Any other Mopars around here?

[gomopar440]

Don't get me wrong. I like all old muscle but the Mopars are my favorites. Particularly the Challengers. I've owned a few of those so you could say I'm partial to 'em. That's why I'm building my R/T/A (See my PT Garage). It's a never was (but shoulda been) model that I'm putting together. It'll be built as a combination of the things I liked the best from my past Challengers and the things I've always wanted it to be able to do. Namely handle a road course (or mountian road) like a scalded cat and have enough torque to keep me pinned in my seat.

The car is presently still in the rust repair stage but there are a few body and suspension mods already being incorporated along the way. The entire floor has been replaced front to back. Both quarters and wheel houses got replaced as well. The inner wheel houses got moved inboard for some extra tire clearance out back at the same time. The original 318 was resurected to make moving it around the shop easier. Well, that and the fact I just wanted to see if it even would run. The busted original trans got replaced with a spare to keep it mobile. The stock disk & drum brakes have been rebuilt as well. The (rusty) steel front end was replaced with all fiberglass, topped off with a T/A (no, not Trans Am :p ) hood.

The suspension mods are coming next. The leaf springs are getting relocated 3" inboard for additional tire clearance. The stock (read: tiny)torsion bars are getting swapped out for some larger units. The LCAs are getting braced and the UCAs will be replaced with adjustable tubular units. Shocks will be KYBs until I start to tweak the suspension once I get it on the road. Sway bars will be about 1.25" front and .875" rear. all bushings are getting replaced with polyurethane.

The new engine still needs some machining before I can button it up. according to the desktop dyno program I have, it should have somewhere about 650 hp, 670ft/lb at the crank with the (relatively) mild cam I picked for it.

I've been working on this car from a distance for the last few years. December of '04 I bought it sight unseen off the internet while I was stationed in Puerto Rico. I then had it and a parts car shipped to a friends place in PA. For the next year I was making plans and collecting parts and having them shipped directly to PA. Then every couple of months I'd take a flight over there and spend a solid week or two working on it. I have maybe a total of a month and a half altogether on it right now. I recently got transferred back to the US (TX) so the next step ifo rme to go get the car and accumulated parts and haul them down here this summer. If I keep the pace up, I should have it ready to go by next summer.

Anyway, That's why I'm here. To kick around ideas and suggestions with like minded individuals that share a passion for awesome handling, classy looking street machines.

Later,
Paul

[Turbo T]

Nice dude, I've got a '73 R/T (clone) with a warmed-up 340 and a 727. It's not PT, but it will be some day. For now it's just a fun summer cruiser. Just prepare yourself for all the witty "That thing got a Hemi in it? HAR HAR HAR!" remarks.




BTW, what branch of service?

[go-fish]

I have a 70 cuda I have been working on for awhile. Sounds like you are coming along nicely on yours.
Puerto Rico? I was stationed at Roosey Roads and lived in Luquillo and Fajardo. I was there in 02 to early 04. Were you at Roosevelt Roads? It sux that it closed. I loved every minute in PR.

[gomopar440]

Just prepare yourself for all the witty "That thing got a Hemi in it? HAR HAR HAR!" remarks.

I'll leave the Hemi's for the guys that like to spend most of their time under the hood.
I prefer to stay behind the wheel in the driver seat

BTW, what branch of service?

I've been in the Navy for about 17.5 years now. This is my last tour of duty right now unless I pick up the next paygrade. I'm a machinst so I get to make my ideas come to life for my projects from time to time.

[gomopar440]

Puerto Rico? I was stationed at Roosey Roads and lived in Luquillo and Fajardo. I was there in 02 to early 04. Were you at Roosevelt Roads? It sux that it closed. I loved every minute in PR.

Yea, I was there in PR from 03 to 06. I was at SIMA in Pascagoula, MS right before that. I started on RRDS out at the Reserve Center over near the weapons dept by the runway. Then I was the Facilities Manager there so I had to coordinate moving the command over to the FT Buchanan Army base in San Juan. Last I checked there was just a small maintenance crew keeping Rosey together till they decided what to do with it.

BTW: When they closed down the Base housing at Rosey I moved out to Hacienda Margarita right on hwy 3 in Luquillo. Not a bad place but you absolutely HAD to have a generator and a lot of clean water set aside. The utilities on the island sucked big time.

[moparmatty]

'70 440+6 Roadrunner and '69 Daytona here.

[go-fish]

Rosey was my first duty station, I went to NSWU-4 out by the old Seabee camp which was turned into the security facility since it had an armory and all. We moved our command to the SOCOM center in So. Florida. I traveled all around So. America and loved it. I loved PR too, especially Rincon on the west side and La Selva beach (south of Luquillo Beach), they are really good surf spots.
I was an E-1 when I showed up and was asked if I wanted BAH upon check in. As new as I was I didn't know what BAH even was. I honestly think my command was the most chill the Navy had. SPECWAR just knows how to take care of their sailors, coupled with the beutiful location and relaxed uniforms you just couldn't get any better.
Are you an MR? And where are you at now, Chorpus? I heard they are going away too. I just hope they open something up down south like another Panama or PR before I hit 20 yrs.
Good luck on advancement ad your R/T/A. I like that monicer.

[gomopar440]

Are you an MR?

Yup :D

where are you at now, Chorpus? I heard they are going away too.

Ingleside actually, in the machine shop now. Yea this place made the BRAC chop list so it's going away too. Probably a year or two after I leave.

Good luck on advancement ad your R/T/A. I like that monicer.

Thanks.

[High Plains Mopars]

We're around, but are a definet minority. Still, there is a lot of good tech and some really knowledgable members on here. Plus it is amusing to watch the Camaro guys struggle with issues we take for granted.



Welcome.

[Flash68]

Plus it is amusing to watch the Camaro guys struggle with issues we take for granted.

Please enlighten me on these Camaro-specific struggles... not jawing here or anything.... I seriously would like to know what you are talking about specifically. Thanks.

[Flash68]

Plus it is amusing to watch the Camaro guys struggle with issues we take for granted.

Please enlighten me on these Camaro-specific struggles... not jawing here or anything.... I seriously would like to know what you are talking about specifically. Thanks.

Oh, and BTW I have really begun to love Mopars in the last couple years.... Hope to have one someday!

[Bigblue73]

Welcome to the board. Please keep us posted on your progress.

[High Plains Mopars]

Please enlighten me on these Camaro-specific struggles... not jawing here or anything.... I seriously would like to know what you are talking about specifically. Thanks.

Front suspension geometery seems to be the biggy, epsecially the positive camber during cycling issue. Braking also pops up pretty regular as do springs rates and their related problems. I also think the fact that for a lot of people, a first gen Camaro is their first entry into the muscle car era so there seems to be a lot of general mechanical questions that come up about them.

[TPC]

70 Barracuda (driver) and a 71 Demon (under construction still) Welcome aboard. I'm new to the scene also.

[dqhemi]

We're on Pro Touring here when we have time to follow what's going on. Lot's of Camaro talk here....

Not sure if you know who we are or not, but all we build is Mopars and have developed many parts for these cars, almost all of which is Pro Touring / Road Racing related. Many of the things we come out with haven't been done for Mopars before and are largely a result of the turn key cars we build.

We have two complete suspension systems if you're trying to make your car handle. If you want to keep your leaf's and T-Bars our Level I will pull 1G w/ good wheels and tires and make the car track worthy. We also have a chassis stiffening system that was developed from actual torsion tests.

Anyway, if you aren't aware of our stuff take a peak, there may be something you like.

[Krazed]

I'm part of the Mopar crowd myself. I'm sure you've seen my posts here and there, though they're few and far between.

I kinda fell in love with certain mopars recently after purchasing my 68 Barracuda almost 3 years ago now. (wow, time flies!) and am now just getting around to doing what I want to it.

I've been following the Pro-touring scene more then anything else, as I love the low stances and the ability to look good, and go fast without keeping the 80's mullet theme alive. Don't get me wrong, the original muscle car look was always nice in the fashion of big rake, big rear tires, and lots of power.. I just thought people went to an extreme and it looked ridiculous most of the time just to get the biggest tires under there.

Anyway, I can't wait for XV among others to come out with more parts for our cars. Especially the A-Body stuff... I think the light weight of the A-Body makes for an awesome PT car. Alot of punch in these cars is doable.

[dannyho]

Got a 71 Roadrunner, heavily under construction, on a college budget. This forum has a ton of great information and ideas. No matter what you're looking to pull off you've come to the right place.

XV's got some pretty neat stuff. I know I'll be at their open house!

[gomopar440]

Not sure if you know who we are or not,...

Hey John,

You probably don't remember me but I stopped by to chat and say "Hi" at your booth over at the Nopar Nationals in Ohio last year. I've also see you over on another Mopar specific forum (C-C) a bunch too. I'm thouroughly impressed with your setup after seeing it first hand but the budget just won't allow me to take my Chally to that level (yet). I already have all the repair, upgrade and modification parts for the car. Now I just need the time to go get it, bring it back down here and then put it together. I'd have to pitch all the current suspension stuff I bought to go with the XV system. I made my choices before I had heard of you guys (XV) or I would done a few things differently. Anyway, the end result should still be worthy of the title "Pro-Tourer" or "G-Machine" when it's finished.

Thanks for the warm welcomes everyone.
Paul

BTW: Am I allowed to post a link to the R/T/A project thread on another forum? It has all the pics and build progress in it info if anyone wanted to check it out. It's really too long to try to repost here. If not, anyone that wants the link can just PM me for it.

[David Sloan]

Welcome aboard!!
We are getting more Mopars all the time!! Cool project you got there.

[gomopar440]

Well I went back and didn't see anywhere in the rules that I couldn't post a link to my project, so...
Here it is ---> http://www.moparnuts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3636
Just a work of caution before you follow the link. The site it's on is SFW, but just a little bit wierd (IMHO) in places. It's all in good humor though, so I doubt anyone will get offended unless they have a really thin skin.