Hemi GTX Teardown Uncovers A Giant Heap Of Issues
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- čas přidán 14. 06. 2024
- It was obvious from the beginning that this car was going to need work, but we had no idea how much until we actually took it apart. What we found is a valuable lesson for anyone in the market to buy a classic musclecar.
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#UTG #426hemi #barnfind #gtx #mopar #abandoned #plymouth #survivor - Auta a dopravní prostředky
This is definitely where Tony shines the most. He noticed that was the wrong cam just by hearing it run for 10 seconds in the previous video. The man knows his stuff.
Right on! I was thinking same thing !
Yeah and when I heard him say it, I thought Oh No , this is about to get to be “A Lesson”🤨☹️
Not hard to hear whether it's a solid can or not😂
Mopar historian...
Tony knows more about all those cars than I know about my own car
15 minutes into the video, calling it. Sorry but that hemi is coming out and completely gone thru. You picked the right guy to go to, UTG. Mopar Master. The knowledge in his head is massive. Tony with his ocd will make sure that Hemi is PERFECT before it returns home. This is gonna be a killer series. All issues will be taken care of so it's safe and FAST!!
Hi Uncle Kathy! Great shots!! Stay safe all, God Bless.🙏👍🇺🇸
I called it on the 1st GTX video....
I know cars and know how people put them together...I have been in so many 440's that performed pretty much like lean burn 318's and they were rebuilt and"built"....I have been in so many old cars/muscle cars and know what goes on..
Glad I drove/owned original,never rebuilt versions that were in perfect condition and I have a good seat of the pants sense and can tell stock from "built"or a dud..the later is usually what they are!!
They have mismatched parts,wrong parts,old part with new,worn out etc...Everything lose is a good one on this GTX..
Any classic hot rod Mopar, but especially one with a HEMI, is worth whatever "trouble" one has to go to in order to get it RIGHT. Yeah, I'd yank that beautiful "Elephant" outta there and give it one thorough going-over, looking especially for cracks in the block, heads, manifolds, crank, and rods. It'd be sad to ASSUME that all's well with that engine (though at least it looks clean under the valve covers, always encouraging), and have it spin a bearing and/or send a rod through that block. Sure, you can get a reproduction as a replacement, just add money, but no matter how much dinero you put into it, it won't be the ORIGINAL engine dropped into it some 55 years ago or so in St. Louis.
THIS is WHY I WATCH YOUR CHANNEL !!! Hate it for the owner but love it for us ! Please thank him for his service ! We all thank him for his service !
Hate it for the owner?
@@importsstillsuckhe hates that the owner had the issues
that last 30 seconds was me when I was 5 and my dad bought me a set of tools.. he slept in too late on a Saturday morning and I was out in the garage "fixing" his 67 galaxie... sorry Dad
@John Buck hell yeah! nice car man
Haha been there done that also, and now my grandson has done it to me alone with doorknobs on his bedroom door and closet with his little toolbox its put up now till we work together
@@hendo337 lmfao!! loved it, keep it up!
@John Buck me too .. 390
Seriously man, you remind me of my father and father inlaw. Guys that could fix anything have taught me the most. You near South Carolina? I hear that accent, I'm from Upstate NJ originally.
No way I'd run that engine without taking it completely apart, just to be sure no ugly suprises are there.
Ditto!
With what has been found so far, I would tear it down.
No sense in not going through EVERYTHING at this point.
After finding all that I could not NOT pull the entire engine down now and bang on the engine with confidence knowing all is as it should be.
Yup! I would totally be rebuilding the engine at this point.
Some brain donor slapped this thing together and shit it out the door.
The gas tank is exactly what I found with the new barn find Cuda I brought home. Rancid smell. Inches of rust. Float rolling around the bottom. Had fuel delivery problem. But why? Bingo. These videos are gold for anyone buying cars with unknown history.
Lee looks like Uncle Tony's stunt double in that actions sequence! Come's in handy having a twin scapegoat!
No glasses. 😂
Uncle Tony gets to work on a hemi that's the most important thing look how much happier he seems
change the play speed to 1.25 and Tony is even more into it :)
Uncle Tony seemed so relaxed! No cigarette anywhere in sight! It is like the Hemi is having a natural calming effect on him!
Uncle T is not only a great mechanic, he’s a great Automotive Archeologist. The things you uncover and explain about classic Mopars is always a learning experience. I’ve been around cars my whole life, I’m 51 and when Uncle Tony talks, I listen. That Hemi car is awesome.
Don’t be discouraged, you have to “ nut and bolt” every hot rod you purchase. I always plan new tanks,lines brakes cooling system components and pray engines and transmissions are serviceable. But it’s just so much fun pulling them apart and saying holy shit somebody’s been in here.
i know its not my car... but i think it would be a good idea to pull the engine. looks like its almost ready anyway.
one more comment...the working environment (the shop) is 1000 percent better then the old place!
for what was shown worth every penny start fresh in the engine so can pass car down to family member and insurance of trouble free driving. Feel for the owner but glad he brought it to UT, no more sleepless nights GTX owner was best decision made. Tony will make it sing right
Poor guy looks so defeated through this whole video, course then, I would be too. Keep your head up my dude, Uncle Tony will make that baby purr.
For crying out loud the man OWNS A HEMI CAR!!!
Or a look of "what else did the dumbass who put it together last screw up?" that engine bay looks like a nasty can of worms
@@chazzcoolidge2654 definitely a look of "what (expletives deleted) moron put this together?!?"
It's just money. lol Bad surprises suck and even more when you paid a lot and realize you are far from done paying.
@@RiverRat-2112 it's still a matter of "holy shit, I wasn't planning on a full teardown of this car, but now if I don't I will never trust it!"
No choice, pull the motor, redo, live happy. GO ARMY!
It’s a great car and it deserves to be brought back the right way, I would be a little concerned with the internals of the engine, having found everything else that’s been wrong with it . I can’t wait for the next episode. keep up the good work guys I can’t wait for the next chapter...
What a story. I don't know what here surprised me the most. But finger-tight nuts and bolts stands out. There's a story with that but it's a guess. I'm glad this car ended up with a car guy who can swing wrenches and that he has some money. He's smart to have UT take it on. It would be sad if this was somebody's dream car and spent out their money buying it, and thinking it just needed a few inexpensive things. Good work guys. Good work UC.
Tony knows so much
technical info it's insane. Gotta love a guy with this level of knowledge. I'm going through the same stuff on my 54 corvette. Only enough was done to make it run
i just subcribed to your channel as well.
If that’s a real HEMI car it deserves the love. Even if it’s not matching #’s.
It’s still a HEMI and it’s gonna make great content for the channel! 😎
@@hendo337 "patina" is a fancy word for "unrepaired rust". I really hope you're planning on doing major cleanup and rust repair on that body!
@@hendo337 ah, gotcha!
Yes, make this a driver. And see if you can get the man to unclench about that 442, cars need to be driven!
Thanks UT&Crew, a good deal of prime information.
My guess is that someone threw this car together to make a quick flip, then the value of muscle car stuff dropped off, he decided to wait until value climbed again.
Uncle Tony is a National treasure. An artist who works with vehicles.
Yes, he’s a real treasure!!
You boys are awesome. "But there Great for doing burnouts, yea oh yea we will melt them off of there". You're doing exactly what I'm working towards. Love the knowledge you have. One of the best techs I've ever known was alot like you.
Thanks for the inspiration. Got a 1966 Plymouth Sport Fury in my shop now.
I know these two guys who were in my unit in the USAF, they had 4th gen F bodys, they put a Moser 12 bolt under one of the Camaro. One guy did the passenger side, the other did the drivers side. He had a problem with it bouncing all the time when he was driving it, so I took a look at it. The drivers side was finger tight, passenger side was tightened with the car in the air, and I swear he used a breaker bar with a jack handle on it to tighten them. Some guys don't know how tight it needs to be, or that you need to tighten suspension bolts with the vehicle weight on it.
Its very rare I buy a muscle car from someone and not take it apart, unless I worked on it before I got it, like my 72 Formula. My friend who sold it to me did a lot of stupid stuff to that poor car. I will fix it all and put it back to as close to original as I can afford.. because its a numbers matching 455 HO car and they only built 276 of them in '72.
@@hendo337 the 72 is one of 11 Firebirds I own other than the 68 that is a very rusted bare shell, well whats left of it, and a 98 Formula, they are all between 71 and 79, in addition to GTOs and LeMans.
You'd be interested in my brother's cars. My dad left me a 70 AAR Cuda clone, the oldest got his 426 wedge 64 Sport Fury which is a twin to the one he bought new and sold before I was born, and the brother after me got his 36 Plymouth business coupe. They they have Chargers, the oldest has a 70 383 727, the one after me has a 69 318 auto with a sure grip, and his son has a 73 Charger with a very healthy 360 stuffed in it.
How I ended up a Pontiac man is a bit of a long story. The short version is I saw a blue 67 GTO in a magazine and I was hooked forever, even before I knew they hauled ass. My first car was a 67 Cougar, its sitting in my yard waiting for me to get back to it. Next year I will have owned it 40 years, and I haven't driven it since 1987. Makes me sad.
I'll be making videos of the Plymouths when I go home next month, I have to move a bunch of Pontiacs off the family farm and haul them 1000 miles to where I live now. Between the brother after me and I, we own well over 100 vehicles. He has mopar I have Pontiac, Ford, chevy trucks, and some Dodge trucks. We are a gearhead family.
A summer of adventure driving junk hauling junk. I need someone to drive the Cuda, would make it easier than hauling it.
What a learning experience for all of us! Weird the engine had so many bolts not torqued at all on the accessories but only finger tight! And the gas tank! Glad you looked in it! Thanks so much for this video! Glad no one got hurt & the car didn’t get hurt from running it without these checks!
From everything you found, I would take the time to pull the heads and check them for cracks.
Absolutely! A full tear down at this point. Trust nothing on this car.
This is not a run of the mill beater. Jerk that frankenhemi out and make it right, including the block, mismatched heads and cobbed up intake. When it is completed properly you will have what the rest of the car deserves. You don’t want to be in the same position as the museum that has the hatchet that George Washington used to chop down the cherry tree, except that the handle has been changed 4 times, and the head twice..... but it’s the same one!
Overall it’s so nice, leave out the “excepts” it makes for a far better description in the future, and will keep the car appreciating.
With the pedigree of this car and considering how much abuse/"rigging" they usually go through in 50+ years, I'd recommend having the heater hoses magnafluxed.
@@easygoing2479 lol!
I would pull the hemi as a long-term project, and install a nice 318 in it, for the time being, so that I could take the time to build the hemi right...
Everything about that engine bay screams "I'm tired of this project. Let's whack the engine back together with whatever parts we have under the workbench, then toss it into the car quickly and pass it all on to someone else."
Guess I don't have to leave that comment:)
Exactly!
usually more along the lines of "I can't afford to have it fixed right" hehehe
@@randalljames1 I can understand that sentiment, but...even if you're doing it cheap, you still tighten up all the bolts as you go. With everything being barely finger tight in this car, it feels more "I don't care" than "I can't afford."
yea, but in the world of "mechanics" the same "I can't afford" comes with "I don't know how"... It is not lazy or incapable, just how do you build a bridge if you don't know how to build a bridge :)
Perhaps you are right, just slide this crap together, we have to be out tonight.... :) regardless.. when ever a car comes in the shop that has had "previous" work done? it is SOP to check that work first (usually things to be found)
Uncle Tony is on the ball! With old cars, many people of differing capacity wrenched on them by the time you find them!
This is why UTG is one of the best channels on CZcams, it's the education you receive from watching!
The joy of old cars...many owners and many hands on the pieces. Nothing you two can't handle. Good stuff.
Thanks guys! Amazing reality check for anyone who dreams of being a classic car owner by just "buying into" the hobby. One way or the other, you will have worked on every aspect of the car before its over. Knowledge is power and your knowledge needs to be brand / model / engine family specific, and you can only get to that level by years of experience...Tony is the MAN.
Man, the owner looks bummed. Condolences dude.
Seen worse for sure. I like when you get one where there is a huge weld in the side of the block and it cracked right next to their shitty weld. Hemis were revved to kingdom come and blown up, the guys would drop valves, throw rods and put them together with extra parts and sell them after racing them some more.
@@Digitalsharecropper If this is an actual #'s matching, original paint, 67 Hemi GTX four-speed, and he paid less than a couple hundred thousand for it. he should be happier than a pig in slop.
It would be interesting to know how Andy found it and what he paid for it.
I love the fact that you mentioned by name, the infamous old shade tree mechanics names, Gaaak & Schmutz!
Oh, mechanics? I thought they were a law firm.
That’s a special car. The project is going to cost more than he expected, like all projects do. I don’t know how much he paid for the car, or how much he expected to put into it but he’s going to end up with really great car that will only go up in value. I’m looking forward to seeing the progress.
While I have driven hemi cars and tuned them, I never worked on assembly or repair of one.
There is so much you have shown that is totally new to me.
It is very interesting relating to the peculiarities of the Hemi. This is an education video.
Thank you so much for sharing this information.
Excellent show guys! Lots of information and insight without temper tantrums and fake manufactured drama. Very refreshing!!!
UT's knowledge of Hemi's is unmatched
I grew up with DAD owning from new, a 1966 Plymouth Belvedere Station Wagon, based on the Satellite body, looking at that GTX, I see so much, the mirrors, the door handles, the gas cap, the upswept body ledge right below windows, the chrome trim pieces....so many memories.... :)
Perfect lesson, “Buyer Beware”, thanks for the instructional video
I expect to find these sorts of things, which is why I don't buy old cars with shiny paint and that detailer stuff sprayed all over the engine bay. I'd rather buy a rolling shell and built it my way than have to deal with what someone else might have fouled up.
Looking forward to seeing uncle Tony help this guy get this car back on the road . Can't wait to see the finished car.
Great series. Learnt some of these lessons the hard way myself.
Knowing what I know today, that engine would come out and get torn down, if anything just for peace of mind. Bit of time and gaskets best case, worst case a rebuild.
But still a better option than an engine grenading on the road.
Hey Uncle Tony, much love & appreciations. THANKS TO YOU ALL!!
The more I watch UT, the more I realize he’s one of the most intelligent dudes I’ve ever “met.” And humble about it.
Make sure your flexible rear brake hose is replaced with a new one as that could be the brake issue especially if it is original and not ever been replaced ! good work team ...
UT this is one the best overviews and videos that you have done recently, this car is fantastic as far as potential, don't tread lightly, it will be a gem with the right work. Wow!
That was awesome. This happens a lot . Fresh paint on an engine means just that. Take nothing for granted or face value. Can't wait to see it when this car is mechanically sound. Great video Tony 👍
I used to work for a guy who had a collection of old cars. He never drove them. By the time he decided to start selling them (he's nearly 90 now) most of the cars had been sitting for over 30 years. He had me "get them running" so he could take them to be auctioned off. I ran into the same kind of problems... brakes gummed up, fuel systems full of rust, old batteries that corroded through the battery trays, tires that were almost too "square" to turn, dry rotted, bubbled from brake fluid leaking... and of course, he didn't want to spend any money on them. A lot of collectors NEVER drive their cars. They buy them, park them, and just sit and look at them. They never know if the car had problems when they bought it, so they never know it has problems when they sell it. This guy ran a Chevy dealership for 50 years, he sold his collection as if they were just regular used cars... even putting things in the ads like, "one owner, low miles, original engine, locally owned".... I still feel sorry for the poor bastards that bought those cars. Buyer beware...
lol killer ending!! it's going to be great when it's all sorted out. You're in good company Andy, and thank you for your service!
A VERY educational piece. Unless you did it yourself you don't know what your getting. Great job Tony!
Mike
Love it when u make these look what’s hiding videos!! Great video!!
Nice video. I like listening to guys who know what they are talking about and have a lot of real experience. The car reminds me of my second car, 1966 Dodge Coronet 440, that I bought in 1970.
Nice car. It should be completely gone through regardless. It's worth whatever parts you need to replace. Let's hope the block, heads and crank are in good shape.
I like the direction your channel has taken since moving into the new shop. Great post. 👍
Videos like this teach me why I have no business actually owning one of my dream vehicles.
What a damn good video. You are pointing out some important things to mankind. Let me point something out for you,,,,, my uncle Jim was one of the best mechanics to ever breathe air. He used to wash the grease off of his hands with gas. Lucemia is no joke. Stop needlessly contaminating yourselves with stuff like what came out of that tank. I loved and miss my uncle Jim more than anyone could ever imagine
Wow what a great video and channel. He went thru so much and I learned a lot about Hemis from this video, I knew they were complex but not like they were originally.
That tank is shocking. Ok quite a lot of the car is, but that tank...😱
I dropped F-bombs on that tank.
Wow..... Who ever worked on that engine before should sell all of his tools. That gas tank was like nothing I've ever seen before ! Thanks for the video.
And well done for doing this together. Tag teaming on video presenting can be tricky, but you did it perfectly in realtime.
This is one the most informative shows you've done, good on you !
Uncle Tony IS, The Mopar whisperer.
Ship it to Nick.
This year GTX seem to hold up well over the years.
This is going to be a very informative series....sorry for all your troubles with your car and thank you for sharing the journey to repair with us
Re that 'hogged out' intake manifold. Back in the day, that particular hemi intake mod was pioneered by NHRA hemi Super/Stock legend Arlen Vanke and became known as the 'Vanke mod' or the 'Vanke intake'. I know it would be a further deviation from stock, but considering the use of that Vanke-style intake manifold and that fact his car is also likely going to get an aftermarket solid-lifter roller cam, I think to compliment and fully optimize these first two mods, this car really deserves a set of headers, rather than reusing the stock exhaust manifolds.
I'd pull that engine. if what you can get at in the chasis is like that what's to say the bottom end is much better? hard engine to replace. You only ran it for a few seconds. Oil pressure drop when it's hot? who knows?
They say you learn something new every day! I didn't know they didn't use exuast manifold gaskets! They basically mickey moused that car , like mom used to say "not everything that shines isn't gold!" Buyer beware, Good informational video uncle tony!
I had a buddy have a tire come apart on a chassis dyno and take out literally half of his car. Maybe use that tire on something with garbage quarters before you melt it down for smoke?
AMEN! And Second that !
“we’ll melt them off the car” 😆
I love the fuel tank, I usually complaining, Uncle Tony you forgot this or that, but you nailed this one on the head!! Me, EVERY lawnmower, Riding mower, car, truck, except for brand new, I drop the fuel tank and clean them out. Every one says, "just dump a can of sea foam in it and some high test gasoline, I never take off the tank. Would you drop a new electric fuel pump in that gunk??.. The fuel tank looked like new on the outside. You not gonna drive this home from Arkansas!! The only way to know is to drop and drain the tank, new fuel pump, new fuel filter, clean out the lines, rebuild the fuel system and the brakes/tie rod ends/ball joints/Idler arm, then you start on the engine. Water in the fuel is 85% of lawnmower repair.
UT, The consultant that gets right in there with the wrenches and lets fly. The most highly valued consultant extant! Should be a nice payday for Tony. Still a hell of a deal for the owner who gains valuable knowledge you would be hard pressed to learn by any other method.
I'd hafta pull that engine and go completely thru it...i'd be on edge every time i started the thing..just waiting for the knocking to start.
People forget that a car like this is more than 50 years old and was never owned by the Little Old Lady from Pasadena. Sometimes it seems like only yesterday but it isn't. Kind of amazing that parts of any kind are still available.
Great video series so far. As a newbie to the Gen2 Hemi on the front steps of building my first one, this has been very enlightening. Thanks for all the info and looking forward to the rest of the project.
A guy would have to pull the oil pan at least, check a few bearings and all torque spec's on crank, connecting rods and oil pump. Your that far why not pull heads and check them out and get a look at pistons and barrels and retorque heads. Some crazy prices being thrown around but I don't really see much in parts, lots of labor but that's free and part of the fun. I can't even see 5000 in parts and that's including a new clutch.
Totally agree, you have already gone this far. Based upon what I have seen, It could be catastrophic not to.
Uncle Tony will make that HEMI perfect, like factory new!!
A lot of good information about a lot of different things to look for on these older vehicles. You can learn something by watching and paying attention.
It seems like this is every classic I see these days. Got a 75 Bronco in the shop right now and one of the rear spring mounts was located wrong so that the truck dog tracked like mad to the right. Could barely pull it on an alignment rack without it falling off. Bought a new bracket, cut the old one off so I could weld one on and given the amount of rust and crust underneath, there is no WAY that frame was built in 1975. Went to bolt the shocks back on, found one of the shock mounts in the rear had been broken and half-assed welded back on since it snapped before the nut was really tight. Had to get another bracket for that.
The block in that truck is from the '80s, transfer case was cast in 1973 and this guy bought the truck thinking it was a numbers-matching, all-original truck. The poor bastard.
Front gas tank has TWO patches on it, so ordered a new one. Rear tank had gravel in it, including a rock the size of a ping pong ball. And so much more.
Buyer beware! If you're buying what you think is a clean classic, you're probably not. Take it to a mechanic who actually knows a thing or two before you spend money.
Great video Tony, thanks for sharing all your knowledge with us . and thank Kathy for the great video work
Man, sad to see such an historical car in this state. Thank goodness it now has a home that will give it the attention and respect that it needs. I just hope the engine and powertrain are numbers matching.
ROLL UP YOUR CIGARETTE!!! LOL GREAT VIDEO UTG!!! HELLO ULTRA KATHY!!!
Mystery solved, this engine was assembled by Brian Cabrel.
I though that Lee feller looked a little squirrely!😉😉😂😂😂
@@hendo337 I hear ya, I would be too!
The little skit at the end reminded me of that episode of Andy Griffith; when Goober took apart a car and put back together inside the court house.
With wheel brake cylinders...use new ones with a new master cylinder. New rear hose , the two front hoses. Then like this car ..new stainless brake lines. Must include new rear shoes too. Those shoes you have are saturated with brake fluid. All new return springs too. Clean back plate with "Brakeclean " until spotless. Then mount brake cylinders....! Thanks Tony and helper, learned some things today !!😂
I'm so happy to see the way your program is evolving. In six months you'll be doing twin turbskis or ignoring hygiene like dulcic. Either way the new shop is impressive. Somebody slapped that car together to sell it
I would be worried that the bottom end has no balance to it, and what's the Piston to wall clearance?? Just way too many questions run through my head! Gotta open the patient up!!
I hear ya. I highly recommend the engine be pulled and everything checked out just to be sure.
''A very common cause of Hemi pushrod failure''. As spoken by someone (Uncle Tony) who has seen a whole lot of grenaded motors. To him it is common.
Where Tony comes from, the honorific "Uncle", is a term of respect. Across many cultures.
On that engine block one would question the quality of the welding work, and would have to spend magnaflux money. Welding wrong can effect bearing alignment. You can't trust anything on that engine or car. It's a mishmash by a meshugana.
Wishin, and hopin and thinking and praying didn't correct my cheaping out when I knew better than to guess on an expensive build.
A most painful lesson to learn expensively. There are prebent stainless steel brake line kits that are a godsend. The lines can look pretty on the outside, and fail when being bled or worse in action. Less than $200 for the lines. Hoses extra. Put your faith in the lord and not ten year old rubber, or rubbers. You know, those things that keep the axle from hitting the frame.
Do your builds as if you are doing them for two litigious lawyers. It's a bit more in parts,but it is your ride.
Thanks for a really informative video that may save some serious grief and pesos
My dad had his 06 magnum with the heads off the other day and I helped him reassemble. Never knew what made a hemi a hemi until I saw that. It's amazing to think that that tech is so effective it's good for 50+ years of oem implementation.
Uncle Tony knows his shit!
17:20 yes I agree ,that tire is a hazard and needs to be destroyed.
Put it on a beater and do a 1 wheel peel smokie until it blows.
Then it's safe so nobody else can use it.
There's your osha tip of the day from Mr. Hillfolk to keep others safe.
MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!!
I'd pull the whole engine down. You already mentioned scuffed cam bearings, who knows what the story is with the rods and mains.
Great to hear & see you guys and Unc. Cathy around these cars in the new garage. 👍🏻
Another fantastic and informative video on this car. Great job everyone. Awesome.
Tony knows those gremlins. I love this stuff.
Gonna be a Great series, perfect for me as im starting the process of waking up my 68 Firebird from her 29 year sleep. Cant wait.
That was a great vid!! No bs just the facts, very much enjoyed
This man should be called a Legend 😃
Very interesting finds. Especially the racing oil dams left in the passenger-side head Crazy! Thanks for the education. Glad I found your channel. Respect from Texas.
part of the fun is undoing the old repairs and doing it "right"
Really liking this GTX series.
A related story to Tony's warning about buying someone else's muscle car:
About two years ago, my next door neighbor buys his wife a '68 Firebird 455 / 4-spd for her birthday. Buys it from a friend of a friend. "Trustworthy". Supposed to be fully gone-through, road ready, etc. It's their first muscle car. After purchase, they spent a bunch of $$ on new wiring, exhaust, cooling system, and it still doesn't run well. They take it to a legit rod shop for, among other things, an R&R of the motor to clean up the engine bay and to swap a 5-speed in place of the Muncie. I tell them, "have your rod shop guy pull the pan and give the bottom end a full inspection, as long as he's got the motor out, and he's cleaning things up. Have him pull some bearings, inspect the lower cylinder bores, crank journals, etc." They have rod shop guy do just that. Rod shop guy texts them a photo of the motor, inverted with the pan off … and mashed up into and around the oil pump pickup is a softball-sized wad of black 3M Weatherstrip Sealant. Right about now, you might be wondering how everyone knew the brand and type of goo this was … some chucklehead left the actual tube of adhesive in the motor. Said tube was stuck within the wad, and sandwiched between the pan and one side of the pickup, all crinkled up. When my neighbor showed me the photo, I stood there, saucer-eyed, for a good 5 minutes of attempted comprehension. It's the kind of photo you just stare at and it take minutes for your mind to let it sink in, and still you can't fathom what series of events brought together that perfect storm of ineptitude. Never in my 20+ years of wrenching on cars (Mopars) have I ever seen such a sight. Truly a first, and deserving of a trophy.
So yeah, if you buy someone else's "honey", just plan on it being a project.
Superb! Tony.. fabulous information for all gear heads young and old
Nice save guys! I love the old Mopars!
This is the epitome of pursuing every old car guy's wistful dreams - finding a muscle car specimen that brings us back to the golden days of the American automobile. However, the passage of the ensuing 50-60 years of use/abuse/neglect will take lots of $$$ to scrape away. Time is indeed money.
I would pull the engine and look everything on that engine over. If nothing is wrong, then you're out a couple gaskets that probably don't hurt to replace anyways. There only needs to be one finger tight rod nut to cause a catastrophe. The cam bearings don't look good, so who knows what you have for rod and main bearings? Rings, valve seats?
I bought a Jeep SJ Wagoneer once with a freshly rebuilt 360 that had a strange vibration. They were skilled enough to get all of the bolts tight, but they had a rod installed backwards. Just my opinion, but if the work you have already seen is that crappy, then it's worth your time and effort to do the rest now rather than doing it twice.