'74 swinger project

[notenoughcash]

Random update photos….stuff never gets done in the order you think..ahh well at least it's progress...

Under hood, should get these tied in soon

Engine **** just because

Cage just about wrapped up inside

Oil cooler :

 

[notenoughcash]

Soooo...with the addition of the cage (tied to the front frame rails, rear frame rails), subframe connectors, new tubular core support and a new trans crossmember for the T56...

Haven't fabbed up a replacement over-the-top of the transmission brace yet. Right now the replacement tunnel is a nice clean curved shape with only a hole for the shifter and soon one for e-brake cables. Given all of the other additions is it still mandatory to put something back ? I know it's purpose was to prevent floor pan flexing with the original uni-body design.

 

[notenoughcash]

Well, it's been a while since I posted on this so….

Picked paint out, 2012/2013 Deep Cherry Metallic, got to see it today on a test panel for another customers truck repaint, glad I like it, damn paint is freaking expensive! Fenders, doors and trunk lid are all nice and straight now (gotta retake pics of these, accidentally deleted from phone instead of save)

Now I need to find a photoshop guy to do a few options (black hood ? rear stripe ? neither ? both ? scoop options etc.)

Need to fix the passenger rear quarter around the wheel well, it got hacked on bad by previous owner. Finding a decent panel to get patches out of in the bone yards around here is becoming annoying.

Also have some repair to do around the lower corners where the windshield sits, one has a nice hole in it

Drivetrain is out for final welds on some things, finish smoothing etc. in the engine bay and underneath

Dash mods to clear A pillar bars --

Modified core support

Mount for breather tank

Dash removed / front bars

Other pics

 

[SettinTrendz]

James... Looking awesome. Killer motor. Killer stance. Looks like those guys are doin a good job!

 

[DartIan]

do you plan on cutting the back bumper and flush mounting it to the car or leave it sticking out on the sides? Im curious to see how itd look

 

[Evildart]

Looking good James. When we will see it on the track?

 

[notenoughcash]

The rear bumper will be almost flush, it's just hanging there in the pic. Sectioned out the center, flushed the mounting bolts.

Hoping to have it running late Feb, just need to decide on final paint scheme. Wiring will be all on me to save $$ so tha may slow things down based on getting time to work it.

It will be Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl (2011 paint code, http://www.autobytel.com/dodge/ram-1500/2011/color/). Working up some photoshop with and without a tail stripe and trying to decide on the hood (black or body color) and wether to keep the Hemi scoop it came with on it or go with this

 

[notenoughcash]

Body finally starting to get smoothed out, caught em just after a fresh skim coat application. In most places it's practically transparent (phone camera doesn't show this well).

Was pleasantly suprised at the repairs above the wheelwell, PO had used the old sheet metal screw and dent puller on it, was pretty sure there was gonna have to be a patch here, some welding up of a bunch of holes and metal work was all it took to get it back to normal. Kinda nice having all original metal except for the drivers front fender and floor.

Should be in final primer by early next week :cheers:

Oh, yeah, forgot to get a pic, made a new gas cap out of parts from the original, the cap itself now follows the curve of the rear quarter when installed , will make a reference mark to prevent installing 180* out

 

[Evildart]

Those rims and tires set it off. Looking good. Can't wait to see it done it is going to be awesome.

 

[notenoughcash]

Been awhile in updating....busy with work trying to pay for this thing...

Damn near ready for paint!

Those were taken ~ 10 days ago, since then final gap adjustments made and final sand-n-fill the little stuff.

One last prime then onto the underside/interior floors/firewall with something similar to lizardskin (forget what we settled on) and finally color. Should be there in < 2 weeks (yeah, I know what I typed last time about a few weeks, I slowed it down waiting on funds, this time I mean it...I hope!) then it's time to begin the process of reassembly and final details. Hope to be putting 1st miles on it sometime in June :cheers:

The hood will be ready in time, just couldn't decide what to do until a few days ago. It's staying he way it is for now, just going to clean up the scoop mounting, fix a few issues with the cut hole to prevent rusting and run with it. Have another unmolested hood in storage if I want to change things up later.

And, yes, I dread the nickle and dime to death that's about to hit me for all the little things to get it finished...random fittings, nuts/bolts/ etc.

 

[QuintinMotorCompany]

coming along nice!!

 

[notenoughcash]

Giggity giggity!

 

[txstang84]

Whew-that is pretty! Which K member setup is that? I don't recall seeing it in the reading...noticed you're running a street lynx kit in the rear though...

 

[Saetun]

Lookin' good, man!

 

[notenoughcash]

Wheee! :cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

Body got shot this AM! All thats left is the hood and dash frame.

Fenders/Doors/Trunk done and cleared, it's cool to see the difference before and after clear.
















[

 

[notenoughcash]

Why I can't edit the other post ???

 

[Saetun]

Man that looks amazing. I love the color.

 

[txstang84]

:tongue9:

Wooooooooowwww

That looks awesome

 

[notenoughcash]

Side shot

Will be adding the tail stripes

Front shot -- Radiator, A/C condenser, oil cooler+thermostat

Looking other direction, you can see the breather can and the "easy-access" oil filter location

Starting to wire it, this is the EFI harness hanging out over the master cal, adj prop valve is there also. Making a custom bracket for the line-lock to go right under the MC

New fuse panel

Vintage air going in

O2 box, Ign box and ECU, will be swapping Ign box and O2 box positions, these mount in front of the A/C system with easy access to wiring, programming interface etc but will be hidden by dash

 

[Saetun]

Amazing work man, keep it up.

 

[Evildart]

Looking GREAT!!! not to much longer now, Keep up the awesome work and of course MORE PICS!

 

[notenoughcash]

1st the good news -- Engine is in, transmission, exhaust, driveshaft go in Monday. Did have to do an emergency locate for flywheel bolts, gotta love Amazon Prime, ordered yesterday, had em in my hands at noon

Dash is coming along, should have all the plumbing bits, getting a battery next week.

Bad news, and this is really annoying

A) the Shop I'm working with just changed owners. The new pair are interesting to deal with now. Their background is in fleet maintenance and insurance driven collision repair. They decided to add restoration/customization to there repertoire. It kinda sucks as they are micro-managing the employees down to the 10 minute mark in some cases as evidenced with the last statement I got.

B) and this is the really shi**y part, they just fired the fabricator that has been working with me for the last 18 months. In talking to the rest of the guys there is was a BS move with no solid reasons. I get to start all over again with a new guy. He's good as far as I can tell, has been working on my car for a month with the now fired guy and has "kind of" an idea of the final goals but it's bonn a be painful re-communicating all the little things that have been planned over the last 18+ months.

To complicate matters more and up my uncomfortable feelings about all this, when I was in the office today, no information regarding this was given to me even when I asked how things were going with the change-over. I found out when I went out to check on the car. to make matters worse, one of the new owners came out after a bit and was praising all the work the original guy did and was doing with him standing right there (not knowing I already knew what went down). Final bad news was a call from the painter/lead body/final assembly, make it all look good guy, he's about had it and is probably gonna bail soon also.

I'm going to mull this over this weekend, at this point in time I can keep the car where it is and let them finish whats agreed upon to now and decide then what to do, pull it out as is and finish myself (this is not my 1st choice due to hectic work schedule), pull it and follow the original guy to his new location (shop) uuuhhgghhh, this sucks….so close….

 

[Saetun]

Man you have been doing some amazing work. Sorry to hear the new owners seem to be making life difficult for the crew & impacting the project. But I'd have to say you have much to proud of on this one.

 

[Evildart]

Sorry to hear that James. I went through some sh*t with my body guy also, but when it's done you will forget about it and you'll be enjoying the car!!!!

 

[d Dartman]

I like your color choice.