Resurrection of my 1970 Chrysler 300 Convertible

So I spent most of the past summer working the details of the wiring and the dashboard. I went through the wires best I could, replacing connectors, cleaning contacts and identifying what goes where. There are still a number of connections that I haven’t a clue about, but for the most part not so much a meaningless tangle of wires.

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Refreshed cluster:

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Of course after it was mounted back in place I was disappointed at how faded the dash pad ended up.

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And the VIN tag was unacceptable.

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So off it all came for a full SEM scrubbing and re-dye.

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The tag was the easiest part. I carefully taped and then used acetone to strip the old paint. Semi-gloss from Krylon and the correct rub on decal from ECS finished it off nicely. No rivet removal required.

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I then tried my hand at speaker and glovebox repair. The speaker is now usable, the glovebox liner not so much. Looks like I’ll go repro for that, the cardboard is just too brittle.

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Nothing like the crappy sound of OEM.

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Yes, that’s Shoe Glue, flexible and strong (or is that Strong and Flexible?)
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Nothing like new sheer speaker fabric to finish it off.

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Sorry, no after pic, but no one will see it anyway.

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Not too shabby for four hours worth of work, LOL. Hey, it’s doing stuff like this that has kept the costs of this build reasonable (cost of my sanity, that is).

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Unfortunately the glove box liner was just not worth the time and aggravation. Still doesn’t look too bad, just won’t bolt in anymore.

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I’ll be getting one of these from Van’s.

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Nice work. I'm toying with the idea of epoxy coatings to re-furbish unobtainium soft parts like that glovebox.
 
I then tried my hand at speaker and glovebox repair. The speaker is now usable, the glovebox liner not so much. Looks like I’ll go repro for that, the cardboard is just too brittle.

View attachment 329352

Nothing like the crappy sound of OEM.

View attachment 329353

Yes, that’s Shoe Glue, flexible and strong.View attachment 329354

Nothing like new sheer speaker fabric to finish it off.

View attachment 329356

Sorry, no after pic, but no one will see it anyway.

View attachment 329355

Not too shabby for four hours worth of work, LOL. Hey, it’s doing stuff like this that has kept the costs of this build reasonable (cost of my sanity, that is).

View attachment 329357


Unfortunately the glove box liner wan just not worth the time and aggravation. Still doesn’t look too bad, just won’t bolt in anymore.

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I’ll be getting one of these from Van’s.

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Your work is terrific! Mighty fine!
 
With all of this extra time on my hands I decided to take a look at the Dutchman’s panel. I knew from looking underneath in the trunk that there were some rust issues and sketchy repairs. A few years ago, the trunk hinge actually tore through the right corner gusset, so I knew that there was metal work in my future. Like an onion I began to peel the layers off and discovered some serious ugliness. Kids, this is no way to do auto body! Never pop rivet fresh metal over rusty metal and call it done!

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Yikes!

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Off to the metal pile!

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This piece from the ‘73 will fix both the gusset and Dutchman’s panel on the ‘vert and the rear window channel on the parts car!

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Nice work. I'm toying with the idea of epoxy coatings to re-furbish unobtainium soft parts like that glovebox.
I had thought about sourcing plastic sheeting or heavy, non-foam core cardboard, and then flattening out the original, doing the bends, etc., but for $39 bucks from Van's seemed to be a no-brainier. The trunk dress-up like the Imperials would be a fun "after it's done" project, so I'll keep hunting for appropriate materials and patterns.
 
Thanks, Rip! What's the status of your 'vert now that the engine is in?

The new engine is running really great. However, it has a low-speed part-throttle miss that I can't figure out. When I stick my foot in it, it runs great, but at low speed, it runs a little crappy. I suspect a vacuum leak somewhere, but so far I haven't found one.
 
The new engine is running really great. However, it has a low-speed part-throttle miss that I can't figure out. When I stick my foot in it, it runs great, but at low speed, it runs a little crappy. I suspect a vacuum leak somewhere, but so far I haven't found one.

Could it be the accelerator pump?

I had the same experience with one of my cars, and @david hill made the diagnostic. With the air cleaner removed and the engine off, if he cracked the throttle open, there was very little accelerator pump shot on initial pedal movement. Assuming that your float level is correct (I guess yours and mine both are, as in both your case and mine there is no other driving issues), my guess is that your accelerator pump might be defective.
 
Could it be the accelerator pump?

I had the same experience with one of my cars, and @david hill made the diagnostic. With the air cleaner removed and the engine off, if he cracked the throttle open, there was very little accelerator pump shot on initial pedal movement. Assuming that your float level is correct (I guess yours and mine both are, as in both your case and mine there is no other driving issues), my guess is that your accelerator pump might be defective.

Thanks for the suggestion. But the problem is not a hesitation or a stumble. It is almost like a single plug is not firing, but I know this is not the case. Plugs and wires are new, compression is good in all cylinders, and the problem is present with two different rebuilt carburetors. I'm gonna continue to troubleshoot by disconnecting and plugging all vacuum sources, until I find the problem.
 
Thanks for the suggestion. But the problem is not a hesitation or a stumble. It is almost like a single plug is not firing, but I know this is not the case. Plugs and wires are new, compression is good in all cylinders, and the problem is present with two different rebuilt carburetors. I'm gonna continue to troubleshoot by disconnecting and plugging all vacuum sources, until I find the problem.
Have you tried changing out the intake manifold yet?
 
Have you tried changing out the intake manifold yet?

Well. . . No. . . I really hope I don't need to do that. The engine was machined, rebuilt and assembled by a pretty competent shop. But I will start the engine, warm it up and spray some CRC around the intake and see if anything turns up.
 
Well. . . No. . . I really hope I don't need to do that. The engine was machined, rebuilt and assembled by a pretty competent shop. But I will start the engine, warm it up and spray some CRC around the intake and see if anything turns up.
It sounds like it has to be something simple. I get my short block and heads back on Saturday, but I won’t get to the final assembly and installation until after the new year. I still need to find a local guy to refresh the transmission. I totally expect issues like yours so I’m hoping you resolve it and report back your findings. Good luck!
 
The dash looks great. It sure is convenient having the metal pile to, huh.
Thanks! I was very happy with the SEM system. I plan on using it for the interior panels as well. Yes, my mini junk yard has come in handy. It's amazing how much sheet metal one parts car can produce, but I plan on using every bit of it when I dive into the black car.
 
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