1968 Coronet Deluxe Build

[MidnightSpecial]

Alright so I finally got my first muscle car. I have been looking for a while but had a few milestones in life I had to meet first. This beauty popped up at a price I couldn't walk away from. I picked it up over the weekend from a very nice guy in central Mississippi. He offered the throw the car on jacks so I could inspect thoroughly. Anyways onto the car.

1968 Coronet Deluxe
- Factory color was "tan"...at some point someone painted it lime green then red.
- 273 V8...fairly stock other than a pair of M/T valve covers, edelbrock carb, and a edelbrock intake manifold. This engine will be in for a while...got other stuff I to update first before packing on the horsepower. Also the engine is in damn good shape...I ran in around all weekend showing friends and family and haven't had any troubles and haven't seen any leaks at all.
- Auto
- Drums all around
- Manual Steering

Biggest issues right now are electrical based. Speedo, fuel gauge, etc. doesn't work. I have an aftermarket oil pressure gauge hooked up and working. After I clear these out ill get to the fun stuff.

This will be a long build. I do not have endless funds and I'm too much of a square to chance missing a bill to order a lot of parts at once. I will be testing the limits of my patience.

Here are a couple of rules I've laid out for myself on the build:
-I will not make it a R/T or Superbee clone
-I will not turn it into a trailer queen
-I will not get bummed out when I run into issues that are over my head
-I will drive the s*** out of it every step of the way



Like I said this is my first muscle car and first major project. Any tips, tricks, advice, opinions, and words of encouragement will be very appreciated. Hope you guys enjoy the build as much as I do.

Ok enough of that. Here is the car.

[MidnightSpecial]

Not too much progress as of now. Just taking my time to take a look over the car and look at everything that needs work.

Car has been solid so far...since the gas gauge doesnt work i went to fill it up today...threw 56 dollars worth of gas in it...yeah I am surprised i made it too.

A small fuel leak popped up today after riding it around a bit. Nothing major

I have killed 4-5 Black Widows so far...so that has been fun


I know there are a few members who offer rendering services. I think im gonna get a rendering so i can keep focused on my vision.

I will update with pictures once i start doing some heavy work on it. Right now its just tightening everything up.

[shortrack]

Always loved the looks of those cars and Im a chevy guy. All those cars have been gone from around here for a LONG time. Youd never find one in builder condition like yours.

[MidnightSpecial]

Its hard to find the around here too. This is only the 3rd one I've ever seen in person. Thats why I had to buy it. I wasn't looking to get a B-body but I figured i would try something outside the norm. Not really a Mopar guy or any other car fan. I was just looking for a good deal and i think i got it.

[68EFIvert]

That looks like a pretty clean car. I have always liked that body style. I will be watching your progress with interest. Congrats on your new purchase!

[MidnightSpecial]

Finally made room for it. Two big girls in the garage now. Not much room for anything else.



Blacked out the front grill with Plastidip to see if i liked it. I think im gonna stick with it and black out the rest of the trim. Just on the cosmetic stuff right now until i save the money to start the big projects

[MidnightSpecial]

That looks like a pretty clean car. I have always liked that body style. I will be watching your progress with interest. Congrats on your new purchase!

Thanks I appreciate it. Ive waited a long time for a car and now I have one.

The car has its few trouble spots which is to be expected. the the back quarters near the bottom have a little pinhole rot but nothing that warrants immediate fixing. Trunk is trash. Its holding together but will need replacing down the road. The wires are a mess...someone went crazy with a pair of clips. The main stuff works lights, ignition, blinkers, etc. The dash is out.

Overall im satisfied with the price I got it for...best deal ive run across...people these days have way too much false worth into their old cars...thanks Barrett Jackson

[bonecrrusher]

Nice Matress!

LOL - car is looking good.

Any mods on the truck?

[MidnightSpecial]

Nice Matress!

LOL - car is looking good.

Any mods on the truck?

Haha moved into the house a few weeks ago. I finally took it to the bed to the dump this weekend.

The truck is stock. My daily driver. Nothing special

[MidnightSpecial]

Quick little update.

You can now call me the Black Widow Destroyer from now on...i swear i kill about 3 or 4 everytime I start working on the car.

Collecting checks right now. Trying to eyeball a good set of reasonably priced brakes. That will be the first purchase quickly to follow will be the wheels and tires.

Ive been screwing with the electrical....its a disaster. Someone wasted good money on a wiring harness just to butcher it.

Stopped a minor fuel leak

Thought my starter died on me, then i thought it was the ignition and after about 3 or 4 hours on Sunday....my girlfriend comes home as says....man the battery looks dirty...........

mf'er

clean it...tighten it........starts right up..................the easiest solution is always the first one overlooked.

[Jetfixr320]

Look for the Black Widow egg sacks also.

Looks like a nice car.

[damannhw]

Here are a couple of rules I've laid out for myself on the build:
-I will not make it a R/T or Superbee clone

Nice choice, I've always loved the '68 Coronet and Satellites. Glad to hear you're not going to clone it, you just never see Coronets anymore. Where are you located ?

[MidnightSpecial]

Look for the Black Widow egg sacks also.

Looks like a nice car.

Ive been looking. Havent seen any yet. I bug bombed it last weekend and sprayed it down but im sure i could of missed some spots. Needless to say ive been using gloves when im grabbing somewhere i cant see.

Nice choice, I've always loved the '68 Coronet and Satellites. Glad to hear you're not going to clone it, you just never see Coronets anymore. Where are you located ?

I am located in South Mississippi. Near the Biloxi area

[MidnightSpecial]

Did a little walk around the car today.

http://youtu.be/SVDdOsi1MHQ

[High Plains Mopars]

- Auto
- Drums all around
- Manual Steering

Biggest issues right now are electrical based. Speedo, fuel gauge, etc. doesn't work. I have an aftermarket oil pressure gauge hooked up and working. After I clear these out ill get to the fun stuff.

Auto is liveable It probably has the 904 which is a lighter duty version. Keep this in mind for potential upgrades way down the line, but it will live fine behind a 273.

You can upgrade to factory style 11.75 front discs if you can find a donar Cordoba, Magnum, or Fury from the late '70s. This will keep costs way down as you can get bearings, rotors, and calipers on Rock Auto or local sources. If you can find some disc spindles from a 72-89 mopar, Dr Diff makes the 11.75 caliper adapters. This will require 15" wheels. Speaking of that, get rid of those 78 series tires. Rear drums will be fine for anything but high speed road course racing.

Manual steering is also liveable with the light engine and skinny tires. Future upgrades will require a better box. Firm Feel is a bolt in, but there is the new Borgeson power unit that is lighter weight and as accurate as a R&P.

Electrical issues, check out the firewall bulkhead connector and the ammeter connections in the dash. These are common failure points in old mopars. ALL the electrical power for the car runs through the bulkhead into the ammeter. After 40 years it is not uncommon that corrosion has cause melted sections or overheated localized areas and shorted things out.

The speedo is a mechanical cable that runs from the dash to the trans. Odds are the cable snaped. Repos are out there.

Nice car, nice score!

[MidnightSpecial]

Thank you. All of that info is incredibly helpful. I truly appreciate it.

[MidnightSpecial]

Hood is painted...I like the look. I think when i repaint the whole car Im gonna stay with the blacked out grill and black hood

[MidnightSpecial]

Alright so I've got some money to spend on parts and want to bounce some ideas off of you guys. You have much more experience than I do and want to see if you have any suggestions to what I am thinking.

Most of all I would like to keep from wasting money on something that isnt worth it or maybe if there is another cheaper product that will give me close to the same performance.

Here are my immediate needs:

Disc Brakes
Wheels
Tires
Suspension

Here is what I am thinking.

Discs: Wilwood Front discs Only (try to keep it under $900)
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wil-140-11020

Wheels: 18x8 Front 18x9 Rear, Showwheels Streeter Black. Dont have the funds for forged but want to get rid of the 15's ASAP.


Tires: Not sure which brand but going for 245/40/18 Front and 275/40/18

Suspension: I need shocks first, Im leaning towards the Hotchkis shocks. I eventually want the Hotchkis TVS B-body system. Seems like the cheaper option just to get it all at once. Definitely need the subframe connectors and sway bars.

Working with about a $2000 budget right now.

Any suggestions would be very appreciated.

[High Plains Mopars]

I'd skip the wilwoods. Aluminum hubs, 11" rotors, and lack of weather seals means they won't perform as good as the factory 11.75 units on teh street. The skinny .8" width of those rotors means they are reduced weight for drag racing, not heavy duty for street use. Even the stock rotors are 1" thick and good road race units may be up to 1.25 thick. With careful shopping, you can build the large factory units for under $500 with parts from Rock Auto, Dr Diff, and the scrap yard. If, in the future, you want to step up to big 13 or 14 inch units, then it is an easy resale to unload the 11.75 set up to another mopar guy.

IMO, I'd skip wheels and tires now and go for suspension. Hotckis TVS, Firm Feel, or XV Level 1 in their complete forms will run you around $2500, which is already beyond your budget. However, you can buy them in pieces to reduce the immediate hit. I'd start with shocks first, $400-500, sway bars, $500 for the pair, and a set of offset upper control arm bushings $60, and an alignment with as much positive caster as possible, negative .5-1 degree camber, and 1/32" toe in. That keeps you way under $2000 for now and will transform the car, even with 15" tires. After that, then when you have more funds, bigger diameter torsion bars and better leafs or the bigger wheels and tires.

[MidnightSpecial]

I'd skip the wilwoods. Aluminum hubs, 11" rotors, and lack of weather seals means they won't perform as good as the factory 11.75 units on teh street. The skinny .8" width of those rotors means they are reduced weight for drag racing, not heavy duty for street use. Even the stock rotors are 1" thick and good road race units may be up to 1.25 thick. With careful shopping, you can build the large factory units for under $500 with parts from Rock Auto, Dr Diff, and the scrap yard. If, in the future, you want to step up to big 13 or 14 inch units, then it is an easy resale to unload the 11.75 set up to another mopar guy.

IMO, I'd skip wheels and tires now and go for suspension. Hotckis TVS, Firm Feel, or XV Level 1 in their complete forms will run you around $2500, which is already beyond your budget. However, you can buy them in pieces to reduce the immediate hit. I'd start with shocks first, $400-500, sway bars, $500 for the pair, and a set of offset upper control arm bushings $60, and an alignment with as much positive caster as possible, negative .5-1 degree camber, and 1/32" toe in. That keeps you way under $2000 for now and will transform the car, even with 15" tires. After that, then when you have more funds, bigger diameter torsion bars and better leafs or the bigger wheels and tires.

Once again you have shown me the light haha.

All very good points and is the kind of input I was looking for.

I say the tires and wheels were immediate needs for a few reason. The tires are old and dry rotted, not very save for cruising, much less performance use. But i dont want to spend $500 on tires to fit 15's just to replace them a month or so down the road....i know rebuying is the name of the game with old cars sometimes....just trying to throw the money to the right places.

Where can I find the offset control arm bushings? Im guessing they line up to factory?

Im also pretty ignorant when it comes to choosing shocks. Any suggestions to brands or models? Definitely want some that will drop me down a little bit. Car is sitting high right now.

Luckily i have a friend that can help me with camber and toe. He works at a tire shop and they got all the equipment there for me.

Thanks for the input. If I could buy you a pack of beer I would haha.