life and food is non existent.

[Aussie Challenger]

  Factory quality was poor from all manufacturers, a lot of parts were discarded, I know I worked for the fraud motor company back then. I was allowed to troll through that pile and got some parts that just needed finishing off/put together right. Maybe that K member was one of those "rescued" parts that somebody thought that they could make a killing by selling it as NOS, because it was "factory"! They neglected to say that it was a factory reject. 

[bb71challenger]

I agree Carl, send it back, it looks like junk whether its NOS or not. Could be a decent chance to save a bit of money by modifying a regular K member and having done right. Good luck and keep us updated.

[73Chally]

The main reason the Hemi K frames are not as cleanly finished as the others (big block/small block) is because since the Hemi components were not mass produced like the others, they went down their own assembly line in a jig, and they were hand welded.  The mass produced ones were welded by machines and much more precise.  Pretty much every one out there is going to be this way, and you will not find a show quality (finish-wise) one out there, unless it is one someone cut up and put back together themselves to make it clean.  I guess it all depends on whether the restoration is back to factory standards, or if you don't mind modifying to taste.  Depending on your shipping charges to send it back, have you considered selling it yourself?  Either way, I'm sure we all look forward to your progress.

[Moparal]

If it is nos factory, that is the worst k member and skid plate I have ever seen. And knowing what you do with your car, you will not EVER be happy with that junk. 

I think it would of been replaced myself if it was installed on the line. You probably ended up with it because it was a line reject and someone stole it out the gate.
I never seen such shiney junk. I have seen spatter on them from the welding but not burnt through holes.  It was a reject.

Just my opinion here take no offense

[wiging19]

  Another problem is back then alot of times the alignment for the engine,transmission and rear was off because the fittings for the engine mounts were not aligned properly.  That is one of the reason's alot of original hemi cars had parts breaking on them alot.  They were out of alignment and that cause premature failure with mechanical parts on those cars.  I am having a K-member built to look like an original but with better welds, etc.  It will have the coin on it but the engine will sit perfectly aligned with the rest of the drive train.  It took the guy I was having do my K-member almost seven months to get the engine mounting peices correctly bent to match the original Hemi K-member he had that was perfectly aligned.  A very rare peice just because of the quality of the peice.  With Hemi engines coming back there are people who are making the correct K-members now.  The guy who did mine ordered 8 k-members to sell to racers he works with. Schumacher makes a good engine adapater.  I just want to go as close to original but have improvements like you did.  My K-member the bolts holding the steering box were not welded to the k-member.  So imagine the kind of slop I had for steering until we pulled this piece.  I can hardly wait to drive the car now.

[Carlwalski]

Thanks guys, seems it is overwhelming in favour of it actually being a factory item, never would have thought but then again, what do I know? lol. Thanks again. 73Chally - Tim Banning is offering a full refund including shipping back to him. Very kind of him as he didn't have to if indeed as everyone say it is a true item. He probably thought I knew what some factory k-members came out so it wasn't anything knew to him so for him to take it back, full refund and pay $300-$500 USD out of his own pocket for shipping is great service. Everything else he sent (as my 1st post said) is show condition and top quality, just this "Factory piece" was junk. I'll be shipping it back and getting a refund and either getting a Megaparts k-member or putting an engine mount kit on my BB 383 k-member which is mint.

[73Chally]

Schumacher makes a conversion mount for the Hemi to go on the standard V8 K-frame.  I'm sure this would be significantly cheaper than a whole new K-frame, but I have no idea how they look or perform.  This limk should take you to the parts.

http://www.engine-swaps.com/