LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
I thought I'd start a thread about my Polara and the ongoing evolution of the project it is. A little back story on the car.
The brothers I lived with a decade ago were talking about getting a car and a boat from this kinda burnt out guy named Lance. A 1966 Polara and a 1976 Lund Tri-hull with a 1500 Mercury outboard. Lance had the car for a while and the carb came off and it wasn't running when the boys got it. They tossed around ideas and decided to sell to help build one brothers 73 Barracuda. So out comes a guy named Ben to take a look, liked the Barracuda as well, but brought the Polara home on a trailer, with only 2 ratchet straps, wheels against the front of the trailer. I called him once or twice and he talked about chopping the roof! I told him to call me if he wanted to sell. He forgot my number but remembered where I worked so he stopped by there. I took a look and the car had received a battery, carb, and air cleaner. Ben might be a little toasted too, as he didn't remember what he paid. Me being a stand up guy gave him what he paid, $1700. Maybe it was too much, maybe not, I didn't care as I was making payments since I didn't have that amount handy. Got it paid off and brought it to my buddy's place where it could be stored inside. Got it the following spring and took her home. Since then, I took out the tired 383 for a 400 I had, then took that out for a 440, I swapped rims and tires, going backwards to poly-glas but now it had slots! I did put another 440 in as the first one was never broke in correctly by the previous owner. I tried to replace the rings on one side as they were letting oil go by pretty good, but it was a band aid, at least the car for me home. I found out what a ticking noise can lead to! (It just started ticking that day, on that particular drive)
As noted in another thread, I got a complete interior that is in much better shape than the incorrect front bench, torn rear seats. New to me door panels and a nice headliner. And it's blue! I want even thinking about blue for interior, black or red, cause if I ever paint the car, I was thinking silver. Blue works with silver, at least for me it does. I need to do the headliner but that will have to wait til I replace the windshield.
This car was meant to be a flipper, get it running right and sell it to raise funds for my 67 Dart. Well, that never happened. 440 #1 was for the Dart, and so is the transmission I have in the Polara now, and same thing for the current 440. I guess it grew on me. One of the brothers tipped me off to a 66 Monaco sitting in a yard nearby, that my buddy swore had nothing Mopar at all, and I managed to score a front bumper. I got a 73 D200 and a 71 Newport also, got them out of there and was making payments for the Monaco. Had $100 to go and they crushed it! Called the gal wondering why when I had paid most of it off, to hear, "you got parts off it, right?" A bumper, for $300? ($400 the way I figure, neither of us had anything written down properly, live and learn). They kept other cars, what was so hard about dragging mine over to the "keep" pile? Oh well.
I found a four door 66 up where I go hunting and took LL the parts off it I thought I could use, got me a better bumper, a grille and a ton of little things. Sold that stuck 383/727 to some guy and his kid for their Duster, recycling, ya know.
The first year I had the car, I was coming back from my weekend job, and a deer jumped in front of me from behind a hedge, Wham! Deer **** down the front fender and some other scratches. Deer died. Made me feel a little better. Fast forward to a few years ago, and I see these deer running for their lives, and they are headed right at me! I hit the brakes, which need some help, and hit one square in the grille at @ 40mph. Killed the deer, didn't make me feel better at all. The newer grille I had was the best one I had, and now it had a hole in it and my bumper was pushed in, and the hood! Just enough to make it no good. Because of those furry fellas, the car has an unofficial nickname, the Deer Slayer.
So in my pursuit of getting things fixed on the car I've raided all the drivetrain components for my Dart, possibly rims and tires, and money as well. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love this car. I love that it doesn't have shiney paint, and I can park it anywhere and not care. I do hate the inoperable quarter windows and the fact the rear window leaks, but I liked it so much I tattooed the emblem on my calf muscle.
I'll be getting a 66 Polara 500 parts Carin the spring that will give me a correct dash, console, and one correct bucket seat. I bought 2 from Murray Park many moons ago in preparation for the swap to buckets/console. I should get some window regulators that work better, I hope, and some other miscellaneous things, mostly trim as the car has been sitting for a loooong time in the dirt. Engine seized so that will be yanked out and sold off.
I'll post some pics up in a few minutes, but for those who don't know, here's my Polara:
The brothers I lived with a decade ago were talking about getting a car and a boat from this kinda burnt out guy named Lance. A 1966 Polara and a 1976 Lund Tri-hull with a 1500 Mercury outboard. Lance had the car for a while and the carb came off and it wasn't running when the boys got it. They tossed around ideas and decided to sell to help build one brothers 73 Barracuda. So out comes a guy named Ben to take a look, liked the Barracuda as well, but brought the Polara home on a trailer, with only 2 ratchet straps, wheels against the front of the trailer. I called him once or twice and he talked about chopping the roof! I told him to call me if he wanted to sell. He forgot my number but remembered where I worked so he stopped by there. I took a look and the car had received a battery, carb, and air cleaner. Ben might be a little toasted too, as he didn't remember what he paid. Me being a stand up guy gave him what he paid, $1700. Maybe it was too much, maybe not, I didn't care as I was making payments since I didn't have that amount handy. Got it paid off and brought it to my buddy's place where it could be stored inside. Got it the following spring and took her home. Since then, I took out the tired 383 for a 400 I had, then took that out for a 440, I swapped rims and tires, going backwards to poly-glas but now it had slots! I did put another 440 in as the first one was never broke in correctly by the previous owner. I tried to replace the rings on one side as they were letting oil go by pretty good, but it was a band aid, at least the car for me home. I found out what a ticking noise can lead to! (It just started ticking that day, on that particular drive)
As noted in another thread, I got a complete interior that is in much better shape than the incorrect front bench, torn rear seats. New to me door panels and a nice headliner. And it's blue! I want even thinking about blue for interior, black or red, cause if I ever paint the car, I was thinking silver. Blue works with silver, at least for me it does. I need to do the headliner but that will have to wait til I replace the windshield.
This car was meant to be a flipper, get it running right and sell it to raise funds for my 67 Dart. Well, that never happened. 440 #1 was for the Dart, and so is the transmission I have in the Polara now, and same thing for the current 440. I guess it grew on me. One of the brothers tipped me off to a 66 Monaco sitting in a yard nearby, that my buddy swore had nothing Mopar at all, and I managed to score a front bumper. I got a 73 D200 and a 71 Newport also, got them out of there and was making payments for the Monaco. Had $100 to go and they crushed it! Called the gal wondering why when I had paid most of it off, to hear, "you got parts off it, right?" A bumper, for $300? ($400 the way I figure, neither of us had anything written down properly, live and learn). They kept other cars, what was so hard about dragging mine over to the "keep" pile? Oh well.
I found a four door 66 up where I go hunting and took LL the parts off it I thought I could use, got me a better bumper, a grille and a ton of little things. Sold that stuck 383/727 to some guy and his kid for their Duster, recycling, ya know.
The first year I had the car, I was coming back from my weekend job, and a deer jumped in front of me from behind a hedge, Wham! Deer **** down the front fender and some other scratches. Deer died. Made me feel a little better. Fast forward to a few years ago, and I see these deer running for their lives, and they are headed right at me! I hit the brakes, which need some help, and hit one square in the grille at @ 40mph. Killed the deer, didn't make me feel better at all. The newer grille I had was the best one I had, and now it had a hole in it and my bumper was pushed in, and the hood! Just enough to make it no good. Because of those furry fellas, the car has an unofficial nickname, the Deer Slayer.
So in my pursuit of getting things fixed on the car I've raided all the drivetrain components for my Dart, possibly rims and tires, and money as well. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love this car. I love that it doesn't have shiney paint, and I can park it anywhere and not care. I do hate the inoperable quarter windows and the fact the rear window leaks, but I liked it so much I tattooed the emblem on my calf muscle.
I'll be getting a 66 Polara 500 parts Carin the spring that will give me a correct dash, console, and one correct bucket seat. I bought 2 from Murray Park many moons ago in preparation for the swap to buckets/console. I should get some window regulators that work better, I hope, and some other miscellaneous things, mostly trim as the car has been sitting for a loooong time in the dirt. Engine seized so that will be yanked out and sold off.
I'll post some pics up in a few minutes, but for those who don't know, here's my Polara:
