Tav 1970 Road Runner RM23N0G217270

[Cuda Cody]

The level you are taking it is amazing.  Do you plan to just show it or will you also drive it?

[cataclysm80]

The level you are taking it is amazing.  Do you plan to just show it or will you also drive it?

I like vehicles that stand out from the everyday crowd.  My favorite thing about these vehicles is driving them around.  This car is definitely meant for driving.  For that reason, it's very important to me that the vehicles be durable and reliable.  I like the classic looks, and the little details that catch peoples eye, but I also like power disc brakes, improved handling, and undercoating.  I enjoy looking at a factory style primer and overspray car bottom, but as much as I like to drive them, I just think undercoating is a good idea.  I also tend to be less sloppy than original as far as overspray, orange peel, paint runs, etc. go.  I drove my 70 Challenger for a while with little manual drum brakes, and I just have a hard time imagining myself ever building a car without power disc brakes.

My second favorite thing about these is building them. 

My third favorite thing would be car shows.  This car will be driven to any shows, not trailered.  A car show is a nice excuse for a road trip.  It's great to meet up with old friends, and let the public look at the car.  The people at car shows are more likely to recognize what they're looking at.  On the other hand, when you enjoy standing out from the crowd, being parked in a row of similar vehicles surrounded by people who also have one just isn't quite the same. 

This Road Runner is actually being built for my Dad.  He'll probably drive it more than me, but we'll definitely take it to some shows during the first year or so.  I might drive the 70 'Cuda if I don't ride with him.  It would be nice to get a magazine article or something, but I don't know if it will catch their eye or not.

[usraptor]

Beautiful car and restoration! 

[cataclysm80]

August 2017

Install steering column, grill, & front bumper
Paint hood
Paint V21 organisol performance hood treatment
Install tail lights, rear bumper, & exhaust with tips from Accurate Exhaust
Install side glass
Install rear window, door panels & rear seat
Install hood pins

[6bblgt]

did the Road Runner originally have power disc brakes? 
did it originally have "inner-fender" side brake lines on the master cylinder?
if yes, what's the car's SPD & plant?

[cataclysm80]

Armrests

This car was missing all of it's armrests when I got it.  That meant I had to do some research to figure out what I was supposed to have.
1. Front and rear armrest pads are the same length on this car.
2. The white interior is supposed to have white armrest pads front and back.
3. The rear armrest pads always have ashtrays.
4. The rear armrest pads should be installed with the ashtrays toward the front of the car.
5. Standard armrest bases are color keyed to the interior on 1970 Belvederes & RM21 Road Runner Coupes (has B pillar).
6. 1970 Belvedere sedans could get chromed armrest bases only with the extra cost Custom Trim Package.
7. 1970 RM21 Road Runner Coupes (has B pillar) could get chromed armrest bases only with the extra cost Road Runner Décor Package.
8. 1970 Satellites, Sport Satellites, GTXs, & RM23 Road Runner hardtops (no B pillar) had standard chromed armrest bases.


That was more complex than I expected!
Not having any of these parts, I went to order reproductions.  black or white front armrest pads are available.  Only black armrest pads are available with ashtrays installed.  Even though I never intend to use the ashtrays, I want to have them because every car had them, and it would just be wrong to not have them.  I'd really rather not paint a black armrest pad white though. 

Side Note:  Door lock knobs are supposed to be white on a white interior car.  Only black door lock knobs are available reproduction.  I did not want to paint the black door lock knobs white because this car will be driven, and I don't expect the paint would hold up as well as I'd like.  I've decided to leave my door lock knobs black for now.  In the future, I may pull one off, use it to make a silicone mold, and resin/plastic cast my own white door lock knobs.

Back to the armrest pads now.  I decided to get 4 white reproduction armrest pads, and install ashtrays into two of them myself.
I grabbed on of the rear armrests out of my Satellite parts car for an example to work off of.
1. Place the ashtray bezel upside down on the armrest, located where it's supposed to go.
2. Trace around the inside of the bezel where the ashtray goes.  This marks the area that needs removed for the ashtray.
3. I used a Dremel tool to grind out the part of the pad that needed removed.
4. Surprise! Unlike the originals, the reproduction has a metal reinforcement inside, and it's in the way.
5. I put a little cut off wheel in the Dremel, and removed the metal that was in the way.
6. Continue grinding the rest of the foam out, to the depth needed for the ashtray.
7. Test fit the bezel & ashtray into the armrest pad.  The bezel is very flat, and the armrest pad has a slight crown.  Some slight adjustments with soft jaw pliers will do wonders for fitment.
8. Some of the bezel retaining tabs were longer than others.  The shorter tabs held tighter for me, so on the second armrest pad, I cut all the bezel retaining tabs down to the short size, and got a much tighter fit than what I achieved on the first armrest pad.
9. Bend the bezel retaining tabs over into the armrest pad to hold the bezel in place.  Squeeze them nice and tight.
10.  Install ashtray

[cataclysm80]

did the Road Runner originally have power disc brakes? 
did it originally have "inner-fender" side brake lines on the master cylinder?
if yes, what's the car's SPD & plant?

October 2016
Options being Added to the car
Power Front Disc Brakes (11.75 inch, so actually larger than factory)  The car originally had manual drum brakes on all four corners.

Manual Drums, as mentioned earlier.  Since I planned a disc brake upgrade, I didn't spend much time analyzing the master cylinder which came on the car, to see if it was original or a replacement part.  The wiring harness and engine aren't original in this picture, so the master cylinder is anyone's guess.  It does appear to have inner fender side brake lines though.
Here's the relevant pics again.

[cataclysm80]

Still August 2017

Installed front license plate
Installed armrests, carpet, pistol grip shifter, passenger seat, seatbelts, hood mounted turn signal indicators, and most of the other A01 Light Package stuff, windshield, etc.
Installed Go-Wing Spoiler
Received and installed carburetor from Harms Automotive, and an NOS choke
(that's still not the right distributor in these pics, it's just there to fill the hole in the engine)

[cataclysm80]

August 2017 Again

Installed reflective white tail panel stripe

[cataclysm80]

Here's where the ground wire for the steering column goes.
Also had to make sure that the voltage regulator had a good ground on the firewall, and that the tail light housings had a good ground to the body.  All that fresh paint gets in the way of good grounds sometimes.

[cataclysm80]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this one.   Is the painted screw installed at the correct end of the fender tag?

[6bblgt]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this one.   Is the painted screw installed at the correct end of the fender tag?

no, it should be on the bent end

[anlauto]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this one.   Is the painted screw installed at the correct end of the fender tag?

no, it should be on the bent end

[Cuda Cody]

   The painted screw was holding the tag down while it was painted so it's the only one that gets paint.

[cataclysm80]

I agree that it should be on the bent end, I was just having trouble deciding which end of this tag was the bent end.
Both ends are a little mangled.
I think that might be an inspectors stamp at the right though.
I'm going to go ahead and swap the two screws.
Thanks!