Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
Well I added a little piece of trim to the rear gate. A friend was parting out a 72 Newport and said I could come over and pillage before it went to the wreckers. Well I grabbed a bunch of misc stuff and then saw this little baby on the trunk. It's an old local dealer name plate....Lawson Oats Chrysler...Vancouver BC. The dealership is still around. Unfortunately it's chrome plated plastic...so I think it might be from the early 80's? Newport had a repaint and I suspect it was done when the car might have been traded in.
But regardless it's super cool and I just had to get it on the wagon....even if the wagon didn't actually come from there.
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
NZ Pacer wrote ... Hey Thrashingcow. Your Wagon is looking great! If you don't mind, I have a silly question......what's the second lock on the tail gate for?
The chrome knob above the new dealer name tag I installed is the filler spot for the factory rear window washer system.
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
Well I've been working...slowly..on rebuilding an Auburn/cone type mopar suregrip unit...for the last couple years. I've actually had the suregrip unit for close to 20 years!! Anyway I got the cones machined down so they would not bottom out in the case, then used small washers to figure out what thickness of shim I would need to bring the lash back into spec on the spider gears. Mine turned out to be .060, 60 thou. I luckily had some scrap stainless sheet in that thickness so I had my machinist cut me a couple shims. Then I reassembled everything. Next was to bring down my 3.23 open unit, and the suregrip unit, and have the two made one. I finished installing everything last night.
Took the wagon out for my errands today, and a good highway jaunt...to make sure all way well and lubed up. Then I found a nice deserted section of road and crank 'er up....car left lite both tires up effortlessly and left two nice even black marks down the road....
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
And I'm almost ready to swap out my rear drums for a rear disc set-up. The rotors are out at my machinist having the center register hole opened up. Not that I have any problem with the rear drums...11x2.5 hass all the stopping I need..BUT...I bought all the stuff years ago and figure I can use the rear drum set-up from the wagon on the Desoto. And plus it will look cool seeing the rear disc through the cop car rims...;)
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
kmccabe56 wrote ... Got your adjustable prop valve ready to install too?
I currently run the front disc brakes straight off the master cylinder, and then have an in-line adjustable proportioning valve for the rear drum brakes. So it's already to go with the rear discs.
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
OK so been busy last few weeks working on the wagon. Trying to get a few things done before it goes away into storage for the winter and the Desoto comes home.
I suddenly developed a very bad tranny leak. I jacked up the back of the car for something...and I must have lost over a quart of fluid over night. Climbed underneath and found the leak...darn shift tower seal leaking!! So down to Napa to get the seals, new filter kit and fresh fluid. Dove into it and would have finished it in one evening...but I was so obsessed with finding a filter kit that had a neoprene gasket that I neglected to look at the filter it self. Turned out the A518 filter kit I decided on was from a late 90, early 2000 vehicle...so it ran the deep pan. The filter will not work on the earlier shallow pan of a 727. So next day I had to go out and russel up a proper kit. The kit I got had a moxed gasket...cork and rubber I think. Seems to be holding well.