70 duster: updating, and a no-dough pro-touring makeover
So Ive been really busy. Ive now switched jobs, and am learning a new service than the one where i had been for the last 7 years. nice change, and better for my family, but scary as all get out.
Ive also started picking up at the shop again. still awfully slow, but the ones Ive been doing are for a good cause, and also a couple for long time customers. did sign on a 67 GTO (again) at the car wash today. if you go back in the thread, you'll see pics of it. hes got some wiring gremlins for me to find now that hes driving it more.
anyway, over the last few weeks, Ive been helping my best friend on his car. it hasn't been anything more than a "somewhat" rolling shell in years. we got it running Friday night. put the drive train back in it for the first time in years a couple of Fridays ago. its been really nice working with him and spending time in the shop with my best friend. i also miss doing resto work, like cleaning, rebuilding, and painting parts. not just fab and upgrade.
i took some pics. i know its not a mopar, but i figure I'm proud of this thing, and of him, so ill show it off. i know he wouldn't.
i also got to spend all day yesterday with my dad getting his 60 vette out of storage. i rebuilt the carbs for him in the fall, and yesterday we got them on, tuned, changed the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel in the tank, adjusted the drums, repaired the wipers, and blew the cobwebs off. that was very, very good for my soul. i grew up working with my dad, and don't often get to anymore \ what with the wife, kid, two jobs, house, etc. i really miss doing that.
no pics of his vette. if you look through my thread, you can see it under the cover in front of the lift at the shop.
and now, back to the duster and mopar stuff.
a few weeks ago (maybe a month? i really dunno.) my brother (who rides motorcycles. bought his first one the day the divorce went through) invited me to go on a poker run with his motorcycle club and girlfriend. the run invited cars as well, so i figured i wouldn't be the only four wheeled vehicle. i figured wrong. but the bike guys still accepted me and appreciated the car.
we covered about 200 miles that day. really a nice time, even with the rain and interstate parts. also, i discovered the world of victory bikes and Indians. ( i had no idea they were back. damn they're cool) my wife promptly gave me a hell no to buying a bike. probably safer that way. had a really great time, and the car ran great. was a good feeling to get it back out of the garage and drive it. it was also really nice to spend time with my brother, and i like his new girlfriend a lot better than i liked his ex-wife.
on the build part, Ive got a couple of things going on.
1. EFI. I got my manifold back from my machinist (Hollis Page at HP Engines in Norwood, NC.) he and i did some mopar horse-trading, so all it cost me was for my fuel injector mounting bungs. 32 bucks. bought the Ross machine ones from ebay. i took it into my Thursday night welding class, where my instructor is teaching me TIG on it. well, I'm attempting to learn. right now I'm more watching than anything else. and holding it at the proper angles.
hopefully well finish the welding next week, and then i can start porting and polishing and shaping once this riding lawn more fiasco is over.
also, i revisited the spoiler, as i just wasn't sure still. and no one has bought it yet. shaped it and fitted it, as well as "mounted" it. my mind is still not made up about it. i would like everyone on here that reads this to voice their opinion, whether it be a simple yes or no, or an explanation of why. i just want a group consensus.
lastly, i washed it today. and drove it to church for the easter egg hunt with my little girl. ill probably give it a whole hog detail job (top, underneath, inside and out) over easter weekend. try out dads porter cable buffer that he got. seeing how his cars came out, I'm excited to refresh the finish on mine.
Michael
So Ive been really busy. Ive now switched jobs, and am learning a new service than the one where i had been for the last 7 years. nice change, and better for my family, but scary as all get out.
Ive also started picking up at the shop again. still awfully slow, but the ones Ive been doing are for a good cause, and also a couple for long time customers. did sign on a 67 GTO (again) at the car wash today. if you go back in the thread, you'll see pics of it. hes got some wiring gremlins for me to find now that hes driving it more.
anyway, over the last few weeks, Ive been helping my best friend on his car. it hasn't been anything more than a "somewhat" rolling shell in years. we got it running Friday night. put the drive train back in it for the first time in years a couple of Fridays ago. its been really nice working with him and spending time in the shop with my best friend. i also miss doing resto work, like cleaning, rebuilding, and painting parts. not just fab and upgrade.
i took some pics. i know its not a mopar, but i figure I'm proud of this thing, and of him, so ill show it off. i know he wouldn't.
i also got to spend all day yesterday with my dad getting his 60 vette out of storage. i rebuilt the carbs for him in the fall, and yesterday we got them on, tuned, changed the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel in the tank, adjusted the drums, repaired the wipers, and blew the cobwebs off. that was very, very good for my soul. i grew up working with my dad, and don't often get to anymore \ what with the wife, kid, two jobs, house, etc. i really miss doing that.
no pics of his vette. if you look through my thread, you can see it under the cover in front of the lift at the shop.
and now, back to the duster and mopar stuff.
a few weeks ago (maybe a month? i really dunno.) my brother (who rides motorcycles. bought his first one the day the divorce went through) invited me to go on a poker run with his motorcycle club and girlfriend. the run invited cars as well, so i figured i wouldn't be the only four wheeled vehicle. i figured wrong. but the bike guys still accepted me and appreciated the car.
we covered about 200 miles that day. really a nice time, even with the rain and interstate parts. also, i discovered the world of victory bikes and Indians. ( i had no idea they were back. damn they're cool) my wife promptly gave me a hell no to buying a bike. probably safer that way. had a really great time, and the car ran great. was a good feeling to get it back out of the garage and drive it. it was also really nice to spend time with my brother, and i like his new girlfriend a lot better than i liked his ex-wife.
on the build part, Ive got a couple of things going on.
1. EFI. I got my manifold back from my machinist (Hollis Page at HP Engines in Norwood, NC.) he and i did some mopar horse-trading, so all it cost me was for my fuel injector mounting bungs. 32 bucks. bought the Ross machine ones from ebay. i took it into my Thursday night welding class, where my instructor is teaching me TIG on it. well, I'm attempting to learn. right now I'm more watching than anything else. and holding it at the proper angles.
hopefully well finish the welding next week, and then i can start porting and polishing and shaping once this riding lawn more fiasco is over.
also, i revisited the spoiler, as i just wasn't sure still. and no one has bought it yet. shaped it and fitted it, as well as "mounted" it. my mind is still not made up about it. i would like everyone on here that reads this to voice their opinion, whether it be a simple yes or no, or an explanation of why. i just want a group consensus.
lastly, i washed it today. and drove it to church for the easter egg hunt with my little girl. ill probably give it a whole hog detail job (top, underneath, inside and out) over easter weekend. try out dads porter cable buffer that he got. seeing how his cars came out, I'm excited to refresh the finish on mine.
Michael