RE: [Chrysler300] 61 motor rebuild, preservation versus restoration

["Owen Grigg" <ram300@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

I know this topic of whether or not to restore or not has been flogged to
death over the years but I just wanted to add my 2c worth.

Probably many won't agree with it.

First off it's your car and your decision and whatever makes you happy and
all below is only my opinion etc etc...BUT!

There seems, amongst the Lettercars at least, fewer and fewer original
untouched cars. I can appreciate a correctly or nicely detailed restoration
with mild modifications for safety/driveability reasons especially if it was
a rusty carcass dragged from a farmers paddock. At the same time, to me, an
original factory assembled car is far,far,far, more interesting to look at.
A grubby engine compartment, a tatty interior, the remains of the original
paint, the factory inspection marks, the date coded glass, the dash pad
starting to peel.... 
I can't quite get my head around the "I rebuilt the engine to give me
confidence to drive it". The factory knew how to assemble these cars, they
built thousands of them. If it's a running driving nice original car I urge
you to consider leaving it alone. If it just needs a freshen up,rings and
bearings, pull it, do it and leave the original paint and half peeled decals
and put it back. I guarantee that as the years go buy, your car will become
one of the most popular stops at car shows and 300 meets. The restorers and
judges will be looking at your car for what color to paint this and that.
The factory never put six layers of paint on the air cleaners and valve
covers that shines like a bald head on a summers day. 
If we lose the originals what do we have left to look at. I know some will
be thinking we already know how to correctly restore our cars with tools
like the 300C restoration handbooks etc. Not true, I think even Wayne
Graefen will admit that he is still learning different factory assembly
methods/colors/codes.

I have my firewall up, hit me with everything you've got.

Owen Grigg

300C Original
300C stick 1/2 way through resto...it needed it.
300D ratrod
                          


-----Original Message-----
From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of rob kern
Sent: Monday, 12 November 2007 8:53 a.m.
To: dkshapiro@xxxxxxxxxxx; Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; Richard Osborne
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] 61 motor rebuild

David,
    I went a little further to have a reliable driver that I'm proud of with
my C.  If you read my articles in the STORIES section of the 300 Club
website you will have learned that I had a cracked engine block.  Sure I
could have had it welded, etc. but I wanted a C that I could drive with
confidence and let it run like a 300...all out without my fear that it would
break on me.  That decision took about one hour to make...most of that time
didn't involve my gray matter synapsing but spending time on the phone with
Wayne Graefen, Larry Jett and Henry Hopkins as to what to do.  I replaced my
block with a '58 Imperial 392 and had the engine totally rebuilt by a racing
engine builder to C specifications.  We used the crank and cam, replaced the
pistons and rods and used moly rings, Felpro gaskets, high-torque starter,
Pertronics ignitor ignition, etc. The block was .030 overbored and with
matching pistons.  The Imperial block came from Chuck Taylor in Cottonwood,
CA. I kept the original cracked block and have it stored in my boat garage
on a pallet in a plastic trash bag.  Therefore it can always be validated as
a matching numbers unit if ever queried. We used the heads and and replaced
the valves, yadda yadda. I have driven the car about 8600 miles in the past
4 years since I had the engine rebuilt.  It has been pure pleasure and done
with a confident smile. I agree with Gil Cunningham about the engine
compartment looking spiffy because these engines whether it be a hemi with
the batwing air cleaner or the ram horns or the longitudinal ovals and of
course the cross-ram wedge engines just shout "look at me"!  I drive my car
like a 300, not like a UPS delivery truck and yeah I just finished 2 hours
of engine compartment detailing today.  This involved using heat tolerant
rustoleum aluminum paint and heat resistant semi-gloss black paint.  Oh,
yesterday I took the air cleaners to my body man to have them repainted to
exactly match my wet-look CHRYSLER FIREPOWER valve covers.  So my advice
would be to go the whole way, pull the engine and rebuild the beast!  While
you're having fun doing it , go through every other system under the
hood..it will be less expensive and great insurance (again read my story...I
learned a lot going down this road).  When you're through, drive it hard and
have fun...the perpetual smile on your face and memories are priceless!
300'ly,  ROB KERN
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Richard Osborne 
  To: dkshapiro@xxxxxxxxxxx ; Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 8:02 AM
  Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] 61 motor rebuild


  David,

  You need to do what you want to do with your car. After all, it's YOUR
car. There will always be some weinie wanting to tell you what you can or
can't do with your car. It's an unfortunate part of the hobby.

  At 112,000 miles, you can bet it is a little tired. You can also assume
with great probability that some of these miles were put on in under higher
than normal stress (i.e it was beat on).

  Rebuilding the engine will add to your overall experience (if this is what
you want) and probably help your peace of mind. There is NO reason why the
motor cannot be reassembled to appear just as it left the factory (if this
is your concern).

  When I bought my G, it showed 59,000 miles. It ran great with no smoke. It
did leak, but they all do. When I finally tore it apart, (due to overheating
problems) it had 3 broken pistons. The chunks of which were stuck in the
excessive slug of the oil pan. The cylinders were oval shaped and both the
rod and main bearing surfaces of the crank needed turned .010 each. The
overheating turned out to be the result of very clogged water passages in
the block and heads.

  Now that I know the entire condition of my car, I am willing to drive it
anywhere. I couldn't have had that feeling if it hadn't been all apart. I
suspect that you may feel the same way after a rebuild.

  Bottom line is do what you want and don't let others dictate how you enjoy
your stuff.

  Richard Osborne

  >>> "david shapiro" <dkshapiro@xxxxxxxxxxx> >>>
  Question for group, I have a decent running G with 112,000 thousand
  miles. the motor smokes some, not a lot but noticable, leaks a little of
everything
  and of course looks fairly shabby. the rest of the car looks fine.
  Was going to pull the motor and rebuild it, hardened seats, new gakets,
  timing chain, ect. ect., paint and reinstall. I have gotten some flack
  about this from different sources saying that doing this to an original
  motor will detract from "authenticity" and devalue the car. Any truth to
this??
  I await the advice from the sages.
  Thanks 
  In a fog of smoke

  [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



   

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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