Project Timber Wolf is well...
Project Timber Wolf is well underway. we've torn down the engine, gutted the interior, and sanded our Super Bee down to bare metal to ensure a beautiful paint job. Follow along as we turn this project into a cool street machine that someone will win!
We've built a lot of project vehicles over the years at Mopar Muscle, but this one is going to be special. Sure, it will have stunning, super-straight paint, a fresh, high-performance 383 big-block, and tons of new aftermarket goodies, but that's not what makes this project so special. What differentiates this car from the project vehicles we've built in the past is that when we complete this car it will be given away, quite likely to someone reading this magazine.
We'll be building the project Timber Wolf Super Bee much in the same way you've probably built cars of your own. It won't go on a rotisserie, but it will certainly have a stunning paint job. Though our car was originally dark green, we'll be changing the color to a factory yellow to make it stand out. Since all Super Bees were built on the premise of no-frills muscle, we won't be adding much extra to our already lowly optioned Bee, rather we'll clean and replace the factory equipment and make upgrades along the way. Of course, we'll completely check the car over and repair anything that needs to be fixed; we've already decided to upgrade the suspension with a Master Power four-wheel disc-brake kit.
Last month, we removed the drivetrain and interior from our Super Bee and took the car over to J.D. at J.D.'s Paint and Body Shop. While the car has a solid body, J.D. pointed out some areas of concern under the cheap paint that adorned our Bee.
This month, we'll follow along as J.D. strips the car down to bare metal, exposing any questionable bodywork underneath, and begins the labor-intensive task of repairing dents and rust. Knowing the paint job will only be as good as the bodywork underneath, J.D. and his crew will spend many hours welding, sanding, and priming to make the Timber wolf Super Bee better than it was when new.
The engine in this project car will get special attention as well. Upon tearing down our car's 383, we found it to be in good, though worn, condition. Though still a standard bore block, wear from high miles will require we bore the block for new pistons. Additionally, we'll install new bearings, oil pan and pick up, oil pump, and reseal the bottom end with new gaskets. A Comp Cams camshaft, lifters, and valvesprings will give our 383 a significant boost, and a Weiand intake matched with a Holley carburetor will handle induction duties. To expel the gasses, Hooker headers will be matched with a free-flowing, dual-exhaust system.
To handle the additional power we'll be making, we felt the transmission should receive some attention as well. This month, Tod Struck of Inline Performance Specialist will be going through the TorqueFlite, upgrading the internals with all new TCI components to ensure tire-chirping shifts. a TCI converter, somewhat looser than stock, will be employed to help launch our Super Bee, and we haven't ruled out a gear change.
Overall this will be a great driver that will hold its own on the track when finished, so stay tuned to future issues as we complete the Super Bee. Also, be sure to enter the contest, and this Super Bee could end up residing in your garage.
After removing the engine,...
After removing the engine, transmission, and interior from our project Super Bee, we're ready to enlist the help of some friends. J.D. at J.D.'s Paint and Body Shop will be handling painting duties, and Tod Struck at Inline Performance Specialist will overhaul the transmission. Kevin Willis at Auto Performance Engines will perform all the machining, but we'll assemble the engine for this project ourselves.
While the body of our project...
While the body of our project car looked solid to the untrained eye, J.D. quickly pointed out several areas under the existing cheap paint job that would need attention while prepping the car for paint.
Just because a paint job is...
Just because a paint job is shiny and looks straight doesn't mean it's high quality. The lack of prep work under our Super Bee's previous orange paint was already causing problems. Look at the floor below the car, that's all of the orange paint that wasn't stuck to the primer underneath. The paint literally flaked off the car with a razor blade. This time it will be repaired properly.
Since the paint on our car...
Since the paint on our car was sub-standard, and the bodywork underneath questionable as well, J.D. decided the only way to make it right was to sand the entire car to bare metal, then work from there.
Once stripped, it was apparent...
Once stripped, it was apparent several areas of our Super Bee would need some special attention. Stay tuned as we'll outline how the body was repaired and painted as this project progresses in future issues.
With the body at the paint...
With the body at the paint shop, we tore into the 383 that was pulled from our Super Bee to evaluate what we'd need to do to freshen it up. Turns out this is a standard bore 383; the wear indicates high-mileage, but otherwise this engine is sound.
Under the valve covers we...
Under the valve covers we found what we'd expect from a high-mileage engine: sludge and carbon buildup. We'll clean and correct this during our overhaul of the motor.
Removing the oil pan from...
Removing the oil pan from our engine revealed an interesting fact: though an HP 383 engine, the windage tray was missing. Further investigation revealed the rod and main bearings had been replaced, and the windage tray had evidently been left out at that time.
Pulling the cylinder heads...
Pulling the cylinder heads showed standard bore cylinders, which is great news. We'll bore the block the minimum amount possible to clean up the cylinders, and then replace the pistons with new forged units when we rebuild this 383.
Although they had been replaced,...
Although they had been replaced, the grooves in the engine bearings indicate that dirt moved through this engine's oiling system. when we finish this build in a future issue, we'll correct all the discrepancies we found with this motor and add some aftermarket goodies.
To overhaul the transmission...
To overhaul the transmission in our project vehicle, we turned to fellow racer Tod Struck of Inline Performance Specialist. He has been building our race transmissions for years and knows TorqueFlites inside and out, so we couldn't think of anyone we'd trust more with this transmission.
To complete our transmission...
To complete our transmission overhaul, we ordered one of TCI's master kits. This kit comes with all the seals, clutches, and bands, as well as a Trans-Scat shift kit to improve the performance of our 727.
Overhauling an automatic transmission...
Overhauling an automatic transmission takes experience as well as specialty tools, such as this one used to remove the pump housing. If you don't have the tools or experience, we recommend taking your transmission to someone like Tod at Inline Performance.
With the pump out and the...
With the pump out and the front band loose, the front drum and clutch assemblies can all be removed from the front. While not the original transmission for this car, this is a standard big-block TorqueFlite with three-pinion planetary gear sets.
While it did shift and work...
While it did shift and work properly, our TorqueFlite had a significant amount of wear as indicated by the metal in the pan and filter. This calls for closer inspection of the internals to ensure we completely repair the transmission during overhaul.
We found a problem in the...
We found a problem in the front clutch pack. There were only three clutch discs and they were burned. By using the thin steels and clutches from our TCI kit we'll get an extra clutch in the front pack, preventing this from happening again.
Once the transmission was...
Once the transmission was disassembled, Tod cleaned all the big transmission parts in his jet washer. Small parts were cleaned in the parts washer.
Once everything is cleaned...
Once everything is cleaned and inspected, the transmissions subassemblies are rebuilt with the new TCI parts.
One upgrade we'll be performing...
One upgrade we'll be performing is to replace the stock, 2.8-ratio kick-down band lever with the 5.0-ratio lever shown on the left. This is an easy upgrade and will firm our shifts significantly.
We'll replace all the seals...
We'll replace all the seals and gaskets in this transmission, but here's one that often is overlooked. Did you know about the seal inside the speedometer pinion?
Using another specialty tool,...
Using another specialty tool, Tod installs the shift-selector seal. The new seal from TCI will prevent a leak common to the TorqueFlite transmission.
With the internals back in...
With the internals back in the case, Tod turns his attention to the valvebody. The Trans-Scat kit is easy to install and should improve shift quality significantly.
With the valve body modified...
With the valve body modified and installed, Tod buttons up the transmission and installs the shifter and throttle pressure arms.
With our project only a month...
With our project only a month underway, we feel like we're making some progress. Our car is at the body shop, engine torn down and at the machine shop, and our transmission is rebuilt and ready to install. Follow along as we complete our project and be sure to check out the contest rules as you could actually win the car when it's completed!
You could win this car or one of five other classics at the Timber Wolf Speed Shop. Go to TWSPEEDSHOP.com for details.
No purchase necessary to enter or win in the Timber Wolf Speed Shop promotion.
For official rules and how to obtain a free code, visit TWSPEEDSHOP.com. Starts 12:01 a.m. CT 5/15/07 and ends 11:59 p.m. CT 11/1/07, or while supplies last. Open to legal residents of the contiguous 48 U.S. & D.C. (excluding VA & MA), 21-or-older, tobacco users, and who have a valid U.S. driver's license. Void in VA, MA, and where prohibited.
Sponsor: Pinkerton Tobacco Co. LP