Upon further inspection

Well, I popped open the glove box today and to my surprise I found a treasure trove of goodies!!

Inside the original plastic envelope was the original Windsield sticker from 1974!


The warranty information, repair receipts for a radiator recore, inspection receipts, muffler replacement, etc.

The owners manual is also in the glovebox and other misc dealer supplied items.

I spent about $75 today on some misc items to service the car a bit (PCV valve, breather filter, air filter, oil filter, oil cap, fuel cap, trans filter, ballast resistor, some black floor mats).

The original owner is going to allow me to use his media blaster whenever I want, I intend to blast the valve cover and the air cleaner assembly and repaint them with Duplicolor engine enamel.

I removed the "Dodge" hub caps and replaced them with some police dog-dish hubcaps. RIMS need some work!!! I may end up replacing them with some new police style rims. I have to decide if I want to paint the rims body color or gloss black....decisions decisions.


I started researching places to buy a new Black vinyl top and came across Legendary Auto Interiors in Newark, New York. They can make custom vinyl tops for any car for anywhere between $150-$175. The best part yet is they are only an hour's drive from me! I am going to take a trip up there in the spring and pick up a new top. Then I will have to remove this one and have a body shop repair the rusted winshield corners and whatever else I find underthere. 34 years of condensation can create havoc to a roof....

Pictures coming later today or tomorrow for this post and the previous one. Until next time...

Josh

Getting it to the house

Well, I picked it up today and drove it to my house. I ran it through the carwash on the way home to get a better feel for what I am going to have to deal with. I noticed a few things right away,
The vinyl Top is a C: it has a few small tears in it and has started bubbling up from underneath in the usually suspect rust areas (Like around the bottom windshield corners and the front windshield posts.). Although it is stil pliable, it has begun to fade and appears thin in some areas, this will be one of the first things I replace/repair.

I also noticed the paint bubbling up on the lower quarter panels and along the bottom of the front passenger door. There is a chip in the paint on the driverside quarterpanel that also contains a fair amount of body filler.

Driver Side Quarter Panel

Front Passenger Front Door


The undercarriage is a C-: It is coated in oil (Which was used as a rust inhibitor) as well as undercoating so it appears pretty protected under there although a tad unsightly.

The drivetrain is a A: The engine runs good and the transmission(Rebuilt about a year and a half ago) shifts smoothly.

The paint overall is a B+ : It will eventually require a repaint once the rust issues are corrected.

Interior is a A- : no rips, tears, stains, or signs of wear. Only addition to be made will be to put in some floor mats and replace the console. It does contain a heavy cigar smell that will take some time to get out.

Next I am going to do some servicing on the car and digging deeper into the condition so I have a better overall understanding of how to proceed with the restoration.

My First Post!