NormanPlombe
Member
I mean 300 wheel covers in 15"?
1966 300 power to manual steering
- Thread starter NormanPlombe
- Start date
polara66hardtop
Senior Member
My car has the disc disc brake option, which requires 15 inch wheels.
Find some 15 inch rims and newer caps, and the car will drive immensly better.
The geometry of the suspension was designed for bias ply tires, and the sizes were larger.but wider rims and tires will degrade the steering quality, regardless if the car is a Dart, charger, or chrysler. people these days never drove the cars when new. so they don't know any better! HAHAHA
I did drive those cars in 1967, and the fad of wide rims and tires today are not compatible with the steering geometry back in the day.my first car was a 1960 Desoto, so I have been driving a long *** time!
The 67 model chryslers when equipped with 15 inch wheels had the caps you see in the picture of my Newport.You can look at 1968 charger brochures, and when equipped with disc brakes, these same caps are on B body cars as well.
the only difference is when on a dodge, the center says dodge. on the chrysler, it says chrysler disc
I have owned this car since 1996, and prior to that it sat behind a gas station since 1980!
So, it has spent a total of 13 years on the road, it is a 440 TNT, manual steering, no A/C with disc brake car.CE23L7xxxxxx Plain jane as can be.
It does have an AM radio and painted top though!
Find some 15 inch rims and newer caps, and the car will drive immensly better.
The geometry of the suspension was designed for bias ply tires, and the sizes were larger.but wider rims and tires will degrade the steering quality, regardless if the car is a Dart, charger, or chrysler. people these days never drove the cars when new. so they don't know any better! HAHAHA
I did drive those cars in 1967, and the fad of wide rims and tires today are not compatible with the steering geometry back in the day.my first car was a 1960 Desoto, so I have been driving a long *** time!
The 67 model chryslers when equipped with 15 inch wheels had the caps you see in the picture of my Newport.You can look at 1968 charger brochures, and when equipped with disc brakes, these same caps are on B body cars as well.
the only difference is when on a dodge, the center says dodge. on the chrysler, it says chrysler disc
I have owned this car since 1996, and prior to that it sat behind a gas station since 1980!
So, it has spent a total of 13 years on the road, it is a 440 TNT, manual steering, no A/C with disc brake car.CE23L7xxxxxx Plain jane as can be.
It does have an AM radio and painted top though!
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PH27L7
Well-Known Member
That's one oddball Newport polara66! There's a really nice hubcap guide here- http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/64to80_hubcap_spotters_guide.pdf
There were a number of different centers used with those turbine caps like yours depending on application. Finding ones that are in good shape is a challenge.
For radial tires I like to change the alignment specs from factory, it does increase the manual steering effort but is still livable IMHO. Typically I add some positive caster with a 1/2 degree of negative camber, greatly improves handling.
There were a number of different centers used with those turbine caps like yours depending on application. Finding ones that are in good shape is a challenge.
For radial tires I like to change the alignment specs from factory, it does increase the manual steering effort but is still livable IMHO. Typically I add some positive caster with a 1/2 degree of negative camber, greatly improves handling.
polara66hardtop
Senior Member
The car is not a problem, but when you change the width of the wheel, size, or offset, then you get what you get!
this car has a history! the owner was committed to a mental hospital, and passed away in 1980. the mechanic at that station rebuilt the front end, then it sat as the owner passed. How or why that car sat for 16 years I don't know. 16 years later, I found the car.
this car has a history! the owner was committed to a mental hospital, and passed away in 1980. the mechanic at that station rebuilt the front end, then it sat as the owner passed. How or why that car sat for 16 years I don't know. 16 years later, I found the car.
PH27L7
Well-Known Member
A one-off for sure with those options. Some of these cars have pretty crazy history, no pun intended.
polara66hardtop
Senior Member
I tried to document the car thru chrysler, but they said so few CE23 chryslers had the 440 TNT they could not find any history of this car, other than it was a special order car.
I have the original sales contact, and the top paint was $17.00 dollars!
The car now still has the glass packs from back in 1980.
when I ran some 105 octane thru i in 1998, , the thing turned into a beast!
I have the original sales contact, and the top paint was $17.00 dollars!
The car now still has the glass packs from back in 1980.
when I ran some 105 octane thru i in 1998, , the thing turned into a beast!
PH27L7
Well-Known Member
I actually had CE23 with TNT years ago, miss it. A year newer than yours, it also came with glass packs, they were too noisy so I put on a totally stock exhaust. It was ordered by a farmer in Fargo, ND. Here it is, CE27L8, dig the original dog dishes-
NormanPlombe
Member
I woke up with this thought: People criticize/ question the logic of having manual steering/ brakes on the big, fat C-bodies but there is certainly an argument to be made that once you get rid of the considerable weight of these (and other) power accessories (no A/C on my car either) the cars are a bit less fat and therefore less needful of mechanical "helpers." Throughout the history of cars, we kept adding convenience packages that added weight and stole horsepower..then we needed bigger engines that drank more fuel and polluted more...so we added smog pumps and jammed the exhaust with catalytic converters...which added weight and stole more horsepower....surely there's a happy medium in there somewhere, and many modern cars are getting close to in--efficient, powerful and convenient...but they ain't cool!
Perfection is attained when nothing is extraneous and nothing is lacking.
Perfection is attained when nothing is extraneous and nothing is lacking.
NormanPlombe
Member
UPDATE! New tank is in and plumbed. Car was running poorly when I drove it home, but it ran. I swapped plugs and found three plug wires loose...I was sure when I put gas in the tank it would fire right up....nope... It just would not start (remember this is a car I drove only once--on the way home from buying it). I checked the points and they were a little closed up, so I set them, and set it at about TDC....wouldn't even fart....I had ordered an HEI but hadn't installed it...slapped it in and eyballed it at around TDC. It fired right up...I advanced it to a smooth idle and away I went. I usually leave the hold down loose enough to move the distributor and run whatever gas I'm going to run (87) and keep bumping up the time 'til it pings a little then back it off a tad.
NormanPlombe
Member
Update! Got the manual brakes swapped in. Guys...there is simply no need for power brakes on these cars...It was just a marketing ploy. Just look how happy this little guy is! Uses all correct parts.
NormanPlombe
Member
Power brakes stink!
NormanPlombe
Member
But...if any of you nellies (nice ad campaign...insult your target demographic) want to swap to power, I'll sell the whole kit for 200 plus shipping. That's exactly what I paid for the manual stuff.
NormanPlombe
Member
NOW BACK TO STEERING: I'm more confident than ever that I want to swap to manual steering. It's clear to me that the column itself is the same, but the second section forward of the u joint is a couple inches longer. worst case scenario is I'd have to cut, sleeve and weld that but I'd really rather not. I'd like to find the correct piece. Steering boxes are readily available, but that shaft section and Pitman arm are my hold ups. No rush...the power unit's doing fine and leak free.
'66 Fury I
Active Member
Looks like the idler arm is the same- power or manual. National Moparts lists the Idler and pitman arns NOS. Thier used part department will be able to supply the longer lower steering column shaft.
mr. fix it
Old Man with a Hat
It looks similar
I pulled a power steering box from a 73 and it was identical in all aspects as my 66 ps box
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PH27L7
Well-Known Member
Pitman arm should be no big deal, mopar P/N 2269398
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Mopar-...254036&hash=item53e197a1d7:g:c88AAMXQiNdRc~3f
NormanPlombe
Member
thank you.
NormanPlombe
Member
Has anyone here ever separated a shaft there? I haven't even looked under that sheetmantal cover to see it. I'm guessing it's a U joint with pins or (hopefully) bolts to separate it?
It should be a rubber biscuit ~ 1-1/2" thick that's bolted to both the upper and lower shafts.
Verse
Active Member
I have manual steering on my 66 Newport and I love it. On the highway it is the way to go.
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