father and son restoring a warlock

-

70duste

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2014
Messages
280
Reaction score
239
Location
il
hi guys, its not an A body but still a mopar!
my son and i are starting to restore a 78 dodge warlock for him, he is 14 years old.
we bought the truck 2 years ago at an auction it was missing the engine and trans and some other little things but we thought we would build it the way he wanted to anyway,
so this past summer we dug into it and started to redo the frame and suspension,rebuilt everything on the suspension,bushings,leaf springs,new brake lines ,fuel lines, new trans,resealed a 383 engine,sand blasted the frame and control arms, primed and paited the frame and parts, installed the engine and trans, rearend, gas tank, installed brake and fuel lines,
now we are starting to repair the cab issues
 

Attachments

  • warlock 138.jpg
    54.1 KB · Views: 237
  • DSC01553.jpg
    72.8 KB · Views: 229
  • DSC01550.jpg
    60.8 KB · Views: 224
  • DSC01549.jpg
    54.3 KB · Views: 243
  • DSC01548.jpg
    45.3 KB · Views: 225
  • DSC01546.jpg
    50.7 KB · Views: 223
  • warlock 139.jpg
    61.5 KB · Views: 237
  • warlock 144.jpg
    57.7 KB · Views: 233
  • warlock 137.jpg
    47.7 KB · Views: 233
  • warlock 136.jpg
    55.8 KB · Views: 235
Looking good! How are the steps? They are fun trucks!!!
 
more pics
 

Attachments

  • 78 warlock 9-2015 124.jpg
    69 KB · Views: 223
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 122.jpg
    58.8 KB · Views: 219
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 121.jpg
    59.1 KB · Views: 221
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 112.jpg
    65.2 KB · Views: 223
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 111.jpg
    62.2 KB · Views: 220
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 057.jpg
    48.5 KB · Views: 221
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 056.jpg
    44 KB · Views: 214
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 055.jpg
    44.2 KB · Views: 218
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 114.jpg
    41.2 KB · Views: 218
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 113.jpg
    62.3 KB · Views: 217
Don't get rid of the wheels!!!
 
pics of engine install in warlock
 

Attachments

  • 383 warlock engine and install in truck 10-31-15 014.jpg
    40.8 KB · Views: 218
  • 383 warlock engine and install in truck 10-31-15 013.jpg
    47.8 KB · Views: 214
  • 383 warlock engine and install in truck 10-31-15 012.jpg
    56 KB · Views: 217
  • 383 warlock engine and install in truck 10-31-15 010.jpg
    56.2 KB · Views: 220
  • 383 warlock engine and install in truck 10-31-15 006.jpg
    50.2 KB · Views: 224
  • 383 warlock engine and install in truck 10-31-15 004.jpg
    27.7 KB · Views: 222
  • 383 warlock engine and install in truck 10-31-15 002.jpg
    43.7 KB · Views: 218
  • 383 warlock engine and install in truck 10-31-15 001.jpg
    41.5 KB · Views: 222
i plan on keeping the lil red wheels, but son wants to put wider wheels on the back, not sure what he wants to put on for the wheels tho, i want the factory look, he agrees with me but it is his truck..lol
 
Looks like a great body.
As posted, the steps are one of the hardest parts to find.
 
Awesome project, I did an 80 Dodge sort of Warlock look alike with my son, started in High school and finished after, great little trucks, we are swapping the 318 for a 340 this year, a833 4spd, I almost bought one like yours, if you get stuck for parts we may have some keep posting the pic's, I like the big block!, enjoy your time with your son
 
i found a set of aluminum steps that im going to buff , the originals but they have rust where the wood spacers are. i also have a set that have the holes for the exhaust stacks from a lil red. dont know if we will run the pipes like the lil red or not, thought about dumping the exhaust in front of the rear wheels, but might be to loud, hard to run the true duals out the back ,tight fit around the gas tank.
 
Dodge connection just got more frame braces for the sector. Not cheap but definitely a good upgrade. On some trucks the frame rivets work loose at the front crossmember and let the frame flex, a good idea is to weld the connections but the brace works good too since you have already painted the frame.
 
we had the same problem with our steps, so just welded up and ground smooth the welds, can hardly tell then painted a kind of grey metallic to match the black truck, looks sharp, could have re-chromed but didnt want to
 
people tell me im crazy for putting a big block in the truck for a 16 year old to drive .lol but i really dont want to do it twice so im doing what we want the first time!
i have told him he will get the truck when he is 16 if he keeps good grade,dont get in any trouble,no smoking,drinking,and be respectful. so far he's doing a good job,
i did the same thing for my daughter and her 70 340 duster,gotta keep the kids interested in old cars or who is going to keep them on the road when we are gone??
 
I'm sure you will be buying quite a few rear tires! It's tough to get these trucks to hook!
 
A frame? Weird. ;)

Looks good man- keep up the nice work!
 
Great project! Even better that it involves your son. My son and I are in the middle of a BB short bed project.
 
Nice. We used to have a 79 Warlock II when I was in high school... Great trucks...
 
more pics of frame ,
sorry they are not in order.
 

Attachments

  • 78 warlock 9-2015 053.jpg
    49.2 KB · Views: 142
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 052.jpg
    46.3 KB · Views: 139
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 051.jpg
    43.1 KB · Views: 137
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 050.jpg
    62.8 KB · Views: 127
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 049.jpg
    60.4 KB · Views: 134
  • 78 warlock 9-2015 054.jpg
    45.1 KB · Views: 134
We used to have a 79 Warlock II when I was younger. We used it to haul our cars on a trailer...

We rebuilt the 360, and improved power, economy by 2 1/2 MPG while towing and it really giddy-upped... I used to race the fox body mustang GT's off a light in low and be on the back of their fender at 45 MPH... They hated a truck giving them that hard of a run... :twisted:


We sold it later to a guy who went 4x4'ing with two of his Chevy buddies, who used to tease him for driving a Dodge, until one of them got stuck in the mud and our old Warlock pulled him out effortlessly.... :color:

360 with 9:1 compression, file fit rings to the tight side of the spec, crane 340 cam, double roller timing chain, headers, wiand intake, Carter AFB, and dual sonic turbo exhaust exiting under the steps...

It was a great truck... :prayer:
 
yes they are some what rare, i always liked the warlocks and lil reds,they are cool trucks,
we still have a long ways to go but my son is 14 1/2 now so it gives me alittle over a year to get it done.
i am not a body man so im learning as we go, the cab needs the most repair, driverside floor,and rocker but not to bad otherwise.
i post more pic of the cab soon
 
Floor and rocker repair is pretty easy.
Sheet metal is getting hard to find for those trucks.
You son looks like he is doing alot of work to the truck, it will make him appreciate the vehicle more.

Give these guys a call for sheet metal, they most likely have what you need, and have reasonable prices.

http://www.c2cfabrication.com/
 
Looks great! You should post it in the for trucks only site also tons of Mopar guys there.
 
-
Back
Top