Hemi Charger Restoration thread (Updated 5/28/10 - Nearly complete!!!)

[bzabodyn]

Just FYI - wing is tenatively sold in case anyone is wondering... simply awaiting payment...

BZ

[hemi68charger]

Just FYI - wing is tenatively sold in case anyone is wondering... simply awaiting payment...

BZ

Great... additional mula for the restoration.......... Should go a long way.......

T

[bzabodyn]

Didn't sell it for as much as I would have liked, but it's done and I don't have to worry about messing with the 'Bay or anything like that anymore...

BZ

[moparchris]

Good luck with your resto.  Keep your patience and don't get discouraged.  There will be days that make you want to pull your hair out, but just keep at it.  I had my first Hemi Charger in 1978 and I have had 4 total 68-69 Hemi Chargers and I am finishing my 68 resto.  Unfortunately I have never had the money to send a car out, so as a result I have always done everything myself.  If you ever have questions feel free to PM me and I will help you any way I can.

[bzabodyn]

thanks for the words of encouragement, chris!  everything is really exciting now and I just hope the motivation stays there for the duration of this process - only time will tell!

BZ

[Ghoste]

If you find yourself getting too bored, you can always just give the car to me. 

[69_500]

Now why on earth would he give that car to you? Hmmmm, aren't you the one who prefers those 1st generation cars?    Oh wait thats right, nope you prefer the 500's.

[Ghoste]

It's not that I prefer it, it has some kind of Christine like power over me.  I'm sure a free 69 Hemi Charger could break the spell.

[bzabodyn]

Well, I have a sort of update:

I went to the shop in Conroe and met with the owner and the head-resto-guy to see some of his previous work - impressive company from top to bottom and the attention to detail on their restos was exactly what I was hoping... they actually have a indoors "frame office" where they do the frame/mechanicals in comfort.  They had a '70 Cuda 440 6-pack car that was recently completed, a '66 Charger in process and a HemiCuda with 76 miles on it owned by Mr. Gullo (can't remember his first name - owns several car dealerships around the Houston area) that is on their to-do list.  One gentleman I had taked with previously, Frank Van De Velde - the franchise director for American Classics, is a mopar-head himself and not only owns a '70 Hemi Charger, he is also good friends with Galen, so that should help in getting speedy responses from him regarding some decisions we need to make on the car...

So now that... we collectively decided that we are not going the route of reproduction body panels - instead, the owner's son, Geoff, has found two prospective rolling bodies with completed body work with no drivetrain that we will (sorry) chop up and use what we need to get the charger back together.  The one we decided on actually was a 383 4-speed car that has a matching interior - problem is, it isn't going to be cheap - let's say less than $20k, more than $10k... BUT, invaluable parts throughout and lots of date-coded stuff that we would have had a hard time getting together otherwise... Hopefully we'll be able to salvage something in the end, so then I can sell what's left and recoup some of the costs... I guess only time will tell... but before we start hacking another car, Frank wants to get Galen's blessing that this approach is the best route... also, they are doing some research into the options, etc on the car, because for some reason Frank has some curiosity that this car might be one of like 12-15 (keeps referring to it as a "drag pack" car)? So, can't wait to hear what Galen's take on it is... The owner of the business also said that they have basically agreed with the Speed Channel to cover portions of the resto along with the finished product during '09 Barrett-Jackson coverage - as far as media coverage, Mopar Action has also agreed to do a feature on the completed car and might do updates of the resto process on the website... so lots going on...

At any rate, the dissembly/verification of everything is going to take place starting this week, so I should have some updated pictures (took some of the car at the shop, but nothing everyone hasn't seen - they just cleaned it up a tad    Stay tuned!

Brandon Z.

[69bronzeT5]

has found two prospective rolling bodies with completed body work with no drivetrain that we will (sorry) chop up and use what we need to get the charger back together. 

 ...if you have any metal left on em...like usuable parts...send em to me



Good to see progress is being made!

[tan top]

   

[charge69]

They made very few 383-4spd cars! Probably fewer of them than they did Hemicars! You are going to chop one up to restore your car?  Shame on you and this shop for thinking this is the proper route to go!  I would really look for another alternative!   Your call, but I wouldn't do it!

Your car probably has the "trak pack" option. I think it may have been standard in all 4-spd Hemicars. If not, still common in 4-spd Hemicars. There was a "super trak-pack" option that used 4.10 gears and even 4.56 gears could be ordered with the Dana rearend.  Not sure about any "drag-pack" option.

[TUFCAT]

Yeah, I'm really impressed with your build so far (and the progress updates) as well .....this is shaping up to the "one to watch" as far as I'm concerned! 

[69_500]

Nice update on the progress. I think that you will probably get many responses to the whole Galen's blessing issue. That is just my opinion but I"ve seen it too many times.

Anyways back to the task at hand. If your wanting to get the 383 4 speed car mainly for date coded parts then I don't see a problem with that. However I wouldn't cut it up to just use the sheetmetal if its a complete car. Gutting a car, and parting it out is one thing, but cutting one up when we have the replacement sheetmetal readily available is well to me crazy. A good body shop would use the replacement OEM quarters that are available now, and you couldn't tell if it was those quarters or quarters cut off of another car. I just don't see the point of cutting up another car when its not needed. Now if it  was a car that was say wrecked on the passenger side, and you cut off the drivers side quarter to use that is a totally different story.

Are you intending to sell your car once completed at the Barrett Jackson auction in 09?

[Daytona R/T SE]

Well, I have a sort of update:

 Geoff, has found two prospective rolling bodies with completed body work with no drivetrain that we will (sorry) chop up and use what we need to get the charger back together. 

Cough...cough ... REBODY... cough...cough....

[moparstuart]

Well, I have a sort of update:

 Geoff, has found two prospective rolling bodies with completed body work with no drivetrain that we will (sorry) chop up and use what we need to get the charger back together. 

Cough...cough ... REBODY... cough...cough....

sound exactly like what they want to do    , that car was not that bad ,yes rusty but no that bad

[FJMG]

    I'm with 69 500 on that cut up issue, I purchased a 383 auto rolling body to cut up years ago when they were cheap and plentiful. Everytime I looked at the rust-free body I couldn't cut it. I ended up buying the required components piece by piece and now have the (ahem) "problem" of restoring two chargers.

[69bronzeT5]

Yea, I wouldnt cut them up IMO. 

[TUFCAT]

Now since they're available.....buy the full quarters!! - - they will fit better than hacked off OEM quarters any day of the week. In the short run, you'll pay more for parts, but in the long run, labor cost will be a significant savings.  Doing it "His way" you'll be paying double.... pay him to cut off AND pay him to install.....plus you end up a with a hacked up car that you can't sell afterwards?   Sounds goofy to me.  A good metal fab guy could probably fix those old ones....that is, if the nice new full quarters weren't an option as they are now...   

[bullit68]

PLEASE DONT CUT UP THE OTHER CHARGER!!!! you know they dont make them anymore.i have a friend who has TWO nos 69 charger quarter panels,TWO nos front fenders and an nos rear valence.i could see if he wants to part with any of them.he knows what they're worth,so they wont be cheap.pm me if interested.

[moparchris]

Just my  , but please think twice about cutting up a good 69 383 4 speed car.  Just from a monetary stand point lets dissect this:  Shop time to drill out every spot weld to remove the original panels and then the fitting to your car.  Now purchasing NEW full quarters,  no cutting from the old car, no surprise rust that you didn't see before you started cutting etc......  It's your car and by all means its your decision to make, but think twice on this approach.  If you buy the 383 4 speed car and just remove the date coded parts you have a whole lot more car to sell to someone else and recoup you initial cost.

[Fitz73Chrgr]

I agree with everyone else.  Not that you posted looking for everyones opinion, but isn't the whole point of this hobby to bring as many possible back onto the road?  There are NOS panels out there, as you can see since 2 people who know of some have already posted, as well as very high quality reproductions. 

[Charger_Fan]

I agree with these guys, cutting up a good Charger to use body panels that are available elsewhere is just nuts.
I can't even make myself cut up my '70 383 4-speed SE car that has already been halfway parted out! This thing's in a lot better shape than what other people have started with on their resto's & I just can't bear to do it.

From what you've said, it sounds like the body guy is just seeing $$ signs & nothing more.

[bzabodyn]

Wow, I hang christmas lights for a day and don't check the board and I have a ton of hate mail waiting on me!

I have done more numbers-crunching in the last two months than anyone would even care to hear about... so please don't criticize me for making a smart financial decision - I knew I was going to get hassled about cutting up another charger, but when the numbers are looked at, this $16k investment (what we ended up paying for the car shipped) is going to save me over $30k when you look at all the NOS/date coded parts I'm going to get out of the deal as well as the metal fab work we're avoiding (we're not chopping it up just for the quarters as many are making it seem)... has anyone tried finding an entire roof section that's straight with no rust lately? Good Luck - and that involves hacking up a car regardless...

Again, I apologize for being "selfish" or however else people are making me come across, but in the end - we're talking about a lot of money here that I work very hard for and I just want to get the best end product out of the deal - I'll post pics of the new car when we get it in the next week, and you can make whatever judgments you want after then... just please realize that buying this car has allowed me to actually do the resto under contract (fixed $ amount) vs. a monthly billing and not knowing where the end number would end up... and that contract amount is easily $40k if not more under the figures I ran into elsewhere....

Regardless, I plan on keeping everyone as updated as possible so I can have a forum for sharing all the information about this project as possible... hopefully my experiences will aid anyone else in a similar situation in the future...

Have a great day!

BZ

[69bronzeT5]

 





btw, if you have any usuable parts left from the parts car...send em to me