74 Challenger with twins

[YellowThumper]

With wiring mostly complete, exhaust tips are last necessary item.
This will probably not sit well with a good number of people.
This single item will be the only visual deviation from factory.
Always liked the Chrysler Crossfire tips.
Long way to go to be complete. But good enough for me to start the test drives.
Center portion is raised towards bumper.  Outer pieces will get added strips to close top gap. Leaf spring openings will be filled also.
Less than half of the tips will be lower than tail pans normal bottom height. Lots of refinement remains.

[dodj]

Hey Mike,
Looking nice. How did you tuck the rear bumper in so tight? Make your own brackets?

[YellowThumper]

Hey Mike,
Looking nice. How did you tuck the rear bumper in so tight? Make your own brackets?

Yes my own brackets. Long way from being done. Bumper also has had lots of hammering to remove the "smile" that many have. Underside at the ends have a series of slices to help form them to body better and evenly.

[dodj]

Hey Mike,
Looking nice. How did you tuck the rear bumper in so tight? Make your own brackets?

Yes my own brackets. Long way from being done. Bumper also has had lots of hammering to remove the "smile" that many have. Underside at the ends have a series of slices to help form them to body better and evenly.

I've got to do up my own brackets as well. My front bumper is tucked in...the rear bumper still has the '73 filler pieces...
Although I bought the '70 filler piece for after it's moved in.

[YellowThumper]

Drove it again bit further than the surrounding neighborhood.
Hit a local show. Arrived late and left early as I still have not installed the headlight switch panel.
Waiting on the replacement O2 sensor so I can work on tune again.
Still feels great to be in the seat again.
Couple other Mopars there as well.
cuda hunter is that the color of pieces you're hunting for on the C body?

[YellowThumper]

Replace O2 sensor. All seems to be good now. Have pulled a bunch of fuel so this should fair better.
Looooong way to go for cleaning up the tune. But I am getting more comfortable  branching out further. Today was relentless (not planned) stop and go driving around town. Never found any good rhythm. Everywhere I went was plagued with construction delays.
Next up will be hitting freeway for a bit.
Finished and installed the 3D switch panel. Raw print for now as I am not sure what color it will end up.
Added support feet and attachment points to console. Cut up and fit top plate. Front edge gets contained in a lip recess on switch panel.
Plate will eventually be covered in woodgrain to match dash.
Also eventually it will get cup holders and hopefully a phone holder/ non contact charger.
Getting close to finishing the dash switch panel also.
Tic tic tic...
Starting to believe it's possible for me to make the Spring Fling out here in SoCal May 3-4th.

[cuda hunter]

cuda hunter is that the color of pieces you're hunting for on the C body?

 I can't see the interior of the C body. Cool car!
I'm after the Blue interior of an Imperial.   Just a few plastic parts.

[cuda hunter]

Your ride is absolutely amazing!  Can't wait to see the finished product.
 I like all the ideas of the console. 
However after having console ebodies I have a hard time with the straight rigid look of the console. Seems every custom console has the same straight rigid feel. 
 I'm not knocking it though.  With the options you are after I can see it would be very difficult to create a console with options that has a similar flow to the ebody consoles.
  Yours reminds me of the 2nd gen barracuda's or chargers consoles. 
  Looking great all around! 

[YellowThumper]

Your ride is absolutely amazing!  Can't wait to see the finished product.
 I like all the ideas of the console. 
However after having console ebodies I have a hard time with the straight rigid look of the console. Seems every custom console has the same straight rigid feel. 
 I'm not knocking it though.  With the options you are after I can see it would be very difficult to create a console with options that has a similar flow to the ebody consoles.
  Yours reminds me of the 2nd gen barracuda's or chargers consoles. 
  Looking great all around! 

Thank you.
I know exactly what you are noting on console.
Sides are faceted now but I have added enough thickness to round the transitions smoother.
The top edging will also rounded off.
Just haven't decided on style yet.
Full round, bull nose even on inner and outer, rounded edge with taper inward or tapered outward.
Leaning towards bullnose and slightly lower. Have fiber infused bondo to finish smoothing it prior to vinyl covering. Bought a vintage sewing machine incase it requires some cutting to eliminate puckers. May even try my hand at double stitching the top.

[YellowThumper]

Developed a significant short in the original wiring. With all the changes to car, I have relegated original wiring to only handling the basics.
Headlights, taillights and wipers. Hoping something simple. Regardless this ends my hope of driving it to Spring Fling. All part of the "fun" I guess.
Still knocking out details though.
Started hammer forming the tail panel transition pieces.
Made new support brackets for the header panel. Curved to clear the added fresh air ducting.
Bent up and installed an aluminum shield for the coils. Already tired of telling people it is not an LS motor...
Added weaker springs to the blowoff valves. Previous setup would hit 7lbs quickly at only 3500 rpm. Too much for this tired motor.
And of course sunny SoCal is forcing usage of the makeshift paint booth and heat lamp

[YellowThumper]

Electrical short turned out to be an easy find and fix. Connected a light bulb between batt neg and its cable.
Unplugged and disconnected suspect wires in the area until bulb went out.
Turns out (what could have been semi-catastrophic) the large cable to starter was grounding against starter relay housing. Simple correction. But full on non-fused battery ground is scary.
With this corrected, I moved on to the non idle issue. To rule out fouled or burned out plugs I am changing them out new. Unfortunately access is impossible without major disassembly. The accepted game to be played.
Could see that the headers were not sealing thoroughly with the copper gaskets. So Remflex are on order to correct this. Also  I forgot to plug 1/8 NPT threaded openings in both turbo outlets. I expect they were bleeding off significant boost.
All in the name of being prepared for stated goal of August.

[cuda hunter]

That's a lotta work to get to those plugs!
Glad it was an easy electrical issue and you figured it out before catastrophe.

[YellowThumper]

That's a lotta work to get to those plugs!
Glad it was an easy electrical issue and you figured it out before catastrophe.

Huge yea on the electrical...
Yea also for the plugs, I really tried to make it more serviceable. These engine bays are tight vertically.

[dodj]

Could see that the headers were not sealing thoroughly with the copper gaskets. So Remflex are on order to correct this.

Same experience I had. Remflex works great. They are at least an 1/8" thicker though. No issue for me...but you seem to have everything measured to the 1/32" so I thought I'd mention it.

[YellowThumper]

NGK plugs in and gapped to .024.
Compression checked it for piece of mind. Tested as expected. Usable for now.
Remflex gaskets in.
More aluminum covers to shield the coils.
Made valve cover bolt spreaders and snugged them up proper again.
Few more minor details in order to fire it up again.
Once running again, I will focus on the non-idle issue again.
This time I will test idle air valve for function.