Thread: 73 charger the saga

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Let us know how it works out. Was this work all to raise the exhaust system higher?

Yes, the collectors hang down quite low, especially the driver's side. I just ordered some 52" patriot glasspacks from Jegs. I'll sandwich them along the driveshaft and it will be clean with lots of clearance.

I promise an honest seat of pants power evaluation when it's done.

Oodles of clearance

Passenger side wrapped up

Dear God, it's LOUD

You were expecting?????? What?!?

Ok, I took the turd to a local shop, and I'm totally happy with the pipes they bent up for the back half, but not so much on the placement of the glasspacks. They need to come forward. I feel it's my fault because I saw it in mid process and didn't catch it then. Ah, the joys of being a perfectionist, ill -equipped to the task. I'll get the shop to give up some pieces of tubing bent at 45 deg angle, and re work it.

I promised an honest SOP evaluation, and my first impression was, OMG, I crippled it! But with the open pipes, I couldn't hear what was really up- once the mufflers were on, I could clearly hear and feel the engine wasn't hitting all eight. On a hunch, I checked #6&8, sure enough, t they got swapped.
With the wires straight, a quick test drive showed that the seat of pants, honest evaluation says that the flow isn't as good, but the performance loss is negligible. Sounds good, and a lot quieter.

As long as it sounds good with no loss of power.. it's a winner! roflmao!

Well, an admitted marginal loss of power. But quite minimal.

I've got some FelPro gaskets on order, as there is a small leak on both sides. They say you are supposed to be able to reuse copper gaskets, but in my experience, not so much.

I used some of those aluminum collector gaskets.. someone here had recommended them. So far no complaints.

One of the mufflers is in close proximity to a body plug. Rather than worry about it melting or catching fire, I'm going to weld a plug in its place. What is the point of a body plug anyway? Are the holes resultant from the factory assembly process? Any advantages to having the correct rubber plugs rather than welding them shut?

Its my understanding that when my kids spill a huge amount of soda on the floor board you can lift the carpet and drain the floor board, just kidding I know of no reason why they couldn't be welded up, from what I have seen they are used during manufacturing, I have restored some muscle cars and I believe at least some of Fords and Gm's cars used sheet metal plugs that where held in with a seam sealer.

I had a '71 Charger, and those back floorboards are like dish pans. As I recall my carpet rotted in the bottom of both, but I may be remembering the Monaco. I never knew that they had drain plugs....

My 67 Mustang had those plugs if I remember correctly.. never saw the need or even heard of anyone using them.

I think they are kinda like freeze plugs that pop out at the least convenient times!