One thing to consider when having the mechanic work on the suspension, make sure that you are careful on what he replaces... in some cases he may replace one bad item with a new one, then that places stress on the next set of components which fail next, then you are back in have the same parts removed to replace the other bushings, etc....

Mostly it sounds like everything is in good shape overall like Lou said, you may consider the upgrade to discs, but also look at doing other bushing, T-bar, etc upgrades at the same time if you can afford it.
Just watch how you do this, I've seen it done. The trim that holds down the edge of the vinyl roof has some plastic fasteners that slip over some small nail like studs welded into the roof and body... Usually if the vinyl roof if gone the trim kind of rides "funny" and looks loose after the painting is done and trim replaced.... If you aren't a stickler for an original look, you can have the nubs ground off, then prime, paint, blend, and the car will look like any other hardtop on the street and no one but the fender tag decoders will know it wasn't.

Hi:

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying. We're being careful to keep the integrity of the suspension/steering systems intact. Mostly, the components I referred to are bushings, spacers, etc. Those pesky rubber pieces that deteriorate and fail over time. All of the other 'hard' components seem sound. Actually, it looked pretty damned ok when I examined her up on the hoist. A couple of small non-structural rust spots that I'll address soon, but no glaring issues evident. No leaks, no burning ducks. It does seem to be sitting a bit low, so I was considering adding an extra leaf spring on both sides in the back, but I was concerned that the shift in vehicle center of mass would shift more stress to the front end. I think a good HD set of shocks and some leaf clips will suffice without changing the specs too much. The front end is actually in much better shape than I anticipated. I ordered a few parts online and am currently waiting for them to make their way to Nova Scotia. I think the mechanical fitness will be far less painful than I anticipated (fingers crossed).

However...that damned roof. I always cringe when I see them on these old vehicles. I've never seen one that came off and didn't show a LOT of water/rust damage. I'll have to wait until I pull it off to see if lead-work is required, or if the damage repair will be relatively straightforward. I feel that any competent bodyshop should be able to handle welding patches, then completing bodywork as necessary. If it looks 'wavy' after it's been worked on, I may have to come up with a Plan B. As you guys can understand, the current budget only goes so far...

I agree that the stock drum brakes are insufficient for today's traffic. Unfortunately, I don't have the scratch right now to swap the system out with a better disc-based one (something like $2K). However, I have a line on a power-assist idea that will at least make them a better setup. For now, swapping out the damaged drums and replacing cylinders, pads, lines and accessories seems to be the best idea.

As far as the engine is concerned, I believe I'm going to run with the current powerplant (1975 Slant Six) for now. I will store the original engine (matching numbers) and maybe do a build over the winter. I sure would like to clean up that engine compartment, though! Going to see what I can do to degrease it, clean it and reduce the clutter. Since the engine that's in the car seems solid and reliable, I feel that my priority after the mechanical issues should be the bodywork and paint, then interior. I have a feeling that the bodywork may end up kicking me in the teeth, price-wise due to that %$*#&^% vinyl roof.

I will be replacing the muffler soon also and am wondering if there is there a recommendation on a unit that will make the stock engine sound a bit more...'throaty', shall we say? I don't have the budget for the Dutra Duels at this time, so I'll have to make due with mostly stock options. There must be an aftermarket muffler that will give her more voice. My local Canadian Tire has the Thrush Turbo available that I may jump on.

I would also like to change the 'attitude' of the car, by swapping out those hateful whitewalls, lol. I'll be sniffing around for a set of tires and rims soon. Any suggestions? I'll keep all the original kit, of course, in case I want it later on.

I will start a build-thread in a week or so when the car is certified. I would like to thank you guys for all the help and advice. It's been invaluable. I'll keep you updated!

Cheers,
Shawn

Hello:

I just met with the mechanic. All the replacement parts are now on order and will be here next week probably. I've also found a really excellent body-man who is currently in the process of removing the old vinyl top. He's going to address the water damage issue and get the car's bodywork up to snuff. Here we go.....


Shawn

Muffler and exhaust pipework: second post on 4th page of this present thread.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks, Dan.
Shawn

Dutra Duals are super de luxe and extra nice, but if you need to cost-reduce things, for example to save up for better-than-drum brakes, you can use the same advice with a 2-1/4" single pipe on the stock single-outlet exhaust manifold for now. Later on down the road you can put in Dutra Duals and just have the twin-2" Y-pipe made to feed into your 2-1/4" headpipe.

Speaking of brakes: unless you have an infirmity that makes you weak in the leg/knee area, don't waste money on adding power assist. It doesn't make the brakes work better, it just makes the pedal easier (likely too easy) to push. Save the money for an actually, really better brake system. Which shouldn't cost anything like $2K.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Gotcha, looks good!

Shawn

At the risk of getting off-topic, I have some recent experience as a noob updating the suspension and brakes on a late A-body. On my 1974, I upgraded to factory 1976 disk brakes. While at it, I rebuilt the front suspension. Since the disk brakes came with the large bolt pattern, I replaced my 7.25" rear end with an 8.25" to have the same bolt pattern front and rear. While I was under there, I also replaced the springs with stock 5-leaf replacements from ESPO Springs N Things. New bolt pattern meant new wheels, and I decided to go with factory 14"x5.5" rallye rims. While getting new rims, I took the opportunity to upgrade the tires too. There aren't a lot of 14" tires out there; the white-letter BFG's come in many sizes, but that was too "muscly" for me; plus I really liked the Michelin Defenders that were on my wife's minivan. So I went with the Michelins in a 205/70R14.
Before:

After:

I think the car looks much better with the improved stance (due to the rear springs) and the rallye rims (though I have yet to find the right size trim rings, and I didn't get the wheel color exactly right). By the way, my vinyl top gets water under it as well, especially behind the rear glass. One of my main to-do items is to fix that before it rusts too much under there. In the mean time I try not to drive or park in the rain!

Hi! That's a nice looking vehicle you have there! I've just started the body restoration on mine and can only hope that it turns out as nice as your Dodge. I'll eventually be upgrading my tires/rims at some point also. But that seems a long way away, at this point. I'm still doing my baby-steps.

Thanks for posting!

Cheers,
Shawn

Well, there she is with her top off Not as bad as I thought. We peeled the vinyl back this morning to assess and to get started. After some thought (and with some prodding from my wife who likes the look of the vinyl top), I think I may replace it after all.

Hello:

Rather than clog up this thread with pictures, I've started a rebuild thread in the Slixer's Gallery to document the build progression. Just a heads up.

Cheers,
Shawn