New Member also of FBBO

[Montana Mopar]

Found FBBO when I put my 68 GTX and Satellite up for sale. Then I found FEBO. Started a thread on FBBO of my 70 E body, electrical problem. Won't start after engine warms up. Found my 70 Challenger R/T on the side of a dirt road, close to a house in a roule area, farms and ranches. I stopped at the house and asked about the car. They told me, it broke down there. Oil pan dented in, with a hole in it. Ruts in the dirt road. Belonged to a college girl who lived a few miles down the road. I found the girl and asked her if she wanted to sell her car. She sold it to me since it was broken down. Also had a bullet hole in the windshield, and drivers side door glass was shot out. The interior was covered with dust from the dirt road. I towed it my Dad's house and parked it while I returned to Military service. It sat there for years. When I returned home, the engine was stolen and sold, along with all of my shop tools, by my brother who passed away shortly after I came home. I've been working on it off and on when my budget permitted. I'm now a disabled Veteran. I replaced the engine and 4 speed tyranny with an 400 engine/auto trans from a 78 Dodge Magnum. Also replaced the steering column with a column shift assembly. I've been buying replacement parts for it every month, a slow process. I pulled the engine to replace the original flex plate with a balanced after market piece. But now it needs new engine mounts. The black rubber insulators have torn in half on both sides. Now I have to put the electrical problem on hold. But I plan on resto-moding the whole car. Also want to install an after market K member. Am looking for one with a skid plate or bars for the oil pan. Don't have to many paved roads in the area that I live at. I have quite the project. I'll post as it progresses.

 

[Montana Mopar]

70 R/T

 

[DetMatt1]

Nice project, welcome to the site from the Motor City! What year did you find the Challenger?

 

[Dave 383 3 speed]

Welcome to the site FEBO . LOOKS LIKE YOU WILL HAVE FUN WITH THIS ONE . GOOD LUCK

 

[74 challenger]

could be a bad coil. Heats up and stops working.

 

[moparleo]

Welcome aboard. Electrical gremlins have been common on the Muscle car era Mopars since they were new. Fortunately it is more a matter of time then money to take care of. Grounds are the number one problem. No ground, no complete circuit. Heat = resistance which = low electrical flow which = low current to components. The cure? Start at the front or the rear or where ever is comfortable and disconnect (unplug) each light socket, bulk head connection, ground wire etc.. either chemically (electrical contact cleaners), mechanically (sand paper, wire brush, etc...) Coat all connections with Dielectric grease. Replace all fuses, light bulbs, badly corroded bulb sockets, ground screws with high quality, Non Asian import parts. This will take care of 90% of the electrical problems with the electrical system. As you replace more major components like coils, alternators, starters, switches etc.., use Quality parts. Looks to be a nice project. We will be happy to help with whatever we can. Just make sure to take lots of pictures and detailed notes. Good luck.

 

[Montana Mopar]

Thanks everyone for your help. I glad to be among the Mopar People. It was way back in ancient times, spring of 1975, when I found my E body, 70 Challenger R/T. It was left on the side of a roule area dirt road close to a house, farms and ranches. I stopped at the house and asked about the car. It belonged to a college girl who live a few miles down the road. She left it there after knocking a hole in the oil pan. Ruts in the dirt road, the inside was covered with dust. The windshield had a bullet hole and the drivers side door glass was shot out. I went to the girl's house and asked her if she wanted to sell the car. She sold it to me since it was broken down. I towed the car to my Dad's house for storage, as I returned to Military service. After graduating from USMC Boot Camp, we're giving a few days leave before reporting to our duty station. I used my first paycheck to buy the car. The car sat at my Dad's house for years. When I came back home, the engine and all of my shop tools were stolen and sold by my brother, who passed away not too long after I came home. He drank himself to death. The car is no longer a matching numbers car. Its going to be a Resto-Mod. I started piecing the car back together. Every month, I buy parts for the car as my budget allows. A slow process, I'm now a disabled Veteran. I went to the local Salvage Yard for donor parts. I replaced the missing 383 engine with a 400 out of a 1978 Dodge Magnum. Also replaced the 4 speed tranny with the auto trans from the Magnum. I had to replace the headlight switch with the switch from the Magnum. I fabbed a piece of sheet metal to mount the new switch. Replaced the steering column with a column shift steering column. I don't know what kind of car it came from, it was in a pile of Mopar steering columns. I pulled the engine out to replace the original flex plate with a balanced after market piece, but now it needs new engine mounts. The black rubber insulators are torn and separated. I'll have to put the electrical problems on hold for now. I'm just going to strip out all of the wiring harness/fuse box and custom build with an ATO/APO type of fuse box. I'd like to have the new fuse box in a more accessible area instead of the original placement. I've been checking out Web sites for after market K members. Most of them use Mustang II parts. But the Mustang is lighter than the B and E bodies. Does anyone make after market K members with more heavy duty parts? Also would like to have a skid plate or bars to protect the oil pan.

The roads are rough where I live, not too many paved roads. Both rear quarter panels are rusted through. I'll post as it progresses.

 

[moparlee]

Welcome to FEBO. Quite a story on your car and thanks for your service especially on this Veterans Day. BTW where in Montana are you from? I am originally from your neighbor to the east, southwest corner of ND.

 

[Montana Mopar]

I live in the Southeast part of MT. A small town, Crow Agency, MT. But its right next to the Interstate Highway. If you drove by and blinked your eyes, you would miss it. You're Welcome on Veterans Day. Its an Honor to be one of the Few. After I look back on all those years, its the best thing that I ever did. The highlight of my life.