TroyCo
Active Member
Similar to what mine looks like. I had to cut one of those strut bolts out unfortunately, as the captured nut inside separated from the inside. The other one came out fine.
Can of worms opened.
1966 Polara 880: The Build So Far, or "Bring Money".
- Thread starter TroyCo
- Start date
Similar to what mine looks like. I had to cut one of those strut bolts out unfortunately, as the captured nut inside separated from the inside. The other one came out fine.
Can of worms opened.
TroyCo
Active Member
More pics of the underbody:
Driver's side
Trans tunnel, driver's side
I would have naturally preferred less corrosion, but all in all, it looks pretty minimal.
Driver's side
Trans tunnel, driver's side
I would have naturally preferred less corrosion, but all in all, it looks pretty minimal.
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TroyCo
Active Member
Passenger Side:
Everything seems to be far nicer on this side. Only rust prevention needed.
Everything seems to be far nicer on this side. Only rust prevention needed.
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3175375
Old Man with a Hat
You have some work to do in cleaning up your car! Keep on keeping on!
Paging @Stev
Yea, some clean up and probably welding. But I'd want more blocking support than those 2 jack stands if it was me.
Yea, some clean up and probably welding. But I'd want more blocking support than those 2 jack stands if it was me.
TroyCo
Active Member
This frame is K-R-U-ST-Y!
I'm in love with these expert level repairs held together with booger welds and hope.
I'm in love with these expert level repairs held together with booger welds and hope.
TroyCo
Active Member
But wait- - there's more!
I can tell at least two pros worked on this previously, as this repair was held together with scraps of sheet metal, self tappers, tar, AND hopes & prayers. It's rather disturbing to think this was all that was holding this car together.
The rest of the car appears to be pretty sound. * I hope that statement doesn't come back to bite me in the ****
I can tell at least two pros worked on this previously, as this repair was held together with scraps of sheet metal, self tappers, tar, AND hopes & prayers. It's rather disturbing to think this was all that was holding this car together.
The rest of the car appears to be pretty sound. * I hope that statement doesn't come back to bite me in the ****
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What do you know, or what can you say about the car's history? Where geographically did it spend it's time? Parked outside or in a garage? Did it have any extended periods of inactivity?
TroyCo
Active Member
Not alot. The seller's package only went as far back as 1972. However, it seems to have been a local car it's entire life, as far back as '72, at least. It had a 400 and 727 out of a '73 or '74 C body installed at some point in it's life. The guy I bought it from didn't know anything about cars. In fact, he thought it had a 383. He bought it from some used car lot. I suspect they did alot of the shoddy work mentioned. While he owned it, he had the fuel tank replaced and all new brakes and dual reservoir master cylinder replaced by a local shop that builds and races Mopars. They also rebuilt or refreshed the transmission.
I feel it has spent a considerable amount of time indoors, as the interior and most of the sheet metal on the car is in good condition. It has had bodywork in the past, as the original colour was green, but the rockers are all original and solid, as is most of the floor. I'm puzzled as to why there was sheet metal replaced in the footwells of the car, as all the floor underneath appears to be original and solid. The trunk floor has also had very minimal repair.
Stev
Active Member
Amusingly those stub support areas are the one part of my car that wasn't ******. I'd do that up right, that's the most important structural part of the car. Those pedestals alone locate the front end of the car.
I'd replace that stub if i were you too. The main box section is supposed to go through the crossmember section and that appears to be cut off entirely on yours. About as much to weld too as the original i took out.
Are you sure it's the 880? That should have the american monaco trim and wider tail lights if it is. As my wagon does.
I saved my basket case 880. It can be done. The brackets the stub mounts too on the car looked the same on mine, but cleaned up perfectly fine with a wire brush. Be sure to source proper replacement for the stub bolts, they are unique and the tapered section locate the frame. I had to cut a few as well and replacing them properly was a pain.
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TroyCo
Active Member
I'm strongly considering replacing everything in that area. Like an onion, the more layers I peel back, the worse it gets. I've sourced a mint floor and cowl, so I think it'll be better in the long run to have proper, factory steel in place. I won't make a final call until I pull the interior and check the rest of the floor.
The stub pictured will be scrapped once I cut the engine mounts out. MoPar Man hooked me up with a minty stub frame.
My car is an 880. It's a Canadian car, so that may make a difference. It's possible some trim is missing. I've seen several 880s in my area and a few 440s, with varying trim.
It looked like the only tapered bolts were the ones bolting the stub through the floor? If so, both of those bolts can be saved. I'll also be saving the extra thick washers. The other bolts looked to be fairly ordinary.
I checked out your build a while back, I'm inspired. I'm definitely going to give it a closer look, now that I'm going to be covering similar ground.
Stev
Active Member
Yeah, i had to cut one of the tapered ones. Fun.
Blue is an 880 and has the Monaco trim. The shop manual implies all 880s should have the monaco trim and lights at least. '66 was the last year for the 880 badge in Canada, it was already replaced by Monaco in the US.
I made most of the stuff on my car from scratch, but the pedestal that mounts the stub outriggers is really important. They locate the stub and do the lion's share of loadbearing. To replace them you'll have to be really exact in locating them. I'm lucky they were somehow fine for me so i can't say much other than just rebuild it in place and be really really careful it's both strong and located accurately.
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You are correct - there is a difference between USA and Canadian full size Dodge stubs with how the torsion bars work - bar length is different - however, I believe the US/Canadian stubs are interchangeable, but DO NOT take my word for it.
If you're at all worried about it, I would think you could source a Canadian stub - there should be still quite a few excellent stubs available from Saskatchewan that would be direct/correct bolt-on.
TroyCo
Active Member
Yes, the Canadian cars used Plymouth stubs. The only stumbling block in my way is the stub I sourced is for a '65. Other than the engine mounts, there aren't any major differences.
I believe that engine setback is also 1" different between 65 and 66 stubs. Not widely known...
Yea but the mounts are different between those 2 years so there's no way to compare - is there? The difference (if real) would show up in the trans mount?
TroyCo
Active Member
I haven't confirmed, but visually, they appear to locate it in a different spot. I made a jig to locate the '66 mounts correctly once I remove them from the old stub. Up until a few days ago, I was hoping that was going to be the hardest part of this project. Oh, how I miss the good ol' days.
Agreed - and while it's been a long time ago, the 66 trans cross member bolts into the 65 stub and vice versa, so not really an insurmountable issue. Also, and this maybe hearsay, but I've heard you can just turn the trans mount around...
Stev
Active Member
If it's any consolation, Grandpa told me it only needed a carb rebuild and some U joints.
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