1969 Imperial progress thread

[Samplingman]

I'm in the reverse situation, I got my car in pieces. I literally had to find a parts car that was complete so I could figure out where everything goes. You really cannot use the FSM as an instruction sheet, even though that's the illusion.

 

[70NPORT]

I'm in the reverse situation, I got my car in pieces. I literally had to find a parts car that was complete so I could figure out where everything goes. You really cannot use the FSM as an instruction sheet, even though that's the illusion.

I agree to a point, the FSM isn't ALWAYS clear.....usually when you need it to be absolutely clear, what I've found.

 

[bluefury361]

I agree to a point, the FSM isn't ALWAYS clear.....usually when you need it to be absolutely clear, what I've found.

Yeah .... the FSM is very helpful for service procedures. A factory parts book is about as close as one can come to a assembly manual. I own a parts book for every car I have ...... and many I don't have ..... yet.

 

[vdk2010]

Some of you told me to focus and I'm pretty sure you guys know what you're talking about but everyone have to find his way. I have limites options to do things, I'm going my way and I'm sure to get it done. Because it's my first restauration, I have other problems next to my rusty car like buying tools... I had no tools when I started... Thats a lot of money too...

I have a pretty good system to sort parts in labeled boxes that work fine for me. I also labeled every single part, cable, connector and so on. And I have more than 2k sorted pictures of every single part, cable, connector etc to comprehend how they belong...

Thanks for your concerns but I always have different ways to do things but always reach my destination. And if I can continue to count on your guys help it will eventually be done.

 

[vdk2010]

Will there anything be left in place till next month, the earliest date I could take a look at the car ?

I have to wait until next month till I can buy an engine crane and stand so the engine will be in place until then, yes...



And in order to bridge times like this I will meanwhile take care of other parts. That's why I can't focus completely... It's all about the money... as usual... I have a budget every month and if this is maxed, I have to find other things to do.

 

[bluefury361]

Thanks for your concerns but I always have different ways to do things but always reach my destination. And if I can continue to count on your guys help it will eventually be done.

Julian ......... one thing for sure...... You can ALWAYS count on us for help & advise.

 

[vdk2010]

And you can count on me to bring the project to an good end. How bumfuzzled it may seem. ;)


p.s. bumfuzzled is a funny word

 

[Dano]

You can turn the engine using the crank bolt Julian, I'm not sure but I think is's a 1 1/4 or 1 3/8 head. If it does not tun easily then add a litle 50/50 trans fluid and acitone to each cylinder and after sitting for a day or so ...... With a bar and socket try rotatingthe crank one way ... then the other. Hopefull it will loosen up and turn.

Julian the motor turns over but you have to get on the breaker bar real good. I had my foot on it. I got it to turn just about 3/4 of a revolution Try a pipe over your breaker bar.

 

[vdk2010]

I will try that later. But in my understanding it's not a good sign when it turns over that hard?!

I will first remove the spark plugs, maybe this will help.

 

[detmatt]

That will definitely help but the bottom line is that there's no getting around not rebuilding the engine as you have already figured out. The fact that Dano was able to rotate it at all before you purchased it was a good thing that took some of the risk out of your purchase.

 

[bluefury361]

Julian the motor turns over but you have to get on the breaker bar real good. I had my foot on it. I got it to turn just about 3/4 of a revolution Try a pipe over your breaker bar.

That is kind of a risky procedure. Too much torque to the left and the bolt will untread ...... To much torque to the right and you risk breaking the bold off in the crank. (there is a reason I know that).
You also risk bending one or more connecting rods.

Back and forth a little at a time is better.

 

[patrick66]

If that 440 block ends up being unusable, I have a 440 bare block with a '75 casting date, with main caps I'd sell you very reasonably...of course, shipping on something like that might likely be crazy expensive! It came out of a '74 New Yorker about 15 years ago. I also have several stock 440 rods with caps, and other miscellaneous 440 parts I'd sell you for the cause for a very good (and cheap!) price.

I remember building my '67 Belvedere I Leichenwagen while I was stationed in Germany, and getting it ready to ship back to the US. Getting parts over to Germany was not real expensive then; but of course, I was able to use the US APO postal system and not having to ship to a German civilian address. This was a car I'd bought in Belgium in 1990 from the second owner. It was one of just three '67 Belvedere I six-passenger wagons shipped new to a hearse converter in Antwerp. Two were sold to a mortuary in Brussels, and one went to Sweden. I believe my car is the only one to survive, and is currently in Oklahoma.

 

[vdk2010]

I removed the spark plugs and tried to turn the engine over. After a little left, right, left, right it moved, but only approx. 30° and then there is a crunchy noise...

7 of the spark plugs electrodes look good but have a little rust on them and one plug is really dirty... people say that the spark plugs are a window to the engine, so what does that tell us?

 

[bluefury361]

there is a crunchy noise...

people say that the spark plugs are a window to the engine, so what does that tell us?

Those plugs arn't talking very loud ....... but your pictures have told me .......... REBUILD ...REBUILD.....!!!!

 

[vdk2010]

If that 440 block ends up being unusable, I have a 440 bare block with a '75 casting date, with main caps I'd sell you very reasonably...of course, shipping on something like that might likely be crazy expensive! It came out of a '74 New Yorker about 15 years ago. I also have several stock 440 rods with caps, and other miscellaneous 440 parts I'd sell you for the cause for a very good (and cheap!) price.

I remember building my '67 Belvedere I Leichenwagen while I was stationed in Germany, and getting it ready to ship back to the US. Getting parts over to Germany was not real expensive then; but of course, I was able to use the US APO postal system and not having to ship to a German civilian address. This was a car I'd bought in Belgium in 1990 from the second owner. It was one of just three '67 Belvedere I six-passenger wagons shipped new to a hearse converter in Antwerp. Two were sold to a mortuary in Brussels, and one went to Sweden. I believe my car is the only one to survive, and is currently in Oklahoma.

Thanks for your offer! I will see how the engine looks like when I take it apart. I hope all my parts are rebuildable because shipping a whole engine IS crazy expensive..!

I kind of like Leichenwagen! These are really cool!



Do you know the actual owner of your Belvedere?

 

[vdk2010]

Those plugs arn't talking very loud ....... but your pictures have told me .......... REBUILD ...REBUILD.....!!!!

Absolutely! More and more reasons...

hm, I had a little hope the engine is ok... But well, obviously it's not..!

 

[bajajoaquin]

If you really think about it, the answer is that you were always going to rebuild the engine. There's no way you were going to take the car apart, clean, refurbish, repair, and replace, and then put a tired old engine back in place. Even if it turned over freely, you would have looked at the piles of parts around and said to yourself, "why not just go ahead and do it all?"

 

[70bigblockdodge]

The crunchy is most likely air escaping past rings riding on rusty cylinder walls, I'm sure it will be fine those are tough old blocks/engines running without oil and water is probably there worst enemies.

 

[patrick66]

Thanks for your offer! I will see how the engine looks like when I take it apart. I hope all my parts are rebuildable because shipping a whole engine IS crazy expensive..!

I kind of like Leichenwagen! These are really cool!
View attachment 30093


Do you know the actual owner of your Belvedere?

Yes, I do. I traded the car to a guy for a complete paint job on a '67 GMC Suburban I was restoring, and he still has the car. It was a black car with two-tone blue interior. Originally, it had a 225 with three-speed on the column, Hemi torsion bars and XHD rear springs, 11" brakes front and rear, clock, heater, 200 km/h speedo, and radio delete. I had converted the car to disc brakes and an automatic in Germany, then installed a 360 when I got the car to Oklahoma. Pretty neat car! I bought the car in central Belgium in 1990 and drove the car back to Germany. When I shipped the car to the US, I picked the car up in Houston and drove it 550 miles back to OKC...damn, was I a trusting soul or what!

 

[cm23uoc]

Was this car assembled in the US or did it come from one of the overseas plants ?