My 1972 ROAD RUNNER FINALLY RUNS! But I Screwed Up.

This Mopar had it all! Nice paint, decent interior, 440 engine, four-speed trans, Gear Vendors overdrive, 3.55 gears. It’s a ’72 Road Runner, among my favorite body styles. I snapped it up…then everything went wrong. In part 1 of this budget-conscious rescue series, I pulled the 440, fixed all the loose bolts, cleaned it all up, reinstalled it, and got it running. This time, it drives! At least briefly.

SEE PART 1 HERE

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[JohnnieBravo]

David; I had a rear engine block oil leak that I could NOT track down! Replaced the rear main twice, and still had oil running out, soaking the flywheel and clutch. Drove me frikkin nuts. Built ANOTHER entire engine to replace it to get rid of it. While on the stand I noticed, something .... the plugs on the back of the block for the oil galleys were loose. Under pressure, oil would push out of them, drip down by the rear main boss, and "look" like the rear main was leaking. I'd never seen that before. Just a thought. As many engines as I've built over many years, that was the first time I ever had a machine shop not snug those things down. Looking forward to y our next episode!

[jamesehamilton]

The moment at the end of sitting in the car staring out the windshield in silence, defeated, and experiencing a full on emotional cocktail of righteous anger and regret was the most relatable part of this whole episode for me. Hang in there, David. We've all been there. Probably alot. You'll conquer it.

[ni_wink]

I’m bummed RK and RKG are gone now but I have to say having you here on YouTube is really nice! Weekly stuff coming instead of months apart, doing your own projects and cars instead of new ones I really like that you’re here and I hope we are able to support you here enough that you’re able to keep (and want to keep) content coming! Thanks for all the great videos freiburger, you’re a legend! Hopefully you and the dulcheck can get together soon too!

[chestercobblepot]

Thanks David for showing your struggles with cars. It’s making all of us normal humans feel like we’re not crazy for all the dumb stuff we do. It’s incredibly validating. :)

[Andy_Wyo]

Can you imagine having Freiburger or Dulcich's number to text with questions on builds? The knowledge they possess is incredible so please keep posting!

[nickboudreaux]

Yesterday I picked up a 1965 Chevy C 10 stepside with the factory 283 and three on the tree. Drove it home at 67 mph about 41 miles. In DF spirit, it’s already running, but we’re going to make it right, more right than it is! Keep the videos coming.

[charlesdalton]

I'm going to add to those who wrote they like the color - it is beautiful! Sorry for the rough patch, we've all been there and we're all pulling for you. Nice work, thank you for taking us along. ~ Chuck

[JohnSmith-demz]

Made me remember in 67 my Dad took my brother and I to Victorville Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge to see the 67 Hemi GTX and the salesman gave us a ride. Man that was frikin AWESOME

[rlh]

It might be a 72 and not get a lot of love, but it’s a sweet ride. Most of us would be proud to own it.

[ChuckRod]

Dude! Every time you manage to drop some obscure fact or historical knowledge and that’s why it’s always a joy to watch….

[bradspring]

Well, David, I see you out there working on the road Runner. I’m almost 74 years old and I gotta pick up in the garage that I’ve had for 36 years. She hasn’t run really well in the last year so I’m gonna get out there and work on it. Much respect son.

[willslowik]

Thanks! For swapping in that really cool factory steering wheel and a really enjoyable video

[billyzgoneape]

I love how Dave does everything outside like some guys would with little too no indoor space !

[MauriceHess-yd]

The inspiration you offer is a sense of belonging, , it warms my heart to know that I’m not the only person that feels like exploring all four corners of the vocabulary spectrum while working on a vehicle 😉. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve mixed grease and blood on a project. Someone with your knowledge suffering similar setbacks lets me know that I am not alone !! 😉👍🇺🇸

[stevevice]

My first car in 1977 was a ‘71 Barracuda in that same bronze color. I wasn’t crazy about it either, but when I would wash it and wax it would absolutely look fantastic in the sun. It had a slightly metallic flake and it just showed the lines of the car really well. This video is making me nostalgic.

[five-oonsene]

Even though you didn't get it right, just got it running I enjoyed THIS episode more than any of the past ones so far. The only thing missing was The Dullcheck. He would not have let you fail. I would love to see you go to Steve's place to pull the engine and repair everything and he could fix your scratches while you are there and you both could get a great video out of the deal.
it would be epic!

[monkeyfoodgarden]

Hey we've all done the why the heck didn't I do that speech to ourselves. Loving the channel and the videos.

[cuda]

Ah, the ol' 440 rear main seal leak.... I chased an annoying leak on my 440 for a whole summer and could not get it to quit. Turns out the groove in the block was not machined properly, it was off center to the crankshaft. I bet I pulled the oil pan a dozen times... 😎 Great episode Dave!

[stevehicks]

I am reminded of something Rick Voeglin wrote once when he was Car Craft editor about maintaining a muscle car: it required Christian forgiveness, Buddaist compassion and an atheistic refusal to abandon the project no matter how vexing. You’ll get through this.

[spencerd]

I can relate to the “not so family-friendly” moments when you’ve missed something you shouldn’t have. Still loving the channel and wishing you the best!