MuuMuu101's 68 Dart, A Learning Process...

Hey MuuMuu, I know you have put a bit of time and a pile of money into this project but you could make Muscle Cars at the Strip no problem, time to take the bull by the horns buddy. Hate to sound harsh but here is the plan. Your engine is getting dynoed on Jan 22 and thats a Friday so you pick up your car from Hotchkis on Thursday Jan 21 and get it home and ready for its new bullet. You and a couple of buddys go to the engine shop watch the dyno test, drop out the break in oil when its cooling down and getting taken off the dyno then throw it in your or your buddys truck and drag it home and spend the next couple of hours dropping it in. Come back to it on Saturday morning and complete exhaust, driveshaft, rad, oil and water it up and fire it up check for leaks. If Hothckis hasn't completed all the suspension work spend a couple hours and throw a set of torsion bars in it, a round of their adjustable shocks and sway bars at both ends. Have a buddy run to the tire shop and get the tires and wheels mounted up and when he gets back throw the tires on drop it on the ground and take it for a test drive. After this weekend of thrashing is done you will have a couple of months to shake it down and get her dialed in and sorted out and take the four hour drive to Vegas and have some fun. Once you get back from Vegas drop the oil recheck every nut and bolt on the thing rest it for a couple of weeks and bring it out to Willow Springs and have some more fun. Again hate to sound harsh but giddy up lets get going, I for one would love to see this car out tearing things up, it can be done , hundreds of guys on this forum do this kind of thing every year or every second weekend. Your a mechanical engineer, that's what they do!

You're not being harsh, just trying to be realistic and encouraging. Right now, the roll cage and interior should be finished. I already installed the suspension (entire TVS with adjustable shocks and 1.06" T-bars), brakes (Dr Diff 13" Brembo-like brakes and 11.75" rears), and wheels and tires before I sent it to them. The suspension just needs greasing and aligning while the brakes need new lines (as I screwed up) and has a sticking problem on the front passenger caliper I need them to look into. What makes it more difficult than just dropping in the engine is that they're doing a T56 swap along with the new engine. So, cutting and welding will be required. That's something I don't really have the provisions for and my only friend who has a welder is focusing on school so he can graduate as he's way overdue. While the engine is out, I'd also like them to add in a Borgeson PS box and weld up the K-member.

Right now, MATS is on my list of places to go. After that, if everything seems fine, I plan on going to Willow Springs for Spring Fling and possibly to Friday's cruise, but skip the show for the Optima event which is back in Vegas.