Road Runner Nest

Hello all, I'm the new guy. I just bought a '73 Satellite Sebring for $400. 318/auto, runs and drives, decent car to build, but like you'd expect out of a $400 car, it needs work.

The guy I bought it from actually referred me to this site, so I'm not sure if he's registered here or just browses.

I'll get some pictures up in a little bit.

Welcome to the nest....plenty of people with project cars here...you should be right at home!

rabidscott, glad to see you made it. How was the ride home from Hollister? did you find anything interesting in the car yet?

Brian

Hey Brian! Thanks for selling me the car, I like it!

The drive home went pretty good, my buddy Mr. Chevelles with is a great guy, but he sure loves to talk.

Before I started playing around with it the 318 ran surprising good, considering how rank the gas was in it, I started examining it and that's when she started running sour.

Last night the carb was burping and leaking, I pulled the bad gas out, and checked the plugs, they were black as black can be, and looked pretty fouled out.

Starting making a list of basics I need to replace, plugs, fuel filter, carb kit, oil change stuff, a gas cap, and some other stuff I want to do later like a tranny flush and filter.

Next I pulled all the primitive smog stuff off.

I have *NO* idea why Chrysler ran the vacuum advance line through that funky little thing on the firewall and then a temperature switch on the intake manifold. Wouldn't the thing run better without all the stuff limiting how much advance the engine gets? Ah, the Dark Ages of Pollution control!

The EGR valve and related vaccuum lines got removed and blocked, too.

This thing should run 10x better after I get it all put back together.

I've been looking for a front valance, those are kinda hard to find, and the ones I have found people are asking way too much for!

I did locate a Road Runner hood for it for $250, so I think I'm going to jump on that, it's just a couple hour drive away. Might go get that this weekend.

I love sway bars, it turns out the front sway bars from '73 and later B-bodies are the same, so if I can find a Cordoba, Magnum, maybe a cop-spec Fury in the junkyard I can rob the sway bars off it. If the rear bars are similar, I'll grab that too.

So yes, lot's o' plans, but we'll make a good driver first, then start fixing all the other little things like the wipers and then maybe the A/C?

I'll have some pictures later....

I am happy you like the car. Please let me know what you do and post some pics.

Brian

Welcome. . .I bought a 74 Sat Sebring for 700 bucks a few years back and I've been doing the same thing. ..

it's funny how many of us buy the Satty and one of the first purchases we make is the RR Bulge Hood!

Okay. . do you want a vented hood or a non vented hood?

welcome aboard!

Serious Satellite wrote:it's funny how many of us buy the Satty and one of the first purchases we make is the RR Bulge Hood!

Well, the Road Runner hood fell through, when he physically checked for it he realized he must have sold it already. Oh well!

I got it running excellent last night, new gas, plugs, and a carb rebuild did it good. I have to check the timing, taking all the smog junk off must have changed something.

I have a question, because the engine that is in the car now is black, and I thought most of these base model 70's Chryslers had engines that were "Two-barrel Blue". Are '73 engines black?

I went to bleed the brakes, because they were kinda squishy, and found that the passenger side front caliper was missing a slider pin, and the other one was all cross threaded and fubar'ed. I ordered a new pair, should be pickin' 'em up at lunch. I'll have to tap the holes, but at least the brakes are almost in place. Maybe I'll be able to scream it around the neighborhood tonight!

Then I get to go through the wiring, figure out why some of the stuff isn't working.

rabidscott wrote:

Serious Satellite wrote:it's funny how many of us buy the Satty and one of the first purchases we make is the RR Bulge Hood!

Well, the Road Runner hood fell through, when he physically checked for it he realized he must have sold it already. Oh well!

Don't know where you're located...but this sounds like a good deal...maybe you or someone needs it...

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/pts/790946212.html

72 RR fan wrote:Don't know where you're located...but this sounds like a good deal...maybe you or someone needs it...

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/pts/790946212.html

Wow, I'd buy that in a heartbeat, too bad it's on the other side of the country!

rabidscott wrote:

72 RR fan wrote:Don't know where you're located...but this sounds like a good deal...maybe you or someone needs it...

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/pts/790946212.html

Wow, I'd buy that in a heartbeat, too bad it's on the other side of the country!

I'm tempted to buy it just for the heck of it....they'll only get harder to find!

rabidscott wrote:

Serious Satellite wrote:it's funny how many of us buy the Satty and one of the first purchases we make is the RR Bulge Hood!

Well, the Road Runner hood fell through, when he physically checked for it he realized he must have sold it already. Oh well!

I got it running excellent last night, new gas, plugs, and a carb rebuild did it good. I have to check the timing, taking all the smog junk off must have changed something.

I have a question, because the engine that is in the car now is black, and I thought most of these base model 70's Chryslers had engines that were "Two-barrel Blue". Are '73 engines black?

I went to bleed the brakes, because they were kinda squishy, and found that the passenger side front caliper was missing a slider pin, and the other one was all cross threaded and fubar'ed. I ordered a new pair, should be pickin' 'em up at lunch. I'll have to tap the holes, but at least the brakes are almost in place. Maybe I'll be able to scream it around the neighborhood tonight!

Then I get to go through the wiring, figure out why some of the stuff isn't working.

Did you get the brakes fixed? I got the new rims and tires on my RR and they look great. How is the electrical going?

Brian

Hi Brian!!

I got the front caliper bracket holes tapped and the caliper re-mounted, I've only bled the fronts and the pedal is still a little low and spongy. I'll try bleeding out the rears, I'm hoping the master cylinder and booster are still good, but we'll see. That fluid in the master looks like the original fluid for the car!

I was able to take it around the block, runs like a little champ! I still have to time it and hook up the vacuum advance.

I was absolutely amazed at how soft and quiet this thing rides! I was skeptical at first about the insulated K-frame and rear leaf spring mounts.

The electrical is still the way I got it. I don't think the alternator is charging, looks like it's charging on the dash gauge, but I haven't brought any testing equipment over to it. I might just need to give it some run time.

First thing on my list of electrical "To-Dos" is fix the tail lights and dash lights, then onto making the windshield wipers work.

I picked up all the stuff needed to change the fluids, maybe within a week I can be driving it daily!

Engine blocks in 73/74 for small block Plymouths were blue. . .


(to answer an unanswered question you asked a few posts ago. . .)


Now we haven't been able to tell if that was a vented blue or a non vented blue, but we know it's blue. . .

72 RR fan wrote:

rabidscott wrote:

72 RR fan wrote:Don't know where you're located...but this sounds like a good deal...maybe you or someone needs it...

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/pts/790946212.html

Wow, I'd buy that in a heartbeat, too bad it's on the other side of the country!

I'm tempted to buy it just for the heck of it....they'll only get harder to find!

Wow, the guy I bought my rr hood from in W. Virginia (mountain mama) delivered the hood to my door here in SW Ohio. . .