Thread: Water Water everywhere! HELP Please

Tweet

Hi first off im new.... ok I bought a 74 Dodge dart with a 318 in it and when i got it home i opened the hood and water was coming out of the head covers, oil cap, all that. I noticed that someone put new galvanized freeze plugs and I started looking HARD.

OK

Leaking power steering everywhere
Leaking oil pan
Backfiring
white smoke
stays cold wont warm up
there is coolant in the radiator
new starter
no ac to speak of
Short in the wiring (home stereo installer left wires everywhere)
emissions plugged in wherever if it even goes anywhere
very weak lights
no temp guages
visible wire decay
visible rust in coil
carburator is shot


and thats just under the hood ok yeah i got took but the body is clean and it could be fixed up if i want to dump money into it. I just need a 2nd car for around town. What if anything can I do?

Please have pity on my stupidity!

Thanks,

Rick

Well Rick, here's a start on the electrical problems......a diagram to tell where everything should go....
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/WIRIN...spagenameZWDVW

The engine will probably require a teardown to at least put head gaskets in it, but if I were going that far and wanted to keep the car, I'd do a budget engine rebuild. No matter how you figure it, you should set aside $1,000 for parts and machining if you do it right, but that's just my opinion.

The other option is to install a boneyard motor. I would think you could find a decent running one for around $250. Do a compression test on it before layin' down the long green.

I'd be willing to tow it off for free, if that would help.

Thansk for replying,


I got a line on a 318 for about 350.00 rusty and about 65,000 on it.

- or -

Could I swap the head with a 4bbl friendly and slap on a head gasket. I guess I should do a compression test on the existing cylinders?

Thanks again!