Читать книгу Mopar B-Body Restoration - Kevin Shaw - Страница 7

PREFACE

When the opportunity was first presented to produce a restoration guide for B-Body Mopars, we condensed the model years to 1968–1970 for several reasons: the overall popularity of the models introduced during these short three years of production, the quantity of units sold, and the abundance of aftermarket support for these model years. Although our thinking was sound, the clearer minds at CarTech advised against such a narrow target, citing that many of the popular models we addressed had been introduced prior to 1968, particularly the Dodge Charger, Coronet R/T, and Plymouth GTX.

In delving into the research, we thankfully found a fair amount of crossover between the two groups (1966–1967 and 1968–1970), which eased our process tremendously. Obviously, plenty of “one off” modifications, tweaks, and improvements were made from model year to model year, as Chrysler was embroiled in the height of the muscle car wars against General Motors and Ford. Many bristle at the idea of models changing so rapidly from year to year, but such was the fashion of American automakers during these tentative years. Today, model changes are spaced out over three to five years (if not longer), with minor changes between them.

Nevertheless, with the charge in front of us, we immediately went to our own private libraries for assistance. Undoubtedly, Paul A. Herd’s Charger, Road Runner & Super Bee Restoration Guide was a central resource. And many others have proved to be instrumental in the development of this book as they’ve assisted in the restorations of countless vintage Mopars on the road today living a second life. In essence, this book is a companion to these works; we have striven to provide content not otherwise found or equally organized. In taking the assignment quite literally, we sought not to make this a “here’s what it takes to get your project Mopar out on the street” breeze-through, but a revelatory tutorial in how these machines were assembled from the factory and how that process can be adequately replicated.

Although many guides, technical articles, and books are dedicated to the minutia of assembling B and RB Chrysler engines, 727 and A-833 manual transmission, and 8¾ and Dana 60 rear ends, we do offer details on properly re-creating the assembly of these very important parts. Other instructions that we’ve included, such as replacing floorboards and quarter panels, which might be well outside of the realm of the layman restorer, also show the detail and care necessary to resurrect a car seemingly “too far gone.” Again, we didn’t want to merely skim the surface, but wished instead to truly delve in deep where and when we could (page count and time allowing). We felt that other topics, such as wiring, rebuilding engines/transmissions, and welding, are handily covered in other resources and therefore omitted.

We also strove as diligently as possible to eradicate as much fluff as possible. Often, books such as this are rife with filler pages, offering personal opinion, conjecture, and content simply inapplicable to restoring a car to OEM level.

This was our charge, and we took it seriously. This restoration guide does not contain aftermarket superchargers, 18-inch wheels, or custom flame paint jobs. Although we wish for all readers to get the utmost enjoyment out of their cars, we are not content to offer input that would simply “get her rolling.” Our aim is to elevate your understanding of the true meaning of “restoration.”

Whether you choose to drive or trailer your finished Chrysler B-Body is left entirely up to you.