Sprecks 1971 Challenger Convert do over

[sprecks]

Very nice Jay!

Thanks Rob and everyone else too.
Rob, How about an update on the pace car. Have you been working on it?

[ShelbyDogg]

Rob, How about an update on the pace car. Have you been working on it?

The daylight savings change  and cold weather really screwed up my  car hours. I've worked on it a little since my last update but haven't had time to post.   I tried to look up some Body Shop courses at our community colleges, but they don't offer anything here in St. Louis.

[sprecks]

Wow, I haven't posted any updates since November. I finally got back after it some more this afternoon. I've been tinkering all winter but no real milestones. Today I got all but a little trim work done insulating the interior with B-Quiet mat. It went pretty good. Here's some pics.
I made a trunk divder out of a hardtop one and then covered it with the B-Quiet material.

[mrcuda]

I was just getting ready to post about what to paint body color, when I saw your post. Is the inside of the trunk  also body color? Do you leave inside the wheelwell body color?  What color is that? Thanks.

[sprecks]

I was just getting ready to post about what to paint body color, when I saw your post. Is the inside of the trunk  also body color? Do you leave inside the wheelwell body color?  What color is that? Thanks.

The inside of the trunk is body color on mopars. The inside of the wheelwells have been painted body color. I will black them out later because I think they look better that way. The paint code is GY3 Citron Yella for Dodge, Plymouth called it Curious Yellow.

[mrcuda]

Friend just sprayed some Top Banana in the engine compartment so I could see what it will look like. After taking off all that undercoating and getting it down to metal I don't know if I want tpo undercoat it again.

[sprecks]

Had a minor set back today. I thought it would be a good time to check out the bearings in the engine before I put it back in the car. Pulled number 8 bearing and found some scratches so I kept pulling more. They all looked about the same. I ended up completely diassembling the engine. I took the oil pump apart and it's pretty obvious that something went through the pump. So I jumped in the truck with the parts and headed to Chenoweth's Machine Shop. Since the crank was 0.020 under already I bit the bullit and bought a new Eagle piece. Dale is going to rebalance the rotating assembly and hopefully I'll have it back together in a couple of weeks. Good thing I checked it out when I did. This is money I didn't plan on spending but it eventually would have cost more if I had just put it back in the car.

[wagesofsin]

looking fine nonetheless.
keep up the good work. 

[sprecks]

Haven't given any updates in a while and figured I better. I got all of the engine parts back from Chenoweth Speed Shop last week so I started assembly this weekend. I pretty much got the short block put together with only a few minor set backs. I installed the crank and rotated it and the crank throws were rubbing the block under #2 main cap. So I had to take the crank back out and give the block some relief with the die grinder. After another block bath and cleanup to remove the grinding dust, I checked my rod bolt clearance to the lower cylinder wall and everything was cool there. Then installed the oil pickup tube and the #1 rod locked everything up as it tried to pass the tube. After a little percussion adjustment I now have clearance there as well. Next I layed the windage tray on and figured I would have to make some "adjustments" on it as well....I did. Here's a pictures of my new 472" baby along with my "adjusted" windage tray.

[wagesofsin]

looking good!!!

[sprecks]

Hit a major milestone tonight. After I got home I called upon a couple of friends of mine to give me a hand setting the engine and tranny into the car. Here's a few pics. I couldn't get enough down angle so I needed to put a little counter weight on the tail shaft. Yeh... that's me being the counterweight....lol. It's in there and all down hill from here. Hopefully I'll have it running shortly. 

[wagesofsin]

easy tiger, one false step and.... 

congrats on setting the mill and transmixer.

looks great, cant wait to see the vid of it running.   

[usraptr]

  Looking good!!  I can't wait until I get my engine installed.  Congratulations!!

[ShelbyDogg]

Nice Jay!

That car looks sooooo nice.

Rob

[mrcuda]

Looks geat. Keep up the god work.