'65 Sport Fury 383 Engine bay clean-up - Thanks to you guys!

James Romano

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Location
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First just wanted to say thanks to all those members who like to chime in and help out newbies like me. I pretty much finished up my engine bay clean-up aside from my brake booster being out for rebuild with Booster Dewey. I've learned a lot, and learned I should have done more homework before I bought the car. As beautiful as it is... whomever owned it over the life-span took care of it, but really made a mess of things.

Here's what I found that was wrong with my car.
1. Wrong window washer system. At some point, they must have put in a mid-70s system because parts weren't avail and re-routed it all wrong, even flipping the horns over to the front of the radiator support. - corrected. Installed correct system, replaced faulty dashboard wiper/washer switch, ran all new lines and awaiting arrival of 2 restored washer jets. Cleaned/painted and properly installed horns to OEM location.

2. Wrong fuel pump. I found a early 70's 440 fuel pump was installed... which also inscluded incorrect routing of fuel line and placement of fuel filter. While removing the alternator, the wires split open. Replaced all broken wires, cleaned and painted Alternator. Installed correct Carter 383 Fuel pump along with a new pushrod. Ran all new correct OEM placement fuel lines. Installed new fuel filter. Re-painted all exposed engine areas.

3. Found coil wires broken, bad engine ground. Replaced coil wires, and re-secured engine ground strap.

4. Both shocks bad. Replaced old Midas shocks with new Monroe shocks. Painted whole area, and installed new mud flaps with new SS clips.

5. Ran all new SS brake lines, and brake hoses. Opened each front drum brake, brakes looked good and new. Cleaned distribution block and prepped for single to dual master change-over. Reapplied POR15 to whole chassis and radiator mounts. Painted Flat black for Chassis and semi-gloss on other areas.

6. Removed front sway bar and started clean-up process of bar and replacing sway bar bushings.

7. Removed CAP air cleaner. Wrong air cleaner for set-up. Did not have proper PCV system setup for air filter. Wrong year decal. Found dual snorkel on eBay!!! Applied proper year decal and installed. Looks awesome!

8. Installed new Fel-pro valve cover gaskets.

9. Removed metal hose clamps where it was more visible and installed proper year hose clamps. Cut back heater hose to proper length.

10. Cleaned cowling and installed new cowling to hood seal.

11. Have new hood insulation pad on order... will install this week.

12. Removed, cleaned and painted battery box. Sprayed bottom with rubberized paint.

That's where I'm at now. Once again, have to thank all of you guys that have offered some really good advice in helping me get her back to near OEM. I plan on showing her and entering her in amature contests just for the sake of having a mid-60's C-Body in the competition. Nothing against Impalas and Galaxys... but it's I've seen enough of them.

JR

Before...
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After...
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Nicely done looks like you do great work.
That’s what this hobby is all about. I agree it’s nice to have a car that isn’t your common everyday old car at the shows. The 65 & 66 sport fury’s are great cars that just don’t get the attention they deserve so you don’t see many nice ones.
 
Hopefully the lovely "Josephine" becomes the envy across the Long Island Car Show circuit...LOL... Long live our Mopars!
 
That's nice work, and you've learned to deal with what we all have with these old cars: Generic auto-store parts over the years, make-do changes to OEM because of no repro parts, neglect and lack of interest, amateur knowledge and repair skills, and so on. For the most part these underhood and underdash problems are fixable things as you have discovered. It's gratifying to methodically go through issues and solve them whilst also improving the appearance.

An easy nitpick is your overflow hose....should be simple black tubing, available at your local parts store for $5, and I think the routing should be down between the rad shell and the battery. Maybe your tube runs to an overflow tank we can't see? Also, you might want to consider replacing the aftermarket blue plug wires with OEM-looking black items. More expensive and time consuming, but that will go a long way to making the view under there look "old" in a good way.

The brake line work and the distribution block really pops. Sweet!

You've really torn into that car and made great improvements, and it's been fun watching you do it. Bravo!
 
That's nice work, and you've learned to deal with what we all have with these old cars: Generic auto-store parts over the years, make-do changes to OEM because of no repro parts, neglect and lack of interest, amateur knowledge and repair skills, and so on. For the most part these underhood and underdash problems are fixable things as you have discovered. It's gratifying to methodically go through issues and solve them whilst also improving the appearance.

An easy nitpick is your overflow hose....should be simple black tubing, available at your local parts store for $5, and I think the routing should be down between the rad shell and the battery. Maybe your tube runs to an overflow tank we can't see? Also, you might want to consider replacing the aftermarket blue plug wires with OEM-looking black items. More expensive and time consuming, but that will go a long way to making the view under there look "old" in a good way.

The brake line work and the distribution block really pops. Sweet!

You've really torn into that car and made great improvements, and it's been fun watching you do it. Bravo!

LOL... I was hoping you'd reply... you really pushed me to the next level with it.

You are correct with the overflow hose. It goes to a container that I washed out and cleaned up. I dediced to keep it just in case that one day I get a little hot, and I don't like the idea of pissing fluid all over the roads and such. Some things I chose to keep and or mod just to add safety, or modernize things a little bit... like the soon to be dual.

The blue cables are Taylor 8mm's. I tossed them in because the wires that were in there were a mess. They were cracking, one was lying on the exhaust manifold and burned through, giving a mis-fire. Eventually, when I have some extra money to burn I'll replace them with proper black wire. But for now I'll run them.

Can't wait to install that booster... WITHOUT that annoying Mopar sticker. LOL!
 
LOL... I was hoping you'd reply... you really pushed me to the next level with it.

You are correct with the overflow hose. It goes to a container that I washed out and cleaned up. I dediced to keep it just in case that one day I get a little hot, and I don't like the idea of pissing fluid all over the roads and such. Some things I chose to keep and or mod just to add safety, or modernize things a little bit... like the soon to be dual.

The blue cables are Taylor 8mm's. I tossed them in because the wires that were in there were a mess. They were cracking, one was lying on the exhaust manifold and burned through, giving a mis-fire. Eventually, when I have some extra money to burn I'll replace them with proper black wire. But for now I'll run them.

Can't wait to install that booster... WITHOUT that annoying Mopar sticker. LOL!

So keep that overflow bottle and get a black hose....show winner!

Perfectly understandable about the quickie plug wires. You had to get that ignition sorted and working properly first. Priorities!

No MOPAR sticker. Show winner again!
 
So keep that overflow bottle and get a black hose....show winner!

Perfectly understandable about the quickie plug wires. You had to get that ignition sorted and working properly first. Priorities!

No MOPAR sticker. Show winner again!


LOL! Big thumbs up! I'll get that black hose soon!
 
When you get the booster installed, be sure not to leave the power steering hose looped over the brake lines as in the first two photo's supplied. A broken motor mount could pull the hose against the brake lines and take out your brakes. This could prove more interesting than your want to experience.

Dave
 
When you get the booster installed, be sure not to leave the power steering hose looped over the brake lines as in the first two photo's supplied. A broken motor mount could pull the hose against the brake lines and take out your brakes. This could prove more interesting than your want to experience.

Dave

Yes, no doubt. I have no idea why that was done that way in the first place, but it will be corrected when I'm done.

I'm also wondering about the carb spring setup. It looks wrong to me as well.
 
Hi James, is there any chance you could post some close up pics of your wiring layout? Mainly just the firewall area where the relays and ballast are. Just trying to sort mine out and I’m after the factory correct setup. Cheers Terry
 
Yes, I will. My wiring, although slightly oversprayed, looks to be original

If you're looking for wire colors, I'll be happy to wire worm them for you to get you the right specs

I'm running Xmas errands today, so I'll get in the garage when things slow down.
 
Hi James, is there any chance you could post some close up pics of your wiring layout? Mainly just the firewall area where the relays and ballast are. Just trying to sort mine out and I’m after the factory correct setup. Cheers Terry
Let me know if this helps you. I had to remove and let the one relay hang because I'm in the middle of doing the dual MC change over, just waiting on my brake booster which is out for service

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