Let’s get it right this time. (‘87 Dip project)

Lightning II

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So, this is probably my....4th M- that I’ve had. Just picked it up today after a 300-mile drive one-way with the Uhaul truck.
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I’m actually the second official owner of it. It got bought by an older gentleman when new, then the guy that I bought it from got it, didn’t get it transferred (thanks Covid), then I bought it. Title shows 85 miles even!
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Stay tuned.....

EDIT: I’ll get the file size trimmed down tomorrow.
 
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Mikes5thAve

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Cool.
They can blame corona but a lot of people don't bother transferring title when they're not buying for keeps.
 

Lightning II

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True. Either way, now I get to play “Appointment Bingo” with the DMV while I wait to get home next time.
 

Aspen500

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In 1990 I bought a '65 Sport Fury ragtop and the title was signed off in 1971 in Illinois and never transfered or registered again. To my surprise, only needed an officer to come and verify the VIN matched the title and do a check to see if it was reported stolen and after a few minutes (might have been more than just a few, lol) at the DMV, POOF, new title. Easier than I thought it would be, especially since the title was from Illinois (I live in Wisconsin). Who, what, where the car was for almost 19 years is a mystery.o_O
 

Lightning II

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That thing is CLEAN!

What's the plan??

It does look nicer than what I expected. It needs new paint though. The roof got Maaco’ed at some point and they did *not* do a good job on it.

so....here's the plan: Take a bit of what you and Opticon have done and combine them. And slowly get it ready for doing road course stuff, to annoy some BMW's, Mustangs, and new Chargers/Challengers.

Make it look like the R/T package that Dodge could've done had they been allowed to develop the platform more before the '79 bankruptcy happened.

Engine: still slightly torn on what to go with. it's about 85% Gen-3 Hemi / 15% low-deck 400 at this point.

Transmission: ......This may make a couple people uncomfortable. It'll probably be a 5-speed out of the early-'90's Nissan 300ZX, or the '07+ 350Z. They can take a beating and hold 700+hp. Seen it happen, and have rode in a couple at drift days. It also helps that there's adapters for Chevy's, which means that those same people can make one for a G3 Hemi/LA too. Or the 833. It's a little up in the air.
Rear: Ditto on the "up in the air" part. Either 8 3/4 or Dana60.

Suspension: Firm Feel is gonna love me.

Wheels: something era-appropriate for road stuff in the 17-inch range. I do plan to flare the fenders out just a bit (a couple inches)while making them look factory. I wanna eventually fit 295's all the way around, which will lead to Version Two of the car.

Chassis reinforcements will happen before any engine swappage occurs, because I still need it to pass the VA state inspection first.


The only things actually wrong with the car as it sits are these two: The flasher unit is bad, and the original radio is dead. I don't have working hazard lights, the switch operates the left turn signal when I try, and the right turn signal only works off of the stick. It shouldn't be a big deal. The car glides along pretty nicely though currently.

The guys from Farley's will attest that I'm quite the oddball.
 
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Duke5A

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Some things to add:

  • Go G3 Hemi. Big block, even with alloy heads and intake adds a lot of weight to the nose. Use a 6.1 or a 6.4 and get the Holley kit that can drive the ignition and fuel injection. Dylan McCool did a video series of getting dropping in a 5.7 into a 70's Challenger with it.
  • Firm Feel hasn't stocked the 300# torsion bars in years. A couple of members here are waiting for them. Call and check, but if you can't get them then forget factory suspension. You will never be able to overcome the shitty factory bars for road course duty. At that point you're looking retrofitting a modern engine cradle and suspension into the car.
 

Camtron

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Gen3 hemi or 3.6 pentastar swap. 305hp 270 lb/ft of torque ain’t bad for a v6; slap a turbo or two on it and, off to the races you go.
Could do a full tubular front end swap with control arms/coil overs/disk brakes for like $4-$5k and have a damn solid road race car that’s nimble AF, lol.
 

Duke5A

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Gen3 hemi or 3.6 pentastar swap. 305hp 270 lb/ft of torque ain’t bad for a v6; slap a turbo or two on it and, off to the races you go.

Nobody makes an aftermarket ECU for the 3.6L. One guy over on FABO successfully swapped one into a Dart, but you should see the hell he went through to get the factory ECU to work. Would have been easier welding a Dart together around the existing car.
 

Camtron

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Nobody makes an aftermarket ECU for the 3.6L. One guy over on FABO successfully swapped one into a Dart, but you should see the hell he went through to get the factory ECU to work. Would have been easier welding a Dart together around the existing car.
Oh, so it can be done is what you’re saying.
Idk, everything I’ve read, it’s doable. Just a little expensive like building anything Mopar.

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Lightning II

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A v6 is not even on the table. I hate the way they sound.

And what was gonna be “Front Suspension Version Two” was going to involve borrowing how Sprint Cars have their transverse bars laid out. Which would involve a new engine cradle anyway.

Or borrow something from Stock Car Land since I’m a couple hours up the road from it all now.
 

Camtron

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A v6 is not even on the table. I hate the way they sound.

And what was gonna be “Front Suspension Version Two” was going to involve borrowing how Sprint Cars have their transverse bars laid out. Which would involve a new engine cradle anyway.

Or borrow something from Stock Car Land since I’m a couple hours up the road from it all now.
That’s fair enough, they do sound like a motorized fart in a can, lol.
 

Lightning II

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Hey @Duke5A, on a whim I just shot FF an email asking about the Bars. I’ll post back if I get anything back.

EDIT: I got a response!
Hello Anthony,


I will put you on our waiting list, and get ahold of you when we have them in stock again. We have started the production, however have been side tracked due to high demand of steering boxes here. I think we are a good 4 months out still.
 
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LSM360

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FWIW, I'll be calling or emailing firmfeel to express desire for the bars too. Maybe that'll speed things up? More demand. I think it's time I get a set.
 

Duke5A

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I hope you guys get them. It's an unbelievable difference in handling.
 

Lightning II

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I’m hoping so. Otherwise I’ll get a couple of super-big sway bars and do a “Big Bar/Soft Spring” kinda deal.

If not that then my backup plan is going to involve quite a bit of welding.
 

Lightning II

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Well, I'm home for the night, and before I ran out of daylight I fixed my flashers and relays. Still need to replace all the bulbs in the right rear, so I'll likely just replace all the bulbs whenever I'm home next time.

I got interior shots this time though.
And it has the original owners manuals too.
Next time I'll also see if I can find the build sheet if it has one.

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Lightning II

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Safe to say that my original paint color choice has been vetoed now that I've seen the interior in better light. I'll probably go with Midnight Blue, so the nearest shade from the catalog back in the '80's.

EDIT: Also, I've narrowed down my transmission choice. Gonna go with the Toyota R154/R155, since the Jeep AX15 bellhousing bolts to it.


I'm having a harder choice figuring out if I wanna go with a Dana S60 like Duke did for his car, or with an 8 3/4.
 
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Lightning II

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Updates!


Found a ThermoQuad for the 318 to get it to last til I have the next engine ready to go.
But.....it needs a rebuild, and I’m waiting on the rebuild kit and the instruction manual to get here from Jersey. I ordered the thing on the 19th. I know the mailing system is out of whack, but this is ridiculous.


I found an E-body 8 3/4 housing on eBay that’s coming from Minnesota, and a 741 carrier that’s coming from Colorado.
Housing was $100, carrier was $65. Just need to get the housing narrowed, and get a diff, pick a transmission so I can select a gear for the diff, then axles & brakes.


Once I have the tranny I’ll put it all in at once so I don’t need to have the driveshaft redone more than one time.

UPDATE 2:


Transmission will be an Aisin AR-5 that's commonly sold in these vehicles:
Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky
Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon
Hummer H-3
Polaris Slingshot (no joke)


The AR-5 is a sister to Toyota's R150/154/155, which is also made by Aisin, where even the bellhousing and tailshaft interchange.
You can find these things from anywhere between $250 used to $1800 new, and will take just about anything power-wise that is thrown at it.

I’ll do a write-up once that gets going.

Update 3:
Well, the rest of my carb stuff has arrived at the house, and the diff carrier. The rear housing is supposed to arrive in the next few days.

I am re-thinking that transmission choice after seeing the gear ratios again. A 3.75 1st gear would be useless outside of parking lots. Might go back with that R155 idea, or get the parts to do the close-ratio 833 box and just take a second diff carrier to whatever track I (eventually) go to, and just run a 2.76 rear gear in it most of the time instead.

I’m crappy with decisions at times.
 
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