What have you done to your wagon lately? (Let's keep the thread going!)

All on the '73. The '67 is on the back burner for a while due to major issues it has compared to the '73 being a perfect driver.

 

Time for State Inspection. Oil/filter change. Inner and outer tie Rod ends, minor brake issue, wheel alignment. Just normal wear and tear stuff.

 

Since November of last year I've done the following replacement/upgrades to my '66 Town & Country Wagon. Numbers 10-24 were done within the past couple weeks.

1. New Spark Plugs & Wires
2. Radiator
3. New belts & hoses
4. New Fan Clutch
5. New Thermostat
6. New Temp Sending Unit
7. New OEM Fuel tank sending unit
8. Mopar Rallye Road Wheels
9. 235/75r15 Hankook H724 WW Tires
10. New Tie Rods & Idler Arm
11. Front disc brake conversion using '73 Spindles
12. New 11.75" rotors & Timkin bearings
13. Kelsey Hayes Pin Calipers & brackets
14. New Bendix Ceramic Pads
15. Power Booster rebuilt by Booster Dewey
16. Bendix Dual Circuit Master Cylinder
17. Raybestos Brake Hoses
18. Hard Brake Lines
19. OEM Mopar Dual Master Cylinder Swap Brake Fitting Kit from Richard Eherenberg (eBay)
20. Added the Mopar Performance/Wilwood "add-on" adjustable valve, Mopar #P5249088
21. Auto Meter Vacuum Gage
22. Rebuilt Carter Carb
23. New Fuel Pump
24. Firm Feel Rear Sway Bar
25. OEM Passenger Side Mirror

The GREATEST improvement has been the front disc conversion, Firm Feels Rear Sway Bar & having the carb rebuilt. I just installed the sway bar this past weekend and was very surprised how much roll the sway bar removed. The car no longer has the "boat" feel. Going around turns and corners are pretty darn flat. The front discs stop the car on a dime and with the rebuilt carb the engine purrs like a kitten on idle, but growls like a tiger when the secondarys open up.

This weekend I will be getting an estimate from my upholstery guy to redo my front bench seat. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just the vinyl is hard and the foam is falling apart. I found the two tone material at SMS.com ($50/yd & $75/yd) & the foam from Dantesparts.com ($90/ea).

In the next two weeks I will Install Firm Feels Tubular Upper Control Arms for the added +caster & all my front end rubber bushings as well. I'm anxious to install the control arms as the + caster will give me the new car handling feel. Currently whengGoing around a turn and letting go of the steering wheel the car continues to turn. With the new control arms the car will want to track straight and when the steering wheel is released it will return to center like todays cars.

 

You'll love it when it does that, but as my Driver's Ed teacher said, "Never rely on it, as it doesn't know where it wants to go." What he meant was that you still have to guide it where you want it to go, or you could end up hitting parked cars, curbs, etc.

 

I now have Cruise Control!

 

Cruise control is the ability of keeping the car in its lane while you ogle a beautiful woman walking down the sidewalk.

 

Don't tell my wife! For me cruise control is only used out on the open highway so I can take a nap. Slightly better than a brick on the go pedal.

 

Take a nap, eh? Usually, it's an elderly couple in a motorhome having lunch.

 

We tried that. The skillet kept sliding off the range.
Just wait till we get those auto pilot cars. Things will be different.

 

Oh. Then it'll be High Tea with scones, eh?

 

Had 65 Rambler American wagon in shop this last week for fixing poor braking and suspension check repair as needed.
Brakes: new shoes, drums, hardware, wheel cylinders, hoses, rear hard lines.
Suspension: 4 new shocks, leaf spring end bushings, leaky diff gasket replaced. Front suspension was all fine. Gets alignment Sept 8.

 

Picked up a new rear bumper from AMCPACKRAT. Removed the old bumper, sandblasted all the brackets, cleaned up the entire back side of the body and repainted it and the brackets, made my own reverse light since I haven't found one yet, reinstalled new rear bumper. Was a busy day and then was bummed when I found my gas tank leaking. So now I need a new tank

 

If it's just pinholed or a leaky seam, that can be repaired, likely for less than the cost of obtaining another tank. Even if it's worse, it likely can be repaired.

 

It's leaking on the seam. It's weird because it's not rusty. I am going to pull it this weekend.

 

Heh, heh, it won't rust due to the coating on the metal. That should be easy to fix, and I would also recommend sealing the tank after the repair.