1972 Dodge Colt

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Took 3 days for Strange to finally to admit they shipped a bad part and they are going to ship another bearing. Phone calls, emails, and different counter folks every time I called. I appreciate them making it right, but now I will be next week getting the axles installed.
I started putting the trans together. Took a day to get the main case countershaft bushes and the shaft to play well together. Today I figured out my dummy shaft to install the countershaft is a brass shim to long. It worked in a stock case but the bushed case has extra material inside the case and I need to make a different tool to get it installed. Learning as I go with the new trans parts.
I got all the old brake system removed to start installing the new dual master, proportioning valve and line lock. Pretty sure I will need to install new rear line to make it all work without any bandaids.
 
Patience Stan, you are working in an area that hasn't been done in many years. Modern parts & pieces are quite different from stuff used 50 years ago. Good luck & keep plugging along.
 
Yea, I am doing ok. Bad day in my garage is better than most folks good day at work!
Got another dummy shaft cut and the cluster is in now along with the input shaft.
Liberty Trans (13).JPG
 
Ok so the cluster had to come out again.
This is like doing an OD box, you have to have the cluster loose to get the 3rd gear to clear.
The Liberty lugs/Faceplate hits the cluster going into the back of input shaft.
It's a little together, then apart and then back together.
But as of tonight, it's together. Just need to take the input retainer off the mock up trans.
Liberty Trans (36).JPG
Liberty Trans (37).JPG
 
I'm just read through this thread, Wow! is all I can say. Super cool build, makes me want a Colt.
 
Thank you LocuMob. They are out there, but you really have to want one. This my third one, but this one will run soon!
 
I didn't get it weighed today, but got the side cover, shift forks, and some other details done.
The Liberty stuff works slick on the shift arms, it's effortless in 3rd and 4th gears. There is a little effort going 1st to 2nd because of the shift keys and springs on that assembly. But that is how I wanted them to do the gear set. Couple more pictures.
Liberty Trans (38).JPG
Liberty Trans (42).JPG
 
Trans weighs 81 lbs. I would be interested if someone had a weight on a cast iron A body box.
Strange sent a new bearing, gee, guess what? It fits.
Working in the rear on the tubs.
Replaced most of the rivets today.
Need to find a good sealer for the tubs to the quarters.
Rear Wheel Wells (1).JPG
 
Lived through the great texas deep freeze.
Finally got warm enough for this old man to get out into the garage.
Got the Ram Rod shifter mounted on the trans.
This is my old shifter that I ran on my Barracuda years ago.
Thank you slant6racer!
RamRod Shifter (3).JPG
RamRod Shifter (4).JPG
 
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A little more progress.
The Colt has brake lines running in the upper frame rails.
After this many years I decided to replace the rear one.
I had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be.
After a day or so, I was able to fish it through and move on to another task.
Master cylinder mounted after fabricating an adapter mount from bracket to cylinder.
The picture show the plywood template and it uses 4 countersunk screws to work.
Also got the axle bearings installed and the caliper mount brackets.
Brake System (12).JPG
Brake System (6).JPG
Brake System (5).JPG
 
Screwing around with my pedals and throwout bearing issues.
I think I am going with the S&W pedal kit and looking at the mechanical linkage.
If that doesn't work, my good friend Mark suggested the Hydraulic System that Summit sells.
Anyone know the difference in these 2 pivot mounts?
Beside the obvious size, the light grey one is from a 273 bellhousing, the other I don't know.
The short one seems to be right for my Lakewood.
Clutch and Pedals (4).JPG
Clutch and Pedals (2).JPG
 
Put on my sheetmetal hat today working on the rear frame.
Metal cut and fit, need to install the quarter turn fasteners.
Rear Sheetmetal (2).JPG
Rear Sheetmetal (4).JPG
 
Still doing sheetmetal, had to order CS rivets, tools to countersink weird angles and some air hammer tools to round the hood rivets.
Ordered the S&W pedal kit, then had to order another one to get what I needed. Now I need to order another brake pedal because the frame is so tight I need a straight pedal with no bend in it. Also ordered the hydraulic clutch kit, because there is no way the mechanical linkage will work without a bellcrank arrangement and that will be too much work. I can use a linelock on the clutch line if I want to. Looking at using a 65 A Body throttle bracket on the firewall.
Ordered the Romac slant damper.
This picture is with some mocked up parts, you can see how tight it is. The chrome pedal is the old Hardy part. Just to see if it will fit.
Pedals Brake Clyinder (4).JPG
 
Romac makes some nice affordable SFI balancers, I have one on both of my strokers & we ran one on the 5.9 Magnum in the Dakota.
 
Had to work on my 2001 3500.
Dash had cracked and the AC was not working, so for the first time in 20 years I am doing some maintenance. Dash, Heater core, AC coil, radiator hoses, fan belt, oil, filters, etc. Only has 130K miles but age as taken its toll. Wife won't ride with me anymore with no AC, so had to get something fixed. Plus going to GA soon to pick up the enclosed trailer, so I need it right.
Dash 2021 (1).JPG
Dash 2021 (2).JPG
 
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