Project Bulldog. (1988 Diplomat AHB)

[SonOfaTomP]

awww hell no. wires and connectors everywhere. this is weird. has the classic HVAC hose fix but the hoses are still hanging out everywhere. this where they exit out the firewall? mystery connectors on the AC controls. there is a connector that looks like it should go to the larger black connector all the way on the floor by the fuse panel. these are probably to the in car sensors. hmmmm maybe the green black and red connectors go here. diagrams in the manual aren't too clear. (88 Chrysler Service Manual)

speaking of fuse panel. is the AHB fuse panel different? everything is missing from the right side. though maybe ports were reused for the radio.

 

[SonOfaTomP]

new PCV Valve (old one was stuuuuuck in there!) and some screws in busted vacuum hoses and the car runs 50% better. hesitates less but still slow to accelerate.

one odd thing i noticed, so this connector is supposed to go to that O2 sensor (?) but instead these hoses are here. one is hooked to the cup looking thing to the right of the Carburetor behind the kickdown. sorry i don't know what it is called. on my civ this has a check valve on it and goes around to the emissions ports on the firewall.

anyways i think i'm going to need this carb rebuilt. don't think this thing has been cleaned once in it's 35 years of life. lean burn crap seems to be working fine. car has never once stalled though i've only driven locally around town. can be slow to start though that's just a Quadrajet thing. i think i need to get used to their start procedure. so used to my BBD's one/two pump, foot off, vroom

 

[SonOfaTomP]

hope this can be of help to any of y'all

 

[SonOfaTomP]

Classic Instruments SN52 Oil Pressure Sender 100 PSI | eBay

Oil Pressure Sender 100 PSI; Classic Instruments SN52 Oil Pressure Sender 100 PSI;.

www.ebay.com

this will work for our cars? my old oil pressure sender broke and spewed oil everywhere (on the AHB tree). been struggling to find one for 100 PSI at the local auto parts stores. i do have one that is for 80 PSI that might work temporarily

 

[SonOfaTomP]

well that explains at least part of my sluggish acceleration. distributor looks cooked. cap vent is missing. who knows how old those wires are. literal cob webs back here

 

[SonOfaTomP]

Spotlight installed. wiring soon. windshield replace soon,

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Spotlight installed. wiring soon. windshield replace soon,

View attachment 55987

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Nice! How'd the drilling go?

 

[SonOfaTomP]

Nice! How'd the drilling go?

pain in the you know what. you gotta be careful once you make it in, your bit can get caught in the bushing and the broken metal you're drilling through, and swing the whole drill out of your hand. happened a bunch of times. . also it won't leave an even hole in the interior trim piece so you might need to take it off and file it down after you drill all the way through. i'll also admit i wasn't using unity's drill bit. took maybe an hour. happy with the result but not sure i'd want to do it again, even if my other car would look amazing with dual spots.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

I can see how that would be one of those second guessing yourself wtf am I doing type of things.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

pain in the you know what. you gotta be careful once you make it in, your bit can get caught in the bushing and the broken metal you're drilling through, and swing the whole drill out of your hand. happened a bunch of times. . also it won't leave an even hole in the interior trim piece so you might need to take it off and file it down after you drill all the way through. i'll also admit i wasn't using unity's drill bit. took maybe an hour. happy with the result but not sure i'd want to do it again, even if my other car would look amazing with dual spots.

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Looks like it turned out really well!

 

[SonOfaTomP]

wondering if this can be patched up with bondo, or needs metal patch. other side is slightly better.

now here's a dumb question. got a new distributor cap from advance auto and noticed something interesting. the "1 rotation 1" is in a different place on my replacement than on the original. this matter? 1 should be the plug for 1 cylinder correct? afaik the vent cap is always supposed to face the rear of the car. seems the old vent cap disappeared.

 

[SonOfaTomP]

old crusty dash vs new nicer dash. spotlight handle readjusted. still looking for the correct oil pressure sender (100 psi) to make that gauge work. it at least lights up so that's good. trunk popper works again.

I can see how that would be one of those second guessing yourself wtf am I doing type of things.

once you already cut into the car there's no turning back. my other car is too nice to drill into. this one i can play around with.

if any of you are familiar with the cop cars, is it normal for these to only have one key? one circular key does everything on this car

 

[Mikes5thAve]

That rust needs to be replaced with new metal. You can bondo it but it will eventually continue.

There's a different 1 spot for big blocks on the same cap. Ignore the differences and put the wires in the same locations they came off. The cap only goes on one way.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

The only way to stop that rust is to cut it out. It's too far gone to treat. You can use an angle grider or an oscillating saw or whatever you have to cut it. Then treat the exposed good metal with phosphoric acid (ospho) then a couple coats of rustoleum rusty metal primer.

Rust is oxidation. Rapid oxidation is a fire. So think of it as a very slow moving fire. It will eventually consume the car if you don't stop it.

 

[SonOfaTomP]

i can only imagine what horrors lie beneath that wheel well trim. calling around to some local body shops. seems most here don't like rust repair. what color should he be painted? thinking a cheap white.

sometimes the local paint shops have spare paint from painting the Sheriff/County PD cars. that or go back to it's original brown. i have to find a good picture of it. i was very young then but from what i remember he was brown but every photo i find makes it look grey. can't find any OG paint even in the trunk. where is paint on the build plate? when i was maybe 5 years old i took a coat hanger to the side of the car thus the current grey. marked county cars were white with blue pinstriping and blue interiors. not really looking to make this a replica though.

one more thing. the pentastar trunk lock cover i have, it's holes are real small. these originally went on with rivets? seems on this car the holes were plugged by paint with only one small hole so i'll have to drill it anyways. on my maroon car the trunk emblem is on with screws and washers. maybe the previous owner had it off?

gotta replace that bumper shock too.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

I think paint code is usually on second row.
I like white but the problem with it is if you don't get all the rust fixed properly it's first to show it when it comes back.
The trunk flipper was originally riveted on.

 

[SonOfaTomP]

if I'm reading my service manual correctly you read the body code plate bottom up thus my paint code is

APA PL8 QL8
Dark Pewter. like a silverish grey. wow i really thought this thing was brown when i was little.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

i can only imagine what horrors lie beneath that wheel well trim. calling around to some local body shops. seems most here don't like rust repair.

For what the rust repair and the paint job will cost at a shop, you could buy another Diplomat.

Stopping the rust is a cheap solution that you can do yourself.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

Another one could easily have the same rust or other issues and add finding decent AHB onto that. If thats the only major rust fix it. If you want to do it on the cheap knowing it'll come back fill with with fiberglass or bondo.

 

[GregG48213]

only have one key

Police cars did indeed have only one key. Should you have the key copied, it can be a little tricky. You can use a Pentastar blank for the ignition and door; but for the trunk, the key would have to be cut down a bit in height.