When a new acquisition turns out better than you thought.....

[Kern Dog]

Isn't it great when you get a new/old car for a project and it turns out better than you expected?

About 12-18 months ago, I started thinking that it might be nice to look into buying a 4 door classic to play around with.

I thought about a Fifth Avenue or some other Mopar from the 70s. I wanted something that wasn't thought of as a performance model, just a cruiser. The Fifth Avenues would have to get an emission test every 2 years and kept stock which meant retaining the pathetically slow 130 HP 318 with 3 catalytic converters. While I am not looking to set drag race records, I sure don't want something so slow that it is frustrating to drive.
I thought of a 68-72 C body but really didn't look that hard. Nothing of note came across the radar when I did casually look.
Recently I did some work for a FABO buddy that I've known for almost 20 years locally. He offered to pay me with a project car or parts.
I'm a sucker for parts and cars. MONEY I can always earn but a good project car can be hard to find.
Here we have a 1969 Dart "Custom".

It came with a decent grille but no front bumper. It did come with a rear bumper though...

It had no trunk lock but I had a new one in a box at home.

 

[Bodyperson]

5 speed and a hemi...

 

[Kern Dog]

It looks like all the trim is there and the paint looks original.

My plans were to use either a 8 1/4" or an 8 3/4" axle in it and the popular 11" front disc brakes. The man said...."Take a look underneath".

Whoa! It already has an 8 1/4" axle which means that the rear lug pattern is already the big 4 1/2" bolt circle. Then I noticed the big 11" drum brakes.

It has 14" wheels on it already instead of the common 13" ones so many had. THEN I looked up front...

Holy crap...Disc brakes already? This saves time. I did have front discs here to swap in but I'd need UCAs and this one is already set up!
It gets weirder though....

BOLT in subframe connectors?

 

[1WildRT]

Score!!

 

[mopowers]

Nice score for sure!!

 

[RustyRatRod]

Those are Mopar Performance connectors.

 

[Kern Dog]

It has no engine...

OR wiring, OR gas pedal, wiper motor, HVAC unit...
Then there is the contents of the trunk to inspect:

Just about everything that was removed was in the trunk. Putting this back together might not be that hard.
The K member is from a 73-76 Slant six model.

I'll modify the mounts to fit a V8. It already has the steering linkage and steering box from the later A body, an upgrade that I like to make on the 67-72 cars anyway.
In every car build before now, I went for a medium to high performance setup. No slant six builds, no 318s either. A-body builds got a 360, the B bodies got a 383, 440 or some stroked version of them.
THIS one is different. I do want adequate power but it will not have a shaky idle, it will not lope and rumble quite like the others. No headers, no Flowmaster mufflers either.
I considered a 318 and I'll admit, I haven't dismissed the idea completely. If I went with a 318, I'd be tempted to use a roller cam version built from 1985-1991. I read that the 318 2 barrel engines were fitted with the roller setup those years.
I do have a mild 360 in this car:

That 360 is a stock bore, stock stroke hone-and-rering job with a 280/474 cam and '308 heads. It flat out scrams for such a mild engine. Almost no lope but the cheap Flowmasters sound raspy. The car is a blast to bomb around in and it is an excellent off road drift car. 4.10 gears and a clutch type Sure Grip. I think that the 4 door with a 3.21 diff should still perform well and keep the rpms at a reasonable amount for freeway travel.
Over the last few years, I've had ideas brewing in my head about project cars and other car stuff. I've asked questions in threads here that may have seemed pointless.
Some were, some were just me gathering information.
I've asked about roller cams and fuel pump eccentrics, A-500 4 speed automatics and a few other questions about what stuff will interchange.
This car will get either a low gear 904 trans or an A-500 for the overdrive. I want it to be a good car for road trips. It doesn't have to be built to tow a trailer or to hold up to a 450 HP stroked 340/360. The low gear 904 would work well with a 3.21 axle. An A-500 would work well with a 3.91 !
Who has had experience with what some call a "Lunchbox Locker" ? Those are the compact locking differentials that fit inside an open differential case. I may consider one of those. This 360 is powerful enough to lay twin tire marks for 50+ feet in the black car, I can only imagine how it would do with a one legger axle!

 

[RustyRatRod]

Put you a peppy slant in it. It's already set up.

 

[Bodyperson]

Put you a peppy slant in it. It's already set up.

I love the sound of any un-corked engine. They all make power.

 

[halfafish]

Sweet find. Who doesnt like nice surprises in a new car?

 

[Kern Dog]

The grille turn signals were in there, the engine bay wiring, brake hard lines, wiper motor, two Heater-A/C units, trans crossmember, all sorts of stuff!

Front bumper brackets too. I may have a front bumper up the hill.
I have drive shafts that can be cut down to fit. There are 3 or 4 Slant six spool K members up there that can be converted to a V8 spool design using my last original V8 73-76 K member as a pattern.
The floors are as solid as I have ever seen in a classic car.
Even the trunk and spare tire well are solid. The only rust are small spots on the lower quarters behind each rear wheel. I post pictures tomorrow.
A nearby Pick-N-Pull junkyard has an '88 Fifth Avenue with the usual 318 automatic...those were roller cam engines and low gear transmissions.
I almost went to another PNP today but it was almost 4 hours away. Their inventory online showed an '87 Diplomat in the yard when I checked on Tuesday or Wednesday. Most Diplomats of those years were Police cars with rear sway bars, power steering coolers, Firm Feel steering boxes and front disc brakes. I checked the inventory again Thursday night and it was not listed anymore. Imagine how pissed that YOU would be to drive 8 hours there and back for nothing!

 

[mopowers]

Not sure if you have one in your stash, but if you end up wanting to go with an A500: 2WD A500 Mopar 4 speed automatic - auto parts - by owner - vehicle automotive sale - craigslist

 

[Kern Dog]

Not sure if you have one in your stash, but if you end up wanting to go with an A500: 2WD A500 Mopar 4 speed automatic - auto parts - by owner - vehicle automotive sale - craigslist

Shoot man...That is like a Pick-N-Pull price!

 

[junkyardhero]

wow what a killer score!

nice mild roller 318 with a 2bbl would be a killer road car. plenty of power and decent on gas. with a low gear 904/999 it'd have more than enough pep in town as well.

hunting down a dual plane 2bbl manifold shouldn't be too hard. or grab a performer and snap an adapter on there.

 

[junkyardhero]

Not sure if you have one in your stash, but if you end up wanting to go with an A500: 2WD A500 Mopar 4 speed automatic - auto parts - by owner - vehicle automotive sale - craigslist

wow! smokin' deal! i'd go grab that like yesterday man!

 

[Kern Dog]

I will use a 4 barrel, maybe a Thermoquad since I have several here that just need to be rebuilt. I have 2 intakes with the Thermoquad pattern too.

 

[Kern Dog]

Not sure if you have one in your stash, but if you end up wanting to go with an A500: 2WD A500 Mopar 4 speed automatic - auto parts - by owner - vehicle automotive sale - craigslist

Shoot man...That is like a Pick-N-Pull price!

wow! smokin' deal! i'd go grab that like yesterday man!

Yeah, IF it is the early 3 wire version, I agree. I don't want to get one that needs a computer to run or a manual valve body.
I messaged the guy and await a response.
Meanwhile, there is an '88 Fifth Avenue with a low gear 904 at a local Junkyard. It is the last day of the 40% off sale too.

 

[junkyardhero]

Yeah, IF it is the early 3 wire version, I agree. I don't want to get one that needs a computer to run or a manual valve body.
I messaged the guy and await a response.
Meanwhile, there is an '88 Fifth Avenue with a low gear 904 at a local Junkyard. It is the last day of the 40% off sale too.

man too bad it's up your way, if it was local i'd meet ya there and throw down!

hope that 500 works out, that would be a killer set up as well.

 

[barbee6043]

I call... SCORE!!!!!!

 

[missing linc]

Wow! What a fantastic score!

 

[toolmanmike]

4 doors, no waiting.

 

[Kern Dog]

The rust….

Oh no!

How terrible!
California cars do often have wasted interiors.

I do have some other door panels that should fit. They would just need to be painted/dyed.
No fender tag but it does have the rare rear seat mounted gas tank.

Headliner and bows are gone.

 

[4fortyDemon]

Awesome score!

 

[Kern Dog]

I found this up the hill.

It is bent a bit but the chrome is okay.
At Pick-N-Pull today….

The low gear 904. (Is that a 998 or a 999 ?)

I don’t know how to decode this. Anyone willing to help?

The numbers I see are PK4431558 9589 8251

The right side of the bell had this stamping.
I read JW 136968. I can’t make out what is to the left of JW.

 

[mopowers]

I've heard that the A998 came behind 318's and the A999's came behind 360's. Not sure if there's any truth to it though. Is the only difference the number of frictions in the direct drum?