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#1
Aero Cars / Re: MOPAR JOHNS EK2 SUPERBIRD ...
Last post by Mopar John - Today at 02:08:17 PM ORIGINAL SUPERBIRD HEADLIGHT DIMMER SWITCH
It's funny how things work out sometimes!
Recently I have been working my way through a milk crate of electrical components.
I dug out all the original headlight dimmer switches and found 4 of them.
I decided to check the internet and see if I could find an NOS one?
Being that every MOPAR made had one of these I was shocked at how few were available!
The next thing was how pricy the few NOS ones were that I did find were!
Then I noticed ALL the NOS ones for sale were WRONG!
Somewhere in the early 70's Chrysler added a shroud in the casting were the wire harness plugged in.
This was probably due to problems with that connecter getting wet from rain and snow.
The NOS ones were also made by a new supplier ESSEX!
So I have attached some pictures of my originals.
The first picture shows all 4 sides of them.
The second picture shows the bottoms with the "RBM" company logo cast into them.
The third through sixth pictures shows the date codes stamped into the bottoms.
The date codes are 498 ( 49th week 1968 ), 219 ( 21st week 1969), 479 (47th week 1969) and 050 (5th week 1970).
The 219 probably came from one of the Daytona's and the 479 probably came from the Superbird!
So now boys it's time to rip up those carpets unlpug the harness and unbolt those switches!
That's the only way to be sure if you have the correct switch in your Superbird!
Does anyone know if there is someone out there that cosmetically restores these?
ENJOY! MJ
It's funny how things work out sometimes!
Recently I have been working my way through a milk crate of electrical components.
I dug out all the original headlight dimmer switches and found 4 of them.
I decided to check the internet and see if I could find an NOS one?
Being that every MOPAR made had one of these I was shocked at how few were available!
The next thing was how pricy the few NOS ones were that I did find were!
Then I noticed ALL the NOS ones for sale were WRONG!
Somewhere in the early 70's Chrysler added a shroud in the casting were the wire harness plugged in.
This was probably due to problems with that connecter getting wet from rain and snow.
The NOS ones were also made by a new supplier ESSEX!
So I have attached some pictures of my originals.
The first picture shows all 4 sides of them.
The second picture shows the bottoms with the "RBM" company logo cast into them.
The third through sixth pictures shows the date codes stamped into the bottoms.
The date codes are 498 ( 49th week 1968 ), 219 ( 21st week 1969), 479 (47th week 1969) and 050 (5th week 1970).
The 219 probably came from one of the Daytona's and the 479 probably came from the Superbird!
So now boys it's time to rip up those carpets unlpug the harness and unbolt those switches!
That's the only way to be sure if you have the correct switch in your Superbird!
Does anyone know if there is someone out there that cosmetically restores these?
ENJOY! MJ
#2
Car Guys Discussion / Re: Solid lifter big block Che...
Last post by lloyd3 - Today at 10:02:34 AMComing of age in the 1970s included some inherent risks. You could still be drafted (that ended of-course in 1975), you could get caught-up in some sort of "tender trap" (all too-easily!), and you could die as the victim of some drunk or stoned driver (yourself included). Fast (and faster) cars were about a dime-a-dozen then and just about every young man I knew during that rather-tumultuous period had something of that sort to drive around in. Mine happened to be a '65 440 Coronet 2-door with an early & cheap ($100) 440 with it's 727 automatic (from a rusted-out & wrecked New Yorker) shoehorned into it. Throw some headers on it w/a sizable Holley carb (& some slotted mags) and trouble always followed. I didn't have it very long.
#3
Off Topic Discussion / Re: Cold is keeping me out of ...
Last post by hemigeno - Yesterday at 12:16:53 PMWhen I built my house in 2001, I put hydronic radiant heat in the garage floor along with the rest of the house. The system is fed by a 34 gallon, 150,000btu heater that also provides domestic hot water.
A couple of observations:
> Most residential thermostats' lowest setpoint is 50 degrees. The sheer mass of the garage's concrete slab takes a good while to warm up - and once the thermostat is satisfied & closes the zone valve, the slab still puts off heat for a couple of hours. My garage's temperature will peak in the mid-high 50's (on really cold days) to low 60's in winter, even though I have the Tstat set on 50. It doesn't drop much below 50 though, unless the kids forget and leave the garage door open.
Our finished basement will also have some variance between the set point and the peak temps for the same reason (mass of the concrete keeps putting off heat after the zone valves close). Shouldn't be a big deal for a garage/shop.
> You'll want to plan ahead for any vehicle lifts to be anchored to the garage floor. Route the radiant heat piping around the potential post locations accordingly - and don't forget to document those future post locations and/or thickened slabs!
A couple of observations:
> Most residential thermostats' lowest setpoint is 50 degrees. The sheer mass of the garage's concrete slab takes a good while to warm up - and once the thermostat is satisfied & closes the zone valve, the slab still puts off heat for a couple of hours. My garage's temperature will peak in the mid-high 50's (on really cold days) to low 60's in winter, even though I have the Tstat set on 50. It doesn't drop much below 50 though, unless the kids forget and leave the garage door open.
Our finished basement will also have some variance between the set point and the peak temps for the same reason (mass of the concrete keeps putting off heat after the zone valves close). Shouldn't be a big deal for a garage/shop.> You'll want to plan ahead for any vehicle lifts to be anchored to the garage floor. Route the radiant heat piping around the potential post locations accordingly - and don't forget to document those future post locations and/or thickened slabs!
#5
Car Guys Discussion / Re: Solid lifter big block Che...
Last post by tan top - Yesterday at 07:24:51 AMyikes rolling your coronet 
lucky to get away with that 
by all accounts the L78 solid lifter 396 is supposed to be a serious piece of chevy hardware , was rated at factory rated at 425 also as well as 375 horse how true
if it did or not stock ! w it was a strong engine this 396 was really 396 cuin ! (not the later 396 that was really a 402).
could be had with factory aluminum heads not sure what option package or maybe just a over the counter dealer fitted deal , these engines made max power at or just over 6 grand.
lucky to get away with that by all accounts the L78 solid lifter 396 is supposed to be a serious piece of chevy hardware , was rated at factory rated at 425 also as well as 375 horse how true
if it did or not stock ! w it was a strong engine this 396 was really 396 cuin ! (not the later 396 that was really a 402).could be had with factory aluminum heads not sure what option package or maybe just a over the counter dealer fitted deal , these engines made max power at or just over 6 grand.
#6
Car Guys Discussion / Re: Shrinking parking size
Last post by tan top - Yesterday at 06:43:30 AMQuote from: Kern Dog on January 21, 2025, 12:55:26 PMThe wife calls it Co-Dependency. These people often find comfort by parking close to others. The same mentality feeds the need to drive next to someone else on the roadway even when traffic is light.
Fucker, if I wanted to be close to other people, I'd make it a point to do so. I speed up, slow down and sometimes drift a little in my lane to DIScourage dipshits from hanging in my blind spot. I don't want anyone driving next to me unless the traffic is heavy or if I know you.
yeah all true KD
agree 100% the B******** , what gets me your stopped at a red light or in traffic the next car behind can see you 200 yards away with your foot on the brake & lights red , i watch them in the mirror continue at the same speed till the last possible minute & slam on the brakes & nose dive like they are shocked your stopped F****** B******* , we all know how good modern brakes are today but WHY idiots
, same with im driving along in lane 1 , a car will hang in ya blind spot in 2 or what ever lane your in ! as they go past alot of drivers drift close enough you could almost touch their door makes me so mad 
, & or pull in front leaving about 2 feet gap as they do 
#7
Charger Discussion / Re: Who has a 69 Charger that ...
Last post by tan top - Yesterday at 06:28:48 AMQuote from: marshallfry01 on January 21, 2025, 05:00:24 PMMy 69 383 car has a 8/28 build date. It has the chrome shifter knob and the black buttons on the door handles instead of chrome... I'm not sure if it's a coincidence but those seem to be common on early build 69's.
black door handle buttons are correct for 68 build 69 chargers , mine has them SPD November 22 , but has the wood grain shift knob ,( previously unrestored was a 2 owner car when i bought it ) although mine is a SE also , just to confuse things seen a unrestored rotted out 69 R/TSE with a november SPD with a chrome shift knob ?
FWIW i always assumed
( never assume ) all 68s got the chrome shift knob & all 69s got the woodgrain but thats not the case , not sure what the deal was you tend to see most if not all 69 XX29 chargers with the chrome shift knob too & few with wood grain but whos to know if previous owners changed them , the case might just be using up the 68 shift knobs , same deal as the chrome buttons think the change was supposed to be from january built 69s , but seen a few unrestored 69s with a january SPD with black buttons #8
Off Topic Discussion / Re: When did you last: Pull an...
Last post by Kern Dog - Yesterday at 04:18:03 AMLast week I put a roller 360 on the stand and tore it down. It was bought for $500 from a friend.
It has the desirable #308 heads and is a roller cam engine with a cam from Hughes engines, an Air Gap intake and Holley valve covers. It blew two head gaskets so I tore it down after seeing rust scale in a couple cylinders. My machinist has it now, he will determine how far it needs to be bored. It is .020 now, I sure hope he can make it work by .030, if not, .040. It ought to outperform the 360 already in my 67 Dart since this roller engine has a more aggressive cam, a better intake, a bit more compression and it will have headers too.
It has the desirable #308 heads and is a roller cam engine with a cam from Hughes engines, an Air Gap intake and Holley valve covers. It blew two head gaskets so I tore it down after seeing rust scale in a couple cylinders. My machinist has it now, he will determine how far it needs to be bored. It is .020 now, I sure hope he can make it work by .030, if not, .040. It ought to outperform the 360 already in my 67 Dart since this roller engine has a more aggressive cam, a better intake, a bit more compression and it will have headers too.
#9
Car Guys Discussion / Re: Anyone watch "Roadworthy R...
Last post by Kern Dog - Yesterday at 03:40:43 AMThat is terrible.
#10
Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: Camshafts: What effect doe...
Last post by cdr - Yesterday at 12:17:12 AMIt all depends on the head flow, at what lift point the port maxes out on flow, lots of heads flow worse at a higher lift point.