As the Pacific Northwest mist dripped off of the forlorn Camaro’s bumper, I vowed that I would make that trip. The first few years were hindered by a lack of a driver’s license or a useable car. Then there were the years where I had a car and license, but was poor enough that I was counting pennies to make sure I had dinner for the week. Then there were the military years, where I had the car and the money, but no free time to hit the road. Then school… then work… you know the story.

This year, I bit the bullet. Hot Rod’s Power Tour happened for the 30th round. I’m 41 now. With my ’76 Charger up and running with fresh gears and an Interstate-friendly transmission, there was no reasonable excuse why I couldn’t go. Haley was willing to co-pilot, I had nothing scheduled on the calendar. And for an added bonus, this year’s route was very close to home: Bowling Green, Nashville, Louisville, Columbus and Indy. PERFECT. Even the weather was looking great, with no rain in the forecast and temperatures in the upper-80s.

The icing on the cake was that Matt at American Powertrain hooked us up with sponsor parking passes, which meant that (A) I spent money on multi-day passes that weren’t required, and (B) I had guaranteed parking at the American Powertrain display on the midway so I could show off the TKX swap. We packed a cooler for drinks, some chairs, sunscreen and on Monday morning, parked up.

Monday and Tuesday were awesome. I was pleasantly surprised to see the reaction to the car and had the pleasure of talking with many people. Some had questions regarding the swap, others wanted to share the memories of cars like mine from the past. I was all about it. Every now and then we’d stretch our legs and go see what interesting rides had been brought to the Tour. We’d arrive early and leave before the traffic jam became insurmountable. We planned to return home until Wednesday, then we’d leave early Friday as we had a family event to attend on Saturday.

Things unraveled pretty fast after leaving Nashville Super Speedway. After exiting Interstate 40 to the country highways, it was clear that the Charger was seriously down on power. Hills that shouldn’t have been a blip on my radar were requiring more throttle to surmount. I suspected that the car was getting hot, so we stopped for dinner in Portland, Tennessee to give the 360 a chance to cool. It seemed to help a little, but by the time we were through Franklin, Kentucky it was evident that the issue was back. I hadn’t messed with anything, so what gives?

I got my answer on the last turn before my driveway: at a complete stop the oil pressure gauge dove to nearly zero and the engine was shaking the car like an earthquake. Sure enough, once I pulled in my driveway I checked the oil and got my answer: nearly none. We had topped off the fluids that morning before driving to Nashville. Not continuing on the Tour wasn’t an option, so the Charger was stuffed into the garage and our truck was employed for the remaining distance.

Aside from the one fly in the ointment, however, the Tour was great. We caught up with many friends throughout the week and got to tour some quieter parts of the middle of the country that we normally would just blast past on the Interstate. I will say that next time I drive the tour, I’m linking up with a group of friends to run with, because driving it on your own leaves something to be desired. Finding the local eateries is a must. Making a 1-2 pull in the tunnel leading into Nashville is a must. Hanging out in the bed of a truck sipping something cold while watching UPS jets taking off from from the airport in Louisville is a must.

Fixing my wounded Mopar for the next adventure isn’t a must. It’s a vow.

The post Unhinged: Power Tour 2024, From The Eyes Of A First-Timer appeared first on BangShift.com.

But this time around, we’re performing major surgery. Considering the last update focused on the installation of a complete gauge cluster, that’s saying something. But it’s true: the 727 TorqueFlite is gone and a Tremec TKX took its place, with help from our friends at American Powertrain.

Why Put A TKX Into A Mid-1970s Mopar?

“Warhammer”, the 1987 Dodge Diplomat AHB (2006?)

For those who have been around BangShift for years (or date further back to the CarJunkieTV.com days), and especially those who know my proclivities when it comes to odd Mopars, the dark blue Dodge Diplomat pictured above should look familiar. This is “Warhammer”, a 1987 AHB (police package) car that had been built with a heated 360 and an A833 four-speed. I bought the car from the original builder in 2005, had it painted, bought those chromed trailer wheels, and proceeded to drive that thing like I had been gifted something from a NASCAR garage. I’ve owned about eight or so FMJ-body vehicles in various tunes, but that Diplomat had violence and manners, thanks to the manual transmission. The car is long gone, but the idea of another row-your-own Mopar never left.

I’ve wanted to have another manual transmission-equipped car in the fleet, but that hasn’t worked out well. About the same time I owned the Diplomat, I had a four-speed 1980s shortbed Dodge truck that I had to sell off to a friend. After a seriously long drought, we bought a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze that had a six-speed as an economy car. Once we learned how much of a dumpster fire that thing was, I decided my next project vehicle would be a stick shift…and forgot that entire idea when the Charger popped onto my radar.

Luckily, after coming to my senses, some research showed that swapping the car could be a possibility. The 1971-74 B-body platform and 1970-74 E-body (Challenger/Cuda) body share many common traits, and there was a good chance that the “black metal” of the 1975-up B-body wasn’t much different than before, due to Chrysler’s financial troubles. After some discussions, I committed and started to put this idea into motion.

Before The Swap

The pedals were the first items to be swapped in. They bolted right into place with plenty of clearance.

Before I was going to shell out for a transmission, I wanted to make sure that this swap was going to go my way. I made two purchases: a steering column from a floor-shifted 1979 Chrysler 300, and manual transmission pedals for a 1970-74 E-body. The pedals were sent to American Powertrain to be studied to see how close they were to parts already sold, while I spent time restoring the column. In early December, American Powertrain sent back a pedal assembly that used a Malwood hydraulic clutch pedal for a test-fit. Once the pedals were swapped in and were working, I bit the bullet and paid for a Ford-style TKX with a 2.87 first gear and a 0.68 overdriven fifth gear.

Out comes the faithful, if incontinent, A727 TorqueFlite. A good re-sealing at every possible leak point and this transmission is good to go.

The only thing happier than having the UPS guy showing up just before Christmas is unloading several large boxes from the truck, including one that leaves the driver asking what dead body you ordered due to the weight. In addition to the TKX, American Powertrain sent over just about everything possibly needed to finish off this swap, from the transmission crossmember and pilot bushing to the fluids needed and, naturally, the crowning touch for the finished product:

That’s right. The MF’ing Hurst Pistol Grip shifter.

Where Is My Grinder? Time To Cut A Hole!

With the 727 and related items out of the way, it was time to start planning out the swap properly. I wasn’t worried about making major holes in the floor…the TKX was originally designed to fit into a 1970 Chevelle with little to no modifications needed. After a couple of test fits and a few measurements, I had a pretty solid square of transmission tunnel that needed to go away for the shifter area and with it, a small section of inconsequential floor bracing above the transmission crossmember. I didn’t even have to bash in the seam at the firewall any!

Cardboard-Aided Design at its finest! The first measurements were taken underneath the car, and once the square was measured out the template was used to locate the two shifter locations offered.

As you can see in this image, the forward shifter location was a no-go from the start. Punching the dash on the 2-3 shift wasn’t going to cut it.

This was the first section removed from the floor: the square lines up with the Tremec’s shifter plate and the section of crossmember was in the way. There was some additional metal removed, but this is the largest section.

From above, you can see that the initial cut was restrained.

How Easy Is It To Manually-Swap A Cordoba Clone? Surprisingly Easy!

Once the cut was made, the next few steps were pretty typical: install the pilot bushing, bolt on the flywheel, install the clutch using the provided alignment tool. Simple and straightforward. It was during the installation of the Lakewood bellhousing that adapts the TKX to the small-block Chrysler that we found one thing we didn’t count on: the passenger-side exhaust interfered with fitment.

A quick trip to Mark Muffler in Bowling Green, Kentucky took care of our bellhousing/exhaust fitment issue.

Once the car was back from the exhaust shop, we entered the critical phases of installation: measuring bellhousing runout and the air gap for the hydraulic throwout bearing. Besides being critical for your warranty, both of these are critical towards your transmission’s happiness in day-to-day operations and overall lifespan. Here’s what you need to know (mainly because I listened to people who know more things than I do):

With measurements taken, I found that the bellhousing was exactly where it needed to be and that the hydraulic throw-out needed three shims. Perfect. I put everything together and aside from a slight bit of hole enlargement for the trans crossmember to bolt up properly to the underside of the Charger, everything installed together just fine.

In-between transmission work, I prepared the new column to go into the Charger. That included painting the visible parts in Claret Red (the darker red tone of the car’s paint job).

It also required a complete swap of components from the Charger’s original steering column. Everything from the lower steering shaft bearing to the entire wiring situation, all of that was swapped into the new column. And naturally, so was the ignition key tumbler. Works like a freaking charm.

The other final touch? The Tuff Wheel that used to belong in the SuperBeater Mirada. I sold this wheel when that car was stripped back in 2012, and the guy who bought it from me returned it to me at the Chrysler Nats at Carlisle last year! Craft Customs restored the wheel to what you see here. You can also see the adjustable “White Lightning” shifter kit that American Powertrain sent. Using a series of dog bones and Allen-key bolts, you can adjust your shifter to suit just about any application your heart desires. We ended up turning the shifter a little more towards the driver’s seat from this picture.

To mount the hydraulic reservoir for the clutch, the bracket that had been for the cruise control cable was removed, pounded flat on an anvil, and drilled for mounting holes before being mounted mirror-image onto the opposite side of the master cylinder. Cheap, easy, simple.

Once the transmission was bolted into place and I was content with the way everything sat, I took measurements per the instructions American Powertrain sent and placed the order for the new driveshaft, which arrived in short order in the most non-discreet package possible. Lord knows what my neighbors were thinking. All you have to do is follow the directions, know how to read a measuring tape, and understand what kind of U-joint connects to your rear axle. In my case, a 7260 (small Mopar) was ordered and once it was bolted in, it was time to drive.

Change One Thing, Change Two More…

Our first attempt at driving the Charger immediately ended when it became apparent that yours truly broke the bearing input shaft. That forced me to pull the transmission and replace the broken unit with a new retainer. But once we fixed that and finally got the car onto the roadway, it became apparent fast that pairing off a transmission with a 2.87 first gear and a 2.41 rear gear axle was a match made in Hell. Too tall a gear combination paired off with an engine that has just about no low end to speak of resulted in max effort to get the car moving without venturing into “hurting things” territory.

Oh, sure, the Charger would cruise at 70 MPH in fourth gear without breaking a sweat, but even at 75 MPH, the Charger didn’t have the oats to pull fifth gear. Oh, damn…guess that means new gears! And if I’m paying for new gears, I might as well add a limited-slip, right? It was a process (translated: the first set of gears nuked itself after eight miles, warranty repairs, and that the car was in the path of both tornadoes and flooding areas during the recent spat of psychotic weather that Kentucky and Tennessee went through) but the final result is that the car is home, the rear axle is back in the car, and we’re breaking in the gears over the next couple of weeks. A big kudos to Ron’s Machining Service LLC and Seth at Rears and Gears for their assistance with everything, I’ve never received customer service like that from either. Both are now immediate go-to sources for axle parts and work.

I’m sure that catches up the story. Between now and the next update is Hot Rod Power Tour…and the car is slated to go come hell or high water. Right now we have a sticking brake pedal (if not sticking front brakes), valve cover gaskets, a tune-up, a floor patch to complete, the interior to completely install, new air shocks so we don’t eat another set of rear tires prematurely, a tune-up, and an inaccurate fuel gauge to fix. Don’t wish me luck. Wish me someone who has been speaking Mopar since the late 1960s who can handle this list in 45 minutes.

Photo: Ron Turransky

Need to catch up?

The Introduction

Part One: The First Assessment

Part Two: Trunk Paint, Instrument Cluster Work

Part Three: Deeper Instrument Panel Work and the EFI-Ready Fuel Tank

Part Four: The Heater Core Job We Should Have Been Worried About

Part Five: New Wheels, Wiring Fixes, Fuel Pump Troubleshooting, First Dragstrip Pass

Part Six: MSD Distributor, Coil, and Solid-State Relay, RetroBright Headlights, And More

Part Seven: Brake Repair, Winter Projects, Subframe Bushing Replacement, Firm Feel Upper A-Arms

The Charger’s 2023 Trip To The Carlisle Chrysler Nationals

Part Eight: Fixing The Gauges Once And For All With Classic Instruments

The post The Charger, Part 9: Shoving A Tremec TKX Where It Truly Belongs appeared first on BangShift.com.

That was then. In today’s market, you’re damn lucky if you can find anything for five grand that you’d be willing to be seen in, let alone take on as a project. And you’d better believe that if you attempt this plan, that you will be putting in some strong work on your part if you have any intention of daily-driving the rig. And yes, daily operation was in consideration for past Rough Start cars. It wasn’t like you were going to find an Olds 442 or anything like that for that kind of money. (OK, maybe one of the “butt-less Cutlass” era 442s, but whatever.)

Dalton recently picked up yet another late-Seventies Pontiac Grand Prix. Aside from bringing back fond memories of the ass-chewing my dad gave me for doing absolutely riotous burnouts in his ’77 when I was a teenager, this is the perfect example of how far you’ll be stretching to make something out of nearly nothing. At first glance it’s bad. At second glance, it’s bad after the booze wore off and your vision returned to normal. The “before” shot of this Pontiac is the automotive equivalent of the worst one-night stand you could imagine. But Dalton also has patience, a vision, the ability to paint and when it comes to fiberglass body filler, he’s damn near Michelangelo. Don’t buy that? Look at the final product and judge for yourself.

The post Rough Project: Pole Barn Garage’s Budget-Savvy $2,250 Grand Prix Rebuild! appeared first on BangShift.com.

You know and I know how popular GM trucks have gotten lately. Finding an intact wrecker for under $3K that runs and drives? Rust or not, that’s still not a bad find. The question here is how good (or bad) will this be on Kevin’s wallet. It doesn’t look like a Ford F-series, and to my knowledge he has no tow-truck experience. But now ain’t a bad time to learn!

The post Draggin’ Ass: Can This Squarebody Tow Truck Live Once More? appeared first on BangShift.com.

LTD IIs aren’t common to find, and usually it’s either a well-kept Sport or a four-door that’s somehow avoiding death if you do find one. We don’t know what’s under this hood other than “a lot” but whatever the program is on this Ford, we dig it.

The post Morning Symphony: Banging Gears In A Stick-Shifted Ford LTD II appeared first on BangShift.com.

1. I’ve got my car and I don’t need to go out hunting anymore (my wife has a cast-iron skillet with my name on it if I drag any more hopeless wrecks home).

2. What shouldn’t be a shock to anyone, is that the original premise of the Rough Start series ($5,000, ready to drive or with one hell of an excuse why not) has been trashed. Blame economic factors, blame sellers who only see dollar signs.

3. …what’s left to buy even if you found something?

A daunting task, but I figured “what the hell” and went for it. This time, my restrictions were simple: $1000-$8000 price range, older than 1996. That’s it. And even that didn’t seem like a big enough net to cast up until I saw this thing. No, I haven’t lost my senses. In fact, this tiny little wind-up toy makes me smile.

Because the only thing that Kia sold in the United States at the time were bicycles (I know, my first bike was a Kia), you know this car better as a Ford Festiva and not as a Kia Pride. Whatever…it was a three-door hatchback meant to play the role of subcompact and fuel economy champion in Ford’s lineup. The last role I saw it play was in the movie Idiocracy as the car Joe has to drive during his “rehabilitation”. (Don’t ask about the hood ornament.)

But I have a reason to dig this. Back in my youth I took the Festiva’s predecessor, an early-1980s Fiesta, and made the same pickup-truck conversion. Only I didn’t install a dump bed. That would’ve been handy. No matter…the Fiesta made for a tiny little truck that sipped fuel and moved more weight than Ford Europe ever would’ve believed. This Festiva has the same things going for it: Road legality (ahem), frugal powertrain, and tiny size helps. It’s cheaper than a UTV, too. Need a pit car for your drag team? Need to haul things across your farm? The answer to both is “Festiva”.

Who would’ve ever believed that sentence?

Facebook Marketplace link: 1990 Ford Festiva truck conversion

The post Rough Start: This Festiva Is A Cute Li’l Farm Truck! appeared first on BangShift.com.

Tony Angelo has been messing with this silver soap bar of a Mark VIII for a while now. A turbocharger has been forcing the Lincoln to power realms that nobody at Ford ever would have believed, but that came at the cost of at least one engine. With a fresh bullet in the engine bay (and a fresh turbocharger to take the place of the one that also got smoked), it’s time to see if the last of the personal luxury coupes can throw down a solid number on the dyno.

The post Still Stomping: Can Tony’s Mark VIII Throw Down 500 Horsepower On The Dyno? appeared first on BangShift.com.

MPC, through Round 2, are bringing back some classics, my “Fuzz Duster” being one of them. In this video, you’ll see another: the 1977 Dodge Warlock. Based on the W100 stepside and packing anything from the E58 360 through the last of the 440s, the Warlock was part of Dodge’s eye-raisingly named “Adult Toys” line of factory-custom vehicles. Basically, it was a four-wheel-drive L’il Red Truck, but with engine options, a few more colors, and no exhaust stacks. What’s not to like?

From opening the box until the truck is completely finished, follow along. I’m not responsible if you smell like Testors within a few days. That’s all on you.

The post Desktop Build: A Detailed Build Of A ’77 Dodge Warlock Model Kit appeared first on BangShift.com.

Now, those machines exist, but they were not the everyday items. Cars like this 1970 Dodge Cornet sedan were. If you look only at the nose or only at the tail, you can see Dodge Super Bee. But then you see four doors and a majority of people immediately stop, feel nauseous, and walk away. Myself, I’d immediately want to build a phantom four-door Super Bee, attitude, big-block and all. But for Dylan McCool, this Slant Six-powered, three-on-the-tree B-body is inspiring a different vision. But until that car gets a fuel tank that doesn’t tear apart like you were ripping apart notebook paper, it ain’t doing squat. Click on the video below to see this old sedan get back on its feet.

The post Not Muscle: This Basic Dodge Coronet Comes Back To Life appeared first on BangShift.com.

Dalton has been working on the world’s largest model kit-bash project in his shops for a bit now. He’s got an original GMC van that came with four-wheel drive, but unfortunately the body is little more than a pasta colander now. When he went out to Arizona with Kevin from Junkyard Digs last year, he found a neat little rust-free Chevy Van that would work. But then there is the issue of a big-block…and that’s been answered by an old church van that was rocking 7.4 liters of motivation. So we have an engine, a chassis, and a body…on three different vehicles. The end goal is a shorty 4×4 van with a big block, right? That’s a pretty tall order in your backyard shop that doesn’t have a lift…

The post Body-Swapping A Chevy Van To A 4×4 Frame Is Easy…If You Believe Pole Barn Garage! appeared first on BangShift.com.