Bringing my 1970 Newport back to life

TheWeiss

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I have a 1970 Chrysler Newport 4 door, 383 2bbl with 66,000 original miles on it. I acquired this vehicle about 5 years ago in garage-kept, running shape. It was drive-able and for the first year or so I would start the car run it for a while on a regular basis and I would take it for the occasional drive. Then I had a bunch of kids, got distracted and for the past 3 or 4 years it has not been started. Now I'm ready to get this beast running again. Can anyone here help me with the steps that I should take to get her up and running? The first steps on my radar are:
  • A purging of the fuel system
  • A carb rebuild
  • An oil change.
Anything else that I am missing? I've never rebuilt a carb, nor have a purged a fuel system so any advice, resources, how-to videos, etc... would be much appreciated.

I also need to reseal the rear windshield. It leaks. Any advice there would be great as well.
 
In addition to the above, replace the fuel filter. You should remove all 4 wheels and inspect the wheel cylinders and hoses for leaks and corrosion. At the very least you should purge all the old brake fluid from the system. Check the bottom of the master cylinder for fluid, if it is wet, the master cylinder is leaking and should be replaced. 5 years is a long time for a brake system to sit idle and you will probably need to replace the wheel cylinders and brake hoses as well. I would recommend an antifreeze change and hose replacement while you are at it. It would also be a good idea to remove the spark plugs and give each cylinder a shot of light oil so that the rings are not damaged as you start the engine. Points and distributor cap may be corroded, so inspect those as well and replace as necessary. Fuel in the tank will often degrade to jello after 5 years so you may need to remove the tank for cleaning.

The only good way to reseal the rear window is to pull it out and clean off all the old sealant and reseal the glass. This can be a pretty involved process as there will often be rust in the window channel that will need to be repaired to get a good seal. Extreme caution needs to be exercised when removing the trim and the glass so that neither is damaged.

I would also suggest that you download the FSM for this vehicle at www.mymopar.com it is a free download. The FSM gives good detail on the carb rebuild and other repair items. FSM can be found in the Tools/Reference section of the website.

Dave
 
I'm lazy by nature so my suggestion for the fuel system would be to siphon out all the old fuel, open the fuel line at the fuel pump connection and allow all the fuel in the line to drain out then put everything back together and toss in some fresh gas and a new fuel filter and your good to go. I like to put a small clear fuel filter in-line just before the fuel pump to catch any nasty stuff before it goes into the fuel pump.

Carb rebuild....wouldn't bother until you get it running, I have fired vehicles up after a decade long sit with nothing more then a bit of fresh gas in a 1/4 full fuel tank, but changing out the oil and filter is a good idea and the suggestion of a bit of fresh oil in each cylinder is great advice.
 
I'm lazy by nature so my suggestion for the fuel system would be to siphon out all the old fuel, open the fuel line at the fuel pump connection and allow all the fuel in the line to drain out then put everything back together and toss in some fresh gas and a new fuel filter and your good to go. I like to put a small clear fuel filter in-line just before the fuel pump to catch any nasty stuff before it goes into the fuel pump.

Carb rebuild....wouldn't bother until you get it running, I have fired vehicles up after a decade long sit with nothing more then a bit of fresh gas in a 1/4 full fuel tank, but changing out the oil and filter is a good idea and the suggestion of a bit of fresh oil in each cylinder is great advice.

^This^

Except I'm even a little lazier and I'd just dump some fresh gas down the carb and see if it lights. If I did drain the gas, it would go into my daily driver's tank. Maybe just a few gallons at a time, but it wouldn't get dumped.
 
It's been sitting for quite a long time so, it's possible that the sock in the tank may be all gummed up and clogged from the old gas. Mine was.

Good luck
 
Never run old fuel thru anything.. use it to start your bonfire...else dispose of it. It will ruin a perfectly good motor and fuel system..... all for a few dollars.....
 
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