Blog of a 1963...

Check out this new dodge motorhome blog:

My Rebirth, Each Step '63 Dodge "Frank" Motorhome

I came across the blog on the Yahoo Dodge Travco Group

Almost there!

Myrtle is getting very close to completion. The new exhaust manifold was installed today and works well. We also put in a new Victor Reinz exhaust manifold gasket that we purchased at Napa. We took her for a test drive and she she runs great! I also tried out the solar power system by using the the vacuum to clean out some accumulated debris. It had great power and barely made a dent in the stored battery power levels. The AC and DC power is working great.

We were also able to add in some nice decorative touches including a hanging a clock and a piece of metal art. The curtains were a great find from a vintage store called Populuxe. They are new old stock and in mint condition. We added in some extra security with new strike plates on the doors as well.

Tomorrow we are hoping to drop her off to get her new windshields put in as well as the back window resealed.

New 318 poly exhaust manifold!

As luck would have it, I was talking (whining) about trying to repair or find a replacement 318 poly exhaust manifold at a local parts store, and one of the staff mentioned having a 1965 318 at home. He called the next day with the manifold removed and we bought it for $60.00. It lines up with the old manifold and should hopefully be a good fit. From the photos you can see the new and old manifold, a close up of the JB Weld we attempted (NOTE I don't know if works as we are going with the new manifold now) and a photo of the passenger side manifold (which at this point is still intact on Myrtle).

318 Poly Engine Resources

Mopar Magazine (September 2001) has an article on the 318 Poly Engine: "Chrysler's Poly-Head Engine - Mopar's Rodney Dangerfield Part 1 The Lowly 318 Poly Engine Gets No Respect"

There is a 318 Poly Yahoo Group as well.

Master Cylinder & Exhaust Manifold

Today we had intentions of installing the new master cylinder for the brakes, which we found via Family Car Parts. They were great to deal with!

However, we not only found out that we did not have the correct wrench, but also that the exhaust manifold was broken. (Note the photo of the cast metal corner busted off). Now we will either be hunting for a new exhaust manifold (for a 318 poly) or finding someone to weld the original cast metal one back together. We located the correct exhaust manifold gasket via our local Napa Dealer.

Safety First!

We installed several safety features today including; kitchen fire extinguisher, front area fire extinguisher, fire alarm and CO2 alarm. We also installed the final LED light bulb, from Philips and purchased at Home Depot, in one of the kitchen light fixtures. I am happy to report that the solar power system is working well and with the inverter we have great AC and DC power. While we were there we inspected the terrific plumbing work done by my father in law. From the pictures you can see the water pump, new tank and some new pipes in the washroom.