1963 Dodge Dart !!! Wahoo!

Weally.
Yes, camera angle.

 

https://www.legendaryautointeriors.com/products/aa64cl00010509
This looks nice

 

I remember looking at that interior (upholstery only), but I don't have the original seats and almost impossible to find or once I found a set, 500 for just the frames, then shipping. The guy didn't want to bother with the shipping, and I can understand that. It's why I've been looking for other options.

The car that got me interested, that person installed Cadillac cts seats; looked really nice. I'm still shopping

 

Gettin closer~ waiting on a few more tid-bit parts~really have no idea what this engine is going do

 

Make vroom vroom noises?

 

First off, I put new oil, and primed it, oil pressure good. I'm just not getting any spark at the plug. I bought a cheap distributor cause both mine are just shot. The distributor only has two wires, a red and black~ how hard can that be? Positive wire to the Hot side of the coil? I have an ignition wire going to the coil to make it Hot with the key, like when trying to start it. I have to figure the black wire goes to ground? I'm using the #1 plug out of the hole up against a good ground to watch for a spark~ nothing. OF course there were no instructions regarding the dist. Then 4:30 came around, and that's all until tomorrow.
I'll figure it out in the morning

 

Black should go to the negative side of the coil if I I’m not mistaken. Red to the positive coil post along with the ignition power. Unless you’re using a Chrysler or aftermarket ignition box off course.

 

It's just a really cheap C distributor from ebay. Electronic, well in the link below. Just not wanting to spend a great deal on this right now. Just get the darn thing to run, you know

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2628455836...ZQNGB3&hash=item3d32d150f9:g:XTkAAOSwuxFYtxoc

 

As far as distributors go, I had bought an MSD distributor for my '67 Mustang a while back~ it was 800 bucks. I was taking my brother for a ride in the stang, stopped at Panera bread, came out and it wouldn't start. After it cooled down, an hour or so, then it cranked. Rushed it home and wouldn't start again. I was totally confused, and out of the blue, I advanced or retarded the distributor turning it an inch or so, then it started. By timing light, if I put it to where it was supposed to be on the crank, it would die. I spoke with MSD and they were confused and said to send it to them. I did. Weeks later, they didn't know what was wrong with it, but did send me another distributor and it was fine. Just because it's made by MSD in the USA?, doesn't mean it won't break. Actually thinking back talking to MSD, they kept insisting that I was doing something wrong

Anyway, when the engine fires, runs, then do more diagnostics on it, (leak down, compression, etc), then I'll make more decisions on what to do with it. It's just something to do, troubleshooting is fun to some degree. Kind of like my own, "Will it run" episode.

 

Do you still have the car's original distributor stashed somewhere?

 

You got it BigJohn! It fired up, but only with a tablespoon of fuel in the carb. I had it 180 off at first, but the mopar distributor is cool cause you can just rotate the dist shaft 180 effortlessly. I'll hook it to fuel later today when I can move the engine to a more ventilated area. I'll video the running and try to post later today

 

That sort of reminds me of an Accel distributor incident in a newly rebuilt 350 about 15 years back. I would set the timing and everything was hunky dory. Take it for a test drive and it would start running like dog . Get home and the timing was about 20 degrees off. I repeated that exercise 3 times before I tore the distributor apart to find the upper advance plate was loose on the shaft and every time the mechanical advance went so far, it would hang up and not return. Poor quality is not entirely a recent phenomenon.

 

No matter who makes it, what's the saying, "To err is human?", whether it's from here, China or India, or elsewhere

 

A TEST VIDEO, HOPE IT WORKS, i couldn't rev it too much as oil was going everywhere. I'm waiting for valve cover gaskets. Otherwise, I know it runs, doesn't seem to smoke at idle. So the test is complete.
https://youtube.com/shorts/8qHqAK5aaf0

 

one more, sadly, even though I put new oil/filter, still kind of milky. Thought are to change the oil/filter again, sell as a running engine. Use the other engine. Just thinking out loud. Either the rear main has a small leak or pan gasket at the rear. I wouldn't put this engine in the way it is, it's just kind of fun messing with this stuff.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fqpubkeWIMM

 

I wanted to do a compression test while the engine was still warm. All plugs out/throttle wide open

1- 148
3- 152
5 - 152
7- 150

2- 152
4- 155
6- 152
8- 145

 

I’d qualify this as killer compression for a mystery motor. May be worth finding the source of moisture.

 

The moisture could just be condensation from all the sitting around.