Critique my purchase: 1962 Dodge Lancer

[ArtDecoWorld]

Originally Posted by Chris142
I do not know how to tell if it is a 170,198 or 225. Lose the single piston master cyl asap.


Is it a safety issue?

 

[ArtDecoWorld]

Originally Posted by gman2304
The Dodge variant of the Plymouth Valiant. I learned to drive a stick shift in my brother-in-law's 1961 Lancer! Slant six with a factory 3 speed in the floor. His was a 2 door and had a fake spare tire indention on the trunk. One of the butt ugliest cars ever built.....I'd love to have one! Your screen name speaks volumes!

Thanks

.

 

[ArtDecoWorld]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
That's a wild one-Mopars of that era seemed so rust prone that most of them were lucky to make it into the '70s without falling apart (around here). Something weird going on with that heater box, maybe somebody hacked it & duct taped it (?). I agree on the original one-piston master cylinder-lose one brake line, brakes completely disappear! Cool to see factory A/C, factory power brakes, maybe even power steering on a car that was normally considered an economy car. That is one of the last Raymond Loewy/Exner designed Chrysler built cars-love them or hate them, nobody could ever call them boring! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_Exner


Ah, ok. Definitely seems like something I should attend to.

 

[csandste]

Had one just like it but white with emerging rust in 1968. Gave me no trouble that sticks in my mind after more than a half century. Had a Fiat 600 before and a Fiat 124 Sport Coupe after.

 

[ArtDecoWorld]

Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by zrxkawboy
Very cool car! It would've come with either a 170 or 225, but a 198 sure could've been swapped in. The Allpar article has a tip on ID by the length of the bypass hose. https://www.allpar.com/slant6.html


Rockauto.com still lists parts for either the 170, 225 or 413 V8. A vin decoder might tell you what engine it had.


Vin is 7325133847 (No letters, interesting.)

 

[ArtDecoWorld]

Originally Posted by Brian123
This car is awesome, are you going to restore it or just leave it the way it is?

This thread has lifted my spirits today!


Glad it did!

I'll clean up the interior, fix the rust hole, do some things under the hood, etc. But, I likely won't paint it or change the overall appearance much.

 

[IMSA_Racing_Fan]

I just had a acid flashback looking at that.

 

[oldhp]

Cool old car!!! Give her a bath and take to a car cruise in. You will be a hit. You need to get with a Mopar guy that has swapped over to a dual stage master cylinder to find out which one will work for you. Again nice old car!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jim K]

In the 5th photo it looks like you have 3 horsepower.

 

[Kira]

Clean thoroughly while inspecting. Possibly even photo log as you go.
Pics of clean brakes (not gooey leaks) could ease flipping it.
Leave anything original you like. Gotta get the D for the trunk.
Torqueflight trannie, no? They're cast iron?
So cool

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted by ArtDecoWorld
Originally Posted by Chris142
I do not know how to tell if it is a 170,198 or 225. Lose the single piston master cyl asap.


Is it a safety issue?

Yes! If you blow a line or the master goes bad you have no brakes what so ever. With a dual piston system you still have some brakes. Not much but more than zero.

 

[Cujet]

Absolutely one cool car! Different than the majority of old cars.

Not only do I approve, I feel that would make a great resto-rod. I am not one of those who believe everything must be original. Fix it up with a few quality performance parts, nicer wheels/tires/brakes/suspension and enjoy it.

My suggestion is to fix it up as you enjoy it. Don't strip it down and rebuild it from the ground up unless you, A) have the time, B) Work fast, C) Know for a fact you can finish it quickly. Instead, I'd make it a good driver, and take it to the upholstery shop once the rust is fixed. Then maybe the paint shop....

As you find parts, purchase them and install. Over the next few years, your car will transform into something really cool. And you'll enjoy it the entire time.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by Chris142
Originally Posted by ArtDecoWorld
Originally Posted by Chris142
I do not know how to tell if it is a 170,198 or 225. Lose the single piston master cyl asap.


Is it a safety issue?

Yes! If you blow a line or the master goes bad you have no brakes what so ever. With a dual piston system you still have some brakes. Not much but more than zero.


But wouldn't he have to really give it a retrofit? Rockauto still sells the master cylinder and they look to be the same single piston master cylinder. You'd probably have to redo the brake lines in order to go with a dual piston setup. Then I think there were proportioning valves if you did a front back split but maybe don't need it if you do a cross?

You could easily spend tons of money if you start fixing it up. You could go completely modern and try to retrofit collision avoidance, ABS, traction control 4 wheel disc brakes, etc. The question is where do you stop?

 

[user52165]

Clean title?

Licensed for the street?

DMV can be brutal on this. Back fees up the kazoo.

 

[NormanBuntz]

Nice find! From that little old lady in Pasadena?

 

[krismoriah72]

If it starts, stops, goes down the road, smokes and leaks oil its a keeper!

Question about California- is this grandfathered in on the emissions stuff? do you have to get it tested or anything?

If it were mine i would make it dead nuts reliable.. carb rebuilt and brakes gone thru along with updated master cylinder and probably a disc brake conversion.

I think they made a 4 barrel setup for these slant 6 engines... that would be fun.

 

[zrxkawboy]

Here's Rick Ehrenberg's famous Mopar brake swap article. https://www.allpar.com/history/mopar/brakes/disc-main.html

 

[atikovi]

Originally Posted by user52165
Clean title?

Licensed for the street?

DMV can be brutal on this. Back fees up the kazoo.

It's a '62. And $1500. Would you care if it had salvage history? Come on now. And I can't imagine it needs to pass any state inspections for something that old.

 

[atikovi]

Originally Posted by krismoriah72
I think they made a 4 barrel setup for these slant 6 engines... that would be fun.



Offenhauser with a Holley 390. Have that on a '72 Dart. Wakes it up pretty good.

 

[Convert]

From memory.

To answer your ? .

If the engine is painted turquoise its probably a 225 cubic inch.
If painted red it's probably a 198 cubic in.and was also used in stationary engine apications.

Color change to turquoise color ---- well at least in my 1973 Plymouth Scamp was a 225 ci.

Dam good engine. Not so much after the emissions were applied. My car only had a PCV and no
CATS

As a side note one thing you should check and keep a couple extra in your car is the nylon gear that goes on the end of the distributor that also works off the camshaft it's sacrificial if it's a problem with the distributor the nylon gear will shear if it's been in there long enough it's probably cracked and was held in with a drive pin

TOMB