80 Mirada,

80mirada

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
620
Location
Wisconsin, Fort Atkinson
1980 Dodge Mirada, Originally purchased for $40 from a good friend (he paid $50 and took the valve covers). The shiny black paint was poorly done, and there was a lot of body damage that needed to be repaired.

Mirada 1a.jpg


Mirada 2a.jpg
 
Last edited:

80mirada

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
620
Location
Wisconsin, Fort Atkinson
Mirada 3a.jpg


The Mirada had just spent about two years in storage, with occasional blast down the tarmac at a rural airport........long story.

I began a full tear down the summer after we moved into our first house. I was newly married (2 years) and we had only one child.

Mirada 3a.jpg
 

mirada80

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2012
Messages
159
Reaction score
26
Location
NB Canada
Did you have those first pictures on Cardomain...I have seen them before, recognize to Super Coupe wheels. I am glad it was saved.... time and family and cars...lol...I know how that goes.... Looks awesome.
 

80mirada

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
620
Location
Wisconsin, Fort Atkinson
Yes, I had to recover them from cardomain since I lost them in a computer crash. I have been living in Tennessee for 2 years while my wife is in school, so the poor thing is in storage at a friend's.

I love the rallys on yours, it is a sweet ride. Growing up there was an 80 Mirada CMX the same color ad yours across the street from school. The lady who owned it took awesome care of it and stored it in the wimter
 
Last edited:

80mirada

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
620
Location
Wisconsin, Fort Atkinson
Springs and axle 012b.jpg


The day she was hauled to storage, almost 2 1/2 years ago, if everything works out she will becoming out of storage next summer.

Springs and axle 012b.jpg
 

80mirada

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
620
Location
Wisconsin, Fort Atkinson
It was originally EW1 Spinaker White, with a Dark Blue vinyl interior, and Black vinyl roof. It had a piss poor generic black respray when I got it. I plan to go either SC9 Nightwatch Blue, with a two-tone gray/charcoal interior, and no vinyl. The 360 in it was a cheap rebuild, the 904 had fried clutches (that trans taught me the importance of the kickdown linkage) and the 8.25 had a 2.4:1 limited slip.

The first body modification I decided on was the removal of the opera mindows

Mirada 6a.jpg
Mirada 7a.jpg


Mirada 6a.jpg


Mirada 7a.jpg
 

80mirada

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
620
Location
Wisconsin, Fort Atkinson
Mirada 8a.jpg
Mirada 9a.jpg


I cannot tell you how many hours I have in getting those damn c-pillars straight, but I will say it radically changes the way the roof looks.

Mirada 8a.jpg


Mirada 9a.jpg
 

mirada80

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2012
Messages
159
Reaction score
26
Location
NB Canada
I love the look of the deleted opera windows, gives it a cleaner hard top look, in my opinion.
A lot of work to get there though. Looks fantastic.
 

80mirada

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
620
Location
Wisconsin, Fort Atkinson
I could probably finish the body work in a couple of months if I could get to work on it. I still need to finish up a bunch of structural improvements underneath, build the final version of the A-518 trans mount, and probably put a different ring and pinion in the rear. I never got a pattern I liked on the used 3.91 gears i bought.
 

80mirada

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
620
Location
Wisconsin, Fort Atkinson
Mirada 13a.jpg
Mirada 14a.jpg


It needs work to get it straight, even more to make it street-able. I used pieces of the license place section, and the inner reinforcements from the quarter extensions.

Mirada 13a.jpg


Mirada 14a.jpg
 

80mirada

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
620
Location
Wisconsin, Fort Atkinson
Mirada 4a.jpg
Mirada 5a.jpg


The engine bay was not pretty. The 360 had an improperly installed wrist pin that grooved a cylinder bore.

Mirada 4a.jpg


Mirada 5a.jpg
 
Last edited:

80mirada

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
620
Location
Wisconsin, Fort Atkinson
Mirada36a.jpg
Mirada 37a.jpg


The hole where the 518 now fits. The screws poking through from the top are holding console brackets, small floor patches and a reinforcement that mounts to the top of the floor (still not done)

Mirada36a.jpg


Mirada 37a.jpg
 

kkritsilas

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Messages
1,961
Reaction score
419
Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
There are a number of threads on this on the forabodiesonly web site. Not F, M. H body installs, but behind the K member, our cars are pretty similar. From memory, the trans cross member has to be deeper and further back (towards the rear end), and the trans tunnel has to be hammered out or cut and welded higher. I think I remember a cross member needed to be cut as well, and people have come up with various ways of replacing the reinforcement. You may also need to grind off a couple of fins on the A518.

Long thread here (E Body): http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=84774.0

Stuff about how to control it, here: http://www.transmissioncenter.net/SwapInformation.htm

Into a B body, from Hot Rod Magazine; http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/transmission-drivetrain/43323-mopar-overdrive-transmission-swap/
 
Last edited:
Back
Top