Well after 12 years it's 95% complete. Got it started a few weeks ago and it's running well. The 340 starts up every time and runs 170 degrees all day long in the Florida heat. I still have to install the convertible top and a few small things but my daughter and I will be headed to the first cars and coffee tomorrow morning. Everything has been replaced or rebuilt. I installed a TKO-600 which shifts great, converted it to a shaker car. Installed new floors, quarters, trunk floor, etc, etc, etc. It looks great, is tight and runs great.
I'm very appreciative to everyone here who helped me out over the years. This was my first Mopar. I've been doing first gen Camaro's for 35 years and wanted to try something different. Definitely not without it's challenges.
Here are some before and after pictures. I love seeing where it came from. Thanks again for all of your help.
Dave
Very nice looking ride! :bigthumb:
Man that looks awesome!
Congrats and enjoy the first run!
Congratulations on a beautiful restoration! Now drive the wheels off of it! :1place:
No way that's the same car, you're fooling us. :))
Just kidding, looks like an award winning transformation. :yes: :twothumbsup: :bigthumb: :woohoo:
What a great stance! Have fun!
Nice :perfect10:
Enjoy the heck out of it! You deserve it, well done! :bravo:
Congrats, looks fantastic ! Must feel great after all this time. My daughter is also a classic car fanatic, so I now the feeling of going to shows together ...priceless :bigthumb:
Congrats!!! That's an amazing restoration. If you're like many of us, the last 5% will keep changing and growing because you're never really "done". Go drive that puppy!
Well worth the effort. That's a sharp looking car. The secrete now is to drive the wheels of of it and enjoy your work. :twothumbsup:
your first mopar . Well it's a nice one to have .great job enjoy :australia:
Awesome job. Bet it feels great!
Congrats Dave! It turned out great. Now enjoy it with the top down before it gets too hot down there. :)
Awesome, love the color. I hope to be a couple months behind you. Looking to cranking up the engine in May and the final touches to get her rolling, and stoping, in June.
Congrats Dave enjoy after all the hard work !!
Every time I see a '71 project finishing up reminds me of the '71 R/T 440 4bbl 4sp I passed on in '82 because I didn't have the $800 the owner wanted. I have since been told on this board that '71 440 4bbl Challengers don't exist so I don't really know what it was originally but it had the R/T badging, rear quarter gills, rallye dash, R/T hood...
Anyway, seeing a car like Daveh's reminds me of searching for Challengers/cudas in grade 12.
Congratulations!! Beautiful 71.
Beautiful car! Love the before and after pics.
You say the car runs at 170 degrees... isn't that too cool? I thought I read that engine wear increases at lower temps and that optimal engine temp is around 200.