MM Muscle - 1971 Dodge Challenger

[BLINGMW]

The first thing that catches my eye too is the manual drum brakes all around. I'd be pretty interested in at least getting some discs up front. I mean, if you were just cruising around, then sure, whatever, but it sounds like you plan on driving it hard now and then. I *imagine* the brakes are just terrible and pedal pressure required is really heavy, is that the case? I've driven just a couple old Porsches with manual brakes, they were pretty bad, and that was with discs and half the weight. :dunno: Sounds terrifying.

Am I the only one that likes the front end as-is? I think that little spoiler or any sort of little wing just clutters it up. But of course, my car looks like a boat on the front too....

[Jeff]

The first thing that catches my eye too is the manual drum brakes all around. I'd be pretty interested in at least getting some discs up front.

It has been converted to disc brakes up front. They are the smaller (10.5in) front disc brake and I hope to upgrade to the larger at some point.

I *imagine* the brakes are just terrible and pedal pressure required is really heavy, is that the case? I've driven just a couple old Porsches with manual brakes, they were pretty bad, and that was with discs and half the weight. :dunno: Sounds terrifying.

Obviously it is not as easy as power brakes but I don't think it is that bad. I can "lock dem shits up" on the front on dry pavement without pulling a muscle so I would say they are ok. Power brakes are going to be a worthwhile upgrade once I get the suspension the back and this carb figured/paid for. I have been spending blindly on getting this car finished and it is catching up with me.

Am I the only one that likes the front end as-is? I think that little spoiler or any sort of little wing just clutters it up. But of course, my car looks like a boat on the front too....

I was looking at it the other day in the sunlight and more and more I am starting to agree with this...

[Mike]

They are the smaller (10.5in) front disc brake and I hope to upgrade to the larger at some point.

ack! those *might* stop you once on track, which i think is your eventual goal? i'd do it sooner rather than later because bigger brakes attract the honies and you can never have too many of them.

can likely ignore the rears for now. i tracked the hatch with rear drums for a few years... when i eventually went to disc i found the drums were barely operable likely a different story for you considering your pile probably weighs 2x as much and actually has weight in the rear, but larger fronts should still come first.

[ViPER1313]

They are the smaller (10.5in) front disc brake and I hope to upgrade to the larger at some point.

ack! those *might* stop you once on track, which i think is your eventual goal?

Wed Mar 02, 2011 8:39 pm
The car will be driven very little I would imagine outside of nice summer days. I would like to maybe try to autocross it once (lol) but that is not really a consideration.

Don't really think bigger brakes are needed.

[D_Eclipse9916]

I agree, id rather see good pads for a street car then the size of the brakes. Based on that you *might* autocross it once, I wouldnt bother with big brakes, but I would pay high attention to making sure the car has a set of pads matched to your purpose to bring you quickly to a stop if a jackass pulls out in front of your classic.

[Mike]

my bad, thought he had plans of a track day or two.

[Jeff]

Let me start this post by saying I FINALLY figued out how to set photobucket for larger image sizes...thank you god.

my bad, thought he had plans of a track day or two.

If I did it would be of the "Hyperdrive" variety of "track day" lol

In 1973 they redesigned all the disc brakes and everything got a larger hub. There were two styles of caliper, slider and pin. I have the slider style from a 76' Dodge Aspen V8 station wagon. I thought they were the "big brake" style but it turns out the Aspen being a small car it doesn't have them even on the V8 wagon. They are large hub spindles though...so all I need is caliper brackets and rotors from something like a 1978 Dodge St. Regis or Chrysler New Yorker and I would have the 11.75in rotors. There were no OEM rear discs so I am on my own there. Kit on ebay for $600.

Anyway, more pics!
I got my new front torsion bars (springs for those of you who know not of such things). The thicker a torsion bar is the higher the spring rate is. So I opted for "Mandingo" size in an effort to help cut down the body roll and give it a firmer ride. Oh...it did to. Original bars were .87in and the new ones are 1in. Larger then the stock bars on a 440 car. I got a firmer ride and at this point 1/4in lower ride height.

The slightly twisted black on one the left is obviously the old one. I got Energy Suspension dust boots for the new bars.


Close up to show the size difference.


This is the tool required to get the damn things out. You clamp it on then release all the screw tension on them and beat it out with a large hammer.


We had to modify the right header to clear the bar. I repainted it as well while it was out.


The tie rods were in rough looking shape with no boots or good grease. I got some new poly boots from Energy Suspeison.




All for now!

[Jeff]

Got all the carb stuff today. Intake has been cleaned up and sandblasted. It will be getting clear coated and ready for install tomorrow but I will probably let it go until Saturday or after the car show I am going to Sunday. I got felpro Performance gaskets and everything else I need to install it including a sexy fuel line setup. Pics to come on that.

Anyway, after getting the carb set back up right (PO had installed a bunch of the rods wrong) I installed it on the old cast iron intake and fired it up. It took three pumps and a turn of they key and it was running. It was so much easier to adjust for base idle then the damn Thermoquad. I liked the thermoquad but I was not interested in being enough of a nerd for it to really get into understanding how to work with it. This is much better suited to my level of interest in carbs. So I need to run a keyed switch wire up for the electric choke and that should be all to run it like this until I get ready to toss the new aluminum intake on.

I got an update email from the vendor I order the sway bars from and they should be here in the next few weeks. Also I got a response from a wanted ad I put in the Valley Trader looking for a LSD! I am going tomorrow to pick up a SureGrip rear with new Mopar Performance clutch discs for only $100!!! It is geared like my diff now (2.76) so it is really a highway setup but it will work for now until I can get a different ring gear and pinion. It is from a 1969 Dodge Coronet with a 440 v8. The highway gear is no problem for that torque machine! My little 318 will have a really hard time turning the tires with the high gear and the LSD. At least at 65 it tachs 2000 so I might be able to get enough fuel economy to actually take the car places! Moar pics tomorrow.

[ScottyB]

how you score some of these deals is beyond me. i just wanna see more pretty pictures! :lol:

[Jake]

Nice work on getting that LSD Jeff! Sounds like the gearing will be good as it is for MPG's sake, but you'll get better grip in rain/snow/sleet/hail, for all those times you will drive the car in such weather.

[Jeff]

how you score some of these deals is beyond me. i just wanna see more pretty pictures! :lol:

I know right? Its even the big pinion diff so I got two good upgrades. The only way it could have been better would have been if it was 3.21 or (ugh) 3.55 gear. A friend scored me a 3.55 open diff for free that I will get after Carlisle but we don't know if it is large pintion, small pinion, or tapered pinion. 3.55 is a bit low for a car that will be driven over 60mph. It will get horrible gas mileage if I go to that. I think 3.21 is the sweet spot as far as factory gears go. Anyway, more pics to come.

[HAULN-SS]

I really dont think 3.55 is that bad. You should defintiely try it if it comes along cheap enough to you. My SS has 3.73, which was to make up for the lack of power in the original 305. I put in that 350 I built and still get about 22mpg highway

[Jeff]

Vintage review <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://youtu.be/zbzrxowPjZw">http://youtu.be/zbzrxowPjZw</a><!-- m -->

NFS Shift Challenger... looks just like my car if I have the side scoops and the R/T hood. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://youtu.be/4HQsOxLLgM8">http://youtu.be/4HQsOxLLgM8</a><!-- m -->

[Jeff]

So I took the car to its first show today. It was the 18th annual Strasburg Moose Club Show n' Shine. It was a "top 30" show where the exibitors get to vote on their top 30 cars and those cars win trophies. There were about 110 cars in my catagory of 1900-1979. It started the night before when I was preping the car and discovered I had no tail lamps. I almost missed the show because of this but it turned out to be a bad contact on the turn signal swtich. After tearing my whole column down and putting it back I was ready to roll.

This morning backing out of the garage...


I rode down with 2 friends, one with a Chevy Nova SS the other with a 66 F100 pickup. I snapped some pics once we got to the show.







All shined up on the show field.










My only real Mopar competition. 1971 Cuda 383 3-speed MANUAL! (rare) its hot looking on the outside but it is bare bones. Built for European export but it never got out.











I was asked after the show by one of the workers if he could use a photo of my car on his dash plaque for his car show next year. He is on his 4th year now and he does a different "new and old" pic for each one. So this will be next years!



Oh yeah, and one more shot of my engine...


It was fun, more later, tired now.

[Goodspeed]

Badass...this car is amazing. I can't believe its basically 100% at this point, all thats left to do is mod it :lol:

[JustinG]

I just cant believe he actually finished it....... :bootyshake:

[Goodspeed]

I just cant believe he actually finished it....... :bootyshake:

I know right!?

[Jeff]

Lol yeah yeah. If the only shit I get is "It actually got done!" I will take that with a smile and not even need a reach around.

It was a lot of fun. Drank some beerz, won a polo shirt for Anne (she was not with me, she was at a horse show...lol) and met some cool people.

Met a local fellow that is going to GIVE me a set of 3.21 gears!

[ScottyB]

damn, it's worth saying again that car is hot as hell

[Jeff]

How does MM feel about the R/T (Rally Package) hood vs. my Standard hood?