Mopar Muscle Association UK

Now that the 'Cuda build is finished(for now) , and the racing season's over, I'm planning to keep a bit of momentum going and get some of my other cars running, driving, reliable, and useable. Also I really do need to generally reduce the amount of stuff I have lying round in pieces, as it's taking up too much time just keeping track of everything...

So,

As some of you know I have a '68 Coronet with a 500ci stroker in it.
I bought the car on Ebay from Washington State in 2005 . It's a very solid Coronet 500, originally 383 Console Auto. Blue bucket interior, QQ1 blue exterior. After buying it I did the usual stuff - brakes, balljoints - and then fitted a 500ci stroker. I drag raced it at the Nats a couple of times in 'Stock Appearing', with a best of 12.58 with cast manifolds and street tyres. I think around 2013 was the last time I had the car out properly and used it.


So other stuff happened like a house move and then a house rebuild, and the car sat in a covered trailer for a few years.

I put it up for sale a couple of years ago but didn't get much serious interest. After several years' storage in the trailer the engine compartment and boot interior had suffered from the winter damp

Also the engine had had a rear main seal leak ever since it was built, so I thought it was time to pull the engine out and freshen up the engine compartment and boot.

May 2018
a few extra holes to be welded up - marked in yellow

I sent the engine up to John Sleath in July 2018 to have the rear main seal leak fixed, a new carb fitted, and timing and fuelling adjusted on the dyno.

And shortly after that I got distracted by the 'Cuda, and not much happened.

So a couple of weeks ago I dug out the engine from the corner of my 'work' workshop in Wembley where it's been for the past 16 months, degreased it, and sanded it down ready for paint.

And today back from the paintshop

Ooooo I like the look of that

Loving your work as ever!

Engine compartment now with a fresh coat of paint. Am really having to resist the temptation to paint the rest of the car...

Do the whole car!!!

...then sell it...

Must stick to the plan....

Get car reassembled....

Can always paint afterwards......

Looking good. The rest of it looks fine, but a tidy engine bay is a must!

I do like that, looks mean

Get it painted Matt,dont be slack leave the rust for the chevy truck brigade

DaveB wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 19 8:53 pm Get it painted Matt,dont be slack leave the rust for the chevy truck brigade

Another great thread in the making

More inspiration for us all.

Bit more progress last couple of weeks

Found a convenient corner to leave the car up in the air for a while.
I replaced parts of the front floor pans many years ago. The relevant edges are seam-welded from the inside, but I never finished the underside, what with the transmission being in the way and all.
Here's how it looked at the start
I've since cleaned all the rust etc back to bare metal, and removed any factory underseal near the joins. Next I'll seam seal the edges and give it a quick coat of satin black.



Some progress on fitting the engine up .




Exhaust manifolds were sandblasted then painted with VHT flameproof paint, Starting to come together now.

I spent about half a day degreasing and getting all the crud out of the K-Member insides. Now back from the painters, along with the stone shield.
And as of about 8pm tonight, off the engine stand and on the trolley. Next step, fit the transmission.