Meet Regina FQ3, a 1970 Polara convertible who turns 51 today

saforwardlook

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Thank you -- but Regina has the B51 power drum brakes, not the B41 power disc brakes. So it is a drum brake that I needed, and that is what I ordered.

I have been happy with the Raybestos brake pads and the disc brake MC that I bought three years ago. But my experience is a single data point, what has yours been?

OK, thanks. I am more familiar with the 1971 models and I believe disc brakes were standard on that year at least but I might be wrong. My experience with Raybestos was they listed a rotor available for one of the disc brake models and when it was received it was made by Centric, not a Raybestos 2 piece assembly as original. But I was actually happier with the one piece part anyway.

What threw me off is that I do not recall ever seeing a drum brake master cylinder on an original Chrysler product with a bail on it - only a bail on disc brake ones. The drum brake cars did have a top on it like you show but it was held down with a kind of V shaped bracket with a bolt, not a bail - but then I have only had a couple drum brake cars.
 
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ayilar

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OK, thanks. (...) What threw me off is that I do not recall ever seeing a drum brake master cylinder on an original Chrysler product with a bail on it - only a bail on disc brake ones. The drum brake cars did have a top on it like you show but it was held down with a kind of V shaped bracket with a bolt, not a bail - but then I have only had a couple drum brake cars.

Thank you, the matter of what the original MC for power drum brake cars looks like has been bugging me for a while and indeed I started a thread, that got a number of contributions, here:


The conclusion I have formed is that, for drum cars, bail-wire master cylinders may be aftermarket pieces from a long time ago.
 

JohnNOLA

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Thank you -- but Regina has the B51 power drum brakes, not the B41 power disc brakes. So it is a drum brake that I needed, and that is what I ordered.

I have been happy with the Raybestos brake pads and the disc brake MC that I bought three years ago. But my experience is a single data point, what has yours been?

Probably also a single data point.
 

HWYCRZR

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I few years ago I bought and returned a few master cylinders (drum brake) until I finally found a match to the original with the V shape hold down. The pictures were always the correct one, but what showed up was what you pictured above.
 

Big_John

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The Raybestos MC36221 booster that I bought was made in China, and looks like the generic replacement booster that we have seen on many cars -- here is a photo from the Summit site. I guess I can't win every time...

View attachment 523407
I had one of those on my Barracuda and it drove me nuts every time I opened the hood. I had an issue that seemed like it was the MC (turned out to be a wheel cylinder) and I bought a repop like this one off eBay. 1960's Mopar Bendix Master Cylinder DRUM Brakes 1" Bore Dodge Plymouth Chrysler | eBay

Yep, made in China etc., but it's been on the car a few years now with no problem.

Every once in a while, there will be a new "correct" cover that will pop up on eBay, usually not much less than the cost of a new MC. If it bothers you too much, you could buy aa repop, swap lids and toss the new one on the shelf for use another time.
 

ayilar

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One thing that Regina needed is work on her alternator. That is now done.

I'd posted here a photo before restoration showing the part of the casting with the original part # (3438201) and the stamp of the 1969 build date. Here is another taken by @71Polara383 after the work done by Forrest City Auto Electric.

Resized_Resized_20220506_151433.jpg
 
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ayilar

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Thanks to @marty mopar today I found a better solution that rodding out the original radiator: an NOS 2998964 22" radiator for 383-powered 1970 C-bodies without A/C. It was for sale in Iowa and it is the correct P/N so, at $255 shipped, I quickly went for it. @Rustyrodknocker was also interested but kindly let me have it as he does not have an immediate need for it. Thank you both!
Well, @71Polara383 has installed the radiator just in time for summer! Here are some photos that he sent to me, with a report of success:

1654006790702.jpeg

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He let the car idle for a good half hour and this is the highest it went:
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Wyatt increased the RPMs to about 2,000, and the temp needle came down right away:
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Subject to more road-testing by yours truly this summer, the radiator seems good!

PS: The electric radiator installed under prior ownership has been removed, but I am keeping it in case it might help in stop-and-go driving amid hot/humid weather. We shall see.
 

ayilar

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The original booster has been refurbished by the Booster Exchange (PS: the cost was $293). Here are two photos sent by @71Polara383 after it arrived today:

C105C3C6-D3C3-4BB5-BEB8-B2907804099F.jpeg


C47DFB26-2A87-4F22-9C71-2CD528DB1114.jpeg
 
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1970FuryConv

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@71Polara383 has blasted Regina's control arms, strut rods, centerlink, tie rod adjustment sleeves, and sway bar hardware. Here is a photo he shared along the way:

View attachment 466609

We have replaced the control arm bushings (4 Moog K7006 from Rock Auto for the upper CA; 2 Moog K7007 sourced through Pep Boys, of all places, for the lower CA -- the 7s are very hard to find, thanks go to Wyatt for pointing me in the right direction), the bump stops for the lower (Moog K7293) and upper control arm (Dorman 31052 *), and the upper (two Moog K772) and lower ball joints (initially I had planned on installing 1 Precision Suspension Technology BJ10220 passenger and 1 PST BJ10221 driver -- but Moog K7003 / K7005 from @mobileparts came in just in time and so that is what went on the car; Snow White, Regina's N-code sister, will get the PST parts).

Today or tomorrow, Wyatt will install new tie rod ends (Moog ES352R outer and ES355RL inner), idler arm (Moog K7014), and pitman arm (PST PIT18757 **). New KYB KG4507 front shocks have already been installed, the rears KYB KG5512 will be going on in the next few days after the front end is done. (Note: the torsion bar boots could not be replaced, due to lack-of-space to remove the bar).

*: FWIW, the only replacement UCA bumpers I could find were the Dorman. The good news is that they are an exact replica (see photo below -- the perspective gives the impression that they are different, but they are not). One remaining question mark for me is whether they'll last for the rest of the car's life -- I don't know, as this is the first time I have bought a Dorman product. In any event, the upper bump stops should only be of use in extreme cases, and I don't plan on taking the car airborne...

View attachment 466610

**: PST offers a discount to FCBO members, but only on orders above $200. I placed my $350+ total in two separate orders, however, and was told after I requested the discount that they did not qualify :wideyed:
Great info in your thread!
One concern is that when I look up Dorman 31052 it is a lower control arm bumper.
Dorman Products - 31052
I think Moog K7293 is upper and Dorman 31052 is lower.
 
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