cruiser
Well-Known Member
Good evening MoBros and MoSis'. Just when you thought you were rid of me, I'm back with yet another sleep inducing bedtime story. This one is a bit different though. If you read Mopar Collectors Guide magazine, the current issue is devoted to patina vehicles. These cars and trucks are typically found in a field somewhere with their weathered worn original finish intact. People recover and restore these vehicles while maintaining the patina of many years out in the sun. So I was wondering with all the coverage devoted to these cars, how about a patina engine? So here I go with my patina motor project. I was recently offered a free "left for dead" slant six out of a 1974 Dart. The price was right, and it had a lot of wear on the outside but was sound internally with only 89K miles on it. It was lying on its side with a brown cotton glove over the carb intake, covered in dirt and cobwebs. The first several photos show how I found it, and how it looked once up on the motor stand. Step one was to start removing the bad stuff - rotten belts and hoses, etc. I then removed the a/c compressor and its brackets as this motor is intended to be a spare for my non - a/c 1974 Duster. I'll be selling all the a/c stuff which is a shame because it's a pretty complete set of components. Next came the hard part - cleaning fifty years of congealed dirt and grease. Out came the 3000 psi pressure washer and Brillo pads. Let's put this simply: This was a gigantic, dirty, sloppy mess. And so was I when I finished five hours later. A large percentage of all that slop ended up on me, and my wife burst out laughing when she saw what a sludge covered mess I was. Anyhow, I got everything as clean as I could, then bathed in gasoline to clean myself. So here's where we're at now: The final photos show how nicely patinated the motor is. It retains its original Chrysler Corporate blue paint mixed in with the rust. I'm thinking about applying linseed oil to the block to preclude more rust now that the sludge that was protecting it is gone. I'm going to keep the engine components in their original finish as much as possible. I've also been restoring a lot of the original stuff that went missing over the years (choke heater and electrical controller, original carb, correct fasteners, etc.). My goal is to have a complete, operative engine ready to go on the stand, that has that distressed "left out in a farm field" look. This is a work in progress, so I'm just at the beginning of this process. So what do you think, Mopar world? Are we starting a new trend here by recovering patina engines along with patina cars? I think a lot of guys may be interested in jumping on the distressed engine bandwagon, so please weigh in your your opinions and we'll see where it goes. And yes, I know it's only a humble slant six, but this stout little power plant has been motivating our rides for decades and has earned a respected place in Mopar history. So let's save a few of them and put them on display in their original form! More to follow as this project progresses. And oh by the way, I kept the brown cotton glove to serve as the air cleaner snorkel cover once the project is finished. Now go get your cookies and milk, head upstairs and go to bed. Night night!
