Project Midnight Swinger

-
After pressure washing. I found some white numbers under the paint.

IMG_3260.jpeg


IMG_3261.jpeg
 
Hit it with a wire brush, still couldn’t get some of the factory paint off!

@MOPARMAGA I got the 489 restored to its former glory, time to stuff some 3.91’s and a sure grip in it.

IMG_3264.jpeg


IMG_3263.jpeg


IMG_3265.jpeg
 
MOPARMAGA said:
That's cool, I love finding factory numbers on parts. Like the 4 speed you have those numbers were under 1/4 inch of crud
Click to expand...
Me too. It’s crazy how some of those marking can survive the years of crud and corrosion. Then get hit with chemicals, and a wire brush,and they are still there.
 
MidnightSwinger said:
Me too. It’s crazy how some of those marking can survive the years of crud and corrosion. Then get hit with chemicals, and a wire brush,and they are still thereb
Click to expand...
Modern paint probably wouldn't hold on like that
 
Interior pulled, body plugs and wire holders removed. You can see the PO didn’t remove the body plugs or prep the floor before coating everything in por15. Now I get to fix that mistake.

IMG_3268.jpeg


IMG_3269.jpeg


IMG_3270.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Got some help with the backing plates, they both love working on the “big block”, and resprayed the new housing.

IMG_3293.jpeg


IMG_3295.jpeg


IMG_3296.jpeg


IMG_8334.jpeg


IMG_8327.jpeg


IMG_8330.jpeg


IMG_3328.jpeg
 
Nice starting with a clean housing.
I sent mine to the local sand-blaster, he did a great job, well worth the $20 he charged me.
 
One more project started. The speedway gauge bezel fits like total **** in (my) factory bezel. Lots of fitting/grinding and now the brushed surface aint so pretty.

All good, after I epoxy the aluminum bezel to the plastic bezel I’ll be painting the whole thing. Maybe an appliqué? The interior is all black, so I’d like to break it up, maybe carbon fiber.

IMG_3358.jpeg


IMG_3360.jpeg


71062069791__DE6F38F1-B12D-45E3-B2CF-6F71EEF7657E.jpeg


IMG_3363.jpeg
 
No going back now. If you don’t mark the cut out for your four-speed hump with hemi orange paint, do you even Mopar?

I was too intimidated to cut over the torsion bar cross member, so I’ll save it for another day. Or can I leave it as is? How close do the shift rods get to the torsion bar crossmember?

IMG_3365.jpeg


IMG_3366.jpeg
 
7 1/4 is out, had to do some sketchy jack/wood block maneuver to make it happen. Getting some help from a FABO brother building the 8 3/4 tomorrow.

IMG_3387.jpeg


IMG_3394.jpeg


IMG_3395.jpeg


IMG_3396.jpeg
 
Nothing looks sketchy on how you took it out, jack stands under the frame, let it swing down.
The same way I took the 7.25 out in my gravel driveway.
Bolted in new springs, paid my step-son and neighbor kid $20 to lift the complete 8.75 up in it, worth every bit of $20.
Kids were happy. I got the rear under my Duster.
 
sireland67 said:
Nothing looks sketchy on how you took it out, jack stands under the frame, let it swing down.
The same way I took the 7.25 out in my gravel driveway.
Bolted in new springs, paid my step-son and neighbor kid $20 to lift the complete 8.75 up in it, worth every bit of $20.
Kids were happy. I got the rear under my Duster.
Click to expand...
Getting it done is all that matters. I didn’t take a picture of the sketchy part, but I used a wood block to extend my cheap jacks reach. It worked and I’m alive hahaha.
 
MidnightSwinger said:
Getting it done is all that matters. I didn’t take a picture of the sketchy part, but I used a wood block to extend my cheap jacks reach. It worked and I’m alive hahaha.
Click to expand...
I had 12 xx 12" pieces of OSB board under my jack stands, on a slight grade on gravel.
Nothing to see here.
 
Today is the 1 year anniversary of the start of this thread, and the beginning of Project Midnight Swinger. I’ve got a fellow FABO member coming over to help me rebuild my first differential.

Getting the 489 case stuffed with 3.91’s and a sure grip with rebuild parts from @DoctorDiff and a 1350 yoke from another FABO member.

IMG_3399.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top