I thought some would be interested in hearing the Best Ever Thanksgiving (Breakdown). Here goes: My wife and I decided to earn our turkey this Thanksgiving by doing the 5k Run to Feed the Hungry. We quickly did the run and followed up by washing the 66’ Fury Convertible to take to my family’s house for Thanksgiving Dinner. The Drive to my Aunt/Uncle’s house was nice in the cushy seats, and the 383 droning down the road. While driving on a country road I was pleased to find the adjustments to the transmission kickdown worked as I passed a slower vehicle like it was standing still. So yeah, all good, nice mid 60’s California blue bird day. I got to the location of the feast, and my family was very interested to see my new project…the convertible Fury. They each took turns taking the car for a spin with the top down to get fresh air while basking in the nostalgia of a classic 60’s Mopar! This is my first Mopar, but the thanksgiving conversation easily made its way to my Dad’s 66’ Formula S Barracuda which he never stopped talking about. My Dad passed 3yrs ago, but we all know how his Barracuda would “run circles” around my mom’s 289 Mustang. We all laughed and rejoiced.
The meal was awesome! We all ate too much…and then had desert! With the tryptophan kicking in and the football game winding down, my wife and I decided to say goodbyes and head home. It was dark and cool out so the top went up and the heater came on. The headlights seemed dim, but hey its an old car right?
We got about 2 miles down the road and EVERYTHING stopped working. EVERYTHING!!! No lights, no power brakes, no power steering, no engine running. NOTHING. It was like a movie where a UFO does screwy things with an automobile, the car dies, the occupants are abducted and anal probed. Fortunately there was no UFO in the area, so bums were secure, and we came to a stop at a busy intersection. I was a bit flummoxed! What the hell just happened??? I’ve had cars sputter and stop; engines blow while racing; transmissions slip, clutches explode; gears or drivelines fall out; fuses blow, wiring fry; tires go flat; and even coolant start spewing out. All of which can make a car inoperable. But this was new! No sound or smell whatsoever! Just Nothingness!
We had cell reception and called my family members to help give us a push out of the roadway and to a gas station parking lot. It was actually kind of nice. My sister, brother-in-law, niece, and uncle hung out while waiting for a tow truck. Additional impromptu family time ensued.
Still in the back of my head I kept thinking what the heck happened??? Maybe that new little voltage regulator I put on the fuel gauge had done it…nah, that only changes voltage for a couple gauges. Then the “Ohhhhhh” moment hit. Many of the same threads discussing how to bypass the points in the fuel gage lead to talk of an Ammeter Bypass as well. The quotes from the threads chimed back in my head “if you don’t bypass the ammeter you better carry walking shoes,” or “the ammeter is the Achilles heal of our classic Mopar’s.”
The next day I completed the under hood and under dash ammeter bypass. All I had to do was type in “Ammeter Bypass” in the C Bodies only Search Engine. Crimp, solder, tape, shrink wrap. The Fury fired right up no problem!!!
The only real hard part was to figure out what the prior owners had done to the stock wiring over 55 years. After that it was simple. So thanks to all who have been very helpful on this website! Also, any new Mopar owners please do the ammeter bypass. I got lucky. But it could’ve been in 115 degree heat with no cell service; or near our cabin with no cell, no heat, and in a blizzard. Happy Holidays All!
The meal was awesome! We all ate too much…and then had desert! With the tryptophan kicking in and the football game winding down, my wife and I decided to say goodbyes and head home. It was dark and cool out so the top went up and the heater came on. The headlights seemed dim, but hey its an old car right?
We got about 2 miles down the road and EVERYTHING stopped working. EVERYTHING!!! No lights, no power brakes, no power steering, no engine running. NOTHING. It was like a movie where a UFO does screwy things with an automobile, the car dies, the occupants are abducted and anal probed. Fortunately there was no UFO in the area, so bums were secure, and we came to a stop at a busy intersection. I was a bit flummoxed! What the hell just happened??? I’ve had cars sputter and stop; engines blow while racing; transmissions slip, clutches explode; gears or drivelines fall out; fuses blow, wiring fry; tires go flat; and even coolant start spewing out. All of which can make a car inoperable. But this was new! No sound or smell whatsoever! Just Nothingness!
We had cell reception and called my family members to help give us a push out of the roadway and to a gas station parking lot. It was actually kind of nice. My sister, brother-in-law, niece, and uncle hung out while waiting for a tow truck. Additional impromptu family time ensued.
Still in the back of my head I kept thinking what the heck happened??? Maybe that new little voltage regulator I put on the fuel gauge had done it…nah, that only changes voltage for a couple gauges. Then the “Ohhhhhh” moment hit. Many of the same threads discussing how to bypass the points in the fuel gage lead to talk of an Ammeter Bypass as well. The quotes from the threads chimed back in my head “if you don’t bypass the ammeter you better carry walking shoes,” or “the ammeter is the Achilles heal of our classic Mopar’s.”
The next day I completed the under hood and under dash ammeter bypass. All I had to do was type in “Ammeter Bypass” in the C Bodies only Search Engine. Crimp, solder, tape, shrink wrap. The Fury fired right up no problem!!!
The only real hard part was to figure out what the prior owners had done to the stock wiring over 55 years. After that it was simple. So thanks to all who have been very helpful on this website! Also, any new Mopar owners please do the ammeter bypass. I got lucky. But it could’ve been in 115 degree heat with no cell service; or near our cabin with no cell, no heat, and in a blizzard. Happy Holidays All!
