Tazet's 69 Dodge Charger.

[tbone]

How times have changed 

[tbone]

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[tbone]

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[Manky Monkey]

Maybe Taz will let me "clean the vinyl bucket seats" too.

[BikerGran]

Wow - would that be genuwine vinyl??!!!

[Manky Monkey]

  I think we'll have to make do with cow skin instead.

[poprodder]

horse sk....................

 

coat on an gone!!!

[57gmc]

Did the engine get a look over? if so by whom?
Mark

[tazet]

Yes had the engines looked over yesterday and there was good and bad news. The engine that came in bits with the car is not really viable at this moment in time to get back up and running as too many of the parts need to be replaced which is costly but the block looks ok so that's the bad. The good is that the pinball engine looks like there should be no problems getting that back up and running with a good clean up and replacing bearings and seals etc. I was also told that I can upgrade it at a later stage very easily if I want to. So it's good to have a possitive comment for once and that something is right. Lets just hope that when it's opened up that nothing nasty is found. He can also go over me gearbox etc so think at some point down the line we'll take all the bits over to him and get everything sorted in one hit. It was a friend of Si Strokerblue and mine from the mma site who came over, so someone who knows about these engines and stuff. Still a very long way to go with the car but at least we are heading in the right direction.

[Manky Monkey]

I wasn't about when the guys from the Mopar Muscle Association called on Sunday, but from what I can decypher from Taz, the stripped down engine that came with the car when we bought it is basically O.K & could be run if we had nothing else, but needs a few parts replaced. The crank's already been reground once & got a few scores on the bearing surfaces. So ideally we'd replace it & fit new big end shells. The timing chain went straight in the bin, along with the sprockets. They come as a kit & not worth putting the old ones back on. The pistons appear to have been overheated at some point & the piston skirts are a bit scored. Could do with honing the barrels & fitting new piston rings. The casings look fine & all the service parts are readily available, so it'd be nice to build this motor up at some point, when time & money allow. A great way for Taz to learn the workings of her engine. Overall, not too bad for a 40 year old motor.
Moving on to the other 383, the one that came out of Pinball Wizard. This engine's been in storage for several years & although we were told it ran fine when it came out, (the owner swapped it for the bigger 440 version), we didn't really know it's condition. We'd really like to use this one cos it's got some history to it -& it's already built. We were given it for free by the Wizard's current owner on condition we used it & didn't flog it on Ebay, so it'd be great to send him photos of it in Taz's car.
A quick inspection by the chaps who know these things proved it's in pretty good nick. The oil's really, really filthy -it's obviously not had a service in a very long time, but the crank's fine & it turns over nicely. The aluminium Holley rocker covers are quite sought after, but we intend to keep them, in the bright yellow they're in, as a link to Pinball Wizard. Pulling them off, the engine guy said the rocker assemblies were aftermarket ones & much better than standard equipment. The Wizard was drag raced at some point so they weren't sure if the engine would be suitable for normal road use. I think it was raced with the bigger 440 motor though. Seems the bottom end of this engine is standard with a few aftermarket parts fitted up top, so should just need a set of gaskets & oil seals to be roadworthy again. Engine chappie also recommended fitting an electronic ignition conversion.
They had a nose through the rest of the Charger parts in the barn & told Taz the propshaft she has isn't a Charger one-so that'll need replacing at some point too.
 

[Manky Monkey]

So not actually as bad as we'd feared, though the gaskets & oil seals will still cost a couple of hundred quid. The engine guy has a good reputation among the Mopar crowd & says he can give the motor a proper check over at his workshop & build it up with new parts for us at a reasonable price, so that's the plan I think. He rang Taz the next day to tell her she had a good engine there that should run well -as she said, it's nice to hear positive news about this car for a change. We'll also get him to check the auto gearbox -I know nothing about those so would rather entrust it to someone who does.
The gentlemen of the MMA apparently arrived at the barn in style. Nice old Plymouth Fury.   

[Manky Monkey]

Personally the Charger's a bit too pretty for my taste -too curvy. If I owned a Yank tank it'd be something more like this. More boxy & un-aerodynamic. Looks more aggressive I think. Would have to be glossy black though. Very nice.

[BikerGran]

Funny about the eye of the beholder - I'd much rather have a Charger cos I think they look EVIL!!!!!!!!!!

[blair]

or a plymouth   bacaracakakadooda   

[Manky Monkey]

With what it's cost us so far, the Charger's here to stay believe me!