A couple of engine detail questions

[fireguyfire]

Going through my 1970 383 while I prep it for paint and I have a couple of minor detail questions regarding finishes

1) the metal bracket that holds in my distributor looks like it might have had some type of coating on it originally, perhaps zinc cad?

2) the double snorkel air cleaner needs a bead blast and a repaint. I believe it would have been black wrinkle paint from the factory, correct?

[Burdar]

Are you planning on painting it orange?

[js27]

Here is a shot of a 70 Cuda Survivor I took at Carlisle a few years ago. Can't see the dist hold down but I believe you are right and was plated and not engine color. Air Cleaner is definitely black wrinkle. You can also see the black over spray on the firewall by the wiper motor. Very often over looked detail on Restorations. Came from when the cowl was sprayed black.
JS27

[anlauto]

In my opinion, you're correct on both accounts

[fireguyfire]

Excellent info; thanks.
Brings up another question for me; would the cowl have been blacked out on a 73 Challenger?
My car has been poorly repainted so I can't tell

[anlauto]

Excellent info; thanks.
Brings up another question for me; would the cowl have been blacked out on a 73 Challenger?
My car has been poorly repainted so I can't tell

No upper cowl back-out past 1970....

[fireguyfire]

Yes, the engine is orange

[Burdar]

Are you going to paint it orange again?

Engines didn't come orange after mid way through 71 production.  You COULD paint it blue.  Kind of like "what if Dodge had put a BB in a Challenger in 73".  You're going STOCK with the rest of the car.  I think the engine would look good blue.    Most people paint their engines orange...be different!

[fireguyfire]

It's a 4 bbl 383 that codes out for September 1970 for a Challenger RT.
I'm going to make it look like in 73 someone swapped out the 340 for this stock 383.

[6bblgt]

  if Chrysler built a '73 Rallye Challenger with 400 MAGNUM it would've been BLUE with an ORANGE air cleaner 

[fireguyfire]

Hmmmm; that's an interesting angle, although the engine is all safe coded 1970

[Burdar]

The only way someone is going to know the engine is coded as a 1970, is if they crawled under the car at a show to get a look.  I doubt most people would do that.  I like the blue engine with orange air cleaner idea but it's not my car.  It will look good either way you choose to go.

[fireguyfire]

I also have a pretty good long term line on a 70 RT challenger roller restoration project that this engine would code out and drop into perfectly.
For the sake of education, can some one fill me in on the 400 engine history? I'm assuming it's a different dual snorkel air cleaner than a 70?

[Burdar]

The 400 replaced the 383 in 1972.  The 383 and 400 look identical from the outside.  You can easily tell the difference between a 383/400 and a 440 due to the large pad in front of the intake on a 440.

[fireguyfire]

It's an interesting idea; what vehicles was the 400 available in in 1973?
Obviously not the Challenger as my 73 Rallye came with a 340 4 bbl