This is the original reviewer posting an update for my 1973 Dodge Charger. Since my last update on January 8, 2025 I have driven 1,112 miles, again on nice weekend days. The previous review left a couple of things hanging that I wanted to address.
First, I replaced the windshield wipers slightly after the January 2025 update. Even though the car is never intentionally driven in the rain, the old wipers had some dry rot and one should always be prepared for a faulty weather forecast.
At 169,048 miles I repacked the front wheel bearings and installed new grease seals. The part number for those seals is #5121 in case anyone is interested. While I had the car jacked up to replace those seals, I noticed that the lower ball joint on the passenger side was loose so I had that replaced. At the same time, I asked the garage to check the rubber bushings in the upper control arm because they appear to have dry rot cracks but the garage swore the front end is tight. The car drives straight and feels tight.
At 169,180 miles I had that body work done that I alluded to in the last review. The lower rear quarters and the rust bubbles under the vinyl top below the rear window, and also a little rust divot in the driver's side door. The work was done at Gary's Body Shop in Cadiz, Ohio and it looks great, with the paint matched perfectly and no damage to the vinyl top to get at those bubbles under the window. When I walked into the shop to pick up the car I said to myself, "Wow, look at that beautiful Charger in here! Oh wait, that's my Charger." I love that feeling when you realize that awesome car is your car.
And finally, I elected to bypass the oil pressure idiot light altogether and install a mechanical oil pressure gauge with a copper line. I'm so much happier with a real gauge! At cold start-up, it shows about 75 psi oil pressure and cruising down the highway it shows 50 psi. At hot idle in gear with the brake on like at a stop light, it shows about 15 psi. I can't believe a few years ago I was becoming worried that the engine might be getting tired out. With oil pressure like that, the main and rod bearings I replaced a hundred thousand miles ago don't seem worn at all, and it doesn't blow any smoke so those rings with nearly 200,000 miles on them still seem good. I think a rebuild is the last thing that engine needs. If anyone watches Uncle Tony's Garage on YouTube, he talks now about "forever cars" under the theory that new vehicles are cratering in quality and once they grenade at 30,000 miles they can't be fixed anyway because manufacturers build them to fail under planned obsolescence, so people are turning to older vehicles that can be fixed indefinitely as a car you can keep forever. I would suggest that, based on my experience, you can safely consider an LA block 318 2-barrel as a forever car.
12th Jul 2026, 15:16
This is the original reviewer posting an update for my 1973 Dodge Charger. Since my last update on January 8, 2025 I have driven 1,112 miles, again on nice weekend days. The previous review left a couple of things hanging that I wanted to address.
First, I replaced the windshield wipers slightly after the January 2025 update. Even though the car is never intentionally driven in the rain, the old wipers had some dry rot and one should always be prepared for a faulty weather forecast.
At 169,048 miles I repacked the front wheel bearings and installed new grease seals. The part number for those seals is #5121 in case anyone is interested. While I had the car jacked up to replace those seals, I noticed that the lower ball joint on the passenger side was loose so I had that replaced. At the same time, I asked the garage to check the rubber bushings in the upper control arm because they appear to have dry rot cracks but the garage swore the front end is tight. The car drives straight and feels tight.
At 169,180 miles I had that body work done that I alluded to in the last review. The lower rear quarters and the rust bubbles under the vinyl top below the rear window, and also a little rust divot in the driver's side door. The work was done at Gary's Body Shop in Cadiz, Ohio and it looks great, with the paint matched perfectly and no damage to the vinyl top to get at those bubbles under the window. When I walked into the shop to pick up the car I said to myself, "Wow, look at that beautiful Charger in here! Oh wait, that's my Charger." I love that feeling when you realize that awesome car is your car.
And finally, I elected to bypass the oil pressure idiot light altogether and install a mechanical oil pressure gauge with a copper line. I'm so much happier with a real gauge! At cold start-up, it shows about 75 psi oil pressure and cruising down the highway it shows 50 psi. At hot idle in gear with the brake on like at a stop light, it shows about 15 psi. I can't believe a few years ago I was becoming worried that the engine might be getting tired out. With oil pressure like that, the main and rod bearings I replaced a hundred thousand miles ago don't seem worn at all, and it doesn't blow any smoke so those rings with nearly 200,000 miles on them still seem good. I think a rebuild is the last thing that engine needs. If anyone watches Uncle Tony's Garage on YouTube, he talks now about "forever cars" under the theory that new vehicles are cratering in quality and once they grenade at 30,000 miles they can't be fixed anyway because manufacturers build them to fail under planned obsolescence, so people are turning to older vehicles that can be fixed indefinitely as a car you can keep forever. I would suggest that, based on my experience, you can safely consider an LA block 318 2-barrel as a forever car.