This is just a test to see if this site will accept my photo's as formatted.
Well I don't know why but it seems to have accepted these photos this time around. Anyway I am new as a member but I have been looking at this site for a few months going through the 130 odd pages of threads to get info on this project I have started. Lots of great stuff and good work by talented people here. I am building a Daytona clone using a 68 Charger shell to be fitted over a salvaged SRT-8. I have seen the body swap done a couple of times so that's not new. Maybe a wing version will be.
These are pictures of a model built to help visualize some of what I want to do. I will try to post what I have been up to as time permits.
Looks like it worked. You should introduce yourself as I am sure some here have not heard your story.
So is this the color scheme ? Where is the big 24 or 48 on the doors :nana:
Quote from: moparstuart on May 31, 2013, 02:42:30 PM
So is this the color scheme ? Where is the big 24 or 48 on the doors :nana:
I have to steal some of those while no one is looking. Ha!
Welcome to the group, looks like a good project you have in mind there.
If the real car will look like the model, you'll have definitely raised the bar for a cool custom Charger, let alone wing car. :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: I'm looking forward to seeing this one completed.
(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-eatdrink033.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-eatdrink063.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/welcome.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
Nice
Thanks for the welcome and I don't know about setting any high bar with this crowd. I have seen some pretty great stuff executed by members here.
:cheers:
Teaser :drool5:
Stuart posted a picture of the donor SRT-8. Here are some pic of the other half of the equation. I bought the SRT from a salvage dealer in Pa. for $8,500.00 It has some minor mechanical damage from the front end collision but it starts and runs fine. I has 66,000 miles on it.
The 68 Charger came out of Rockmart Ga. It is just a bare shell and cost me $1,500.00 It was banged up pretty good on the quarters but it had a lot of good metal on the top side down to the quarter bottoms. The car never had a vinyl roof so the roof skin is in great shape. I will probably need to get new door skins though . They were knocked around pretty good. I will be fixing most other issues
You can see the floor is the traditional Swiss cheese. The car was untitled but it turned out that GA. did not require cars to be titled until the 80's so I was able to get an NC. inoperable title for now. The inspector told me to call him back when the car had a running drive train and he would start the paper work for the finish title.
All in all it is pretty solid based on the fact that it was stripped to the bone and has been sitting outside since 1976.
:drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn:
(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-gen031.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
Very cool....but, if that is how you're gonna paint it..I'd drop the grey on the hood.. :Twocents:..looking forward to build pics! :cheers:
Cool project! :popcrn:
Quote from: Ram07 on June 01, 2013, 03:37:37 PM
Very cool....but, if that is how you're gonna paint it..I'd drop the grey on the hood.. :Twocents:..looking forward to build pics! :cheers:
You may be right. The hood treatment might be a bit much. Maybe some matte black inserts would look better? Long way off to paint that's for sure.
That's it. I'm ready for paint. Well maybe it needs a little more work. I got the nose and tail second hand from a guy up in Troutman N.C. who used to work for Ray Evernham and has a tidy little business building General Lees for customers. Over the past few years he has built over 40 of them. I paid $500.00 for the pair. The hood and fender came out of S.C. The car it came off of had been stored in a back yard and a tree fell on the roof and killed it. I got the hood for $400.00 and the fender for $100. Seeing what most folks want for the 70 Charger stuff I consider myself lucky.
The right side fender is my "Wonder Fender". Mostly because I spent a month wondering where it was. I bought it of a guy on Ebay for $300.00 shipped from Iowa.
It took him 3 weeks to finally put the thing on a bus and another week to get from Iowa via transfers in Kansas City, Philadelphia and southern New Jersey. I learned a lot about shipping by bus.
The Vega window plug came from the guy who sold me the nose and wing. I paid $250.00 and I guess since these things are getting harder to find I should be pretty happy but while searching I found a beautiful one on Craigslist in San Diego for $20.00 local pick up only.
I got lucky and was able to trade the 68 hood to the same guy I bought my hood and left fender from to get the deck lid.
There was also a 68 Charger done on West coast customs.Modern underneath classic 68 charger on top
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,33677.25.html
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4999/puggsvegas2ya8.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic%3D42040.0&h=480&w=640&sz=65&tbnid=zGZI7mx4FiH_0M:&tbnh=95&tbnw=126&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGary%2Bdourdan%2B68%2Bcharger%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Gary+dourdan+68+charger&usg=__WWHDaVrl9LiXssPLwkSj7XYOWyY=&docid=os4gEcyBUO8fsM&sa=X&ei=g7qrUaveHaL-4APfgIFo&ved=0CDgQ9QEwAw&dur=0
Quote from: nascarxx29 on June 02, 2013, 04:32:22 PM
There was also a 68 Charger done on West coast customs.Modern underneath classic 68 charger on top
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,33677.25.html
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4999/puggsvegas2ya8.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic%3D42040.0&h=480&w=640&sz=65&tbnid=zGZI7mx4FiH_0M:&tbnh=95&tbnw=126&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGary%2Bdourdan%2B68%2Bcharger%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Gary+dourdan+68+charger&usg=__WWHDaVrl9LiXssPLwkSj7XYOWyY=&docid=os4gEcyBUO8fsM&sa=X&ei=g7qrUaveHaL-4APfgIFo&ved=0CDgQ9QEwAw&dur=0
Yes I am aware of this car. The show about it was a little hokey and I wish they had showed more detail of the car build instead of people jerking around in the shop. They also split the show between the Charger and a Prius project. Moparstuart showed me quite a few links where this has been done successfully . I hope I can pull it off. Those are some great pictures of that car in the link. I love the color on that car.
Heres another 69 to 08 charger
http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149892
Quote from: nascarxx29 on June 02, 2013, 07:15:52 PM
Heres another 69 to 08 charger
http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149892
Wow! Ole Rowdy Gowdy ain't scared. I love the way he's doing it with a tractor , an electric grinder,and a stick welder in a car port with some tarps down the sides. Holy Moly!
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2013, 08:00:34 PM
Quote from: nascarxx29 on June 02, 2013, 07:15:52 PM
Heres another 69 to 08 charger
http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149892
Wow! Ole Rowdy Gowdy ain't scared. I love the way he's doing it with a tractor , an electric grinder,and a stick welder in a car port with some tarps down the sides. Holy Moly!
I hear Red Green sent him a case of Duct tape too :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
West coast video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=j8IUQnLwPD4&NR=1
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2013, 02:57:05 PM
The right side fender is my "Wonder Fender". Mostly because I spent a month wondering where it was. I bought it of a guy on Ebay for $300.00 shipped from Iowa.
It took him 3 weeks to finally put the thing on a bus and another week to get from Iowa via transfers in Kansas City, Philadelphia and southern New Jersey. I learned a lot about shipping by bus.
The Vega window plug came from the guy who sold me the nose and wing. I paid $250.00 and I guess since these things are getting harder to find I should be pretty happy but while searching I found a beautiful one on Craigslist in San Diego for $20.00 local pick up only.
I got lucky and was able to trade the 68 hood to the same guy I bought my hood and left fender from to get the deck lid.
Very Cool Project, I look forward to reading more about your Daytona Clone... Welcome to DC .com
Quote from: Budnicks on June 02, 2013, 09:25:07 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2013, 02:57:05 PM
The right side fender is my "Wonder Fender". Mostly because I spent a month wondering where it was. I bought it of a guy on Ebay for $300.00 shipped from Iowa.
It took him 3 weeks to finally put the thing on a bus and another week to get from Iowa via transfers in Kansas City, Philadelphia and southern New Jersey. I learned a lot about shipping by bus.
The Vega window plug came from the guy who sold me the nose and wing. I paid $250.00 and I guess since these things are getting harder to find I should be pretty happy but while searching I found a beautiful one on Craigslist in San Diego for $20.00 local pick up only.
I got lucky and was able to trade the 68 hood to the same guy I bought my hood and left fender from to get the deck lid.
Very Cool Project, I look forward to reading more about your Daytona Clone... Welcome to DC .com
Thanks for the welcome.
Quote from: moparstuart on June 02, 2013, 08:07:15 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2013, 08:00:34 PM
Quote from: nascarxx29 on June 02, 2013, 07:15:52 PM
Heres another 69 to 08 charger
http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149892
Wow! Ole Rowdy Gowdy ain't scared. I love the way he's doing it with a tractor , an electric grinder,and a stick welder in a car port with some tarps down the sides. Holy Moly!
I hear Red Green sent him a case of Duct tape too :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Based on the cut off method he may need it.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 03, 2013, 05:13:18 AM
Quote from: Budnicks on June 02, 2013, 09:25:07 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2013, 02:57:05 PM
The right side fender is my "Wonder Fender". Mostly because I spent a month wondering where it was. I bought it of a guy on Ebay for $300.00 shipped from Iowa.
It took him 3 weeks to finally put the thing on a bus and another week to get from Iowa via transfers in Kansas City, Philadelphia and southern New Jersey. I learned a lot about shipping by bus.
The Vega window plug came from the guy who sold me the nose and wing. I paid $250.00 and I guess since these things are getting harder to find I should be pretty happy but while searching I found a beautiful one on Craigslist in San Diego for $20.00 local pick up only.
I got lucky and was able to trade the 68 hood to the same guy I bought my hood and left fender from to get the deck lid.
Very Cool Project, I look forward to reading more about your Daytona Clone... Welcome to DC .com
Thanks for the welcome.
Good luck...
Quote from: Stevearino on May 31, 2013, 02:38:50 PM
This is just a test to see if this site will accept my photo's as formatted.
Well I don't know why but it seems to have accepted these photos this time around. Anyway I am new as a member but I have been looking at this site for a few months going through the 130 odd pages of threads to get info on this project I have started. Lots of great stuff and good work by talented people here. I am building a Daytona clone using a 68 Charger shell to be fitted over a salvaged SRT-8. I have seen the body swap done a couple of times so that's not new. Maybe a wing version will be.
These are pictures of a model built to help visualize some of what I want to do. I will try to post what I have been up to as time permits.
hello & welcome :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: you got some project going on there !! looking forward to seeing more pictures & up dates & stuff :yesnod: :cheers: :popcrn:
Thanks for the welcome TAN TOP
The next phase of my project was to strip out the remaining stuff in the car getting it down to just a rolling shell.
Even though I will not be using this chassis I took the time to neatly remove the bad floor pans and trunk pan for two reasons. The first is to get the hazardous rusty metal out so it is easier to work on the parts that will be saved. The second is I will try to remove the chassis intact as most of the chassis except for the torsion bar cross member are in pretty good shape and someone might be able to use the components.
The right side quarter panel was caved in at the top pretty good. It took some time with a porta power and some hammer and dolly work but I got it out reasonably decent.
Awwww Man this is gonna get good :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :icon_smile_tongue: :popcrn:
Btw what did you do with your 68 drivers fender, cause im in need of one :whistling:
Steve,You big showoff :nana: :nana: :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 03, 2013, 08:55:20 PM
Awwww Man this is gonna get good :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :icon_smile_tongue: :popcrn:
Btw what did you do with your 68 drivers fender, cause im in need of one :whistling:
Still have it. The front edge in the grill area is kind of boogered up and it's a little bent at the bottom where it attaches to the frame. I have to reduce the file but I'll post a pic of it tonight.
Quote from: Indygenerallee on June 03, 2013, 09:21:27 PM
Steve,You big showoff :nana: :nana: :icon_smile_big:
You got me pegged David.
Steve,
Welcome to the forum! I'm always amazed by you guys with the metalworking skills and what you can reduce a car to, them build it back up...great work, wish i could do that. I'l really looking forward to seeing your project progress, Keep the pictures coming!
:2thumbs:
Quote from: 70Sbird on June 04, 2013, 08:08:47 AM
Steve,
Welcome to the forum! I'm always amazed by you guys with the metalworking skills and what you can reduce a car to, them build it back up...great work, wish i could do that. I'l really looking forward to seeing your project progress, Keep the pictures coming!
:2thumbs:
I was just reading your thread last night Scott. I can't wait to see your Superbird completed.
I needed to get inspired so I started with the metal work that would get me going. I started by building the bed for the short deck lid. I decided to fabricate the front edge similar to the stock piece reusing the front corners of the existing bed and fabricated the mid section. Since I was going to remove the dutchman panel entirely and the sheet metal on the insides of the tunnel back I would not have the old hinge points to go to. I moved the hinge points to just in front of the new forward rim and was able to use the stock Charger hinges. Pictures 2 and 3 are of a temporary wooden jig that held the deck at the right angle to establish the hinge points. Picture 4 is of the inner liner cleaned up with some material removed for weight.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 04, 2013, 05:13:51 AM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 03, 2013, 08:55:20 PM
Awwww Man this is gonna get good :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :icon_smile_tongue: :popcrn:
Btw what did you do with your 68 drivers fender, cause im in need of one :whistling:
Still have it. The front edge in the grill area is kind of boogered up and it's a little bent at the bottom where it attaches to the frame. I have to reduce the file but I'll post a pic of it tonight.
Here are some pictures of the left side 68 front fender.
fantastic fab steve :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
Holy crap you do beautiful work, way to make me look like a pile of crap, and nice fender, SELL ME IT!!!!!!.... if you dont mind :rotz:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 05, 2013, 04:37:04 PM
Holy crap you do beautiful work, way to make me look like a pile of crap, and nice fender, SELL ME IT!!!!!!.... if you dont mind :rotz:
I don't mind selling it to you but I am not up for shipping the thing right now as I have a lot on my plate at work right now. PM me so we can get some particulars.
The first picture in this post is of the lower left quarter before and the second picture is after replacing the bad metal.
Picture 3 and 4 are of the beginnings of what would be a long process of rebuilding the tail panel to to rust repair and also to convert from a 68 to a 69 style.
In picture 4 you can see that rather than try to get the molded corner piece I opted to just open up the back of the quarter and finish it out in .035 steel.
Picture 1 here shows the lower roll pan corner needing replacement.
Picture 2 shows the replacement piece I made to match the old one.
Picture 3 the corner is installed.
Picture 4 some of the adjacent metal under the rear bumper area has been repaired.
Beautiful work! :2thumbs:
Keep the progress pics coming!! :popcrn:
:2thumbs: and welcome
metal skills are something i wish for, among others...........
Quote from: mightywing7 on June 05, 2013, 06:26:55 PM
Beautiful work! :2thumbs:
Keep the progress pics coming!! :popcrn:
Thanks man.
Quote from: mauve66 on June 05, 2013, 07:04:41 PM
:2thumbs: and welcome
metal skills are something i wish for, among others...........
[/quote Don't wish. Buy a Ron Fournier book on metal fab and start tinkering. You'd be amazed how quickly you will pick it up. I like to say it's arts and crafts with steel. You know Sissors/ Shears Hot glue gun/ welder.
DUDE YOU ARE A GOD AMONG FABRICATORS I wish to some day have the tools and skills to even do half of what you can do :notworthy:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 05, 2013, 08:40:13 PM
DUDE YOU ARE A GOD AMONG FABRICATORS I wish to some day have the tools and skills to even do half of what you can do :notworthy:
I appreciate the compliment but its a bit over the top. I know more than a few guys on here who make me look like like a hack. Don C comes to mind immediately.
your doing some nice metal fab work
Quote from: Budnicks on June 06, 2013, 11:22:28 AM
your doing some nice metal fab work
Thanks it's the fun part for me.
Next I had to cut away the old roll pan. I wanted to see if I could just repair it so I cut it free. After the seeing the back side made me realize it wasn't much of a roll pan anymore. More like some paint holding on to some rust . I replaced the bumper mount location points with some 1/8 th inch steel and fabricated the upper ledge of the roll pan which is just an 90 degree lip. Then I welded it all in. I was able to save the center of the old roll pan which is the most complicated piece of the stamping where the license plate hangs. There was just one 2x2 inch patch of metal to replace and I hit it with some Ospho to stabilize it.
With the center section cleaned up and back primed I welded it back to the car.
With the center section and the new corner piece back in place it was time to make and install the missing left side roll pan section.
Interesting thread! :popcrn:
im liking the half 69 half 68 tail panel :lol:
Busy hands mate, good skills!
Also liking the Aero custom,nice one
:drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
On the right side of the car I wasn't as lucky to have a roll pan corner to reference so I made two profile patterns of the left side and used them to guide me on the shape and location.
I then installed a new right side roll pan piece up to my templates.
The third picture is of the completed roll pan.
Next it was on to more rusty metal replacement on the upper tail light panel. This right side dished piece was a little tough to make without a planishing hammer. It is kind of small for the English wheel but that is what I had to use after metal shrinking the edges and using a mallet and a sand bag to work the depression.
The first of these 4 pictures shows the tail with most of the upper section done as far as metal repair. The two tail light openings are roughed in and the upper right corner of the quarter to tail pan needs to be made.
The second picture is of the right side lower quarter panel replacement steel after installation.
Picture 3 is of the right side upper corner completed.
The last picture here is of the tail light housings that I back engineered from the tail lights I was able to get from the guy Troutman for $75.00 apiece.
Ooo those should look nice :drool5:
awesum metal work your doing. really like seeing the old forgotten mopar bodies brought back to life. i think if ya save a rusty body ,build it any way u want. totally like the Daytona,wing car projects. thanks for showing us ya metal work. all the best on ya build ,an do ya have your shots up to date,haha. latterDJ :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs: :drool5: :popcrn:
Great Work ! , keep the progress pics coming .
Quote from: djcarguy on June 09, 2013, 02:32:50 AM
awesum metal work your doing. really like seeing the old forgotten mopar bodies brought back to life. i think if ya save a rusty body ,build it any way u want. totally like the Daytona,wing car projects. thanks for showing us ya metal work. all the best on ya build ,an do ya have your shots up to date,haha. latterDJ :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs: :drool5: :popcrn:
Thanks for the compliments and no I am not up to date. As you know this site is a bit hard to upload pics to so as I down size my photo files I am posting them.
Quote from: GL#10 on June 09, 2013, 04:03:26 AM
Great Work ! , keep the progress pics coming .
Thanks I will.
:scope: clever stuff , :yesnod: .............. :popcrn:
The first picture in this group shows the final fit with the tail light lense in the surround before installation in the tail panel.
The second picture is of the surround installed followed by a picture of a test fit of the tail lense.
The final picture is of the completed tail panel with the tail lights fit in place. I use the rustoleum red oxide as a temporary primer to prevent flash rust until I get to the bondo work.
delicious :drool5:
That is some outstanding work!!! :2thumbs:
Curt
Wow... just wow... :2thumbs:
Your taillights look way better than stock as far as the gaps :2thumbs:
Thanks for the thumbs up everyone.
I meant Medical shots.. tetnus and swamp fever???just kidding ,,great work on back and quarters. if ya were out west NWcharger needs frame rails and all the metal he can get to save his xxDaytona... his tread is,,it use to be a Daytona,, well its his car or parts now. might read it ,your car is allmost perfect compared to his project..
keep up the great work..latter dj :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn:
Quote from: djcarguy on June 10, 2013, 05:06:28 AM
I meant Medical shots.. tetnus and swamp fever???just kidding ,,great work on back and quarters. if ya were out west NWcharger needs frame rails and all the metal he can get to save his xxDaytona... his tread is,,it use to be a Daytona,, well its his car or parts now. might read it ,your car is allmost perfect compared to his project..
keep up the great work..latter dj :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn:
Well I wish I could help with that situation. I am trying to be very careful with the removal of the body from the unibody frame so that it may be of use to someone who is in that position. Most of the frame components on this are not that bad. If I wasn't doing the body swap deal it would have been an excellent candidate for a restoration.
Just read Nwchargers thread. Holy hijacked threads. I think only one page actually dealt with the car in question. The guy is a real optimist planning a project that may last 20 years. Well if Johnny Cash could "Build it one Piece at a Time" so can this guy.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 10, 2013, 04:59:58 PM
Just read Nwchargers thread. Holy hijacked threads. I think only one page actually dealt with the car in question. The guy is a real optimist planning a project that may last 20 years. Well if Johnny Cash could "Build it one Piece at a Time" so can this guy.
:rofl: :icon_smile_big: :icon_smile_big: :icon_smile_big: :icon_smile_big:
Time to move to the rear window. I started by clearing away the support structure under the hatchback. Next I clearanced the sail panels about 1/4 inch on either side . Next I test fitted the plug into place holding the bottom up with some 2x4 blocks until the window portion laid on the sail panels the way I wanted. I tried relief cutting the lower section and working it down to the sail panels but I wasn't happy with the way it was torquing the lower window bed and decided that I would be more comfortable just cutting the lower section off in favor of putting in a new piece of metal. The last picture shows what is left of the window bed. While this might seem like a waste to only use the bed portion of the plug if you have ever tried to fabricate a window bed with tight radius's around a compound shaped piece of glass you will know this remaining piece is a time saver.
neat, i've always wanted to see how those hatches got installed :popcrn:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 10, 2013, 08:55:08 PM
neat, i've always wanted to see how those hatches got installed :popcrn:
This is not how most guys install them. Usually the lower part of the plug is left on and relief cuts are made on either side of the plug below the window and the steel is worked down until it fits. As Daytona guy mentioned on another thread if you go that way you need to leave the glass in until the metal is worked down or the bottom of the window track will rotate and no longer fit the glass.
Before installing the window bed I removed the drip rail in order to get between the two layers to clean and treat the metal and then I fabricated a new rail .
After the final fit I tacked the window bed into place between the sail panels.
Next I shaped a transition piece to go from the window bed to the roof. I ran this piece up the roof until it made a smooth transition as the side to side arc of the Vega plug does not exactly match the Charger roof. It is higher in the center of the plug. The window bed is positioned approximately 12" up from the center of the front of the deck lid.
After tracing the outline of my transition piece on the the roof I cut the rear roof support out and then the rear roof section so that it would be a flush fit. I temporarily tacked the old rear roof to the under side of the roof to maintain the arc since the rear roof support was now gone.
I cut a piece of 1/8th inch aluminum to fit up under the roof to temporarily act as a support for the roof mend piece. It will act as a heat sink for flush welding it in to place.
The second picture is of the temporary aluminum bed clecoed into place and finally the patch welded in.
Nice sheet-metal work...
I use an English wheel to relax the lower portion of the vega plug. Works great. Falls right into place. I still have to make a couple of small cuts near the corners to make everything look right. I overlap the vega plug and the dutchman panel several inches to add strength. I make a long cut along the edge of the sail panels so that the plug fits into place. I slide the plug up until the transition looks correct. That leaves a two inch gap at the top. I make a ledge for the package tray to sit on that also fills in the gap under the plug. I no longer use the headliner toothed pieces since my trim guy says that he can glue the headliner in which looks cleaner anyway. My trim shop makes the package tray from scratch since the Daytona repro definitely doesn't work when using the vega plug conversion.
I have two more conversions to do this year. Gets a little easier each time.
Quote from: hotrod98 on June 12, 2013, 06:45:05 PM
I use an English wheel to relax the lower portion of the vega plug. Works great. Falls right into place. I still have to make a couple of small cuts near the corners to make everything look right. I overlap the vega plug and the dutchman panel several inches to add strength. I make a long cut along the edge of the sail panels so that the plug fits into place. I slide the plug up until the transition looks correct. That leaves a two inch gap at the top. I make a ledge for the package tray to sit on that also fills in the gap under the plug. I no longer use the headliner toothed pieces since my trim guy says that he can glue the headliner in which looks cleaner anyway. My trim shop makes the package tray from scratch since the Daytona repro definitely doesn't work when using the vega plug conversion.
I have two more conversions to do this year. Gets a little easier each time.
I'll have to try that method if I ever do another one of these. Looking forward to some nice pics of your new project Larry.
Steve
After mending in the roof I moved on to replacing the panel beneath the window. I laid out and fitted a piece of .035. I had thought looking at pictures that it needed some compound shape for strength. After English wheeling it and laying it back in place I decided it needed to be flat and tossed out the first piece. Satisfied with the second piece I welded it up.
I wanted to make sure I had all the fabrication done to the deck lid before I re skinned it so I decided to see if there was a way to use the lock mechanism from the SRT.
With a couple of swipes of a rat tail file I was able to clearance the old hole for the new barrel. I had to invert the lock mechanism as the lock is in the lid of the SRT and the latch on the car. I was able to invert it by replacing a rubber pull mech with a steel push rod to actuate the lock.
where you from again?? i need to figure out shipping to your house
:cheers:
Steve ought to open a shop instead of working on racecars!! :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: mauve66 on June 14, 2013, 06:59:17 PM
where you from again?? i need to figure out shipping to your house
:cheers:
Concord North Carolina. Come on by.
Quote from: Indygenerallee on June 14, 2013, 07:01:04 PM
Steve ought to open a shop instead of working on racecars!! :icon_smile_big:
Then this would be work and it would ruin the fun. You know what it's like workin on other peoples stuff. Usually you think your doin great and they end up nit picin you.
Workin on race cars used to be fun and now it's a doughnut factory.
Steve, Haters gonna hate!! :icon_smile_big:
wow i like what you did with the lock, i might try and do the same :scratchchin: , i just adapted '76 corvette door locks to my mismatched 69/68 doors, perhaps i can scavenge a trunk lock off a late model too :icon_smile_tongue:
and i know what you mean between work and fun, working at an auto garage is total S*!t compared to working at my own pace at home :rotz:
steve-o the 1970's called and they want there red oxide primer back :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: love ya buddy
Quote from: moparstuart on June 14, 2013, 09:35:33 PM
steve-o the 1970's called and they want there red oxide primer back :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: love ya buddy
I was wondering who was going to be the first to mention that. That's my " Comes in a can,needs no mixing, hold of the flash rust till I get to the bondo work" primer. I figure if it was good enough to hold off the rust on this piece for 40 years under the Georgia pines it will out live me. Oh and it's cheap. I have to save my pennies for that $300.00 dollar a gallon paint they sell today. One of the clear coats is up to almost $700.00 per gallon.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 15, 2013, 11:09:31 AM
Quote from: moparstuart on June 14, 2013, 09:35:33 PM
steve-o the 1970's called and they want there red oxide primer back :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: love ya buddy
I was wondering who was going to be the first to mention that. That's my " Comes in a can,needs no mixing, hold of the flash rust till I get to the bondo work" primer. I figure if it was good enough to hold off the rust on this piece for 40 years under the Georgia pines it will out live me. Oh and it's cheap. I have to save my pennies for that $300.00 dollar a gallon paint they sell today. One of the clear coats is up to almost $700.00 per gallon.
:2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: just giving you crap :nana: :nana: :nana: :nana: :nana:
Well , I don't know why but my laptop with all my photos refused to find this site anymore. I have a few more photos on this computer but no software to downsize them. Very odd problem. My laptop goes to any and all websites but not this one. It tells me it can't find the server and yet here I am on another computer. Tried reinstalling the browser. Clearing the history, cookies and cashe. Checked for security blocs on the anti virus. Searched the browser trouble shooting site. Nothin. :brickwall:
Well I managed to e-mail myself the photos I downsized from my laptop to this computer. Let's see how this post goes.
With the lock mech in place it was time to re skin the deck lid and set it in place. I used this SEM product to go between the skin and the inner liner. It said there was a 2 minute working time but it was more like 10 seconds because when I was done with the application I had to pull off the mixer nozzle before the material expanded back into the tube.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 15, 2013, 02:39:28 PM
Well , I don't know why but my laptop with all my photos refused to find this site anymore. I have a few more photos on this computer but no software to downsize them. Very odd problem. My laptop goes to any and all websites but not this one. It tells me it can't find the server and yet here I am on another computer. Tried reinstalling the browser. Clearing the history, cookies and cashe. Checked for security blocs on the anti virus. Searched the browser trouble shooting site. Nothin. :brickwall:
Try loading a different browser....google chrome or Firefox maybe
Quote from: DC_1(formerly Sydmoe) on June 15, 2013, 03:21:51 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 15, 2013, 02:39:28 PM
Well , I don't know why but my laptop with all my photos refused to find this site anymore. I have a few more photos on this computer but no software to downsize them. Very odd problem. My laptop goes to any and all websites but not this one. It tells me it can't find the server and yet here I am on another computer. Tried reinstalling the browser. Clearing the history, cookies and cashe. Checked for security blocs on the anti virus. Searched the browser trouble shooting site. Nothin. :brickwall:
Try loading a different browser....google chrome or Firefox maybe
I have Firefox on both my computers. The laptop has internet explorer too and that won't bring it up either. I loaded Google Chrome and it can't hook me up either. I ran full virus and malware scans. Probably a goofy glitch in my laptop.
I don't know what it was but my laptop cured itself over night.
Since I moved my hinge points forward to use the stock deck hinges I wasn't able to use the torsion rods to hold the deck lid open. The gas pistons off of the SRT worked as a good substitute.
I have to say that this is an awesome build!!
Quote from: wingcarenvy on June 17, 2013, 11:24:19 PM
I have to say that this is an awesome build!!
X2!! :2thumbs:
Great solution to the trunk spring issue, the original Charger hinges look much better than the oversized, "adapted looking" hinges on a daytona. Also you cleaned up the inside of the truck a bit at the same time.
Amazing work!
Looks like high quality work to me.
I'm not sure why you altered the roof the way that you did. I've never done it that way. The plug sets in nicely with about a two inch gap at the top. I just fill in the gap and smooth it out.
Here's a couple of pics of the RTSE that I converted a few years ago. On this one I filled in the two inch gap at the top, relaxed the lower area of the vega plug with an English wheel, overlapped that onto a 3rd gen Dutchman and altered the deck lid so that there was a nice area for the weatherstrip to seal up properly against the drip channel.
Oh, and I made a lip at the rear edge of the vega plug to fold over into the Dutchman channel. Because of the way that I assemble the car, I have to make the conversion to the deck lid after everything else is in place.
The downside of using the 3rd gen Dutchman is the fact that the closeout panel on the underside of the deck lid will hit the channel because of the width of the channel. I take this into consideration and place the Dutchman slightly further forward and make the deck lid slightly longer. You can tell in the pics that it really doesn't look too bad since there's not that much difference.
Another pic showing the conversion.
Quote from: hotrod98 on June 18, 2013, 03:13:01 PM
Looks like high quality work to me.
I'm not sure why you altered the roof the way that you did. I've never done it that way. The plug sets in nicely with about a two inch gap at the top. I just fill in the gap and smooth it out.
Here's a couple of pics of the RTSE that I converted a few years ago. On this one I filled in the two inch gap at the top, relaxed the lower area of the vega plug with an English wheel, overlapped that onto a 3rd gen Dutchman and altered the deck lid so that there was a nice area for the weatherstrip to seal up properly against the drip channel.
Oh, and I made a lip at the rear edge of the vega plug to fold over into the Dutchman channel. Because of the way that I assemble the car, I have to make the conversion to the deck lid after everything else is in place.
The downside of using the 3rd gen Dutchman is the fact that the closeout panel on the underside of the deck lid will hit the channel because of the width of the channel. I take this into consideration and place the Dutchman slightly further forward and make the deck lid slightly longer. You can tell in the pics that it really doesn't look too bad since there's not that much difference.
Your conversion looks top shelf Larry. You can tell your a pro. There are a couple of reasons that I did the roof the way I did. The first is that the arc of the plug side to side seemed a little high as it related to the roof in the center and I wanted to run the metal up further until it blended better. Just personal preference. Also since I was removing the dutchman panel and the inner window track I decided to remove the sub roof support and remake every thing as if it were intended to be a true fast back not just a plug. Since I am not using the uni body sub structure no sense in carrying all that extra metal. Just a hang over from my job where they bust chops about any extra metal on a car.
Quote from: 70Sbird on June 18, 2013, 10:10:49 AM
Quote from: wingcarenvy on June 17, 2013, 11:24:19 PM
I have to say that this is an awesome build!!
Thank you. I have a long way to go. Let's hope I don't run out of steam.
X2!! :2thumbs:
Great solution to the trunk spring issue, the original Charger hinges look much better than the oversized, "adapted looking" hinges on a daytona. Also you cleaned up the inside of the truck a bit at the same time.
Amazing work!
Thanks for the compliment. I didn't know if It would work but since it did it saved me a couple of bucks.
Quote from: wingcarenvy on June 17, 2013, 11:24:19 PM
I have to say that this is an awesome build!!
them NASCAR guy dont want any extra weight :yesnod: :nana:
Quote from: moparstuart on June 18, 2013, 04:54:19 PM
them NASCAR guy dont want any extra weight :yesnod: :nana:
We've been known to stob parts of the car off the cage with tig rod. Now that's just stupid.
Back to the boring stuff.Getting rid of rusted material. The lower front of the quarter panel was not rusted but it had been lumped up pretty good and rather than spend a lot of time trying to dolly it out and then have to put a bunch of mud in it I decided to cut it out and replace it. I have to do the other side also. It was good though because I was able to get in to see the rear frame rail and clean it up , treat it and primer it before replacing the panel. Everything underneath was in pretty good shape.
Looks good. I don't consider this the boring part. Removing rust just gives an idea of how good of a craftsman a person is. Besides, it opens the door for some unique custom work as well.
Yeah, it might be the scary part as all that metal vanishes and it starts to look like it could never be a car again but I don't know if its necessarily boring. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on June 18, 2013, 06:03:43 PM
Back to the boring stuff.Getting rid of rusted material. The lower front of the quarter panel was not rusted but it had been lumped up pretty good and rather than spend a lot of time trying to dolly it out and then have to put a bunch of mud in it I decided to cut it out and replace it. I have to do the other side also. It was good though because I was able to get in to see the rear frame rail and clean it up , treat it and primer it before replacing the panel. Everything underneath was in pretty good shape.
:drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
Quote from: Stevearino on June 18, 2013, 06:03:43 PM
Back to the boring stuff.Getting rid of rusted material. The lower front of the quarter panel was not rusted but it had been lumped up pretty good and rather than spend a lot of time trying to dolly it out and then have to put a bunch of mud in it I decided to cut it out and replace it. I have to do the other side also. It was good though because I was able to get in to see the rear frame rail and clean it up , treat it and primer it before replacing the panel. Everything underneath was in pretty good shape.
I can only imagine how many times the decision has been made. To replace the whole rear quarter or not? This is a good example of what can be fixed without intruding on otherwise sound areas of the car. Not to mention less work.
Good call Stevearino and nice work.
Awesome build :2thumbs:
Quote from: ws23rt on June 18, 2013, 09:42:33 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 18, 2013, 06:03:43 PM
Back to the boring stuff.Getting rid of rusted material. The lower front of the quarter panel was not rusted but it had been lumped up pretty good and rather than spend a lot of time trying to dolly it out and then have to put a bunch of mud in it I decided to cut it out and replace it. I have to do the other side also. It was good though because I was able to get in to see the rear frame rail and clean it up , treat it and primer it before replacing the panel. Everything underneath was in pretty good shape.
I can only imagine how many times the decision has been made. To replace the whole rear quarter or not? This is a good example of what can be fixed without intruding on otherwise sound areas of the car. Not to mention less work.
Good call Stevearino and nice work.
Less work indeed. I hate drilling out spot welds.
Super fabulous :coolgleamA:
I stripped out the interior re enforcement on the sail panel to remove any rust underneath and to clean the re enforcement pieces up also. I re installed an abbreviated version of the re enforcement towards the front of the sail panel and then fabricated new re enforcement the rest of the way back to the window bed. this will provide an under structure for a smooth transition in the head liner back to the glass.
Well this pretty much catches me up on this project as far as posting the progress on this project since last September. From here on out I will be posting hopefully every couple of weeks as I move forward. Progress has ground to a halt since my compressor crapped out and I have been in the process of rebuilding/upgrading it. I only lack some "v" belts which are on back order. Thanks to everyone who has commented.
be sure and keep all the chassis and structure for our superbird project :icon_smile_big: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Quote from: moparstuart on June 20, 2013, 07:25:32 PM
be sure and keep all the chassis and structure for our superbird project :icon_smile_big: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
nice quarter repair :cheers:
Every gen 2 Charger came with a leaf and debris catcher as standard equipment. As you can see mine is no exception. At least there are no critters living in here. Cutting the cowl off was the last thing I did a couple of weeks ago when my compressor crapped out and I made the bad decision to rebuild it. I am still on that adventure waiting for the proper belts to drive the replacement head. They have been on back order for 2 weeks. :flame: :flame:
Since the compressor was down I decided to start taking the easy stuff off of the 06 Charger. When I removed the rear bumper cover I found these neat little vent pieces in the side wall of the trunk. They are hard plastic with rubber flexible louvers. Can anyone guess what I am thinking these will be perfect for? :scratchchin:
Since I had the tires off the car I decided to play around and see what they would look like on the 68. Something tells me I am going to need a large sub woofer with these.
the mat finish 5 spoke wheels looks so much better
Quote from: moparstuart on June 23, 2013, 06:55:33 PM
the mat finish 5 spoke wheels looks so much better
Yeah. I only have one of those and three of the others. I'm gonna have to buy one more of the Ghoste wheels just to make a set to sell. I will probably use them while I am building the car but there are other things I like better for the final deal like the wheels on the Mutant Bee for example. I have to be careful because these new cars have all of the offset to the inside.
Steve, do you bend roll bars also ?
Hmmmm, my guess's are that you will either use them under the fender scoops, or under the nose cone :scratchchin:
Those wheels are available from Factory Reproductions, not too expensive, good quality you don't have to go the expensive OEM route!
http://factoryreproductions.com/factory/pc/Dodge-Challenger-Silver-Machine-c14.htm
They do look great on the car...
Ben
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on June 23, 2013, 07:17:32 PM
Steve, do you bend roll bars also ?
Sure don't. That's the chassis dept. I work hanging the bodies. I know some guys that can though.
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 23, 2013, 08:25:38 PM
Hmmmm, my guess's are that you will either use them under the fender scoops, or under the nose cone :scratchchin:
Fender scoops it is. Good guess. There is a problem with having the functional opening under the fender scoops as it throws debris on the windshield. I am thinking if these were installed with the flaps forward facing they would relieve the air pressure under the fenders but keep away debris. We'll see.
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on June 23, 2013, 08:57:04 PM
Those wheels are available from Factory Reproductions, not too expensive, good quality you don't have to go the expensive OEM route!
http://factoryreproductions.com/factory/pc/Dodge-Challenger-Silver-Machine-c14.htm
They do look great on the car...
Ben
Thanks for the link Ben. If I go that route that's a good source.
Personally, these cars need some offset depth to the wheels on them. The New Challengers (I have one) look good not having the offset (depth) because of the car's styling and stance. The 2nd gen Chargers have a lower profile and stance - so these wheels just don't look right on them IMO. Also, Chrome is so much more flashy and pops really nice when the car is moving and looks good sitting still.
Dane
(http://imageshack.us/a/img196/3673/rzgi.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img811/3888/f0sk.jpg)
Quote from: Daytona Guy on June 23, 2013, 10:44:22 PM
Personally, these cars need some offset depth to the wheels on them. The New Challengers (I have one) look good not having the offset (depth) because of the car's styling and stance. The 2nd gen Chargers have a lower profile and stance - so these wheels just don't look right on them IMO. Also, Chrome is so much more flashy and pops really nice when the car is moving and looks good sitting still.
Dane
I agree about the wheels needing to be dished. I am not sure how much dish I will be able to get based on the way that the wheels are mounted with the off set from the body to the inside. I will have to see how wide they are when the old body is mounted on the new chassis. The other issue I will struggle with is with a much higher sub structure it will be hard to get the great front to rear rake you have achieved on your cars. It will be interesting.
Here is not the same thing as you are doing but close. He got the stance with a dish. Not sure how he did it.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img541/7103/wuju.jpg)
Dane
Quote from: Daytona Guy on June 24, 2013, 06:43:49 PM
Here is not the same thing as you are doing but close. He got the stance with a dish. Not sure how he did it.
Dane
Stuart sent me pics of this build a while ago and he took a little different approach. He built this from a Chrysler 300 and actually used the roof forward of the B post. This allowed him to keep the 300 windshield and A posts. He had to significantly modify the hood by shortening it at the base of the windshield and eliminating the old style cowl. This allowed him to leave the firewall and windshield wiper area un modified on the 300. It also looks like he mounted the body high and built bigger rockers. This would have allowed him to kick the rear of the body up in relation to the tires. Something that I might try. The only hazard here would be making sure the hood does not hit the manifold as it is pretty prominent. The wheels are dished a bit but I like the look of your wheels and hope to be able to get closer to that than this car did.
I've seen this car a few times as it is local to me.
I don't like the finish (decals, painted bumpers, etc...) but the workmanship is very good. He did have to splice in some material into the side of the fenders to have them a little higher so th front end clears the manifold.
It is basically old sheetmetal fenders, doors, quarters, trunk, grafted on a modern 300, not necessarely a mating of two bodies, if that makes sense?
Ben
What ever you come up with I am sure it will be the best and the most amazing ride yet.
Dane
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on June 24, 2013, 09:42:00 PM
I've seen this car a few times as it is local to me.
I don't like the finish (decals, painted bumpers, etc...) but the workmanship is very good. He did have to splice in some material into the side of the fenders to have them a little higher so th front end clears the manifold.
It is basically old sheetmetal fenders, doors, quarters, trunk, grafted on a modern 300, not necessarely a mating of two bodies, if that makes sense?
Ben
Yes. I saw some pics of the build and you are exactly right.
Quote from: Daytona Guy on June 24, 2013, 11:14:13 PM
What ever you come up with I am sure it will be the best and the most amazing ride yet.
Dane
That remains to be seen but thanks for the vote of confidence.
Quote from: Daytona Guy on June 24, 2013, 11:14:13 PM
What ever you come up with I am sure it will be the best and the most amazing ride yet.
Dane
:yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
Quote from: Stevearino on June 24, 2013, 08:29:16 PM
The wheels are dished a bit but I like the look of your wheels and hope to be able to get closer to that than this car did.
While you're working the quarters and fenders, bow them out more. The Coke body shape should take well to a mild widening, and it'll look even more like a race car.
Quote from: pettybird on June 25, 2013, 09:34:33 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 24, 2013, 08:29:16 PM
The wheels are dished a bit but I like the look of your wheels and hope to be able to get closer to that than this car did.
While you're working the quarters and fenders, bow them out more. The Coke body shape should take well to a mild widening, and it'll look even more like a race car.
We will see what it needs once it is on the new chassis. That is a ways off right now.
Well I finally got my compressor rebuilt. New head , motor, plumbing and belts. While it was down I got antzy and decided to do some more tear down on the SRT-8. I got it pretty well gutted.Man there is a mess of wires in these new cars. Pretty simple to tear down though compared with older cars. Minimal fasteners on just about everything.
keep it up buddy!!
This cant get much cooler :popcrn:
Very cool.
I have seen some second gen Charger pics floating around where they put the body on an SRT 300 or Charger,
but not a Daytona.
It has been in the back of mind, how great it would be to put a 70 shell on one and do the plug and nose and wing.
Some company has a 15K wing and nose to put on the new Challenger, but obviously not the same.
I understand you have to cut about 6 inches out of the middle of a Charger or a 300, and that the front fenders still don't line up the wheel opening right and have to be modified.
I know a salvage Challenger runs more than the 4 doors for the same condition, but in work hours without having to cut the middle if it makes up for it.
The picture that kept the a pillars and windshield is interesting, I also understand it is not easy getting the wipers to work right,
etc.
Awesome work.
Quote from: ramairthree on June 30, 2013, 10:37:55 PM
Very cool.
I have seen some second gen Charger pics floating around where they put the body on an SRT 300 or Charger,
but not a Daytona.
It has been in the back of mind, how great it would be to put a 70 shell on one and do the plug and nose and wing.
Some company has a 15K wing and nose to put on the new Challenger, but obviously not the same.
I understand you have to cut about 6 inches out of the middle of a Charger or a 300, and that the front fenders still don't line up the wheel opening right and have to be modified.
I know a salvage Challenger runs more than the 4 doors for the same condition, but in work hours without having to cut the middle if it makes up for it.
The picture that kept the a pillars and windshield is interesting, I also understand it is not easy getting the wipers to work right,
etc.
Awesome work.
You have hit on all of the key challenges. The windshield cowl area is definitely the biggest as the outer cowl of the 68 hovers over what is the interior of the 06. Creating a cowl area that is water tight, inducts air properly and enables one to service the wiper motor assembly will be difficult for sure. As far as the wheel base is concerned it is 120 on the 06 and 117 on the 68. My plan is to just alter the front fenders as they will be customized anyway and moving the tires forward helps the proportions with the already long nose. I hope it looks O.K. visually. I have drawn it out and also built a scale model using a Challenger kit to look at it. We will see.
Well I still have a lot to do on the 68 but I kind of got going on striping out the SRT-8 and now I have it braced to start chopping. I bolted 1/4" plates to the seat belt locations in the rear of the car and to the door jamb where the dash sub assembly fastens. I then welded some 1"x1" .083 wall steel to connect the front and rear so that when the upper part of the body is removed the center won't sag. I ran two verticals from these bars down to the seat belt bolt up on the rocker to keep the upper bar from bowing up or down. Lastly I tied them together side to side to keep them from spreading.
I also put a cross tie from rear shock tower to tower to keep them from rolling inward.
:coolgleamA: :popcrn:
Steve, what are you going to do the surgery with,a sawsall or a plasma cutter ? :2thumbs:
Steve, I like your "tin foil" wiring harness!! :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Indygenerallee on July 05, 2013, 10:43:20 PM
Steve, I like your "tin foil" wiring harness!! :icon_smile_big:
That keeps the aliens and Jeff Gordon away .
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on July 05, 2013, 09:24:28 PM
Steve, what are you going to do the surgery with,a sawsall or a plasma cutter ? :2thumbs:
A combination of ziz wheel or thin abrasive wheel, sawsall, and roto broach to drill out some spot welds when I get close to the bone.
Quote from: moparstuart on July 06, 2013, 03:03:40 AM
Quote from: Indygenerallee on July 05, 2013, 10:43:20 PM
Steve, I like your "tin foil" wiring harness!! :icon_smile_big:
That keeps the aliens and Jeff Gordon away .
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
That's not too far off Stu. It's something we do at work when we have to replace a side or quarter panel and they don't want to remove all of the electrical systems. Deflects the grinding garbage and the odd hot ball.
this just in from the spy cam Steve and his cat ready to work on the car :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
this just in from the spy cam Steve and his cat ready to work on the car :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
[/quote]
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Quote from: Stevearino on July 06, 2013, 06:49:28 AM
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on July 05, 2013, 09:24:28 PM
Steve, what are you going to do the surgery with,a sawsall or a plasma cutter ? :2thumbs:
A combination of ziz wheel or thin abrasive wheel, sawsall, and roto broach to drill out some spot welds when I get close to the bone.Quote from: moparstuart on July 06, 2013, 03:03:40 AM
Quote from: Indygenerallee on July 05, 2013, 10:43:20 PM
Steve, I like your "tin foil" wiring harness!! :icon_smile_big:
That keeps the aliens and Jeff Gordon away .
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
That's not too far off Stu. It's something we do at work when we have to replace a side or quarter panel and they don't want to remove all of the electrical systems. Deflects the grinding garbage and the odd hot ball.
Interesting tip :yesnod:
Sometimes the most simple and cheap things can save a lotta grief later.
[not to self.....REMEMBER!!]
Thanks MUCH!! :2thumbs:
This is a VERY interesting build. Great job and suspect I will pick up a lot more then just the above. Thanks again......in advance for all the good info!
Anybody have more pics/info on this build?
It's been gradually growing on me since the pic first went up.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img541/7103/wuju.jpg)
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/chrysler-300c-srt8-becomes-1969-dodge-charger-57602.html
here ya go, its actually a 300c :popcrn:
Now it's really starting to look like nothing.
roller skate?? remember the old ones with the metal shoe frames that slid in the middle for different size shoes??
Quote from: mauve66 on July 07, 2013, 03:44:29 PM
roller skate?? remember the old ones with the metal shoe frames that slid in the middle for different size shoes??
Hate to admit it but Yes. Yes I do. :yesnod: :yesnod:
Quote from: Stevearino on July 07, 2013, 02:26:56 PM
Now it's really starting to look like nothing.
That looks like a Humvee :)
You are amazing with metal
Dane
Quote from: mauve66 on July 07, 2013, 03:44:29 PM
roller skate?? remember the old ones with the metal shoe frames that slid in the middle for different size shoes??
It does look like the old roller skate. I nailed one of my sisters skates to a 2x4 inventing the skate board. :yesnod:
Great progress with the Daytona. If you keep your pace it will be on the road in no time. Don't lose your momentum. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Daytona Guy on July 07, 2013, 05:24:39 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on July 07, 2013, 02:26:56 PM
Now it's really starting to look like nothing.
That looks like a Humvee :)
You are amazing with metal
Dane
I hope it doesn't look like a Humvee when I am done. That would be awful.
Quote from: ws23rt on July 07, 2013, 05:42:46 PM
Quote from: mauve66 on July 07, 2013, 03:44:29 PM
roller skate?? remember the old ones with the metal shoe frames that slid in the middle for different size shoes??
It does look like the old roller skate. I nailed one of my sisters skates to a 2x4 inventing the skate board. :yesnod:
Great progress with the Daytona. If you keep your pace it will be on the road in no time. Don't lose your momentum. :2thumbs:
Everyone here knows how far from done this really is and it's very hard to not run out of gas. Thanks for the encouragement.
I wish i have the opportunity to chop a late model to pieces, would be therapy :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on July 10, 2013, 05:03:51 PM
I wish i have the opportunity to chop a late model to pieces, would be therapy :icon_smile_big:
Even though this car is considered by the insurance companies as totaled it suffered very minor damage. The expense of replacing the airbag systems and the buckled roof skin caused it to be a total. It was otherwise in good shape. That made the first few cuts to perfectly straight door jambs and quarter panels a little painful for me. Reality is that these cars are going for between 20 and 25 thousand used in good shape. Problem is with a salvage title even repaired it would be hard to sell for even 15 thousand. So there is not much use to repair it as is. This makes me feel a little better about giving it the haircut I did.
Quote from: Stevearino on July 07, 2013, 06:38:12 PM
Quote from: Daytona Guy on July 07, 2013, 05:24:39 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on July 07, 2013, 02:26:56 PM
Now it's really starting to look like nothing.
That looks like a Humvee :)
You are amazing with metal
Dane
I hope it doesn't look like a Humvee when I am done. That would be awful.Quote from: ws23rt on July 07, 2013, 05:42:46 PM
Quote from: mauve66 on July 07, 2013, 03:44:29 PM
roller skate?? remember the old ones with the metal shoe frames that slid in the middle for different size shoes??
It does look like the old roller skate. I nailed one of my sisters skates to a 2x4 inventing the skate board. :yesnod:
Great progress with the Daytona. If you keep your pace it will be on the road in no time. Don't lose your momentum. :2thumbs:
Everyone here knows how far from done this really is and it's very hard to not run out of gas. Thanks for the encouragement.
I am impressed with the progress. I've had a few big projects that require a long term commitment and somewhere down the line it can bog down.
But the further along it gets the greater the commitment. The point of no return is good.
My encouragement for you also goes for those that sometimes come to a point where they ask what was I thinking?
You seem to be rolling just fine. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on July 10, 2013, 06:13:32 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on July 10, 2013, 05:03:51 PM
I wish i have the opportunity to chop a late model to pieces, would be therapy :icon_smile_big:
Even though this car is considered by the insurance companies as totaled it suffered very minor damage. The expense of replacing the airbag systems and the buckled roof skin caused it to be a total. It was otherwise in good shape. That made the first few cuts to perfectly straight door jambs and quarter panels a little painful for me. Reality is that these cars are going for between 20 and 25 thousand used in good shape. Problem is with a salvage title even repaired it would be hard to sell for even 15 thousand. So there is not much use to repair it as is. This makes me feel a little better about giving it the haircut I did.
i know what you mean, i held a funeral for my 68's shock towers when i decided to swap them for mustang 2 parts, they were clearly the only mint parts on the car :rotz:
Quote from: ws23rt on July 10, 2013, 07:29:59 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on July 07, 2013, 06:38:12 PM
Quote from: Daytona Guy on July 07, 2013, 05:24:39 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on July 07, 2013, 02:26:56 PM
Now it's really starting to look like nothing.
That looks like a Humvee :)
You are amazing with metal
Dane
I hope it doesn't look like a Humvee when I am done. That would be awful.Quote from: ws23rt on July 07, 2013, 05:42:46 PM
Quote from: mauve66 on July 07, 2013, 03:44:29 PM
roller skate?? remember the old ones with the metal shoe frames that slid in the middle for different size shoes??
It does look like the old roller skate. I nailed one of my sisters skates to a 2x4 inventing the skate board. :yesnod:
Great progress with the Daytona. If you keep your pace it will be on the road in no time. Don't lose your momentum. :2thumbs:
Everyone here knows how far from done this really is and it's very hard to not run out of gas. Thanks for the encouragement.
I am impressed with the progress. I've had a few big projects that require a long term commitment and somewhere down the line it can bog down.
But the further along it gets the greater the commitment. The point of no return is good.
My encouragement for you also goes for those that sometimes come to a point where they ask what was I thinking?
You seem to be rolling just fine. :2thumbs:
"What was I thinking?" Has been the recurring theme of my life. One more ain't gonna hurt.
Best use for that 4 door thing chop cut an modify it into a real charger ,that is great to look at. 2nd gen and wing cars rule. looking like ya decide not to use the 06 windshield, great idea to keep all 2nd gen look. :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs: just my :Twocents: dj out west
Well I have been idle for a while due to some medical issues in the family. Just got back to work. I finally finished up the inner support system for the sail panels. I really wanted to do this because I feel this is maybe the way the factory would have done it if the window plug had not been an aftermarket afterthought. This also gets rid of a few pounds of excess metal. Since the 06 is a 5,000 lb car and this old body is not lighter that the 06 I felt any weight savings would help performance.
I capped off the stock gas hole in favor of using the side mount door from the 06 mainly because while I love the way the cap on the 68 looks I am not a fan of drizzling gas on the quarter panel if I can help it. Also I don't have one. :icon_smile_big:
The last two pictures are of the piece I had to make to replace the flange that holds the window wiskers. Lucky for me the other side was intact so that I had a good hole pattern to follow.
Quote from: djcarguy on July 11, 2013, 04:03:59 PM
Best use for that 4 door thing chop cut an modify it into a real charger ,that is great to look at. 2nd gen and wing cars rule. looking like ya decide not to use the 06 windshield, great idea to keep all 2nd gen look. :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs: just my :Twocents: dj out west
I agree about the windshield but I might have to alter the cowl area to make the windshield wipers serviceable. How is the Dartona coming. Any progress yet?
This is all pretty cool, and holy crap 5000 lbs? :scratchchin: ditching the airbags and the stereo should knock it down to 3500 :lol: shame about losing the cool gas cap, i guess the 06 is more practical, but even on my car where im using a fuel cell in the trunk, i kept my cap.. it looks cool :icon_smile_big:
The newest last car project I worked on was a 79 El Camino so I wasn't really prepared for the fact that some of these newer cars weigh so much. The first time you realize this is when you think the seals are going to burst on your floor jack when you lift it for the first time. Holy Moly.
looking good , enjoying the photos :popcrn:
Looking good Steve!!! :2thumbs:
Worked on some more knick knacks. Nothing earth shattering this weekend. I decided to start investigating what I would need to keep on the forward door jamb area and got rid of the right side kick panel. I really just need the jamb post itself and nothing more forward of it. Dane made a suggestion about lengthening the hood to eliminate the cowl area at the base of the windshield. I think I am going to see if I can make that work since it will make the wiper motor accessible from the engine bay instead of buried under the dash. We'll see. Anyway I cleaned up the inside of the quarter panels and separated them from the outer wheel tubs as a part of the process of replacing rusty/damaged metal. I finished replacing the lower front quarter panel with some new metal giving it a slight kick down and flare out ala the old stock car version of this area.
Saw the red one with SRT guts today, will see it again next weekend. Please let me know if there are any specific areas you'd like me to photograph, or questions you'D like me to ask the builder...
Ben
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on July 28, 2013, 08:14:37 PM
Saw the red one with SRT guts today, will see it again next weekend. Please let me know if there are any specific areas you'd like me to photograph, or questions you'D like me to ask the builder...
Ben
Thanks but he took a different approach than I am taking. He took a 300 and pared it down and hung the 70 Charger sheet metal on the car saving the forward section of the the 300 greenhouse including the windshield and wiper area of the cowl on the 300. I will be using the entire 68 Charger body. The areas that I will be needing modifying advice on were essentially not modified on this car. Mainly the cowl area and the wiper motor arrangement as it would relate to my old windshield set up. Other questions have been answered by the photos I have seen. The body seems to be hung higher than the gen 2 would be which makes sense as the modern Charger/300 platform is 3 inches taller at the"A" post from the rocker. I will be cutting this down to get the Gen 2 body down closer to the ground and it's original look. Cool car though and thanks for the offer Ben
Steve
No problem! You are right, the proportions on that car are a little bit out of whack and it is even more apparent in person. Kind of like a new Challenger compared to an older one. Would be better if the bottom of the rockers were black?. It's a modern car dressed up as an older one. I think your solution will look better, more like the the 68 Charger from Ontario that was in a few magazines a couple of years ago. That one might be at Moparfest in a couple of weeks...
Keep up the good work, I love it!
Ben
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on July 29, 2013, 07:43:09 PM
No problem! You are right, the proportions on that car are a little bit out of whack and it is even more apparent in person. Kind of like a new Challenger compared to an older one. Would be better if the bottom of the rockers were black?. It's a modern car dressed up as an older one. I think your solution will look better, more like the the 68 Charger from Ontario that was in a few magazines a couple of years ago. That one might be at Moparfest in a couple of weeks...
Keep up the good work, I love it!
Ben
Now that 68 I'd like to see. If you get any pics of that post them here. Thanks.
I'll be the first one to sign up when you start teaching class on fabrication. :paintingpink: :buff:
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on July 30, 2013, 09:31:23 AM
I'll be the first one to sign up when you start teaching class on fabrication. :paintingpink: :buff:
Come on down anytime. I've got lots of useless nonsense in my skull I can pass on. :icon_smile_big: :icon_smile_big: :icon_smile_big:
Wish I lived closer Steve, I would love to wing by and check it out in person!!
Quote from: Indygenerallee on July 30, 2013, 08:12:57 PM
Wish I lived closer Steve, I would love to wing by and check it out in person!!
You are welcome anytime David.Nothing to see yet though. Just larger and larger piles of metal cut off both cars.
one of these days i'm just going to pick up and move in
Quote from: moparstuart on July 30, 2013, 10:18:05 PM
one of these days i'm just going to pick up and move in
I'll get the shed ready Stu. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Quote from: Stevearino on July 31, 2013, 03:52:50 PM
Quote from: moparstuart on July 30, 2013, 10:18:05 PM
one of these days i'm just going to pick up and move in
I'll get the shed ready Stu. :lol: :lol: :lol:
How Big is the Shedd an how many carguys will fit in it??? How many cars can we bring with us for you to help fix, or customize ,hahaha???? ???? just waiting for the OOOKKK,ANwill beee on my way with dart an wing no nose yet,,just kidding ya safe fur naw?? looking for mopar fix an new pixs. i finally admitted i maybee a mopar addict,lol.. latter dj :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs: :D :D :D
Quote from: djcarguy on August 10, 2013, 09:47:45 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on July 31, 2013, 03:52:50 PM
Quote from: moparstuart on July 30, 2013, 10:18:05 PM
one of these days i'm just going to pick up and move in
I'll get the shed ready Stu. :lol: :lol: :lol:
How Big is the Shedd an how many carguys will fit in it??? How many cars can we bring with us for you to help fix, or customize ,hahaha???? ???? just waiting for the OOOKKK,ANwill beee on my way with dart an wing no nose yet,,just kidding ya safe fur naw?? looking for mopar fix an new pixs. i finally admitted i maybee a mopar addict,lol.. latter dj :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs: :D :D :D
If we run out of room we can pitch some tents out back. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Well here's what I decided to do with the windshield bed. It's a minor custom tweak. Instead of mounting the windshield with the rubber gasket I decided I would like to mount it in a bed of polyeurothane. In order to do that and still use a stock glass I have had to modify the wind shield bed.
First I cut the cowl away from the part of the bed that holds the trim clips at the bottom and separated the layers, cleaned primed and re attached the two halves to re establish the base. I then spent a little time fixing pin holes and rusted areas.
Next I mocked up the old glass to see how far I would have to narrow the opening side to side. About 5/8th of an inch on each "A" post. I then made up some pieces that would create a new side bed for the windshield.
After I fit up the side pieces I cut away the rain gutter on the "A" post. I put the chrome track that holds the door seal back under the "A" post to look at what kind of transition I would need to finish it out and bent a piece of .035 steel in a "v" that was about 5/8thby 1/2". After installing it the "A" post had a smooth transition from the front to the trailing edge.
I went ahead and put some primer on the "A" post just to be able to visualize whether or not it would look to fat but removing the gutter seemed to help it retain it's proportions.
In order to get the right shape for the lower and upper windshield bed I laid the glass upside down on the bench and taped a 1/8th" spacer to the back side top and bottom to simulate the poly bed material.
I then took a piece of .035 steel and broke it 90 degrees so that I would have a 1" x 1/4" piece that I could shape to the windshield base.
I welded that piece 7/16ths of an inch from the base of the stock bed. This allows for the stock trim clips to be used.
Turning the windshield face up and taping the stainless trim piece to the top of the glass spacing it up 1/4" above the glass I shaped my upper bed to comply with the molding. I wanted to do a "z" flange but it was to hard to shape so I just went to a simple "L" 1" x 5/8th" and I will add the roof close out piece separately.
With the upper flange in I placed some 7/16th" blocks at the base and set my old windshield into place. I modified the chrome trim to fit the smaller hole and taped it into place. I then used a dead blow hammer and a chisel to gently tap the top bed to snug it up to the chrome trim. I will add the roof closure piece latter. The last picture is of the glass in place in the modified bed with the trim taped in to place. I can now set the glass in a polyeurothane bed. Also the glass is now closer to flush with the outer body surface and the "A" posts have a smooth transition to the glass.
I am impressed with how you chose to fit the car to the glass. It makes sense though. Fitting the original rubber would be more trouble/work.
And to have the tools to fab the small parts is a big plus :2thumbs:
I can only imagine making those items by hand as being a long frustrating task. :cheers:
Quote from: ws23rt on August 11, 2013, 07:22:21 PM
I am impressed with how you chose to fit the car to the glass. It makes sense though. Fitting the original rubber would be more trouble/work.
And to have the tools to fab the small parts is a big plus :2thumbs:
I can only imagine making those items by hand as being a long frustrating task. :cheers:
This is the fun part for me. :icon_smile_big:
Having done crash work forever I can more than appreciate what you are doing but I can only look and point and make grunting noises. :notworthy: WOW :cheers:
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on August 11, 2013, 08:12:55 PM
Having done crash work forever I can more than appreciate what you are doing but I can only look and point and make grunting noises.
Well you have one on me. I have no patience for crash work. I hate even changing my own oil.
In awe.
love the windscreen install , gets rid of one of the main points of wind noise and gets that better than factory look , also the a pillar daytona moulds without having them , great work , :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Pure genius, also looks really cool :coolgleamA:
Incredible work! :2thumbs:
Thanks for the thumbs up guys. It keeps me motivated.
this is some clever stuff :yesnod: keep the up dates & pictures coming :yesnod:
:cheers:
:popcrn:
http://mopar5150.com/68charger.html Looking at the great job this guy did starting with an SRT-8 Dodge Magnum I am really excited. Because this guy got the 68 body down where it belongs so I know it can be done. Check out the picture on the far right about 3 from the bottom. It is a driver side view. This thing looks amazing.
How many more updates ti'll yours looks that good? :cheers:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on August 16, 2013, 07:48:26 PM
How many more updates ti'll yours looks that good? :cheers:
I don't know. This is a one man show. Maybe I'll pass it on to you and you can have your grand kids help you finish it up. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Quote from: Stevearino on August 16, 2013, 08:32:41 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on August 16, 2013, 07:48:26 PM
How many more updates ti'll yours looks that good? :cheers:
I don't know. This is a one man show. Maybe I'll pass it on to you and you can have your grand kids help you finish it up. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Atleast youre realistic :rofl:
Quote from: Stevearino on August 16, 2013, 08:32:41 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on August 16, 2013, 07:48:26 PM
How many more updates ti'll yours looks that good? :cheers:
I don't know. This is a one man show. Maybe I'll pass it on to you and you can have your grand kids help you finish it up. :lol: :lol: :lol:
:rofl: and the truth comes out!
So I finished closing in the new upper windshield bed to the roof. I removed the rain gutters from the side of the roof and filled the gap between the glass seal track and the roof. The last picture here I hit the area with some rust primer to see how it all looked.
Once the body is cut away from the chassis I wanted to make sure that I get the maximum rake by getting the hood as low as possible relative to the engine manifold. Since I will have no references once the body is cut loose I made myself a center profile to determine this. The picture shows the profile with and without the hood in place.
To make the profile I cut pieces of .023 sheet metal and bent them into a 1" x 1" L shape. This makes them easy to shape with a shrinker/stretcher to quickly shape them to the profile . They are then just tack welded together.
Looks sweet, :cheers:, may i ask whats involved in removing the rain gutters besides cutting them off, i was told the seam needs to be welded along the length of the roof, but anything else? :scratchchin:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on August 18, 2013, 02:22:00 PM
Looks sweet, :cheers:, may i ask whats involved in removing the rain gutters besides cutting them off, i was told the seam needs to be welded along the length of the roof, but anything else? :scratchchin:
When cutting away the roof gutter do it in small 6" sections at a time. After grinding it flat tack weld it about every inch then move along to the next section. This will keep the roof from separating from the metal underneath. Bend a piece of .035 steel in a "V" as far over as you can in the break. One leg should be about 5/8ths of an inch the other 1/2". The 5/8ths side is the top face. You can hand shape the piece over your knee to fit the edge of the roof. It is a good idea to put the stainless window seal track in place so that you can be sure to run the edge of the "v" proud of this channel. This will also help to keep the edge straight. Solid weld the upper flange to the roof. Remove the stainless channel and tack the under side about every inch. don't worry to much about gapping on the underside. You can fill this with seam seal before you install the stainless for the final time.
Don't forget to take into consideration of your radiator. It will be just a little bit higher than your intake.
Quote from: stroker400 wedge on August 18, 2013, 03:12:44 PM
Don't forget to take into consideration of your radiator. It will be just a little bit higher than your intake.
Will do!
I Like the template , think you can sneak it through tech. ? :yesnod: Are you TIG welding ?? Looking good. :2thumbs:
Steve, being a bodyman by training I am impressed and humbled! :2thumbs: I do have 2 questions.
1 So you are not going to run a drip rail? Is there a reason?
2 What will the car be titled as? :scratchchin:
Cuda Ken :popcrn:
Quote from: cudaken on August 18, 2013, 07:06:35 PM
Steve, being a bodyman by training I am impressed and humbled! :2thumbs: I do have 2 questions.
1 So you are not going to run a drip rail? Is there a reason?
2 What will the car be titled as? :scratchchin:
Cuda Ken :popcrn:
Ken, Since this is not a restoration I decided to do a few minor custom tweeks. Getting rid of the drip rails was just one of the ideas I wanted to do to slick down the transitions on the greenhouse. The car will be titled as a 68. This avoids having to replace the blown air bags in the 06. Also complicated insurance issues.
looking great Steve and good on you for doing your own thing and interpretation with this car , love reading this :2thumbs:
Just got my new headlights in. I am liking them a lot! :coolgleamA: :coolgleamA: :coolgleamA:
Chally?
A few guys have mounted the lites solid an rig the lite doors to just drop down,instead of the pop up bug eye look. i total like the non bug eye drop lite covers,helps keep the flow line even when lites are on. :Twocents: sure impressed with ya work on windshield an gutters,,oh an the whole build,,awsum stuff going on.. :2thumbs: :cheers: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5: :2thumbs:
What's happening with the windshield channel? Is that work to allow the stock glass to be glued into place? Or a bigger dimension custom made glass?
As one who hopes to eventually ::) create a Superbird clone, I'll be watching what you do with those Chally headlights verrrrrry closely. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on August 20, 2013, 04:10:54 PM
What's happening with the windshield channel? Is that work to allow the stock glass to be glued into place? Or a bigger dimension custom made glass?
The work on the windshield bed will allow me to glue the windshield in directly to the bed with polyeurothane without using the standard rubber mounting gasket. The bed was crafted around a stock piece of glass.
Quote from: djcarguy on August 19, 2013, 08:58:04 PM
A few guys have mounted the lites solid an rig the lite doors to just drop down,instead of the pop up bug eye look. i total like the non bug eye drop lite covers,helps keep the flow line even when lites are on. :Twocents: sure impressed with ya work on windshield an gutters,,oh an the whole build,,awsum stuff going on.. :2thumbs: :cheers: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5: :2thumbs:
I toyed with the idea of retractable headlight doors but there is too much to go wrong there. It is using a 20 lb sledge hammer to put in a finish nail so to speak. The drop doors is what I had in mind. Much simpler.
Quote from: Lighthorseman on August 20, 2013, 07:07:38 PM
As one who hopes to eventually ::) create a Superbird clone, I'll be watching what you do with those Chally headlights verrrrrry closely. :2thumbs:
Well I am sorry to say that they I might have to drop the idea for these lights . After mocking them up in the glass nose that I have they just might be too large for the existing door in the nose and making the doors bigger looks kind of goofy. There is also a depth problem that might not be an issue with the Superbird nose. The light enclosure is so big it looks like it will run into the radiator core support. I don't know. We shall see. :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Did you buy the Challenger lights because it the projector style lights you want? What about making custom housings?
Check out this guys custom enclosure for adding projection style light to a C5 Corvette pop up style lights
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?38025-C5-Corvette-FX-35-Retro-with-Pop-up-Mod&highlight=Corvette (http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?38025-C5-Corvette-FX-35-Retro-with-Pop-up-Mod&highlight=Corvette)
I'm not a fan of Corvettes but it would seem that guys wanting to put HID Projector style lights in the older ones with pop up lights would have simular problems with space and housing issues.
Here is another older Vette that had HID lights put in and required I would think a custom light housing.
(http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt142/RadioflyerCustoms/customers%20cars/ry483.jpg)
QuoteThe work on the windshield bed will allow me to glue the windshield in directly to the bed with polyeurothane without using the standard rubber mounting gasket. The bed was crafted around a stock piece of glass.
I wondered if that was what you were doing.
I've thought about doing the same but I want something that looks mostly stock. I have wondered about the idea of fabbing a channel like you did, gluing in the window, and fabricating some trim pieces that would include the chrome trim and an inner black rubber/plastic strip, just for looks. I think it it could be 10-foot accurate if it was done well.
It seems like the ideal solution would be to have a windshield custom-made that is a fraction of an inch bigger at the edges, so it could be glued in without all the rebuild work. Then a stock-looking trim piece like I had in mind could be glued on top of the edges of the glass. I think there was once talk of having a batch of oversize windshields made a few years ago for '69 Camaros, but I don't know what ever came of it.
----------------
There is also the issue of the stock glass not being a structural member, unlike modern cars. (I've heard some modern cars need the glass in place to pass roof crush regulations!) Gluing in an old Charger's front glass with modern urethane might produce a cracked windshield if the car isn't caged up like yours probably will be.
I suppose a front windshield could be glued in with a butyl seal like the stock rear glass uses though. It wouldn't last as long as urethane but it still sounds easier than dealing with the issues of the stock gasket method. These days we're struggling with two different possible thicknesses of glass & gaskets for the '68-70 cars too.
Quote from: DC_1(formerly Sydmoe) on August 21, 2013, 10:01:37 AM
Did you buy the Challenger lights because it the projector style lights you want? What about making custom housings?
Check out this guys custom enclosure for adding projection style light to a C5 Corvette pop up style lights
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?38025-C5-Corvette-FX-35-Retro-with-Pop-up-Mod&highlight=Corvette (http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?38025-C5-Corvette-FX-35-Retro-with-Pop-up-Mod&highlight=Corvette)
Sorry to admit I am not that savy on modern head light set ups and I just plain ordered the wrong thing. I thought I was ordering stock halogen type lights. I did not even know what the hell an HID light was until I got these things. I definitely don't want these. I found the housings I thought I was buying online and will be ordering them. Much smaller and simpler set up all the way around. My main concern is that I wanted them to be similar to the lights these cars had in the day and the Challenger is really one of the few close matches for that look.
Are you going to sell the Challenger HIDs? If so...... How much do you need to get for them?
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on August 21, 2013, 02:20:32 PM
QuoteThe work on the windshield bed will allow me to glue the windshield in directly to the bed with polyeurothane without using the standard rubber mounting gasket. The bed was crafted around a stock piece of glass.
I wondered if that was what you were doing.
I've thought about doing the same but I want something that looks mostly stock. I have wondered about the idea of fabbing a channel like you did, gluing in the window, and fabricating some trim pieces that would include the chrome trim and an inner black rubber/plastic strip, just for looks. I think it it could be 10-foot accurate if it was done well.
It seems like the ideal solution would be to have a windshield custom-made that is a fraction of an inch bigger at the edges, so it could be glued in without all the rebuild work. Then a stock-looking trim piece like I had in mind could be glued on top of the edges of the glass. I think there was once talk of having a batch of oversize windshields made a few years ago for '69 Camaros, but I don't know what ever came of it.
----------------
There is also the issue of the stock glass not being a structural member, unlike modern cars. (I've heard some modern cars need the glass in place to pass roof crush regulations!) Gluing in an old Charger's front glass with modern urethane might produce a cracked windshield if the car isn't caged up like yours probably will be.
I suppose a front windshield could be glued in with a butyl seal like the stock rear glass uses though. It wouldn't last as long as urethane but it still sounds easier than dealing with the issues of the stock gasket method. These days we're struggling with two different possible thicknesses of glass & gaskets for the '68-70 cars too.
I probably would have left everything stock if I didn't hate those stupid rubber gaskets. To me they are hokey and belong on old panel trucks not on a slick muscle car like the gen 2 Charger. I had the same reservation about the poly bed until I saw a "how to install" video on You Tube for the Charger windshield. They were using both the rubber gasket and the polyeurothane. Wow. Imagine trying to get that back out of the car. The car won't be caged so I am kind of gambling putting it in solid but it is what I prefer to do so we will see if it is a stupid move or not. Stay tuned. Your idea is very do able as far as just extending the bed just enough to catch the glass and setting it with PTI tape like the GM era cars. Just adding 3/4 of an inch to all the existing beds would work. Since the glass would then sit up higher in the bed and not even with the bed as it would with the rubber gasket all you would have to do is glue a 1 inch wide by 1/16th inch strip of a black plastic to the outer windshield perimeter before you put your stock stainless trim back on. This would simulate the rubber gasket pretty well . The plastic would have to be thermal resistant so as to not warp in the sun or you could silicone some strips of .040 aluminum on and paint them out mat black.
Quote from: 71_Charger_R/T on August 21, 2013, 04:15:59 PM
Are you going to sell the Challenger HIDs? If so...... How much do you need to get for them?
I paid $150.00 and they don't have the transformers or the headlight bulbs. If you wanted to give me $100.00 for them they are yours just PM me for shipping details.
This is what the Challenger headlights look like mocked up in the nose. I don't think they look too bad but the HID housing is definitely too bulky and I will be switching to OEM style halogen housings.
I'm not going to lie, I really like how that looks. :Twocents:
Why not forget the headlight doors and just put a piece of lexan there instead? You keep the look of the headlights, you keep the profile of the nose, and it gives it the F&F6 type of look.
Quote
I probably would have left everything stock if I didn't hate those stupid rubber gaskets. To me they are hokey and belong on old panel trucks not on a slick muscle car like the gen 2 Charger. I had the same reservation about the poly bed until I saw a "how to install" video on You Tube for the Charger windshield. They were using both the rubber gasket and the polyeurothane. Wow. Imagine trying to get that back out of the car. The car won't be caged so I am kind of gambling putting it in solid but it is what I prefer to do so we will see if it is a stupid move or not. Stay tuned.
Agreed, our cars were just a couple years too early to avoid those stupid rubber gaskets. I do kinda like how the chrome trim with the inner ring of black rubber looks though. Maybe I'm just overly partial to the stock appearance.
QuoteYour idea is very do able as far as just extending the bed just enough to catch the glass and setting it with PTI tape like the GM era cars. Just adding 3/4 of an inch to all the existing beds would work.
Would you even need 3/4" of extra lip?
I haven't paid enough attention to modern cars to know what kind of overlap they are running these days but the Charger rear window's overlap is tiny. It's closer to 1/4" of glass on the lip than 3/4". I would not have believed that little bit was enough if it wasn't how the car was built. Not saying I would want the front windshield to sit on quite so little of a shelf as the back one does, but I was thinking more like 3/8-1/2" might work.
QuoteSince the glass would then sit up higher in the bed and not even with the bed as it would with the rubber gasket all you would have to do is glue a 1 inch wide by 1/16th inch strip of a black plastic to the outer windshield perimeter before you put your stock stainless trim back on. This would simulate the rubber gasket pretty well . The plastic would have to be thermal resistant so as to not warp in the sun or you could silicone some strips of .040 aluminum on and paint them out mat black.
Yeah, I was picturing a wide piece of sheetmetal that has both the factory chrome strip and the black rubber gasket strip on it. Seems much simpler & cleaner than trying to attach the chrome trim and a fake gasket separately.
Back to the lip for mounting the glass itself . . .
I'm wondering about the possibility of just adding a lip of metal to weld on below the factory lip (like against the underside of the factory lip). That would allow the glass to sit closer to even with the stock metal lip than above it, which is closer to looking stock and it would probably make the fabrication job easier too. (I'm not sure how that would affect trying to remove the glass later though. That could be a downside.)
The other reason to wanna drop the glass down even with the factory's lip is because the lack of rubber gasket is gonna leave a big open gap there between the glass itself and the body-painted sheetmetal. (Hence the need for a slightly larger windshield glass in an ideal world.) I mean the area where the chrome trim sits on top of. I guess the fabricated trim would just go on top of that and cover it, but the area would still be better off filled up or blocked with something to prevent water/crap/etc from accumulating there. (The back glass has a big open area around the glass and under the chrome trim to catch crap and hold it there. Look how well that worked.)
They paint all the inside edges of modern glue-in glass with some kind of black paint to prevent the glue from getting damaged by UV light over time. I'm not sure how that affects the adhesive but it obviously works well enough. A Charger glass would not have that paint. But the kind of phony black gasket trim piece that I was imagining should cover the same area from the sun.
As for the poly glue stuff cracking windshields, I dunno whether it will be a problem but it's worth some thought. If you saw a video of somebody using modern poly glue on a stock old Mopar windshield gasket, keep in mind that the rubber gasket probably still retained some flexibility there. Me, I'm still thinking I would rather stick to butyl tape instead of poly glue if it is adequately strong like poly. The only downside to butyl tape is the longevity AFAIK. Having to replace it decades from now seems like a small trade-off for avoiding the cracking possibility.
Another small thing - once poly glue has been applied to the channel I don't think there is any chemical way to remove it. When they replace glass that has been glued in with poly from the factory, I think they always just trim away the big chunks of poly with a knife and then plop a fresh layer of glue right onto the old stuff. I think you would be literally trying to grind off the poly glue with a wire wheel if you ever want to get the channel back to bare metal again in the future. Butyl would be more easily removed.
wow those do look really nice, maybe do what stroker said and tint the headlight covers black to blend in with the black paint you'll use :shruggy:
Not quite finished yet but this is how I did mine all steel plate ,solid plate for the nose side, nice and lightweight and moves real fast/nice on the motors.Will change to twin headlights once approved by the transport dept for road use or I might keep the single lights ...sort of getting used to them :D
.
Quote from: Stevearino on August 21, 2013, 07:15:28 PM
This is what the Challenger headlights look like mocked up in the nose. I don't think they look too bad but the HID housing is definitely too bulky and I will be switching to OEM style halogen housings.
That looks cool
and evil at the same time. I really like it. :2thumbs: Not too sure, but it kind of looks like drop-down doors would work... :scratchchin:
Quote from: tsmithae on August 21, 2013, 11:08:37 PM
I'm not going to lie, I really like how that looks. :Twocents:
yeah, that's pretty evil looking.
Quote from: Stevearino on August 21, 2013, 07:15:28 PM
This is what the Challenger headlights look like mocked up in the nose. I don't think they look too bad but the HID housing is definitely too bulky and I will be switching to OEM style halogen housings.
and who else sees this?
(http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9600000/Terminator-terminator-9683150-1024-576.jpg)
Quote from: stroker400 wedge on August 22, 2013, 12:20:04 AM
Why not forget the headlight doors and just put a piece of lexan there instead? You keep the look of the headlights, you keep the profile of the nose, and it gives it the F&F6 type of look.
I know I will be doing a lot of little custom tweaks but I think having doors on the headlights is one of the things I love about the original design.
Quote from: pettybird on August 22, 2013, 02:30:34 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on August 21, 2013, 07:15:28 PM
This is what the Challenger headlights look like mocked up in the nose. I don't think they look too bad but the HID housing is definitely too bulky and I will be switching to OEM style halogen housings.
and who else sees this?
(http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9600000/Terminator-terminator-9683150-1024-576.jpg)
I think its a clearance issue...
QuoteThere is also a depth problem that might not be an issue with the Superbird nose. The light enclosure is so big it looks like it will run into the radiator core support.
THIS IS A REPLY TO SOME OF MIKE DC's remarks
Would you even need 3/4" of extra lip?
I haven't paid enough attention to modern cars to know what kind of overlap they are running these days but the Charger rear window's overlap is tiny. It's closer to 1/4" of glass on the lip than 3/4". I would not have believed that little bit was enough if it wasn't how the car was built. Not saying I would want the front windshield to sit on quite so little of a shelf as the back one does, but I was thinking more like 3/8-1/2" might work.
When I removed the windshield from the 06 Charger the bed was fairly wide. The glass was sitting on about 3/4 inch of the 1" bed.
Back to the lip for mounting the glass itself . . .
I'm wondering about the possibility of just adding a lip of metal to weld on below the factory lip (like against the underside of the factory lip). That would allow the glass to sit closer to even with the stock metal lip than above it, which is closer to looking stock and it would probably make the fabrication job easier too. (I'm not sure how that would affect trying to remove the glass later though. That could be a downside.)
You would need to add an "L" shaped flange to the existing bed but be aware that anything you do to alter the bed will affect the interior finish trim around the inside of the windshield at the A post and the head liner. My interior will have to be custom anyway so this in not an issue for me.
They paint all the inside edges of modern glue-in glass with some kind of black paint to prevent the glue from getting damaged by UV light over time. I'm not sure how that affects the adhesive but it obviously works well enough. A Charger glass would not have that paint. But the kind of phony black gasket trim piece that I was imagining should cover the same area from the sun.
Many years ago when I worked as a silk screen printer we used a glass ink that could not be scratched off. I am sure there is a comparable paint product used today which I intend to find and use around the perimeter of my glass.
As for the poly glue stuff cracking windshields, I dunno whether it will be a problem but it's worth some thought. If you saw a video of somebody using modern poly glue on a stock old Mopar windshield gasket, keep in mind that the rubber gasket probably still retained some flexibility there. Me, I'm still thinking I would rather stick to butyl tape instead of poly glue if it is adequately strong like poly. The only downside to butyl tape is the longevity AFAIK. Having to replace it decades from now seems like a small trade-off for avoiding the cracking possibility.
Another small thing - once poly glue has been applied to the channel I don't think there is any chemical way to remove it. When they replace glass that has been glued in with poly from the factory, I think they always just trim away the big chunks of poly with a knife and then plop a fresh layer of glue right onto the old stuff. I think you would be literally trying to grind off the poly glue with a wire wheel if you ever want to get the channel back to bare metal again in the future. Butyl would be more easily removed.
Yeah the poly is like iron to get off but I also had a hell of a time cleaning the gummy butyl out of the original window bed.
Quote from: remta1 on August 22, 2013, 04:24:21 AM
Not quite finished yet but this is how I did mine all steel plate ,solid plate for the nose side, nice and lightweight and moves real fast/nice on the motors.Will change to twin headlights once approved by the transport dept for road use or I might keep the single lights ...sort of getting used to them :D
I like what you have done here . It is another unique solution to the headlight issue . I am kind of sold on the simplicity of the drop down concept. What kind of actuator are you using. Is it part of the original vacume system or is it an electro mechanical set up?
Quote from: richRTSE on August 22, 2013, 03:58:50 PM
Quote from: pettybird on August 22, 2013, 02:30:34 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on August 21, 2013, 07:15:28 PM
This is what the Challenger headlights look like mocked up in the nose. I don't think they look too bad but the HID housing is definitely too bulky and I will be switching to OEM style halogen housings.
and who else sees this?
(http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9600000/Terminator-terminator-9683150-1024-576.jpg)
I think its a clearance issue...
QuoteThere is also a depth problem that might not be an issue with the Superbird nose. The light enclosure is so big it looks like it will run into the radiator core support.
By the time the lights are set back in the nose the back of the housing sticks out of the back of the nose. The simple halogin housings are much more shallow front to back than the projector style box.
That's fairly interersting Remta, didn't know you were building a wing car :2thumbs:
You'll need another thread with lots of pictures now :icon_smile_big:
Another vote for the headlight blackouts Stevearino :2thumbs:
There are still lots of annoying little rust repairs that I am having to make. Here is the right side door pillar at the base of the "A" post.
Also I removed the center supports in the roof to clean the surface rust under them. Here they are ready to be re installed.
And we have lift off. I was hoping to have a 2 post lift installed before I got to this point but monies a little tight so the redneck method will have to do.
There is a lot of good stuff on the rolling chassis if anyone is interested in it PM me.
You might want to go ahead and cut out your numbers out of the radiator core support while your at it. Weld them on the new car somewhere.
Progress looks good :2thumbs:
Quote from: stroker400 wedge on September 01, 2013, 04:24:30 PM
You might want to go ahead and cut out your numbers out of the radiator core support while your at it. Weld them on the new car somewhere.
Progress looks good :2thumbs:
The North Carolina state inspector that issued my non operational title for this car was confused by the mismatch of the radiator core, fender tag and dash numbers and issued a title based on the dash number alone. I probably don't want to risk confusing them again when I go for my operational title.
In that case, I would agree with you :cheers:
:popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn:
Oooo thats good stuff :icon_smile_tongue: how long until we see it on the late model chassis? :drool5:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 01, 2013, 05:37:31 PM
Oooo thats good stuff :icon_smile_tongue: how long until we see it on the late model chassis? :drool5:
It will be a while. I have a lot more prep work to the late model chassis and some more prep to the 68 now that it is free of the old chassis.
If those sheetmetal/rails are anything near solid then I hope it ends up saving another car somehow.
People pay a lot of good money to AMD and do a lot of labor to reconstruct that much of a unibody. There it is, still factory welded together, ready to go under another car.
(http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=101925.0;attach=204531;image)
Quote from: Stevearino on August 22, 2013, 04:11:29 PM
Quote from: remta1 on August 22, 2013, 04:24:21 AM
Not quite finished yet but this is how I did mine all steel plate ,solid plate for the nose side, nice and lightweight and moves real fast/nice on the motors.Will change to twin headlights once approved by the transport dept for road use or I might keep the single lights ...sort of getting used to them :D
I like what you have done here . It is another unique solution to the headlight issue . I am kind of sold on the simplicity of the drop down concept. What kind of actuator are you using. Is it part of the original vacume system or is it an electro mechanical set up?
Cheers for the comments , it is the headlight setup from 1990's Honda accord , whole system cost me $80 bucks from a car wreckers , not too hard to wire up and doors open super quick , still has the factory manual adjustment too
Quote from: Bob T on August 24, 2013, 04:55:44 PM
That's fairly interersting Remta, didn't know you were building a wing car :2thumbs:
You'll need another thread with lots of pictures now :icon_smile_big:
Another vote for the headlight blackouts Stevearino :2thumbs:
Yep
...will have a seperate thread in the not too distant future once I get my S#%t together :lol:
i knew ya needed the wing on sooner for downforce.. now look the body has gone airborn and tore lose from the frame .. good thing ya was able to catch the body an chain it too the rafters.hahahah
looking good an scarey at same time seperated an body hanging like that. will bee watching an all the best on mating it too the newer under bits. what maybee all done in 1 or 2 months???lol :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: dj
:drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Well time seems to really fly these days. In a couple of weeks it will be 1 year since I went down to Georgia to pic up my 68 Charger shell for this project. I saw a discussion on another thread about the cost of these projects and did a little cypherin' my self. I was feeling pretty good about how much actual money I had spent on the project thus far and then I started to calculate the hours. I started to work in earnest on this thing in January of 2013 and as you can see I still have a long way to go. Conservatively I would say that I spend about 12 hrs on average a week working on it so thus far that comes to about 700 hrs give or take. Now if you calculate a low shop rate of about $50 per hour that is about $35,000.00 worth of labor. I could have saved a lot of time by buying AMD replacement sheet metal but that would have been real money I would rather spend on things I know I can't do. So the way I am figuring if you wanted to go into business building these things you could build them for about $100,000.00 and sell them for about $50,000.00. That fits in with all of my projects in the past which are based on the theory of negative profit. :scratchchin:
A pretty neat calculation, and pretty valid, but if you have think of the time you spend on your car as "work" and in dollars and cents you probably aren't having much fun with it, however i already know you are enjoying it, so just let the time go by, a friend of my dad tells me to think of spare time as if i was working for 20$ an hour, that my time was valuble and i should be doing something meaningful... but screw that i'm on this planet to enjoy myself and if i cant do that in my spare time, then when can i do it :lol:
also what do plan on doing for the one year anniversary?
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 04, 2013, 11:27:03 AM
A pretty neat calculation, and pretty valid, but if you have think of the time you spend on your car as "work" and in dollars and cents you probably aren't having much fun with it, however i already know you are enjoying it, so just let the time go by, a friend of my dad tells me to think of spare time as if i was working for 20$ an hour, that my time was valuble and i should be doing something meaningful... but screw that i'm on this planet to enjoy myself and if i cant do that in my spare time, then when can i do it :lol:
also what do plan on doing for the one year anniversary?
Probably loose interest. ;)
When I think of all the time spent on my car projects over the years, I look at what others do with theirs. I could spend my time playing sports, sitting in bars, playing music, watching TV, or any of endless possibilities. Many of which result in personal satisfaction.
At the end of a time period, I end up with something tangible that typically has some (significant) value, as well as the mental satisfaction of knowing that I did what others can only dream of. Calculating how you spend your time based on people who work their entire careers doing the same thing is silly. Do those same people spend all their free time doing the same thing in their spare time. Most likely they don't want anything to do with it.
Keep up the good work and never look back.
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 04, 2013, 05:46:36 PM
When I think of all the time spent on my car projects over the years, I look at what others do with theirs. I could spend my time playing sports, sitting in bars, playing music, watching TV, or any of endless possibilities. Many of which result in personal satisfaction.
At the end of a time period, I end up with something tangible that typically has some (significant) value, as well as the mental satisfaction of knowing that I did what others can only dream of. Calculating how you spend your time based on people who work their entire careers doing the same thing is silly. Do those same people spend all their free time doing the same thing in their spare time. Most likely they don't want anything to do with it.
Keep up the good work and never look back.
Don't misunderstand I am really enjoying this project after years of "gotta do's" this is my first "wanna do" project in years. I was just illustrating for those who would be curious what something like this would entail to undertake. i.e. simply lots of dedicated time or lots of cash. I choose the time for the same reasons you stated. I have always felt the need to create and what some consider work or drudgery gives me immense satisfaction. Thanks for the encouragement anyway it is always appreciated.
Once I got the body off of the frame it was clear to see some areas that needed some more work . I ended up replacing the rear right side upper wheel opening. Took some time to go over and clean up some rust issues I couldn't reach also. I cleaned and treated the inner rockers and added a new pinch weld flange in a location that would be plumb to the door sill pinch weld as the new car chassis has this arrangement. So weird that the distance between the door sill pinch weld on the 68 is the same width as the 06 Charger. I am not complaining. The pictures show the added flange which is stepped 1/4 inch and over laid on the inside of the rocker and counter welded on the outside. This will be seam sealed. The picture of the right side of the car and the completed flange show it dipping down at the back. This is an intentional little custom tweak I hope looks good in the end. It mimics the old Nascar flared quarters.
The suspense is killing me :drool5:
The first picture is of the inner rocker rust primed. Kind of working back and forth on the old and the new right now. I hopped over to start clearing the rest of the material that would be in the way on the new chassis. Some of this is a rough guess from measurements as I will have to see where the exact interferences are as I lower the shell down on the new chassis.
Old time hot rod guys probably never had to clear expansion foam out of the frame rails. The stuff gets everywhere. The last pic is the frame rail cleared down to where it is plumb and the new shell will be able to slip over it. Sounds easy anyway. :scratchchin:
QuoteSounds easy anyway.
Wait . . . you mean the body swap isn't a bolt-on deal?
:lol:
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on September 11, 2013, 10:51:34 AM
QuoteSounds easy anyway.
Wait . . . you mean the body swap isn't a bolt-on deal?
:lol:
If it is I am missing the bolts and instructions to this kit. I'll have to call the manufacturer. :P
If you do, PLEASE, record that conversation!
"Excuse me but there seems to be no instructions on how to bolt this '68 Charger shell onto an SRT8 chassis... Do you think you could have R&D send me over the instructions? How much would it cost to get the installation kit as well, I can't seem to locate mine..."
"uhhhhhh.... *click*"
Quote from: tsmithae on September 11, 2013, 03:52:33 PM
If you do, PLEASE, record that conversation!
"Excuse me but there seems to be no instructions on how to bolt this '68 Charger shell onto an SRT8 chassis... Do you think you could have R&D send me over the instructions? How much would it cost to get the installation kit as well, I can't seem to locate mine..."
"uhhhhhh.... *click*"
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Quote from: tsmithae on September 11, 2013, 03:52:33 PM
If you do, PLEASE, record that conversation!
"Excuse me but there seems to be no instructions on how to bolt this '68 Charger shell onto an SRT8 chassis... Do you think you could have R&D send me over the instructions? How much would it cost to get the installation kit as well, I can't seem to locate mine..."
"uhhhhhh.... *click*"
if the phone person is too young they will probably say, " Sir, Dodge didn't make a Charger until 2006...."
Quote from: mauve66 on September 13, 2013, 05:22:01 PM
Quote from: tsmithae on September 11, 2013, 03:52:33 PM
If you do, PLEASE, record that conversation!
"Excuse me but there seems to be no instructions on how to bolt this '68 Charger shell onto an SRT8 chassis... Do you think you could have R&D send me over the instructions? How much would it cost to get the installation kit as well, I can't seem to locate mine..."
"uhhhhhh.... *click*"
if the phone person is too young they will probably say, " Sir, Dodge didn't make a Charger until 2006...."
so true, sad but so true...
I would respond, "Just like how Chevy didn't make a Camaro until 2010, right?"
I thought that was a Vega
Some funny stuff about it not being a bolt on swap,there guys i allready bought the swap kit it was on speacal sale price $799.99 came with big manual an 40 lbs of bolts an bracket. was odd that some of the bolts an brackets had some rust, he said just a small moisture problem in storage? metric bolts and manual in korean,what the hellloo?
WELL . can we PRETEND sereus for a minute and try too focus . this is getting really interesting an at a important stage of setting an BOLTING the new body into place,thanks. back too you steve ,got lots of bolts handy for bolting the body on?? lol great work an looking forward to the install ,latter DJ :popcrn: :cheers:
Well the excess metal removal on the 06 continued getting down to the final pinch weld flange. I did not need to get into removing the windshield bed at this time but since I was cutting stuff off I decided to rough trim the area down 3 ".
Once I got the frame rails boxed in on the 68 with .060 steel it was time for the good stuff. Lowering it down to see how everything was going to fit.
Once I got the body down low enough I made the pinch weld on the 68 parallel with the bottom of the pinch weld on the 06. This allowed me to see what I had to do in the way of correcting my rough cut on at the door hinge post. I will first correct the angle the cut off increasing amounts until the rear wheel hole looks visually correct. I hate to leave it there but I won't get a chance to work on it again until the weekend. I don't usually work on this project during the week as there are too many distractions but there was finally something to get excited about. :yesnod:
Quote from: Stevearino on September 18, 2013, 07:23:33 PM
Once I got the body down low enough I made the pinch weld on the 68 parallel with the bottom of the pinch weld on the 06. This allowed me to see what I had to do in the way of correcting my rough cut on at the door hinge post. I will first correct the angle the cut off increasing amounts until the rear wheel hole looks visually correct. I hate to leave it there but I won't get a chance to work on it again until the weekend. I don't usually work on this project during the week as there are too many distractions but there was finally something to get excited about. :yesnod:
:coolgleamA: :popcrn:
you mean gordons whining and making the chase didnt keep you busy and distracted this week :rofl: :nana:
Oh and fantastic work :2thumbs:
OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD, You are such a tease, put the freaking body on AHHHH! :drool5:
beautifull project :cheers: i love your job
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 18, 2013, 09:39:54 PM
OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD, You are such a tease, put the freaking body on AHHHH! :drool5:
:iagree:
Quote from: moparstuart on September 18, 2013, 09:12:39 PM
you mean gordons whining and making the chase didnt keep you busy and distracted this week :rofl: :nana:
Real funny Stu. So funny I forgot to laugh.
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 18, 2013, 09:39:54 PM
OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD, You are such a tease, put the freaking body on AHHHH! :drool5:
I'm HURRYING I"M HURRYING!!! :eek2:
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on September 19, 2013, 05:02:09 AM
beautifull project :cheers: i love your job
Thanks man.
is the wheelbase going to be an issue ?
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on September 19, 2013, 07:21:32 PM
is the wheelbase going to be an issue ?
I will be altering the location of the wheel hole in the front fenders. With the larger wheels and tires and the added length of the Daytona nose the I am hoping the visual impact will be minimal. If this were a stock Charger I think one would have to consider a more extensive shortening of the 06 floor or perhaps moving the rear wheel hole back 1 1/2" and the front forward 1 1/2" to split the difference. 117" for the 68 . 120" for the 06.
:icon_smile_big: :icon_smile_big: :icon_smile_big: :icon_smile_big: :2thumbs:
I'd consider shortening the LX chassis. I think if you move the front wheel arches forward, it'd make the nose look more stubby.
Quote from: stroker400 wedge on September 19, 2013, 09:37:53 PM
I'd consider shortening the LX chassis. I think if you move the front wheel arches forward, it'd make the nose look more stubby.
That's more work than I am willing to get into on this car. They shortened the Fast and Furious car nose almost 10" and while I can see the difference it is not immediately noticeable . I am going to try to sneak the body forward as much as I can to minimize the alteration. Saw the 68 someone did on another thread and He moved the front wheel hole 2 1/2" ahead and even on that car it doesn't look too bad.......... :shruggy: We'll see.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 20, 2013, 05:08:03 AM
Quote from: stroker400 wedge on September 19, 2013, 09:37:53 PM
I'd consider shortening the LX chassis. I think if you move the front wheel arches forward, it'd make the nose look more stubby.
That's more work than I am willing to get into on this car. They shortened the Fast and Furious car nose almost 10" and while I can see the difference it is not immediately noticeable . I am going to try to sneak the body forward as much as I can to minimize the alteration. Saw the 68 someone did on another thread and He moved the front wheel hole 2 1/2" ahead and even on that car it doesn't look too bad.......... :shruggy: We'll see.
your a master of metal , i'm sure in your hands it will turn out fantastic
I can understand the decision not to shorten the LX chassis. Cutting & welding the metal isn't so bad but that job includes lining everything up perfectly, doing the wiring, the fluid lines, driveshaft, etc. The whole old/new conversion remains way more in the realm of cosmetic-only metalwork if you don't mess with the length of the LX.
But IMHO you oughtta consider splitting the some of the difference with the rear wheel location. Having both axles moved by 1 or 2 inches would slide past the eye a lot better than one end stock and the other end moved all 3 inches. And these cars already have quite a rear overhang. If I was mine I would be wanting to put at least 1 of those 3 inches to the back, if not 1.5".
At any rate, it pays to do some photoshopping of the final result from different angles. In this day & age there is no excuse for not taking a good look at the end result until it's already built.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on September 20, 2013, 03:01:33 PM
I can understand the decision not to shorten the LX chassis. Cutting & welding the metal isn't so bad but that job includes lining everything up perfectly, doing the wiring, the fluid lines, driveshaft, etc. The whole old/new conversion remains way more in the realm of cosmetic-only metalwork if you don't mess with the length of the LX.
But IMHO you oughtta consider splitting the some of the difference with the rear wheel location. Having both axles moved by 1 or 2 inches would slide past the eye a lot better than one end stock and the other end moved all 3 inches. And these cars already have quite a rear overhang. If I was mine I would be wanting to put at least 1 of those 3 inches to the back, if not 1.5".
At any rate, it pays to do some photoshopping of the final result from different angles. In this day & age there is no excuse for not taking a good look at the end result until it's already built.
This is the reason that I built the model car at the beginning of this post. I actually took a Daytona model and merged it with the chassis of a 2010 Dodge Challenger model to get an idea of what that split would look like. After shifting it back and forth the long nose actually absorbs the move better than the rear of the car. That extra 18" in front really helps.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 20, 2013, 05:08:03 AM
Quote from: stroker400 wedge on September 19, 2013, 09:37:53 PM
I'd consider shortening the LX chassis. I think if you move the front wheel arches forward, it'd make the nose look more stubby.
That's more work than I am willing to get into on this car. They shortened the Fast and Furious car nose almost 10" and while I can see the difference it is not immediately noticeable . I am going to try to sneak the body forward as much as I can to minimize the alteration. Saw the 68 someone did on another thread and He moved the front wheel hole 2 1/2" ahead and even on that car it doesn't look too bad.......... :shruggy: We'll see.
Quote from: moparstuart on September 20, 2013, 06:26:58 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 20, 2013, 05:08:03 AM
Quote from: stroker400 wedge on September 19, 2013, 09:37:53 PM
I'd consider shortening the LX chassis. I think if you move the front wheel arches forward, it'd make the nose look more stubby.
That's more work than I am willing to get into on this car. They shortened the Fast and Furious car nose almost 10" and while I can see the difference it is not immediately noticeable . I am going to try to sneak the body forward as much as I can to minimize the alteration. Saw the 68 someone did on another thread and He moved the front wheel hole 2 1/2" ahead and even on that car it doesn't look too bad.......... :shruggy: We'll see.
your a master of metal , i'm sure in your hands it will turn out fantastic
Stu if you only knew of my capacity to screw things up..... :eek2:
I agree with steve the owner,builder of his custom Daytona.. Daytonas look good from allmost every angle, except direct at the side of the nose.the 70 charger fender has a lot of area or mass hanging in front of the wheel. then you add what a 18 inch nose hanging out in front of that. the direct side view is a little too long in the nose for me and it seems too look way too long an pointty with certin colors.
well thats my :Twocents: but it is his daytona and i wood say hes allready looked at an planned it as he made the model to scale to check out the visual impact.
well heres to your plan ,i think it will look great with less mass and nose over hang.DJ :cheers: :Twocents: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5: oh yeah shortten the chassis is a giant pain an tons more than just cut an weld. :Twocents: :cheers:
You're right Steve, I had totally forgotten at the model at the start of this thread. And I agree the front end does absorb the extra wheelbase quite well. Better than I would have expected on paper.
I still wonder about shortening things though. The overall car just seems so damn long with the stock Daytona nose setup.
Keeping the Daytona bodywork stock, and using all the extra 3" of LX wheelbase to reduce the front overhang . . . I think you have come up with a very good idea here. But I wonder if it is the best possible one.
The F&F car wasn't the best solution but I think they had a good handle on what needed fixing. But their end result produced something I would never have expected - I think the REAR overhang looked a bit long on that car by the time the nose was shortened. The wing, even shortened like it was, added a lot of visual weight behind the rear wheels. Once that visual weight of the front overhang was reduced it left the rear overhang looking heavy IMHO.
Have you considered splitting the LX's extra 3" of wheelbase more evenly between the front & rear ends, and then doing maybe half the reductions of the F&F car? (like maybe taking 5-6" off the front fenders and the wing height?)
I'm just spitballing here. But it seems like moving several things around in small amounts might work out a lot better than the F&F car's few major changes.
Well I have officially run out of talent. Some limiting issues have cropped up with my little project and I am not very happy. Something I read on another thread about a 68 on an LX chassis reared it's ugly head. It was mentioned that the underdash AC unit had to land in a specific spot to have this whole thing come together. That is the real reason that the floor pan on that car was shortened 2 1/2 inches so the body could be shoved forward. The bigger issue is there isn't enough room for a wiper set up. And the worst part is the body is still 2 inches away from the bottom of the pinch weld. I could clearance the bottom of the windshield bed but would give up the defroster doors and the wipers. Also at this time just short of putting a power bulge in the hood it just might not be possible to get the clearance needed for the 6.1 manifold. :brickwall: Should have know it was going too smoothly. Well I guess this thread will be going dark until I sort this out. Very disappointed indeed.
See you later for a while.
Stevearino
P.S. Mike DC you have a lot of good ideas there for me to consider once I figure out what I am going to do here.
Ouch.
I just spent a few minutes looking at pics of 2nd-gen/LX Charger conversions on the net. It looks like the cowl height of the LX is too tall for the 2nd-gen bodywork to sit over it. All the conversions seem to involve the 68-70 bodywork sitting rather high up and some LX structure being visible down below the rocker panels.
Hmmm . . . .
If it was mine I would start looking at hacking out the offending LX stuff and building a new (vertically shorter) dashboard for it. IMHO the LX dash always looks weird sticking up in a 2nd-gen body.
Another idea would be to actually raise (stretch) the height of the entire 2nd-gen body a couple inches. Cut things apart and fabricate some new metal into the sides of the 2nd-gen to make it vertically taller between the rocker panels and the cowl height.
I'm picturing a little bit of this in combination with other mods, rather than trying to cover the entire issue with this method. For example there are two sets of bodylines along the sides of the car. You could add 1" to each of the areas of sheetmetal in between them for 3" of height gain.
I'm partly suggesting this because the greenhouse area of a 2nd-gen has always looked a little tall in relation to the sides of the body in stock form IMHO. Stretching out the height of the lower half of the car would change the car's proportions in a similar way to chopping down the roof height. It might not look bad if done in moderation. But it would be a shitload of custom bodywork to do.
The easiest solution to the body height issue that others have used seems to be to build custom rockers that blend down to the pinch weld. If it is done right it doesn't look too bad but I was hoping to get it close enough to not have to do this. I agree about the dash but it's the old 10 lbs of s##t in a 5 lb bag. There is so much under dash stuff to be accomidated that even the custom dashes I have seen on these conversions look kind of horsey. That was one thing I had decided I would have to live with. Of all the issues with this deal the one that really has me bugged is the clearance for a wiper motor set up. It is the one thing that none of the threads goes into at all or has any pictures of as to how this was handled. I thought I had that figured out but getting the body down closer to where I want it leaves no room for the mechanisms. I hate that this whole thing would turn on something that ridiculous. Engine yes. Wheel base Yes. But wiper motor? Come on.
they make some real small wiper motors to run 1 wiper each for the street rods an can be mounted top or bottom of windshield. just run 1 wiper so no mass arms and junk. just a idea,,an maybee black or body color powder coat side pipes for mean look an help hide the rockers could hide a few inches,,, more old school than the model vision i guess,, just ideas.
or rocker add ons that resembles the 70es cuda scales trim on rockers,, i always liked that cuda trim .. this part is just a joke ya ready ,,,,u sure,,,, jack body up hi ,,car up hi add running boards alone rockers an big off road tires an have a 4x4 GENERAL LEE,, just a idea ,,,---joke --to releif stress an show ya it could look lots worse my way,haha 4x4 no way.. Sure youll find a way to hide the little bit of rockers. :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers:
Couldn't you could remote-mount the wiper motor somewhere and build a linkage flat enough to pull it off? You might need to build the linkage mechanisms very strongly to take into account some of the forces on them but it seems do-able.
You could put a toothed gear sprocket on the wiper pivot right below the cowl sheetmetal and make the whole thing work as a rack & pinion. That might get the whole mess down to just needing like an inch or two of vertical space directly below the wiper pivots, and everything else could be stretched off to some remote spot.
(http://2.imimg.com/data2/QQ/GE/MY-3292790/rack-gear-250x250.jpg)
At any rate it's probably time to start making some phone calls and see if you can pin down the way anyone else has fixed this problem. Although I wouldn't be surprised to hear other builders saying, "Who cares about wipers? Nobody drives this kind of car in the rain anyway!"
I found a hot rod universal kit that might work for the wipers. I uses a cable and gear similar to what Mike suggested with the rack and pinion set up and Mike you are right about people saying you don't need wipers on something like this. Only one problem. This will definitely not be a trailer queen. I'm gonna drive this thing a lot.
DJ , the single wiper might be the way to go as the center mounting point for the other wiper is what is bottoming out on the under dash AC unit.
Definitely puts a stick in my spokes.
The next thing that occurs to me about the body/dash/cowl issues is the height of the LX dash once installed. It won't help to get the windshield wipers sorted out if the top of the LX dashboard still ends up 6 inches away from the ceiling of the old Charger body.
The LX dash already pokes up high enough to look weird on the existing LX/Charger conversions I have seen. Those cars have the old Charger body located high on the LX chassis. I wonder how much of an issue it will be if you get your Charger bodywork lower down on the LX chassis than they did.
Mike , I am pretty much as low as I can go. The windshield wiper mounting location is bottomed out and there is only about a 1/2 clearance for the engine manifold. I think I hit the bottom that everyone else did with these conversions. The ones that appear lower just made bigger rockers which it looks like what I will be forced to do. I saw one that just had a 3" pinch weld but because it was black you can only notice it from certain angles.
Yeah I am really not crazy about the dash situation. I think it will crowd the windshield but it would require a scratch build to overcome that situation which I don't really want to get into for this car. Don't get me wrong.I like the way the dash itself looks just not how it is going to fit in this project.
Well I took the day off yesterday and visited some friends in South Carolina and put some space between me and my disappointment with the body height issues. Time to make the best of things so it is as low as it is going to go which is 2" higher than I wanted it to be. I plan to blend the rocker in. It has as much front to rear rake built into the body as was possible which is none since the hood with the inner liner removed is about 1/4" away from the manifold and bottomed out on just about everything in the engine compartment. I tried setting the hood and nose in the stock location front to rear and the darn thing looked too stubby so I pulled it forward 2". I may pull it back just a bit but this is the anti F & F car right now. 2 inches longer than a stock Daytona.
HOLY SHIT!!!!! :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn:
wow!!
Interesting......can't wait to see it off the dollies. Looks pretty [expletive deleted] good now.....a couple of inches lower....... :scratchchin:
Normally don't care for the big wheel/tire combo on older iron. But here, it may give a "just right" look.
As usual, great work and thanks, cuz I am learning a lot from your build. :2thumbs:
Will continue to watch and :popcrn:
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on September 22, 2013, 06:40:45 PM
Interesting......can't wait to see it off the dollies. Looks pretty [expletive deleted] good now.....a couple of inches lower....... :scratchchin:
Normally don't care for the big wheel/tire combo on older iron. But here, it may give a "just right" look.
As usual, great work and thanks, cuz I am learning a lot from your build. :2thumbs:
Will continue to watch and :popcrn:'
Not the wheels I will end up with but I have to stay with 22's because of the Brembo brakes. We will see if there is anything a little more old school. Worst case I can just go to the stock Alcola SRT wheels like the right front.
Just a :scratchchin:
Perhaps it is the Brembos that makes it work......I know big rims and small brakes really look stupid.
Perhaps it's the length of a Daytona......plus the wing.
Likely a bit of both. For a mock-up, looks pretty good. Better then good. :2thumbs:
Part of that stubby appearance is because of the body height & shiny metal LX rockers down below. But another part is the visually huge size of the wheels compared to what we are used to seeing on an old Charger.
:Twocents:
Have you considered splitting the difference on the visible rocker issue? One part extending the old Charger bodywork downwards, and one part allowing a bit of black LX rocker sheetmetal visible below it?
After looking at some pics of stock '69 Daytonas last night, I wonder if stretching the rockers down a bit on this car might actually HELP the proportions visually. On stock '69s the front & rear overhangs look big/heavy. The middle of the car between the wheels seems downright slim in comparison.
Once you pin down what you want that area to look like, you might wanna put some black tape or something over whatever portion of the LX rockers will be black/recessed during this process of evaluating the car's proportions. Otherwise the shiny bare metal on the bottom of the rockers could actually make it more visually obvious than it will be on the end result.
Mike,
You pretty much read my intentions on the rocker situation. I have already clamped the remnants of the 06 rocker to the bottom of the car as a blend piece and eased it up a little and the effect seems to work. My intentions were always to black out the remaining pinch weld as I have seen it work pretty good on a 68 conversion. As to the stubby nose effect pulling the nose forward definitely helped tone down the bulkiness of the front end. This was all done hastily to finalize the body location and will all be coming back off for quite a while so there is plenty of time to sort the front end out.
As always your suggestions are always welcome.
Steve.
It might be time to go back to the plastic model stage to think about the body mods. You have made a lot of good progress but right now you don't seem to have the end result in your sights that you originally wanted.
I looked at the pics of that dark gray '68/Magum wagon conversion that you linked to earlier the thread.
It looks like they got that car so low with a combination of tossing the LX dashboard for a custom '68 dash + small wheels (read: losing ground clearance underneath). It looks like there is undercarriage metal barely 4-5" off the pavement in some of those beauty shots.
I guess the LX rockers weren't an issue because they simply retained more of the '68 car in general. What they did was more like transplanting the LX's front & rear subframes into the '68. Whereas you are doing more like putting the '68's top half onto the LX's lower half.
So the front subframe & engine structure is still a hangup either way. The raw distance between the bottom of the LX's front chassis and the top of the LX's motor is too tall for the car to sit really low & lean no matter how you do it. You are looking at leaving the upper '68 body sitting higher off the ground whereas they elected to set the LX chassis lower down.
:scratchchin:
How are people putting these new motors into vintage Mopars, aside from the entire LX chassis swaps? Wouldn't these dimensional issues with the new engine versus the old body shape be rearing their ugly heads then too?
Mike, On the last question I guess it would be best to ask hotrod98 about how the new engines fit in to the old chassis cause I think he has some experience in this area.
On the 68/magnum project if you look at the rocker near the bottom of the front fender you will see that they had the same issues and just made a bigger rocker. The front fender does not reach the bottom of the rocker.
Smaller wheels and tires don't get me there because they do not make the distance from the top of the tire to the top of the fender smaller which is something you can see in the model and something I wanted to achieve.
The dash on the 68 while scratch built is still somedwhat high because of the use of the the stock gauge cluster and the necessary height of the steering column. I may end up having to do something along these lines but it just seems like it is lower because it lacks the bulge on top over the gauge cluster. The real tell on the height issue is the looking at how they had to kind of horse the front valence on and the lower radiator is still very visible.
One thing that I looked into today that might help me is that there are lowering spring kits even for the SRT-8 that can lower the front almost 1.4 inches. I would leave the rear alone as I like the relationship of the tire to the body in that area and that might get me quite a bit closer to the look I want.
Also as Dyslexic Teddy Bear mentioned the dollies that the car is on right now don't help the visual. I think I can get closer to what I want than I first thought when I first set the body down. We will see.
Steve
:2thumbs: OutSTANDing!! :drool5:
I am loving this thread. :popcrn:
:cheers: wow car is coming along great, keep up the good work... :2thumbs:
Quote from: Lighthorseman on September 23, 2013, 05:10:08 PM
:2thumbs: OutSTANDing!! :drool5:
I am loving this thread. :popcrn:
Quote from: Budnicks on September 23, 2013, 05:13:40 PM
:cheers: wow car is coming along great, keep up the good work... :2thumbs:
Thanks guys.
Well I did a little more mock up work . I made some rocker extensions and hung the left front fender to see if everything would work together. I am pretty happy with everything at the moment. The proportions don't look to bad. As for the rake angle I found some aftermarket adjustable coil over shocks that will allow me to wind the front down another 2" if I want to . This should get me pretty close to where I want to be. Well it's time to take off all the fun stuff and get back to the boring work that takes a lot of time but doesn't look like you did anything. Nature of the beast.
The extra width of the rocker isnt' really all that noticeable and doesn't look all that bad. Have you considered maybe adding onto the bottom of the quarters behind the rear wheels any? Of course, you'd have to add on to the rear valance and maybe add onto (or remove) the rear bumperettes, but would allow you to exit the exhaust through the valance. Just something to consider. :popcrn:
Your progress looks good, as always. :2thumbs:
I am going to try to manipulate that quarter bottom down a little . There is nothing holding it in place right now and I am going to ease the rockers up a bit on the final deal. Hopefully it will flow a little better. Also thinking about a change in the paint work to hide all of this too.
You know what. I was just thinking. Why the hell am I married to that stupid pinch weld flange on the bottom? That's 1 1/4" I can cut off and invert by welding a flange in the up position. :scratchchin: Now I can't sleep.
I cant see how this can get any better :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
Better go make another pot of coffee. It's going to be a long night :lol:
Wow you are still coming along quickly.
Have you thought about working on the lower side bodylines (The stuff around the fender pentastar emblem and the bottom of the lower door scoop) to hide the extra rocker height? Perhaps take the line that goes from the rear wheelwell to the door scoop and just move the wheelwell crease end of it down a little. A slight extra tilt on both the quarter line and the fender line in front might really help disguise the added rocker height.
The rear quarter overhang could probably use a little bit of extension downwards but not too much. I dunno if you need to drop the overall bottom of the rear end of the '68 or not, but it wouldn't surprise me if you did.
Be careful though. The lower back end of any musclecar is a difficult spot to modify and get away with it. From about 1975-2000 damn near every musclecar for sale in America was full of bondo and looking screwy in that area. So most guys have developed a particularly sharp eye for spotting anything amiss there.
IMHO that nose looks too long as it sits in the pics. I'd vote to at least push it back the extra couple inches to stock length. (Yes I know the nose is currently sitting that way because of the wheel location.)
Overall it's looking really good.
Mike,
Cutting the 1 1/4 inches off the bottom by eliminating the pinch weld flange all together will pretty much enable me to go back to an un extended rocker which will help with the blend back into the quarters. If you look a the previous pics of the car without the extension rockers on you can see that it is very close without the flange. The length of the nose is something I will have to play with. Right now it is 2 inches longer from the door to the back of the fender but because of the longer wheel base it is actually 1" shorter to the front of the tire so while the over all length of the car is greater the relationship of the nose to the wheel center is shorter than stock.
Steve
looooking great ,the blue fender is not matching well ,haha. think it draws the view but it will all look awsum. just do what makes it correct for you. as few of these conversions have been completed there is bound too bee surprizes an addjustments to the plans.
it will look lot different in one color or darker down on rockers. think it will bee lower with rest of glass,guts an nose and tail weight installed ?? nose an wing draw my eye away from lowly rockers,myself.
doing great ,thanks for sharing an putting up with the peanut gallary. i wood like too put my name in for first test pilot,lol.. good stuff all the best on build.latter DJ out west.can allways do bigger spoiler under the nose to draw the eye down to the ground an keep more air out from under the car. i kinda like the air defuser boxes under the back but that is more gt-gts road race cars thing i guess. will bee great,iam sure :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :yesnod: :2thumbs:
HELP Any photo shop guys that could do steves daytona more like his model or just all one color to HELP visually??
??? kinda think the clean shiney metal down low is drawing too much focus?? photo shop any help???
:cheers: :cheers: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5: :cheers: :cheers:
very very good job :cheers:
What it looks like when you don't make any attempt to lower the body on the LX platform .https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151859839450606&set=o.115202955214034&type=1&theater
I like your version MUCH better!!!!! :2thumbs:
Thanks cdr.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 25, 2013, 03:51:13 PM
What it looks like when you don't make any attempt to lower the body on the LX platform .https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151859839450606&set=o.115202955214034&type=1&theater
............................Well, I wouldn't exactly TOSS that thing out of bed but you're right-there's something definitely "off" about that particular car; admirable execution though. Your project on the other hand is coming along nicely and will be a masterpiece when it's done. Will we dare to say the best conversion to date? I certainly hope so. Hat's off to you! :yesnod:
I 'd love to see you do a sheet metal interior for this, just to see more of your metal work :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
Extend/lower the bottom of the doors and their openings to lessen the visual effect of the taller rockers. :scratchchin: :Twocents:
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on September 25, 2013, 06:05:24 PM
Extend/lower the bottom of the doors and their openings to lessen the visual effect of the taller rockers. :scratchchin: :Twocents:
Oooooo Good idea :scratchchin:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 25, 2013, 06:15:18 PM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on September 25, 2013, 06:05:24 PM
Extend/lower the bottom of the doors and their openings to lessen the visual effect of the taller rockers. :scratchchin: :Twocents:
Oooooo Good idea :scratchchin:
Yep.
Worth a quick mock up with some poster board and tape. :Twocents:
An inch or two would make a BIG difference. :scratchchin:
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on September 25, 2013, 06:19:59 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 25, 2013, 06:15:18 PM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on September 25, 2013, 06:05:24 PM
Extend/lower the bottom of the doors and their openings to lessen the visual effect of the taller rockers. :scratchchin: :Twocents:
Oooooo Good idea :scratchchin:
Yep.
Worth a quick mock up with some poster board and tape. :Twocents:
An inch or two would make a BIG difference. :scratchchin:
would be kinda fitting too since the car was lengthened :scratchchin:
I am moving the opposite direction and removing the rocker extensions. I am going to reinforce the inner frame rail and cut the 1" pinch rail completely off. There is a little 1" by 1" flat left on the bottom of the 68 rocker that I may fill in with a 1"by 1" quarter round to blend into the rear quarter which I will leave alone as it is already pulled down 1". I was pretty happy with everything until the transition to the quarter panel bottom was pointed out and then I could not un see it :rotz: so I am going to keep as close as I can to the stock bottom line of the side and then perhaps black out the pinch rail when I paint the car. Either that or my other plan that also involves paint would be my original color scheme for this car which got side tracked because of the SRT-8 black on grey theme. That paint scheme was black sides where I have silver on the car and yellow on top with matte black hood insets. The black side kind of obliterates a lot of the visual cues.
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on September 25, 2013, 06:05:24 PM
Extend/lower the bottom of the doors and their openings to lessen the visual effect of the taller rockers. :scratchchin: :Twocents:
This would involve lowering the door sill too so while that would definitely help balance things out I am not up for what that would involve. I know that it might be hard to visualize what I am about to do but if you scroll to the picture of the car before I put the left front fender on you can see the one inch pinch flange and you can see that by removing it the profile will improve. Yet to be proven but that is where I am headed with this thing now.
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 25, 2013, 05:33:51 PM
I 'd love to see you do a sheet metal interior for this, just to see more of your metal work :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
I will be lucky if I can adequately modify the stock 06 dash to go back in this thing. :eek2: Hey here is one that hasn't been done. While I was putting the fenders on before the nose and wing was on this thing looked pretty cool as a 1970 Charger 500 which never existed.(Fast back that is) I can visualize this with the wrap around bumper with a flushed out grill with the 2010 Challenger headlights. Get to work Baldwinvettl77.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 25, 2013, 07:54:54 PM
I will be lucky if I can adequately modify the stock 06 dash to go back in this thing. :eek2: Hey here is one that hasn't been done. While I was putting the fenders on before the nose and wing was on this thing looked pretty cool as a 1970 Charger 500 which never existed.(Fast back that is) I can visualize this with the wrap around bumper with a flushed out grill with the 2010 Challenger headlights. Get to work Baldwinvettl77.
:o I NEED TO FIND A 70 CHARGER, LIKE NOW!!!!!!!! :drive:
This is the color scheme I had in mind originally.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 25, 2013, 08:00:37 PM
This is the color scheme I had in mind originally.
atleast you had an idea for a colour, i never had a clue what i'd do with mine, but i went to home depot and flat black rust paint was on sale :shruggy:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 25, 2013, 08:08:17 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 25, 2013, 08:00:37 PM
This is the color scheme I had in mind originally.
atleast you had an idea for a colour, i never had a clue what i'd do with mine, but i went to home depot and flat black rust paint was on sale :shruggy:
Can't go wrong with that. Easy to touch up and never needs waxing.
Wow mind blowing. I wish I had met you before moving out to Oklahoma. I miss NC.
i like the 31 black an yellow the best,just my :Twocents: your car do it for you and dont listen to us guys,,your car your labor an coin. do it your way and enjoy it.. :drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :cheers: :cheers:
Quote from: Stevearino on September 25, 2013, 08:00:37 PM
This is the color scheme I had in mind originally.
Is this a fantasy build, or did Vandiver run a black/yellow car at some point?
Quote from: pettybird on September 26, 2013, 09:48:21 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 25, 2013, 08:00:37 PM
This is the color scheme I had in mind originally.
Is this a fantasy build, or did Vandiver run a black/yellow car at some point?
it's possible, but i've never seen a photo of vandiver's car in black. bobby watson's #8 car did look like that, although he also had a tail stripe at one point
I think Steve's model is dark blue, just not showing up well in the pics. That is a very old build, and hand lettered too! The color choices for model paint were much more limited back then too.
The surviving Vandiver '74 Charger race car is black with yellow but not the Daytona.
Quote from: pettybird on September 26, 2013, 09:48:21 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 25, 2013, 08:00:37 PM
This is the color scheme I had in mind originally.
Is this a fantasy build, or did Vandiver run a black/yellow car at some point?
How I came to build and paint this car this way is a complete mystery to me. I was pretty meticulous back 43 years ago when I was building these models but I don't know where I got the colors for this car. The car does not have Jim's sponsor so I was not working from a black and white. The only outside possibility to me could be a possible one time loaner from Bobby Watson for and event but that is pure speculation on my part. I have no way to know for sure if that is what happened here but I love the color combo and it was my first choice for this project and may end up being what I go back to for a number reasons. One of which is the great look of Dane's recently sold Yellow car which I absolutely love. Some lucky Louisianans riding around in that beauty right now.
So this is what I am thinking now. I am favoring the matte black hood inserts.
The yellow isnt bad at all, but maybe more of a gold colour? :scratchchin:
to heck with the full sized one for a while, let's see that model collection
Quote from: held1823 on September 28, 2013, 10:12:31 AM
to heck with the full sized one for a while, let's see that model collection
Rather than piss off the moderators by turning this into a model forum here is my album of survivor cars from 43 years ago posted on my facebook page.https://www.facebook.com/steve.mirabelli/media_set?set=a.374803635865875.94186.100000087251193&type=3
Tryed the face block no open?? Sure it wood bee ok to post a few wing toys in the aero section.. Wood like to see sox &martin bird an other wing cars ya got handy?? thanks
like the yellow an black hood indents,it wood cut some hood glare too maybee. iam easy i will look at real wing cars or toys,haha..DJ :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :cheers: :drool5:
DJ here are the wing cars and the Chargers.
More Chargers and wing cars.
More Chargers...
Back to the future.
I decided to look at the 06 frame rail to see if I could eliminate at least the 1" pinch rail at the bottom to help the body profile. I have decided to accept the 2" hanging below the stock rocker as this is only a little more than stock and helps me retain a sleeker body profile. Whether I go with the original paint scheme or the yellow and black the pinch rail will be blacked out.
After reinforcing the rail to the inside with .060 and welding up the inner at the front of the rail I cut the 4 door post base off level with the top of the rail.
The one thing that DID actually seem to work out in my favor was the height of the 06 package tray. I did not have to cut it out and re position it as I have seen done on stock Charger bodies. This of course is due to the high window on the Daytona plug. This might not seem like a big deal but in order to place it at the same level as the stock Charger dutchman panel you have to cut 3" out of the back seat support. No big deal until you have to cut down and re apholster the seat itself.
The only thing is by the time I mount the seats you probably won't be seeing much out the back window. That's what side mirrors are for any way.
Well I have started to weld both halves together and set the car down to see what it looks like. I think it will be fine once I lower the front suspension.
:2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Looking good!!
Was at the strip Saturday for a Mopar day....... enough LXs and B&Es close together to get a real good feel for just how different they are.
Now I am even more impressed with what you are doing.
WOW!
This is the best thread ever on DC.com.
Jason
Quite the compliment Jason. There are more than a few that out do this project on here already.
Quote from: Aero426 on September 26, 2013, 11:08:44 AM
I think Steve's model is dark blue, just not showing up well in the pics. That is a very old build, and hand lettered too! The color choices for model paint were much more limited back then too.
The surviving Vandiver '74 Charger race car is black with yellow but not the Daytona.
that's ridiculous skill right there...
I'm sure after you're done with this one, you'll start mass production right? Put me down for one :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Hemidog on September 30, 2013, 01:20:05 PM
I'm sure after you're done with this one, you'll start mass production right? Put me down for one :icon_smile_big:
:lol:
If this one ever gets finished and don't kill me in the process. :eek2:
AWESOME!!! Let me know if I can help with renderings! I'm not super pro but I like trying lol.
You have some killer skills, I enjoy seeing your progress. This will be a awesome ride when your done!!!
Curt
It's looking great!!!! :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Thanks for the kind words guys. The guys I work with bust my chops every Monday asking me if I am finished yet. I told them today that I was except for putting the steering wheel in and the spackle bucket front seat.
Car is looking good. :2thumbs:
I need to keep my eyes open for a late model 4 door. :scratchchin:
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on September 30, 2013, 09:49:44 PM
Car is looking good. :2thumbs:
I need to keep my eyes open for a late model 4 door. :scratchchin:
Never mind that. Just keep up the great work on that awesome blue beauty you have going right now.
you do realize that at this post, your car is basically rolling porn :lol: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :popcrn:
Quote from: Stevearino on October 01, 2013, 05:10:14 AM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on September 30, 2013, 09:49:44 PM
Car is looking good. :2thumbs:
I need to keep my eyes open for a late model 4 door. :scratchchin:
Never mind that. Just keep up the great work on that awesome blue beauty you have going right now.
Will do.
:2thumbs:
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on October 01, 2013, 06:06:04 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on October 01, 2013, 05:10:14 AM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on September 30, 2013, 09:49:44 PM
Car is looking good. :2thumbs:
I need to keep my eyes open for a late model 4 door. :scratchchin:
Never mind that. Just keep up the great work on that awesome blue beauty you have going right now.
Will do.
:2thumbs:
yeah you need another project :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
The aluminum foil around the wiring, is that just for welding spatter protection or would it protect the electronics like an external ground ??
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on October 01, 2013, 01:33:50 PM
The aluminum foil around the wiring, is that just for welding spatter protection or would it protect the electronics like an external ground ??
:D
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on October 01, 2013, 01:33:50 PM
The aluminum foil around the wiring, is that just for welding spatter protection or would it protect the electronics like an external ground ??
It is just to keep grinding debris and minor weld spatter away from the harness. Something we do at work when we need to turn a car around quick and don't want to do a complete tear down.
Nice hat Stu. Not as nice as mine but nice.
Quote from: moparstuart on October 01, 2013, 12:55:10 PM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on October 01, 2013, 06:06:04 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on October 01, 2013, 05:10:14 AM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on September 30, 2013, 09:49:44 PM
Car is looking good. :2thumbs:
I need to keep my eyes open for a late model 4 door. :scratchchin:
Never mind that. Just keep up the great work on that awesome blue beauty you have going right now.
Will do.
:2thumbs:
yeah you need another project :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Transmission in yet ? :slap: :nana:
Quote from: Stevearino on September 30, 2013, 03:55:27 PM
Quote from: Hemidog on September 30, 2013, 01:20:05 PM
I'm sure after you're done with this one, you'll start mass production right? Put me down for one :icon_smile_big:
:lol:
If this one ever gets finished and don't kill me in the process. :eek2:
I would love to work along side of you. WOW - I would be a kid in candy store.
Dane
Quote from: Stevearino on October 01, 2013, 03:50:25 PM
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on October 01, 2013, 01:33:50 PM
The aluminum foil around the wiring, is that just for welding spatter protection or would it protect the electronics like an external ground ??
It is just to keep grinding debris and minor weld spatter away from the harness. Something we do at work when we need to turn a car around quick and don't want to do a complete tear down.
Nice hat Stu. Not as nice as mine but nice.
ok how about this one , one for fluffy too
Quote from: Daytona Guy on October 01, 2013, 09:29:56 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 30, 2013, 03:55:27 PM
Quote from: Hemidog on September 30, 2013, 01:20:05 PM
I'm sure after you're done with this one, you'll start mass production right? Put me down for one :icon_smile_big:
:lol:
If this one ever gets finished and don't kill me in the process. :eek2:
I would love to work along side of you. WOW - I would be a kid in candy store.
Dane
Wow. Considering the cars you have built that compliment is over the top. Thanks.
Stu, I have 4 cats so you are going to need a lot more foil.
Quote from: moparstuart on October 01, 2013, 11:06:05 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on October 01, 2013, 03:50:25 PM
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on October 01, 2013, 01:33:50 PM
The aluminum foil around the wiring, is that just for welding spatter protection or would it protect the electronics like an external ground ??
It is just to keep grinding debris and minor weld spatter away from the harness. Something we do at work when we need to turn a car around quick and don't want to do a complete tear down.
Nice hat Stu. Not as nice as mine but nice.
ok how about this one , one for fluffy too
The cat doesn't look to happy there Stu. :o
Amazing.
I know you would still have the same vertical hurdles,
but if someone started with a salvage Challenger,
how much of the horizontal challengers would be resolved?
Impressive to say the least. I'm sure you hear it all the time, you happen to be a very talented individual.
Have you tried contacting member?: SRT-68 (http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=9586)
I'm thinking he's done at least 2 of these conversions.
Quote from: ramairthree on October 03, 2013, 07:59:00 PM
Amazing.
I know you would still have the same vertical hurdles,
but if someone started with a salvage Challenger,
how much of the horizontal challengers would be resolved?
Virtually none. The wheel base is still longer. The door sill would probably be the only thing that would not have to be filled in because of it being a 2 door model to start with. All of the HVAC and dash board issues would still be there. Those to me are some of the hardest to resolve because there is 20 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag in that area. Lots of custom work to fit all that stuff back under a shortened and lowered windshield bed.
The bottom line is the LX is a much bigger car than it appears to be at first glance. If you could get sheet metal for the whole car that was 5% bigger in scale probably most issues would disappear. Right now it's a fat lady in skinny jeans. :violin:
Quote from: 472 R/T SE on October 04, 2013, 05:36:57 AM
Impressive to say the least. I'm sure you hear it all the time, you happen to be a very talented individual.
Have you tried contacting member?: SRT-68 (http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=9586)
I'm thinking he's done at least 2 of these conversions.
Thanks for the compliment but no I haven't contacted him. I kind of like the challenge of figuring as much out myself as I can. Old habit of mine. Probably not the best idea but gives me a lot of satisfaction when I am done with something.Although I am not above looking at lurking about looking at pictures of other projects. His is one that I have studied. Everyone that I have seen has taken a slightly different approach.
QuoteThe bottom line is the LX is a much bigger car than it appears to be at first glance. If you could get sheet metal for the whole car that was 5% bigger in scale probably most issues would disappear. Right now it's a fat lady in skinny jeans.
I have had that thought about most of the modern pony/muscle car variants. They could build them to look a lot more like the old ones if they aimed for a slightly scaled-up version of the old ones.
More performance, less NVH, more comfort, better mileage, better aero, more crashworthiness . . . they just have to build a lot more
car these days. The fact that the curb weights are 1/3 ton heavier on the modern ones despite 30 years of weight-loss efforts is indicative of just how much more.
In my quest to get a look at all of the major fitment issues I decided to see what difficulties were waiting for me in the dash area.
The first issue was mounting the dash steel sub-frame. This mounts on the inner door jambs and on the console. With the old body in place it was no longer possible for me to access the mount points as they were now behind the 68 door jambs. I drilled out some 1/4" holes on the left and right mounting flange and bolted some steel "T" nuts to the back side then welded them on the side nearest the main sub-frame. Once in place I cut along side of them. Once this was done I was able to unbolt them and I had two flanges that could be bolted to the 06 door jambs that allowed me to then bolt the sub-frame to the flanges and the console. With some relief cuts on the top corners the sub frame went into place with out a fight.
Next it was time for the dash face. I was anxious to see how it would look. I resigned myself to the fact that if I was going to use the stock 06 dash I was going to have to customize the top of the dash to get it down in the car a little better. I cut the top of the dash completely off and will replace it with a much thinner piece of material. This took about 1" of height out of the dash gauge pod area and made the rest of the dash flat with the windshield bed. Although the dash pod is still a little high compared to the old school dash I am not unhappy with it. As of now I kind of like just fine. The real challenge is just ahead with the HVAC ducting and wiper mounting. :scratchchin:
It looks pretty good with the dash in there with it cut down. :2thumbs: You might want to mock up a seat to see if you need to tilt it any, or raise/ lower it. It'd stink if you got it looking right and not be able to get in it.
I assume you got the body to sit on the chassis the way you wanted it to :popcrn: :popcrn:
Quote from: stroker400 wedge on October 04, 2013, 06:49:36 PM
It looks pretty good with the dash in there with it cut down. :2thumbs: You might want to mock up a seat to see if you need to tilt it any, or raise/ lower it. It'd stink if you got it looking right and not be able to get in it.
I assume you got the body to sit on the chassis the way you wanted it to :popcrn: :popcrn:
The dash sub-frame and the dash are located in the 06 stock mounting locations. It is not possible to rotate either up or down especially since the sub-frame mounts to the console in a fixed location. And yes the body is as low as it can go at this point.
i cant begin to explain how awesome it is the read all this :drool5: i cant imagine what its like to actually do it :popcrn:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on October 04, 2013, 08:10:48 PM
i cant begin to explain how awesome it is the read all this :drool5: i cant imagine what its like to actually do it :popcrn:
I don't have to tell you. You know. It's a very dirty job. But someone has to do it. :yesnod:
glad its you doing that dirty job,haha not me.. its looking great in pix s on page 13 with front end an nose an wing on.. it inspiered me so i sent eee mail an figure on getting a nose cone soon,have my wing.wish i had some of ya heavy metal skills there,great work. that dash,cowl stuff looks like lots of fun,not.. all my best on all that custom fitting an fab.
i wood rig manual wiper on pass side ,make them work for joy of riding in ya wingged wonder . put on fake wipers an use lots of rain xxx stuff on glass?? well see no one posting an bugging ya for few days ,so i did? :D latter dj dart guy :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :D
latter dj dart guy :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :D
[/quote]
When we gonna see some Dartona pics?
Looking good.
Have you considered building up the middle & passenger side of the dashboard top? Reducing the appearance of the driver side gauge "bulge" on top might help the LX dash look less visually obtrusive.
You probably don't wanna raise things high enough to make the whole dash level across the top for driving visibility issues. But I'm thinking a moderate change might look good.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on October 08, 2013, 10:10:49 AM
Looking good.
Have you considered building up the middle & passenger side of the dashboard top? Reducing the appearance of the driver side gauge "bulge" on top might help the LX dash look less visually obtrusive.
You probably don't wanna raise things high enough to make the whole dash level across the top for driving visibility issues. But I'm thinking a moderate change might look good.
Believe it or not Mike that idea had crossed my mind after looking at pictures of the stock 68 dash and noticing that they go up hill towards the driver quite a bit more than I had remembered. Right now if I built a new dash top to the place where this dash is trimmed the passenger side would be dead level from the base of the windshield bed. Certainly gives me more room to play than I had first thought I would have.
With some of the dash questions resolved in my head it is time to put that aside and get back to mending the two cars together.The forward lower section of the rocker on the 06 was to fat as it was to allow the bottom of the 70 fender to wrap under and line up with the 68 rocker so I had to cut it out and make a new forward close out piece for the rocker out of .060 steel.
The cut that I made in the area of where the door post meets the new chassis was less than ideal so I had to take more .060 steel and fill the gap and weld the two area's together. Good news is that if this works out I will have a pattern to make this cut a little better for the next one. :lol: Next one..... That's a good one.
Well there is a big hole in the inner frame rail where I cut out the four door "B" pillar so that needed to be filled in. More .060 steel bent up to cap this area and welded into place.
The problem with car projects is that there are two damn sides so every job has to happen twice. Now I have to do all of this again on the passenger side.
This whole project is amazing, and your metal work is second to none... I can't wait to see the finished project.
:iagree:
Thank you again for the thumbs up guys. They are appreciated. :icon_smile:
Just went through this thread and wow, very cool. What a project, well done!!!!
Quote from: DPL on October 11, 2013, 11:17:24 PM
Just went through this thread and wow, very cool. What a project, well done!!!!
Thank you. I got a long way to go. I hope I don't loose momentum.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 21, 2013, 05:41:19 AM
I found a hot rod universal kit that might work for the wipers. I uses a cable and gear similar to what Mike suggested with the rack and pinion set up and Mike you are right about people saying you don't need wipers on something like this. Only one problem. This will definitely not be a trailer queen. I'm gonna drive this thing a lot.
DJ , the single wiper might be the way to go as the center mounting point for the other wiper is what is bottoming out on the under dash AC unit.
Definitely puts a stick in my spokes.
Well i was rereading an looking at pixs on p 13. i meant smaller wiper motor like street rods with 1 blade each ,not just 1 wiper. but maybe 2 seperate motors an blades put any where they fit? hows the build going??? :popcrn: dj
Quote from: djcarguy on October 17, 2013, 04:44:09 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 21, 2013, 05:41:19 AM
I found a hot rod universal kit that might work for the wipers. I uses a cable and gear similar to what Mike suggested with the rack and pinion set up and Mike you are right about people saying you don't need wipers on something like this. Only one problem. This will definitely not be a trailer queen. I'm gonna drive this thing a lot.
DJ , the single wiper might be the way to go as the center mounting point for the other wiper is what is bottoming out on the under dash AC unit.
Definitely puts a stick in my spokes.
Actually the wipers is what I have been sorting out. I haven't posted any pics because there has been a lot of trial and error getting it worked out and I am not there yet. Stay tuned. :yesnod:
Well i was rereading an looking at pixs on p 13. i meant smaller wiper motor like street rods with 1 blade each ,not just 1 wiper. but maybe 2 seperate motors an blades put any where they fit? hows the build going??? :popcrn: dj
I haven't posted in a while not because I haven't been working on the car but because I have been dealing with some real challenges. After doing a lot of chopping and cutting, installing and unintalling I got the 06 wiper set up to work. I attached some wood mock up wipers to check out the sweep. This is a link to a video I posted on my facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=681675091845393&set=vb.100000087251193&type=3&theater The clacking sound in the video is of some areas that needed further clearance. I have since clearanced them and they run quiet now. I am not out of the woods yet though. This is a hot wire set up. I don't yet know if there is a rest mode that will draw the wipers down too far. I may still have some work to do with the length of the pivot arms. I hope not because I am really up against everything right now.
Very nice, goes to show you what can be done when you set your mind to it! :2thumbs:
Quote from: tsmithae on October 20, 2013, 05:30:25 PM
Very nice, goes to show you what can be done when you set your mind to it! :2thumbs:
Speaking of that how is your project coming along?
Unfortunately not nearly as quick as I want (knee injury has been limiting me drastically). BUT, I have all pieces mocked up on the rear half of that car and everything lines up, I must have done something wrong! :D I have a link to a thread I keep in my signature if you get bored, haha.
Before I could see if the wiper assembly from the donor car would work in the space I now had at the base of the windshield I had to first remove the actuating arms and cut the mount bar so that the centers of the pivot posts lined up with the 68 wiper locations. I had to cut a good amount off of the upper steering wheel stabilization mount and modify it to attach lower in the sub cowl. I then had to make sheet metal closures around the mount and small clearance wells with drain ports for any water reaching the sub cowl area. All of this had to be done to see if I would end up with enough room to install some heavily modified actuating arms. Since I have a lot of items that I need to bench test I made a small box that is just out of frame in the last picture that houses a 12 volt battery wired to two studs that I can easily attach alligator clips to . The positive is hooked to a switch so that I can bump the power to the motor quickly as I knew the swing arms would probably hit a bunch of stuff before I got them to clear.
Since the length of the actuating arms play into the sweep of the wiper blades I made up some wooden mock up blades to see if the swing was in the neighborhood. Some fine tuning will no doubt be necessary but I am satisfied enough to move on to the defroster and heating duct work.
To start with on the HVAC ducts I installed the dash wiring harness and the dash face to see what I had in the way of room to work with. With that done I cut the parts of the stock duct work off that interface with the dash outlets. I capped them off and made some brackets to hold them in place on the dash sub frame. There are a total of 4 heat outlets. Two in the middle of the dash and two on either end of the dash. There are also two outlets that connect with the defroster that mount to the dash top left and right. I decided to start with the four forward facing outlets as they require the most room.
Holy crap, already working on windshield wipers? :o at this rate you'll be done in a couple of weeks :coolgleamA:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on October 22, 2013, 08:41:07 PM
Holy crap, already working on windshield wipers? :o at this rate you'll be done in a couple of weeks :coolgleamA:
The real reason I am working in the dash/cowl area is I want to get the vin plate back on the car so that I can call DMV and have an inspector out to start the 6 month process of getting the final operational title..............and I want to drive it up and down my driveway like an idiot.
:icon_smile_big:
and I want to drive it up and down my driveway like an idiot.
awesome steve,,,,thats what i do. :smilielol:
Quote from: Stevearino on October 22, 2013, 08:53:38 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on October 22, 2013, 08:41:07 PM
Holy crap, already working on windshield wipers? :o at this rate you'll be done in a couple of weeks :coolgleamA:
The real reason I am working in the dash/cowl area is I want to get the vin plate back on the car so that I can call DMV and have an inspector out to start the 6 month process of getting the final operational title..............and I want to drive it up and down my driveway like an idiot.
:icon_smile_big:
just sit in it and go vroom vroom vroom
Yet again, VERY impressive! At least you guys can sit in it and goo vroom. I have to stand in mine and pretend I'm a Flinstone! :smilielol:
Quote from: moparstuart on October 22, 2013, 09:44:08 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on October 22, 2013, 08:53:38 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on October 22, 2013, 08:41:07 PM
Holy crap, already working on windshield wipers? :o at this rate you'll be done in a couple of weeks :coolgleamA:
The real reason I am working in the dash/cowl area is I want to get the vin plate back on the car so that I can call DMV and have an inspector out to start the 6 month process of getting the final operational title..............and I want to drive it up and down my driveway like an idiot.
:icon_smile_big:
just sit in it and go vroom vroom vroom
Once again Stu you have given me wise advice. :yesnod:
Quote from: Stevearino on October 23, 2013, 04:58:51 AM
Quote from: moparstuart on October 22, 2013, 09:44:08 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on October 22, 2013, 08:53:38 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on October 22, 2013, 08:41:07 PM
Holy crap, already working on windshield wipers? :o at this rate you'll be done in a couple of weeks :coolgleamA:
The real reason I am working in the dash/cowl area is I want to get the vin plate back on the car so that I can call DMV and have an inspector out to start the 6 month process of getting the final operational title..............and I want to drive it up and down my driveway like an idiot.
:icon_smile_big:
just sit in it and go vroom vroom vroom
Once again Stu you have given me wise advice. :yesnod:
ok maybe you can do a Rain Man ( Only Slow on the driveway ) :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: moparstuart on October 23, 2013, 09:09:14 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on October 23, 2013, 04:58:51 AM
Quote from: moparstuart on October 22, 2013, 09:44:08 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on October 22, 2013, 08:53:38 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on October 22, 2013, 08:41:07 PM
Holy crap, already working on windshield wipers? :o at this rate you'll be done in a couple of weeks :coolgleamA:
The real reason I am working in the dash/cowl area is I want to get the vin plate back on the car so that I can call DMV and have an inspector out to start the 6 month process of getting the final operational title..............and I want to drive it up and down my driveway like an idiot.
:icon_smile_big:
just sit in it and go vroom vroom vroom
Once again Stu you have given me wise advice. :yesnod:
ok maybe you can do a Rain Man ( Only Slow on the driveway ) :icon_smile_big:
I'm an excellent driver, yeah.
Once I installed the modified HVAC ducts I had to fabricate some ducting to bring the defroster air back to the base of the windshield bed. It was a simple angled box with a top flange and some deflectors welded in to hopefully spread the air across the base of the glass. No engineering here just good old fashioned guess work. The only problem with guessing and committing is the possibilty that the air flow will not be correct to do the job or worse will set up some weird whistling noise. Oh well.
These are some pictures of how I slid it into place between the windshield bed and the other ducting and the last pic is of the piece welded up.
Wow it's coming along great :2thumbs:
that is some badass ducting :coolgleamA:
master of metal :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Quote from: moparstuart on October 24, 2013, 10:15:47 PM
master of metal :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Understatement.
I have some experience fabing heavier, 1/4" and thicker.......and that seems really easy compared to thinner stuff.
From my limited marshal arts background.......above "master" is "grand master".
While "Grand master of metal" does sound a bit hokey, this type of work deserves the title. :notworthy:
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on October 25, 2013, 09:10:56 AM
Quote from: moparstuart on October 24, 2013, 10:15:47 PM
master of metal :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Understatement.
I have some experience fabing heavier, 1/4" and thicker.......and that seems really easy compared to thinner stuff.
From my limited marshal arts background.......above "master" is "grand master".
While "Grand master of metal" does sound a bit hokey, this type of work deserves the title. :notworthy:
Hardly. I know more than a few guys who fit that description and I know what they can do and it would make you sick. 20 years ago I tried to apprentice with a guy who only did aluminum restoration. Cobras and such. He was building a Cheetah body from scratch from photos. Gas welding the English wheeled panels together and paddling the aluminum together so you couldn't see a seem. Now that my friend is a metal master. What I do is arts and crafts with tin. Big difference. Thanks for the compliment anyway.
will the newer chally lites shine fully if part of the lite is blocked by the nose cone?? they do look great back in the nose. but wondering if u will have full lite or blacked out spots, i have no experiance with the new stuff. wonder if maybee there is a smaller version an look alike lite that wood fully show the circle of lite bulb so too speak?
when ya get to it will you show us the trunk area?? i dont recall in any of these body swaps ever seeing what and how the trunk area has too bee modifed,thanks.
coming along great and sure it will bee one real fun ride up an down the drive way,, hope its a long drive way,lol.
ANY plans an goal to take it to Talladega in 2014??? ??? i hope to get to one of the big shows next year. think 7 is the most wing cars i have ever seen at a time ,many yrs ago. not very many wing cars out an about,out west..
great an entertaining to follow your Daytona build.latter dj :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on October 25, 2013, 10:03:01 AM
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on October 25, 2013, 09:10:56 AM
Quote from: moparstuart on October 24, 2013, 10:15:47 PM
master of metal :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Understatement.
I have some experience fabing heavier, 1/4" and thicker.......and that seems really easy compared to thinner stuff.
From my limited marshal arts background.......above "master" is "grand master".
While "Grand master of metal" does sound a bit hokey, this type of work deserves the title. :notworthy:
Hardly. I know more than a few guys who fit that description and I know what they can do and it would make you sick. 20 years ago I tried to apprentice with a guy who only did aluminum restoration. Cobras and such. He was building a Cheetah body from scratch from photos. Gas welding the English wheeled panels together and paddling the aluminum together so you couldn't see a seem. Now that my friend is a metal master. What I do is arts and crafts with tin. Big difference. Thanks for the compliment anyway.
Arts $ crafts.......hardly. Nope, you are waaaay above that. It's not just welding + fab......it's [can't think of a better word] vision to solve the fitment problems you are.
I do get what you mean, I've been around guys that just....sorta.....pointed a wrench at the motor and a part came off in their hands. Without much visible effort. Something that would take me an hour to do.
Still learning much from your build. Thanks. :yesnod:
Quote from: djcarguy on October 27, 2013, 02:25:53 AM
will the newer chally lites shine fully if part of the lite is blocked by the nose cone?? they do look great back in the nose. but wondering if u will have full lite or blacked out spots, i have no experiance with the new stuff. wonder if maybee there is a smaller version an look alike lite that wood fully show the circle of lite bulb so too speak?
when ya get to it will you show us the trunk area?? i dont recall in any of these body swaps ever seeing what and how the trunk area has too bee modifed,thanks.
coming along great and sure it will bee one real fun ride up an down the drive way,, hope its a long drive way,lol.
ANY plans an goal to take it to Talladega in 2014??? ??? i hope to get to one of the big shows next year. think 7 is the most wing cars i have ever seen at a time ,many yrs ago. not very many wing cars out an about,out west..
great an entertaining to follow your Daytona build.latter dj :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs:
Referring to the trunk I will be showing as much detail as you can stand on everything. Some might get annoyed at all of the details but it has been one of my pet peeves that before and after are not enough if you are considering a project like this and want to see how others have approached it. "During" is very important and is usually left out in most threads.I guess since I am not going to be doing this as a business I don't have a problem showing what I am doing. As to the lights we will just have to see. Obviously they won't be ideal for casting a proper beam to the side of the road but this is a custom car and there are bound to be more than a few things that are less than ideal. I wish I could make Talladega but that is not reasonable with work and all. If I was on this thing full time maybe but I have a long way to go.
The "during" to me......is THE most important part. For those of us intending to do as much ourselves as we can..... it's by far, the most important part. :2thumbs:
Well nothin sexy goin on here right now just slow tedious stuff. Here are some pictures for those who might be interested in how I am re routing the HVAC ducts from the main plenum under the dash.
The first thing I had to do was to abbreviate the plastic outlets that go behind the dash outlets and mount them in such a way that they might be serviceable if need be in the future. Once I did that it was a game of connect the dots with some .021 steel. I used this light gauge because it is easier to manipulate small pieces. I laid down a paper pattern for the floor of the duct first then I cut the piece out of sheet metal adding 1/4" to the sides to bend up 90 degrees. That gives me something for the sides to go against. Next I cut out a paper pattern for the side and duplicated it adding 1/4" to the top to bend over 90 degrees to give the top of the duct something to rest on. After making the other side and tacking it in place I siliconed the inside edges and where it connects to the outlets before capping the top.
I then repeated the process for the side window defroster that mounts on the top right side of the dash. I started on the easy side to see how it would go with lots of room. Now the challenge is to repeat on the other side over the gauge cluster area. It's a little tight over there.
nice fab/metal work, looks great :2thumbs:
Here are some pictures of what I am doing in the outer sub cowl area to accommodate the modified wiper assembly and motor mount. The tray had to be pretty elaborate including a removable center section which would have to come out in order to remove the heater core inside the car. This will be sealed and riveted in. Both wells have 3/8" tubing welded into the bottoms sides to provide drainage should water get into this area. The only reason this had to be so complex is because the wiper motor and swing arms are one assembly designed to be serviced from the under hood area of the car. I wanted to keep it this way.
whoa, the next owner is gonna have one hell of a time finding replacement parts :rofl: Awesome custom work :drool5:
I have been working on more of the pesky detail stuff over the last couple of weeks. I closed up the forward section of the sub cowl . I sealed all of the seams with T-21 Fusor epoxy. When I cut down the fire wall it left the fiberglass sound blanket with a ragged looking top edge so I had to fabricate a top cap for the air intake section and also for the area just above the brake booster and engine. Kind of just finishes that area up and will keep water from soaking the back side of the fiberglass blanket.
I made a couple of water run off gutters out of aluminum that will hopefully carry off the majority of water that gets by the cowl cover near the wiper studs.
In order to see how the cowl cover needs to be built I had to jump ahead and locate the hood and build the new rear section of it. Since the cowl will be a subduction type similar to a newer car I needed to establish the arc of the hood back.
It took me a while, but I managed to get through every page of this thread. :o
Very nice work & a great idea, Stevearino. :cheers:
I've got a '68 shell to transform into a Daytona but it'll remain a stock '68 chassis. If I tried what you did, a modern SRT/8, I'd have to use a ton of cardboard, plywood & caulk to make it fit. :lol:
Can't wait to see it done.
Quote
I've got a '68 shell to transform into a Daytona but it'll remain a stock '68 chassis. If I tried what you did, a modern SRT/8, I'd have to use a ton of cardboard, plywood & caulk to make it fit. :lol:
Can't wait to see it done.
Cardboard, Plywood and caulk are my best friends. :icon_smile_big:
it's all looking delicious.. no seriously i want to chew on it :drool5:
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on October 27, 2013, 02:51:10 PM
The "during" to me......is THE most important part. For those of us intending to do as much ourselves as we can..... it's by far, the most important part. :2thumbs:
I agree,details are what makes the job come out right.. With the extra length on the hood you will have to add that amount to the fenders won't you ?
Quote from: Stevearino on November 09, 2013, 06:30:14 PM
Quote
I've got a '68 shell to transform into a Daytona but it'll remain a stock '68 chassis. If I tried what you did, a modern SRT/8, I'd have to use a ton of cardboard, plywood & caulk to make it fit. :lol:
Can't wait to see it done.
Cardboard, Plywood and caulk are my best friends. :icon_smile_big:
dont forget to throw in a little chicken wire and bondo too ;D
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on November 10, 2013, 09:48:43 AM
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on October 27, 2013, 02:51:10 PM
The "during" to me......is THE most important part. For those of us intending to do as much ourselves as we can..... it's by far, the most important part. :2thumbs:
I agree,details are what makes the job come out right.. With the extra length on the hood you will have to add that amount to the fenders won't you ?
very interesting
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on November 10, 2013, 09:48:43 AM
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on October 27, 2013, 02:51:10 PM
The "during" to me......is THE most important part. For those of us intending to do as much ourselves as we can..... it's by far, the most important part. :2thumbs:
I agree,details are what makes the job come out right.. With the extra length on the hood you will have to add that amount to the fenders won't you ?
I wouldn't think he would have to. He is adding the length of a B body cowl panel to the hood.
Quote from: BS27ROB on November 10, 2013, 01:09:25 PM
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on November 10, 2013, 09:48:43 AM
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on October 27, 2013, 02:51:10 PM
The "during" to me......is THE most important part. For those of us intending to do as much ourselves as we can..... it's by far, the most important part. :2thumbs:
I agree,details are what makes the job come out right.. With the extra length on the hood you will have to add that amount to the fenders won't you ?
I wouldn't think he would have to. He is adding the length of a B body cowl panel to the hood.
The front fenders will have length added to them but it has nothing to do with the added length of the hood. The LX has a 3 inch longer wheel base than the second gen Charger. I made up 1" on the length by shifting the body forward a little and I will have to add some to the rear section of the front fenders to shift the wheel holes forward. I will then sneak the nose back a little to get the proportions right. I have posted pictures here a few pages back of the whole body mocked up with all of these adjustments.
This is the body mock up pic.
Where on earth do you find the time to do all this??? :shruggy:
Quote from: Hemi Runner on November 10, 2013, 05:58:58 PM
Where on earth do you find the time to do all this??? :shruggy:
I am pretty much a hermit. :rotz:
That looks damn sexy, I love it! :drool5:
looking good ,seems to me it might bee easyer modifing the wheel opening an move fender back shortening the nose a few then custom adding to fender at dorr area?/? may just my brain not wanting to deal with fender edge?
it looked like you were saving the stock cowl top to reuse too ?
Very sure it will come out looking great with the work an skill you got going on soo far.page 13 mockup pixs are great ,have total faith an high hopes in ya awesun Daytona build.. :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :2thumbs: :cheers:
i priced some salvage 4 dr hemi chargers for a base, seems in oregon its hard too get a salvage hemi car and they want 6500 to 7 k for engine trans an harness with out the shell. think it is above my pay grade for that convertion anyway. will focuss on my more stock mopars with smaller mod requirements. still liking your custom wing car. :cheers: :cheers: DJ :popcrn: :2thumbs:
DJ the rear edge of the fender is really the easiest place to add. There are plenty of salvage LX platforms out there. I got mine on e-bay out of Pennsylvania for$8500.00 last year and it was shipped to me for just $300.00 through their broker. That was for an SRT-8. There are probably some near complete 5.7 cars in the Northern California area for a lot less. Even if you only got the drive train out of the car after you bought it and parted out the rest it would be cheaper than buying the drive train by itself.
With the hood back out of the way it was time to start figuring out how I was going to build the recessed cowl to cover everything.
Once I had established the curve of the cowl I had to figure out a fresh air inlet. I kicked around a lot of different ideas for the grill itself and decided since I was not going to re install the old cowl that I would use adapt the grill work from it into my new piece.
I used scrap pieces of the rubber molding I was going to use to seal the cowl to the windshield bed to maintain my surface relationships while I fit up the various parts.
Once I was done with the grill insert I had to build a short duct to move the air from the inlet to the fresh air inlet box in the engine bay. The last picture is of the floor of that duct mocked into place.
That's a great idea and very well executed!
After building the top and the sides of the fresh air duct I removed it to prime, paint and seal the interior of the box before installing it permanently to the cowl.
In order to minimize the water infiltration into the area around the wiper studs I had to build two wells around the studs with a tight fitting rubber grommet. I back engineered the well from the grommet that would fit. It required a 1" hole and the well needed to be 1 1/2" to clear the wiper base. I punched out some .040 steel to create the bottom of the well and used some thin walled 1 1/2 inch steel tube for the well wall. I welded the washer to the bottom of the tube first then fit the grommet in . After re installing the cowl I slowly clearanced around the stud until the whole well assembly slid down over the stud.
Quote from: tsmithae on November 17, 2013, 05:32:31 PM
That's a great idea and very well executed!
Thanks. This part is takin forever. :rotz:
Once I had the stud well fit up I tacked it from the top side then I removed the cowl so that I could weld it up from the bottom side and then trim off the top flush.
The third picture is of the cowl re installed with the well in place.
With the upper cowl established I started to close out the forward section starting with a "Z" flange with a top step to give me a front edge to go to. This worked out good because I already had flange to cover the firewall batting that I could drill into and avoid compromising the sub cowl.
I fit up some pieces to finish the surround to support the top closure.The last two pictures show the top closure on the forward section of the cowl.
There is quite a bit more to do here but just to see if everything was holding station and to try to get some feeling of accomplishment after messing with this for so long, I put the windshield base seal on and fit the rear hood seal to see how I all looks.
Lookin' good Steve!!! :cheers:
Amazing. :2thumbs:
You make it look easy, which I am sure is not.
That car will be priceless !!!!!
Dane
Quote from: Indygenerallee on November 18, 2013, 01:16:58 PM
Lookin' good Steve!!! :cheers:
Can't wait to see yours when you get started again.
Quote from: Aero426 on November 18, 2013, 02:02:10 PM
You make it look easy, which I am sure is not.
I stay away from the mechanical stuff as much as possible so as to not screw things up. This is the stuff I am comfortable with.
Quote from: Lighthorseman on November 18, 2013, 01:51:47 PM
Amazing. :2thumbs:
Thanks man.
Quote from: Daytona Guy on November 18, 2013, 04:41:44 PM
That car will be priceless !!!!!
Dane
Thanks Dane. That means a lot coming from someone with your extensive history.
That looks great :drool5:
In order to finish up the cowl I had to see how the hinges would play into the whole deal so that meant I had to get involved with framing out and hinging the hood to the car. I was going to lengthen the hood to help the fender location but decided I wanted the proportions to be stock in length so that meant cutting the rear extension back loose and shortening up everything.
Since I was going to be removing all of the inner liner I had to build a hood jig or cradle so the the shape would not distort after I removed the support.
First thing I did was form some "L" shaped steel to fit the profile across the back of the hood and then transferred it to some 3/4" plywood and cut out the shape on the band saw.
I repeated the process for the front of the hood.
Next with the front and rear profiles sitting on the hood I traced the side profile and cut two pieces with this pattern to make the sides of the jig.
Finally I put some triangle gussets on the corners to keep the whole thing square.
In the inverted position on the table you can see how the hood shape is completely supported.
With the jig supporting the hood I removed the remaining liner and cleaned up the rust and treated with OSPHO. I then took some 1/2" x 1 1/2" .049 wall steel and framed out the perimeter and installed two cross braces of 1/2" x 2" .049 wall.
With the sub frame built I removed it from the jig leaving the hood skin behind to fit it up to the car. I used some angle iron to temporarily cleco the hood in place over the cowl centering it up on the car.
I had hoped to use some modified version of the 06 hinges but it just wasn't practical. I ended up making my own using some .090 steel with a 1/4" press fit hardened drill bushing to be attached with a 1/4 20 stainless sleeve bolt.
After determining the location with the hood frame on the car I put the frame back in the hood jig and slotted the bottom side of the hood frame at the back corner and slid the hinge in and welded it up. The last picture is of the hood frame on the car with the frame in the raised position. Now that I have all of that established I can go back to finishing up the cowl.
Wow great build! :2thumbs:
But why ?
Damn youre hardcore :METAL:
Spotless work there Steve, :drool5: how did you happen to get into doing that type of work to begin with ? Al
Well/////////happy turkey weekend ta ya. but please step away from the bird an post more bout your daytona build,ha ha. any buyer for the old 68 floor ,frame remains??
hood frame looks great ,but long in open position. if ya mount the wing it may excite an inspire ya an us the masses following ya build,, i know wings get my mind an imagineation going.
well enjoying your vision an build,and skill with metal . hope the turkey didnot kick your butt or put ya to sleep for long,lol.. wing seat an some steering maybee an run up an down the drive for motivation an pixs??? thanks for sharing ya vision an progress,, enjoy..DJ ;D
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on December 01, 2013, 12:14:21 PM
Spotless work there Steve, :drool5: how did you happen to get into doing that type of work to begin with ? Al
Took a class back in 1990 to learn how to hang bodies on stock cars and went back home to New Jersey for the next 6 years to figure out how to move me an my family to where that work was in N.C. Got down here in 97. Got lucky and after working for some independent body hangers I got on a Busch team (Cicci- Welliver). Got even luckier in 2002 and have worked at Hendrick Motorsports since. Didn't even know how to weld until I was 40 so I am late to this game. I use to build commercial trade show exhibits for a living. By the way. Hanging bodies on stock cars is a lot simpler than this project or what I have seen a lot of guys on this forum doing on their own restorations just in case you think I have some big leg up on this stuff.
Quote from: djcarguy on December 01, 2013, 12:17:23 PM
Well/////////happy turkey weekend ta ya. but please step away from the bird an post more bout your daytona build,ha ha. any buyer for the old 68 floor ,frame remains??
hood frame looks great ,but long in open position. if ya mount the wing it may excite an inspire ya an us the masses following ya build,, i know wings get my mind an imagineation going.
well enjoying your vision an build,and skill with metal . hope the turkey didnot kick your butt or put ya to sleep for long,lol.. wing seat an some steering maybee an run up an down the drive for motivation an pixs??? thanks for sharing ya vision an progress,, enjoy..DJ ;D
Patience my friend.Patience. :pity:
Well you all are probably as sick of looking at pictures of my cowl as much as I am sick of working on this tedious area but here are a few more as I close in on the finish of this area. The first is of the last of the HVAC ducts installed over the gauge cluster area.
Major pain trying protect wiring and plastic parts and route everything. Just hope I get a little bit of air out of these when all is said and done.
Second picture is of the sub cowl finally sealed and painted.
The third picture is the cowl with the seams sealed with epoxy , bondoed and primed.
Finally I am moving on to the dash. The last picture is of the part of the dash that will be permanently attached to the car. There will be a removable padded section to transition from this assembly to the removable dash assembly.
This picture is of the finished cowl piece which I coated with spray on bed liner to give it a textured appearance.
Ahhh bed liner, how i love thee :cheers: looks great!
SEE I AM BEING PATIENT,,,,,i wait ed 2days an a few minutes sence last post to post again,hahahahahh.
ooooh come on please some steering an wing an seat,,defenitly A WING NOW OR SOON and do a prelimb test drive an burn out,,, oohhh that wood bbeeee soooo cooool ...most defenitly TIMe FOR A WING .. iam a good test driver dad let meee drive in the driveway,,most definitly time,,then we have to go to K_MART for underwear,,clean underwear.. definitly a good driver,lol...
hay its 4 am an slept few hrs then up too peee an now on here ,soorry maybee too much info,, grow up with bout 3/8 drive an was driving dads old cars on drive an out in the wood at 11 or12 an got my first 56 ford f-100 at 13teen ,, so reliving some past ,,long past times been 4o some yrs now and now it sounds old an sad-----
most of my cars are out in cold an rain so just sucking in info an ideas by reading an watching others great builds.. thanks,,latter DJ out west we bee froozzzen here got up to 38 monday for 17 minutes,hahaha :D :D
DJ you need to focus that energy and start carving a nose cone for the Dartona out of redwood or something over the winter that way it will be ready for install in the spring. :lol: Got a long way to go before I fire this car up again.The wing fitment is probably at least 6 months away so settle down. :lol:
Looking great Steve.... Just wish I was close enough to swing by and say hi in person and give you a hand (and learn something!!never too old for that!!) :2thumbs:
Thanks for the thumbs up David. As it gets colder inspiration is getting harder to come by.
Your cold!!! :lol: I laugh in your face Steve!!! :icon_smile_big: Seriously I wish I HAD THE COLD you guys have there I would probably be sweating!!!
To build the final piece of the upper dash I started out shaping a piece of steel to create a rim over the gauge cluster. I put some 1/16" double face tape on the bottom side to space it off to allow for the vinyl to be applied to this piece later.
The second picture shows the rim in place.
The third picture is of the paper pattern for the steel piece to fit into this area.
The last picture in this series shows the clips I formed and welded to the under front side of the panel. These will grab the piece of the forward permanent dash section providing for a blind fastened front edge. You will notice that I am simply using velcro to hold down the front of the dash pod section to the dash pod.
The first picture here shows the cover for the dash pod area installed.
After that I built the rest of the top dash that extends over to cover the climate control and passenger area. Two small offset flanges were welded to the bottom so that I could secure this section with screws from underneath the dash.
The third picture shows the upper dash removed from the car. I will bondo it so that irregularities in the surface won't telegraph through the vinyl.
The last picture shows a side view . You will notice that I cut a piece of 3/8 tube in halve and welded it to the front edge to create a bull nose or rounded front edge.
Lookin' good man! :cheers:
Quote from: Indygenerallee on December 09, 2013, 09:39:40 PM
Lookin' good man! :cheers:
:2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Ok thats just Awesome, Stop being so awesome! :drool5:
:iagree:
What he said.
Quote from: Indygenerallee on December 09, 2013, 09:39:40 PM
Lookin' good man! :cheers:
Quote from: moparstuart on December 09, 2013, 09:59:15 PM
Quote from: Indygenerallee on December 09, 2013, 09:39:40 PM
Lookin' good man! :cheers:
:2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on December 09, 2013, 10:09:10 PM
Ok thats just Awesome, Stop being so awesome! :drool5:
Quote from: tsmithae on December 09, 2013, 11:59:34 PM
:iagree:
What he said.
Appreciate the thumbs up guys. You know when it gets cold outside it's hard to stay motivated so thanks.
Thats the truth. The cold comes and the work goes, but you are doing a nice job so don't stop now.
Quote from: Stevearino on December 04, 2013, 05:15:56 PM
DJ you need to focus that energy and start carving a nose cone for the Dartona out of redwood or something over the winter that way it will be ready for install in the spring. :lol: Got a long way to go before I fire this car up again.The wing fitment is probably at least 6 months away so settle down. :lol:
REDWOOD ENDANGERED AN COSTLY--PLYWOOD CHEAPER NO SPLIT OUT LATTER,HOHO HO
WAITed 3 DAYS THIS TIME,SEENS LAST POST ,HO HO HO. WAS GOING TO MAKE MY NOSE An wing tail,,did make a wing?? Then bought a solid tona wing local an ordering a nose cone to modify or carve down for my dart..
Waiting to see how ta mount nose from ya?? mine may bee here end of Feb if i find a shipper for 69 inch long bird nose. going bird not big fan of daytona air screen in nose.plan lights under if ya can show us how to mount those?? ha hah. snow is melting an mee patsently following several builds? wing may inspirer the masses, :D :D DJ :D :D
HAY STEVE what does GLASS nose cone weigh?? or anyone with bare bird or tone GLASS nose?? working on shipping Duncan vancouver island to eugene OR--97402 or 01 greyhound bus was cheap,now hear 300 ta ship?
thanks steve if ya have info or not.BOUT NOSE.Back to steves great srt-8 custom super wing build.thanks carry on
HO HO HO HOE,OH THAT GREETING FOR XX WIFES----- :D :D HO HO HO........ :D :D :cheers:DJ :2thumbs: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn:WATCHING YA BUILD :D :D
Steve,
What's your target weight when complete? By what I'm seeing, she'll be a little on the heavy side!! :lol:
Quote from: djcarguy on December 13, 2013, 10:54:25 AM
HAY STEVE what does GLASS nose cone weigh?? or anyone with bare bird or tone GLASS nose?? working on shipping Duncan vancouver island to eugene OR--97402 or 01 greyhound bus was cheap,now hear 300 ta ship?
thanks steve if ya have info or not.BOUT NOSE.Back to steves great srt-8 custom super wing build.thanks carry on
HO HO HO HOE,OH THAT GREETING FOR XX WIFES----- :D :D HO HO HO........ :D :D :cheers:DJ :2thumbs: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn:WATCHING YA BUILD :D :D
I really don't have a good way to weigh the nose and in the case of shipping you would need a real number not just a rough estimate.
Quote from: Hemi Runner on December 13, 2013, 07:45:49 PM
Steve,
What's your target weight when complete? By what I'm seeing, she'll be a little on the heavy side!! :lol:
I am thinking it should be pretty close to the 5,000 lb curb weight of the 06. The LX platform is much heavier than the 68 and believe it or not the steel on the 06 was just as thick and heavy as on the 68.
They finally put the West Coast Custom episode of the 07 to 68 Charger conversion on You Tube. It was interesting to go back and take a look at what I could see about how they handled certain problems I encountered. Like all reality shows they feel the need to do a lot of quick cuts and fill the show with personel BS so it was hard to tell what was going on without stopping the video a whole bunch of times. They also ate up a bunch of the show with a Prius custom. Not cool. :brickwall: A couple of things I noticed is that they cut way into the floor in the rocker area so as to conceal the pinch weld further under the car. That was smart. Also they seemed to pitch the body up hill a bit to overcome the high dash situation. Still seems like the dash is too high in the car. It also looks like being a California car they didn't bother with wipers which is cool but they could have at least cut out the wiper bumps in the cowl. Doesn't look like they bothered with anything but a center defrost outlet on the dash. Any way here is the link for anyone who might be interested in checking it out.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACoaQjaBLdc
Decided to get back to mending the body and the chassis together. I started with making extensions to go from the frame to the 1/8" plate installed in the body to support the rear bumper. I made a plate to bolt to the existing bumper studs in the frame. I then pieced the 1 1/2" .120 wall tube to create a kick up style outrigger. Hopefully if anyone runs into the back of me :-\ these will give before the frame is damaged. Finally I welded the outriggers to the body at the bumper location.
Well this is all going to look a little odd until it is all painted one color but I installed the 06 fuel filler door in the side of the quarter panel. The upper contour of the door was beveled in so I had to do a little modification to get it to be the same as the quarter. I am no 100% happy with this and I might have to move it to a more appealing location.
as always your craftsmanship is the best i have seen,,i'm gonna have to see the gas cap door the same color before i can give it :2thumbs: ,, having nothing to do with how well the install was done.
the crumple zone bumper brackets was a great idea.
Quote from: cdr on December 15, 2013, 05:14:19 PM
as always your craftsmanship is the best i have seen,,i'm gonna have to see the gas cap door the same color before i can give it :2thumbs: ,, having nothing to do with how well the install was done.
Yeah. I am having second thoughts big time on that. I shouldn't have committed without mocking it up. That is just where it lays out relative to the existing fill tube to the tank in front of the rear axle. :-\ Oh well. It's just metal.
Here is the other cap I was talking to you on Facebook about.. it looks pretty flush fitting...
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3768/11392617506_3f35ff6138.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/68837841@N06/11392617506/)
flat black cap (http://www.flickr.com/photos/68837841@N06/11392617506/) by indygenerallee1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/68837841@N06/), on Flickr
David, I saw that cap and it is nice. There might be an issue of mounting the existing fuel filler neck in a vertical orientation. I is designed to mount horizontally with the vapor recovery tube above the fuel fill section. Might mounting it vertically cause some issues with the check engine light due to improper sealing of the fill tube? Also I had another thought since this car was supposed to be an omage to the Nascar version I could run an exposed cap further back on the quarter as on those cars.
Yes, That's what I am going to do is run the recessed round hole on the quarter panel that the Nascar version did. IDK just something about that square door right in the middle of the quarter panel...
you can extend the fill tube & it will not cause a problem.
This is what I want to run on mine
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fuel-Fill-Fitting-/230983908815?pt=Boat_Parts_Accessories_Gear&hash=item35c7b6bdcf&vxp=mtr
MERRY CHRISTMAS AN ALL THAT??? BUT who approved a xmas vacation with no post or pixs for six days almost so far???? ???? happy holidays an all that but some us are bored an living thru the neat wing builds here..
great stuff so far an looking to more an trying to pace my replys,ho ho ho. :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :D :D
Yep. The fuel filler is the first thing I've found on this build to dislike. Just can interupt the sides of these cars.
Well I looked at relocating the fuel filler behind it's present location but mounting it in the top of the quarter would cause the fuel line to have to dip way down and then up over the wheel housing to get to the tank. That would cause gas to be always laying in the bottom of the fuel line gully. Looking at the side of the quarter further back would mean I would have to loop the fuel line around in the trunk and it wouldn't look much better than it does right now so I decided to try to remodel the door to make it smaller and flow a little better with the side of the car. I took about 2 1/4 inched out of the over all height and sloped the top to better match the quarter panel. I went ahead and rough bondo'd it in and hit it with some flat black to see what it would look like. I am not nearly as unhappy with it as I was. Bottom line is I am committed to this location now and I am moving on.
well now,,,that looks MUCH better!!!! :2thumbs: excellent work, as always :yesnod:
Awesome fab work Steve! :2thumbs:
I love everything about it.....except the non-Charger fuel door. :icon_smile_cool:
Steve, that fuel door has to go! One of the coolest part of a 2nd Gen Charger is the flip top gas cap! If you cannot run the correct one, hide it.
I don't know if you have been following my miss adventurers with Miss Lumpy(68 Road Runner) guys here at the site bought me a new gas tank for Christmas. My old one has rust inside from sitting 8 years, tank it self is 10 years old and does not leak.
If you would like it to use for a mock up / test fit you are welcome to it. They use a long filler neck that goes under the rear plate. Basic shape is like a 2nd Gen Charger.
New one, so you have a idea about where the filler neck opening is.
URL=http://s83.photobucket.com/user/cudaken/media/Charger%20Site/12-131_zps54a489d2.jpg.html](http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j284/cudaken/Charger%20Site/12-131_zps54a489d2.jpg)
You have done so well so far, don't ruin the looks with that Ford Looking Gas Cap Door! Look just like the one on my old T/C.
Cuda Ken
Quote from: Homerr on December 22, 2013, 05:49:23 PM
Awesome fab work Steve! :2thumbs:
I love everything about it.....except the non-Charger fuel door. :icon_smile_cool:
What do you mean? It came off of a 2006 Charger? :coocoo:
Quote from: cudaken on December 22, 2013, 08:45:09 PM
Steve, that fuel door has to go! One of the coolest part of a 2nd Gen Charger is the flip top gas cap! If you cannot run the correct one, hide it.
I don't know if you have been following my miss adventurers with Miss Lumpy(68 Road Runner) guys here at the site bought me a new gas tank for Christmas. My old one has rust inside from sitting 8 years, tank it self is 10 years old and does not leak.
If you would like it to use for a mock up / test fit you are welcome to it. They use a long filler neck that goes under the rear plate. Basic shape is like a 2nd Gen Charger.
New one, so you have a idea about where the filler neck opening is.
URL=http://s83.photobucket.com/user/cudaken/media/Charger%20Site/12-131_zps54a489d2.jpg.html](http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j284/cudaken/Charger%20Site/12-131_zps54a489d2.jpg)
You have done so well so far, don't ruin the looks with that Ford Looking Gas Cap Door! Look just like the one on my old T/C.
Cuda Ken
I appreciate the offer Ken but there is no place to mount a tank like that in the LX platform. That area is taken up by the battery and some electronics.
I know there are more than a few who don't like it but there are probably more than a few who don't like the idea of mounting a gen 2 body on and LX to start with. I did not want the flip top cap from the start. If I mounted the filler in the top of the quarter I would still want it hidden by a door. Bottom line is I am not really that unhappy with it. Again I appreciate the offer.
Stevearino
It will look better when it's painted. :yesnod:
Quote from: Stevearino on December 22, 2013, 04:10:16 PM
Well I looked at relocating the fuel filler behind it's present location but mounting it in the top of the quarter would cause the fuel line to have to dip way down and then up over the wheel housing to get to the tank. That would cause gas to be always laying in the bottom of the fuel line gully. Looking at the side of the quarter further back would mean I would have to loop the fuel line around in the trunk and it wouldn't look much better than it does right now so I decided to try to remodel the door to make it smaller and flow a little better with the side of the car. I took about 2 1/4 inched out of the over all height and sloped the top to better match the quarter panel. I went ahead and rough bondo'd it in and hit it with some flat black to see what it would look like. I am not nearly as unhappy with it as I was. Bottom line is I am committed to this location now and I am moving on.
Looks MUCH better. :2thumbs:
I'd say go with it.
Or lose the door altogether and go with more of a 1969 GN style.
Quote from: Stevearino on December 14, 2013, 07:13:12 PM
They finally put the West Coast Custom episode of the 07 to 68 Charger conversion on You Tube. It was interesting to go back and take a look at what I could see about how they handled certain problems I encountered. Like all reality shows they feel the need to do a lot of quick cuts and fill the show with personel BS so it was hard to tell what was going on without stopping the video a whole bunch of times. They also ate up a bunch of the show with a Prius custom. Not cool. :brickwall: A couple of things I noticed is that they cut way into the floor in the rocker area so as to conceal the pinch weld further under the car. That was smart. Also they seemed to pitch the body up hill a bit to overcome the high dash situation. Still seems like the dash is too high in the car. It also looks like being a California car they didn't bother with wipers which is cool but they could have at least cut out the wiper bumps in the cowl. Doesn't look like they bothered with anything but a center defrost outlet on the dash. Any way here is the link for anyone who might be interested in checking it out.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACoaQjaBLdc
I've seen that show with that build , and been following along here with yours......
There is NO COMPARRISON your workmanship is far superior IMHO :yesnod: and this creation of yours will inspire others. :cheers: :cheers:
Please continue to update as many follow along eagerly. :coolgleamA: :2thumbs:
You can work on my car anytime :smilielol:
Fantastic job, can't wait too see it finished. Hope you built an extra room for all the hardware your gonna receive ;)
Thanks for the encouragement guys. Like I said this might not suit everyone's taste but I will be happy if I can get 85% of what I have in mind. I have already had to make several compromises based on practicality but I think this will be hopefully the last visual one .
Ghoste, Indygeneralee made that suggestion and I considered it for a minute but even moving the gas filler back to that location, which is just ahead of the wing caused some problems. It gets cramped in that area pretty quick and making the bends to run the fill tube forward was as much of a problem as mounting it into the quarter top.
With tuning software you should be able to disable that fault code/diagnostic.
If its not looking for a fault condition then it wont care.
Then you can simply do something else / modify your fuel tank breather.
Quote from: roger440 on December 23, 2013, 03:03:58 PM
With tuning software you should be able to disable that fault code/diagnostic.
If its not looking for a fault condition then it wont care.
Then you can simply do something else / modify your fuel tank breather.
The breather is fine. It is so small re routing it would be a cinch . It's the relationship of the forward mounted tank and the available space to get to it via existing routes. The old location on the top of the quarter is almost as low as the place the fuel filler line has to travel up and over the wheel housing. By the time you put the fuel neck in recessed the first opportunity to start back up and over is already too low and would hold fuel in the middle of the line. You would have to turn 90 degrees as soon as you got below the sheet metal and even then it might not be on a down hill slope to the forward inlet. The only way to do this would be to have the filler inside the trunk. I flat out don't like that. Where the old cars had a rubber mat in the trunk this car has a tight nape carpeted floor panel. I can't see dripping gas on something like that and having it be a pleasant experience.
whats your next area of attack ??
Quote from: Indygenerallee on December 15, 2013, 06:16:14 PM
Here is the other cap I was talking to you on Facebook about.. it looks pretty flush fitting...
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3768/11392617506_3f35ff6138.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/68837841@N06/11392617506/)
flat black cap (http://www.flickr.com/photos/68837841@N06/11392617506/) by indygenerallee1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/68837841@N06/), on Flickr
What if ya mount a cap like this to the fuel door to draw the focus away from the door opening?? how big is this cap? does not look very thick? just my :Twocents: :2thumbs:
That would be terrible to stick a non functioning fuel filler door on a car just for looks... :Twocents:
Quote from: Indygenerallee on December 23, 2013, 06:51:35 PM
That would be terrible to stick a non functioning fuel filler door on a car just for looks... :Twocents:
Yes... Yes it would.
Quote from: cdr on December 23, 2013, 06:19:39 PM
whats your next area of attack ??
Well I spent the last three days wishing I had installed that lift already. I am under the left rear wheel hole extending the existing wheel tub out to the 68 body. Tedious stuff. When it's done I will bore the hell out of you with some confusing pictures. Then I have to go and do the other side. :eek2: There is a lot of mend work in the trunk and around the rear window. Some support work up under the rear window too. Fun stuff in cramped spaces. Great hobby for an old guy.
Keep those pics coming Steve.. I like the boring pics!! :icon_smile_big:
Well I can stop pretending that the gas hole in the side of the car didn't bother me as much as it bothered everybody else. Never let it be said that peer pressure can't be a positive thing. I got to looking at it this morning and a gas line route dawned on me. Not ideal but better than a gas hole in the side of quarter panel. I decided to move it to the top of the quarter where it will be less offensive. To do this I will have to cut the filler neck as high as possible and run the fuel line through the inside of the trunk an back out the side of the wheel hole in front of the shock location. I had to cut out a mount for some electronic doohickey that was mounted right below the gas hole so I will have to relocate that and then come up with a removable shield to protect the gas filler line from anything that might get thrown into the trunk.
HAHAHAHA, i was the same way with my grille :lol:
so.. how long until you go back to the stock fuel door? :D just kidding XD
OH and to be honest that does actually look really good there :cheers:
:lol: I think that's for the best, won't break up the lines of the car, looks a lot better now! :icon_smile_big:
Well I hope everyone here had a wonderful Christmas. I had some other pics pertaining to the recently remounted gas filler but I figured I would wait till after Christmas to post.
In moving the gas fill to the top of the quarter I had to compromise the trunk space in order to re route the fill tube to the forward mounted tank. I did this by first drilling my destination hole through the side wall of the inner wheel tub. I then took a wooden dowel and torqued the hole over so that the hose would not have to bend to get through. The silicone hose I used does not like bending at all. Tends to flatten out. I cut the steel fill tube as far down as I could so the silicone hose would gently arc into it.
Finally here is a picture of the complete hook up to the fill inlet. I had to segment the a curve in the existing steel fill tube because like I said the silicone tube did not want to bend very well. I ran the vapor recovery line up and over and through a rubber grommet into the vent line coming out of the tank. Right now with cutting the fill up as high as I could and getting the hose through the wheel tub as low as I could to transition into the tank tube everything is about level. One more reason to put a lot of front to rear rake in this car.
There is a neat piece that finishes out the trunk that will now have to be modified to make room for all of this stuff in the trunk.
Good plan and execution :2thumbs:
Y'know, everytime I see my father in laws 2006 Porsche with the filler cap oddly mounted on the front fender side, I cant believe that for all the millions of development dollars spent that it still ended up there.
Great to see your car taking shape, thanks for the regular updates.
Quote from: Bob T on December 26, 2013, 06:22:03 PM
Good plan and execution :2thumbs:
Y'know, everytime I see my father in laws 2006 Porsche with the filler cap oddly mounted on the front fender side, I cant believe that for all the millions of development dollars spent that it still ended up there.
Great to see your car taking shape, thanks for the regular updates.
Thanks Bob. I definitely don't have the resources of Porshe but I do what I can.
looks very nice. :2thumbs:
Man, fuel system and wiper system are complete, should be on the road and day now if your plan is anything like mine, those are 2 of the last things on my list :coolgleamA:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on December 26, 2013, 07:54:49 PM
Man, fuel system and wiper system are complete, should be on the road and day now if your plan is anything like mine, those are 2 of the last things on my list :coolgleamA:
I currently have a ton of mechanical stuff to replace from the original collision the SRT was in so not so soon. Then I have to finish all of the closure work in and around the back of the car. Lot's to go.
Quote from: Stevearino on December 26, 2013, 08:05:49 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on December 26, 2013, 07:54:49 PM
Man, fuel system and wiper system are complete, should be on the road and day now if your plan is anything like mine, those are 2 of the last things on my list :coolgleamA:
I currently have a ton of mechanical stuff to replace from the original collision the SRT was in so not so soon. Then I have to finish all of the closure work in and around the back of the car. Lot's to go.
I know... but it's fun to dream :lol:
Getting there!
(http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/1-1968-dodge-charger-fuel-cap-gordon-dean.jpg)
When it came time to mend the inner wheel house to the body I decided to take a different route than would normally be done on a street car. I decided instead of steel tubs that I would crush panel it with .040 aluminum. This provides an easy custom closure.
First I installed a 1"x 1" flange on the spot weld flange of the inner wheel house. ( the pictures are looking rearward in the driver side rear wheel house)
Next I made up a steel pattern base with pre drilled rivet holes to provide a rigid base.
To this base I added my paper patterns out to the body to get the contour over the curve.
The last picture in this series shows the completed pattern out of the car ready to transfer to the aluminum.
Copying the pattern on to a piece of .040 pre painted satin aluminum I made the finish crush panel.
While the pattern was taken tight to the body I turned the outer lip down to help the panel gap slightly away from the body and provide an area for a silicone bead.
Next I installed the crush panel applying silicone behind all riveted areas to prevent the panels from loosening and finally applying a bead between the panel and the outer body to secure it and provide a cushion between the panel and the body.
I repeated the process for the forward section of the wheel housing.
The LX chassis has plastic inner wheel house covers that protect the fuel lines and other things mounted in the wheel house from road debris. I wanted to adapt and reuse these covers so after slightly modifying them to pop inside of the 68 body I had to create an attachment to the outer body. I first made up an inner rim to fit the wheel opening. I bent a piece of .040 90 degrees and shaped it to fit inside the wheel opening. After it was shaped I put a 1/4" step in it to receive a flat vertical flange. Temporarily installing the plastic inner cover I made a paper pattern for the vertical flange. The last picture is of the completed 2 piece flange.
With the vertical flange temporarily installed I bent some sheet metal 90 degrees and made a pattern that would help me make a flange for the outer rim of the plastic cover to bolt to. The second picture is of the completed flange with 1/4 20 aluminum threaded inserts in it to receive the bolts. The last two pictures are of the plastic wheel house cover installed. Instead of using the one way push in plastic clips I installed threaded aluminum inserts at the attachment points so that I could bolt this piece in.
Looks really good Steve, really like the fact you added the stock LX Charger inner fender back in there! Looks slick!!
Nice, i was gonna do something similar too :cheers:
Well I finished up the right side wheel hole and I decided to get up off of the floor for a little bit. There are a number things I needed to work out relative to the hood. The first was locating the gas pistons and seeing if the ones that came on the LX would work . Using some 2"x 2" square stock I made to stand offs from the inner engine compartment. The 70 hood is much narrower than the LX hood so I had to bring the piston pick up points in about 4". I plated the ends of the 2x2 with 3/16th steel and tapped it .This allowed me to screw the pick up balls right in to the ends. The inner walls of the engine compartment were not very strong and wanted to give a little when I loaded the gas pistons while closing the hood so I mad some aluminum brackets to triangulate the stand offs. This did the trick pretty well. On the right side there were a few things I had to clearance to get the piston to lay down. In the picture with the hood frame down you can see how the piston lays in. The upper piston pick up point was cut off the hinge flange and tacked into place on the hood frame. Right now without the weight of the skin the frame wants to pop up so I think they will work well.
I was happy to be able to modify and re use the shock tower stiffening bar. I just had to cut the bottom of it down so that it would sit down deeper in the engine bay. I plated the ends with 3/16" steel and put some weld nuts on the top side so that I could bolt it from the bottom up. Once the fender is on this area won't be accessible to bolt from the top down as was stock.
The radiator overflow tank and the power steering reservoir presented some problems in their stock location. The radiator cap was going to hit the hood so I had to cut away the mounting brackets and fabricate new ones that would let me slide it down and inboard a bit. The fill cap on the power steering reservoir was going to be halfway under the left front fender so I moved it inboard a bit to clear.
The last picture shows how everything there relates to the edge of the hood frame.
Ultra lightweight hood is it? :lol: a little impractical, but it would be cool to have a plexiglass charger hood to display the engine bay... Mmmm straight out of a hotwheels collection :coolgleamA:
clever fabrication stuff going on , nice work :yesnod: :popcrn:
I really like the finish of the wheel wells! :2thumbs:
:popcrn: :popcrn:
Glad you moved the gas cap door. Makes for a much cleaner car.
Cuda Ken
Quote from: cudaken on January 06, 2014, 07:57:38 AM
:popcrn: :popcrn:
Glad you moved the gas cap door. Makes for a much cleaner car.
Cuda Ken
When you spend a lot of time to do something it is hard to undo it even if you know in your heart it is not quite right. I painted one of my cars back in the early 80's and I thought that I had picked out a bright orange/red but when I was finished spraying it I thought " That's straight up orange" I must have taken 500 laps around that car trying to talk my way into it being more red than orange. Finally I went and got my then 4 year old son and brought him out to the shop and asked him " What color is that?" without hesitation he said "ORANGE". I repainted the car.
Well I was wondering what new Challenger head lights would look like in a regular Charger.http://www.powerful-cars.com/php/dodge/1969-charger-gts-r-pro-touring.php
Nope.
Good thing about these pictures is that they show me what the rear view mirrors I bought will look like on my car. Not bad.
Mirrors look nice, but the rest of it? :eek2: :puke:
:cheers: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :coolgleamA: ;D ;D
You can't clone something they never made. :Twocents:
I would say it's one of none. :cheers:
Quote from: ACUDANUT on January 11, 2014, 09:44:07 AM
You can't clone something they never made. :Twocents:
I would say it's one of none. :cheers:
I guess you are right about that. It is not totally unauthentic to call it a clone because I am modifying a real 68 Charger and have it titled as such. :shruggy: :shruggy:
Well I won't be working on this much for the next month or so. We are working a ton of overtime at the shop and I have some family matters to deal with back in New Jersey.
Steve,
I think you are already years ahead of where most of us would be at!
Your fabrication skills and assembly work are amazing! WOW!
MJ
Thanks for the compliment MJ.
All I can say and think is holy crap, sorry baldwinvette stole your line , but geez fabrication skills thought process just amazing , Steve great build just went back through the hole thread two cups of coffee, hours have gone by , keep posting , great fab skills your patience is amazing, attention to detail fantastic,
Keep posting with updates, :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Quote from: fy469rtse on January 17, 2014, 07:29:11 PM
All I can say and think is holy crap, sorry baldwinvette stole your line , but geez fabrication skills thought process just amazing , Steve great build just went back through the hole thread two cups of coffee, hours have gone by , keep posting , great fab skills your patience is amazing, attention to detail fantastic,
Keep posting with updates, :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Thanks man. It's going to be a while. Between work this time of year and some intense family matters my little diversion will be sitting for a while.
Nice job :2thumbs:
Quote from: The70RT on January 25, 2014, 02:36:40 PM
Nice job :2thumbs:
Thanks 70RT. Well I slowly started back to work on the car this weekend with a bit of a heavy heart. I had gone back to New Jersey to see my dad who had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just a couple of weeks into the new year. I got there and he passed in less than 24 hrs of my arrival. Everyone said he was waiting for me. God I hope not. He was a great guy and I watched him build a lot of stuff when I was a kid and broke most of his tools trying to learn how to build stuff myself. I am going to miss him.
I decided to start off slowly removing and replacing the crash damaged items in the front of the car. They included the upper radiator support, lower radiator support ,the AC condenser, the radiator, radiator hoses,fan assembly,power steering reservoir, power steering pump, serpentine belt, transmission coolant lines, window washer fluid container and pump, right front steering knuckle, r s swaybar bushing and heat shield and some misc small stuff. When they say minor repairable crash damage it is a matter of subjective opinion what the word minor means. Nothing was bent on the frame so I guess that is where the term minor applies.
While I have everything apart on the front suspension I am changing out the springs to some lowering springs that will drop the front 1.75" Hopefully that will give me a better stance front to rear. I got some adjustable upper "A" arms from Jeggs so that I can bring the camber back in line when I am done. I made a small jig to copy the stock "A" arms for caster and a start point on the camber. Hopefully I will get it into the neighborhood of where it needs to go.
again so sorry for your loss :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel:
Thanks Stu.
prayers sent your way.
Sorry for the loss of your Dad.
Very sorry for the loss.
From the work you do.....he taught you well. :yesnod: Suspect you made him very proud. Even if you did break a tool or two.
Quote from: cdr on February 09, 2014, 07:39:19 PM
prayers sent your way.
Quote from: Charger-Bodie on February 09, 2014, 08:19:57 PM
Sorry for the loss of your Dad.
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on February 09, 2014, 09:04:49 PM
Very sorry for the loss.
From the work you do.....he taught you well. :yesnod: Suspect you made him very proud. Even if you did break a tool or two.
Thanks guys. He was a good guy. And I am grateful for everything he did for me.
Sorry to hear that you lost your Dad, I lost mine almost 15 years ago and it's tough at any age
:engel016:
More great progress on the Charger though, I always look forward to your updates and am in awe of your skills
Scott
Also sorry to hear that, :rotz: I've never lost a close family member or friend yet, so i can't really relate, but i can imagine. :rotz:
Sorry 'bout your Pops.
If mine waited for me to show up to pass, that means we were close.
I can only wish to have that sort of relationship with mine. It's sad as I can't answer the phone if he calls towards the evening cause I know he's already 3 sheets into the wind.
Again Steve, Sorry about the loss of your father.. I thought about my Father a little more after you told me that day and I was thinking about how little time we really have to spend with our parents... We grow up and can't wait to get away from them as teens, then the next thing we know we are wishing we had all that time back... :'(
Thank you again for all of the sincere prayers and thoughts. I was lucky to have my dad for so long. He was 87 and still got around pretty good without assistance.
472 R/T SE. I have seen your situation many times through out my life and that sometimes is more heartbreaking than loosing a person altogether.
just been catching up on your thread !! awww noo sorry to hear about your dad !! .....
Sorry about your loss... I'm gonna call my Dad today.
As for your suspension, he's what I got for my 2010 Charger R/T : http://www.thesuspensionsource.com/street-edge-coilover-kit-05-10-dodge-charger-2wd/
Cheapest coilover setup, gives you ajustability to fine-tune your stance and reasonable comfort.
There are more complete/expensive setups (BC Racing is very good) but StreetEdge is recognized as the best bang for the buck on LX Forums...
Keep up the good work!
Ben
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on February 10, 2014, 10:37:34 AM
Sorry about your loss... I'm gonna call my Dad today.
As for your suspension, he's what I got for my 2010 Charger R/T : http://www.thesuspensionsource.com/street-edge-coilover-kit-05-10-dodge-charger-2wd/
Cheapest coilover setup, gives you ajustability to fine-tune your stance and reasonable comfort.
There are more complete/expensive setups (BC Racing is very good) but StreetEdge is recognized as the best bang for the buck on LX Forums...
Keep up the good work!
Ben
Wow. What a great price. I wish I had this info about a month ago before I bought the springs. I had been looking to buy coil overs but I could not justify spending $1,200.00 since I was only going to lower the front and all the kits I looked at were a package deal for all four corners of the car. For now I will keep the lowering springs and see how they work out but it is great to have this info if I need to go back and change things up . Thanks again for the link.
Quote from: tan top on February 10, 2014, 06:28:28 AM
just been catching up on your thread !! awww noo sorry to hear about your dad !! .....
Me too, Prayers for your family and all of his family and friends.
His legacy certainly lives on in you. Great work on that car!
Quote from: Stevearino on February 10, 2014, 04:51:57 PM
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on February 10, 2014, 10:37:34 AM
Sorry about your loss... I'm gonna call my Dad today.
As for your suspension, he's what I got for my 2010 Charger R/T : http://www.thesuspensionsource.com/street-edge-coilover-kit-05-10-dodge-charger-2wd/
Cheapest coilover setup, gives you ajustability to fine-tune your stance and reasonable comfort.
There are more complete/expensive setups (BC Racing is very good) but StreetEdge is recognized as the best bang for the buck on LX Forums...
Keep up the good work!
Ben
Wow. What a great price. I wish I had this info about a month ago before I bought the springs. I had been looking to buy coil overs but I could not justify spending $1,200.00 since I was only going to lower the front and all the kits I looked at were a package deal for all four corners of the car. For now I will keep the lowering springs and see how they work out but it is great to have this info if I need to go back and change things up . Thanks again for the link.
lxforums.com is a great place for infos on late-models, great bunch of people! You can PM me if you need more info on late-models, I dab in both also, just not on the same car, like you!
Ben
I promised myself I would not get distracted by anything that did not have to do with getting the car back on the ground and able to move under it's own power because at that point I can get the NC state inspector back out to start the operational title process going which could take 6 months. However I had a major "DUH" moment the other day. One of the things that has really upset me about this build that I had resigned myself to accept was the appearance of the rocker area. Since the car was down as far on the chassis as I could get it this initially left me with a 3" pinch weld that I was desperate to reduce. It really screwed up the side profile of the car. I managed to reduce it to 2 inches by cutting it flush on the bottom of the LX inner frame rail. I figured I would have to use some paint tricks to hide what was still too big looking for me. Much as I hate re doing something that I have already spent a lot of time on I never the less took a cutting wheel and cut the remainder of the pinch weld off and then removed the bottom of the LX inside frame rail. I added back some.060 steel to re mend the bottom of the rocker to the inner frame rail wall. This only pushed the pinch weld in 2 more inches inboard but the result was pretty dramatic. I have only done the front half of the left side rocker but I am pretty excited with the results so far. It is kind of hard to see in the picture so I drew a diagram of what I ended up doing.
lookin great :2thumbs:
Nice execution!! :2thumbs:
I approve. Very nicely done.
Brilliant! :2thumbs:
Yep, that's zackly how I would have done it.
Amazing craftsmanship sir! :thumbs:
nice work :2thumbs: :popcrn:
That looks great. But will it be a structural concern? Reducing the height of the rocker boxes doesn't sound like the best thing to do, engineering wise. Seems like it might hurt the stiffness of the chassis noticeably.
Looks good :cheers: , you've come as far, keep it up, I can't wait to see the running driving & then the finished product & smokey Burn-out video to come soon :2thumbs: I would think if it's all welded back together properly it should be plenty strong, good luck
Thanks for the continued thumbs up guys. I keeps me moving forward.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on February 13, 2014, 03:22:46 PM
That looks great. But will it be a structural concern? Reducing the height of the rocker boxes doesn't sound like the best thing to do, engineering wise. Seems like it might hurt the stiffness of the chassis noticeably.
It is something I worried about early on but a friend of mine who has a lot more experience in these things pointed out that the outer frame rails on the LX play a more minor roll in the structure of the car that would be first assumed . It turns out that the very tall and very wide steel box that is the trans tunnel on this car is where most of the strength is. He assured me that if I was careful to mend the outer rails back together sufficiently that there would be no net effect. We will see.
Not saying it was correct but I took a very close look at what was done on the 68 done by West Coast customs and they ended up removing the entire LX frame rails and even cutting into the outer floor boards to mend their 68 rockers to the car. I also looked at a 69 Road Runner done by West Coast Restorations out of Florida and it appears the did something similar to what I have done here. I just couldn't figure out from their available pictures of the build just how until now.
Yeah, I had forgotten how much of a backbone-type design the LX has with that big trans tunnel.
If there is some loss from cutting the rockers then I imagine it wouldn't be a really structural safety issue so much as just a loss of rigidity. The old 2nd-gen's rocker boxes aren't small and the area will still have a far amount of steel in total. If there is any bothersome loss then you could also raise the height of the bottom door sills a couple inches to make up for it.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on February 14, 2014, 02:56:12 AM
Yeah, I had forgotten how much of a backbone-type design the LX has with that big trans tunnel.
If there is some loss from cutting the rockers then I imagine it wouldn't be a really structural safety issue so much as just a loss of rigidity. The old 2nd-gen's rocker boxes aren't small and the area will still have a far amount of steel in total. If there is any bothersome loss then you could also raise the height of the bottom door sills a couple inches to make up for it.
I have already added a vertical piece of .060 between the inner frame upper pinch weld flange and the 68 upper pinch weld flange that ties in to the the bottom of the rocker so I am hoping that suffices as a substitute for any other losses. I know this is stupid but I am more concerned that it look like a Gen 2 and get rid of the fat look of the LX than anything else. I don't want it to look like the orange 68-70 version of the mash up .No offense to the builders but it reminds me of a Ball Park frank. They plump when you cook them.
Nice rockers :coolgleamA:
Quote from: Stevearino on February 14, 2014, 06:18:21 AM
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on February 14, 2014, 02:56:12 AM
Yeah, I had forgotten how much of a backbone-type design the LX has with that big trans tunnel.
If there is some loss from cutting the rockers then I imagine it wouldn't be a really structural safety issue so much as just a loss of rigidity. The old 2nd-gen's rocker boxes aren't small and the area will still have a far amount of steel in total. If there is any bothersome loss then you could also raise the height of the bottom door sills a couple inches to make up for it.
I have already added a vertical piece of .060 between the inner frame upper pinch weld flange and the 68 upper pinch weld flange that ties in to the the bottom of the rocker so I am hoping that suffices as a substitute for any other losses. I know this is stupid but I am more concerned that it look like a Gen 2 and get rid of the fat look of the LX than anything else. I don't want it to look like the orange 68-70 version of the mash up .No offense to the builders but it reminds me of a Ball Park frank. They plump when you cook them.
:smilielol: i agree !!,,,,,,,,,,,They plump when you cook them. :smilielol:
QuoteI know this is stupid but I am more concerned that it look like a Gen 2 and get rid of the fat look of the LX than anything else. I don't want it to look like the orange 68-70 version of the mash up .No offense to the builders but it reminds me of a Ball Park frank. They plump when you cook them.
Not stupid at all.
In fact I would be much more drawn to doing this kind of conversion myself if it could be made to look enough like the old car. But as we've discussed earlier, the old car is just a smaller item all around.
Well I am super happy about the way the left side rocker came out. You can see the dramatic difference from the picture of the right side which still has to be re worked. Also I got the front springs changed out and all of the broken or missing suspension components put back. Inching along. Just inching along.
Wow, that's even more drastic of a change than I expected, and most definitely for the better! :2thumbs:
Looking great mate keep up the pics
Well I did not feel like laying on the floor and cutting the other rocker yet so I decided to put the last of the mechanical stuff together. I got the AC condenser this week and that was the final piece to close up the system. All I lack now is the fluids. I have to deal with the rocker before I drop it back down though.
One of the final things to deal with on the hood frame before I mate it with the skin was to re engineer the 06 latch mechanism to work with this hood. I had to boost it out 5" away from it's normal mount position on the radiator core support. Once the spacer was made and installed the latch mechanism was positioned with the catch engaged.
From there I welded in some 5/8" .049 square stock front to back on either side of the mechanism. I then bent some offset tabs out of .125 material to bolt to the catch. I then welded the tabs to the 5/8" stock. Since the latch is 5" forward of the normal mount point I had to run some 3/8"tube to bolt from the latch to the frame rail to solidify the whole mess. I am pretty happy with the way the whole thing works.
Wow Steve! I really enjoy watching this thread! (Very sorry to read of the loss of your Dad!) I'm sure you made him proud with the talents you carry on from his teaching! Very clever workmanship you do! It's like a treat every time you post new progress. :popcrn:
As always, keep up the good Fab work and the pictures!
:2thumbs: :cheers: :2thumbs: :cheers: :2thumbs: :cheers:
Quote from: 71_Charger_R/T on February 23, 2014, 07:45:04 PM
Wow Steve! I really enjoy watching this thread! (Very sorry to read of the loss of your Dad!) I'm sure you made him proud with the talents you carry on from his teaching! Very clever workmanship you do! It's like a treat every time you post new progress. :popcrn:
Quote from: 70Sbird on February 23, 2014, 07:48:46 PM
As always, keep up the good Fab work and the pictures!
:2thumbs: :cheers: :2thumbs: :cheers: :2thumbs: :cheers:
As always I appreciate the thumbs up. It keeps me moving forward. Slowly but forward.
This was a really good swap done by West Coast Restorations out of Florida. They have pictures of the build on their facebook page. It will be interesting to see if the owner gets anywhere near this asking price.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plymouth-Road-Runner-SRT-8-Award-Winning-Road-Runner-SRT-8-Pro-Touring-6-1L-HEMI-/171250481800?forcerrptr=true&hash=item27df52fa88&item=171250481800&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
While I am finishing up remodeling the right side rocker I decided to work on finishing out the trunk floor area. Since I don't have the regular floor structure to count on I had to beef up the area on the right and left side of the floor where the wing will transfer the load to the chassis. I first welded a piece of 1 1/2" .049 wall square tube across the back below the floor area to tie the bumper outriggers together. I then ran more 1 1/2" tube front to rear in order to tie into the 06 trunk floor extensions. I welded a small 1/2" stand off from the bolt up on the rear frame to help triangulate the support to the side pieces. It stiffened up the area quite nicely.
Once the substructure was in place I started the process of fabricating the floor panel extensions. I decided to use pre painted .040 aluminum for the close out panels. The pictures show the center panel cleco'd into place.
Nice work!
Quote from: Stevearino on February 24, 2014, 09:09:01 PM
This was a really good swap done by West Coast Restorations out of Florida. They have pictures of the build on their facebook page. It will be interesting to see if the owner gets anywhere near this asking price.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plymouth-Road-Runner-SRT-8-Award-Winning-Road-Runner-SRT-8-Pro-Touring-6-1L-HEMI-/171250481800?forcerrptr=true&hash=item27df52fa88&item=171250481800&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
Well i love the red runner srt-8 i think the price is way more than it will bring.. :Twocents: :Twocents:
Think a 68 or 70 road runner may have been better ideal as 69 was the high production # yr of about 90,000 RR's in 69 twice as many as 68. a 70 with wing an nose may sell for 75k plus to afew buyers out there. :Twocents:
Great to see you back working on ya SRT-8 Daytona an posting,Steve. i got ee my nose is done working out shipping. like your trunk mods an rockers.great stuff. :drool5: :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: DJ ;D :D
Quote from: DonC1 on March 04, 2014, 01:29:15 AM
Nice work!
Thanks Don. Having seen your work that is more than a compliment. Amazing work building those Batmobiles.
Quote from: djcarguy on March 04, 2014, 04:02:06 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on February 24, 2014, 09:09:01 PM
This was a really good swap done by West Coast Restorations out of Florida. They have pictures of the build on their facebook page. It will be interesting to see if the owner gets anywhere near this asking price.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plymouth-Road-Runner-SRT-8-Award-Winning-Road-Runner-SRT-8-Pro-Touring-6-1L-HEMI-/171250481800?forcerrptr=true&hash=item27df52fa88&item=171250481800&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
Well i love the red runner srt-8 i think the price is way more than it will bring.. :Twocents: :Twocents:
Think a 68 or 70 road runner may have been better ideal as 69 was the high production # yr of about 90,000 RR's in 69 twice as many as 68. a 70 with wing an nose may sell for 75k plus to afew buyers out there. :Twocents:
Great to see you back working on ya SRT-8 Daytona an posting,Steve. i got ee my nose is done working out shipping. like your trunk mods an rockers.great stuff. :drool5: :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: DJ ;D :D
They did a first class job on that Road Runner and I doubt they are asking for half of what they have in it but I will still be surprised if they get the asking price. We'll see.
Looks good enough to eat... no really it does :drool5:
Steve, I just spent the past hour or so at our daughters competition reading this build, and I have no idea how I've missed this thread over the last while but WOW! this is phenomenal. I wanna come see this thing if youve ever got some free time! I've got so many new Ideas for my build. You are truly a master of your work and that thing is going to be an amazing car!
Quote from: tnthull on March 09, 2014, 12:30:30 PM
Steve, I just spent the past hour or so at our daughters competition reading this build, and I have no idea how I've missed this thread over the last while but WOW! this is phenomenal. I wanna come see this thing if youve ever got some free time! I've got so many new Ideas for my build. You are truly a master of your work and that thing is going to be an amazing car!
Thanks for the compliments. They are appreciated. Many hurdles (self imposed) yet to clear on this thing.
I don't know where you are located but you are welcome to stop by anytime. I live in the Charlotte N.C. area. PM me if you are coming this way.
Looks fantastic as usual Steve!! ;)
More tedious but necessary stuff. Here are some pictures of the remaining trunk close out panels being installed. All the panels being .040 pre painted aluminum were siliconed and riveted down. Rivets alone over time will loosen because of vibration and while they won't come out the will buzz and rattle.
Finally finished up the right side rocker remodel job. The pictures show the more involved rear portion of the rocker where there was a few complicated webs to cut through before I could cap it off and weld it up.
Time to do a quick mock up again to see where I am at now that the rockers have been modified and the front suspension has been lowered 1.75". I mocked up all of the sheet metal in the stock locations this time and will compensate the front wheel opening by moving the opening forward 2". I am not unhappy with the way it now sits. A much better stance that I did not think would be possible.
Steve, are you going to make a steel wing with the steel nose?? also what type of wheels are you planning on running? Looks funny with the big bling on a Daytona!! :lol:
steve it really looks much better & as always your work is great.
Looking more then great! :yesnod:
Interesting......this is one of the very few "big" rim/tire that seems to work for me.
Subliminal thoughts from what the chassis is? I donno....just seems to fit........
Quote from: Indygenerallee on March 09, 2014, 07:40:53 PM
Steve, are you going to make a steel wing with the steel nose?? also what type of wheels are you planning on running? Looks funny with the big bling on a Daytona!! :lol:
I have some 20 inch rims picked out that are 5 spoke . You know how all new wheels have the appearance of being dished out like a hub cap. These have a neat design that kind of makes it look like they are dished in old style. I hope they look as good on the car as they do in pictures. I am going back and forth on the nose. Dane makes a good case for the fiberglass nose in that is more durable but I just like the idea of making my own nose. We will have to see which way the wind blows when I get to it.
Quote from: cdr on March 09, 2014, 07:42:36 PM
steve it really looks much better & as always your work is great.
Thanks Charles .I'll take all the puffing up you want to deal out.
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on March 09, 2014, 07:57:41 PM
Looking more then great! :yesnod:
Interesting......this is one of the very few "big" rim/tire that seems to work for me.
Subliminal thoughts from what the chassis is? I donno....just seems to fit........
I wanted large tires on the car to fill the wheel holes like the race version back in 1970. I just hope when I reduce the wheels to 20 inches they still look big enough.
For me.....it's not the 20" rim, it's the thin "rubberband" low ratio sidewalls that look bad.
Any idea the biggest diameter tire you can get on 20s? The most sidewall you can get will definitely improve on the "as raced" look.
Like it. Really coming together. :2thumbs:
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on March 09, 2014, 09:19:45 PM
For me.....it's not the 20" rim, it's the thin "rubberband" low ratio sidewalls that look bad.
Any idea the biggest diameter tire you can get on 20s? The most sidewall you can get will definitely improve on the "as raced" look.
Like it. Really coming together. :2thumbs:
The goal is to get the same diameter tire as I have on these rims on a 20" rim. Because of the Brembo brakes 20" is as small as I can go and these tires are as large as will fit the rear wheel openings.
Steve, your rocker mods are going to make so much of an improvement in appearance. Glad you took the time to figure it out and do it.
Quote from: Aero426 on March 11, 2014, 12:13:47 PM
Steve, your rocker mods are going to make so much of an improvement in appearance. Glad you took the time to figure it out and do it.
You have no idea how happy I am that it finally dawned on me on how to do this. I was extremely upset with the way it was starting to look. :slap:
THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!!! :woohoo:
I agree!
All that metal work tho...it deserves a steel nose. :2thumbs:
QuoteI wanted large tires on the car to fill the wheel holes like the race version back in 1970. I just hope when I reduce the wheels to 20 inches they still look big enough.
:popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :cheers:
Simply amazing. :o Gawd...to have a mere fraction of that talent...
I love this build. :2thumbs:
It's ALIVE!!!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100492440437375&set=p.10100492440437375&type=2&theater
Would have had more footage but my wife's phone had too many kitty pictures. Maybe if it doesn't rain tomorrow.
Very cool.
Mind sharing the kitty pictures? :3
:o :woohoo: :buff: :drive: :lolexplode: :notworthy: :2guns: :2guns:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on March 15, 2014, 08:00:19 PM
Mind sharing the kitty pictures? :3
I am not up to resizing over 1,000 pictures.
Quote from: Stevearino on March 15, 2014, 09:29:57 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on March 15, 2014, 08:00:19 PM
Mind sharing the kitty pictures? :3
I am not up to resizing over 1,000 pictures.
shame... :rotz:
But atleast the cars moves, must be awesome driving a lx charger that looks like a 69 :coolgleamA:
Glad to see it moves. :2thumbs: What's the wife think of the project? :popcrn:
Quote from: JB400 on March 15, 2014, 11:16:05 PM
Glad to see it moves. :2thumbs: What's the wife think of the project? :popcrn:
I am pretty much a hermit so I think she likes the idea that when it's done we might just be leaving the house together more often in it. She's got a little bit of waiting to do :lol: She is not really into cars but she supports my idiotic ideas regardless.
Quote from: Stevearino on March 16, 2014, 07:59:09 AM
she supports my idiotic ideas regardless.
That's the definition of a keeper. :yesnod:
Good to see it move. :2thumbs:
Even unfinished, quality work shows. Any idea where you will go with rim design? Modern 20s and offsets seem to eliminate the deep dish of the as raced versions, curious as to your thinking. Overall diameter and width look really good as it is.........
The choice of wheels is overwhelming. But in all the wheels I looked at nothing struck me until a guy at work said try Discount Tire. So I went to their web site and the have a couple of dozen choices and I think I have found exactly what will work for me. The problem with the car is that the hubs are really wide because new wheels mount with a prominent face. getting something that looks old school without widening the body is near impossible. These wheels do a little visual trick that seems to work. Instead of the center sticking out like a dome the spokes cut inward. At the very end of the spokes they cut back to allow for a dished effect. Also seems like most wheels are more than 5 spokes which is definitely not old school. I ordered these with 20 x 9's on Friday. Can't wait to see them.
Interesting choice.
[eagerly waiting for pics of tire/rims mounted]
Steve, I don't know about those wheels.... I would have personally went with something like this wheel.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-inch-gunmetal-BG-Rod-Works-Old-School-wheels-Dodge-Challenger-Charger-5x115-/291012965232?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Wheels&hash=item43c1b97370&vxp=mtr
Quote from: Indygenerallee on March 17, 2014, 11:11:04 AM
Steve, I don't know about those wheels.... I would have personally went with something like this wheel.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-inch-gunmetal-BG-Rod-Works-Old-School-wheels-Dodge-Challenger-Charger-5x115-/291012965232?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Wheels&hash=item43c1b97370&vxp=mtr
I like them because they kind of remind me of Keystones which were my favorites back in the day.
HERE is your wheel in chrome, i can see what you are talking about how it gives it a dished look.
(http://www.liquidmetalwheel.com/images/categories/Dyno_6_Lug_Chrome-T.png)
Charles, Mine are going to be machine faced aluminum with the black surround.
Stevearino - question about the rocker panels on the '68 car: Did you ever take a measurement of the width between the lower pinch weld flanges? At the bottom/underside of the stock rockers/quarters?
I'm curious what numbers you got there. I'm about to redo the rockers on a '69 Charger and currently doing some measuring. I keep getting some fraction over 57" inches between the lower flanges, not any nice round numbers like the 62" spacing between the upper flanges.
Even by measuring the point where the lower rocker flanges weld to the tranny crossmember, I'm still not getting anything that seems natural. You'd expect that spot to be forced to match the correct original dimension regardless of how far off the rocker pieces might be elsewhere.
I just checked on this myself. I came up with 57" to 57 1/16
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on March 19, 2014, 10:03:26 PM
Stevearino - question about the rocker panels on the '68 car: Did you ever take a measurement of the width between the lower pinch weld flanges? At the bottom/underside of the stock rockers/quarters?
I'm curious what numbers you got there. I'm about to redo the rockers on a '69 Charger and currently doing some measuring. I keep getting some57 fraction over 57" inches between the lower flanges, not any nice round numbers like the 62" spacing between the upper flanges.
Even by measuring the point where the lower rocker flanges weld to the tranny crossmember, I'm still not getting anything that seems natural. You'd expect that spot to be forced to match the correct original dimension regardless of how far off the rocker pieces might be elsewhere.
I got 57" as an average. I think that is the intended number but because of the nature of sheet metal stamping variations you are going to get some fudge factor.
Yeah I think you guys are right, probably intended to be 57".
I wonder what the dimension of a nice original tranny crossmember is right there.
Correction: it's 56.5". I measured it more accurately. Taken from a 1969 car, built in October '68 at the Hamtramck assembly plant.
Well since last week I have been spinning my wheels a little and not in a good way. It took me about 5 hours last Saturday to track down why the shifter was locking me out. At first I assumed it was something electrical not releasing the shifter like perhaps the car wanted the doors on an closed or something like that. So I hooked up all of the door harnesses and latches and nothing. The shifter unit is a plastic affair which has a cable that runs to the transmission and a cable that runs to the ignition switch. I decided to try to open the assembly up to at least try to understand it. Inside I found two lock out cams. One (pink) was attached to the cable leading to the ignition switch. This prevents the shifter from being moved to the right to the gear select alley when the key is in the off position. A mechanical neutral safety switch. When the key is on the cable goes slack and the cam is suppose to move out of the way and allow the shifter into the alley. The green cam was actuated by a solenoid and allows the shifter down the alley to the various shift positions. Assuming there was something wrong with the solenoid I isolated it an powered it up and it was fine.
I was stumped until I realized that there was nothing to draw the pink cam back when the cable went slack. It is hard to know when something is missing if you have never seen it before. It turns out there was a tang broken off of it that corresponds to one across from it on the housing. I got a return spring and riveted it to the cam and that seemed to be the trick.
All of this was in pursuit of getting the car running under it's own power so that I could finish getting my North Carolina title. The inspector who had been here a year ago told me that the car did not need to be done. Just get it running under it's own power then give a call for another inspection. I got the car running. I called. He had been reassigned. I got a new guy out. He looked it over and said he would go back and do some paperwork and I would have my title in a couple of weeks.......About 20 minutes later he calls and his boss said "That's the old rule. Now the car must be road worthy. Doors,glass, headlights, blinkers ,ect." Massive waste of time.
So the previous Friday I had ordered my wheels and tires .Tuesday I get a call my wheels are in but the guy said they were a little damaged in shipping. Did I want to come in and look at them and they might sell me them at a discount..... Well two of them looked like they had been dropped from a roof on to concrete. The front rims had a 3 inch flat spot. Bottom line I can't believe they would even try to sell me those at any price and they are ordering me another set.
How was your week. :eek2:
To get my mind back in the game I decided to re build my quarter window rollers and regulator and figure out how it works. I had hoped to modify the existing power window module from the 06 to operate these windows but after seeing the tricks that this set up is designed to do I am going to have to rethink it a bit. The mechanism is really clever in that when it rolls down it has to first retract the glass backwards and then when it pulls it down it rotates the front down faster than the rear in order to accommodate the wheel tub. To all of you veterans of restorations out there I know I am no revealing anything new but I just thought it was pretty spiffy the way it works. Unfortunately for my situation the 06 mechanism is a simple up/down unit that runs on a cabling system. I am not sure the motor is heavy duty enough to engage this old mechanism. :scratchchin: :scratchchin:
here ya go
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151389160708302
Sad to hear about the title and the wheels :pity: Better luck next week? :shruggy:
However, I do thank you for posting completed pix of the window regulators. Mine are in pieces :P
Thanks for the link CDR. Problem solved :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
:popcrn:
Steve, I have a old mixer you can have! Got to love Red Green! :smilielol:
Cuda Ken
:popcrn:
Awesome job... Wow that's a lot of work, but worth it after completion. I thought my road race car was a lot of work...
Quote from: cudaken on March 24, 2014, 08:47:14 AM
Steve, I have a old mixer you can have! Got to love Red Green! :smilielol:
Cuda Ken
I am guessing you would hold the mixer to the door with some duct tape. :scratchchin:
Quote from: 68pplcharger on March 24, 2014, 09:41:14 AM
:popcrn:
Awesome job... Wow that's a lot of work, but worth it after completion. I thought my road race car was a lot of work...
Thanks for the thumbs up . It is appreciated.
Here is a little video clip of the mysterious quarter window regulator in action.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zhuh5rg6ko4jvfj/Video%20Mar%2023%2C%209%2009%2031%20PM.mov
Quote from: Stevearino on March 24, 2014, 03:43:06 PM
Here is a little video clip of the mysterious quarter window regulator in action.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zhuh5rg6ko4jvfj/Video%20Mar%2023%2C%209%2009%2031%20PM.mov
I like Red Green's version better!!! :smilielol:
Quote from: cdr on March 24, 2014, 05:32:17 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on March 24, 2014, 03:43:06 PM
Here is a little video clip of the mysterious quarter window regulator in action.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zhuh5rg6ko4jvfj/Video%20Mar%2023%2C%209%2009%2031%20PM.mov
I like Red Green's version better!!! :smilielol:
:yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:
It gives me the feeling of unnecessary complication when I look at the side/rear regulator assy.
But then I feel the same way when I look at most vintage window glass regulator assys, front or back, on any car. I can't imagine sitting down to design one of those things and ending up with anything so convoluted. I wonder if they made goofed-up designs because the bean counters refused to allow decent precision tolerances in the parts or something.
I would imagine just fixing the roller wheels in place on the glass (well, on a metal piece attached to the glass, anyway). Curve the roller tracks however necessary to make the glass move in the required path. Send the crank/motor force to the glass through a pair of cables. Do the necessary force multiplication with gear wheels right there at the site of the crank/motor rather than spreading that job throughout the whole assembly.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on March 25, 2014, 05:56:24 PM
It gives me the feeling of unnecessary complication when I look at the side/rear regulator assy.
But then I feel the same way when I look at most vintage window glass regulator assys, front or back, on any car. I can't imagine sitting down to design one of those things and ending up with anything so convoluted. I wonder if they made goofed-up designs because the bean counters refused to allow decent precision tolerances in the parts or something.
I would imagine just fixing the roller wheels in place on the glass (well, on a metal piece attached to the glass, anyway). Curve the roller tracks however necessary to make the glass move in the required path. Send the crank/motor force to the glass through a pair of cables. Do the necessary force multiplication with gear wheels right there at the site of the crank/motor rather than spreading that job throughout the whole assembly.
Mike, When you look at the confined space and the size and shape of the glass the configuration designed by Dodge back in the day can't really be improved upon to get the glass to move up and out after rotating up away from the wheel tub. Since this is the back seat area I am not going to over think this one. They have some pretty inexpensive universal window motors that simply attach to the crank with different adapters. Since I have to make my own panel covers back there it won't be too hard to cover the small motor under an arm rest. If this was the door glass I would be putting a little more effort into it. This looks like a good place for a short cut.
thats a great idea
Steve,
The pink thingie in the shifter mechanism is prone to breakeage, this is a billet replacement to prevent this: http://www.custombilletstore.com/Genuine_Billet_Tech_Pink_Thingy_Replacement_p/1028.htm
Keep the updates coming, I love the idea of combining my two dream cars... here are my two lesser-models, still separate!
(http://images116.fotki.com/v694/photos/0/1335420/12278631/10152043704479843_1751746194_n-vi.jpg) (http://private.fotki.com/ClubCMOA/benoit-lavigne/1966685-10152043704.html)Hosted on Fotki (http://www.fotki.com)
Ben
Hey Ben,
Thanks for the link. I am ordering one of those cams and the return spring. Seems like that plastic thing could leave you high and dry out on the road somewhere. Those two cars you have look just fine the way they are. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't see a new Charger and think how easily I could have just fixed this car and gotten another for my project. Too late for that now ::)
It's funny, when I drive my Charger, I wish it looked like my Satellite, and when I drive the Satellite (318, 4-wheel manual drums!), I wish it had the Charger's motor and suspension, but they both get equal thumbs ups!
Ben
Chrysler changed the design in what LX enthusiasts call the "second generation Charger" ::) in 2008, no more pink thingie...
Ben
I don't know if it will ever be hooked up but I re mounted the satellite radio receiver back in the car. I don't want to mount the antenna on the roof so it will be dormant for now.
I finally got around to finishing up the package tray connection to the base of the rear glass.
Since there is no Dutchman panel or rear package tray support I did a little truss work to stiffen up the base of the rear glass bed and the forward trunk lid rim.
Looks a little unorthodox but it did the trick.
I cleaned up the right side inner panel that carries the window regulator. I had intended to make this a removable panel as installing the regulator mechanism is a bit of a nightmare. Also I had intended to try and modify things to accept the window regulator from the 06. I gave up that notion after seeing how complex the motion of the glass is so I decided to weld this panel back in the car permanently. Just as well because this adds some strength to this quarter section.
I used a little trick when bead blasting this part which should save me a little bit of heartache. I tightened some bolts over the ghost marks left on the panel by the assembly bolts and then blasted it. When removed they show a clear outline of where the regulator was bolted up saving me from starting my installation from scratch.
I welded the panel back into place and then used some .060 steel to mend it back to the 06 wheel tub and then painted the whole mess black to make me feel like I was making some progress here.
Wheels and Tires. New windshield. New door skins. :'( :'( :'( Sad wallet.
Thanks To 69HemiBee for a great price break on the windshield and two door skins. Got everything delivered for about what the doors skins alone retail for.
Good deal on the doors.
The progress looks great Steve.
-------------------------------------
Correction, from the last page.
In case somebody ever uses this thread for a number reference:
The distance between the '68 Charger's lower rocker flanges (side to side). I just made a metal template to measure it more accurately. On my '69 car it is definitely 56.5" rather than 57".
The last part of the tie in on the right side back of the car was to locate the anchor points for the seat belts. Since the inner panel in the rear area was in a little farther that the 06 I had to create a new pocket that would allow the belt reel to recess in leaving the belt more or less flush to the outside. Another anchor point was fabricated out of .060 steel in the "C" post itself about where that pick up point was on the 06. With these two pieces welded in I moved to the front belt housing This has a much bigger reel since it houses not only the belt but some nifty explody stuff that ties in with the SRS system. This was originally housed in the "B" pillar of the 06 so I mounted it just behind the seat in a similar location . This will be covered by an arm rest side panel. Not shown is the belt going up to the roof through a loop and back down again. Believe it or not the loop had a bolt in it that threaded right into the shoulder harness bolt location already in the 68 roof. :o Got lucky there. I was sure this was a metric bolt that would not fit into that location but apparently to my surprise the standard for seatbelt anchor bolts was established back in the 60's and hasn't been changed since.
I never thought I would be jealous of retractable rear seat belts...that is a nice touch! :2thumbs:
I just played two page catch up.
AWESOME job Stevearino! :2thumbs:
Quote from: Finn on April 07, 2014, 09:54:32 PM
I never thought I would be jealous of retractable rear seat belts...that is a nice touch! :2thumbs:
Quote from: FJ5WING on April 09, 2014, 06:37:39 AM
I just played two page catch up.
AWESOME job Stevearino! :2thumbs:
Thanks guys. I realize the stuff I am doing right now is a bit mundane compared to dropping an elephant in to an engine bay but I wanted to share the whole process warts and all .
your car already has hemi & your car build is way better than anything else i have seen. :yesnod:
very very nice work :o
I decided to give the old brain a rest and just do some grunt work so that I can feel like I am making some progress so I busted most of that old green paint off the car this weekend. Didn't get much of anything else done since the old spring chores were call me out doors. All winter I couldn't wait of the warm weather so that I could fling open the shop doors and get some fresh air in the place. I forgot that warm weather means everything starts to grow. :flame:
I got in a discussion on another thread about the compatibility of the newer seats and I started to focus on a problem that I was kind of shutting out for now. Sure the SRT-8 seats are awesome in my opinion but............They are out of a 4 door car. Access to the back seat with the front seats as presently configured will be nearly impossible. I took a closer look at the seats and how they are assembled and there are two bolts on each side that hold the seat back to the base. Removing the lower rearward bolt allows the seat to pitch forward. I am not sure but if these frames are the same as the Challenger seat frames I might be able to get the latching system and work it in.
I like the wheels, worth the depressed wallet :popcrn:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on April 14, 2014, 09:17:14 PM
I like the wheels, worth the depressed wallet :popcrn:
Selection is limited because of the wide hub stance on this car but I think they will work.
if you later decide they don't suit your taste, you can always kick it old school, cragar style. this is larry b's photo of his daily driver...
arrrggg, duplicate post
Quote from: held1823 on April 15, 2014, 07:07:36 AM
if you later decide they don't suit your taste, you can always kick it old school, cragar style. this is larry b's photo of his daily driver...
That's the good thing about wheels. Other than the money it is an easy fix if it doesn't look right.
Holy moly Steve. I just went through this thread. That's alotta work, but awesome craftsmanship.
Don't take it off too often, but my hats not only off, it's in my hand. Job well done sir.
I can only imagine how much time and patience it takes to do a car of this magnitude. I know it's repetitious, but again, amazing transformation.
Thanks Cooter . I hope I can see it through to the end. Money dictates that I handle as much of the work myself so it will be a bit of test for me. Lots left to do.
I do think you are on the right track (pun) with the seat and the latch idea. Is the bolt on both sides or just one ? :2thumbs:
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on April 16, 2014, 08:40:44 AM
I do think you are on the right track (pun) with the seat and the latch idea. Is the bolt on both sides or just one ? :2thumbs:
There is a bolt on both sides. I looked at my truck bench seat and it has a simple spring loaded rod going from side to side with catch on either end that latches to a second rod that is a little lower. I will probably do something like that. It is pretty simple.
As always - Awesome work!
if you were to attempt this conversion again would you approach it differently or ?
Nice shop btw - I see you have all the necessary tools. ;D
Quote from: DonC1 on April 21, 2014, 05:23:57 PM
As always - Awesome work!
if you were to attempt this conversion again would you approach it differently or ?
Nice shop btw - I see you have all the necessary tools. ;D
Thanks Don,
Coming from you that means a lot. Yes, I probably would dispense with trying to use an old body now that I am familiar with what the relationships of the various aspects of the car is relative to the LX platform. I would probably hang new sheet metal directly on to a scalped LX and use the title and vin from the new car. I might try to shorten the platform if I was building a Non winged Charger to get the wheel base right. Using a non SRT LX would also give you smaller wheel options as you would not have to have 20" rims to accommodate the Brembo calipers. I think you could get the exterior looking closer to old school. The one thing that would never look quite right on a stock non wing Charger would be the tread width of the front wheels. The old cars have the front wheels tucked in a bit and that looks great with stock fenders. Every one of these I have seen done with a stock charger body the front wheels and tires hug the fenders too closely. Just too wide of a stance in the front. I might also try to work out a way to use the Gen 2 cowl and wiper set up. :shruggy: Nice to dream. I got a lot of work left to do here first that's for sure.
So I decided in order to stay motivated I would get out of the back seat of the car for a bit and straighten my back for a minute. Since the dash top just needed to be covered with vinyl I went ahead and did that. After rough cutting a piece of vinyl I folded it over at a break point on the dash top and sprayed both surfaces with contact. After I stuck that side down I folded over the remaining vinyl and repeated the process. After the top was glued I turned it over and masked out the places I did not want to glue and then sprayed up the rest. I was careful not to get any glued around the front clips so they would still slide easily into place on the car. Also this made tucking the vinyl under the clips easier.
The last two pictures show the dash top in place. I was pretty happy with the way it came out. I was pretty worried it would not blend well with the factory dash but I think it's not bad.
Then it was time to get back to seat belt duty. The problem I have with working on cars is that there is 2 of everything. The first time you do it there is the challenge of figuring out how to do it. The second time it is just a job that needs to be done.
I took a look at how the new Challenger front belts are mounted and decided instead of mounting the loop up on the side of the roof like I was going to that I would mount it down low like that car. I built and installed the rear belt pocket for the left side back seatbelt and re installed the quarter window panel mending it back to the wheel tub. The right side window regulator has been refurbished and re installed and I am half way through rehabbing the left mechanism.
dash looks good,,now it has a VIN #
Dang :o :popcrn:
hay steve your srt-8 sure looks lots better in bare skin with the shades of green bustted off it.looking good i like how much original panels you have saved an used,,awesum..
looks to be a comffy interior coming together.. all da best an following ya build.. :cheers: :popcrn: :2thumbs: DJ
More knick knack items taken care of. I cut two pockets in the inner side roof support to install the "OH S##T" handles in the back seat area. The over head courtesy lighting is in this assembly. I fabricated a backer plate out of .060 that would accept the plastic sub housing and then test fit the handles.
The rear view mirror from the 06 is pretty large so instead of attaching it to the windshield I decided to mount it to the back side of the upper windshield bed. Since the windshield is so much smaller on the 68 this gets it up as high as it can go.
I wanted to mount the over head map light module so I built an attachment bracket that spans from the front roof support to the first intermediate roof support. I attached the plastic sub mounting box to this and test fit the map light module. I will have to build an overhead console to blend this out to the head liner.
I saved the mounting points for the sun visors from the roof structure of the 06 so that I might use them to locate the visors in the 68. I cut clearance holes in the upper corners of the windshield support and installed them along with the hooks that hold them to the ceiling. Now I will be able to put makeup on while I drive. :lol:
Keep up the fight Steve!! :cheers:
:2thumbs:
More noodling. It might not seem necessary right now but some of these little items I am working on all have to have some sort of welded tabs or other fabrication done that needs to be figured out so that when I finally get to the body work I will not have to worry about scarring it up getting in and out of the car with tools.
I was going to custom fabricate the inner "A" pillar covers out of metal and cover them with vinyl and I decided to first try to modify the SRT inners. If it didn't work out so what. If it did I would have much safer plastic covers that would match the interior. Well after some carving like Gepeto did on Pinnochio they actually worked out pretty good. Instead of trying to blind fasten them I just went for an old school look with a couple of stainless steel oval head 10-24 machine screws tapped into some plates welded into the "A" pillar back side. I mocked up a piece of the pinch weld molding that came off the SRT and it looks like I will be able to use that too.
I was going to mount the third tail light on the package tray but it didn't look right and was too prominent. I opted instead to mount it to the back ceiling in it's own little pod close to the top of the rear window bed. It is hard to see in these pictures but it looks okay in that spot.
Looking great Steve!! :2thumbs:
Man, this is neat :popcrn:
I've said this earlier, and I will say it again.... this is the best build/thread ever on this site. Period.
Great work!
Jason
Quote from: jaak on May 17, 2014, 11:41:01 PM
I've said this earlier, and I will say it again.... this is the best build/thread ever on this site. Period.
Great work!
Jason
That's a lot to live up to Jason. I have gone through quite a few threads and there is a ton of amazing builds recorded here but thank you for your kind words just the same.
That third brake light is a great idea and will hopefully help stop some idiot from rear-ending you... :2thumbs:
Quote from: tsmithae on May 18, 2014, 10:48:18 AM
That third brake light is a great idea and will hopefully help stop some idiot from rear-ending you... :2thumbs:
I thought about just leaving it out but with everyone talking and texting on their cell phones I figure I will need some help keeping them off my ass. :lol:
By the way Jason, this is what I would call a first class build.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lihH5fqxTkw
I'd skip the third brake light and just install led tail lights. Or integrate one into the wing0
Quote from: tsmithae on May 18, 2014, 10:48:18 AM
That third brake light is a great idea and will hopefully help stop some idiot from rear-ending you... :2thumbs:
It's got to be done and legal first. :nana:
clever stuff !! :2thumbs: :popcrn:
That one looks like the one I worked on.
http://s83.photobucket.com/user/cudaken/media/Real%20Cars/Bills.jpg.html](http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j284/cudaken/Real%20Cars/Bills.jpg)
My old shop.
Cuda Ken
Quote from: cudaken on May 18, 2014, 07:58:30 PM
That one looks like the one I worked on
Cuda Ken
Man Ken, That's top shelf work man. Why are you selling mattresses now? Super waste of talent. :rotz:
Well more noodling that felt like nothing got done. I got the other rear window regulator refurbished and then installed so both rear regulators are operational. Found out that the window motors only work when hooked to the car and through the harness with the front window switch installed so simple bench testing is out. I guess it has something to do with some of the safety features of the motors and their sensitivity to loads like a child's head or something. I de skinned my doors so that I can get the shells media blasted. I started cleaning the underside of the hood skin. I rebuilt the door hinges.
I removed most of the gunk paint an rust by hand with a stripper wheel and will bead blast them later. One hinge had the pin ripped away so I had to weld it up and re drill it. Replaced the brass and the pins.
I welded some nuts into the door jamb where the hinges usually bolt in from the inside of the jamb. The SRT dash is in the way of me bolting it up that way so now all the bolts for the hinges go in from the outside. I drilled out the corresponding threaded area of the hinges to allow for adjustment slop. The lower hinge usually doesn't have brass bushings but since I had them apart I thought I would clearance for them. I like the idea of the bushings rather than the steel on steel.
Thats cool, When will doors be hung? :popcrn:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on May 18, 2014, 09:29:31 PM
Thats cool, When will doors be hung? :popcrn:
That depends on when I get them back from the bead blaster. Also there is a lot of custom work going to happen to the shells before they can be skinned(SRT latches ect.)
Oooo Neat, are they essentially gonna be th srt8 doors with vintage skins? or oldschool doors with srt parts jammed in them? :scratchchin:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on May 18, 2014, 10:07:44 PM
Oooo Neat, are they essentially gonna be th srt8 doors with vintage skins? or oldschool doors with srt parts jammed in them? :scratchchin:
As of now that is the plan.
After cleaning some of the rust off of the door shell I mounted it to the car on and put some temporary cross bracing to mimic the skin so I could work on the interior modifications.
I cut out the end section where the old door latch was mounted and fabricated a new piece out of .060 steel to work with the 06 latch. The only thing I wasn't to happy about is there will be a small break in the door seal rubber because of the way this one engages.
After the door side was taken care of I mounted the latch so that I could do an alignment with the door jamb.
I cut out the old jamb as the latch area was too deep to work with the new catch.
I made a filler plate out of .060 steel and modified the floating backer plate that was in the 68 door jamb so as to have a way to adjust the door catch.
I then mounted the catch and adjusted it so that it would line up in and out as well as up and down.
After the catch mechanism was operating correctly I cut out the section of the inner door panel from the 06 to help locate the inner door handle.
I welded a piece of 1/8" x 2" steel strap on the back side , drilled and tapped it to secure the handle.
I took the 06 actuator rods for both the lock button and the inner door handle and modified (mostly straightened) them to work in the 68 door.
The thing is I committed to the location of the latch before I checked the rear glass track and it just missed by a whisker. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than smart. :shruggy:
This is cool :popcrn:
Well I am a little disappointed. When I was in the planning stages of this project I consulted with a guy who does hot rods for a living and he gave me the name of an outfit that when the time came could provide me with tempered curved side glass to my patterns. Well because of new government testing requirements they are no longer able to provide this service for small customers. Seems that if you now make any glass it must be DOT approved with a shatter test and the glass must break into specific size pieces. Needless to say it is now cost prohibitive to deal with small custom orders. He gave me the name of an outfit in Michigan that still does this but 2 pieces of side glass were going to cost upwards of $5,000.00. Maybe if this was an open checkbook deal I would bite the bullet and go for it but since I am on a budget that is out. The other option was the guys that did the "Fast and Furious" cars and the "Drive Angry" cars. They quoted me $1,300.00 for two pieces of laminated safety glass. The more I thought about it the more that had disaster written all over it. The window is long and there are considerable torquing and laminated glass is more than fine if it is immobilized but this glass is operable. So that leaves me with one option and that will have to be molded polycarbonate. While it is susceptible to scratching it can be easily trimmed and finished should it be made wrong and can more easily be replaced.
Anyway the first thing I needed to do was to make a accurate pattern of the glass with the arc in the panel. This is mainly because I needed to checkout how the arc would engage the "A" post area. The Lexan mock up window is flat stock so the arc disappears soon after the Lexan leaves the "B" post molding. What I did was to roll two pieces of .021 steel to the arc of rear window trim. I then I sandwiched 1/4" x 2" plywood strips between the two panels with contact cement.
Since Lexan is pretty flexible I made a .060 steel channel to drop the glass into that will engage the carriers on the window regulator. The channel will keep the bottom of the glass straight.
The next step was to cut a piece of Lexan and refine the shape a little.x3/4
The window regulator out of the 06 is two independent tracks with cross over cables to connect them. I bent some .035 steel 3/4"X 3/4" to connect these together as one unit. The stays were temporary. Once tied together I was able to align the tracks parallel with the stock rear window guide. I used a piece of square sheet metal to space them out. At the same time I centered the grab clamps with bottom of my widow channel and welded two 3/16ths steel tabs for them to grab on to. I temperarorly tacked whole mess to the inner door shell.
I then hooked up to a battery and tested the regulator and made a bunch of adjustments.
Once I was somewhat satisfied I was in the ball park I made some permanent mounting points out of 1/8" steel strap. I made them in two pieces so that I could slide them in and out if I needed to make further adjustments.
Once all the permanent pieces were made I removed the 3/4 x 3/4 temporary braces. I still have a ways to go with this there is all kinds of stuff here to consider.
Here is a little video of it in operation.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=796411597038408&set=vb.100000087251193&type=2&theater
the talent shown in this thread is mind boggling.
and that description might well be an understatement.
Quote from: held1823 on June 01, 2014, 07:31:31 PM
the talent shown in this thread is mind boggling.
and that description might well be an understatement.
Thank you for the compliment but it is still looking like a rat rod so far.
Interesting. :scratchchin:
On the Lexan windows,
Can you put thin plastic sheeting, maybe light window tint on the lexan, inside and out, and when it gets too scratched up....peel and replace ?
Don't they make something like that for racecar windshields ? :shruggy:
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on June 01, 2014, 09:46:20 PM
Interesting. :scratchchin:
On the Lexan windows,
Can you put thin plastic sheeting, maybe light window tint on the lexan, inside and out, and when it gets too scratched up....peel and replace ?
Don't they make something like that for racecar windshields ? :shruggy:
The molded windshields have a protective coating on them but we also put clear tear off material on them. I hadn't thought about it but you are right. That might be a good idea for the exterior surface. A guy at work suggested the tint film which I would assume is scratch resistant because of the fact that it is put on the interior of side glass all the time. Good suggestion.
Thanks R/T SE
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2014, 05:08:20 AM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on June 01, 2014, 09:46:20 PM
Interesting. :scratchchin:
On the Lexan windows,
Can you put thin plastic sheeting, maybe light window tint on the lexan, inside and out, and when it gets too scratched up....peel and replace ?
Don't they make something like that for racecar windshields ? :shruggy:
The molded windshields have a protective coating on them but we also put clear tear off material on them. I hadn't thought about it but you are right. That might be a good idea for the exterior surface. A guy at work suggested the tint film which I would assume is scratch resistant because of the fact that it is put on the interior of side glass all the time. Good suggestion.
Thanks R/T SE
:cheers:
Steve, the work you keep pulling off is really quite impressive! :2thumbs:
At least you wont have to worry about anyone breaking in :lol:
Quote from: tsmithae on June 02, 2014, 09:07:32 AM
Steve, the work you keep pulling off is really quite impressive! :2thumbs:
I won't be impressed until I am driving the thing. Definitely pushing my limits on this project.
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 02, 2014, 09:14:29 AM
At least you wont have to worry about anyone breaking in :lol:
Only good for small caliber bullets. :icon_smile_wink:
Steve, Looking fantastic as always!! Lot's of quality, time consuming work there!! :2thumbs:
Door window glass
Any chance the glass is right from a later model Charger like the 73 ?
Even if it was a bit bigger it could be cut down ?
Quote from: 70 sublime on June 03, 2014, 08:00:29 AM
Door window glass
Any chance the glass is right from a later model Charger like the 73 ?
Even if it was a bit bigger it could be cut down ?
After taking a lot of patterns it turns out that 69 Camaro glass is the closest to this shape. Unfortunately tempered glass cannot be cut. I thought I had a good match with a 73 Dart Swinger side glass but it was pretty far off. Bottom line is that you have to match the arc of the roof, the A post angle,the slant of the quarter window and the overall top to bottom dimension so that the glass will roll down in the door. The 71 Mopars have a gentle sweep from the A post into the roof and the quarter glass angle would not match not to mention a more laid back A post to start with.
clever stuff !! :2thumbs: :popcrn:
It has been slow at work for the first time since November so I took a couple of days off and tried to make a little head way. I decided to focus and get as much sorted out on the drivers door as I could. I started with the outside door handle. I made a mock up of the upper right corner of the door skin so that I could work out the location and re bend all of the actuator rods to work the lock and the handle. I used the 06 handles and it worked out pretty good.
You wouldn't think setting a door speaker would be a big deal but the 06 door speaker has a plastic housing that protects it from rain water that had to be accommodated. I had to relief cut the lower door to get it to sit flat with the inner door panel.
The top of the door on the SRT had a detail that I decided to try to reproduce. I used a small segment from the original door panel with the inner door handle as a guide and made the top panel out of .021 steel.
Using the original arm rest as a model I built one that looks something like it again out of .021 steel. I was able to scavenge the door pull section and work it into the new arm rest. I also cut out and set the power window buttons in this piece. This piece is separate from the upper so that it can be covered with vinyl as the top pieced will be.
Below the arm rest I began to shape the lower door panel out of bits and pieces of steel again trying to reproduce the style of the front 4 door inner panel.
I worked up the lower panel that will include a map pocket on the door since I was able to scavenge the speaker cover from the 06 which has the front side of the map pocket attached to it.
It is far from done but it is shaping up the way I had hoped. I had it on and off the car a couple of times making sure I wasn't getting jammed against the dash. Covering this is definitely going to be a challenge. I will have to Bondo all the seams and make some more foam transition pieces. It might seem like I am getting ahead of myself with this inner panel but locating all the innards and making sure all of the stuff works before I skin the door is prudent I think.
Steve, your nuts and I mean that in the best way possible!!! That door looks awesome!! :2thumbs:
Quote from: Indygenerallee on June 08, 2014, 06:29:31 PM
Steve, your nuts and I mean that in the best way possible!!! That door looks awesome!! :2thumbs:
Thanks, It weighs a ton.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 08, 2014, 07:22:10 PM
Quote from: Indygenerallee on June 08, 2014, 06:29:31 PM
Steve, your nuts and I mean that in the best way possible!!! That door looks awesome!! :2thumbs:
Thanks, It weighs a ton.
But it DOES look awesome, and in the end, isn't that all that matters? :cheers:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 08, 2014, 08:08:16 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 08, 2014, 07:22:10 PM
Quote from: Indygenerallee on June 08, 2014, 06:29:31 PM
Steve, your nuts and I mean that in the best way possible!!! That door looks awesome!! :2thumbs:
Thanks, It weighs a ton.
But it DOES look awesome, and in the end, isn't that all that matters? :cheers:
Thanks Baldwinvette77. How is the Road Warrior coming along. We gonna see some rubber fly before it gets cold again?
Wow, that is just impressive! :2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on June 09, 2014, 05:07:26 AM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 08, 2014, 08:08:16 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 08, 2014, 07:22:10 PM
Quote from: Indygenerallee on June 08, 2014, 06:29:31 PM
Steve, your nuts and I mean that in the best way possible!!! That door looks awesome!! :2thumbs:
Thanks, It weighs a ton.
But it DOES look awesome, and in the end, isn't that all that matters? :cheers:
Thanks Baldwinvette77. How is the Road Warrior coming along. We gonna see some rubber fly before it gets cold again?
coming along nicely, Have a kickass Madmax Loving australian girl helping me pick out/design a hood scoop (cant fit an air cleaner under the stock hood)
and I hope so, :lol: Need some cash first, ignition parts aint cheap, plus the bellhousing is set up for a more expensive 168 tooth flywheel :scratchchin:
If it counts, i spent a few hours ripping off the old seam sealer around the windshield frames, the stuff flew everywhere :smilielol:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 09, 2014, 08:54:57 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 09, 2014, 05:07:26 AM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 08, 2014, 08:08:16 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 08, 2014, 07:22:10 PM
Quote from: Indygenerallee on June 08, 2014, 06:29:31 PM
Steve, your nuts and I mean that in the best way possible!!! That door looks awesome!! :2thumbs:
Thanks, It weighs a ton.
But it DOES look awesome, and in the end, isn't that all that matters? :cheers:
Thanks Baldwinvette77. How is the Road Warrior coming along. We gonna see some rubber fly before it gets cold again?
coming along nicely, Have a kickass Madmax Loving australian girl helping me pick out/design a hood scoop (cant fit an air cleaner under the stock hood)
and I hope so, :lol: Need some cash first, ignition parts aint cheap, plus the bellhousing is set up for a more expensive 168 tooth flywheel :scratchchin:
If it counts, i spent a few hours ripping off the old seam sealer around the windshield frames, the stuff flew everywhere :smilielol:
It all counts man. It all counts.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2013, 08:00:34 PM
Quote from: nascarxx29 on June 02, 2013, 07:15:52 PM
Heres another 69 to 08 charger
http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149892
Wow! Ole Rowdy Gowdy ain't scared. I love the way he's doing it with a tractor , an electric grinder,and a stick welder in a car port with some tarps down the sides. Holy Moly!
:2thumbs:
Quote from: OleHarleyRider on June 15, 2014, 04:23:02 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2013, 08:00:34 PM
Quote from: nascarxx29 on June 02, 2013, 07:15:52 PM
Heres another 69 to 08 charger
http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149892
Wow! Ole Rowdy Gowdy ain't scared. I love the way he's doing it with a tractor , an electric grinder,and a stick welder in a car port with some tarps down the sides. Holy Moly!
:2thumbs:
I keep looking to see if he will finish his project but it seems to have petered out. :shruggy:
Still working on the driver side door. I figure I have about 80 hours in it already and I am not done. I ordered two polycarbonite side glasses from Pro-Glass. I just ordered two oversizeds 69 Camaro blanks. The arc of the window is pretty much a perfect match and I only needed about 2 " more in length. I will be waiting for those to finalize how my window tracking is set.
I unwrapped the drivers door harness to lay it out to reach everything the way I have it now. I also cut out the front of the door and the door jamb to accept the rubber harness boot.
:popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn:
QuoteI keep looking to see if he will finish his project but it seems to have petered out.
That guy annoyed some forum members a while back and some ruckus ensued. I won't bother with the mud but he's been gone since then.
For months I thought I had the side view mirror issue well in hand. Since the 06 Charger mirrors were integrated with the window frame there did not seem to be a way that I could use them. I purchased two 2010 Challenger side view mirrors because the way they mounted to the door seemed more appropriate and the wiring would be the same for the remote operation. Well I mocked them up and they looked ridiculous. Way out of scale for the car. They looked more like auxiliary fuel tank pods for a jet fighter than side view mirrors. I had no plan "B". I took the one 06 Charger side mirror (the other was wrecked off the car) and started whittling it down with an air saw until i just had the basic mirror with the harness and actuators left. I mocked it up as close to the car as possible and as low on the door as practical and then built a mount that would transition from the mirror to the door.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on June 15, 2014, 06:54:59 PM
QuoteI keep looking to see if he will finish his project but it seems to have petered out.
That guy annoyed some forum members a while back and some ruckus ensued. I won't bother with the mud but he's been gone since then.
He has a YouTube channel and the only thing on that project is the stuff he posted on that thread. Probably went the way of the 4x4 DeLorean.
A number of trips in and out of the car and I got the angle where I wanted and finished up the cradle. There are 2 10-32 bolts welded into the base to attach it to the door and I made stand off pads from some 1/8 inch EDPM glass setting blocks.
The door skin is just mocked up in place by the way so that I can settle some of these issues. It is not ready to go on yet. Here are some pictures of the the way the mirror sits in its cradle and how it looks on the door. It is a lot farther forward that the 68 mirror would be but a lot lower because of it's size.
While the door skin was in place I went ahead and fit the outer door handle in as per the mock up pattern that I had made earlier.I bought 1970 Dodge Challenger window wiskers because of the vent window delete. They were only an inch too long which is perfect.
They curve up on either end so I carefully relief cut the stainless on the back side being careful not to cut through the top bead or the front whisker. After a few cuts I was able to hand shape it back out straight. I then had to drill out new oval holes for the clips to fit into. After marking out the locations I drilled two 3/16th holes about 1/2 inch apart and used a die grinder to connect the dots. Lastly I welded the two tabs for the door handle to bolt to on the back side of the skin.
In between things I was working on the inner door panels. It has been about 30 years since I did any auto upholstery and back then a door panel was a flat piece of masonite with some vinyl stretched over it and maybe a few pull buttons for style. I am trying to reproduce the SRT style inner door panel with the 68 door proportions so this is more than unfamiliar territory. I built the door panel out of .021 steel and I filled in the tight transitions with dense styrofoam. After that I smeared some bondo on to smooth the transitions. The first attempt at covering the lower panel was a bust so I had to strip it of all the glue and start over. The transitions were just a little to deep for the vinyl so I am in the process of remodeling them.
I did manage to get the arm rest covered with only a few mishaps. Kind of looks like a ship model :scratchchin:
Thats pretty Awesome :popcrn: with all the modern trim youre putting on, What are you planing to do with things like the rear bumper for example? :scratchchin:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 15, 2014, 08:47:20 PM
Thats pretty Awesome :popcrn: with all the modern trim youre putting on, What are you planing to do with things like the rear bumper for example? :scratchchin:
The only thing I had planned for the rear bumper was to probably get it tighter to the body and paint it out. My original plan was something like the F&F Daytona but after looking at what they did I wasn't that crazy about how it looks.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 15, 2014, 09:01:28 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 15, 2014, 08:47:20 PM
Thats pretty Awesome :popcrn: with all the modern trim youre putting on, What are you planing to do with things like the rear bumper for example? :scratchchin:
The only thing I had planned for the rear bumper was to probably get it tighter to the body and paint it out. My original plan was something like the F&F Daytona but after looking at what they did I wasn't that crazy about how it looks.
Cool, Maybe Weld on the bumper studs from behind and shave off the heads too? i might be doing that to my rear bumper :popcrn:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 15, 2014, 10:13:43 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 15, 2014, 09:01:28 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 15, 2014, 08:47:20 PM
Thats pretty Awesome :popcrn: with all the modern trim youre putting on, What are you planing to do with things like the rear bumper for example? :scratchchin:
The only thing I had planned for the rear bumper was to probably get it tighter to the body and paint it out. My original plan was something like the F&F Daytona but after looking at what they did I wasn't that crazy about how it looks.
Cool, Maybe Weld on the bumper studs from behind and shave off the heads too? i might be doing that to my rear bumper :popcrn:
Yeah! I like that. That's a good look. :yesnod:
zzzzz
Quote from: ACUDANUT on June 18, 2014, 09:07:43 PM
zzzzz
Well I guess this thread has found a more noble cause. It appears to be a cure for insomnia. :scratchchin:
I finally got the rest of the panels covered with vinyl and I am pretty happy with the outcome. Only thing is, I have about 100 hours in this one door panel so at the rate I am getting after it I probably won't be done with the other side until the fall.
Also got my window blanks in from Pro-Glass. They look pretty good.
Looks like the factory did it.
Quote from: Aero426 on June 22, 2014, 04:26:09 PM
Looks like the factory did it.
looks BETTER than if the factory did it... Far less plastic and "made in china" stampings :rofl:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 22, 2014, 06:22:54 PM
Quote from: Aero426 on June 22, 2014, 04:26:09 PM
Looks like the factory did it.
looks BETTER than if the factory did it... Far less plastic and "made in china" stampings :rofl:
I wish I had some factory equipment to spit another one out for the right side. :yesnod: :yesnod:
Quote from: Stevearino on June 22, 2014, 06:45:43 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 22, 2014, 06:22:54 PM
Quote from: Aero426 on June 22, 2014, 04:26:09 PM
Looks like the factory did it.
looks BETTER than if the factory did it... Far less plastic and "made in china" stampings :rofl:
I wish I had some factory equipment to spit another one out for the right side. :yesnod: :yesnod:
Just check amazon.com, They claim to have everything :shruggy:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 22, 2014, 06:22:54 PM
Quote from: Aero426 on June 22, 2014, 04:26:09 PM
Looks like the factory did it.
looks BETTER than if the factory did it... Far less plastic and "made in china" stampings :rofl:
:yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:
Exactly what he said!
Quote from: Stevearino on June 22, 2014, 04:02:15 PM
Quote from: ACUDANUT on June 18, 2014, 09:07:43 PM
zzzzz
Well I guess this thread has found a more noble cause. It appears to be a cure for insomnia. :scratchchin:
:2thumbs: I like your style. :2thumbs:
As usual......excellent work. :yesnod:
How much did or will that door weigh? You work is amazing. This guy is more than a car builder, he is a freaking artist, and this is his masterpiece.
Dane
Wow. Amazing work. I can't wait to see the finished product.
This is going to be a great ride......... :2thumbs:
Quote from: Daytona Guy on June 26, 2014, 02:17:12 AM
You work is amazing. This guy is more than a car builder, he is a freaking artist, and this is his masterpiece.
:iagree: :yesnod: :2thumbs:
:iagree: X2 - Just amazing work you are doing.
Thanks for the thumbs up guys. It keeps me motivated. I just hope the car meets expectations when it is done.
Quote from: Daytona Guy on June 26, 2014, 02:17:12 AM
How much did or will that door weigh?
Dane
The door panel is surprisingly light. When I finished building it and broke it loose I expected it to be much heavier than it was. I only used .023 steel so maybe that is why. Seriously it is not even as heavy as the plastic door panel from the 06 that I am trying to copy. Also since there will be a lexan side window and the vent window is gone it may be lighter than a stock set up. :shruggy:
By the way Dane you have set a high bar with your two most recent builds.They really hit the sweet spot. :yesnod: :yesnod:
Lexan side windows, on a car with so much focus on streetability?
This may have been asked I'm sure, but, how do you find a one piece side window glass to fit this body?
Dane
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on June 28, 2014, 12:33:49 PM
Lexan side windows, on a car with so much focus on streetability?
I am not happy about it but as I said before the option of tempered custom glass went away due to DOT requirements for a specific shatter pattern for tempered glass. So instead of just being able to make me a couple of pieces of glass for a reasonable cost the guys who used to do this now have to go through an elaborate testing process in which they must destroy a number of pieces of glass to assure it will break into the proper size pieces. What was going to be about $1,500.00 was now looking at costing over $5000.00 for two pieces of glass. The other option would be custom laminated glass which is very fragile out of a fixed frame.So if I wanted to stay on the path I decided to take with the vent glass delete my only option left is Lexan.
Quote from: Daytona Guy on June 28, 2014, 02:07:00 PM
This may have been asked I'm sure, but, how do you find a one piece side window glass to fit this body?
Dane
The size and arc of the glass matches closely to the 69 Camaro glass. I ordered oversized blanks.
Well it is time to back out of another dead end I have driven down. While the Lexan side windows look okay there are several problems that can't be overcome. The windows on their own are not strong enough to seal well against the roof/A pillar gasket. Part of that is due to my insistence on using the 06 Charger window regulators. The regulators are meant to just run small windows up and down in a confined frame. Frameless glass needs something a little more robust. I took a look at some 2010 Challenger regulators and they have the same design but with 2 important differences. The clamps that grab the glass are much larger to torque the window over against the seals and the two vertical runners are further apart to accommodate the longer glass (Better weight distribution) So I ordered a couple of those on the Ebay. I had a talk with Lee at Alan Auto Glass in Burbank Ca. and he assured me that of the 10 cars they put windows in (6 for F & F and 4 for Drive Angry) there were no breakage issues and he is pretty sure they were somewhat rough with those car. So I have decided to go out on a limb and get a set of the side glass he has left over from those two projects. Either way I don't think I am breaking any news here to say that the roof seal is kind of crappy and I don't think I will ever be happy with that. I guess that is why the new cars have that feature that drops the window a bit when you open the door and then automatically runs it up into the seal when it is closed. Remind me to start with a Challenger next time. It has all the right bells and whistles for this kind of conversion.
By the way the pictures show a steel "C" channel I had to run around the perimeter of the Lexan to get it to be rigid enough to hold its shape. It didn't look as bad as I thought but it was not what I had in mind.
That does look really cool :popcrn:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on July 10, 2014, 05:24:58 PM
That does look really cool :popcrn:
Thanks Baldwinvette.
A bit of a hiccup. I got my Challenger regulators and they look great. They are really substantial. The only problem is the motor has a 6 pin connection because it is meant to be hooked up to the door latch mechanism. This allows the window to dodge down a bit when opening the door and pop back up into the seal when closed. Only problem is my door harness is for a simple 2 pin connection. The motors on both the 06 Charger and Challenger mount the same and the look the same otherwise but I am not sure about swapping them out in case the Challenger motor has more torque for a heavier lift. It might be my only option though.
Quote from: Stevearino on July 10, 2014, 07:36:24 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on July 10, 2014, 05:24:58 PM
That does look really cool :popcrn:
Thanks Baldwinvette.
A bit of a hiccup. I got my Challenger regulators and they look great. They are really substantial. The only problem is the motor has a 6 pin connection because it is meant to be hooked up to the door latch mechanism. This allows the window to dodge down a bit when opening the door and pop back up into the seal when closed. Only problem is my door harness is for a simple 2 pin connection. The motors on both the 06 Charger and Challenger mount the same and the look the same otherwise but I am not sure about swapping them out in case the Challenger motor has more torque for a heavier lift. It might be my only option though.
Damn... im not looking forward to my wiring nightmare, thankfully i dont have alot of connections.. but im using a universal harness, and electric parts for 4 different cars, from 3 different makes :eek2:
Steve,
I discovered you can run a bead roller over lexan and stiffen up the edge some by stepping it, amazingly it works quite well so this may help you with the side windows...
I often do it on the lexan on my bat cars..great for flush fitting trim too.
(http://s27.postimg.org/3ycorua37/LBR_AWESOME_66_005.jpg)
Quote from: DonC1 on July 12, 2014, 09:55:36 PM
Steve,
I discovered you can run a bead roller over lexan and stiffen up the edge some by stepping it, amazingly it works quite well so this may help you with the side windows...
I often do it on the lexan on my bat cars..great for flush fitting trim too.
Great to know Don. I am really looking forward to getting my laminated side glass and hopefully that will solve the strength problem. It is nice to have fall back position though.
Well I removed the 06 regulator and cut out my support brackets for all of that and re fitted the door with the 2010 Challenger regulator which is designed for a frameless glass application. You can see the vertical runners are spread wider to carry the load more evenly. Also the glass clamps are much bigger. Other features that are built in are the adjustable stops for the glass and the adjustable mounting studs to help angle the window in the opening. Much simpler set up even if it barely fit into the door. I still may have an issue with the upper seal when I close the door as the Challenger uses "Smart Window" technology to bump down and then up when opening and closing the door. Maybe later I will attempt to learn the particulars of that set up but for now I just swapped the 6 pin motor for the 2 pin deal that came out of the 06.
Talked to Lee out in California about the glass today. He has my Lexan window and he sent pictures of it overlaying the glass from the F&F cars and except for having to cut the front edge off to match mine they are a pretty good match. Probably a couple of weeks before I see them.
howdy , i just went back looked at pages 1,2 an 13,good stuff pix an think it motivates me to get back on my projects. well seeing mikes white s-bird 3 days in arow really stires the wing car bug in the brain..
man you have skill an patience to do all those door an interior mods,, me i push on getting my toys running on then out driveing, screw the little stuff ,i have ta drive them soon as running an brakes,,,sometime s the park brake...on 4 spd rigs.
keepup the good ,,great work,,but lets see some more body curves an pixs,haha???the car not yours steve,,thanks anyway?? haha latter dJ out west :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :cheers: :2thumbs:
Well I have been horsing around trying to get my daughters house ready to sell while I wait for my door glass. I got the right side inner door shell mounted and the latch and the window regulators mocked in. Can't move on with that till I get the glass so I started tinkering with the wing to distract myself. I cut the very warped center section on my El Cheapo one piece fiberglass wing out and started to spruce up the uprights. I mocked them up on the quarters and found that the base of the uprights were kind of flat and which made them lean severely to the right and left. The guy who sold me the one piece wing said they were like that so that when you bolted them to the quarters they would take the whip out of the cross piece. The only thing they looked like they were going to do if I loaded them to get them level was distort the hell out of my quarter tops. So I shimmed them and modified the bases so they would stand on their own. Also the left upright looked like the two halves had been glued together a little wonky so that the back edge was whipped. I did a little sanding and mud work and straightened it out.
After that I started to build my steel center section. I started by cutting some profiles out of .060 steel. I clamped them all together and sanded them as a unit to make sure they were uniform. I then taped them all together and drilled them out. (2) 3/8" holes and (1) 1/2" hole for tubing to run through end to end and align the profiles.
I widened the center hole on the profiles I would use for intermediates and left the two end pieces with just 5/16th holes so I would be able to line them up accurately with the wing bolts. I set two 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" square steel tubes on my work bench and leveled them to the bench and to each other so as to have a flat surface to construct the wing on. I slid the drilled out profiles on to the 3/8" tubes which were cut to the wing width. The 1/2" tube was cut shorter to allow for threaded "T" nuts to be welded into the ends. This would fit behind both end plates.Once the profiles were evenly spaced and squared up I tacked them all into place.
I notched a piece of 1/4" tubing to act as the trailing edge of the wing and tacked it into place.
I had hoped to wrap the wing with a single piece of steel but that would not work out for a number of reasons so I broke it up into segments. I covered the flat top section with .035 with a vertical bend at the front to keep it straight as possible.
I then added a piece of 3/8" tube to create the leading edge of the wing.
Finally I covered the front of the wing top with .035 steel. I flipped the wing over after priming it on the inside then I tacked it to the rails to keep it straight for the final skin.
Finally I mocked it up on the car. For anyone is curious the top wing weighs 12 lbs.
once again, this is incredible craftsmanship
I am surprised you didn't hand craft your own uprights!.......From what I've seen so far it would have been an afternoon project for a man of your skills!,,...LOL
Quote from: held1823 on August 10, 2014, 03:01:05 PM
once again, this is incredible craftsmanship
Thank you for the encouragement.
Quote from: DC_1 on August 10, 2014, 05:06:45 PM
I am surprised you didn't hand craft your own uprights!.......From what I've seen so far it would have been an afternoon project for a man of your skills!,,...LOL
I didn't do that because I am basically lazy. :yesnod:
Samply amazing. :2thumbs:
:scope: :faint: this is some awesome fabrication going on Stevearino :yesnod: great stuff :2thumbs: :coolgleamA: :popcrn:
lovin' it!
:2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on August 10, 2014, 05:48:50 PM
Quote from: held1823 on August 10, 2014, 03:01:05 PM
once again, this is incredible craftsmanship
Thank you for the encouragement.Quote from: DC_1 on August 10, 2014, 05:06:45 PM
I am surprised you didn't hand craft your own uprights!.......From what I've seen so far it would have been an afternoon project for a man of your skills!,,...LOL
I didn't do that because I am basically lazy. :yesnod:
Nope. :rotz:
Basically lazy people do not do projects like this.
Suspect you could fabricate the entire car if you wanted to. :2thumbs:
Yes, without the wing being hollow or open at the bottom, they should be "cupped" on the bottom. Just amazing work.
Dane
...And another insomniac adds a post. :cheers:
Gotta see how this one goes. I'm not a wingcar guy so much as a mod dreamer. :popcrn:
:drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :cheers: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: DJ :cheers:
Still waiting on the side glass so I can finalize my doors so I tinkered a little more with the wing.
I cut through the aluminum trunk floor extensions to expose the 1.5" x 1.5".065 square tubing that I had welded in to connect the 06 floor pan to the bumper support system. I welded two 1/8" tabs to the tube . This is where I will connect my wing support. I made up some wing washers out of .060 mild steel bending a 1/2" flange around the perimeter so that I could shrink the edges to help fit the contour of the quarter panel. I also ran it a bit through the English wheel to dome the center so that when I tightened the wing down it would not flatten the quarter.
The first picture is of the bottom side of the wing washer showing the tabs I welded on to make my connection to the trunk extensions via adjustable rods.
I added some 1/16th double sided foam trim tape to dampen vibration. I left the release paper on as this tape is impossible to remove should I need to remove the wing washers.
I made up 3 adjustable rods so that I would be able to fine tune the tilt of the uprights fore-aft and side to side.
The last picture is of the rods installed. The main reason for the need to adjust the wing is that my right quarter panel was in pretty bad shape when I got the car and had to be hammered out. The top surface not being perfect once the wing washers were in place this helped me true the wing uprights.
Steve,
I just joined this forum so I could add a bit of info for you. First, this is an AMAZING build. You've got much more vision and skill than you give yourself credit for.
I see the challenges you are having with the door side glass. If you'll surf through this thread, the author give info on the source he used for all new glass for hi notchback Barracuda. Since you already have a pattern for the glass, I'm betting they will be worth talking to.
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=134292 See post #89 on page 4
Hope this is useful,
Mike in FL
Quote from: dodgedartgt on August 19, 2014, 05:50:35 PM
Steve,
I just joined this forum so I could add a bit of info for you. First, this is an AMAZING build. You've got much more vision and skill than you give yourself credit for.
I see the challenges you are having with the door side glass. If you'll surf through this thread, the author give info on the source he used for all new glass for hi notchback Barracuda. Since you already have a pattern for the glass, I'm betting they will be worth talking to.
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=134292 See post #89 on page 4
Hope this is useful,
Mike in FL
Thanks for the information Mike. This will give me a good fall back if the glass that is on it's way proves to be unworkable. I would prefer tempered glass but everyone I talked to said the people who were doing this kind of work have new DOT test protocols which has shot the price of this out of reach. But who knows maybe these guys are still doing it reasonably. :scratchchin:
In adding, since the car will be titled as a '68, I just can't see why a piece of glass, ANY piece of glass has to meet other than '68 Federal Standards. Please let me know what they tell you. What I do remember from reading what Michael had written, was that auto glass, least wise side glass, comes flat, and in varying degrees of bend, measured by it's radius.
Also, wouldn't the glass break into the proper size bits, regardless of the final outline it is cut too? Is DOT trying to force a production car standard onto one-off custom work?
Mike in FL
From what I was told by a pretty prolific car builder who has built cars that have won first place at Pebble Beach the anealing process is specific to the size of the glass and a number of test pieces must be broken to assure the size of the pieces fit the DOT standard.I imagine that if you were reproducing a piece of glass from a known pattern the specifics of time and temperature would be known. Not so for a one off pattern. He said the company he had been using would no longer do this type of work because of that. He was willing to give me the name of a company in Michigan that still did but they would charge north of $5000.00 for just a yield of two pieces of glass.
I still intend on calling the folks you suggested if the laminated glass I have coming proves not to my liking. We will see. Thanks again for the contact. I only wish I had heard about them 6 weeks ago before I committed to the laminated glass. :rotz:
I just took a look at www.sandersreproglass.com and under FAQ they state that on cars 1965 and beyond they cannot supply custom tempered glass because they do not have the technology to produce custom curved glass .
The whole glass thing looks like a bigger pain than i ever would have imagined, i know there are a couple companies that make 1 peice windows for early mustangs, el caminos, things like that, have you tried getting in contact with any to build you some? or even throw them into production for other b-bodies, i remember on a corvette forum, just an ordinary guy donated his 82 corvette to dakota digital gauges, to have custom gauges made, and to have the car used as a prototype to put 78-82 corvette gauge clusters into production... ambitious yes... but so is the rest of your car :coolgleamA:
http://www.onepieceproducts.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=OPP6768%20MUSTANG%20F/B
thats one company :shruggy:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 03, 2014, 09:41:07 PM
The whole glass thing looks like a bigger pain than i ever would have imagined, i know there are a couple companies that make 1 peice windows for early mustangs, el caminos, things like that, have you tried getting in contact with any to build you some? or even throw them into production for other b-bodies, i remember on a corvette forum, just an ordinary guy donated his 82 corvette to dakota digital gauges, to have custom gauges made, and to have the car used as a prototype to put 78-82 corvette gauge clusters into production... ambitious yes... but so is the rest of your car :coolgleamA:
http://www.onepieceproducts.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=OPP6768%20MUSTANG%20F/B
thats one company :shruggy:
Thanks for the link Baldwinvette77. I am not willing to shoulder the start up cost for something like that though. The mopar market is tiny when you compare it with the GM stuff. Compare the numbers of second gen Chargers built (around 240,000.) A sales success for Chrysler and one of GMs biggest failures the Corvair (1.2 million) and you get the idea. I have just gotten the laminated glass in from California and it is heavy by looks great and am looking forward to seeing if it is going to work out the way I want. Lee at Alan Auto Glass told me that after advertising this one piece glass on Ebay I was the only inquiry so B body folks are not exactly knocking down the doors. He said just 60 requests would have justified tooling up for tempered glass. So it is all about the numbers in the end.
No "custom" glass for "1965 and beyond"? Who is to say what year of car a "custom" piece is being made for?
This whole thing is weird.
I can't imagine that a law was recently changed for anything resembling this kind of situation. I wonder what more common situation was being addressed with it.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on September 04, 2014, 07:35:49 AM
No "custom" glass for "1965 and beyond"? Who is to say what year of car a "custom" piece is being made for?
This whole thing is weird.
I can't imagine that a law was recently changed for anything resembling this kind of situation. I wonder what more common situation was being addressed with it.
I don't know Mike but I have grown weary of chasing this unicorn. I have mounted my laminated glass and it looks good so I am officially moving on.
Let me qualify that. I am in the process of mounting the glass as many of the things that worked fine with flimsy lexan don't quite line up with a piece of rigid glass. Chop Cut ....... :brickwall:
amazing fabrication skills. really enjoying reading and learning about your build :popcrn:
Quote from: fez340 on September 04, 2014, 12:22:12 PM
amazing fabrication skills. really enjoying reading and learning about your build :popcrn:
Thanks for the thumbs up. It is much appreciated.
Well the glass finally came in and I must say I am pretty pleased with it. It is pretty heavy and right at the limit for what the window motor will handle but the main thing is it is frame less on top and in front and has a clean look to it. Also it is plenty strong and has a positive engagement with the roof and A post seal. As far as the seal is concerned after struggling to get the quarter window to not ride out on it I swapped it out for the secondary or inner seal from the 06 Charger. It is much more compliant and has a finished edge to cover the edge of the head liner. One way or another there will probably be some wind noise compared to a newer car. Not much to be done there. I just hope I can keep water from driving in should I get caught in a rain storm on a drive.
Anyway since this is laminated glass I had to make a channel to capture the bottom of the glass. Initially I tried to use a "U" channel but I wasn't satisfied that it would be enough to protect the glass. I ultimately got some .060 mild steel and stepped it in a press brake at work to create a two part channel that I could sandwich the glass in. After I adhered the rear glass trim piece with a new seal I sprayed a little contact cement to stick down some 1/16th" rubber/cork strips to pad the base of the glass. I then through bolted the bottom channel on the glass.
Nearly everything I had done to the inner door up until now had to be cut out and re worked. What was fine for a piece of flexible Lexan was no good for a rigid piece of glass. Took me forever t adjust every thing and line it up with the quarter window but it is in.
I am not looking forward to trying to get this set once the door skin is on and I have to work blind but that is the nature of these things. If it was easy little kids would be doing this stuff. :lol:
Looking real nice Steve!! :2thumbs:
I wanna smack it :drool5:
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2013, 08:02:25 AM
I got the nose and tail second hand from a guy up in Troutman N.C. who used to work for Ray Evernham and has a tidy little business building General Lees for customers. Over the past few years he has built over 40 of them.
I just found this thread. Nice project! Speaking of that guy you got the parts from in Troutman, NC who builds general lees. He's a certified scam artist. Building Bondo bucket general lees out of junkyard heaps and unloading them on ebay. I was one his victims in 2007 when I knew very little about mopars and bought one of his heaps sight unseen. I paid $15,000 for a 70 that was advertised as a driver. It was far from that. The car was fabricated with pop rivets, road tar, fiberglass, bondo and had one lugnut holding each wheel on and had no brakes. It didn't run the motor was blown. Thank you Mr Bud Cram for stealing my dream of having a general lee!
Quote from: 70-500-SE-EXPORT on September 08, 2014, 01:14:25 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2013, 08:02:25 AM
I got the nose and tail second hand from a guy up in Troutman N.C. who used to work for Ray Evernham and has a tidy little business building General Lees for customers. Over the past few years he has built over 40 of them.
I just found this thread. Nice project! Speaking of that guy you got the parts from in Troutman, NC who builds general lees. He's a certified scam artist. Building Bondo bucket general lees out of junkyard heaps and unloading them on ebay. I was one his victims in 2007 when I knew very little about mopars and bought one of his heaps sight unseen. I paid $15,000 for a 70 that was advertised as a driver. It was far from that. The car was fabricated with pop rivets, road tar, fiberglass, bondo and had one lugnut holding each wheel on and had no brakes. It didn't run the motor was blown. Thank you Mr Bud Cram for stealing my dream of having a general lee!
Wow. I only bought a few items from him. I had no idea he was up to that stuff. I wondered how he could build GL drivers for under $20,000.00. I guess that explains how. Very sorry you had that bad experience. What did you end up doing with the car?
Well after many different versions I finally got to where I wanted with the side glass situation in the drivers door. Adjusting it to seal and operate smoothly was a bit of a nightmare to say the least. I ended up going back to the original 68 seal after all was said and done. I moved everything around so much between the back window and the front I won't be surprised if everything doesn't collapse from metal fatigue. :eek2: There is definitely a sweet spot where the rear window is just far forward enough and angled in enough to where the front window closes against it just right with out causing friction running it up while still sealing at the top and not leaning too far out when rolled down.
I ended up cutting the stainless channel that holds the rubber seal so that I could reshape it to better seal bot at the top and at the "A" pillar. After that was done I re welded the front edge back to it and installed it. The roof edge that I had already welded on when I removed the rain gutter was all wrong at this point and had to be cut back away and a new one fabricated that would properly capture the stainless track.
I primed and painted the inside of the door shell and then prepped the outer skin to finally be attached to the inner. Since I am not running the outside belt moldings I had to re-make the upper rim of the skin to eliminate all of the holes on the top side.
I also had to install some fiberglass honeycomb board just below the door handle location to stiffen it up . This was applied with 3M double sided trim tape. If you ever use that stuff if you'll clean both surfaces with acetone you will have a hell of a time getting it back off.
One of the other things I had to do was to make a backer piece for the rear view mirror to strengthen this area. I worked a piece of .060 steel to the shape of the area then stuck it into place with the 3M tape. When the mirror is bolted on this will hopefully reduce any flex in the skin there.
One thing I did once I got the inner door placed where I wanted it was to drill a couple of 1/8" holes in the hinges so that they would be easier to re-align when re-installing them.
Finally I attached the skin to the inner door. Pretty satisfying having a solid door back on the car.
The window project really made me feel like I was stuck on a one way dead end street. Seemed like whenever I thought "all it needs now is a little tune up" I would find something that would make me go back to square one. To keep up the momentum I decided to fool around with the nose. At the outset I had thought I would build a steel nose and just use the glass one as a guide. I decided that Dane had a pretty good argument about the durability of the glass nose so I decided to just go with it. I needed to come up with a way to hang it on the car so I first installed an "L" bracket at the inside top of the nose. Then I put a "Z" flange on the lower back rim. The idea being that it will hang from the top and then be captured at the bottom.
The next thing I had to do is create a solid mount off of the bumper support on the SRT. I used some .060 steel angle to pick up both front rails of the car and then found bolt up positions on top of the support.
I built a 3/4" x 3/4" frame that fit the inside back of the nose. I then mocked the nose up so that I could attach the frame to my new supports. The nose hung on quite nicely when all was said and done.
As you can see by this picture I decided to glass in the Daytona grill and cut a Superbird style grill in to the bottom of the nose.
This is something I had thought about since I first saw the two cars. Seems that the Charger got cheated out of the better styling because it was a rush to get it to the track. So I am taking this opportunity to add those few touches that I think made the Bird a better looking front facia. I got some Coronet turn signal lenses from E-bay. A whole lot cheaper than the Bird re-pops at over $200 for two lenses. They should work fine.
I also went the route that Dane and Daytonalo took and pushed the nose back to the fenders to eliminate the 1" gap. This does cause some issues with the fenders being wider than the nose but I think I can sort that out.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 14, 2014, 05:36:01 PM
As you can see by this picture I decided to glass in the Daytona grill and cut a Superbird style grill in to the bottom of the nose.
:down:
Looking good Steve :cheers:
Quote from: held1823 on September 14, 2014, 05:52:25 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 14, 2014, 05:36:01 PM
As you can see by this picture I decided to glass in the Daytona grill and cut a Superbird style grill in to the bottom of the nose.
:down:
WHY, Any race team is going to tweak anything to get better performance out of it. :2thumbs:
Did the birds have the cooling problem that the Daytona's did ?
Ohhh, that nose mod looks NICE. I hope it cools okay that way because it looks great.
But one thing concerns me with the nose mounting setup. What about allowing for adjusting the alignment of the panels? IMO any bolt-on panel could use the factory mounting method, where they put perpendicular ovaled holes on both the part & mounting area, with some room for shims in between.
I've always been concerned about the turn signals on wing cars being buried way down under the nose, factory setup or not. Modern cars sit pretty high up and guys usually rake their wing cars down in front.
Another idea for wing cars in general - headlight door setups work a ton better than pop-up headlight buckets. If the project was mine I would be coming up with a rigid-mounted deal for the headlight assys and then opening & shutting some lightweight doors over them rather than moving the lights themselves. Think about how a motorcycle's headlight beam shakes all over the place on vertical bumps or vibrations. IMO it just ends up being much less of a problem when you only shut a lid over the lights instead of trying to move the lights. And modern headlight options can be small enough to make this feasible inside the stock Daytona headlight door footprint. They did a headlight setup like this (but no doors at all) on the Fast & Furious #6 maroon red Daytona.
Quote from: held1823 on September 14, 2014, 05:52:25 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 14, 2014, 05:36:01 PM
As you can see by this picture I decided to glass in the Daytona grill and cut a Superbird style grill in to the bottom of the nose.
:down:
:2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :cheers: :cheers:
I get that held1823 doesn't agree with the change in the nose. I kind of expected that. Everyone has their preferences about how these car should look. From the outset I probably shouldn't have called this a clone. Aero426 referred to it once as a tribute car and I guess that is what it really is. A clone indicates faithful reproduction. I had always intended to tweek the car from the outset.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on September 14, 2014, 11:58:21 PM
Ohhh, that nose mod looks NICE. I hope it cools okay that way because it looks great.
But one thing concerns me with the nose mounting setup. What about allowing for adjusting the alignment of the panels? IMO any bolt-on panel could use the factory mounting method, where they put perpendicular ovaled holes on both the part & mounting area, with some room for shims in between.
I've always been concerned about the turn signals on wing cars being buried way down under the nose, factory setup or not. Modern cars sit pretty high up and guys usually rake their wing cars down in front.
Another idea for wing cars in general - headlight door setups work a ton better than pop-up headlight buckets. If the project was mine I would be coming up with a rigid-mounted deal for the headlight assys and then opening & shutting some lightweight doors over them rather than moving the lights themselves. Think about how a motorcycle's headlight beam shakes all over the place on vertical bumps or vibrations. IMO it just ends up being much less of a problem when you only shut a lid over the lights instead of trying to move the lights. And modern headlight options can be small enough to make this feasible inside the stock Daytona headlight door footprint. They did a headlight setup like this (but no doors at all) on the Fast & Furious #6 maroon red Daytona.
As far as the mounting of the nose I have already done my final adjustment for location and built the support frame accordingly.
I agree that the turn signal situation is not perfect as it relates to a modern car with the lights up high and to the side but I wanted the signals to blend into the nose like they do on the Superbird. Rather than re-invent the wheel I have just copied that look .
I had always planned to put the headlights in the nose with drop down doors . I am using 2012 Challenger headlight housings for that. The only drawback of the drop down door is what you pointed out with the signals in that it sets the headlights deep in the nose. This will probably cause the beams not to cast to the sides very well but again while it is not design perfect it is a compromise for a look I want. I invoke hot rod privilege here.
djcarguy: As always thanks for the thumbs up and when are you going to post some pics of your project?
Wow, those headlights are going to be sunk deep in there! You sure about that setup? Seems like you could pivot the doors more like the usual headlight door setup and it would work better. Have the pivot point roughly at the lights and rotate the doors either up or down away from in front of the lights.
Looks like good craftsmanship, though. You are really doing nice work on this thing.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 15, 2014, 05:02:58 AM
I get that held1823 doesn't agree with the change in the nose. I kind of expected that. Everyone has their preferences about how these car should look.
the knee-jerk reaction is let a daytona be a daytona and a superbird be a superbird, but my sentiment is the daytona leading edge is so much better looking.
superbird grille openings look exactly like what they were - crude hacks made underneath the cone as a concession to cooling concerns. it's the same way with the superbird hood extensions and rear windows. both came about from necessity, not styling.
none the less, the fabrication talent seen within this cone is still beyond amazing
Quote from: held1823 on September 15, 2014, 08:14:13 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 15, 2014, 05:02:58 AM
I get that held1823 doesn't agree with the change in the nose. I kind of expected that. Everyone has their preferences about how these car should look.
the knee-jerk reaction is let a daytona be a daytona and a superbird be a superbird, but my sentiment is the daytona leading edge is so much better looking.
superbird grille openings look exactly like what they were - crude hacks made underneath the cone as a concession to cooling concerns. it's the same way with the superbird hood extensions and rear windows. both came about from necessity, not styling.
none the less, the fabrication talent seen within this cone is still beyond amazing
Thanks Held,
I know you are passionate about these cars and that is reflected in your strong opinion. You are just showin' the love.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on September 15, 2014, 08:06:11 AM
Wow, those headlights are going to be sunk deep in there! You sure about that setup? Seems like you could pivot the doors more like the usual headlight door setup and it would work better. Have the pivot point roughly at the lights and rotate the doors either up or down away from in front of the lights.
Looks like good craftsmanship, though. You are really doing nice work on this thing.
Popping them up might create a fluttering in the wind situation as they would catch air like a scoop and in order to drop down they have to pivot the way I have them now. I originally had an elaborate but ultimately unworkable plan to have them retract up into the nose. The shape of the doors and room for the mechanism killed that notion.
:2thumbs: Looking great!
FYI: the leading edge of the cone is the best place for the air inlet, from a drag standpoint.
Styling is subjective!! :Twocents:
Progress looks great. Keep it up.
I am sure you know this, but you may not have thought about it for a while. Before you do anything that involves panel (or nose) alignment you should really get all the weight on the suspension so the body is naturally loaded. Where the jack stands are in the last set of photos will probably let the front end droop just enough to make the panels be crooked when the car gets put back on its wheels.
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 15, 2014, 08:46:11 PM
Progress looks great. Keep it up.
I am sure you know this, but you may not have thought about it for a while. Before you do anything that involves panel (or nose) alignment you should really get all the weight on the suspension so the body is naturally loaded. Where the jack stands are in the last set of photos will probably let the front end droop just enough to make the panels be crooked when the car gets put back on its wheels.
You are absolutely right and I am glad you pointed that out.
I really like the custom touches, especially the nose. Im working on pop-ups for a '70 coronet right now. When it comes to the Daytona I always wanted to make the headlight covers slide up into the nose like a small moon roof. Anyways, lookin great. :popcrn:
Quote from: Patronus on September 16, 2014, 09:40:08 PM
I really like the custom touches, especially the nose. Im working on pop-ups for a '70 coronet right now. When it comes to the Daytona I always wanted to make the headlight covers slide up into the nose like a small moon roof. Anyways, lookin great. :popcrn:
That was exactly the way I was going to go. The fact that I locked in on the idea of using 2010 Challenger headlights which are pretty big killed this idea as it is too crowded in there for the mechanism I had planned. Also using the fiberglass nose that I had picked up second hand I had to add stiffeners just under the tops of the door openings further crowding the area where the doors could retreat. I had planned to use the window regulators from the rear doors of the 06 Charger as they are a single rail that draws the glass grasping clamp straight up and down. Laid flat they match the contour of the nose. Getting the doors to roll up and into the holes would be a little tricky but as you say you would use the same principles as works on a moon roof.
I had envisioned a rack and pinion type design.
I just read this thread from start to current and came to the realization that i'm not worthy to be on this forum. :notworthy: Furthermore my skillset and tools shall be comapered to a neanerthal with rocks and sticks. Your vision and talent just blows me away! Beautiful work sir.
Quote from: Patronus on September 17, 2014, 12:03:38 AM
I had envisioned a rack and pinion type design.
I would be curious to see how that would work.
Quote from: Crabtree charger on September 17, 2014, 01:27:02 AM
I just read this thread from start to current and came to the realization that i'm not worthy to be on this forum. :notworthy: Furthermore my skillset and tools shall be comapered to a neanerthal with rocks and sticks. Your vision and talent just blows me away! Beautiful work sir.
Knock it off and start posting those pictures. We wanna see your cars. :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn:
Seriously. Thanks for the compliment. Now start postin! :yesnod: :yesnod:
Agree, start posting photos, it's a sharing thing,
I consider myself rough too, amazed at some of the work going on with cars on this site, but quality and finish of each car is getting better, but the experiences on here are to help all ,
And one of the nicest things on here, all work and cars regardless are respected, good bunch of guys on here
Just wished I had found this site earlier,
Quote from: Stevearino on September 16, 2014, 03:46:28 PM
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 15, 2014, 08:46:11 PM
Progress looks great. Keep it up.
I am sure you know this, but you may not have thought about it for a while. Before you do anything that involves panel (or nose) alignment you should really get all the weight on the suspension so the body is naturally loaded. Where the jack stands are in the last set of photos will probably let the front end droop just enough to make the panels be crooked when the car gets put back on its wheels.
You are absolutely right and I am glad you pointed that out.
......yep what he said
Are you going to shrink the nose to fit the profile of the guards like I did .? That way it suits the shape of your particular build and it looks like it is supposed to be there .
And DJ shouldn't be allowed to reply to posts until he puts up some photos :poke: : :lol:
Looking damn good by the way :cheers:
Quote from: remta1 on September 18, 2014, 12:14:03 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 16, 2014, 03:46:28 PM
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 15, 2014, 08:46:11 PM
Progress looks great. Keep it up.
I am sure you know this, but you may not have thought about it for a while. Before you do anything that involves panel (or nose) alignment you should really get all the weight on the suspension so the body is naturally loaded. Where the jack stands are in the last set of photos will probably let the front end droop just enough to make the panels be crooked when the car gets put back on its wheels.
You are absolutely right and I am glad you pointed that out.
......yep what he said
Are you going to shrink the nose to fit the profile of the guards like I did .? That way it suits the shape of your particular build and it looks like it is supposed to be there .
And DJ shouldn't be allowed to reply to posts until he puts up some photos :poke: : :lol:
Looking damn good by the way :cheers:
The nose when pushed back to eliminate the 1 inch gap to the fenders actually becomes too narrow by about 3/8" so I may have to modify the fenders to get them to flow into the nose better. I have already had to modify the nose to get it to flow off of the hood better. This one must not have had a very good mother mold. It is very asymmetrical .
The iffy mold shape of the aftermarket glass nose, the grille appearance & cooling issues of the stocker, the signal light issues of the stocker, the limitations that the stock nose poses for headlight door setups, the misfit when you eliminate the rubber seal . . .
For a metal fabricator you are working pretty hard to keep this fiberglass nose. It seems like there is more wrong with it than right for your purposes. You could build your own nose and have free reign to do all that stuff any way you wanted.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on September 18, 2014, 11:30:24 AM
The iffy mold shape of the aftermarket glass nose, the grille appearance & cooling issues of the stocker, the signal light issues of the stocker, the limitations that the stock nose poses for headlight door setups, the misfit when you eliminate the rubber seal . . .
For a metal fabricator you are working pretty hard to keep this fiberglass nose. It seems like there is more wrong with it than right for your purposes. You could build your own nose and have free reign to do all that stuff any way you wanted.
I know. But even if it does not work out as what I use for the finished product it is good practice to see what issues are to be dealt with. One has to start somewhere. Originally I was going to use this as a pattern for a steel nose. I am glad I did not pile off and do that. The fitment issues are not obvious with a quick mock up.
So I thought to myself " Let me take Friday off and stroll around the Auto Fair, I need to get out of the house (shop) and have a nice relaxing brain dead day." Well it was all working out fine until my wife points to a vendor selling custom glass. When I first started my search for side glass in this project I went to a website called Vintage Glass.com. They sent me on to the vendor in California that I eventually ended up buying my side glass from. But not before I tried $600.00 worth of curved Lexan. Turns out some money man bought the name Vintage Glass to start the website as a broker. I was now standing in front of the original owner from Georgia who still does custom glass and he said that the guy who runs the website is oblivious to what can and cannot be done. Sooooooooo............... it turns out that he could have made my side glass and tempered it. :brickwall: I asked him twice to be sure we were on the same page. He said " Yeah , that would not be problem." I asked him for a price and he said about $1,000.00 per panel. Well below the numbers I had been getting of around $5000.00. :brickwall: Oh well. I have his cell phone# should I run into any issues with what I have. :rotz:
That sucks..
That seams to happen to me alot, as soon as i finish something, a better alternative comes up within the next month or so, and now that im not working on the car so much, the wicked deals seemed to have vanished :rotz:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 19, 2014, 08:35:31 PM
That seams to happen to me alot, as soon as i finish something, a better alternative comes up within the next month or so, and now that im not working on the car so much, the wicked deals seemed to have vanished :rotz:
True. The rub here for me is that I talked to a lot of people about this and kept getting the same answer. And I started with Vintage Glass.
Yes Iam posting?? Hey Steve think it's time to drop the clone in thread title? maybe CUSTOM,,OR HYBREAD,,OR MODERN PROTO TYPE,, SOME thing alone these lines to go with SRT-8 an DAYTONA,AN custom craftmanship your putting in your awesum Daytona ..
YOUR CREATING A awesum machine that is far from just a clone under the skin an appearance??
My :Twocents: :Twocents: :popcrn: :drool5: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: that DJ is posting again-%$#@!#^&*&^ HA HA HO :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers: :cheers:
Quote from: djcarguy on September 20, 2014, 04:53:53 AM
Yes Iam posting?? Hey Steve think it's time to drop the clone in thread title? maybe CUSTOM,,OR HYBREAD,,OR MODERN PROTO TYPE,, SOME thing alone these lines to go with SRT-8 an DAYTONA,AN custom craftmanship your putting in your awesum Daytona ..
YOUR CREATING A awesum machine that is far from just a clone under the skin an appearance??
My :Twocents: :Twocents: :popcrn: :drool5: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: that DJ is posting again-%$#@!#^&*&^ HA HA HO :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers: :cheers:
DJ you are always welcome to post. I appreciate your words of encouragement and enthusiasm. I considered changing the name of the thread to SRT-8 Daytona Tribute as it is more descriptive of what I am doing. But I am going to keep the title as is to avoid confusion.
JMO......
Neither clone or tribute really catch the flavor of this project.
Clone-duplicate of an original? :smilielol:
Tribute suggests a race inspired version..... :rotz:[the 71 project is a great example]
Custom.......accurate, but seems inadequate.
An amazing blend of modern technology and an historically significant car with tasteful changes wrought by a master of fabrication.
Guess that's a bit long for a title...... :shruggy:
Who really cares what you call it.
Just keep doing it and keep us updated! :yesnod:
Wow Dyslexic teddybear :o. That's a bit over the top but thanks for the compliment.
You know Steve, there's such a thing as being too dam humble. :yesnod:
Seriously, you do some incredible work. I have some experience repairing/fabricating heavier stuff like 1/4-3/8s......very, very easy compared to the little sheetmetal I've done.
So....... :notworthy:
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on September 21, 2014, 12:56:43 AM
You know Steve, there's such a thing as being too dam humble. :yesnod:
Seriously, you do some incredible work. I have some experience repairing/fabricating heavier stuff like 1/4-3/8s......very, very easy compared to the little sheetmetal I've done.
So....... :notworthy:
Thanks again, but I have seen too much great work on cars to get too carried away with what I am doing by comparison. And in the day of the "selfie" there is no such thing as too humble. :lol:
I firmly believe in "those that can, do.....and let the work speak for itself."
In todays world, the opposite is those that can't do much of anything.......take a "selfie".
I have my talents, unfortunately, sheetmetal skills aren't really one of them yet. Thus I'm in awe of those that do. :yesnod:
I got to fooling around with the drop down headlight doors over the week end. I took one last stab at making them retractable but there is just not enough length above the openings to get the doors completely out of the the way of the headlight opening. So I went back to the drop down idea using a window motor to actuate them. I decided to hinge them from the very front of the opening as this gave me the most room to move the headlights closer to the opening. I am thinking I will also have to find an alternative to the Challenger headlights as only about 2/3 of them show through the height of the opening when the doors are down. Still playing around with that though. The doors drop really fast but the come up nicely..Here is a little video of them operating.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=858233767522857&set=vb.100000087251193&type=2&theater
I can't remember now if I've ever suggested this to you before, but have you looked into Firebird/Fiero headlight door motors from the 1980s/90s? GM produced a car with flip-up headlights for 20 years straight so they were forced to actually sort out the system to work pretty well.
I'm not sure about the earlier ones, but by the later years it had a manual knob (reachable with the hood open) to raise or lower the doors by hand in case of trouble. The remaining weak point was they used nylon gears inside. I think somebody was selling bronze replacement gears for the system on the internet.
These motors would be really overbuilt for the job with flat Mopar headlight doors. GM was raising & lowering the entire headlight pods with them.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on September 22, 2014, 05:45:02 PM
I can't remember now if I've ever suggested this to you before, but have you looked into Firebird/Fiero headlight door motors from the 1980s/90s? GM produced a car with flip-up headlights for 20 years straight so they were forced to actually sort out the system to work pretty well.
I'm not sure about the earlier ones, but by the later years it had a manual knob (reachable with the hood open) to raise or lower the doors by hand in case of trouble. The remaining weak point was they used nylon gears inside. I think somebody was selling bronze replacement gears for the system on the internet.
These motors would be really overbuilt for the job with flat Mopar headlight doors. GM was raising & lowering the entire headlight pods with them.
No Mike, I don't believe you did but I will keep that in mind should this deal not work out in the long run. Another good reason to have a nose that is easily detached. :yesnod:
Also, with the GM headlight motor, I was picturing just using a single motor in the middle of the front end between the headlight doors. Use a couple of thin metal rods/tubes stretching out either side to reach each headlight doors. It seems like a simpler setup overall. And it would get rid of the annoying "lazy eye" problem where one side's action looks visibly weaker than the other.
If I was doing it this way, I would still want to basically build each headlight door pivoting assembly separately, and just use a linkage between them with some rubber bushings or U-joints or something built into it. I would avoid trying to connect both doors too rigidly in all directions.
Whereas if the system ends up being more like one big single rigid pivoting piece under the nose (carrying both headlight doors), it might be a problem to keep it aligned just right with the nose. Both the nose and the big pivoting piece would each be large enough to do some flexing on their own.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on September 22, 2014, 07:19:12 PM
Also, with the GM headlight motor, I was picturing just using a single motor in the middle of the front end between the headlight doors. Use a couple of thin metal rods/tubes stretching out either side to reach each headlight doors. It seems like a simpler setup overall. And it would get rid of the annoying "lazy eye" problem where one side's action looks visibly weaker than the other.
If I was doing it this way, I would still want to basically build each headlight door pivoting assembly separately, and just use a linkage between them with some rubber bushings or U-joints or something built into it. I would avoid trying to connect both doors too rigidly in all directions.
Whereas if the system ends up being more like one big single rigid pivoting piece under the nose (carrying both headlight doors), it might be a problem to keep it aligned just right with the nose. Both the nose and the big pivoting piece would each be large enough to do some flexing on their own.
I have one motor mounted in the center. The doors are hinged to the nose and are removable. The pivot device has individual adjustments for each door to take up any twist in the nose. The arms that engage the doors slip through nylon grommets (self lubricating). Sorry no pictures of the mechanism as this is proof of concept stage and I need to make all the pieces in their final iteration.
EDIT: Mike I just looked at the Firebird headlight motor and ordered one. While the set up I have works I worry a little about it not being geared down for long term durability. We will see how the new motor handles the load.
Since I moved the nose back to eliminate the 1" space between it and the fenders I had to deal with the issue of it now being too narrow.
I thought about pulling it back out but it turns out it is still a bit narrow.
I thought about sectioning the nose but the easiest thing would have been to split it down the middle and re-glass it together. To late for that.
Building up the ends was out. Just too much material to add. Almost 3/8 of and inch to each side.
I took a look at the fenders and decided a risky move. I decided to cut the top edge in a pie shape about 8" back from the front ,pull it in and re-weld it. After looking at it forever I noticed that the 70 fenders actually curve in and then they go slightly straight for that distance. The fender actually seems to blend into the curve of the nose a little better now.
Here is a better shot backed off a bit.
:o
Wow, that looks GREAT. Like it was supposed to be that way in the first place.
I gotta file that one under "Daytona custom project ideas to steal."
Steve, That is exactly the way I am going to do mine, except my 69 fenders that I am modding have a more natural curve towards the nose unlike the 70 fenders
which are more squared. Looks great! :2thumbs:
I wonder how many of the NASCAR Daytonas in 1969/70 were actually wearing '68/69 fenders patched at the front to work as 1970 fenders for the Daytona conversion. They couldn't just throw on a stock set of 1970 Charger fenders w/o redoing all the wheelwell labor again.
BTW check out this thread. We were talking about some Daytona chassis issues including the nose/front end and also the whole body-lowering job. One of the guys who really knows his NASCAR stuff also referred to them having built their short-track cars with less lowering work than the superspeedway cars. Seems potentially interesting for your build, Indy. And the nose-job topic seems relevant to Steve's build.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,95831.0.html (http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,95831.0.html)
Mike, I have always thought they were just 69 Fenders, because lets face it the lower valance panel section on the street cars was just welded sheetmetal on the bottom of the fenders and had the massive panel underneath back to the K frame. Thanks for the link
Quote from: Stevearino on September 23, 2014, 05:35:30 PM
Since I moved the nose back to eliminate the 1" space between it and the fenders I had to deal with the issue of it now being too narrow.
I thought about pulling it back out but it turns out it is still a bit narrow.
I thought about sectioning the nose but the easiest thing would have been to split it down the middle and re-glass it together. To late for that.
Building up the ends was out. Just too much material to add. Almost 3/8 of and inch to each side.
I took a look at the fenders and decided a risky move. I decided to cut the top edge in a pie shape about 8" back from the front ,pull it in and re-weld it. After looking at it forever I noticed that the 70 fenders actually curve in and then they go slightly straight for that distance. The fender actually seems to blend into the curve of the nose a little better now.
Is that a Stinger nose?
When I closed up my nose to fender gap, it lined up with the top of the fenders just fine.
I have a Ted Janak nosecone. :Twocents:
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on September 22, 2014, 05:45:02 PM
I can't remember now if I've ever suggested this to you before, but have you looked into Firebird/Fiero headlight door motors from the 1980s/90s? GM produced a car with flip-up headlights for 20 years straight so they were forced to actually sort out the system to work pretty well.
I'm not sure about the earlier ones, but by the later years it had a manual knob (reachable with the hood open) to raise or lower the doors by hand in case of trouble. The remaining weak point was they used nylon gears inside. I think somebody was selling bronze replacement gears for the system on the internet.
These motors would be really overbuilt for the job with flat Mopar headlight doors. GM was raising & lowering the entire headlight pods with them.
The 88 Fiero (and I believe some later 87s) headlight motors are different and more desirable than the earlier ones. The 88s use a module about 4" square that senses the increased amperage of the motors hitting the stops and shut power off to the motor that way. In other words, as long as you have solid up and down mechanical stops you don't need to worry about limit switches etc. You can wire the module with an up 12 v and a down 12 v wire and a ground and be done with it. The linkage is a bit tricky as they use an over center type link to make the motors more solid when up, as opposed to just the motor gear.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on September 23, 2014, 09:48:45 PM
I wonder how many of the NASCAR Daytonas in 1969/70 were actually wearing '68/69 fenders patched at the front to work as 1970 fenders for the Daytona conversion. They couldn't just throw on a stock set of 1970 Charger fenders w/o redoing all the wheelwell labor again.
I have no doubt some did that Mike but page 45 in the book "Supercars" has a picture of Buddy Baker in the pits. In the contrast between the shaded side of the car and the top side you can clearly see that they are 70 type fenders as there is a deviation from a smooth transition to the nose along the outer edge of the fender. Not that I knew that going in to what I did.
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on September 23, 2014, 10:36:29 PM
Is that a Stinger nose?
When I closed up my nose to fender gap, it lined up with the top of the fenders just fine.
I have a Ted Janak nosecone. :Twocents:
I bought the nose second hand but judging from the comments made about Stinger noses on this forum I am pretty sure that it is one. :eek2:
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 24, 2014, 01:15:37 PM
The 88 Fiero (and I believe some later 87s) headlight motors are different and more desirable than the earlier ones. The 88s use a module about 4" square that senses the increased amperage of the motors hitting the stops and shut power off to the motor that way. In other words, as long as you have solid up and down mechanical stops you don't need to worry about limit switches etc. You can wire the module with an up 12 v and a down 12 v wire and a ground and be done with it. The linkage is a bit tricky as they use an over center type link to make the motors more solid when up, as opposed to just the motor gear.
Thanks for the information. I was in the process of ordering the motor and as a result of your advice I sent a note to the rebuilder that the type of motor you have described is the type that I am looking for. ie:internal limit sensing responding to external mechanical stops.
Just to be clear, the motors do not have the sensor, they are just motors. The sensor is a module that is a separate box about 4"x4"x1". The module has one multi wire plug that sends power to both motors and a second multi wire plug that has the ground, up and down wires. the module senses the amperage increase the motors need when they hit the stops and shuts off the power.
Since I used to race an 88 Fiero I had a pair of motors (and wiring and module) around and made them work on my car. Easier said than done and I am not 100% happy with them as I did not get the over center part to work right. They go up and down great but one wiggles just a bit too much for some reason. When I get everything else done, I will revisit them and make it work better,,,,,, or start over. :eek2:
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 24, 2014, 07:09:15 PM
Just to be clear, the motors do not have the sensor, they are just motors. The sensor is a module that is a separate box about 4"x4"x1". The module has one multi wire plug that sends power to both motors and a second multi wire plug that has the ground, up and down wires. the module senses the amperage increase the motors need when they hit the stops and shuts off the power.
Since I used to race an 88 Fiero I had a pair of motors (and wiring and module) around and made them work on my car. Easier said than done and I am not 100% happy with them as I did not get the over center part to work right. They go up and down great but one wiggles just a bit too much for some reason. When I get everything else done, I will revisit them and make it work better,,,,,, or start over. :eek2:
So you are saying that in addition to the motors I have to get this sensor box? Got any idea what is called specifically so that I might search for it?
I have just seen it called a headlight control module. If you ever find an 88 in a yard, here is a link I just found for removing the module and harness.
http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/000568.html Also check in "the mall" at that site as that is THE Fiero site. If you go this route, I can give you a wire color breakdown when you need it. Using the factory plugs will be much easier, so finding a used setup would be your best bet.
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 24, 2014, 09:14:09 PM
I have just seen it called a headlight control module. If you ever find an 88 in a yard, here is a link I just found for removing the module and harness.
http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/000568.html Also check in "the mall" at that site as that is THE Fiero site. If you go this route, I can give you a wire color breakdown when you need it. Using the factory plugs will be much easier, so finding a used setup would be your best bet.
Thanks, I will see where this leads. Meanwhile the guy I am trying to buy the rebuilt motor from says 84-86 Fiero has internal limits but from what you seem to have implied that might not be the way to go because the early units were prone to failure?
Yes, the early ones were prone to stripped gears more so than the 88s.
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 25, 2014, 12:26:49 PM
Yes, the early ones were prone to stripped gears more so than the 88s.
The one that I ordered has an aluminum gear upgrade that I also ordered. I searched the modules and they are on average a little over $100.00 but the motor vendor says since I am using just one motor he has a module with one side burned out he will sell me for $25.00.
I got a little ahead of myself hanging the nose as I noticed while mocking up the fenders the arc of the hood at the very end did not match up neatly with the fender profile. The fenders relative to the doors needed to dive off a little more in the front. Roughly about 3/8" for everything to jive. So I decided to figure out how I was going to attach the fenders so that all the relationships were true. First thing I did was shape a piece of 3/4" .049 wall square tube to the profile of the fender. This would end up tucking underneath the inner rim along the hood seam. With the skin back off of the hood frame I could see that the hood frame was a little too flat especially at the end where the fenders rolled off pretty good. I re shaped the hood frame to match the 3/4 " stock I had just shaped to match the fender edge. Earlier in the build I had installed two pretty substantial pieces of 1 1/2" .090 wall square stock to act as hood prop (gas pistons) supports. I drilled and tapped these and attached some slotted brackets made out of .060 mild steel. Next laying the 3/4" profile spaced 1/4" off the side of the hood frame I tacked it to the bracket. Following down to the middle of the hood line I installed and adjustable bumper for the hood frame and an angle bracket with a shim under it in case I needed to adjust height here. Down in front where the fender drops off I installed another slotted bracket and tacked the 3/4" stock to it.
Finally I hung the fender on the 3/4" stock. After doing both fenders and making sure everything matched pretty well I re attached to hood mechanism.
Also I decided since the fender was in place to see what I was going to have to do to blend out the hood to the fender at the sides of the cowl. I was a little worried about this because I did the upsweep extension on the back of the hood and kind of just eyeballed it as far as how it would blend out. I am pretty happy about the way it looks.
Looking good Steve! :cheers:
Wow. Simply... wow. :2thumbs:
Steve, are you going to bring your car to the Petty's garage meet ?? I can tell you it would be a hit.. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on October 01, 2014, 08:59:51 PM
Steve, are you going to bring your car to the Petty's garage meet ?? I can tell you it would be a hit.. :2thumbs:
If I ever get it done. :rotz:
The newer cars don't seem to have as many places to jack the car up safely as in the old days. In fact just about anyplace you put a floor jack under this 06 Charger other that the 4 designated lift points will immediately start to cave in. Problem is it is very difficult t jack the car up and then get a jack stand under the same spot. I decided to take some 3/16 steel and cap over the overlap area that is the jack point to extend it. This allowed me to comfortably get a jack stand in place with the floor jack still under the lift point. I guess these cars were only meant to be worked on with a lift.
I wanted to drop the car to the floor to get the weight on it so that I might figure out what to do with the front fender and wheel opening. Since there is a 3 inch difference in the wheel base I knew I would have to add some material to the back half of the lower fender. Since this side was rusted out in this area I decided to cut the fender from about an inch below the body line down and replace it with new metal. There was not enough room to accommodate the fender brace at the back of the fender so I cut it out and replaced it with a 1" x 1" L shaped piece of .060 steel .
After hanging the fender back on the car I rough cut the added metal to generally clear around the tire. Next I used a home made wheel compass to mark out the semi-final wheel opening. After trimming it out I hung the nose back on the car and added the lower portion of the front of the fender that extends the nose. I was pretty worried about how this was all going to look proportionally but I am pretty happy with the way it all ended up looking.
Looking good Steve! I really like the front fender lip.
Looking awesome
:popcrn:
Been going over a tone of piddly little projects like some wiring and other such nonsense so while it doesn't seem like I have gotten much done I have been at it steadily . Here is a video of the wiper situation. I finally got the motor wired back to the car. After that I had to get the main pivot arm located so that the wipers would cycle back to the back to the base of the windshield when coming to rest. I modified the passenger side arm and set it on the driver side. The driver side arm was way to long to modify so I got another passenger side arm on line. When I first fired it up with the arms on the driver side swept past the "A" post. I took the motor out for the umpteenth time and shortened the center pivot arm by 1/8". I re assembled it and then the arms would only come half way up the glass. I took it apart again and lengthened the arm by 1/16" of an inch and ended up with this. It is not perfect but I think I will leave it alone and stay away from torrential down pours. Man this 68 Charger windshield is dinky. Like looking out of a pill box.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=877281385618095&set=vb.100000087251193&type=2&theater¬if_t=video_comment
Using the old windshield to map out the sweep of the wipers worked out great because it was scratched in the wiper pattern. Whoever owned it must have let the wiper blades wear out .
One of the things I decided to re do was the third tail light up in the back of the roof. The way I had enclosed it was a little too bulky so I cut all that out and cut the LED fixture down to a minimal size. Then when I was looking for a way to make a softer cover because of it being overhead I found an old plastic ice bucket from an old refrigerator. The contours of the bottom were pretty much what I was looking for so I cut it to fit a mock up of the rear window center section. My previous housing did not have a light dam to the glass.
Finally I painted it out matte black.
Also here is a picture of the quarter window motor. These are some after market universal window motors that I was surprised to find out worked really well. The are a very small motor that mounts remotely through a geared strap to the window crank stud with custom delran fittings. Two motors and the wiring kit were just $80.00. Not bad for the work they saved. Since they mount on the outside they would not work with stock interior panels as the motor protrudes.
Looking good Steve! :2thumbs:
looking , very , very cool :popcrn: :cheers: :cheers:
Quote from: Indygenerallee on October 25, 2014, 09:04:58 PM
Looking good Steve! :2thumbs:
Quote from: BigBlockSam on October 27, 2014, 03:28:15 PM
looking , very , very cool :popcrn: :cheers: :cheers:
Thanks guys. I'm getting a little bogged down but pushing forward. :P
AWESOME WORK :popcrn: i like how you reuse every bit you can from that modern charger
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on October 27, 2014, 05:47:38 PM
AWESOME WORK :popcrn: i like how you reuse every bit you can from that modern charger
I'm tryin'. Mostly because I'm a cheapskate. :smilielol:
Think about it. I cringed when I bought the donor car because it was close to $9000.00 but I priced the brakes aftermarket and they are about $8000.00 alone not to mention the crate 6.1 goes for about $6,700.00 so even though I am getting off easy I still find it hard to go aftermarket if there is something on this donor I can use. Like I said. Cheapskate.
Aftermarket hi-po parts < OEM hi-po parts.
OEM parts = cheaper, better tested, and better long-term availability.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on October 28, 2014, 08:49:48 AM
Aftermarket hi-po parts < OEM hi-po parts.
OEM parts = cheaper, better tested, and better long-term availability.
Exactly. :yesnod:
Any updates? :popcrn:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on November 08, 2014, 10:43:19 PM
Any updates? :popcrn:
Maybe later today. Everything I am doing right now is pretty piddly but time consuming.
I know that feel :popcrn:
So I decided to take apart my headlight doors and mechanism to refine some stuff I didn't like. I had re hinged the doors to the front of the opening so that the sweep of the door would be minimized in order to push the headlights as far forward as possible but I did it with some stainless steel piano hinge. It worked but was a little crappy looking and didn't work as freely as I would like. So I went ahead and redesigned the hinge using a piece of 3/8 tubing with threaded inserts in the ends and used some stainless steel shoulder bolts to secure the tube to a pivot plate. I secured the doors on the same plate I had already fused to just under the front of the headlight door where the piano hinge was fixed to 10/24 threaded inserts along the plate.
When I first mocked up the mechanism for the headlight doors I was determined to use the window motor left over from the rear doors of the 06. It worked o.k. but was a little to quick. Swampwing2 convinced me to head in the direction of using a gen 2 Fiero headlight motor. Since I was only using one motor I was able to score a control module from the motor re-builder that was dead on one side for $25.00 The beauty of the control module is it removes the need for any limit switches because it senses the increased amperage draw when the doors hit a mechanical stop and it cuts power to the motor. It took a while to get the arms to the right lengths in order for the motor to run at a slower speed even though the motor is geared lower than the window motor. I put some adjustable arms to the doors in order to allow me to tighten up the doors to the nose.
Here is a link to a video of the doors in operation. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=885585328121034&set=vb.100000087251193&type=2&theater
After messing with the headlight doors I decided to tackle the signal light housings. I started by working out the pattern for how the housing would fit the nose and cutting out the openings.
Next I fabricated the housing out of .021 steel and cut an opening to fit the 06 signal housing. This way the existing 06 bulbs fit right into the back of the housing.
The way I had to cut the 06 housing out of the rest of the headlight assembly meant that it wasn't a complete surround for my purposes so the first thing I did was to make a complete back to the housing out of 3/16 plastic. I then wrapped the out side with .040 aluminum. This will allow me to seal the entire housing.
With the housing painted out satin black I cut some adhesive backed reflective foil the shape of the signal lense and stuck it to the back of the housing.
The last two pictures show the lense in place and then set into the nose with clecos.
Man, there must be 50 miles of welding wire in the nose alone :popcrn:
:cheers: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
awsum seeing door fender an nose on its looking great.love no marker an shorter nose over hang.
How much you going to charge for a set of light doors with pivot??? love drop doors over pop up bug eyes. well now with doors an nose i wood bee taking test drives myself,, keep up the great work.
:2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5: :cheers: :cheers:DJ out west :drool5:
I fabricated the headlight mounts this weekend. Here is how they look with and without the nose.
I got the hood all put together and stripped the paint off it so I got that going for me now.
Wow great progress !!! :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
Im going to dehydrate from excessive drooling :drool5:
:popcrn: Unbelievable skill.
Thank you all for the compliments. They help keep me going.
Looks really awesome Steve . Just out of curiousity ,what's the plan with the hood rear extension? Smooth it in or make it appear separate to mimick a cowl top?
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on November 16, 2014, 07:14:35 PM
Im going to dehydrate from excessive drooling :drool5:
me too !!!
very nice job :cheers:
Quote from: Charger-Bodie on November 17, 2014, 08:12:29 AM
Looks really awesome Steve . Just out of curiousity ,what's the plan with the hood rear extension? Smooth it in or make it appear separate to mimick a cowl top?
Because of issues with the wipers and the AC ect. I decided to create a modern looking cowl arrangement which includes a sunken blackout area just behind the hood for the wiper motor and the fresh air inlets. This will allow the wiper motor and arms to be serviced from the outside top as it is in the 06 Charger as opposed to the under dash set up on the original B body. I had always thought these cars might look a little better with a hood similar to the 71 B bodies. So this was my chance to fool with that idea. The only difference is the wipers won't be buried like the older cars but more exposed like a modern car (just a matter of practicality and space).
:drool5: :popcrn: :cheers: :2thumbs: :drool5: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :cheers: :D :D
I think your drop-down doors and the Chally headlights are fantastic. I think this idea is now at the top of my "wanna-do" list for my project.
Keep up the amazing work! :2thumbs:
I agree! awesome fab work.
:2thumbs:
djcarguy, Lighthorseman and DonC1, Thanks for the words of encouragement. They are the fuel that keeps this thread going.
One of the negative aspects of installing fixed headlights in the nose is the fact that they loose the ability to cast light to the side of the road due to being buried in the nose. I decided to see if I could install the driving lights from the 06 at the split where the chin spoiler and the lower nose meet. I found that a piece of 4" PVC was a near perfect fit to fashion a housing for the light module.
using some scrap I worked out the cut pattern for the under side of the nose. I then fit up the housing in the whole. The nose was set level up so that I could also level the housings.
I slotted the top of the PVC so that the leveling adjustment screw on the fixture could be used. Once I could slide the unit into place I made the back of the housing out of some lexan cutting out the back to clearance for the bulb and enable the plastic clips to hold the unit in place.
After gluing the back on the housing I fused the housing to the nose.
I mocked up a chin spoiler out of sheetmetal to look at the proportions. The lens on my camera is kind of a fish eye or wide angle so although the chin spoiler is big it looks a lot bigger in this picture than is really looks in person. Be that as it may I have to tweek on the spoiler a bit yet to get it where I want it.
OH MY GOD YES O.O :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on November 23, 2014, 08:39:43 PM
OH MY GOD YES O.O :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
Settle down.
When I first got my car on the road I rigged up a set of fixed headlights so I could get the car drivable. The lack of light on the side of the road was definitely an issue that made me expedite putting the original style lights in it. Mine also looked a lot like a Saturn since they came out around the same time I got it on the road. Yours looks much better. Keep it up.
:2thumbs:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on November 23, 2014, 08:39:43 PM
OH MY GOD YES O.O :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
:drool5: :2thumbs: :iagree: :2thumbs: :drool5:
... :popcrn:
awsum nose,spoiler an drive lites and drop door..looking great, steve :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5: :cheers: :cheers: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: DJ out west monsoons season here :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers:
Thought with 4 days off I would make some gains but I have been helping my daughter and her husband pack to move to Nashville and get the same house ready for my son and his wife to move into. Eating turkey and chopping down some trees but no progress on the car so here are some pics of another body over job someone in Maine did with a 56 Chrysler Imperial over an SRT-8 Magnum.
Here is a link to the build.
http://www.backbaycustoms.com/project-gallery/56-imperial/
Great progress! :2thumbs: love the updates.
Stunning Workmanship and very pleasing to see! :2thumbs:
I'm sure now there's a glut of damaged SRT's and other high end Modern Mopars,
this will happen more and more!
Its the awnswer to all the rebody rows of the past and present!
No grey(gray) area's, just good old fashioned 'HOT RODDING' and 'CUSTOMISING'!!! :METAL:
I CAN SEE THESE ENGINEERING MARVELS BEING WORTH AS MUCH IF NOT MORE THAN SOME ORIGINALS! :cheers:
Daytona's and Superbird's probably not! :shruggy:
Well done to you METAL MAGICIANS............ :hack: :smash: :buff: :paintingpink: :patriot:
Thanks for the enthusiasm 500Jon and Finn. To date I think since the first one done by West Coast Customs in 07 I think about 6 or 7 have been done. About 1 per year since then. Not exactly a trend sweeping the nation. I do agree that this is more akin to the old idea of hot rodding than simply bolting on high end after market parts. I was just really trying to see what I could do with that in mind.
Credit where CREDIT IS DUE!!! :2thumbs:
My 1969 Charger-500 is a Factory work of ART but,
You guys are bringing iconic-MOPARS into the Modern ERA!! :woohoo:
I would love to own one of these Mechanical Marvels!
The great looks of the Golden Mopars on a 21st Century CHASSIS! :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
Bloody FANTASICAL!!! :notworthy:
Quote from: Stevearino on December 08, 2014, 06:11:46 AM
I do agree that this is more akin to the old idea of hot rodding than simply bolting on high end after market parts. I was just really trying to see what I could do with that in mind.
I get the context you are using.....but this type of morphing old and new technology......goes far beyond old school hot rodding. Or at least the way I see it, swapping a newer and more powerful engine and trans into an older car.....is child's play..... to the conversion you are doing. The amount of details you[and others doing this] are dealing with, is staggering.
I agree......credit where credit is due. :yesnod:
What he said.. :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Once again I appreciate the kind words. This can be a tough crowd so it means a lot to me.
This weekend I decided to work out the wiring to actuate the headlight doors by turning on the headlights. I have tried to draw up a simple diagram to show how I ended up working it out. I hope it can be helpful to someone else who might want to convert to electric door motors.
As you know I was content to use just one motor to operate my doors so I just purchased one rebuilt second generations Pontiac Fiero headlight door motor. Along with that I purchased a control module that only the left half worked so I got it for a good price. I also bought a standard Bosch style 5 pin relay. The diagram below shows how I ended up wiring it. It turns out to be pretty simple as the module is always hot so power is available to the motor in both the up and down modes. I picked up the power to run the relay right off of the headlight wires so that when the lights are off and the relay is in the resting position it makes contact to send power to the close mode. When the lights turn on the relay activates and swaps over to send power to the open mode. The control module senses the increased amperage draw on the motor when it hits a physical stop and cuts power to the motor in both the up and down positions. Clear as mud? :scratchchin:
Do you handle the high beams as well? I had a similar circuit in my electrical motor conversion on my 68, I connected both the high beam and low beams through diodes to feed the relay.
You don't need anywhere near 30 amps to run the motor. It appears to be about 16 gauge wire. I can do an amp draw on mine if you want a better number but I am using both motors and lifting the original style doors with it. I just used a single pole, double throw switch without a relay but I see you added the relay so you can use the existing switch. Makes sense.
Quote from: JamieZ on December 08, 2014, 10:04:14 PM
Do you handle the high beams as well? I had a similar circuit in my electrical motor conversion on my 68, I connected both the high beam and low beams through diodes to feed the relay.
The relay actuates with the power supplied by the headlights. You know unless the headlights turn off when the highbeams come on I don't think you need to do anything else. Since this car was wrecked in the front end when I got it I am on a journey of discovery of how that part of the wire harness works. I may need to address that.
Quote from: Swampwing2 on December 08, 2014, 10:58:22 PM
You don't need anywhere near 30 amps to run the motor. It appears to be about 16 gauge wire. I can do an amp draw on mine if you want a better number but I am using both motors and lifting the original style doors with it. I just used a single pole, double throw switch without a relay but I see you added the relay so you can use the existing switch. Makes sense.
The 30 amp fusable link was just something I had lying around and I wasn't sure about the amp draw. If you say 16 amps is all I need then I can switch out the fuse easily. Believe me when it comes to electrical I am no wizard. I am amazed that I was able to get this to work at all.
:popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :icon_smile_question: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers: :cheers: :popcrn: X-MAS BREAK?????????? DJ ??OUTWEST
Quote from: djcarguy on December 19, 2014, 02:11:47 PM
:popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :icon_smile_question: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers: :cheers: :popcrn: X-MAS BREAK?????????? DJ ??OUTWEST
No DJ. No Christmas break. The bad part of working on a car is there is two of everything. I worked my way down the left side of the car and posted all of that and have been playing with the nose to avoid starting on the right side. I finally got going on that but rather than post a bunch of pictures of a process you have already seen I decided to just stop posting until I had something a little more interesting to post. I estimated I had about 100 or so hours in the left side door and I am about half way through that process on the right side now. (rinse and repeat). Here are a couple of pictures of how that is going. The glass has already been fit up with the regulators. The door latch has already been cut in and the lock and door handle rods have all been modified.
it will all be worth the effort!!!! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
LOOKIN GREAT
charlie
Thank you Charlie.
Well I managed to get the door panel covered and installed. Now I have to deal with modifying and installing the wire harness, the side view mirror, fitting up the door handle to the new skin and fitting the skin to the inner door. That will keep me off the streets for a couple more weeks.
Awesome :2thumbs:
Turnin out great :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Quote from: The70RT on December 28, 2014, 06:36:53 PM
Awesome :2thumbs:
Thanks man. Can't wait to see that blue and white of yours done.
Quote from: oldcarnut on December 29, 2014, 01:06:35 AM
Turnin out great :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Thank you. How is your car coming along?
:popcrn:
very nice work :popcrn:
Keep up the great work! Still the best thread on DC.com!!!
Jason
I haven't been able to work much on my build lately because of building a race car but I sure enjoy following the best charger build on this site. Lots of inspiration for me to get back on mine soon
ACUDANUT ,XS29L9B2, jaak,tnthull, Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. tnthull, Someone was asking about your build on this board just recently. I hope we will see you getting back to it soon.
Well nothing overly exciting to report. I finished positioning the side window to roof seal track on the right side of the car and rebuilt the roof edge as I did on the left side of the car. I have been back and forth on what seal to use. The 68 top seal seems to roll the window out when the window rolls up which causes some binding when the door glass rolls up so I decided on the top to use the seal from the 06 which is softer and doesn't force the quarter glass outward. On the "A" post I will be using the front portion of the 68 seal as it does a better job in this location. The 06 seal also provides a finish lip that helps the transition to the headliner edge trim. I shaped a new headliner edge cap and mocked it into place with 1/8" spacers behind it to simulate the head liner. On the "A" post itself I had to make a steel transition piece to fill the gap between the inner "A" post finish cover and the seal channel.
One of the other things I got into was putting the 06 trunk floor and sides back into the car to see how it would all fit and what I was going to have to do to extend both the sides and the floor. The 68 trunk is about a foot longer than the 06. You can see from the pictures how much longer it is. The other thing I needed to do was to see how to work around the fuel line that runs on the inside of the trunk with the top fill gas door. I was able to cut around it pretty well and will be able to use simple plumbing pipe insulation to cover and protect it.
In the department of " one thing leads to another" I wanted to start getting some of the tail light harness organized which lead me to start fooling with the tail light housings. I had to do some adaptation to allow me to use the tail light harness and bulb set up from the 06. The first thing I did was to cut up the 06 tail lights to salvage the bulb receptors and reflectors. Next I clearanced the existing bulb holes in the 69 light housing so that the 06 bulb holes would protrude through. I then trimmed down the reflectors to fit into the 69 housing and riveted the in. Since the 06 uses just 2 tail lights I used the side marker bulb to finish out the 3 bulb set up.
You need to finish this, so you can build me one...I want the Hellcat edition too. ;)
Quote from: ACUDANUT on January 12, 2015, 02:19:09 PM
You need to finish this, so you can build me one...I want the Hellcat edition too. ;)
They should be plenty of wrecked Hellcats by the time I am done. Problem is with 700 hp there may not be anything left to work with. :lol:
That's a cool Idea putting the SRT taillight sockets/reflectors in the stock 69 housings :2thumbs:. Have you tested them yet with a lens on to see how bright it is. It's also cool to install/use all you can from the SRT. Keep it up!!
Jason
Quote from: jaak on January 12, 2015, 09:37:19 PM
That's a cool Idea putting the SRT taillight sockets/reflectors in the stock 69 housings :2thumbs:. Have you tested them yet with a lens on to see how bright it is. It's also cool to install/use all you can from the SRT. Keep it up!!
Jason
One of the goals of this project was to use what ever I can from the donor car as all that little stuff adds up. Plus it is all compatible with the unaltered wiring harness in the car. No I have not tested with the lens in place yet but the stock interior of the housing seemed pretty dull so I am hoping they will be a little brighter than stock. I know they have LED kits for these housings but I am not crazy about how they look.
I imagine those are going to look fantastic! Great idea! :2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on January 13, 2015, 06:14:21 AM
Quote from: jaak on January 12, 2015, 09:37:19 PM
That's a cool Idea putting the SRT taillight sockets/reflectors in the stock 69 housings :2thumbs:. Have you tested them yet with a lens on to see how bright it is. It's also cool to install/use all you can from the SRT. Keep it up!!
Jason
One of the goals of this project was to use what ever I can from the donor car as all that little stuff adds up. Plus it is all compatible with the unaltered wiring harness in the car. No I have not tested with the lens in place yet but the stock interior of the housing seemed pretty dull so I am hoping they will be a little brighter than stock. I know they have LED kits for these housings but I am not crazy about how they look.
Oh yes, I knew it would be brighter than stock, just wondering if you tested to see how it looks. :2thumbs:
Jason
Ok Steve. What is the goal line here. Summer :yesnod:
Quote from: ACUDANUT on January 13, 2015, 11:30:06 PM
Ok Steve. What is the goal line here. Summer :yesnod:
Since I have never done this before I would hate to predict a deadline. As it is I have been working steady on this for 2 years now. On average I spend from 10 to 12 hours a week on it and I thought I would be much further along by now so the short answer would be........... :shruggy: :shruggy:
Quote from: Stevearino on January 14, 2015, 05:07:40 PM
Quote from: ACUDANUT on January 13, 2015, 11:30:06 PM
Ok Steve. What is the goal line here. Summer :yesnod:
Since I have never done this before I would hate to predict a deadline. As it is I have been working steady on this for 2 years now. On average I spend from 10 to 12 hours a week on it and I thought I would be much further along by now so the short answer would be........... :shruggy: :shruggy:
Don't worry the end result will be worth the extra time :cheers:
I am still messing around getting the wiring extended and looped in the trunk area. Also I wanted to make my back up lamps rectangular and it took me a while but I found some aftermarket replacement housings for a 4 Runner that seemed to fit the bill. The only modification was to replace the bulb receptacle from the 06 tail lights. I then installed them from behind the roll pan so that they would not bulge out and I could control the size of the exposed lens. And before anyone asks I won't be leaving what looks like rocket motors for exhaust. The resonator cans are way too big and hang to low so I will have to do some re routing to get everything closer to the bottom of the car. Hopefully eliminating the afterburners won't make the car sound funky.
I had to remove the 06 reflectors that I installed last week and cut them down a bit. When I put the red lens on you could see the circular perimeter of the 06 reflectors through the lens. I minimized them and they look o.k. now.
Cool :coolgleamA:
Anything else? :popcrn:
looking good hope to see it at a mopar show in a year or two.
:2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Just a little more Baldwinvette77 also Thanks for your continued support moparfan and Aero426.
I decided to continue the fabrication work in the trunk extending the 06 trunk close outs to the back of the car. The first thing I did along this line was to glue down some dense 1" foam to allow a space for the wiring to run back to the tail lights under the floor cover extension. Next I built a transition piece that both receives the rear edge of the 06 floor and steps up to complete the floor. I used .021 steel, some 3/4" x 3/4" .049 square stock, some 5/16" honey comb carbon board and some aluminum angle to make the piece. I then covered it with some trunk liner material. After the floor was established I made some tail light covers out of .021 steel.
After covering the tail light covers with trunk liner material I held them in place with velcro both to the angle on the floor piece and to the 1/2" flat area just below the trunk lid seal lip. I made some side panels out of masonite and also covered them and attached them with velcro. Also I had to fabricate a small cover for the lock mechanism in the center.
Here is the trunk with the latch cover and all of the closures in place.
Details.....details......
So many little things needed to end up with a nicely finished car.
No doubt this car will be better then nice when finished. :2thumbs:
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on January 31, 2015, 04:53:46 PM
Details.....details......
So many little things needed to end up with a nicely finished car.
No doubt this car will be better then nice when finished. :2thumbs:
That's if I don't run out of gas and end up doing the paint work with a roller. :lol:
Quote from: Stevearino on January 31, 2015, 05:24:41 PM
That's if I don't run out of gas and end up doing the paint work with a roller. :lol:
you mean it won't get a vinyl wrap like the ones at work?
Quote from: held1823 on January 31, 2015, 05:50:41 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on January 31, 2015, 05:24:41 PM
That's if I don't run out of gas and end up doing the paint work with a roller. :lol:
you mean it won't get a vinyl wrap like the ones at work?
:scratchchin:
amazing work Stevearino
I really enjoy following along and wishing I had half the talent and patience.
Quote from: FJ5WING on January 31, 2015, 06:45:07 PM
amazing work Stevearino
I really enjoy following along and wishing I had half the talent and patience.
Thank you . I am just happy someone finds this at all interesting.
Came out looking good :2thumbs:
Thanks JB.
Extremely nice,clean work Steve . That's going to be an awesome Daytona.
Thanks again Charger.
I really like the detail you put into the trunk. :2thumbs:
I don't post in this thread a lot but I follow it religiously. Excellent work! It's an amazing car. Even if I had the skills to do the work I think I'd still miss most of the little things.
Troy
What Troy said. I check this thread every other day, looking forward to new pictures :popcrn:
Quote from: tsmithae on February 01, 2015, 12:17:02 AM
I really like the detail you put into the trunk. :2thumbs:
Thanks tsmithae. The fun part for me is trying to blend everything together. Sometimes it works. Sometimes not so much.
Quote from: Troy on February 01, 2015, 10:53:06 AM
I don't post in this thread a lot but I follow it religiously. Excellent work! It's an amazing car. Even if I had the skills to do the work I think I'd still miss most of the little things.
Troy
Believe me from past experience that the first time I take it on the road about a dozen things I forgot will make themselves immediately know. :eek2:
Quote from: Hemidog on February 01, 2015, 01:18:35 PM
What Troy said. I check this thread every other day, looking forward to new pictures :popcrn:
Man , That's a lot of pressure. I don't work that fast. Maybe every other week would be more realistic but thanks for the interest.
Well I decided since I was working in the back of the car I would tackle modifying the rear bumper. I wanted to bring it in closer to the body both front to rear and side to side. I puzzled over how to modify the standard mounts and decided to throw them over board. I set some long bolts in place where the rear bumper mounts through the rear panel. I then cut the heads off. I drilled out the bumper. (No nice Charger bumpers were harmed in this modification) and slid it over the bolts until it was as close to the rear pan as I wanted and then I welded it up and cut off the excess. I removed the bumper and welded up the back side and all of the now un needed bolt holes.
Next I trimmed the sides of the bumpers off and removed about 3/8" from the center section on each side and then re-attached the ends. I pretty happy with the results. I was going to close the metal work in a little bit more around the corners but I think I will keep the spacing the way it is.
Bumper looks awesome!
Quote from: Stevearino on January 31, 2015, 05:24:41 PM
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on January 31, 2015, 04:53:46 PM
Details.....details......
So many little things needed to end up with a nicely finished car.
No doubt this car will be better then nice when finished. :2thumbs:
That's if I don't run out of gas and end up doing the paint work with a roller. :lol:
brush use a brush , the brush marks will be awesome
I like the bumper rework. Very nice. Would it be pleasing to the eye to reduce the amount of 'dead space' in between the bumper and the tail panel at the top of each end? Either up with the bumper end or down with the sheet metal or a little of each?
Quote from: Stevearino on January 19, 2015, 08:02:16 PM
. And before anyone asks I won't be leaving what looks like rocket motors for exhaust. The resonator cans are way too big and hang to low so I will have to do some re routing to get everything closer to the bottom of the car. Hopefully eliminating the afterburners won't make the car sound funky.
If you're talking about what I call "suitcases" right at the exhaust tip, removing them won't change the sound too much. It gave my Magnum a more throaty sound. The 1st mod was removing mine & adding chrome tips.
I don't know about '06 but in '05 you can remove the round headlight switch knob & file off a nubbin so the dial turns to the left of "off" one position. Boom...automatic headlights. 2nd mod.
Imo, the Dodge rigs should have the opportunity to have the bells & whistles like their Chrysler counterpart to begin with. It just seems like for instance the switch just cheapens the brand. :shruggy:
:coolgleamA: :popcrn:
The headlight trick works on 05-07, they modified the switch in 08...
http://www.lxforums.com/board/showthread.php/16999-FREE-Auto-Headlights-(no-parts-needed)
Lots of good stuff in the "knowledge"section for new LX owners!
Keep up the great work, I am one of the MANY people watching, but not necessarely commenting!
Ben
Quote from: garner7555 on February 07, 2015, 08:31:16 PM
Bumper looks awesome!
Thanks. I thought of doing a mod like the F&F Charger where the bumper is molded in but when I saw it on that car I wasn't that crazy about it
Quote from: moparstuart on February 07, 2015, 09:04:10 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on January 31, 2015, 05:24:41 PM
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on January 31, 2015, 04:53:46 PM
Details.....details......
So many little things needed to end up with a nicely finished car.
No doubt this car will be better then nice when finished. :2thumbs:
That's if I don't run out of gas and end up doing the paint work with a roller. :lol:
brush use a brush , the brush marks will be awesome
:lol:
[/quote]
Quote from: Hemi Runner on February 08, 2015, 10:50:52 AM
I like the bumper rework. Very nice. Would it be pleasing to the eye to reduce the amount of 'dead space' in between the bumper and the tail panel at the top of each end? Either up with the bumper end or down with the sheet metal or a little of each?
I was going to leave it as is but I am now leaning towards what you just described. Probably will close the sheet metal down a bit towards the top of the bumper ends.
Quote from: 472 R/T SE on February 08, 2015, 04:20:48 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on January 19, 2015, 08:02:16 PM
. And before anyone asks I won't be leaving what looks like rocket motors for exhaust. The resonator cans are way too big and hang to low so I will have to do some re routing to get everything closer to the bottom of the car. Hopefully eliminating the afterburners won't make the car sound funky.
If you're talking about what I call "suitcases" right at the exhaust tip, removing them won't change the sound too much. It gave my Magnum a more throaty sound. The 1st mod was removing mine & adding chrome tips.
I don't know about '06 but in '05 you can remove the round headlight switch knob & file off a nubbin so the dial turns to the left of "off" one position. Boom...automatic headlights. 2nd mod.
Imo, the Dodge rigs should have the opportunity to have the bells & whistles like their Chrysler counterpart to begin with. It just seems like for instance the switch just cheapens the brand. :shruggy:
That's pretty cool about the headlight switch. I will have to look at that. As far as the exhaust I am talking about the 7" diameter resonators just ahead of the exhaust tips. I know the tips act as a resonator too but I was going to keep them.
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on February 08, 2015, 07:08:43 PM
The headlight trick works on 05-07, they modified the switch in 08...
http://www.lxforums.com/board/showthread.php/16999-FREE-Auto-Headlights-(no-parts-needed)
Lots of good stuff in the "knowledge"section for new LX owners!
Keep up the great work, I am one of the MANY people watching, but not necessarely commenting!
Ben
I haven't really got too far into the LX end of this car yet except to remove and replace crash damaged parts but eventually I will have to learn more about these rigs. Thanks for the link. That was a great save you gave me before on the shifter mechanism. I can't believe that a car that cost this much brand new could have such a weak link that could leave you stranded like that small plastic shifter cam. Thanks again for your help Ben.
Feel free to PM me if you have any LX questions. I'm pretty based in the LX/LC world. I used to have a 2005 Magnum R/T as well and now own my 2008 Challenger SRT8.
:cheers:
Quote from: 69bronzeT5 on February 08, 2015, 11:45:13 PM
Feel free to PM me if you have any LX questions. I'm pretty based in the LX/LC world. I used to have a 2005 Magnum R/T as well and now own my 2008 Challenger SRT8.
:cheers:
:2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Quote from: 472 R/T SE on February 08, 2015, 04:20:48 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on January 19, 2015, 08:02:16 PM
. And before anyone asks I won't be leaving what looks like rocket motors for exhaust. The resonator cans are way too big and hang to low so I will have to do some re routing to get everything closer to the bottom of the car. Hopefully eliminating the afterburners won't make the car sound funky.
If you're talking about what I call "suitcases" right at the exhaust tip, removing them won't change the sound too much. It gave my Magnum a more throaty sound. The 1st mod was removing mine & adding chrome tips.
I don't know about '06 but in '05 you can remove the round headlight switch knob & file off a nubbin so the dial turns to the left of "off" one position. Boom...automatic headlights. 2nd mod.
Imo, the Dodge rigs should have the opportunity to have the bells & whistles like their Chrysler counterpart to begin with. It just seems like for instance the switch just cheapens the brand. :shruggy:
On my old 2005 Magnum R/T, I put full SRT8 exhaust on it with the resonator/suitcase deletes. It sounded AWESOME but had some drone between 1200-1300rpm. My Challenger has full Flowmaster 40 series cat-back exhaust with the resonator/suitcase deletes and it sounds amazing. Has NO drone either.
I also did the automatic headlights upgrade. My headlight switch crapped the bed so I just replaced it with an automatic headlight switch. Being as the car had factory dual climate control, the headlights use the sensor for that to decide when to turn on or not.
Oh man thats pretty :drool5:
Quote from: 69bronzeT5 on February 10, 2015, 06:36:40 PM
Quote from: 472 R/T SE on February 08, 2015, 04:20:48 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on January 19, 2015, 08:02:16 PM
. And before anyone asks I won't be leaving what looks like rocket motors for exhaust. The resonator cans are way too big and hang to low so I will have to do some re routing to get everything closer to the bottom of the car. Hopefully eliminating the afterburners won't make the car sound funky.
If you're talking about what I call "suitcases" right at the exhaust tip, removing them won't change the sound too much. It gave my Magnum a more throaty sound. The 1st mod was removing mine & adding chrome tips.
I don't know about '06 but in '05 you can remove the round headlight switch knob & file off a nubbin so the dial turns to the left of "off" one position. Boom...automatic headlights. 2nd mod.
Imo, the Dodge rigs should have the opportunity to have the bells & whistles like their Chrysler counterpart to begin with. It just seems like for instance the switch just cheapens the brand. :shruggy:
On my old 2005 Magnum R/T, I put full SRT8 exhaust on it with the resonator/suitcase deletes. It sounded AWESOME but had some drone between 1200-1300rpm. My Challenger has full Flowmaster 40 series cat-back exhaust with the resonator/suitcase deletes and it sounds amazing. Has NO drone either.
I also did the automatic headlights upgrade. My headlight switch crapped the bed so I just replaced it with an automatic headlight switch. Being as the car had factory dual climate control, the headlights use the sensor for that to decide when to turn on or not.
I guess I will just lop the suit cases off and see what it sounds like. It seems like from your description it will be fine. I was wondering what would sense the dawn/dusk. I don't have dual climate control so I might be missing the required sensor. I am o.k. with the lights the way they are though.
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on February 10, 2015, 07:37:33 PM
Oh man thats pretty :drool5:
Thanks Baldwinvett77. How is the interceptor project going?
Well I have been wondering if my wheel choice was o.k. because with the car so far from done it is hard to visualize what it will look like. So I took the picture that I took of the car with the tires and wheels mounted and isolated a tire and wheel and did a little photoshop work. I manipulated them to place them on the picture of the model I had built of this project and I think they are going to be o.k.
I like them.
They look great :drool5: and its going ok, Its buried in about 4 feet of snow, But i found people willing to help me strip other cars for parts to stick to it, its nice having company :yesnod:
Quote from: Stevearino on February 10, 2015, 08:11:18 PMI was wondering what would sense the dawn/dusk. I don't have dual climate control so I might be missing the required sensor. I am o.k. with the lights the way they are though.
The sensor for the lights is the round thingie in the center of the top of the dash.
The one for the automatic climate control is also round, at the bottom of the dash, under the radio.
Ben
My mistake. You need dual climate control for the headlight trick.
I can video the sound of my R/T if you wanna hear it w/o the suitcases.
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on February 10, 2015, 10:06:32 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on February 10, 2015, 08:11:18 PMI was wondering what would sense the dawn/dusk. I don't have dual climate control so I might be missing the required sensor. I am o.k. with the lights the way they are though.
The sensor for the lights is the round thingie in the center of the top of the dash.
The one for the automatic climate control is also round, at the bottom of the dash, under the radio.
Ben
Yeah,I don't have that headlight sensor from the dash top. Climate controls are all apart right now so I don't know about the other sensor.
Quote from: 472 R/T SE on February 11, 2015, 03:44:33 PM
My mistake. You need dual climate control for the headlight trick.
I can video the sound of my R/T if you wanna hear it w/o the suitcases.
Hell Yeah! I loves me some tail pipe video. :punkrocka: :punkrocka:
I am living vicariously through this build. It is a masterpiece. Pure art, craftsmanship and vision all wrapped up in the most awesome car ever :)
Dane
Quote from: Daytona Guy on February 13, 2015, 01:14:58 AM
I am living vicariously through this build. It is a masterpiece. Pure art, craftsmanship and vision all wrapped up in the most awesome car ever :)
Dane
Wow Dane. If I loose my job I am definitely going to put you down for a reference.
Well . We have a saying at the shop I work in. "Our stuff is nice because we do it twice". Looks like I brought that mentality home. I had tried to use the 06 package tray cover and just extend the upper cover and it just didn't look right. Number one I picked the wrong covering which was a mottled gray. Number 2 because of all of the baby harness pick up points the cover sat way too high in the window. I cut all of those out so that I could lay a new panel made out of masonite a little flatter. I used a bit of sheet metal to transition the top panel to the vertical and drilled some sound holes in the top. I also put some 10/24 threaded studs in the sub structure so that I could mount the speakers from the bottom. They were top mount speakers but if they ever went bad the new rear glass would prevent removal.
On the same note of redoing stuff I realized after I made my "A" post covers that they were crowding the attachment points for the sun visors. No problem. I just moved the attachment points inboard a little. I should have started with the driver side as that worked fine on the passenger side. On the driver side with the rear view mirror angled towards you the visor would not come down. :slap: So I move the attachment points back out. Now I had to make new "A" post covers that laid flatter against the "A"post. After a lot of head scratching I looked at the "B" post covers from the 06 and cut out some new ones. After a bit of carving and some reshaping with a heat gun I got lucky and they fit pretty good. The added feature is I was able to eliminate the small transition piece from the "A" to the door seal trim.
Here is a picture of the old left side cover and the new replacement cover.
:coolgleamA: clever stuff :2thumbs: ..... :popcrn:
I am a student of art, and my favorite story, that I read in school, was when Michelangelo had finished one of his sculptures he threw his chisel at it and yelled, "Why don't you speak?". He was a true artist - creator. Your car will speak, just don't throw a wrench at it.
Dane
WOW STEVE page 37 half way down an bottom of page with nose an spoiler on are awsume an will stand out at any show or drive as STeves car.. :drool5: :drool5: :popcrn: :2thumbs: DJ out in sunny froxen west coast..great stuff steve enjoy following progress. :2thumbs:
Black wheels for me please. :Twocents:
Quote from: djcarguy on February 24, 2015, 12:05:19 PM
WOW STEVE page 37 half way down an bottom of page with nose an spoiler on are awsume an will stand out at any show or drive as STeves car.. :drool5: :drool5: :popcrn: :2thumbs: DJ out in sunny froxen west coast..great stuff steve enjoy following progress. :2thumbs:
That's just a mock up DJ. I am not sure about the size an shape just yet.
Quote from: Patronus on February 26, 2015, 08:31:33 PM
Black wheels for me please. :Twocents:
The one thing about wheels that is good is that other than the money spent you can unbolt them and try something else if you get a notion to.
After laying off of the project for a couple of weeks due to some late nights at work I finally got back on it this week end. I finally got the right side door skinned and fit up. I also made the mount for the right side mirror. Not a lot, but some progress.
Well after a busier than normal (I hope) week at work I managed to do some tinkering this weekend. I pulled the rear resonator assemblies off of the car mainly because they hung way to low and could be seen from the side like some afterburners. I am thinking these are not stock as all the pictures I have seen are of what they call "suitcase resonators". Anyway these are too large to tuck up under the quarters so I will have to do without them or find something smaller. I was hesitant to cut the tail pipe tips up into the roll pan but they just looked too large hanging below the pan. I ended up liking how they look.
Are you rounding your edges for the cut outs for the exhaust tips? I always feel that when some do this they don't round the metal enough where it looks like someone just cut the metal with a saw.
Dane
Quote from: Daytona Guy on March 08, 2015, 07:20:22 PM
Are you rounding your edges for the cut outs for the exhaust tips? I always feel that when some do this they don't round the metal enough where it looks like someone just cut the metal with a saw.
Dane
Not sure if I understand what you mean but it is not just a cut out. There is another piece of metal welded to the openings to finish out around the exhaust tips. Kind of hard to see it with the tips in place.
:drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:
Quote from: Stevearino on March 08, 2015, 07:44:58 PM
Quote from: Daytona Guy on March 08, 2015, 07:20:22 PM
Are you rounding your edges for the cut outs for the exhaust tips? I always feel that when some do this they don't round the metal enough where it looks like someone just cut the metal with a saw.
Dane
Not sure if I understand what you mean but it is not just a cut out. There is another piece of metal welded to the openings to finish out around the exhaust tips. Kind of hard to see it with the tips in place.
Yes, that is what I meant. Rounding gives depth. I am just in awe of what I see you do. 1st class!
Dane
I was wanting to get back to finishing the fabrication work on the front end of the car so I had to do a few things first. As you may know this car was hit on the right front. I replaced all of the damaged components. I then loosened the 4 bolts that hold the engine cradle to the front clip and rotated it until I got the wheel base correct. Then I built some elephant stands on my car dollies so that I was able to do a quick wheel alignment using the tires and wheels I will eventually put on the car. With everything straightened out I can move ahead with the front end fabrication. Also in the "do over" department I had to cut both rear wheel openings back another 1/2" because of some clearance issues. This meant re doing the inner wheel closures.
Will that be your actual ride height for the rear as well?
Luke
Quote from: lukedukem on March 15, 2015, 06:36:20 PM
Will that be your actual ride height for the rear as well?
Luke
It might sit a little lower once the weight of the interior and glass is all in but that's pretty much where it will sit.
Steve, it's looking better each time I see it! :2thumbs:
Quote from: Indygenerallee on March 16, 2015, 10:17:09 AM
Steve, it's looking better each time I see it! :2thumbs:
Noticed you are off the Facebook. You goin' underground or what?
Quote from: Stevearino on March 16, 2015, 04:54:01 PM
Quote from: Indygenerallee on March 16, 2015, 10:17:09 AM
Steve, it's looking better each time I see it! :2thumbs:
Noticed you are off the Facebook. You goin' underground or what?
he needs too LOL
Steve, yeah deleted my FB account found myself wasting too much time on it. :2thumbs:
So as winter gives way to spring I have been a little distracted by trying to get my property in order and then dodging in and tinkering on the car when I can. I have been working on finishing the front end fabrication. Currently I am trying to finish out the left front fender ,all of the attachment points and alignments. I fabricated a panel out of .040 aluminum to close out from the nose to the plastic inner wheel tub. I also fabricated and welded up an inner lip on the wheel opening to marry to the plastic wheel tub.
I also found some time to fabricate the fender top outlets. Here is a couple of views of how they worked out so far.
Awesome :popcrn:
yup
This is like a great movie that keeps ya interested all the way through :2thumbs: Now take me to school on those spike thingys. What are they and how do they work?
Quote from: oldcarnut on March 29, 2015, 11:39:59 PM
This is like a great movie that keeps ya interested all the way through :2thumbs: Now take me to school on those spike thingys. What are they and how do they work?
They are called Clecos and they have been used in the aircraft industry forever. They are great for temporarily locating and holding panels in place. I will try to upload a picture for you tonight but you drill an 1/8th inch hole in the two panels and with a special pair of pliers you compress a spring in the cleco that narrows the tip so that is slips through the hole. When you release the pliers it retracts and holds the two panels together. They are like peanuts. You can never have enough.
Got it. I hadn't seen those in person before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgEIVUVLrnQ
I posted this on my thread - but I noticed you had guys posting their flip up headlights. These are my custom made cast aluminum headlight doors - they only have to open 4 inches. Hope the link works...
http://youtu.be/AbIVRGSOcQU
Dane
Quote from: Daytona Guy on March 30, 2015, 10:48:49 PM
I posted this on my thread - but I noticed you had guys posting their flip up headlights. These are my custom made cast aluminum headlight doors - they only have to open 4 inches. Hope the link works...
http://youtu.be/AbIVRGSOcQU
Dane
Pretty sweet set up Dane. They look a lot cooler than the bug eyes.
The last couple of weekends have been spent working on the modifications to the right side fender and finalizing the attachment points for the fenders and the nose. While I still have a lot of knick knacks to take care of I am pretty happy with the way it is starting to shape up. I also lopped off 2 1/2 " from the length of the front air dam. It was WAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!! too big.
For anyone who is curious about how I went about shaping the fender scoops there are a couple of tools that I used that are kind of specialty to the metal working trade. More than a few here will have heard about them but for those of you who have not. The blue tool on the floor stand is an Eckold shrinker /stretcher. Brand new this is a pretty pricey tool. About $3500.00 but I got lucky and a guy at work wanted rid of his and I paid about half of that. It has two sets of heads. With one set when you place a piece of metal in the jaws and push the arm down it grips the metal and spreads it apart. That would be the stretching operation. The other as the name would imply grips the metal and forces it to bunch together. There are cheaper models of which I have a set and they are great for shaping metal flanges of no more than 1" but to get in deeper to a piece you need this set up. The other tool is the English wheel. This is an inexpensive model ( $2500.00) that works for most applications. In the hands of someone who has used it for years you can form some really elaborate panels. This device stretches the metal by placing the metal between two rolling steel wheels and cranking up the pressure on the metal between the dies. As you roll the metal back and forth between the dies it spreads the metal out. I am using it here mostly just to smooth the part out.
I like the longer air dam FER RACIN!!! but the shorter version looks much better, it's not the focal point now, it blends in very well with the rest of the car.
:2thumbs: nice :coolgleamA: :popcrn:
If this isnt in several magazines after completion im starting a riot, just saying :popcrn:
Quote from: cdr on April 12, 2015, 04:10:12 PM
I like the longer air dam FER RACIN!!! but the shorter version looks much better, it's not the focal point now, it blends in very well with the rest of the car.
You know Charlie I had pictured this car looking as close to the Nascar version of this car as possible but as big as that air dam was it just wasn't gonna work. :shruggy:
Quote from: tan top on April 12, 2015, 04:41:10 PM
:2thumbs: nice :coolgleamA: :popcrn:
Thanks Tan Top.
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on April 12, 2015, 06:37:32 PM
If this isnt in several magazines after completion im starting a riot, just saying :popcrn:
Well you might as well start loading up the molotov cocktails because if it is anything like any of my other ventures thus far I will be lucky to hear crickets when it's done. Also you gotta know that I am not gonna be pulling the motor and jazzing up the engine compartment or putting mirrors under this thing. That's the kind of thing that people want to see in magazines. That and open checkbook builds where everything is CNC'd out of a single block of billet aluminum but thanks for the enthusiasm anyway Baldwinvette77 . It is always appreciated.
:2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on April 12, 2015, 07:18:23 PM
Quote from: cdr on April 12, 2015, 04:10:12 PM
I like the longer air dam FER RACIN!!! but the shorter version looks much better, it's not the focal point now, it blends in very well with the rest of the car.
You know Charlie I had pictured this car looking as close to the Nascar version of this car as possible but as big as that air dam was it just wasn't gonna work. :shruggy:
Quote from: tan top on April 12, 2015, 04:41:10 PM
:2thumbs: nice :coolgleamA: :popcrn:
Thanks Tan Top.Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on April 12, 2015, 06:37:32 PM
If this isnt in several magazines after completion im starting a riot, just saying :popcrn:
Well you might as well start loading up the molotov cocktails because if it is anything like any of my other ventures thus far I will be lucky to hear crickets when it's done. Also you gotta know that I am not gonna be pulling the motor and jazzing up the engine compartment or putting mirrors under this thing. That's the kind of thing that people want to see in magazines. That and open checkbook builds where everything is CNC'd out of a single block of billet aluminum but thanks for the enthusiasm anyway Baldwinvette77 . It is always appreciated.
Perhaps the reason mags seem to dying off is their choice of cars to feature. Personally I wouldn't know, haven't bought any car mags for years.
I've yet to see anything displayed over mirrors that interested me......and I possibly am allergic to CNCed billet aluminum. :yesnod:
Your car on the other hand......likely I'd be checking it out longer then you'd want and you'd be thinking "how do I get away from this pest?" :shruggy:
Quote from: ACUDANUT on April 12, 2015, 10:49:13 PM
:2thumbs:
Thanks for the thumbs up ACUDANUT.
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear
/quote]
Well you might as well start loading up the molotov cocktails because if it is anything like any of my other ventures thus far I will be lucky to hear crickets when it's done. Also you gotta know that I am not gonna be pulling the motor and jazzing up the engine compartment or putting mirrors under this thing. That's the kind of thing that people want to see in magazines. That and open checkbook builds where everything is CNC'd out of a single block of billet aluminum but thanks for the enthusiasm anyway Baldwinvette77 . It is always appreciated.
Perhaps the reason mags seem to dying off is their choice of cars to feature. Personally I wouldn't know, haven't bought any car mags for years.
I've yet to see anything displayed over mirrors that interested me......and I possibly am allergic to CNCed billet aluminum. :yesnod:
Your car on the other hand......likely I'd be checking it out longer then you'd want and you'd be thinking "how do I get away from this pest?" :shruggy:
[/quote]
Pestering is what is all about. I don't get these guys who bring their cars to car shows and then run you off when you ask them questions. What the heck is up with that. :shruggy: I have seen it more than once. Usually a small group of guys in a huddle and you being a stranger they act like you just asked them if it would be alright to egg their car. :shruggy:
Those are the guys who are into the hobby for the only reason of stroking their own vanity and ego. If they truly cared about the hobby they would share their thoughts, experiences and knowledge to broaden the culture; clearly they're just there for the plastic trophy and their own personal glory. F 'em...
Looking good :2thumbs:
Your building a great car :cheers:
Your could easily be magazine material, you will just have to take it to them to be photographed.. Meaning show up at the events they are attending and get lucky enough to get noticed.
Those mirror guys don't drive there cars no way to keep them that clean.
I may have missed it but what color will it be when painted?
Quote from: myk on April 13, 2015, 05:22:41 AM
Those are the guys who are into the hobby for the only reason of stroking their own vanity and ego. If they truly cared about the hobby they would share their thoughts, experiences and knowledge to broaden the culture; clearly they're just there for the plastic trophy and their own personal glory. F 'em...
:iagree:
Quote from: 68pplcharger on April 13, 2015, 10:46:19 AM
Looking good :2thumbs:
Hows that ride of yours coming along?
Quote from: thedodgeboys on April 14, 2015, 04:51:56 AM
Your building a great car :cheers:
Your could easily be magazine material, you will just have to take it to them to be photographed.. Meaning show up at the events they are attending and get lucky enough to get noticed.
Those mirror guys don't drive there cars no way to keep them that clean.
I may have missed it but what color will it be when painted?
Thanks for the compliment. I intend to make it a subtle two tone of Charcoal on top and Gun Metal grey on the sides.
QuoteHows that ride of yours coming along?
Coming along very well Stevearino thanks for asking. I will be painting it starting the 24th of this month. Can't wait... :cheers:
Steve, that front spoiler is killer, cleaner than clean, your not going to change it are you ?
The wheel lip of your fenders are excellent, how did you put them in or did I miss it ? When I did the flares on my fenders I hammer and dollied them but the metal got tight at about 45 degrees and I didn't have heat to move it further so I had to let it go at that.
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on April 16, 2015, 05:07:12 PM
Steve, that front spoiler is killer, cleaner than clean, your not going to change it are you ?
The wheel lip of your fenders are excellent, how did you put them in or did I miss it ? When I did the flares on my fenders I hammer and dollied them but the metal got tight at about 45 degrees and I didn't have heat to move it further so I had to let it go at that.
The front spoiler is just a mock up but it is what I think I want it to look like in size. It was originally about 2 1/2" longer and looked way too big so I did a quick trim to see and I think I like the size too.
I started working the front fender lip out with a pair of vise grips with 3" wide jaws. After a while, as you say, it created a lot of tension in the panel above the wheel opening and was flattening this area. The metal in these fenders is a lot harder to form than the stuff I am used to working with. I took my small metal stretcher off of the stand it shares with the metal shrinker and made a lower handle for it . This way I was able to use it on the lip of the fender while it was still on the car. Much easier to see what you are doing this way. I stretched the metal until it relaxed enough to let the shape return above the wheel opening and allow me to roll the lip up a little more. I will soften the flair when I bondo the fender making the transition a little more gentle.
:popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn:
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on April 16, 2015, 05:07:12 PM
Steve, that front spoiler is killer, cleaner than clean, your not going to change it are you ?
The wheel lip of your fenders are excellent, how did you put them in or did I miss it ? When I did the flares on my fenders I hammer and dollied them but the metal got tight at about 45 degrees and I didn't have heat to move it further so I had to let it go at that.
Here's my take on wing car front spoilers: They need to be longer, at a steeper angle, and extend out farther and then turn back to go along the side of the nose clear back to the front tire. At least that's how I will be making mine.
Quote from: Hemi Runner on April 16, 2015, 08:04:53 PM
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on April 16, 2015, 05:07:12 PM
Steve, that front spoiler is killer, cleaner than clean, your not going to change it are you ?
The wheel lip of your fenders are excellent, how did you put them in or did I miss it ? When I did the flares on my fenders I hammer and dollied them but the metal got tight at about 45 degrees and I didn't have heat to move it further so I had to let it go at that.
Here's my take on wing car front spoilers: They need to be longer, at a steeper angle, and extend out farther and then turn back to go along the side of the nose clear back to the front tire. At least that's how I will be making mine.
That is the direction I started with because that is what the race version looked like but it just looked over the top once I mocked it up that way. Here is a photo of the original mock up.
I was thinking something more like this but adapted to the daytona nose.
(http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/Ril38fvmOvU/mqdefault.jpg)
or this
(http://www.vfnfiberglass.com/66%20chevelle%20spoiler2.jpg)
:o Well that would be different. You would have to get the car a lot lower to the ground than I was able to with the SRT-8 chassis. Both those examples start with cars that have bumpers that are already closer to the ground than the front of the Daytona nose so it would look pretty massive on the wingcar. But I guess if you fooled with it for a while you could make it work. :shruggy:
Tom made something similar on the Black Ice Superbird not my taste
:popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn:
Quote from: moparstuart on April 16, 2015, 10:40:30 PM
Tom made something similar on the Black Ice Superbird not my taste
That would be certainly effective for aero purposes. Not sure what it does for the look of the car. Hey. Whatever floats yer boat. :coolgleamA:
If the one on that black ice car was moved forward to where the original spoiler mounted and then had the sides extended back to the wheel well, it would be perfect. For my purposes, anyhow. I agree on the lower part but then I'm not a fan of jacked up wing cars either. I think you've got a good thing going there. From now on, I'll be quiet. :lol:
You can see I'm not building a daily driver nor do I have your metal talents...http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?86396-70-Hemi-Superbird-Restoration-errr-scratch-that (ftp://http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?86396-70-Hemi-Superbird-Restoration-errr-scratch-that)
Quote from: Hemi Runner on April 17, 2015, 06:55:59 AM
If the one on that black ice car was moved forward to where the original spoiler mounted and then had the sides extended back to the wheel well, it would be perfect. For my purposes, anyhow. I agree on the lower part but then I'm not a fan of jacked up wing cars either. I think you've got a good thing going there. From now on, I'll be quiet. :lol:
You can see I'm not building a daily driver nor do I have your metal talents...http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?86396-70-Hemi-Superbird-Restoration-errr-scratch-that (ftp://http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?86396-70-Hemi-Superbird-Restoration-errr-scratch-that)
I see what you are getting at now. And by all means feel free to give your opinions here. I have been saved from my own stubborness more than once on this thread. That is one of the reasons I am here.By the way I was reading your thread a couple of days ago and looking at the timeline so far I am amazed at your progress so far. That is going to be one bad ass clone. :yesnod:
Quote from: Stevearino on April 17, 2015, 08:26:13 AM
Quote from: Hemi Runner on April 17, 2015, 06:55:59 AM
If the one on that black ice car was moved forward to where the original spoiler mounted and then had the sides extended back to the wheel well, it would be perfect. For my purposes, anyhow. I agree on the lower part but then I'm not a fan of jacked up wing cars either. I think you've got a good thing going there. From now on, I'll be quiet. :lol:
You can see I'm not building a daily driver nor do I have your metal talents...http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?86396-70-Hemi-Superbird-Restoration-errr-scratch-that (ftp://http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?86396-70-Hemi-Superbird-Restoration-errr-scratch-that)
I see what you are getting at now. And by all means feel free to give your opinions here. I have been saved from my own stubborness more than once on this thread. That is one of the reasons I am here.By the way I was reading your thread a couple of days ago and looking at the timeline so far I am amazed at your progress so far. That is going to be one bad ass clone. :yesnod:
Thanks. I have a lot to do. Nowhere near as daunting or complex as what you've done, but a challenge for me none the less.
I haven't forgot to record my Magnum with no suitcase mufflers.
We have a GoPro now so I'll be dialed.
Quote from: 472 R/T SE on April 25, 2015, 08:42:09 AM
I haven't forgot to record my Magnum with no suitcase mufflers.
We have a GoPro now so I'll be dialed.
I look forward to that post. :2thumbs:
Updates? :popcrn:
I haven't posted in a while because what I am doing might look like I am going backwards but it is a lot of little details that needs to be finished up.
I have the left front fender about 80% complete as far as the fab work and I jumped over to the right side to get it caught up and it is now pretty much done as far as fabrication. I had to add some metal to the back edge of the fender to true up the fender to door gap. I finished shaping the fender scoop and welded it to the top of the fender. I cut a hole in the top of the fender not for aero or tire clearance but so that I can more completely paint the under side since it is not removable. With the inner fender tubs this is sealed up anyway so they are strictly for show here.
The third picture here is the attachment I had to work out on the bottom of the fender to the rocker. I counter sunk and welded two !/4 20 flange nuts into the rocker and then added some slotted tabs to the fender so that I could adjust it in and out. Also in this picture you can see the outlines of where I lengthened the lower fender 2" and a patch I added to replace some rusty metal.
I could not get the fender gap on the right side as good as the left fender where it meets the hood so I had to compromise and add some metal to straighten out the gap.
Here are a couple of pictures of the right side fender off the car to show what it looks like after I added all of the stiffeners and attachment flanges.
The aluminum pan that ties in the fender nose and wheel tub had to be relieved on the right side to allow clearance for the window washer fluid bottle to hang out of the bottom. I made a small cover to keep road debris from hitting it.
I also finished the support structure for the fenders and the nose although I still have to finish weld some areas after I remove it from the car. All of the tabs for the headlights are in place now and the curved ends to hold the fender front shape are in.
Dat metal work though :coolgleamA:
im wiring up my charger, which gives me the illusion that im getting closer to finishing it :lol: , funny enough, the only thing i've having trouble with it wiring up a stock wiper switch to the wiper motor :eek2:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on May 03, 2015, 04:55:39 PM
Dat metal work though :coolgleamA:
im wiring up my charger, which gives me the illusion that im getting closer to finishing it :lol: , funny enough, the only thing i've having trouble with it wiring up a stock wiper switch to the wiper motor :eek2:
You'll have that on a job that size. :rotz:
I love it. Keep up the good work!!
Looks like by the time I get this done it will be old hat.
http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/07/meet-the-coroner-dodge-coronet-charger-srt8/
Quote from: Stevearino on May 06, 2015, 07:43:41 PM
Looks like by the time I get this done it will be old hat.
http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/07/meet-the-coroner-dodge-coronet-charger-srt8/
theres 3 others i know of a road runner and another charger
http://www.westcoastclassicinc.com/1969-road-runner-srt8/
i would like to do one some day with another members 68 coronet, i've always liked the 68/69 plymouths and coronets :drool5:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on May 06, 2015, 07:57:37 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on May 06, 2015, 07:43:41 PM
Looks like by the time I get this done it will be old hat.
http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/07/meet-the-coroner-dodge-coronet-charger-srt8/
theres 3 others i know of a road runner and another charger
http://www.westcoastclassicinc.com/1969-road-runner-srt8/
i would like to do one some day with another members 68 coronet, i've always liked the 68/69 plymouths and coronets :drool5:
I watched that Road Runner go together. The did a really nice job on it. Some real pros there.
I like the way he got the Coronet down on the ground with that air ride suspension. Nice to know that option is out there and works.
The only thing that stuck out to me on the road runner is that they should have blacked out the pinch weld on the bottom of the rockers.....
Quote from: Charger-Bodie on May 06, 2015, 08:31:01 PM
The only thing that stuck out to me on the road runner is that they should have blacked out the pinch weld on the bottom of the rockers.....
Yeah i can see what you mean :eek2:
Quote from: Stevearino on May 06, 2015, 07:43:41 PM
Looks like by the time I get this done it will be old hat.
http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/07/meet-the-coroner-dodge-coronet-charger-srt8/
OLD HAT??? I'd say "Tried and true" or Wave of the Future! This stuff never gets "old hat" I love this build! You're a trendsetter! It's a great idea! Remember, you're one man pulling this off! These others are shops that have a number of people working on multiple things all at once! If you could clone yourself x 5, you would have had yours done in one month!
My "old hat" is off to YOU sir!
Quote from: 71_Charger_R/T on May 07, 2015, 09:55:06 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on May 06, 2015, 07:43:41 PM
Looks like by the time I get this done it will be old hat.
http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/07/meet-the-coroner-dodge-coronet-charger-srt8/
OLD HAT??? I'd say "Tried and true" or Wave of the Future! This stuff never gets "old hat" I love this build! You're a trendsetter! It's a great idea! Remember, you're one man pulling this off! These others are shops that have a number of people working on multiple things all at once! If you could clone yourself x 5, you would have had yours done in one month!
My "old hat" is off to YOU sir!
Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. The thing I have learned over the years is that no matter how unique or original you think your ideas are there are tons of like minded individuals out there probably doing the same thing inspired by the same factors. I actually love finding these projects and seeing how they have dealt with the same problems or how they have improved the ideas. Keeps it interesting.
[/quote]
Keep it going Steve, your almost done. :cheers:
:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Quote from: ACUDANUT on May 07, 2015, 05:58:20 PM
Keep it going Steve, your almost done. :cheers:
Thanks ACUDANUT. Feels like one foot forward two back but I will get there.
Quote from: BigBlockSam on May 08, 2015, 07:14:30 PM
:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Thanks for the thumbs up BigBlockSam.
I finally got all of the fabrication work done to the front fenders. I had to scrap the fender scoops that I had made after looking at some better pictures I hadn't got the shape quite right. I made and fitted the right side on the car. I removed both fenders to finish out the fabrication in the back side. I then lined them up side by side so that I could build the left side to match as close as possible to the right.
I removed the fender / nose front brace to finish up welding it and cleaning it up so that I could paint it.
I still have to fit everything back to finish some fab work on the nose. For now though I have hopped back into the car to try to build the head liner next. We will see how that goes.
Your almost there. Don't want to rush things, but when do you think it's ready for paint ? :popcrn:
Quote from: ACUDANUT on May 11, 2015, 01:25:03 PM
Your almost there. Don't want to rush things, but when do you think it's ready for paint ? :popcrn:
Every time I think I am getting close the list gets longer . While I hope sometime in the late summer who knows how long the bondo work will take. Lots of blockin' whenever I get to it. :eek2:
Quote from: Stevearino on May 11, 2015, 06:28:53 PM
Quote from: ACUDANUT on May 11, 2015, 01:25:03 PM
Your almost there. Don't want to rush things, but when do you think it's ready for paint ? :popcrn:
Every time I think I am getting close the list gets longer . While I hope sometime in the late summer who knows how long the bondo work will take. Lots of blockin' whenever I get to it. :eek2:
you could always leave it in bare steel and clear coat it :coolgleamA:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on May 11, 2015, 11:37:24 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on May 11, 2015, 06:28:53 PM
Quote from: ACUDANUT on May 11, 2015, 01:25:03 PM
Your almost there. Don't want to rush things, but when do you think it's ready for paint ? :popcrn:
Every time I think I am getting close the list gets longer . While I hope sometime in the late summer who knows how long the bondo work will take. Lots of blockin' whenever I get to it. :eek2:
I guess that the pictures I post are not that good. There are more than a few places on this car that looks like a sack of walnuts.
you could always leave it in bare steel and clear coat it :coolgleamA:
The pictures are fine, and see what you mean, but hey, Mad max is coming out this week, you'd fit right in :2thumbs:
Looking great ,awesum work.. How about paint the jamms, window posts ,an inner panals? get glass in an enjoy the summer then outer body work after some summer fun?? just an idea summer fun an testing then the pain of bondo an blocking it, after a summer break?? enjoy an please keep us posted ,thanks .... latttter DJ :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on May 11, 2015, 11:37:24 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on May 11, 2015, 06:28:53 PM
Quote from: ACUDANUT on May 11, 2015, 01:25:03 PM
Your almost there. Don't want to rush things, but when do you think it's ready for paint ? :popcrn:
Every time I think I am getting close the list gets longer . While I hope sometime in the late summer who knows how long the bondo work will take. Lots of blockin' whenever I get to it. :eek2:
you could always leave it in bare steel and clear coat it :coolgleamA:
Not with bondo :Twocents:
No shortcuts fella's. Just one foot in front of the other and get it all done what ever it takes. :yesnod:
Quote from: Stevearino on May 12, 2015, 05:47:22 PM
No shortcuts fella's. Just one foot in front of the other and get it all done what ever it takes. :yesnod:
That's what I keep telling myself as well. Where did you end up on the front spoiler ;)
Quote from: Stevearino on May 12, 2015, 05:47:22 PM
No shortcuts fella's. Just one foot in front of the other and get it all done what ever it takes. :yesnod:
Keep going forward. You will get there. :cheers:
Quote from: ACUDANUT on May 20, 2015, 01:52:58 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on May 12, 2015, 05:47:22 PM
No shortcuts fella's. Just one foot in front of the other and get it all done what ever it takes. :yesnod:
Keep going forward. You will get there. :cheers:
On reply 1036 on page 42 there is a picture of what the final mock up size will look like. It is about 3 inches shorter that the original mock up. It seems right.
Quote from: ACUDANUT on May 20, 2015, 01:52:58 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on May 12, 2015, 05:47:22 PM
No shortcuts fella's. Just one foot in front of the other and get it all done what ever it takes. :yesnod:
Keep going forward. You will get there. :cheers:
Thanks ACUDANUT. Definitely don't want to quit now. It is starting to look like something.
No pics to post right now but I spent this past weekend crimped up in the interior looming wires up through the "A" posts for the courtesy, visor and map lights. Also the wiring for the fancy rear view mirror with a bunch of buttons on it for speaker phone and weather reports. Just what you need to go hot rodding. :lol:. I also finished running the wiring to the rear power windows and tucking all of that in. Lots and Lots of cursing because of all the crouching and and sitting on protrusions and fasteners. This is definitely the worst of the physical challenges so far. My case of O.L.D. seems to be getting worse.
sweet build
Quote from: rapidtransitrick on May 21, 2015, 03:34:50 PM
sweet build
Thanks rapidtransitrick.
As I had said in the last post I spent some time running the wiring harness for the overhead stuff through the
"A" posts and secured all that. This completes the wiring I had to re route so with all that in place I started on my headliner.
I kicked around how I was going to do the head liner and decided to make it in 3 pieces. I built a center over head console to house the map light assembly. The real reason for this center console is that it is a bit lower than the ceiling to the left and the right. This gives me an device to attach the left and right halves.
I thought about different materials but went with some .021 sheet metal as this is light and will allow me to get the shapes I want.
After I fit the upper console in the car I removed it to finish weld and add some pieces to the sides that will create a slot for the left and right ceiling panels to fit into. The material I used to make the edges is some Trex decking material . It mills easy and I used a router to ease the edges. Once it is covered it will have a rounded edge look.
With the console back up in place I started building the inner roof perimeter shaping it as I went. The job is complicated by the fact that I have to keep getting in and out of the car to fit the pieces up. This would be a lot more fun if I had the car upside down on a rotisserie.
The cars looking great Steve :cheers: You are definitely going to be proud of the end product. I love watching your metal fabrication. :drool5:
Nice work. I like your creativity :2thumbs:
very very beutifull nice work
Quote from: 69_Charger_RT on May 25, 2015, 04:48:57 PM
The cars looking great Steve :cheers: You are definitely going to be proud of the end product. I love watching your metal fabrication. :drool5:
One foot in front of the other and I'll get done someday. Thanks for the compliment.
Quote from: oldcarnut on May 25, 2015, 07:47:22 PM
Nice work. I like your creativity :2thumbs:
Creativity is a blessing and a curse. It can lead to some real headaches but when it works out it is pretty satisfying.
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on May 31, 2015, 11:23:48 AM
very very beutifull nice work
Just was looking at your build thread. Two things. That car is pretty clean and it looks like you are well on your way to getting everything you need to get going.
Well I am still working on the head liner. I finished the metal work on the left side and removed it from the car.
I used the Trex material to create a round over edging for the transitions from the headliner to the side and rear window openings.
I temporarily taped the pieces in while the epoxy dried.
The right side head liner went a little quicker as I was able to use the patterns from the left side.
I removed the right side and glued in the edging as with the left side.
I assembled all three pieces upside down on some saw horses so that I could bondo in the transitions.
The last photo is of the left side with the headliner fabric glued to it.
:o :o :o
You sir,are, awesome.period.
Quote from: Charger-Bodie on June 04, 2015, 06:57:28 PM
You sir,are, awesome.period.
Agreed :yesnod: :bow: :2thumbs:
Thanks CDR ,Charger-Bodie and Tan Top. I didn't look so awesome crimped up in the car burning myself with hot balls from the welder that I couldn't get away from. Got some new beauty marks. :smilielol:
Quote from: Stevearino on June 04, 2015, 04:21:44 PM
Just was looking at your build thread. Two things. That car is pretty clean and it looks like you are well on your way to getting everything you need to get going.
thank you for me and my car :cheers:
Dayum, That headliner (if its can still be called one) its an absolute work of art :o
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 06, 2015, 07:25:52 PM
Dayum, That headliner (if its can still be called one) its an absolute work of art :o
Well you know because you also have the creative affliction that even though you know what you want to see as an outcome reality doesn't always cooperate. This time for me it worked our just the way I wanted it. You know what they say. "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then".
Anyhow. I finished covering the over head console and the two halves of the head liner and fit them up into the car. They will have to come back out because I don't want to expose them to the bondo/ paint mess. Also I need to put some sound deadener on the bottom side of the roof skin. Besides checking them for fit I needed to install the head liner so that I could fabricate the rear door panels which over lap and capture the bottom of the head liner.
so beautifull :o
Since the chassis was a 4 door and I had to remove the "B" pillar hinge post I knew the stock carpet would have issues in that area. Luckily all I had to do was to make an inner threshold cover to deal with the transition. I made this out of .045 steel and it will be painted out with some trim black.
The last of the head scratching :scratchchin: fabrication jobs on this car is the rear door panel covering the seatbelt reel and the window motor. As with the front door panels I went at it piecemeal . Kind of sneaking up on it if you will . I have it mostly worked out. All I lack now is finishing. :lol:
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on June 07, 2015, 02:47:33 PM
so beautifull :o
Thanks for the compliment XS29L9B2
you do some incredible work, :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Quote from: BigBlockSam on June 08, 2015, 10:32:57 AM
you do some incredible work, :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
:yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:
I wish I had your time, money and skills. Maybe looks too. lol
Quote from: BigBlockSam on June 08, 2015, 10:32:57 AM
you do some incredible work, :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Thanks BigBlockSam. How are you coming along solving the nose gasket issue you were having on your car. Have you found anything that looks better to you?
Quote from: moparstuart on June 08, 2015, 11:32:57 AM
Quote from: BigBlockSam on June 08, 2015, 10:32:57 AM
you do some incredible work, :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
:yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:
Happy to see you back in the swing of things with the Birdable Stu. Must have felt great to shake the cobwebs out of the tri carbs. :coolgleamA: :coolgleamA:
Quote from: ACUDANUT on June 08, 2015, 02:00:19 PM
I wish I had your time, money and skills. Maybe looks too. lol
Time? I just work on it on the week ends cause I still work full time. Money? Believe it or not I have not broken the $30,000.00 mark with this project yet but then again I have not purchased any paint. Looks? I have a condition known as "Bitchy Resting Face". That is where I look pissed off even when I am content. Everyone assumes I am mad and I have been known to make small children cry upon my arrival so........ :eek2:
lol
"I have a condition known as "Bitchy Resting Face". That is where I look pissed off even when I am content. Everyone assumes I am mad and I have been known to make small children cry upon my arrival so........ eek"
WOW ! :o
Me too. :cheers: :smilielol: :eek2:
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on June 08, 2015, 04:18:14 PM
"I have a condition known as "Bitchy Resting Face". That is where I look pissed off even when I am content. Everyone assumes I am mad and I have been known to make small children cry upon my arrival so........ eek"
WOW ! :o
Me too. :cheers: :smilielol: :eek2:
Good grief--I'm not alone :slap:--I even have strangers ask me if I'm ok --and that's not rare :P
..."I have a condition known as "Bitchy Resting Face". That is where I look pissed off even when I am content. Everyone assumes I am mad and I have been known to make small children cry upon my arrival so........"
I understand your pain. I get so tired of hearing, "cheer up!" wherever I go...
I suffer from BRF as well! Lol. Car is looking amazing. I wish I were closer as I would love to see it in person.
I also have the BRF LMBO this is what people see :flame: this is how i really feel i am always thinking :scratchchin: & laughin at myself :smilielol:
Fortunately now that I am 59 people just assume I am supposed to be a grumpy old man so the concern and the questions have stopped . As I have aged I have also assumed a new super power. I am now becoming invisible. ;)
Quote from: Hemi Runner on June 10, 2015, 06:56:04 AM
I suffer from BRF as well! Lol. Car is looking amazing. I wish I were closer as I would love to see it in person.
Hopefully I will get this thing on the road some day before too long and I have promised the wife to forsake my hermit lifestyle and re join the human race for a bit so who knows maybe I'll be traveling your way with the car some day.
Quote from: Stevearino on May 12, 2015, 05:47:22 PM
No shortcuts fella's. Just one foot in front of the other and get it all done what ever it takes. :yesnod:
Quote from: djcarguy on May 12, 2015, 01:15:39 PM
Looking great ,awesum work.. How about paint the jamms, window posts ,an inner panals? get glass in an enjoy the summer then outer body work after some summer fun?? just an idea summer fun an testing then the pain of bondo an blocking it, after a summer break?? enjoy an please keep us posted ,thanks .... latttter DJ :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers:
NON A SHORTCUT _STEVE___---- it wood bee more work installing lites an needed legal stuff 2 times ? an test an shake down runs ,,non short cut?
BUT on the plus side in my mind,or my :Twocents: WOOD get 2 different coming out partys and see diff reactions to project and or painted reviews.. just my :Twocents:
your car ,,go for what works fur ya,,, but unfinished outside an that awesum interior ,WOULD BEEE a big draw at some shows an events,,,my meaningless :Twocents: :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers: :cheers:DJ
Quote from: djcarguy on June 11, 2015, 04:51:51 AM
Quote from: djcarguy on May 12, 2015, 01:15:39 PM
Looking great ,awesum work.. How about paint the jamms, window posts ,an inner panals? get glass in an enjoy the summer then outer body work after some summer fun?? just an idea summer fun an testing then the pain of bondo an blocking it, after a summer break?? enjoy an please keep us posted ,thanks .... latttter DJ :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers:
NON A SHORTCUT _STEVE___---- it wood bee more work installing lites an needed legal stuff 2 times ? an test an shake down runs ,,non short cut?
BUT on the plus side in my mind,or my :Twocents: WOOD get 2 different coming out partys and see diff reactions to project and or painted reviews.. just my :Twocents:
your car ,,go for what works fur ya,,, but unfinished outside an that awesum interior ,WOULD BEEE a big draw at some shows an events,,,my meaningless :Twocents: :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers: :cheers:DJ
That's very tempting DJ but it is a ton of work to get the door glass in and properly aligned and I don't want to booger it up taking it back out again.
This build is amazing
Quote from: 1965gp on June 16, 2015, 09:13:24 PM
This build is amazing
Thank you for your encouragement 1965gp.
Well I am rounding third base and heading for home on the interior panels. I finished fabricating the right side back door panel and also bondoed and covered the left side. While the front door panels were way more complex I was able to work on them with the door on saw horses. These had to be made in the car sitting kind of twisted. I am pretty happy with the results thus far. I have some little do-dads to attend to once I get done with the interior panels before I move into the body work. I have timed it just right because it is getting nice and hot here so as you know that is the best time to be covered in bondo. :slap:
Wow! I haven't been to my shop in 3 weeks. And I saved all my sandblasting for this weather so we can be miserable together. :P
Troy
Simply Awesome incredible work! Always wanted to build a metal headliner too. Yours is outstanding!
Quote from: Troy on June 22, 2015, 09:10:33 AM
Wow! I haven't been to my shop in 3 weeks. And I saved all my sandblasting for this weather so we can be miserable together. :P
Troy
Sounds like some big time fun. :2thumbs:
Quote from: DonC1 on June 22, 2015, 02:56:11 PM
Simply Awesome incredible work! Always wanted to build a metal headliner too. Yours is outstanding!
Don, knowing what you have accomplished that is a tremendous compliment.
To be honest I was surprised I was able to pull it off. It was a chicken or an egg type project. I stared at it for months trying to figure out how the hell to even start.
I know its still a bit early, but did you ever decide on a final paint theme? i remember you thinking about yellow :scratchchin:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on June 22, 2015, 07:41:31 PM
I know its still a bit early, but did you ever decide on a final paint theme? i remember you thinking about yellow :scratchchin:
Yeah I decided to go back to my original concept which you can see in my avatar. It will be a Charcoal over gun metal grey. The yellow was a bit over the top for my taste after all.
Been watching this thread from the beginning.... Awesome work Steve! I wish I had half the talent you have been exhibiting on this build.
I do have to wonder though... Do you think that weight will cause any issues?
Quote from: Arigmaster on June 27, 2015, 07:33:17 AM
Been watching this thread from the beginning.... Awesome work Steve! I wish I had half the talent you have been exhibiting on this build.
I do have to wonder though... Do you think that weight will cause any issues?
Thanks for the encouragement as I sit here in the air conditioning not wanting to go back to my hot shop. I have seen a number of these conversions and there doesn't seem to be a weight issue. The 06 is a considerably heavier car than the Gen 2 Charger. Although the steel is heavier on the old car body it sits 3 inches lower so the center of gravity should be good relative to roll over. We shall see the first time I try to corner hard and stick it into a fence row. :smilielol:
Well I am at the point where I am going back through the car and tackling all the little projects left to fabricate. The first issue was to build a prop rod for the hood. While the gas shocks lift the hood just fine they were designed to hold up a light weight aluminum hood and even with the inner liner removed this old Charger hood weighs a few pounds more. So just to be safe. I used some 3/8" .049 wall DOM steel tubing to make the rod itself. I made a double sheer bracket to attach the rod to the radiator core support. At the opposite end I modified a rubberized "P" clip to secure the end when stowed. I drilled a hole in the hood latch bracket to catch the rod and welded a washer on it at the same angle as the hood latch bracket.
Another small project was to locate the windshield washer nozzles in the hood and also locate the lines under the hood.
One of the issues that has had me worried since I first installed it was how I was going to keep rain water from pouring into the trunk around the gas fill I put into the top of the quarter panel. Since the enclosure was meant to be mounted on the side of the car I had to come up with a way to keep the water from collecting in the enclosure and then leaking in around the rubber gasket that the fill neck comes through. I stared at it for quite a while. The first thing I did was to install a small aluminum drain in the bottom of the enclosure. A bit of plastic tubing will drain water out through the bottom of the quarter panel closure.
Next was the tricky part. Since the rubber gasket around the fill tube is not a water tight seal I had to figure out a way to isolate it from any water that would make it's way into the enclosure. I decided to modify the gas door assembly by first creating a flat ring at the base which later will seal against the bottom of the enclosure around the fill neck. Next I fabricated a vertical ring to act as a dam against the water that might get in. Finally I made a larger overlapping vertical ring which I attached to the door itself. This will hopefully cover the lower ring enough to prevent water from driving in over the lower ring.
There must be a thousand "little things" on a car like that :popcrn:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on July 05, 2015, 08:01:28 PM
There must be a thousand "little things" on a car like that :popcrn:
You have first hand experience for sure.
your job is fantastic :popcrn:
So I guess I am officially sliding into the body work here. Last week end I finished bondo work and blocking on the center section that I made for the wing. While I was bolting it to the uprights I realized that having been a one piece wing originally there was not a whole lot of strength to the area where the wing bolts together.
So I stopped what I was doing to work on a plan to reinforce that area. I cut the area out so that I had a clear shot through the wing to the base. I drilled a half inch hole in the base and ran some 1/2 x .049 wall steel tubing through. At the top of the tubing I welded a seat for the bolt made from some .083 1" tubing and a .090 plate for the wing bolt to pass through.
I used some Fusor brand panel bond adhesive to epoxy the assembly in place and then did a little bondo work to clean it up. I purchased some 5/16-18 shoulder bolts with 3/8" x 1" shoulder to attach the center section to the uprights. I also threaded some pins into the side of the center section of the wing to keep it from rotating. Once everything was assembled I did some bondo work to blend everything together. I thought about leaving the rods long to go down into the trunk but that's would be a little over kill. It would also be a bit of a rat's nest in there if I did that.
Another little project I did was to epoxy the side mirrors to the custom steel door mounts that I had made. I did a little bondo work to them to blend the mount to the mirror housing.
In between things I worked on extending the tailpipes back to the exhaust tips mounted under the roll pan. The 2 3/4" SRT tubing proved a little hard to get a hold of so I just stepped it up to some 3" and mashed on. I eliminated the rear mufflers as there really wasn't any way to tuck them in the space under the quarters so I hope it doesn't sound funny.
Did you put a lip on the valance around the exhaust tip? it kinda looks like it, but a bit hard to see :popcrn:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on July 19, 2015, 08:38:44 PM
Did you put a lip on the valance around the exhaust tip? it kinda looks like it, but a bit hard to see :popcrn:
Yes there is sheet metal above the exhaust tips.
very good work i love your work your are an artist
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on July 23, 2015, 11:31:49 AM
very good work i love your work your are an artist
That is a huge compliment coming from a someone in a country where art appreciation is practically a religion.
The internet is great. I can sit in a chair and shop for my paint supplies and they show up at my door. The only problem is besides work and my wife going to get supplies is my only human contact at this point. :lol:
Love mail order :cheers:
Love mail order, pretty sure 75% of my car has been delivered to my door in boxes by mail order... :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Stevearino on July 23, 2015, 03:41:21 PM
That is a huge compliment coming from a someone in a country where art appreciation is practically a religion.
thank you yess your car is a very good religion
Well I had just a few small fabrication jobs to take care of. I did not like the fit of the rear of the trunk lid to the tail panel so I cut the back of the trunk lid off and replaced it with a piece that blended out a little better. I also reworked the top of the tail panel to even out the seam. I had to make some transition pieces from the inner sill plate to blend into the 06 kick panels. I also filled in the signal lights on the hood. Since I am not going to run active signals I did not see the point in putting in the dummy pieces. It took me a while to move the car into my home made paint booth and I found out that I will have to build a 3 foot bump out to be able to work around the car with the nose on it . What's one more project? :shruggy:
Time to sling some bondo. :yesnod:
Steve , you just made me think of something I'll throw out there for You to consider. Whenever i do one of these care I buy a sacrificial trunk seal. The seal tends to totally change the way the deck lid fits . Especially the front part.
Do all the body work with the panel on and the seal installed . You will be glad yo did.
Quote from: Charger-Bodie on August 02, 2015, 04:20:22 PM
Steve , you just made me think of something I'll throw out there for You to consider. Whenever i do one of these care I buy a sacrificial trunk seal. The seal tends to totally change the way the deck lid fits . Especially the front part.
Do all the body work with the panel on and the seal installed . You will be glad yo did.
I was kind of wondering about that. The trunk lid seems awfully prone to deformation. Thank you.I will follow your advice for sure.
Just me stating the obvious here "This is getting freaking epic" :popcrn: :popcrn:
Waiting for this car to be completed is like waiting for a new video game to come out... (it bugs me everyday) :lol:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on August 02, 2015, 10:43:10 PM
Just me stating the obvious here "This is getting freaking epic" :popcrn: :popcrn:
Waiting for this car to be completed is like waiting for a new video game to come out... (it bugs me everyday) :lol:
Agree on the epic....... :yesnod:
Disagree on the impatience........great things are worth the wait.
Besides.....with enough :popcrn:, waiting isn't so bad.......
very nice work
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on August 03, 2015, 08:56:36 AM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on August 02, 2015, 10:43:10 PM
Just me stating the obvious here "This is getting freaking epic" :popcrn: :popcrn:
Waiting for this car to be completed is like waiting for a new video game to come out... (it bugs me everyday) :lol:
Agree on the epic....... :yesnod:
Disagree on the impatience........great things are worth the wait.
Besides.....with enough :popcrn:, waiting isn't so bad.......
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on August 07, 2015, 09:50:13 AM
very nice work
Epic? I don't know about that but thanks for the compliments.
Well it's a dirty job but it feels good after staring at this car in bare metal for so long to be finally mudding in the transitions. :coolgleamA:
i am fan :cheers:
Well I now have 2 action camcorders with suction cups. I hope I'm not too late? I could prolly get something going within a week.
Quote from: 472 R/T SE on August 17, 2015, 05:17:07 AM
Well I now have 2 action camcorders with suction cups. I hope I'm not too late? I could prolly get something going within a week.
Do you mean to film this epic? :lol:
Guess you lost me. Suppose to be 99 tomorrow & 95 Wednesday, back down in the 80's low 70's by Thursday.
Quote from: 472 R/T SE on August 17, 2015, 11:17:09 PM
Guess you lost me. Suppose to be 99 tomorrow & 95 Wednesday, back down in the 80's low 70's by Thursday.
:shruggy: :shruggy: :ahum: :ahum: Huh?
Nothing really exciting to report here. Just bondo work. I needed a little inspiration so I mounted the wing to make sure there was a good fit to the quarter tops.
I also had to stop and deal with something that I had been kicking down the road. Turns out the Dodge Daytona is a very long car :shruggy: so I had to add a 3 foot bump out to my makeshift spraybooth. I had also been putting off working on finishing the closeout doors but the Bondo is everywhere now so I had to stop working on the car and get this handled.
Still awesome :popcrn:
very awesome :cheers: :cheers: :popcrn:
So much awesomeness in this one thread......some may spill over into adjoining threads...... :yesnod:
:popcrn: :popcrn:
:2thumbs:
very nice :cheers:
Stevearino,
What's your ride height from the ground to the bottom of your rocker panels? And are you doing any rake or just level?
Quote from: tnthull on September 02, 2015, 06:18:44 AM
Stevearino,
What's your ride height from the ground to the bottom of your rocker panels? And are you doing any rake or just level?
The stock SRT had a ride height at the rocker of about 5"which is about 1 inch lower than a standard 06 Charger. Pretty much level. I have removed the stock front springs and replaced them with lowering coils that drop the height at the wheel about 1.5 " from stock so the front to rear has about 1 inch of rake but the car is still settling and may be lower in the front after a few runs out on the road. I have seen this chassis lowered with bagged suspension but I am not interested in dragging everything off the bottom of the car.
Thanks, I just wanted a good reference point for my car, I am setting it up at 4.5" for now and I should be able to make small adjustments from there. Thanks for the help!
Haven't been posting because there is not much to see. Just a bunch of bondo work. Most of it is on the floor. Been at it every weekend though. I am not a pro so this will take a good bit longer than most folks here could do. Plus old muscles don't like to block for very long.
Even in this stage, that is one hell of a good looking charger :coolgleamA:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 19, 2015, 06:17:00 PM
Even in this stage, that is one hell of a good looking charger :coolgleamA:
You really have to try to make a second gen Charger look bad.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 19, 2015, 04:22:55 PM
Haven't been posting because there is not much to see. Just a bunch of bondo work. Most of it is on the floor. Been at it every weekend though. I am not a pro so this will take a good bit longer than most folks here could do. Plus old muscles don't like to block for very long.
:popcrn:
Rene ?? :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Stevearino on September 19, 2015, 06:21:27 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 19, 2015, 06:17:00 PM
You really have to try to make a second gen Charger look bad.
With respect, must disagree.
When one starts with near perfection from the factory......any change is a great risk. :yesnod: Many still try, very , very few succeed.
You're making great changes.....and with such great changes comes great responsibility to maintain the standard set from the factory.
So far.......yeah, I'll go with Baldwin......that is one hell of a good looking Charger. :yesnod: :drool5: :2thumbs:
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on September 20, 2015, 08:50:41 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 19, 2015, 06:21:27 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 19, 2015, 06:17:00 PM
You really have to try to make a second gen Charger look bad.
With respect, must disagree.
When one starts with near perfection from the factory......any change is a great risk. :yesnod: Many still try, very , very few succeed.
You're making great changes.....and with such great changes comes great responsibility to maintain the standard set from the factory.
So far.......yeah, I'll go with Baldwin......that is one hell of a good looking Charger. :yesnod: :drool5: :2thumbs:
Well I hope I can finish it up to that standard. I have had a few close calls. The rocker situation , the gas hole in the side of the quarter but thanks to the honest opinions of the folks here I got called out early enough to correct those goof ups.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 20, 2015, 10:11:18 AM
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on September 20, 2015, 08:50:41 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 19, 2015, 06:21:27 PM
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on September 19, 2015, 06:17:00 PM
You really have to try to make a second gen Charger look bad.
With respect, must disagree.
When one starts with near perfection from the factory......any change is a great risk. :yesnod: Many still try, very , very few succeed.
You're making great changes.....and with such great changes comes great responsibility to maintain the standard set from the factory.
So far.......yeah, I'll go with Baldwin......that is one hell of a good looking Charger. :yesnod: :drool5: :2thumbs:
Well I hope I can finish it up to that standard. I have had a few close calls. The rocker situation , the gas hole in the side of the quarter but thanks to the honest opinions of the folks here I got called out early enough to correct those goof ups.
Honest, constructive criticism can be a very good thing. :yesnod:
I think the biggest trap many fall into is trying to make changes for the sake of changes to personalize their rig.
A quite different process then what you are accomplishing, morphing together two very different cars, keeping the flavor of the original. :2thumbs:
I'm patiently waiting.......helped by a good supply of :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn:
really always beautifull work
It looks pretty awesome on the whole.
Don't get too carried away with the blocking. This car is seems totally built for racking up the street miles.
:Twocents:
I find that eventually you reach a tipping point on this stuff and you hit diminishing returns, just in terms of your own satisfaction. 95% of the effort always gets dumped into the last 5% of the perfection. Yet, getting it 95% perfect can actually leave you more frustrated than if you had stopped at 85% perfect.
Awesome stuff dude! Thanks for taking the time to post all the pictures. :2thumbs:
Great progress. :2thumbs:
Thanks for all of the upbeat comments guys. This is not my favorite part of the job. I am not a professional body man and have painted maybe 6 cars in my entire life with various products over the years and varying results so this is a bit nerve racking for me. Especially since it's going to be black over grey. Not exactly the best choice of colors for hiding imperfections. Mike DC, I did an El Camino back in the 90's and drove on pins and needles until that first shopping cart dent and then I was able to relax so I am not going to baby this thing. This is not a show queen by any stretch of the imagination. Definitely a driver. Folks looking under the car will be mighty disappointed to see the underside of a factory 06 Charger and not a bunch of chrome and shiny paint.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 25, 2015, 04:39:23 PM
Thanks for all of the upbeat comments guys. This is not my favorite part of the job. I am not a professional body man and have painted maybe 6 cars in my entire life with various products over the years and varying results so this is a bit nerve racking for me. Especially since it's going to be black over grey. Not exactly the best choice of colors for hiding imperfections. Mike DC, I did an El Camino back in the 90's and drove on pins and needles until that first shopping cart dent and then I was able to relax so I am not going to baby this thing. This is not a show queen by any stretch of the imagination. Definitely a driver. Folks looking under the car will be mighty disappointed to see the underside of a factory 06 Charger and not a bunch of chrome and shiny paint.
what this guy did is cool
[/quote] what this guy did is cool
[/quote]
Sneaky little stinker.
I have gotten to a point where I have to put the nose back on the car to do the bondo work up front so I took a break from working over the rest of the car to clean up the bottom of the nose while it is still off the car. Also I had to finish fabricating the grill.
I used some 1/2"x 1/8" hot rolled flat steel to build the perimeter. I then took some 1/4" x 1/4" stainless steel screen and welded it to the back side of the grill surround. Finally I secured it into the opening with some stainless oval head screws.
:2thumbs: I can appreciate the need to move from one place to another on a big project.
When I feel something bogging me down or changing/slowing my attention I see it as a signal to move to another task.
For me it's a way to keep my original idea alive without the compromises that we are tempted with. :cheers:
BTW that stainless grill looks great.
Quote from: ws23rt on September 27, 2015, 07:01:34 PM
:2thumbs: I can appreciate the need to move from one place to another on a big project.
When I feel something bogging me down or changing/slowing my attention I see it as a signal to move to another task.
For me it's a way to keep my original idea alive without the compromises that we are tempted with. :cheers:
BTW that stainless grill looks great.
That is it exactly. Bogged down is an understatement but I don't want to be tempted to short cut the process.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 27, 2015, 07:13:14 PM
Quote from: ws23rt on September 27, 2015, 07:01:34 PM
:2thumbs: I can appreciate the need to move from one place to another on a big project.
When I feel something bogging me down or changing/slowing my attention I see it as a signal to move to another task.
For me it's a way to keep my original idea alive without the compromises that we are tempted with. :cheers:
BTW that stainless grill looks great.
That is it exactly. Bogged down is an understatement but I don't want to be tempted to short cut the process.
Your progress gives me motivation to move with mine. :2thumbs:
I don't mean to sound like parrot with an echo, but man this thing is Awesome, Beautiful. creative work of Art !
Quote from: ws23rt on September 27, 2015, 07:30:05 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 27, 2015, 07:13:14 PM
Quote from: ws23rt on September 27, 2015, 07:01:34 PM
:2thumbs: I can appreciate the need to move from one place to another on a big project.
When I feel something bogging me down or changing/slowing my attention I see it as a signal to move to another task.
For me it's a way to keep my original idea alive without the compromises that we are tempted with. :cheers:
BTW that stainless grill looks great.
That is it exactly. Bogged down is an understatement but I don't want to be tempted to short cut the process.
Your progress gives me motivation to move with mine. :2thumbs:
Well alright then. Let's get goin'. :yesnod:
Quote from: 200MPH on October 02, 2015, 03:22:43 PM
I don't mean to sound like parrot with an echo, but man this thing is Awesome, Beautiful. creative work of Art !
All parrots and other agreeable birds are certainly welcome here.
for me,the acceptance that i was not physically capable,or could not afford to pay someone to get the body as perfect as i wanted, & that my car is a driver that i can enjoy, not that i don't take care of it, but if it was perfect i would not want to drive it. The very 1st time i parked it in a parking lot, a older man parks very close to the pass side, i see him open his door into the side of my car, he was very old & weak & having a hard time, i got to him as fast as i could ,grabbed his door off my car & helped him get out of his car,he knew he made a mistake, i did not even get mad, it's just a car & i expect for things to happen to it. Just do the best you can & it will be awesome!!
Quote from: cdr on October 02, 2015, 10:04:11 PM
for me,the acceptance that i was not physically capable,or could not afford to pay someone to get the body as perfect as i wanted, & that my car is a driver that i can enjoy, not that i don't take care of it, but if it was perfect i would not want to drive it. The very 1st time i parked it in a parking lot, a older man parks very close to the pass side, i see him open his door into the side of my car, he was very old & weak & having a hard time, i got to him as fast as i could ,grabbed his door off my car & helped him get out of his car,he knew he made a mistake, i did not even get mad, it's just a car & i expect for things to happen to it. Just do the best you can & it will be awesome!!
I appreciate the vote of confidence Charlie. And by the way I have seen open check book cars with high dollar paint and custom wheels that don't grab the essence of the 2nd Gen Charger as well as you have done with yours. It really sets a mood. :coolgleamA:
For anyone following this thread who would like to see how a professional would handled this
.http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?99675-SRT8-Roadrunner-conversion-NOT-a-body-over!!
I've been following that one also (no updates for a while) I've been intrigued by your build equally as much! You are both "master's of metal"! I have been thinking of the same type of project and have been gleaning ideas from both of you guys. I like the idea of not changing the wheel base. Some I've seen look odd, But you pulled it off fantastic! Maybe it's the addition/alteration of the nose cone........ whatever it is, yours looks GREAT! As always, looking forward to your next updates. :popcrn:
Quote from: 71_Charger_R/T on October 04, 2015, 07:20:26 PM
I've been following that one also (no updates for a while) I've been intrigued by your build equally as much! You are both "master's of metal"! I have been thinking of the same type of project and have been gleaning ideas from both of you guys. I like the idea of not changing the wheel base. Some I've seen look odd, But you pulled it off fantastic! Maybe it's the addition/alteration of the nose cone........ whatever it is, yours looks GREAT! As always, looking forward to your next updates. :popcrn:
I don't know if you have seen this one but it is not a bad solution to getting the best of both worlds. Essentially what this guy has done is he has modified the existing unibody on the old car to accept the engine cradle and the rear suspension cradle. This is a much simpler process that really just requires you to build the shock towers. The entire rear end and all of the suspension are affixed at 4 bolt up points. The entire engine cradle with all of the front suspension and steering is also just 4 bolt up points. Depends on how much of the new car you are determined to use.
http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?86463-Coronet-SRT-8
Looks like he's going to have hood clearance issues on the Coronet.
Yeah it looks likely.
Quote from: JB400 on October 04, 2015, 11:22:18 PM
Looks like he's going to have hood clearance issues on the Coronet.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on October 06, 2015, 05:37:16 PM
Yeah it looks likely.
It looks like it will be close on the shock towers but since he is using an old school motor he should be fine there. Where I had my issues was both the tops of the shock towers and the height of the manifold.
I was referring to the shock towers too. Those things look close enough to be biting into the hood's under structure.
It looks to me like the top of the shock towers are going to be above the hood.
I like your way better. There is a lot more to a swap like this than just installing later model suspension on an old uni-body. Chassis stiffness and driveability will likely be far superior on your car since you are using the majority of the later model chassis. The reality is that both methods will work fine for their purposes and neither will likely be driven to a point where stuff like chassis stiffness even matters. Keep up the good work. The challenges of the little stuff are what will stop a project like this cold for most people.
your job is always so cool :popcrn:
I dunno which way chassis stiffness would be better. The new car is probably stiffer in stock condition but the upper half would be contributing a lot. And the old chassis was found to be decent even by modern standards when XV Motorsports tested it.
With a hybrid job it's a huge question of exactly how the two halves were joined. Two builders might produce two very different results even if they were splicing parts in the same areas.
an yet here is a third method :shruggy: http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?99675-SRT8-Roadrunner-conversion-NOT-a-body-over!!
Quote from: moparstuart on October 07, 2015, 11:21:45 AM
an yet here is a third method :shruggy: http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?99675-SRT8-Roadrunner-conversion-NOT-a-body-over!!
That's actually the post I put up that started this discussion Stu.
By the way I took the advice of another member here and made sure to have the car on its wheels when hanging the doors and fenders. I understand the original B bodies had a bit of flex in them when lifted and so does this car. So there's that. There are 4 specific lift points on the 06 anyway. Try to jack it up anywhere else and the frame members will start to collapse under the weight of the car. One thing that was pointed out to me about the chassis rigidity was the massive trans tunnel is actually where most of the strength lies on this car so that is somewhat reassuring as I did not alter that in any way.
yup i have seen not having the motor and trans in it effect that also
So I am down to finishing out the fit of the nose and the headlight doors and such. Hopefully I will be moving on to some primer soon but I can't say when as I will be entertaining family next week so this goes on a little vacation for a while. After that it will be time to tear it down again and prep and paint the door jambs, the under side of the trunk lid and hood , the insides of the fenders and the back side of the nose.
wow awesome work
:popcrn: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :2thumbs: great seeing progress an nose on.. lov 3rd pix of nose an drivers side with cabinets behind it looks like ya doing body work right in the kitchen,,,,wifes area,HaHa...
great to see ya car an this site again,had no internet for 12 days,,withdrawal..... :drool5: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :2thumbs:
I wanted to put some side markers in so I got the 06 side markers and worked them around so that I could fit them into the sides of the front air dam. At work we use .060 Carbon fiber panels and I got some cut off pieces and epoxied them together to built the front air dam.
I got the first coat of primer on the car and it showed up a lot of my body work short comings. I have a bit more work to do than I thought but it is getting there.
Looking good :2thumbs:
nice :2thumbs: :coolgleamA: :popcrn:
Great work Steve!
:drool5:
This car really is going to be a functional work of art!!!!
:2thumbs: :cheers:
VERY NICE STEEVE
Thanks again for the thumbs up everyone. It was 3 years ago the second week of September right after we got done having my daughters wedding in my new shop building that I went down to Rock Mart Ga. to pick up the 68 Charger that became this car. While I didn't actually start work on it until after Christmas 2012 and I still have a ways to go I feel like some day light is coming to the project. As I said before I appreciate all the encouragement and hope this car ends up meeting expectations.
Looks great Steve! can't wait to see some color on it! :2thumbs:
TONA is looking awsum.. air dam great too. just my opin? the shape of side marker? i think only round showing thru to match driving lites or maybee the shape of stock 69 side markers the rest covered?? just my :Twocents: lov the car an air dam.good to see new post. :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :cheers:
:popcrn: :popcrn: my :Twocents: opin,just that your ride,sorry..... :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs:
Opinions are welcome DJ. Problem comes when people express their opinions as if it were life and death. Something you have never done. :2thumbs:
I know it looks like I am posting the same pictures I just did but a lot has gone on since I last posted. I have blocked the entire car and polyester filled a ton of imperfections. So that took forever as I can only stand about 5 to 6 hours of that kind of workout. :eek2: So I re primed the car and put another guide coat on. Time to block again. Hopefully I won't be finding to many more low spots. I have been looking at a bunch of colors out in the wild but until you spray out a large sample it is hard to tell if they will work well together. I wanted to stay with Dodge late model colors but that did not work out. The sides will be an 04 Dodge Stratus color which is Graphite Metallic. The top will end up being a 2014 GM Color called Ashen Grey. It is near impossible to see from the pictures but the first two work pretty well with each other and the Graphite color is darker than it appears in the picture. I really wanted to use the third color down as it is a 2013 Dodge Challenger color but while it looks blackish /grey when it stands alone it appears dark redish /brown next to the Graphite Metallic. The last color which was a Toyota color called Magnetic Gray Metallic has a lot of red in it too so it did not work.
Looking good. :2thumbs:
Wow, that thing is looking great! I can see the work that you've done. I wish I was to that stage with mine. Looks great :2thumbs:
AWSUM Super DAYTONA SRT Hemi Hauler. lov the fit an lines,lite doors to nose an nose to fenders an hood,waaaaayyyyyyyyy better fit than the creative guys did. Any idea bout doing another Daytona clone?? ??
wish i lived closer an could hire you to customize the back glass an s-bird nose i have for my dart-tona custom. do ya still have the 68 unibody?? just thinking in overdrive ,a bare bones daytona stock car or setback engine drag car?? have you ran across any charger roofs or other shells??
did some measuring of my naybers 08 ish charger R/t an it looks like the rear glass wood work to smooth an flow air better on my project.
Your daytona in looking awesum. :drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :2thumbs:
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on November 28, 2015, 07:10:10 PM
Looking good. :2thumbs:
Thanks Daytona R/T SE. Can't wait to see more on the blue beauty I hope you have hemmed up in your new shop.
Quote from: Hemi Runner on November 28, 2015, 07:11:05 PM
Wow, that thing is looking great! I can see the work that you've done. I wish I was to that stage with mine. Looks great :2thumbs:
Thanks Hemi Runner. You are moving really quick on yours. You should be painting in no time. Then that thing is gonna be a beast. :2thumbs:
Quote from: djcarguy on November 28, 2015, 08:03:32 PM
AWSUM Super DAYTONA SRT Hemi Hauler. lov the fit an lines,lite doors to nose an nose to fenders an hood,waaaaayyyyyyyyy better fit than the creative guys did. Any idea bout doing another Daytona clone?? ??
wish i lived closer an could hire you to customize the back glass an s-bird nose i have for my dart-tona custom. do ya still have the 68 unibody?? just thinking in overdrive ,a bare bones daytona stock car or setback engine drag car?? have you ran across any charger roofs or other shells??
did some measuring of my naybers 08 ish charger R/t an it looks like the rear glass wood work to smooth an flow air better on my project.
Your daytona in looking awesum. :drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :2thumbs:
DJ. I have my hands full trying to finish up this piece so I haven't thought about anything else beyond this for now. I have let the house go for the last 3 years while doing this so that will be next. Not exciting I know but needs some TLC. If you are considering that 08 backglass I would measure it and make sure it will do. It is a whole lot bigger than you might think. Definitely a lot wider than would fit between the sail panels of a gen 2 Charger.
Quote from: Stevearino on November 28, 2015, 08:24:24 PM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on November 28, 2015, 07:10:10 PM
Looking good. :2thumbs:
Thanks Daytona R/T SE. Can't wait to see more on the blue beauty.
:2thumbs: Watch my thread for updates.
I'm waiting on a few parts right now...
And...
The Ol' lady has reminded me, once again...
"You P-R-O-M-I-S-E-D me a new kitchen" !
Ummm... :scratchchin:
Bullshit... :icon_smile_angry:
When did I promise THAT ? :shruggy:
"1993"
Oops.
:brickwall: :brickwall: :brickwall:
:smilielol: :smilielol: :eek2:
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on November 28, 2015, 10:41:57 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on November 28, 2015, 08:24:24 PM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on November 28, 2015, 07:10:10 PM
Looking good. :2thumbs:
Thanks Daytona R/T SE. Can't wait to see more on the blue beauty.
:2thumbs: Watch my thread for updates.
I'm waiting on a few parts right now...
And...
The Ol' lady has reminded me, once again...
"You P-R-O-M-I-S-E-D me a new kitchen" !
Ummm... :scratchchin:
Bullshit... :icon_smile_angry:
When did I promise THAT ? :shruggy:
"1993"
Oops.
:brickwall: :brickwall: :brickwall:
:smilielol: :smilielol: :eek2:
Just make sure if you said that you would do it when you got around to it that she does'nt hand you one of these.
Quote from: Stevearino on November 29, 2015, 07:50:21 AM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on November 28, 2015, 10:41:57 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on November 28, 2015, 08:24:24 PM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on November 28, 2015, 07:10:10 PM
Looking good. :2thumbs:
Thanks Daytona R/T SE. Can't wait to see more on the blue beauty.
:2thumbs: Watch my thread for updates.
I'm waiting on a few parts right now...
And...
The Ol' lady has reminded me, once again...
"You P-R-O-M-I-S-E-D me a new kitchen" !
Ummm... :scratchchin:
Bullshit... :icon_smile_angry:
When did I promise THAT ? :shruggy:
"1993"
Oops.
:brickwall: :brickwall: :brickwall:
:smilielol: :smilielol: :eek2:
Just make sure if you said that you would do it when you got around to it that she does'nt hand you one of these.
;)
I have one of those.
(http://i898.photobucket.com/albums/ac190/thehemikid/Aero%20pics/Wing%20Cars/1.1%20round%20tuit_zpsfezjxrp8.png)
Quote from: thehemikid on November 29, 2015, 02:48:02 PM
I have one of those.
(http://i898.photobucket.com/albums/ac190/thehemikid/Aero%20pics/Wing%20Cars/1.1%20round%20tuit_zpsfezjxrp8.png)
Well apparently that is the key to getting a lot done. ;)
I've had one of those for years........must have built up some immunity......because it isn't working very well now..... :rotz:
Looking good Steve :2thumbs:
[patiently waiting to see how it sets when it's on ground][and painted] :popcrn:
I married one of those (last name is Tuit) :icon_smile_big:, and she has one of those wooden discs too :nana:.
Guess I should stay on topic though. The build has been a joy to watch.
What made you decide to go with a nose closer in appearance to a Superbird nose? I'm altering my steel Daytona nose like that for my F&F clone simply because the F&F Daytona has the Superbird style nose. Just curious.
nice work steeve :cheers:
:2thumbs: looking awesome :2thumbs: :coolgleamA:
Quote from: XH29N0G on November 29, 2015, 05:14:21 PM
I married one of those (last name is Tuit) :icon_smile_big:, and she has one of those wooden discs too :nana:.
Guess I should stay on topic though. The build has been a joy to watch.
Thanks for the encouragement XH29NOG
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear
[patiently waiting to see how it sets when it's on ground[and painted] :popcrn:
Dyslexic teddybear I hope your patience doesn't run out. I know mine is running a little thin with all this blocking. :eek2:
Quote from: hotrod98 on November 30, 2015, 01:22:03 AM
What made you decide to go with a nose closer in appearance to a Superbird nose? I'm altering my steel Daytona nose like that for my F&F clone simply because the F&F Daytona has the Superbird style nose. Just curious.
hotrod98 I was always bugged by the fact that the Charger had in my opinion the better looking body of the two aero cars but got shortchanged on the nose styling because it was rushed into production. I always admired the much more refined Superbird nose with the grill tucked underneath. So when I decided to do this project I wanted to add those little touches that I thought got missed with the real deal. I see you have your car on the ground and are inching towards starting on it. I can't wait to see it progress. I know you are going to modify the Daytona nose but isn't the Superbird nose taller. I think this is why they were able to shorten the nose so much on the F&F Charger. It looks like a straight back modification where the Daytona is more of a taper. Just curious. I haven't measured a Superbird nose. That's just what it looks like to me in pictures.
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on November 30, 2015, 12:52:37 PM
nice work steeve :cheers:
Thanks again XS29L9B2.
Quote from: tan top on November 30, 2015, 12:58:30 PM
:2thumbs: looking awesome :2thumbs: :coolgleamA:
Appreciate the thumbs up as always Tan Top.
I agree. In my opinion,the Superbird nose looks much better than the Daytona nose.
My plan is to cut the steel Daytona nose up and alter it as needed to make it look right. I'll weld it to the fenders and finish it out as a one piece front end. The nose will be 12" further back than stock. I won't actually cut 12" off of the fender but will remove the headlamp mounting panel and cut the fender so that it will overlap inside the nose for more strength. I'm not too concerned about cutting the fenders but I don't look forward to cutting the hood. I already altered the deck lid other than the front lip which I'll do once the Dutchman is in place. I've also partially cut and stripped the vega plug to save time later.
I have thought about selling my aluminum Daytona wing that Dane built for me and buying a fiberglass Janek bird wing and shortening it to 20". I had planned on just shortening the Daytona wing but it's hollow and that might make it a difficult procedure. Besides the wing on the F&F car is a shortened bird wing.
My car is on the lift now. I'll remove the suspension as soon as I get some extra time and place the body on the body cart. I won't place it on the rotisserie until the body mods and mini tubs are finished.
I'm watching several builds and stealing a few ideas as I go along.
It's so much more enjoyable building this wingcar than it was building and restoring the last few. I get bored building original wingcars and close to original clones. With this car I can do anything that pleases me and don't have to worry about correctness. People around here are used to seeing my non original real Superbird so this car won't surprise them much at all.
Hotrod98 Definitely fun to play around with the great raw materials these wing cars provide. Also fun to add your own tweaks. You have definitely payed your dues building your share of exact replicas and Black Ice is proof that going off with your own ideas gets great results. Like I said I can't wait to watch the project proceed. :2thumbs:
I wish I could take the credit for the cool factor of the Black Ice bird but truth be told all I did was freshen the interior and paint and added the black steelies. Tom Ferry is the cool dude that created Black Ice.
Well I just made the old wallet a little sadder. :rotz: Not really ready for any color yet but I decided to get what I need. Turns out that is a lot of stuff these days.
:popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5:
nice nice
Good choice! You'll like the "Chroma" products. They're nice to spray! At least that's my two cents. :Twocents:
Looks like a lot of work to me. I'm not the gun man, but I'm right there in the booth the whole time. (I also do all the mixing)
I remember the Charger was a bear to paint. It's big and wide. We just did an E-body and it was still a bitch. I can't imagine painting all the extra 'tona bits. Lots of sweat for sure.
Keep up the great work
Quote from: 71_Charger_R/T on December 19, 2015, 08:23:27 PM
Good choice! You'll like the "Chroma" products. They're nice to spray! At least that's my two cents. :Twocents:
I have just been following the advice of more than a few people who know quite a bit more than I do on the paint choice.
Quote from: Patronus on December 19, 2015, 09:01:22 PM
Looks like a lot of work to me. I'm not the gun man, but I'm right there in the booth the whole time. (I also do all the mixing)
I remember the Charger was a bear to paint. It's big and wide. We just did an E-body and it was still a bitch. I can't imagine painting all the extra 'tona bits. Lots of sweat for sure.
Keep up the great work
Thanks. I have been working steadily on the body work since August and there is still a long way to go. One foot in front of the other. :eek2:
Looking great so far, just takes time and attention to detail to get it right.
Happy new year. Any new pixs or info?? :drool5: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs:
Haven't checked out this thread in a while..... OMG.... this is the best build on this site! Keep up the great work, I CANNOT wait to see this finished.
Nice job :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Quote from: jaak on January 02, 2016, 01:13:46 AM
Haven't checked out this thread in a while..... OMG.... this is the best build on this site! Keep up the great work, I CANNOT wait to see this finished.
Nice job :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Ditto - - - - - - - !!!!!!!!!!!! Makes me want to do mine over :)
Dane
Quote from: 68pplcharger on December 21, 2015, 11:39:35 AM
Looking great so far, just takes time and attention to detail to get it right.
Thanks 68pplcharger. Seeing the effort you put into your ride made me step up my game.
Quote from: jaak on January 02, 2016, 01:13:46 AM
Haven't checked out this thread in a while..... OMG.... this is the best build on this site! Keep up the great work, I CANNOT wait to see this finished.
Nice job :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
If I can get through this paint job it will be a great relief. Feels like I am walking on eggs right now.
Quote from: Daytona Guy on January 02, 2016, 03:35:48 PM
Ditto - - - - - - - !!!!!!!!!!!! Makes me want to do mine over :)
Dane
Dane, you leave that blue beauty alone. You can't improve on perfection. :coolgleamA:
Well I finally got the outside of the body wet sanded down to 400. My daughter was visiting with her husband over the Christmas holidays and took these pictures with here new clip on wide angle lens for her I-phone.
Looked like I was ready for color right? Not quite. I had to strip the car back down to work on the door jambs ,trunk lid well, the back sides of the doors , the insides of the front fenders and the bottom side of the hood and trunk lid. I made myself some profile cradles to keep those items from shuffling around while working on them.
Man! These parts off the car really take up a lot of room. After I get the jamb work done and put some color on them I will have to drag the car back out of the spray booth and drag this stuff in to work on. I would say this is taking longer than expected but I really didn't know what to expect. :lol:
:scope: looking good !! :2thumbs: :coolgleamA: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn:
:drool5: :drool5: Looks great Steve! Can't wait to see some color on it!
Keep pushing. This car is going to be dynamite.
2016 Is your year to hit the Road. Get'er done.
kick ass bro!!! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Body and Paint are not my speciality by any stretch of the imagination. Being a glass half empty kind of guy it's doubly hard to get motivated in the winter but I am gonna keep pluggin away. I will get some paint on this thing. :P The real kicker is when the car is done and completely together I will have to wait another 6 weeks for the DMV to finish the title work before I can take it on the road. When I started this project as you know the car came from Georgia which did not title cars until the early 80's even from the dealer. So this car never had one. No problem DMV said. With the bill of sale and a bond from my insurance company I was able to get an "Inoperable Title" since the car was just a shell. The guy who came out to inspect it said for me to call when it was running under it's own power. Well I worked like crazy to get it to that point only to have them say that rule has been changed. Now the car must be road worthy. Lights glass wipers ect. :shruggy: So I got that going for me..... which is nice.
Looks like someone has noticed your awesome build....
Hot Rod Magazine http://www.hotrod.com/features/1601-man-resurrects-totaled-srt8-charger-as-a-dodge-daytona/?sm_id=social_aumohotrodsshub_default_20160115_57282906&adbid=10153196906977540&adbpl=fb&adbpr=13601527539#photo-01
Congrats on the coverage :cheers:
Quote from: thedodgeboys on January 15, 2016, 05:19:46 AM
Looks like someone has noticed your awesome build....
Hot Rod Magazine http://www.hotrod.com/features/1601-man-resurrects-totaled-srt8-charger-as-a-dodge-daytona/?sm_id=social_aumohotrodsshub_default_20160115_57282906&adbid=10153196906977540&adbpl=fb&adbpr=13601527539#photo-01
Congrats on the coverage :cheers:
Yeah. That is pretty crazy stuff right there. I'd like to thank Johnny Hunkins for writing the article.
Steve, you're Famous!
I just breezed through the Hot Rod gallery but as I and others have said before, you do amazing work. This car will be incredible when finished.
Congrats!
VERY cool Steve!!!
very nice for hot rodding magazin :popcrn:
Quote from: 70Sbird on January 15, 2016, 10:48:56 AM
Steve, you're Famous!
I just breezed through the Hot Rod gallery but as I and others have said before, you do amazing work. This car will be incredible when finished.
Congrats!
x2! Congrats!
Thanks guys. It was a really bizarre week. My Facebook page post about this build got shared somewhere and out of nowhere it exploded. I started accepting friends as I thought a few more people were curious to follow the build. In 3 days I had gone from about 200 friends to the maximum 5000 and had to activate the "follow" button. Just when I thought it was over I got a call about posting the build on the Hot Rodding website. I agreed and as of this afternoon after about 18 hours there had been over 1,200,000 page views of the article. That is just plain ridiculous. To say the least I have been a little overwhelmed by the sudden interest. Bottom line is despite all the new attention, tomorrow it will be just me and my sanding block out in the shop with a few crickets and maybe a lizard trying to stay out of the cold. So time to let all the air back out of my head and get back to work.
Awesome article on your awesome Daytona! congratulations!
Pat
Well deserved press. :yesnod: I think you and Keepat may both end up at SEMA. Amazing rides that you guys are building. :2thumbs: :coolgleamA:
Hey Steve, found the Hot Rod article about this car and I just wanted to give my praise and compliments to you for creating an awesome car. Hope to build one of my own some day. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on January 15, 2016, 05:26:41 PM
Thanks guys. It was a really bizarre week. My Facebook page post about this build got shared somewhere and out of nowhere it exploded. I started accepting friends as I thought a few more people were curious to follow the build. In 3 days I had gone from about 200 friends to the maximum 5000 and had to activate the "follow" button. Just when I thought it was over I got a call about posting the build on the Hot Rodding website. I agreed and as of this afternoon after about 18 hours there had been over 1,200,000 page views of the article. That is just plain ridiculous. To say the least I have been a little overwhelmed by the sudden interest. Bottom line is despite all the new attention, tomorrow it will be just me and my sanding block out in the shop with a few crickets and maybe a lizard trying to stay out of the cold. So time to let all the air back out of my head and get back to work.
Enjoy it :drool5: now finish it :slap: LOL life will never really be the same...
I joined this forum just to say, what an amazing project you've done! I also saw the article in Hot Rod magazine. I just spent the last few hours reading though all 51 pages.
Rich
Quote from: keepat on January 15, 2016, 07:17:03 PM
Awesome article on your awesome Daytona! congratulations!
Pat
Thanks keepat. It was very flattering to say the least.
Quote from: garner7555 on January 15, 2016, 07:26:26 PM
Well deserved press. :yesnod: I think you and Keepat may both end up at SEMA. Amazing rides that you guys are building. :2thumbs: :coolgleamA:
Maybe keepat but SEMA is for professionals. You have to be in a related business just to get in to walk around. Thanks for the thumbs up.
Quote from: Cha11engerD on January 16, 2016, 02:56:40 AM
Hey Steve, found the Hot Rod article about this car and I just wanted to give my praise and compliments to you for creating an awesome car. Hope to build one of my own some day. :2thumbs:
Thank you ChallengerD and start looking around.People are crashing SRT's all the time.
Quote from: thedodgeboys on January 16, 2016, 08:39:06 AM
Enjoy it :drool5: now finish it :slap: LOL life will never really be the same...
I'm finishin'. I'm finishin'!!! :eek2:
Quote from: Castle02 on January 17, 2016, 01:26:41 PM
I joined this forum just to say, what an amazing project you've done! I also saw the article in Hot Rod magazine. I just spent the last few hours reading though all 51 pages.
Rich
Welcome to DodgeCharger.com and thank you for slogging through what must have seemed endless. You are a patient man.
QuoteQuoteHey Steve, found the Hot Rod article about this car and I just wanted to give my praise and compliments to you for creating an awesome car. Hope to build one of my own some day. :2thumbs:
Thank you ChallengerD and start looking around.People are crashing SRT's all the time.
Trick is finding a 2-gen body. Had one nearby, but it finally sold after two months before I could save up enough for it. So the search starts anew.
Quote from: Cha11engerD on January 18, 2016, 12:31:50 AM
QuoteQuoteHey Steve, found the Hot Rod article about this car and I just wanted to give my praise and compliments to you for creating an awesome car. Hope to build one of my own some day. :2thumbs:
Thank you ChallengerD and start looking around.People are crashing SRT's all the time.
Trick is finding a 2-gen body. Had one nearby, but it finally sold after two months before I could save up enough for it. So the search starts anew.
You know what? If I had to do it again I would start with the SRT Donor and get all new AMD sheet metal and hang it on the SRT and not even bother with an old shell. It was a lot of effort fixing the old metal and they want too much money for what are rust buckets today. I was fortunate to get my shell for just $1,500.00 but there wasn't a lot left of it by the time I was done. I ended up getting new door skins and it really could have used new quarter panels. That left the roof skin ( which needed a ton of work). The inner roof support ( which unfortunately is not reproduced.) The door sills,jambs, and rockers. The inner door and rear side window structure. I had to scrounge a trunk lid that had to be reworked,a 70 hood and fenders. ect . So by the time I was done?? You get the picture.
I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. I would like to build something like what you're doing, but I was talking about rebuilding a 2-gen Charger and getting one running. I've never rebuilt a car before, and the car I was looking at was only missing an engine. The other thing that's preventing me from starting such a project is a place to work on it. I'm staying with family in the city, so there's no place for me to get started yet.
Oh...Sorry for rambling on. Well good luck with the search.
Just saw the article on your car congrats Steve
QuoteYou know what? If I had to do it again I would start with the SRT Donor and get all new AMD sheet metal and hang it on the SRT and not even bother with an old shell. It was a lot of effort fixing the old metal and they want too much money for what are rust buckets today. I was fortunate to get my shell for just $1,500.00 but there wasn't a lot left of it by the time I was done. I ended up getting new door skins and it really could have used new quarter panels. That left the roof skin ( which needed a ton of work). The inner roof support ( which unfortunately is not reproduced.) The door sills,jambs, and rockers. The inner door and rear side window structure. I had to scrounge a trunk lid that had to be reworked,a 70 hood and fenders. ect . So by the time I was done?? You get the picture.
I always like hearing a builder's feedback about all the abandoned ideas & regrets in hindsight.
When you speak of the 68-70 shell not being worth it, are you suggesting using the repro skin panels and fabricating all the necessary under-structure for it?
The Mopar hobby in particular has really taken a savage beating with the lack of decent sheetmetal/bodies.
Of course rust hurts the entire old-car scene. But I don't know if there is another situation with any brand where so many people are paying so much for such rotten crap. It seems like every other brand is either a smaller hobby, more aftermarket support, or better surviving supply.
Wonderful thread and article posted by Automobile magazine.
This thread was responsible to motivate me to track down the car I sold 14 years ago.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,121983.0.html
A reskined Hellcat would be something!
Quote from: 68pplcharger on January 19, 2016, 08:09:52 PM
Just saw the article on your car congrats Steve
Thanks 68pplcharger. It was an ego booster for sure. Unbelievable response. As of yesterday they had over 1.6 million page views.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on January 20, 2016, 06:46:46 AM
QuoteYou know what? If I had to do it again I would start with the SRT Donor and get all new AMD sheet metal and hang it on the SRT and not even bother with an old shell. It was a lot of effort fixing the old metal and they want too much money for what are rust buckets today. I was fortunate to get my shell for just $1,500.00 but there wasn't a lot left of it by the time I was done. I ended up getting new door skins and it really could have used new quarter panels. That left the roof skin ( which needed a ton of work). The inner roof support ( which unfortunately is not reproduced.) The door sills,jambs, and rockers. The inner door and rear side window structure. I had to scrounge a trunk lid that had to be reworked,a 70 hood and fenders. ect . So by the time I was done?? You get the picture.
I always like hearing a builder's feedback about all the abandoned ideas & regrets in hindsight.
When you speak of the 68-70 shell not being worth it, are you suggesting using the repro skin panels and fabricating all the necessary under-structure for it?
The Mopar hobby in particular has really taken a savage beating with the lack of decent sheetmetal/bodies.
Of course rust hurts the entire old-car scene. But I don't know if there is another situation with any brand where so many people are paying so much for such rotten crap. It seems like every other brand is either a smaller hobby, more aftermarket support, or better surviving supply.
You know Mike the second gen Dodge Charger is in a unique position in that other than the roof substructure you can get pretty much everything you need to build a car from scratch. The stupid prices I have seen for what amounts to a vin number by the time you replace all of the rusty stuff would keep me from doing this again starting with an old car shell. If you wanted a 68 or 69 Charger and you were going to start with a base model any way why not build one from scratch. You are going to have to spend the money on the sheet metal anyway. I know there is the problem of jigging it up but it is not impossible to do.
Quote from: mike69440 on January 20, 2016, 09:48:37 AM
Wonderful thread and article posted by Automobile magazine.
This thread was responsible to motivate me to track down the car I sold 14 years ago.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,121983.0.html
A reskined Hellcat would be something!
Yes. If I had the money and one came available that would be a crazy car. Neither are likely though for me.
Okay. So I finally got some color going on. It is just on the trunk rim, the inside of the gas hole and the door jambs and sill but it is color non the less.
The first picture is of the previously mentioned areas sprayed with Evercoat Slick Sand K-2 primer, After sanding that out (which took forever and killed my fingers) down to 400 I sprayed some activated sealer.
I followed up with 2 base coats and 3 clear coats of the two colors. Yeah I know it looks like black but in the daylight the color of the door jamb area looks dark silver and the trunk is a dark metallic grey. The final picture is a little trick I used to keep the paint out of the threads to the door hinge bolts. I cut the head off the same size bolt and cut a slot in it so that I could screw it in with a screw driver.
Awesome! Can't wait to see this one finished! :2thumbs:
That has to feel great getting some color on your Daytona! looks awesome!!
Pat
Where did all this skill come from? Is Lee Iacocca coming to you in your dreams giving you your instructions or what? "You will build a hybrid Charger it will measure X by Y it will .....................
Are you a body man by trade? Being pushed by pure passion?
went back thru pages 1-15 . You've come alone way it is looking great to me.Still available to do some test drives for you,HA HA.. looking forward ,will bee a great Daytona year,I think... :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :drool5: :popcrn: Dj the next one will go together faster,HA HA :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn:
Quote from: garner7555 on January 23, 2016, 09:34:38 PM
Awesome! Can't wait to see this one finished! :2thumbs:
Yeah. I am about ready to be done with this but I will be quite lost when it is done having spent pretty much every weekend for the last 3 years on it. It will be odd.
Quote from: Bobs69 on January 24, 2016, 04:14:26 PM
Where did all this skill come from? Is Lee Iacocca coming to you in your dreams giving you your instructions or what? "You will build a hybrid Charger it will measure X by Y it will .....................
Are you a body man by trade? Being pushed by pure passion?
What I do for a living sounds like it would give me the skills to do this but there is very little resemblance in putting stock car bodies on and what went on here. A stock car body is just sheet metal skins hung on small tubing stand offs from a roll cage. The skins are tack welded every 2" or so and there are no operable doors or interior parts to build. Mostly I am just winging it here. I just like to figure things out and yes I would say I am a bit obsessed with this car.
Quote from: djcarguy on January 24, 2016, 06:25:49 PM
went back thru pages 1-15 . You've come alone way it is looking great to me.Still available to do some test drives for you,HA HA.. looking forward ,will bee a great Daytona year,I think... :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :drool5: :popcrn: Dj the next one will go together faster,HA HA :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn:
Quote from: djcarguy on January 24, 2016, 06:25:49 PM
went back thru pages 1-15 . You've come alone way it is looking great to me.Still available to do some test drives for you,HA HA.. looking forward ,will bee a great Daytona year,I think... :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :drool5: :popcrn: Dj the next one will go together faster,HA HA :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn:
When I get done I probably will be too old to drive DJ so I will probably need somebody to run it through it's paces by then.
Well in case anyone was wondering how I move this 2 ton beast around by myself here are some pictures of how I get it around. First off the little wheels on the tire dollys are terrible with this much weight so just pushing it around is not possible. First I attach a 2"x 4" bar behind the wheel dollys either front or back depending on the direction I want to drag it. I attach a chain to the center of that and it is attached to a 2000 pound 12 volt winch. There are a couple of locations on the floor in the paint room and out in the shop where I can attach the winch to drag the car forward or back.
Here you can see my caveman method in action. I stripped the car of all the masking tape and paper because a lot of it had been on there since August and I was afraid it might not come off if left on much longer. I gave the car a decent clean out and got it out of the way so I could bring the body parts into the paint room to work on them over the next few weeks.
Man, those inner fenders don't look as weird on a 68 charger as they did in the beggining :popcrn:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on January 24, 2016, 09:45:02 PM
Man, those inner fenders don't look as weird on a 68 charger as they did in the beggining :popcrn:
[/quote
Paint can be magical.
as always, excellent work !!! :2thumbs:
you are the best :popcrn:
When I get done I probably will be too old to drive DJ so I will probably need somebody to run it through it's paces by then.
Well in case anyone was wondering how I move this 2 ton beast around by myself here are some pictures of how I get it around. First off the little wheels on the tire dollys are terrible with this much weight so just pushing it around is not possible. First I attach a 2"x 4" bar behind the wheel dollys either front or back depending on the direction I want to drag it. I attach a chain to the center of that and it is attached to a 2000 pound 12 volt winch. There are a couple of locations on the floor in the paint room and out in the shop where I can attach the winch to drag the car forward or back.
I'll probably be dead. lol
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on January 25, 2016, 01:23:56 PM
you are the best :popcrn:
Love havin' you in my corner Charlie.
Quote from: ACUDANUT on January 27, 2016, 03:05:11 PM
I'll probably be dead. lol
Geez . I hope not. Hang in there ACUDANUT. :lol:
Get her done. I want to see it on the road. :cheers:
So I got the car out of the spray room and covered up so I could start working on some parts. I decided to start with the hood and trunk lid as they will be the same color. I had a little fabrication work to do to the under side of the hood in that I had to make some kind of closeout panel to hide the area where the extension was mended at the back of the hood.
I case anyone was wondering how I went about creating the flared holes in the close out panel, after I created the panels and used a shrinker/stretcher to contour them to the hood I drilled a series of 1/4" pilot holes along the center of the panels. I then widened them out with a step drill bit. For anyone who has never used one these are an excellent nonviolent tool for making large holes in sheet metal. Unlike large twist drill bits they give you a nice round hole. The hole was enlarged enough to fit the center bolt from the punch/flare die. The two halves are then tightened down until the hole is punched and then the subsequent flare is formed.
Finally this weekend I thought I was going to get some paint on but only managed to get the K2 primer on and start to sand the trunk lid.
ill send you the visor for my nash windshield so you can punch those holes for me :icon_smile_big: nice work as always
Quote from: moparstuart on January 31, 2016, 08:18:46 PM
ill send you the visor for my nash windshield so you can punch those holes for me :icon_smile_big: nice work as always
Send it on Stu. Send it on. :2thumbs:
i just read thru this thread start to finish. this is an excellent build. looking forward to your future progress
Quote from: rapidtransitrick on February 19, 2016, 04:42:16 PM
i just read thru this thread start to finish. this is an excellent build. looking forward to your future progress
Thank you for taking the time to go through the entire thing . It is getting a bit long at this point.
Well about 2 weeks ago I slipped on my kitchen floor and wrenched my back so I have been dealing with the aftermath of that so no work on the car last weekend. Today I had a couple of friends from South Carolina stop in for a visit so I took the opportunity to get them to help me roll the car outside to look it over in the sunshine. Good that I did because there a number of places I thought looked good that need help on the body work. I am all pilled up but hopefully I will get over this back issue and get back to work both at my job (cause I can't afford to loose it) and on this car.
AWESOME :drool5:
Looks great to me! I've been following this build on facebook (stayed up waaaayy too late a couple nights going over all the pics, but I was hooked!) and just recently found it here. Your fab skills are amazing, and you have some very clever solutions in that car. The truss under the dutchman panel was really cool to see, everything looks rock solid.
Can't wait to see more, hope you feel better soon.
sorry to hear about your spill. take care of yourself first we will all be here when your ready to get back to it
First things first....take care of your back. I know how that works from personal experience. [also known as getting old sucks]
Your loyal fans are patient, we know perfection takes time. We know how things go, and most of us prepare and stock up on :popcrn:
Relax and put your feet up.....we'll wait. :yesnod:
:coolgleamA: :2thumbs: good stuff !! :popcrn:
Thanks for all the well wishes. It really brings home the point of how vulnerable we all are. Pretty helpless feeling. Thanks again.
Always following your thread.
Sux hurting, take it easy.
I like to push the project out into the sun and let it bake repeatedly during body work.
Quote from: Patronus on February 20, 2016, 06:27:12 PM
Always following your thread.
Sux hurting, take it easy.
I like to push the project out into the sun and let it bake repeatedly during body work.
Thanks Patronus. Being a one man band over here it takes a lot of time to move this beast around. So I took the opportunity with a couple of guys who were visiting to get it muscled out. Wish I could do it more often like you say you do but I swear this is the heaviest car I have ever tried to move.
Quote from: Stevearino on February 20, 2016, 07:59:14 PM
Quote from: Patronus on February 20, 2016, 06:27:12 PM
Always following your thread.
Sux hurting, take it easy.
I like to push the project out into the sun and let it bake repeatedly during body work.
Thanks Patronus. Being a one man band over here it takes a lot of time to move this beast around. So I took the opportunity with a couple of guys who were visiting to get it muscled out. Wish I could do it more often like you say you do but I swear this is the heaviest car I have ever tried to move.
I bet that thing is as heavy as a 4-door sedan......
Lol, get it. Cause you used a 4-door sedan as the donor car.
Kidding, hope you feel better. Pills are great
Luke
steel one of the dinning room chairs,saw the legs down ,few brakets so it dont flip into the back seat and drive it around in an out of shop?? hope ya get better an back, ta work soooooooon,lol..
stu an i offered before to come down an help out at your shop ?? oh wait that was come an have you help on our projects ,i think.. oh well along those lines sorta? thought that counts? Maybee :yesnod:
new pix are great an show lots of room for several campers an more projects,haha..
get better, i know bout knee pop an falls in bath an kitchen,an slips an crashes.DJ :2thumbs: :cheers: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: enjoy the site or few old movies? :2thumbs:
Quote from: djcarguy on February 21, 2016, 08:43:49 AM
steel one of the dinning room chairs,saw the legs down ,few brakets so it dont flip into the back seat and drive it around in an out of shop?? hope ya get better an back, ta work soooooooon,lol..
stu an i offered before to come down an help out at your shop ?? oh wait that was come an have you help on our projects ,i think.. oh well along those lines sorta? thought that counts? Maybee :yesnod:
new pix are great an show lots of room for several campers an more projects,haha..
get better, i know bout knee pop an falls in bath an kitchen,an slips an crashes.DJ :2thumbs: :cheers: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: enjoy the site or few old movies? :2thumbs:
I will keep an eye out on the horizon for the arrival of the campers DJ. ;)
Well the back is about 70% so I have been trying to get back out and get this project moving forward again. We all know how fun it is to try and sand and prep the underside of the the hood and trunk lid but it is a necessary evil that seemed to take forever but I finally got them sanded, sealed base coated and cleared.
Following Charger-Bodie's advice I had used the trunk seal to do the body work but I had taped it in rather than glue it in . The only problem with this was removing some of the masking tape glue residue. I used some acetone for that and was able to use the seal .This is a picture of the final install of the modified trunk seal. It had to be shorted because of the size of the Daytona deck but it worked out good.
It felt good to finally be putting something back on the car to stay when I re-installed the trunk lid for the final time.
So that I would not have to go through all of the alignment issues again before I had removed the hood catch I had drilled 2 1/8" holes so that I could easily relocate the latch with some cleco's. Obviously not a tip you could use on a restoration but it worked for my purposes. I then permanently installed the aluminum rear hood closure. Here you can see that the color for the top of the car is not really black against the pre-painted black aluminum.
Color looks great! I'm looking forward to the body work on my car! Did I just say that?
Pat
Amazing! :drool5:
Very impressive work on this build...actually, more like completely & utterly amazing! :2thumbs:
looks like things are rolling along smoothly. great stuff
How the hell is it you don't have your own TV show?
I get so tired of seeing these douche bags pumping cars out in a matter of weeks and making big money on them.
Quote from: keepat on March 06, 2016, 04:48:18 PM
Color looks great! I'm looking forward to the body work on my car! Did I just say that?
Pat
I hate that this will be another Grey on grey car since they seem to be the fashion now but it just works for what I am doing. BTW when you say you are looking forward to the body work you are just kidding right?
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on March 06, 2016, 06:06:01 PM
Amazing! :drool5:
Thanks again Baldwinvette77. Seems like it is going on forever at this point huh?
Quote from: Charger_Fan on March 07, 2016, 11:24:25 AM
Very impressive work on this build...actually, more like completely & utterly amazing! :2thumbs:
Thanks for that over the top description Charger_Fan. I appreciate the good vibe.
Quote from: rapidtransitrick on March 12, 2016, 09:17:40 AM
looks like things are rolling along smoothly. great stuff
Last month has been hell but it is getting warmer, my back is 90% better and I am starting to get a little traction again.
Quote from: Bobs69 on March 12, 2016, 04:56:24 PM
How the hell is it you don't have your own TV show?
I get so tired of seeing these douche bags pumping cars out in a matter of weeks and making big money on them.
I wouldn't want the responsibility for boring people to death waiting for the next show. :lol:
Well I hauled the doors and fenders into the spray room to start work on painting the insides and edges on these components. Hopefully it won't take forever but there are tons of nooks and crannies to attend to so who knows.
I was kind of stuck as to what to do about the opening treatment for the fender scoops. I had tried different things but nothing looked good so I had resigned myself to just putting in a solid closure of black aluminum. I took one more stab at it and got some expanded metal. Actually it is one of those screens you put over your rain gutters to keep the leaves out. The mesh was just tight enough and it will give the scoop some function venting the under hood area if not the actual fender. I will secure it to the bottom of the fender with some Fusor T-21 epoxy .
Finally another piece of the car back on for good. I mounted the hood for the final time.
Looking awesome.....
I use the gutter guard at the front valence gap on our Charger and Cuda. Works well, soft though.
:popcrn:
Quote from: Stevearino on March 14, 2016, 06:51:56 PM
I was kind of stuck as to what to do about the opening treatment for the fender scoops. I had tried different things but nothing looked good so I had resigned myself to just putting in a solid closure of black aluminum. I took one more stab at it and got some expanded metal. Actually it is one of those screens you put over your rain gutters to keep the leaves out. The mesh was just tight enough and it will give the scoop some function venting the under hood area if not the actual fender. I will secure it to the bottom of the fender with some Fusor T-21 epoxy .
ummmm please please do not take this as critism...your fabrication skills and reinterpretation of blending modern components with old components and this build in general is absolutely incredible. :drool5: BUT I would hate for you to use that cheap looking grill mesh :rotz: .What about using the fine plastic honeycomb mesh that you can buy or fabricate something from an original factory grill or air dams etc.
Here is the actual piece on the SRT hood scoop on my Charger... Would suit the theme...
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l66/benlavigne/Charger/SRT%20Hood_zpsycshwwpi.jpg) (http://s93.photobucket.com/user/benlavigne/media/Charger/SRT%20Hood_zpsycshwwpi.jpg.html)
Ben
Who sells that plastic honeycomb mesh?
Quote from: remta1 on March 18, 2016, 06:30:27 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on March 14, 2016, 06:51:56 PM
I was kind of stuck as to what to do about the opening treatment for the fender scoops. I had tried different things but nothing looked good so I had resigned myself to just putting in a solid closure of black aluminum. I took one more stab at it and got some expanded metal. Actually it is one of those screens you put over your rain gutters to keep the leaves out. The mesh was just tight enough and it will give the scoop some function venting the under hood area if not the actual fender. I will secure it to the bottom of the fender with some Fusor T-21 epoxy .
ummmm please please do not take this as critism...your fabrication skills and reinterpretation of blending modern components with old components and this build in general is absolutely incredible. :drool5: BUT I would hate for you to use that cheap looking grill mesh :rotz: .What about using the fine plastic honeycomb mesh that you can buy or fabricate something from an original factory grill or air dams etc.
The problem is scale. The openings are pretty tiny and once painted I don't think they will look cheap. I tried a number of things and they all ended up looking like 10 pounds of junk in a 5 pound bag. Also I am at a point where I have to decide or this little detail will keep me from mounting the fenders due to the way the screen will not be able to be attached from the outside and there will be no access once the fender is on. But who knows. If i can get a hold of something like that in the next week or so I might just take your advice. I do like the 3d honeycomb.
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on March 18, 2016, 12:59:05 PM
Here is the actual piece on the SRT hood scoop on my Charger... Would suit the theme...
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l66/benlavigne/Charger/SRT%20Hood_zpsycshwwpi.jpg) (http://s93.photobucket.com/user/benlavigne/media/Charger/SRT%20Hood_zpsycshwwpi.jpg.html)
Ben
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on March 18, 2016, 12:59:05 PM
Here is the actual piece on the SRT hood scoop on my Charger... Would suit the theme...
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l66/benlavigne/Charger/SRT%20Hood_zpsycshwwpi.jpg) (http://s93.photobucket.com/user/benlavigne/media/Charger/SRT%20Hood_zpsycshwwpi.jpg.html)
Ben
Yeah. Even though it is just flat mesh it kind of fits that pattern.
Quote from: rapidtransitrick on March 19, 2016, 07:15:18 AM
Quote from: qwick68 on March 14, 2016, 07:33:15 PM
Looking awesome.....
yes it does :2thumbs:
Thanks Rapidtransitrick.
Just did a quick side by side and I like the SRT hood scoop insert. The piece itself is too small to scavenge the honeycomb from it and a quick scan of ebay says that they sell for about $60.00 so that is out. There is a lot of universal ABS honeycomb flat sheets for sale but I could not find a mesh as small as the SRT insert let alone something smaller. Most ABS universals that I looked at were twice the size of the SRT insert. I will do a little more hunting tonight but if anyone knows where that 1/2" x 1/4" might be bought let me know.
Ebay has many choices I think metal is better than plastic myself
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/mesh-grill
Quote from: remta1 on March 18, 2016, 06:30:27 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on March 14, 2016, 06:51:56 PM
I was kind of stuck as to what to do about the opening treatment for the fender scoops. I had tried different things but nothing looked good so I had resigned myself to just putting in a solid closure of black aluminum. I took one more stab at it and got some expanded metal. Actually it is one of those screens you put over your rain gutters to keep the leaves out. The mesh was just tight enough and it will give the scoop some function venting the under hood area if not the actual fender. I will secure it to the bottom of the fender with some Fusor T-21 epoxy .
ummmm please please do not take this as critism...your fabrication skills and reinterpretation of blending modern components with old components and this build in general is absolutely incredible. :drool5: BUT I would hate for you to use that cheap looking grill mesh :rotz: .What about using the fine plastic honeycomb mesh that you can buy or fabricate something from an original factory grill or air dams etc.
Agreed, it's the attention to small details that makes a statement to the quality finish of a custom build, flat sheet screen has it's place/use in some builds and applications, but often times a dimension 3D depth lends a more dramatic look to an opening, I've used aluminum and plastic honeycomb, rectangular, square, etc, etc panel material to create a more dramatic effect in grille/scoop openings, the products/sizes/thickness's available are vast and unique, generally some form of a frame around the said screening detail adds for a more finished installation in the insert/opening...Sorry more work for you Steve :icon_smile_big: Great work, nicely done build, I can appreciate the amount of effort and diligence you've put in!
Mike
Okay Mike. I get the picture. Time to put a little effort into it. I am going to try something. If it works it should do the trick. Not going to say until I work it out. Distractions , Distractions , Distractions.
Quote from: Stevearino on March 19, 2016, 05:07:08 PM
Okay Mike. I get the picture. Time to put a little effort into it. I am going to try something. If it works it should do the trick. Not going to say until I work it out. Distractions , Distractions , Distractions.
this single post is what makes an awesome build/thread even better. one master craftsman more or less challenging his peer to go the extra mile, so to speak.
Quote from: held1823 on March 20, 2016, 08:54:59 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on March 19, 2016, 05:07:08 PM
Okay Mike. I get the picture. Time to put a little effort into it. I am going to try something. If it works it should do the trick. Not going to say until I work it out. Distractions , Distractions , Distractions.
this single post is what makes an awesome build/thread even better. one master craftsman more or less challenging his peer to go the extra mile, so to speak.
High praise indeed. Thanks held1823.
So while it might look like a bit of overkill papered over the outsides of the front fenders so as to not create more work for myself getting rid of the over spray onto the out side surface while I worked the insides.
I then went ahead and sealed , base coated and cleared the insides of the doors and the relevant parts of the front fenders.
I had also painted the door hinges and hardware and attached them for the final time. Again here I had used cleco's to relocate the hinges as to save me time re aligning them. And again not a good tip for restoration jobs but for my project it worked fine.
I put the new door seals on the back side of the door while I had it laying down. I had to make a couple of modifications to the seal due to the difference in the latch mechanisms and in the front where the vent window would normally go.
Also while I had it laying flat I glued in some sound deadener in the area of the door skin across from the door speaker to dampen vibrations on the skin.
I also took the time to run my wiring harness in the door while I had good lighting and could see all my attachment points.
After that I proceeded to hang the doors for the final time on the car. The last picture here shows the rubber boot for the door wiring harness installed for the last time.
Before installing the door catch I applied a little low tac 3m welding spatter paper to the jamb. I did this to prevent marring the door jamb while moving the catch around to set it in the proper position.
Once it was properly set I carefully trimmed around it with a new exacto knife. I then removed the catch and peeled the paper out from under it so as to create a register for re-installation
Finally here are some pictures of the doors attached to the car for the final time.
Looking very good! Thanks for taking the time to post these pictures and some of the small steps. It helps give me ideas of what/when to do things when I get to this point. :2thumbs:
I don't know why I never read this thread but it was long overdue. I read everything start to finish and I am in awe! :o
Repairing and restoring cars was my first career and I have done plenty metal work, but you sir take it up a few notches! :2thumbs:
I've watched this thread since it started and its still hard to believe thats a 4 door Mercedes based family car :coolgleamA:
Pretty soon you'll be on to the next one :popcorn:
Gotta love making stuff
Quote from: tsmithae on March 27, 2016, 09:04:02 PM
Looking very good! Thanks for taking the time to post these pictures and some of the small steps. It helps give me ideas of what/when to do things when I get to this point. :2thumbs:
Some of the steps I am taking are just extra precautions because I am not a professional painter and must be extra careful not to miss anything.
Quote from: Dino on March 28, 2016, 11:10:11 AM
I don't know why I never read this thread but it was long overdue. I read everything start to finish and I am in awe! :o
Repairing and restoring cars was my first career and I have done plenty metal work, but you sir take it up a few notches! :2thumbs:
Well thanks for hanging in there Dino. I know it is a long slog to read the whole thing. Thank you also for the words of encouragement.
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on March 28, 2016, 08:01:59 PM
I've watched this thread since it started and its still hard to believe thats a 4 door Mercedes based family car :coolgleamA:
I try to tell people what a great buy this platform is because they do not realize that this was designed when the company was Daimler/Chrysler. If you just re-badged it with the Mercedes logo you would pay at least twice the price for the same thing.
Quote from: Patronus on March 28, 2016, 10:41:32 PM
Pretty soon you'll be on to the next one :popcorn:
Gotta love making stuff
Unfortunately it will be back to my 18 year ongoing and recently very neglected project. My stupid old house. Been working on fixer uppers for 37 years now.
Okay. Well in response to remta1, Montreal Wing Car, murfman and DAY CLONA. This is what I came up with on the fender scoops as an alternative to the gutter screen. I had the plastic insert that was in the SRT-8 hood scoop and since I could not find a comparable grill mesh at that scale I decided to try my hand at replicating what I had with some mold making materials and some casting resin.
The first thing I did was to tape off the back side and spray some mold release agent.
I then purchased some two part silicone mold making material.
After mixing the two components I poured the material into the scoop opening.
The next day I pulled the silicone out of the scoop.
Since the mold was pretty flexible I used some angle aluminum double face taped to some plastic to confine it.
Next I got some two part casting resin at the Hobby Lobby. (A WORD OF CAUTION HERE. THIS RESIN WOULD NOT BE SUITABLE FOR AREAS OF HIGH HEAT AND PROBABLY NOT DURABLE FOR GRILLS THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED BY DEBRIS)
Due to the way the part was molded the sides of the mold were open and I built a temporary dam on the perimeter with some silicone caulk and rubber electrical tape. I intended the first pull to be an experiment.
After pulling the part from the mold it turned out to be pretty good but the mold was too leaky so I trimmed up the piece and the mold an made another bathtub for the mold using angled aluminum taped to the base and hot glue to seal the corners.
After that I poured some more blue goo into the area surrounding the original mold and created a confinement for my subsequent pulls.
With the grill molded I bent some .035 steel into an "L" shape 1/4" by 1/8" to make a surround for the grill to be set in. I took a paper pattern from the fender scoop opening to give me the proper shape.
After gluing the grill into the surround with some steel panel adhesive I cleaned and primed the piece and set it in the fender. It will be painted black and adhered into place with the same panel adhesive.
I know you had looked at the SRT hood scoop before I posted my pic, but in my mind, I'll choose to believe I had an influence and that there is a part of me on the car! :icon_smile_cool:
It looks great!
Ben
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on March 29, 2016, 06:19:07 PM
I know you had looked at the SRT hood scoop before I posted my pic, but in my mind, I'll choose to believe I had an influence and that there is a part of me on the car! :icon_smile_cool:
It looks great!
Ben
I in point of fact did not consider the SRT hood scoop insert. It was indeed your suggestion along with others that prompted the my reconsideration of what to do in the area of the fender scoops. So you may rightfully lay claim to the idea. :2thumbs:
While I'm more of one to merely lurk...and observe in quiet awe, I just HAVE to put my two cents worth in here.
That is absolutely outstanding. Although my "Birdible" project is still years away from fruition, I am keeping this idea in mind and running with it. That is just so cool. Kudos to Montreal Wing Car for the idea - and to you, Steve, for the result.
To you both... :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: ...and thanks.
Quick question - did you have to bond a couple of layers together to get the required height?
:o WOW!!! more amazing skill , looks GREAT!! :2thumbs: :coolgleamA: :2guns: :woohoo: :buff: :notworthy:
Does look good :cheers:
Using a 3D printer comes to mind too. :scratchchin:
I must say, the new grill inserts look fantastic; much better than what you had before. Man, I can't wait to see this thing finished! :2thumbs:
This thread just keeps getting better.
:2thumbs:
is there anything you cannot do, fabrication wise?
"wow" sounds like an understatement, when it comes to the creativity on display in this car.
Quote from: Stevearino on March 29, 2016, 06:32:27 PM
Quote from: Montreal Wing Car on March 29, 2016, 06:19:07 PM
I know you had looked at the SRT hood scoop before I posted my pic, but in my mind, I'll choose to believe I had an influence and that there is a part of me on the car! :icon_smile_cool:
It looks great!
Ben
I in point of fact did not consider the SRT hood scoop insert. It was indeed your suggestion along with others that prompted the my reconsideration of what to do in the area of the fender scoops. So you may rightfully lay claim to the idea. :2thumbs:
yay me too ....... :lol: we knew you could do better and then you you just keep blowing us away with your skills . :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
clever stuff :yesnod: :2thumbs: :coolgleamA: :popcrn:
Awesome stuff! :cheers:
Holy Shit.....That's amazing creativity and work!!!! :cheers:
Quote from: 70Sbird on March 30, 2016, 12:32:36 PM
Holy Shit.....That's amazing creativity and work!!!! :cheers:
:iagree:
very nice work my friend your work is always amazing
I had nothing against the old grilles, but thats even better! :coolgleamA:
That was an ingenious way of making your own grille, and it looks fantastic! I am very impressed. :2thumbs:
Once again. you took it to that level! I am ever amazed with your ingenuity and talent! I LOVE THIS THREAD!
Thanks for all the kind words everyone. Unlike the gas fill door in the quarter panel I was not unhappy with the flat grill screen but this is an improvement. That's the beauty of doing this project where others can see it as it goes along. You have more than one set of eyes on the details.
To Lighthorseman. Yes I needed to glue two castings together to create one grill large enough to fill the opening height wise.
To held1823 Yes. There is quite a bit I am embarrassed to say I don't know how to do fabrication wise. I never learned how to gas or tig weld so I can't weld aluminum. I don't know how to properly work milling equipment which has stifled a couple of ideas. I have never molded large fiberglass panels. I don't know how to properly make carbon fiber panels which again squashed some ideas I have had in the past. So yes.There is plenty I can't do fabrication wise.Thanks for thinking that I have it all covered though. I am a bit of a BS artist.
Quote from: Stevearino on March 30, 2016, 07:03:26 PM
Thanks for thinking that I have it all covered though. I am a bit of a BS artist.
that statement is a work of art, my friend. lol
You are a fine Boy Scout :)
Dane
nailed it!!! :2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on March 29, 2016, 05:00:55 PM
With the grill molded I bent some .035 steel into an "L" shape 1/4" by 1/8" to make a surround for the grill to be set in. I took a paper pattern from the fender scoop opening to give me the proper shape.
After gluing the grill into the surround with some steel panel adhesive I cleaned and primed the piece and set it in the fender. It will be painted black and adhered into place with the same panel adhesive.
Kudos Steve! It was in you all along to bring that detail out in that area, it's just that it's easy to gloss over areas that one sometimes thinks doesn't need a fastidious amount of detail done to it, but you've done an incredible amount of work and detail to all the other facets of your build, that the "concern" from myself and others was not a criticism of your earlier effort, but more of a "battle-call" or "cheer leading" for you to maintain the pace and level of your build, you'll be glad that you revisited that area now, rather than not address it and to hear a comment down the road something the likes of, "Man what an awesome build, but he kinda "cheesed out" those scoop openings"...
The Devil is in the details, it either makes, or breaks the build, keep up the great work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FYI, through out your thread; because of it, EVERYONE learns/discovers something from you regardless of their skill sets/level Thank you!
Mike
Quote from: Daytona Guy on March 30, 2016, 09:37:23 PM
You are a fine Boy Scout :)
Dane
So THAT'S what BS stands for. :lol:
Quote from: rapidtransitrick on April 02, 2016, 07:50:58 AM
nailed it!!! :2thumbs:
Thanks rapidtransit. Even a blind squirrel will find a nut every now and then.
Quote from: DAY CLONA on April 02, 2016, 09:28:54 AM
Kudos Steve! It was in you all along to bring that detail out in that area, it's just that it's easy to gloss over areas that one sometimes thinks doesn't need a fastidious amount of detail done to it, but you've done an incredible amount of work and detail to all the other facets of your build, that the "concern" from myself and others was not a criticism of your earlier effort, but more of a "battle-call" or "cheer leading" for you to maintain the pace and level of your build, you'll be glad that you revisited that area now, rather than not address it and to hear a comment down the road something the likes of, "Man what an awesome build, but he kinda "cheesed out" those scoop openings"...
The Devil is in the details, it either makes, or breaks the build, keep up the great work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FYI, through out your thread; because of it, EVERYONE learns/discovers something from you regardless of their skill sets/level Thank you!
Mike
Coming from you Mike that is high praise. The beauty of doing a project like this where everyone can see warts and all is that once in a while you have enough eyes on the situation to call out that wart you missed. Thanks again.
WELL. Speaking of warts. I am a more than a little miffed right now. Before I went through all the effort to mold my own grill for the fender scoops I had scoured E-Bay and Google searching for aftermarket ABS plastic grill that matched my needs. All searches ended in me finding grills that were dimensionally twice as big as I needed. Hence the big effort to mold my own piece. I was doing some work on the nose and I was looking at the lower grill that I had made with some square stainless mesh and thought," You know. That larger honeycomb that I found might be just the ticket to match the lower grill with the scoops". Brilliant right? So I go back to E-Bay to find the stuff and......You guessed it. The size honeycomb I needed for the scoops is the first thing that pops up. :brickwall:
Moving on. Before I could put the fenders back on the car I had to create a back stop for the grill screens for those fender scoops. I took some pre-painted black aluminum and bent an "L" flange and fitted it up in the scoop about 1/2" in. I will be eventually affixing the screen in with a thin bead of black silicone that will be easily cut out if I need to remove the screens. The "L" flange is held in place with 3m double faced trim tape. If both surfaces are non-pourus and cleaned with Acetone this stuff doesn't let go. If you use it you better be sure your piece is where you want it before you stick it down. Getting it back off is almost impossible.
Finally the last picture shows the painted grill in place.
Some small bits here. I had bought new seals a couple of years ago and went to install one of the door jamb seals. Long story short it fit like crap and was molded badly. Probably not news to you guys who do restorations. What is the point of making stuff that fits like crap. Again probably preaching to the choir. So I refurbished the original pieces that came with the car. The one on the right is the original piece.
I painted the underside of my gas fill cover with some SEM black trim paint. This stuff is great in that it has a metal etch component and practically no build up. It wears really great also so I figured that in this area I would need something that could take a bit of a beating. If it does scar touch up is easy because it is in a aerosol can.
I installed the cover for the last time in the car sealing it to the base with silicone.
Finally this weekend I put the front fenders back on for the last time. It is finally starting to look like a car.
Thats one aweome looking charger 500 :coolgleamA:
The car sure looks better with more of it's clothes on (fenders). :D
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on April 04, 2016, 09:10:20 AM
Thats one aweome looking charger 500 :coolgleamA:
Are you just saying that because it doesn't have the nose & wing on yet? :poke: :icon_smile_big:
Car is looking slick Stevarino...
Very nice!!
Pat
very nice steeve
:o :2thumbs: looking good :yesnod: :drool5: :popcrn:
Quote from: Stevearino on April 04, 2016, 08:41:52 AM
Finally this weekend I put the front fenders back on for the last time. It is finally starting to look like a car.
Steve,
This company sure is putting a lot of effort into the wrong car. http://www.transamworldwide.com/buildyourown
It they manage to actually make a profit converting a silly Hot Wheels/Transformer car into Burt wanna be ride, they should put her next effort in bringing back Gen 2 Chargers and Areo cars based on the SRT and or Hell Kitty. I would expect they could not build them fast enough to satisfy demand at $150-200 K
Your built is of the highest craftsmanship, and is above all, tasteful, bad-ass and sexy.
We want paint. we want paint. :cheers:
Quote from: Charger_Fan on April 04, 2016, 01:59:51 PM
The car sure looks better with more of it's clothes on (fenders). :D
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on April 04, 2016, 09:10:20 AM
Thats one aweome looking charger 500 :coolgleamA:
Are you just saying that because it doesn't have the nose & wing on yet? :poke: :icon_smile_big:
So I should stop right here and built a 500? :rotz:
68pplcharger,keepat,XS29L9B2 and tan top. Thanks for the compliments. They keep me moving on.
Quote from: mike69440 on April 10, 2016, 08:11:30 PM
Steve,
This company sure is putting a lot of effort into the wrong car. http://www.transamworldwide.com/buildyourown
It they manage to actually make a profit converting a silly Hot Wheels/Transformer car into Burt wanna be ride, they should put her next effort in bringing back Gen 2 Chargers and Areo cars based on the SRT and or Hell Kitty. I would expect they could not build them fast enough to satisfy demand at $150-200 K
Your built is of the highest craftsmanship, and is above all, tasteful, bad-ass and sexy.
mike69440, I saw the the video of the Smokey and the Bandit car roll out and I happen to like what they did very much. There presentation left me cold though.
You might think they were curing cancer. They seem to think they are doing something that no one else could possibly do. It is just an over glorified body kit with some decals and a tuned motor. Get a grip. Imagine what you could do with all those resources in equipment and engineering talent. Cheesh. :rotz:
Quote from: ACUDANUT on April 11, 2016, 01:55:25 PM
We want paint. we want paint. :cheers:
I'm Paintin'! I'm Paintin! :eek2:
Well doesn't look like a lot but I tackled getting paint on the last pieces that needed the inards done. The headlight doors and the inside of the nose got some color and clear this weekend. I also painted my mirrors so as not to waste the paint I had mixed up. Next I will be dragging the car back into the booth to work on about 5 or six different areas of body work that are not quite right. So final color still a couple of weeks away. Just as well. Here in North Carolina it got down to 30 degrees overnight this weekend. I need it to be a bit warmer than that.
Also since I modified the windshield bed I had to layout and drill for my windshield trim clips. Best done now before it is painted in case I slip with the drill which I never do. :lol:
So now for a minor rant. Since I started this project I have been dreading dealing with the airbag situation. I need to do that soon and thought I had found the answer to my dilemma with a company called "myairbag.com" out of Georgia. They sell resistors to replace bags for diagnostic purposes but better yet if you send the module to them they will reset it for a fee. I had purchased replacement bags and belts but realized that reinstalling the passenger bag would be extremely dangerous. Should it go off it would take out the windshield bed and send shrapnel everywhere. So and emulator resistor would be the ticket to complete the circuit. I have had no luck finding out what the proper ohms resistance would be needed to emulate the bag so I described the situation in detail about the project to them in an e-mail. Today I get a reply from customer service that they don't have any parts for cars older than 1995 so they can't help me. REALLY? NO 1968 AIRBAG PARTS? What the hell kind of company are they? I politely asked them to re-read my request and look at the pictures I attached. Waiting for an entertaining reply.
Steve,
What do you have planned for covering up the cowl , wiper Motors, etc.?
You ar making great progress.
Quote from: mike69440 on April 11, 2016, 06:30:35 PM
Steve,
What do you have planned for covering up the cowl , wiper Motors, etc.?
You ar making great progress.
I didn't want to have to make you dig back through the whole thread to find this so here is a picture of the finished piece.
So what's the plan for the interior? Are you going to do all the upholstery yourself as well?
Quote from: Cha11engerD on April 11, 2016, 07:23:37 PM
So what's the plan for the interior? Are you going to do all the upholstery yourself as well?
I have already done the fabrication on the interior so once the car is painted I won't have to get in and out of it a bunch of times taking a chance of dinging the paint. That still might happen though :-\. Nature of the beast.
And here I thought I'd be the first one to have the seat belts mounted on the rear pad. :icon_smile_big:
I'm just blown away by the workmanship that's gone into this car - amazing and inspiring. :2thumbs:
Steve,
AWESOME job on the headliner!!!
Pat
Outstanding......
Quote from: Cha11engerD on April 11, 2016, 07:23:37 PM
So what's the plan for the interior? Are you going to do all the upholstery yourself as well?
Thank you, You Plan ahead.
The best compliment I can give is that you built the car tastefully and stylishly, as well as strategically planning the effort, and executing the work with superb skill and detail.
Quote from: Stevearino on April 11, 2016, 08:16:00 PM
Quote from: Cha11engerD on April 11, 2016, 07:23:37 PM
So what's the plan for the interior? Are you going to do all the upholstery yourself as well?
I have already done the fabrication on the interior so once the car is painted I won't have to get in and out of it a bunch of times taking a chance of dinging the paint. That still might happen though :-\. Nature of the beast.
I like your feet. :callme:
Quote from: ACUDANUT on April 14, 2016, 04:14:13 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on April 11, 2016, 08:16:00 PM
Quote from: Cha11engerD on April 11, 2016, 07:23:37 PM
So what's the plan for the interior? Are you going to do all the upholstery yourself as well?
I have already done the fabrication on the interior so once the car is painted I won't have to get in and out of it a bunch of times taking a chance of dinging the paint. That still might happen though :-\. Nature of the beast.
I like your feet. :callme:
LOL looks like Steve started wearing toe nail polish :rofl:
Quote from: Dino on April 11, 2016, 08:20:28 PM
And here I thought I'd be the first one to have the seat belts mounted on the rear pad. :icon_smile_big:
What can I say Dino? Great minds think alike. :lol:
Quote from: NYCMille on April 11, 2016, 08:44:23 PM
I'm just blown away by the workmanship that's gone into this car - amazing and inspiring. :2thumbs:
Thanks NYCMille I have to say doing this project publicly like this has made me have to re think my normal slip shod ways.
Quote from: keepat on April 12, 2016, 05:47:50 PM
Steve,
AWESOME job on the headliner!!!
Pat
Thanks Pat. I was a nervous wreck hoping it would come out the way I wanted it to. Exhausting working overhead inside the car too.
Quote from: mike69440 on April 12, 2016, 08:07:57 PM
Quote from: Cha11engerD on April 11, 2016, 07:23:37 PM
So what's the plan for the interior? Are you going to do all the upholstery yourself as well?
Thank you, You Plan ahead.
The best compliment I can give is that you built the car tastefully and stylishly, as well as strategically planning the effort, and executing the work with superb skill and detail.
I have been working on race cars for the last 20 years so I adopted the process we use where you do all the fabrication then disassemble it, do the paint work then reassemble it. It keeps things from getting nicked up after the paint is done. Thank you for the compliment.
Quote from: cdr on April 14, 2016, 05:04:18 PM
Quote from: ACUDANUT link=topic=101925.msg1535522#msg1535522 date=1460668453
I like your feet. :callme:
/quote]
LOL looks like Steve started wearing toe nail polish :rofl:
Snazzy new sandals to boot. :yesnod:
Well the knick knacks seem to never end. I had to paint up a bunch of tech screws to secure the panels that fit on the underside of the nose to the fenders. People wonder why projects like this take so long when you have to fiddle with so much unseen little nonsense like this. Also I had to paint the panels. I used some black SEM metal etch primer and SEM trim paint to cover these aluminum panels. I hope the rest of the car comes out as good as the mirrors. Pretty happy with them.
More tape and paper. This time to prevent overspray into the nose through the grill openings. I installed the headlight doors for the final time with some temporary props . The nose will go on for final paint then back off to install the headlight door opener equipment. I applied some masking foam to the fenders before hanging the nose.
With the nose back on it was time to get the car back into the spray booth. I have about 5 different areas that I have to rework the body before I will be ready for color so basically a couple of weeks away at this point. But I am getting there.
Anyone else squealing like a fanboy at this point? :o :drool5:
Great work, Steve! Almost there! :2thumbs:
Quote from: Cha11engerD on April 17, 2016, 05:25:43 PM
Anyone else squealing like a fanboy at this point? :o :drool5:
Great work, Steve! Almost there! :2thumbs:
Yea this build is simply amazing and I cannot wait to see it done :popcrn:
Looks awesome!
You would think that we are involved in building the car as excited as we all are over this build. :yesnod: I am truly happy to see this build getting close to having paint on it! :2thumbs:
Quote from: garner7555 on April 17, 2016, 07:44:55 PM
You would think that we are involved in building the car as excited as we all are over this build. :yesnod: I am truly happy to see this build getting close to having paint on it! :2thumbs:
LOL SO TRUE :iagree:
God forbid, but I hope this car gets a lot of Insurance !!
Quote from: cdr on April 17, 2016, 07:54:19 PM
Quote from: garner7555 on April 17, 2016, 07:44:55 PM
You would think that we are involved in building the car as excited as we all are over this build. :yesnod: I am truly happy to see this build getting close to having paint on it! :2thumbs:
LOL SO TRUE :iagree:
:iagree: :iagree: It is getting so close, I am stoked!
Thanks again for the enthusiastic praise. It really helps to keep me on track with this build.
Well I spent some time re-doing a few areas that needed some help in the body department. I re-primed and sanded those repairs then spent the better part of a day just re-taping and papering the beast. Finally I got some sealer on the car. Normally you would go wet to wet from sealer to paint but since this is going to be two tone I will have to let the sealer dry a couple of days then scuff it with 800 grit and proceed to mask off for the color.
ACUDANUT. I will definitely be paying for some insurance.
hey steve, have you checked the windshield chrome fit at the top of the a pillar, the corner looks very squared off.
Quote from: cdr on April 27, 2016, 07:33:03 PM
hey steve, have you checked the windshield chrome fit at the top of the a pillar, the corner looks very squared off.
Yes. If you will recall the windshield hole has been made smaller so I could eliminate the rubber gasket. The trim had to be cut to fit the new opening.
It is a little sharp there in the corner but since the trim will be blacked out I don't know if it will matter.
I forgott about that :icon_smile_blackeye: :2thumbs:
I've been following your build,wow is all I can say. And look's like your laying down base coat finally,awesome!
Best build thread ever, :2thumbs:
Entertaining, inspirational and educational, cannot wait till you make the build into a made for TV movie. The thread's got more content than half of the stuff on the tube as it is.
Just discovered the build made editors page in Mopar Muscle
:cheers:
Quote from: J.Bond on April 29, 2016, 07:53:40 AM
Best build thread ever, :2thumbs:
Entertaining, inspirational and educational, cannot wait till you make the build into a made for TV movie. The thread's got more content than half of the stuff on the tube as it is.
Just discovered the build made editors page in Mopar Mu
:cheers:
Steve
Your car will be a media star.
If Hollywood ever approaches, you should have one rule. The car lives in the end. (Including the Stunt doubles.)
This is not a full update because I am too tired to do one but I thought that those of you who have suffered through this whole build should see the car as soon as it had some shine on it. Many thanks again for the over the top comments. Makes this process fun.
So close! Keep going, Steve! You're almost there! :2thumbs:
:2thumbs:aa
Hey Steve I know what it must feel like to you at this point in this long term project.
I have one of my own that is ten years along now and the home stretch is close. (no comparison) Mine is 90% but that last 10% somehow seems like more.
I've been watching this thread with that in my mind and when you move forward it inspires me with my project.
:cheers: for helping motivate me and :cheers: for what you have done to date.
Wow, this makes me excited. :yesnod: Can't wait to see it assembled. I wish my project was moving along this fast. Keep up the good work. :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
:faint: :cheers: :cheers:
:o :drool5: :2thumbs: :coolgleamA: :bow: :bow: :patriot: :2guns: :wave: :punkrocka: :woohoo: :buff: :nixon: :drive: :paintingpink: :notworthy: :boogie:
That color is looking amazing!
Can't wait to see it out in the sunshine!
Good god damn yes :drool5:
Quote from: Stevearino on April 30, 2016, 07:54:40 PM
This is not a full update because I am too tired to do one but I thought that those of you who have suffered through this whole build should see the car as soon as it had some shine on it. Many thanks again for the over the top comments. Makes this process fun.
:notworthy: :boogie: :boogie: :boogie: :punkrocka: :faint: :2thumbs:
Thanks everyone for the kind words of encouragement and thanks for sticking with me. Feels like I crossed some imaginary finish line but I know how easy it is to stall out when there is so much more to do. As far as getting projects like this done I am at a stage in life where my kids are grown and while the house is mostly done I don't have as much tugging at me like I did when I was younger. So all you young guys who have projects like this but actually have a lot more going on in your life don't get discouraged. Nibble at it. Even a little progress feels good.th
Well I was a bit shagged out from doing the paint work so I did not bother with a proper update so this is a catch up.
I know it might be hard to tell from the pictures but this is a two tone paint job. The sides are an 04 Dodge color. I tried to find a Dodge color for the top and thought I had found one on a 2014 Challenger but it turned out to have too much red in it and looked almost
in the sun so the top color is a Toyota color. After spraying the side color and letting it sit for a day I masked it off with some 1/2" fine line tape, then papered it and applied the top color. After removing the paper and tape I clear coated the entire car.
I wanted the hood insets to be an alternate color so I taped and papered them as well.
Finally here is a view of the right side of the car and the front.
:drool5: :2thumbs:
When the shine goes on is when you can tell the quality of the finish work.
Steve it looks GREAT! :2thumbs:
MJ
When do we get our first burnout video? :drool5:
It looks fantastic, way to go! It is going to look really awesome once you get it out in the sun. :drool5:
wow! looks awesome!!!
Pat
That looks fantastic!!! :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Very, Very nice. :cheers: :2thumbs:
outstanding steve
Very Nice.... The little Zig Zag on the door looks cool too!
Quote from: Mopar John on May 01, 2016, 08:59:18 AM
When the shine goes on is when you can tell the quality of the finish work.
Steve it looks GREAT! :2thumbs:
MJ
Thanks Mopar John. I don't do this professionally so I am always surprised when it comes out nice.
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on May 01, 2016, 09:05:57 AM
When do we get our first burnout video? :drool5:
I sat down and wrote out a to do list from here on out and I got tired of writing after 5 pages so not soon.
Quote from: Charger_Fan on May 01, 2016, 11:38:53 AM
It looks fantastic, way to go! It is going to look really awesome once you get it out in the sun. :drool5:
I wish I could fire it up and run it out right now but lots of buffing to do.
Quote from: keepat on May 01, 2016, 06:26:09 PM
wow! looks awesome!!!
Pat
Thanks Pat. It is taking long enough. If I had to paint cars for a living I would go broke for sure.
Quote from: FlatbackFanatic on May 07, 2016, 07:32:17 AM
That looks fantastic!!! :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Thanks FlatbackFanatic. Still a ways to go.
Quote from: ACUDANUT on May 07, 2016, 09:07:52 AM
Very, Very nice. :cheers: :2thumbs:
Thanks ACUDANUT. Thing now is to not stall out.
Quote from: rapidtransitrick on May 08, 2016, 05:29:05 AM
outstanding steve
Thank you. I am surprised it went as well as it did.
Quote from: XS29J on May 08, 2016, 02:24:58 PM
Very Nice.... The little Zig Zag on the door looks cool too!
Yeah I debated that for a while. I had intended to put a pin stripe to separate the colors out of the darker color but with that zig zag there wasn't enough room to pull it off. But I am glad I put in that detail just the same.
So time for some wet sanding and some polishing. I asked everyone I knew who has done this and got plenty of conflicting advice but I boiled it down to this. I bought the Meguires 1500 grit wet sand paper because I had read that the difference between it and lower cost papers was that it had garnet or abrasive on it that was uniform in height. Seems that on some of the cheaper papers the abrasive can have peaks and valleys and the peaks can cause some deep scratches. The stuff is great though and cut pretty nicely. Some people told me to go right into buffing from the 1500 but I was also advised to get the 3000 hook it pads for the DA. The thinking is that after the hand sanding the random orbital would even out the surface and act almost as a first buff. It did cut down on the buffing time for sure. It was pricey at $8.00 a pad but definitely worth it. Next there were a number of finishing buffing compounds to choose from but the one that came the most highly recommended was the 3M Perfect It system which came with three compounds and three dedicated buffing pads. I can say it was worth the money. Finally I gave in and bought a decent buffer as the one I had was a little jinky.
While it the car looks great in pictures and from a distance there is a good bit of orange peel and some trash in the clear so thank goodness for the buffing compounds. The first picture is a close up of and area on the top of the nose before buffing and the second is after the process. I was warned not to remove all of the orange peel as it helps to refract the light and enhances the color. I was afraid of burning through the clear so I went with this advice. The last two pictures are of the how the roof came out and the "C" pillar. You can see the top of the quarter panel is dull as it is just sanded and not yet buffed out.
Here are two shots of the the hood buffed out. You can see the two tone pretty good in the second shot. The last is a close up of the front of the roof awaiting it's first shot of bird poo.
Well it looks like this will be a 3 weekend project at best as the roof and hood area took me a day and a half and I had to stop because my arm fell off. After it is re-attached I will get back after it.
DANG!!! It keeps getting better!! I really hope to meet you & see this car one day. :2thumbs:
Same products we use. Aww I can almost smell it. It really does help to follow the directions with the Perfect it. First lots of pressure, then medium, then light pressure....x3.....and that's just the buffing. After that you're doing the hiding...
Well, looks great. As everyone else, keep up the great work. Looks like you'll make the season. I know it's hard to imagine, but soon you'll be trying to keep the grin off your face. :popcrn:
It looks beautiful! Also, I like the subtle difference with the two tone on the hood. :2thumbs:
:drool5: Paint looks awesome!!! :2thumbs:
Quote from: WHITE AND RED 69 on May 09, 2016, 02:39:13 PM
:drool5: Paint looks awesome!!! :2thumbs:
What he said :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
you are crazy, but in a good way
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
[/quote]
Quote from: Patronus on May 09, 2016, 07:33:58 AM
Same products we use. Aww I can almost smell it. It really does help to follow the directions with the Perfect it. First lots of pressure, then medium, then light pressure....x3.....and that's just the buffing. After that you're doing the hiding...
Well, looks great. As everyone else, keep up the great work. Looks like you'll make the season. I know it's hard to imagine, but soon you'll be trying to keep the grin off your face. :popcrn:
They are making these products practically idiot proof now. I like it.
Quote from: Charger_Fan on May 09, 2016, 12:05:49 PM
It looks beautiful! Also, I like the subtle difference with the two tone on the hood. :2thumbs:
Thank you . I did not want it to be two abrupt. That looks a little out dated.
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on May 09, 2016, 02:50:50 PM
Quote from: WHITE AND RED 69 on May 09, 2016, 02:39:13 PM
:drool5: Paint looks awesome!!! :2thumbs:
What he said :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Thanks guys. 8 months of biting my nails.
Quote from: 1969 R/T SE on May 11, 2016, 11:01:52 AM
you are crazy, but in a good way
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
I have been described as odd on more than one occasion. I am okay with that. :lol:
Well I pulled it out of the booth this evening so I thought I would share this photo with all of you who have suffered through this long process with me. It feels like I have turned the corner but too early for celebrations. I made a "to do" list and got tired of writing after 5 pages. I will post more pictures of it on the ground before I put it back up on jack stands and remove the nose one last time.
looks good!!!!! :yesnod: :2thumbs:
its beautifull
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on May 23, 2016, 05:38:04 AM
its beautifull
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on May 23, 2016, 05:38:04 AM
its beautifull
Thanks guys.
Well bear with me. I am a little giddy at finally being to this point so I took a lot of pictures in a walk around both when I first got the car out of the booth and also when I put it down on the floor.
More..
Still more...
Looks crazy cool! Those wheels make it look like a Hot Wheels car, I love it!
Pat
Beautiful! Congrats! :2thumbs:
:cheers: A big mile stone for a big project. The home stretch is all that's left.
That thing is sleek! :o
Absolutely beautiful work Steve, I am way impressed with what you have accomplished. I can't wait to see the final result. :2thumbs:
Quote from: keepat on May 23, 2016, 05:39:20 PM
Looks crazy cool! Those wheels make it look like a Hot Wheels car, I love it!
Pat
You know what. You are right. I never saw that but now I can't unsee it.
Quote from: 1970Moparmann on May 23, 2016, 05:40:01 PM
Beautiful! Congrats! :2thumbs:
Thanks 1970Moparman
Quote from: ws23rt on May 23, 2016, 06:01:06 PM
:cheers: A big mile stone for a big project. The home stretch is all that's left.
Started writing down the "to do" list. Got tired after 5 pages. But it feels like I have turned a corner for sure.
Quote from: Dino on May 23, 2016, 07:33:52 PM
That thing is sleek! :o
Absolutely beautiful work Steve, I am way impressed with what you have accomplished. I can't wait to see the final result. :2thumbs:
Thank you Dino. As always I appreciate the kind words.
Well executed Steve, the car's stance is just right, everything looks proportioned, the lines are beautiful, the final assemble will speak volumes regarding your fabrication skill and talent,...Fricken NICE!
Mike
Quote from: DAY CLONA on May 23, 2016, 08:52:25 PM
Well executed Steve, the car's stance is just right, everything looks proportioned, the lines are beautiful, the final assemble will speak volumes regarding your fabrication skill and talent,...Fricken NICE!
Mike
Knowing your eye for detail that is a high compliment. Thank you Mike.
Beautiful! :o :cheers:
That looks fantastic! You have to be excited to finally be at this stage of the process! I expect to see this in every Mag out there!
:o :dance: :faint: looks awesome , good feeling after all this time to have it in paint eh :yesnod: , great stuff :yesnod: :cheers: :popcrn:
Quote from: DAY CLONA on May 23, 2016, 08:52:25 PM
Well executed Steve, the car's stance is just right, everything looks proportioned, the lines are beautiful, the final assemble will speak volumes regarding your fabrication skill and talent,...Fricken NICE!
Mike
WHAT HE SAID :2thumbs: :2thumbs: !!!!!!! Rick Hendrick would probably pay you to put it in the Dodge show room..
I got some reading to catch up on but absolutely awesome work. :2thumbs:
Car looks like shit.....................Just kidding. I love it. You got skills man. :cheers: :2thumbs:
perfect
Quote from: Hemidog on May 24, 2016, 03:02:08 AM
Beautiful! :o :cheers:
Thanks Hemidog.
Quote from: Hemi Runner on May 24, 2016, 06:23:38 AM
That looks fantastic! You have to be excited to finally be at this stage of the process! I expect to see this in every Mag out there!
I was just over at Forbbodiesonly catching up on your build. 1800 to 2000 Hp. That my friend is insane. That is going to be a monster. Love the bullet proof cage.
Quote from: tan top on May 24, 2016, 07:40:46 AM
:o :dance: :faint: looks awesome , good feeling after all this time to have it in paint eh :yesnod: , great stuff :yesnod: :cheers: :popcrn:
Just stopping to take a breath. There is a lot left to do.
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on May 24, 2016, 08:09:29 AM
Quote from: DAY CLONA on May 23, 2016, 08:52:25 PM
Well executed Steve, the car's stance is just right, everything looks proportioned, the lines are beautiful, the final assemble will speak volumes regarding your fabrication skill and talent,...Fricken NICE!
Mike
WHAT HE SAID :2thumbs: :2thumbs: !!!!!!! Rick Hendrick would probably pay you to put it in the Dodge show room..
Yeah...........More like he will want me to put it in there for free and be grateful for the honor. :smilielol:
Quote from: oldcarnut on May 24, 2016, 10:02:25 AM
I got some reading to catch up on but absolutely awesome work. :2thumbs:
Thanks oldcarnut.
Quote from: ACUDANUT on May 24, 2016, 12:18:16 PM
Car looks like shit.....................Just kidding. I love it. You got skills man. :cheers: :2thumbs:
Photoshop works wonders ;)
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on May 24, 2016, 03:13:24 PM
perfect
Thanks XS29L9B2
Quote from: Stevearino on May 24, 2016, 05:34:38 PM
I was just over at Forbbodiesonly catching up on your build. 1800 to 2000 Hp. That my friend is insane. That is going to be a monster. Love the bullet proof cage.
Thanks! You've set the bar extremely high and I'm trying to hang!
So I needed to make some gaskets for the base of the wing. (I know they sell them but this was cheaper) I first laid some 3M spark protection paper over the quarter panel. The glue on this paper is similar to post-it notes so you can re stick it a few times and the paper does not stretch. Once down I bolted the still unpainted wing in place.
I then traced around the base of the wing and the edge of the quarter panel near the side and at the deck seam.
I re stuck the paper pattern down to a piece of soft black plastic so that I could cut the pattern out with an exacto knife.
After cutting the perimeter of the pattern I cut the pattern of the wing base out including the mounting holes.
I then re applied the paper pattern to the top of the quarter panel.
I had purchased a piece of 1/16th inch thick EDPM rubber gasket material from McMaster-Carr out of Georgia. For those unfamiliar with EDPM it is used in exterior glazing applications because it is UV resistant.
I laid the wing base pattern ,which I had trimmed out 1/16th of an inch larger than the wing base itself, on to the gasket material and trimmed out the gasket.
Then using the mounting holes and the paper pattern on the quarter panel I glued the gasket down to the quarter with black silicone.
I re bolted the wing down to flatten out the silicone. The excess that oozed out came out on to the paper and it was then easily cleaned up with Denatured Alcohol. I then pealed off the paper.
And even though it must come off again for paint here is some wing.
Excellent work, that thing is sharp! I sure wish I was that close to a test drive!
Quote from: Hemi Runner on May 27, 2016, 06:08:49 PM
Excellent work, that thing is sharp! I sure wish I was that close to a test drive!
I still have quite a bit to do. But it is getting good to me. :yesnod:
Please insure that awesome ride and maybe look into "low jack" ?
WOW!
What a transformation! You've come a long way! Looks fantastic!
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee187/71chargerRapidTransit/forum%20posts/SRT%20Wing%204_zpscpr7lpod.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/71chargerRapidTransit/media/forum%20posts/SRT%20Wing%204_zpscpr7lpod.jpg.html)
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee187/71chargerRapidTransit/forum%20posts/SRT-Wings%20419_zpsiilstwn0.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/71chargerRapidTransit/media/forum%20posts/SRT-Wings%20419_zpsiilstwn0.jpg.html)
I like the subtlety of the color difference. Very classy!
Quote from: ACUDANUT on May 28, 2016, 06:00:36 PM
Please insure that awesome ride and maybe look into "low jack" ?
I will have to look into that. :yesnod:
Quote from: 71_Charger_R/T on May 29, 2016, 06:07:41 AM
WOW!
What a transformation! You've come a long way! Looks fantastic!
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee187/71chargerRapidTransit/forum%20posts/SRT%20Wing%204_zpscpr7lpod.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/71chargerRapidTransit/media/forum%20posts/SRT%20Wing%204_zpscpr7lpod.jpg.html)
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee187/71chargerRapidTransit/forum%20posts/SRT-Wings%20419_zpsiilstwn0.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/71chargerRapidTransit/media/forum%20posts/SRT-Wings%20419_zpsiilstwn0.jpg.html)
I like the subtlety of the color difference. Very classy!
Was pretty rough wasn't it? Geez. I got lucky and got that car for $1,500.00 . I see the same thing going for 3 times that amount today.
This thread started in May of 2013 and here we are May of 2016, 3 years later. How much work was done (or how much time elapsed from conception of the idea)prior to starting the thread?
just amazing stunning work
Looking awesome Steve!
Just wondering about one thing... Doesn't the DOT require side marker lights? I know they were deleted for the style (and I like it) but don't want to see you targeted for any pull overs... Any of our Law enforcement members want to chime in on that?
If required... I think the 68 side markers would be subtle and the easiest to put back in without having any repaint...
Quote from: Arigmaster on May 29, 2016, 01:40:03 PM
Looking awesome Steve!
Just wondering about one thing... Doesn't the DOT require side marker lights? I know they were deleted for the style (and I like it) but don't want to see you targeted for any pull overs... Any of our Law enforcement members want to chime in on that?
If required... I think the 68 side markers would be subtle and the easiest to put back in without having any repaint...
Yes side markers lites or reflectors are required for US made vehicles, and exported vehicles being titled/reg in the US since 1968, but being a habitual traffic offender, I find that often "splitting the hair of the law" gets charges dismissed in court, or throws an uninformed LEO off track resulting in no ticket/written offense/summons, if stopped for this "infraction"(chances are you'll get stopped just to check out your ride instead!) I would tell any LEO that's a DOT requirement for "commercial" vehicles and trailers, that Automobiles have them, but are not DOT required
Worse comes to worse, if summoned, you but some temporary sticky reflectors on, got to court with the 5/10 day repair summons, pictures, vehicle inspection report, plead not guilty with extenuating circumstances, those being you had the parts on order to install at a later date because the car was just repainted, or some other excuse, charges dismissed, court fees if any, usually $20-$40 dollars...remove the sticky markers go back to enjoying your ride
If your really worried about it come registration/inspection time, get some small reflectors, mount them to some thin magnetic sign material/gasket "stick" them on and pull them off when needed
Mike
North Carolina is very lax on older vehicles. You should see some of the rat rods here running open headers not to mention truck rocker panels belt high and tires 4 in. beyond the fenders. With lights and tread tires you could probably register a stock car.
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on May 29, 2016, 06:29:42 PM
North Carolina is very lax on older vehicles. You should see some of the rat rods here running open headers not to mention truck rocker panels belt high and tires 4 in. beyond the fenders. With lights and tread tires you could probably register a stock car.
:smilielol:
Quote from: Hemi Runner on May 29, 2016, 07:02:30 AM
This thread started in May of 2013 and here we are May of 2016, 3 years later. How much work was done (or how much time elapsed from conception of the idea)prior to starting the thread?
I picked the 68 Charger up in September of 2012 but I had a lot of work to finish up my shop before I could start work on it. The project was started in earnest in January of 2013 so about 4 months into it I started posting here.
Quote from: winghawg on May 29, 2016, 10:48:11 AM
just amazing stunning work
Thank you windghawg.
Quote from: Arigmaster on May 29, 2016, 01:40:03 PM
Looking awesome Steve!
Just wondering about one thing... Doesn't the DOT require side marker lights? I know they were deleted for the style (and I like it) but don't want to see you targeted for any pull overs... Any of our Law enforcement members want to chime in on that?
If required... I think the 68 side markers would be subtle and the easiest to put back in without having any repaint...
I don't know about the requirements truthfully but as Highbank Hauler said you would be shocked at what you will see on the road around here. You know I get the cool creative aspect of building a rat rod but some of that stuff is just plain dangerous looking. I do have side markers in the front. They are on the sides of the front air dam which is not yet on the car.
If need be I will just put some small reflectors on the rear on as DAYCLONA suggested. With the grey color I don't think this car will get that much attention. :smilielol:
With the grey color I don't think this car will get that much attention.
[/quote]
Ha-Ha
It could be a flat pastel and still stop traffic.
Steve.
I wonder why Fiat Chrysler has not donated a Hellcat 8 Speed auto just for the publicity? Stingy bunch.
I still say producing about 100 of these would sell for a ungodly sum!
Quote from: mike69440 on May 30, 2016, 07:46:33 PM
With the grey color I don't think this car will get that much attention.
Ha-Ha
It could be a flat pastel and still stop traffic.
Steve.
I wonder why Fiat Chrysler has not donated a Hellcat 8 Speed auto just for the publicity? Stingy bunch.
I still say producing about 100 of these would sell for a ungodly sum!
[/quote]
Yeah. What is up with that. Where is my 700 hp. :lol:
Well I decided to tinker with the idea of rear side markers. Instead of reflectors though I picked up some of these sealed LED strips and slipped them in behind the bumper sides. I kind of like it.
I installed the signal lights , the grill and the running lights into the nose. I also got the rest of the dashboard assembled. I tested out all of the heater controls and the radio and that all works. I did have to take the radio back out because they don't work so good with out the antenna hooked up. I got one of those cheap powered hot rod antennas that you can stick to the windshield but since the wiring went to the back window I just stuck it there on the package tray and it seems to work fine.
Of all the things I have done to this car sticking those stinking HEMI badges to the door was the first thing that got me really excited. What the hell?
I sanded and clear coated the chin spoiler but I got some junk in it so I have to sand and buff it.
I had purchased a insulation mat for under the hood but I like the shiny look of the underside of the hood. So as to not waste $50.00 I cut it up and glued it to the underside of the roof as sound deadner.
I also installed the side window gasket molding. I had drilled some cleco locations before I uninstalled it so that hopefully I won't have to adjust it's location again.
Quote from: Stevearino on May 30, 2016, 08:24:24 PM
Quote from: mike69440 on May 30, 2016, 07:46:33 PM
With the grey color I don't think this car will get that much attention.
Ha-Ha
It could be a flat pastel and still stop traffic.
Steve.
Well I decided to tinker with the idea of rear side markers. Instead of reflectors though I picked up some of these sealed LED strips and slipped them in behind the bumper sides. I kind of like it.
[/quote]
I like more then kinda...... :yesnod: Hope you don't have this copyrighted, as I filed this away for future use. Almost certainly will show up in the future on one of my rigs. Hmmm.....wonder how that would look on a E-body Challenger? A subtle, reversable change that works better.....yeah. :2thumbs:
I really like the thinking behind it. Not just change for the sake of change, but functional. :2thumbs:
Looking great.......as expected. :drool5:
You do realize every time you raise the bar......you are making it more difficult for yourself in future projects? :scratchchin:
Looking incredible Steve! Keep up the incredible work.
This project and your talent is endlessly amazing.
The best part of this thread is that you think through the feedback from everyone and implement and innovate any improvements with such skill.
The LED side marker lights are just the latest example .
"Well I decided to tinker with the idea of rear side markers. Instead of reflectors though I picked up some of these sealed LED strips and slipped them in behind the bumper sides. I kind of like it."
That's Genius stuff right there... Looks pretty cool. Since the wing wasn't painted yet it would look really tricked if you could embed those into the lower bases of the uprights with a flush lenses. (too much like work though)
Quote from: Arigmaster on May 31, 2016, 01:39:56 PM
"Well I decided to tinker with the idea of rear side markers. Instead of reflectors though I picked up some of these sealed LED strips and slipped them in behind the bumper sides. I kind of like it."
That's Genius stuff right there... Looks pretty cool. Since the wing wasn't painted yet it would look really tricked if you could embed those into the lower bases of the uprights with a flush lenses. (too much like work though)
I wanted to mount a 3rd brake light under the center of the wing , with a small strip of LEDs .
But I think it would have to be some kind of wireless set up ( mount any receiver/actuator into brake light harness in trunk).
But I think it might be too bulky looking.
I like this idea for the side marker lights.
What a cool idea for the side markers- when I first read "I'm thinking of doing side markers.." I thought....NO!!!!!
And then I saw them. :coolgleamA: :coolgleamA: :coolgleamA:
What a fantastic car....I hope we'll get to see people react to it on the street soon !
Quote from: dyslexic teddybear on May 31, 2016, 06:38:14 AM
I like more then kinda...... :yesnod: Hope you don't have this copyrighted, as I filed this away for future use. Almost certainly will show up in the future on one of my rigs. Hmmm.....wonder how that would look on a E-body Challenger? A subtle, reversable change that works better.....yeah. :2thumbs:
I really like the thinking behind it. Not just change for the sake of change, but functional. :2thumbs:
Looking great.......as expected. :drool5:
You do realize every time you raise the bar......you are making it more difficult for yourself in future projects? :scratchchin:
Future projects. :smilielol: I gotta start patching my house back together.
Quote from: Charger-Bodie on May 31, 2016, 07:20:06 AM
Looking incredible Steve! Keep up the incredible work.
Thanks Charger-Bodie.
Quote from: Dave Kanofsky on May 31, 2016, 09:12:53 AM
This project and your talent is endlessly amazing.
I appreciate the thumbs up Dave.
Quote from: WINGIN IT on May 31, 2016, 12:18:02 PM
The best part of this thread is that you think through the feedback from everyone and implement and innovate any improvements with such skill.
The LED side marker lights are just the latest example .
When ever someone calls me out on something I over looked my first thought is "oh well" and then I can't ever let it go. OCD I suppose.
Quote from: Arigmaster on May 31, 2016, 01:39:56 PM
"Well I decided to tinker with the idea of rear side markers. Instead of reflectors though I picked up some of these sealed LED strips and slipped them in behind the bumper sides. I kind of like it."
That's Genius stuff right there... Looks pretty cool. Since the wing wasn't painted yet it would look really tricked if you could embed those into the lower bases of the uprights with a flush lenses. (too much like work though)
Well wings are like wheels. They bolt on. I can always build another and tinker with it if the mood strikes me.
Quote from: WINGIN IT on May 31, 2016, 02:11:14 PM
I wanted to mount a 3rd brake light under the center of the wing , with a small strip of LEDs .
But I think it would have to be some kind of wireless set up ( mount any receiver/actuator into brake light harness in trunk).
But I think it might be too bulky looking.
I like this idea for the side marker lights.
It can be done. When I get a chance I will draw it up and post it here. If the wing is hollow there is no reason why you cannot fish the wires through to make a hard connection to the tail lights.
Quote from: crj1968 on May 31, 2016, 03:28:03 PM
What a cool idea for the side markers- when I first read "I'm thinking of doing side markers.." I thought....NO!!!!!
And then I saw them. :coolgleamA: :coolgleamA: :coolgleamA:
What a fantastic car....I hope we'll get to see people react to it on the street soon !
I hope to fire it up soon. :2thumbs:
Quote from: WINGIN IT on May 31, 2016, 02:11:14 PM
I wanted to mount a 3rd brake light under the center of the wing , with a small strip of LEDs .
But I think it would have to be some kind of wireless set up ( mount any receiver/actuator into brake light harness in trunk).
But I think it might be too bulky looking.
I like this idea for the side marker lights.
It can be done. When I get a chance I will draw it up and post it here. If the wing is hollow there is no reason why you cannot fish the wires through to make a hard connection to the tail lights.
Wouldn't you inevitably have to drill a hole in the wing were the LEDs would mount in the center?
Awesome build....... way to raise the bar I hope the rest of us can acheive half as good a clone.... I was skeptical at first of the blend of old and new car together but seeing is beleiving
Its too bad you cant go out and buy something that nice ya gotta build it ......
Quote from: WINGIN IT on June 01, 2016, 06:08:13 AM
Quote from: WINGIN IT on May 31, 2016, 02:11:14 PM
I wanted to mount a 3rd brake light under the center of the wing , with a small strip of LEDs .
But I think it would have to be some kind of wireless set up ( mount any receiver/actuator into brake light harness in trunk).
But I think it might be too bulky looking.
I like this idea for the side marker lights.
It can be done. When I get a chance I will draw it up and post it here. If the wing is hollow there is no reason why you cannot fish the wires through to make a hard connection to the tail lights.
Wouldn't you inevitably have to drill a hole in the wing were the LEDs would mount in the center?
You would have to do what I have drawn up her WINGIN IT. The wing would have to be hollow so you could fish the wires across and down the uprights.
I think the led's would look good mounted vertically along the trailing edge of the uprights...the entire length of the straight portion of the uprights. :Twocents:
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on June 01, 2016, 06:41:09 PM
I think the led's would look better mounted vertically along the trailing edge of the uprights...almost the entire length of the uprights. :Twocents:
Now that is a ton of work. But Yeah that would be a cool look. :coolgleamA:
Quote from: dave14 on June 01, 2016, 09:47:19 AM
Awesome build....... way to raise the bar I hope the rest of us can acheive half as good a clone.... I was skeptical at first of the blend of old and new car together but seeing is beleiving
Its too bad you cant go out and buy something that nice ya gotta build it ......
Thanks for the good words dave14.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 01, 2016, 06:43:22 PM
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on June 01, 2016, 06:41:09 PM
I think the led's would look better mounted vertically along the trailing edge of the uprights...almost the entire length of the uprights. :Twocents:
Now that is a ton of work. But Yeah that would be a cool look. :coolgleamA:
And it would be visible from the sides as well as from behind... :scratchchin:
meh, that would look as goofy as this
Quote from: held1823 on June 01, 2016, 06:45:56 PM
meh, that would look as goofy as this
:scratchchin:
I like it. :coolgleamA:
But I'm kinda goofy myself...
:lol:
Quote from: held1823 on June 01, 2016, 06:45:56 PM
meh, that would look as goofy as this
Wow. That is a whole lot of tail light. :o :o :o
Quote from: Stevearino on June 01, 2016, 06:35:04 PM
Quote from: WINGIN IT on June 01, 2016, 06:08:13 AM
Quote from: WINGIN IT on May 31, 2016, 02:11:14 PM
I wanted to mount a 3rd brake light under the center of the wing , with a small strip of LEDs .
But I think it would have to be some kind of wireless set up ( mount any receiver/actuator into brake light harness in trunk).
But I think it might be too bulky looking.
I like this idea for the side marker lights.
It can be done. When I get a chance I will draw it up and post it here. If the wing is hollow there is no reason why you cannot fish the wires through to make a hard connection to the tail lights.
Wouldn't you inevitably have to drill a hole in the wing were the LEDs would mount in the center?
You would have to do what I have drawn up her WINGIN IT. The wing would have to be hollow so you could fish the wires across and down the uprights.
I have a bird wing center section that some nimrod shortened. I will be machining some end caps to weld on and get the length back. It's a perfect candidate for the 3rd brake light. I copied the picture and will be trying it out at some point.
Quote from: Hemi Runner on June 01, 2016, 09:11:28 PM
I have a bird wing center section that some nimrod shortened. I will be machining some end caps to weld on and get the length back. It's a perfect candidate for the 3rd brake light. I copied the picture and will be trying it out at some point.
Mike, unless your going to do a custom width on the Bird wing, the "factory" cut width is approx 55 1/2" wide +/- 1/4" on avg, original center sections vary a little...
FYI if the wing center has been cut, the profile is an extrusion end to end, so if you wanted, you only need to make an extension for one end, weld/dress only one end, the other cut end just re drill/retap the bolt hole if needed, along with the pin/hole...just a suggestion
Mike
It has had 3" removed overall. It's much easier to machine two 1-1/2" spacers than one 3" spacer given the tooling we have. It also allows me to run XL bolts and get penetration into the original extrusion on both ends for additional strength. Until then, I'm just using the NOS center section I got which is no longer NOS, lol. It's getting some cheap spray can paint tonight right over the factory part number!
Quote from: 71_Charger_R/T on May 29, 2016, 06:07:41 AM
WOW!
What a transformation! You've come a long way! Looks fantastic!
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee187/71chargerRapidTransit/forum%20posts/SRT%20Wing%204_zpscpr7lpod.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/71chargerRapidTransit/media/forum%20posts/SRT%20Wing%204_zpscpr7lpod.jpg.html)
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee187/71chargerRapidTransit/forum%20posts/SRT-Wings%20419_zpsiilstwn0.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/71chargerRapidTransit/media/forum%20posts/SRT-Wings%20419_zpsiilstwn0.jpg.html)
I :cheers: :cheers: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Quote from: Hemi Runner on June 01, 2016, 09:11:28 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 01, 2016, 06:35:04 PM
Quote from: WINGIN IT on June 01, 2016, 06:08:13 AM
Quote from: WINGIN IT on May 31, 2016, 02:11:14 PM
I wanted to mount a 3rd brake light under the center of the wing , with a small strip of LEDs .
But I think it would have to be some kind of wireless set up ( mount any receiver/actuator into brake light harness in trunk).
But I think it might be too bulky looking.
I like this idea for the side marker lights.
It can be done. When I get a chance I will draw it up and post it here. If the wing is hollow there is no reason why you cannot fish the wires through to make a hard connection to the tail lights.
Wouldn't you inevitably have to drill a hole in the wing were the LEDs would mount in the center?
You would have to do what I have drawn up her WINGIN IT. The wing would have to be hollow so you could fish the wires across and down the uprights.
I have a bird wing center section that some nimrod shortened. I will be machining some end caps to weld on and get the length back. It's a perfect candidate for the 3rd brake light. I copied the picture and will be trying it out at some point.
Steve, your design is a lot better than what I was picturing, I really like it. :yesnod:
Hemi Runner, very cool if you could make it a reality :2thumbs:
Quote from: djcarguy on June 02, 2016, 07:54:37 AM
Quote from: 71_Charger_R/T on May 29, 2016, 06:07:41 AM
WOW!
What a transformation! You've come a long way! Looks fantastic!
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee187/71chargerRapidTransit/forum%20posts/SRT%20Wing%204_zpscpr7lpod.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/71chargerRapidTransit/media/forum%20posts/SRT%20Wing%204_zpscpr7lpod.jpg.html)
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee187/71chargerRapidTransit/forum%20posts/SRT-Wings%20419_zpsiilstwn0.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/71chargerRapidTransit/media/forum%20posts/SRT-Wings%20419_zpsiilstwn0.jpg.html)
I :cheers: :cheers: :popcrn: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Thanks for the enthusiasm djcarguy. I hope you are making some progress on your Dartona and that we will see some pictures soon.
Quote from: WINGIN IT on June 02, 2016, 03:49:32 PM
Quote from: Hemi Runner on June 01, 2016, 09:11:28 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 01, 2016, 06:35:04 PM
Quote from: WINGIN IT on June 01, 2016, 06:08:13 AM
Quote from: WINGIN IT on May 31, 2016, 02:11:14 PM
I wanted to mount a 3rd brake light under the center of the wing , with a small strip of LEDs .
But I think it would have to be some kind of wireless set up ( mount any receiver/actuator into brake light harness in trunk).
But I think it might be too bulky looking.
I like this idea for the side marker lights.
It can be done. When I get a chance I will draw it up and post it here. If the wing is hollow there is no reason why you cannot fish the wires through to make a hard connection to the tail lights.
Wouldn't you inevitably have to drill a hole in the wing were the LEDs would mount in the center?
You would have to do what I have drawn up her WINGIN IT. The wing would have to be hollow so you could fish the wires across and down the uprights.
I have a bird wing center section that some nimrod shortened. I will be machining some end caps to weld on and get the length back. It's a perfect candidate for the 3rd brake light. I copied the picture and will be trying it out at some point.
Steve, your design is a lot better than what I was picturing, I really like it. :yesnod:
Hemi Runner, very cool if you could make it a reality :2thumbs:
Thanks . It was kind of hard to describe in words so that's why the drawing. I hope Hemi Runner can use it. Hemi Runner If you plan to do this to the narrowed wing you can cut the wing in half and make a center section up to accommodate the light strip. That will accomplish both ends. You wouldn't have to mill any thing. You could just cold form some .125 thick aluminum top and bottom. Weld it the pieces to the center of the two halves.......Or not. :Twocents: :shruggy:
Here are some other small details I took care of this weekend.
The barrel lock to the trunk lid was one of the first things I did over 3 years ago and it is finally installed.
I am now able to open the doors without reaching through the door handle holes.
I was going to paint them out the same as the body color but after a test fit I liked the way they looked. They carry the black from the wheels over into the body.
I also started the process of refurbishing the tail lights. First step was to repaint the little silver line.
Then I masked out and re painted the black.
Finally I gave them a clear coat.
I have to be honest and ask to reconsider not painting the door handles. I think it'll look a million times better in body color. The whole design screams integration and a non-matching color kinda negates the purpose. That's just my opinion...but I stick by it. :icon_smile_big:
Maybe someone can photoshop it in body color so you can compare without doing the work?
Quote from: Dino on June 02, 2016, 05:06:03 PM
I have to be honest and ask to reconsider not painting the door handles. I think it'll look a million times better in body color. The whole design screams integration and a non-matching color kinda negates the purpose. That's just my opinion...but I stick by it. :icon_smile_big:
Maybe someone can photoshop it in body color so you can compare without doing the work?
Yeah . On this one I am gonna have to say I really like the way they stand out in black.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2016, 05:17:38 PM
Quote from: Dino on June 02, 2016, 05:06:03 PM
I have to be honest and ask to reconsider not painting the door handles. I think it'll look a million times better in body color. The whole design screams integration and a non-matching color kinda negates the purpose. That's just my opinion...but I stick by it. :icon_smile_big:
Maybe someone can photoshop it in body color so you can compare without doing the work?
Yeah . On this one I am gonna have to say I really like the way they stand out in black.
Fair enough! :cheers:
I like the idea of cutting the wing in half and adding it in the center. Where did you order the LED strip light?
Quote from: Hemi Runner on June 02, 2016, 07:44:14 PM
I like the idea of cutting the wing in half and adding it in the center. Where did you order the LED strip light?
Hemi Runner the self adhesive LED strips can be gotten at Autozone. They have a rack of all sorts of LED strips. There are even little battery packs and push buttons on the packages so you can test them out. I was like a monkey discovering some shiny stones.
I will pay Autozone a visit! Thanks!
Also check out www.oznium.com
Cant beat them for selection and fast shipping for LEDS.
Beautiful build btw, im excited to see it come together. Although I vote to keep the door handles body color.
This car will end up on a magazine cover one day. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2016, 07:50:43 PM
Quote from: Hemi Runner on June 02, 2016, 07:44:14 PM
I like the idea of cutting the wing in half and adding it in the center. Where did you order the LED strip light?
Hemi Runner the self adhesive LED strips can be gotten at Autozone. They have a rack of all sorts of LED strips. There are even little battery packs and push buttons on the packages so you can test them out. I was like a monkey discovering some shiny stones.
Ha, I did the same thing :icon_smile_big: :yesnod: :lol:
Quote from: Stevearino on June 02, 2016, 07:50:43 PM
I was like a monkey discovering some shiny stones.
That's funny stuff right there!
for what its worth :icon_smile_big: I like the black door handles !!!
Quote from: cdr on June 03, 2016, 02:04:12 PM
for what its worth :icon_smile_big: I like the black door handles !!!
Thanks Charlie. I do too.
I tend to question my judgement when I get a lot of negative feed back. Sometimes that is justified but other times I can see clearly it is just a matter of personal taste or aesthetic. I have gotten strong opinions on both the wheels and now these door handles. So much so that I have had to stand back and look again. In both cases I am pretty content with my choices. With the wheels I might have preferred a more old school look. More dish and a smaller diameter wheel with more tire sidewall. I would also have preferred wider rear tires than the front. Since I chose an SRT-8 for my platform I was hemmed in in a number of ways. First the large Brembo brakes kind of dictate the wheel diameter so kind of stuck there unless I wanted to invest in smaller brakes.( pointless) The width of the body in the rear and the inner fenders and suspension placement meant that I could not get wider tires to fit unless I widened the body. (I like the stock proportions of the 68 Charger so didn't want to do that) Also because of the width of the suspension I was restricted to wheels that had a face biased mount (thus no dishing) Most wheels today do not have the old school design (unless you want to spent about $700 per wheel for custom billet.Not happening here) There are very few good looking 5 spoke designs on newer wheels as that is not the style today. Faced with all of these restrictions I picked a wheel that had 5 spokes. Had some painted out areas reminiscent of the old Keystone Classics. And had a faux dish accomplished with a cut back in the spoke where it attaches to the wheel. Given how restricted I was I am pretty happy with the way they ended up looking and again it is a matter of taste in the end.
As for the door handles I had fully intended to paint them but dropped them into place before I was about to sand them down and just liked the way they carried some of the black elements of the wheels over into the body side. Sitting at a stop light this morning I watched tons of car go by. There are 4 ways to go. (1) A chrome handle across an indention on the door. (2) Painted like the body (3) Put period correct chrome handles on (4) Then this was mostly on trucks and SUV's. Black. So while it is not a strictly a car thing it is not way out when considering design detail. Any how that rambling wall of text was just to give you an insight into the decision process I went through before settling on both those items.
Have a nice day.
Thanks for being willing to share your thought process. Personal tastes are a funny thing, and regardless of whether or not any of us might do it differently, I don't think anyone could argue that you haven't thought through every aspect of your project from top to bottom. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on June 03, 2016, 07:57:13 PM
Quote from: cdr on June 03, 2016, 02:04:12 PM
for what its worth :icon_smile_big: I like the black door handles !!!
Thanks Charlie. I do too.
I tend to question my judgement when I get a lot of negative feed back. Sometimes that is justified but other times I can see clearly it is just a matter of personal taste or aesthetic. I have gotten strong opinions on both the wheels and now these door handles. So much so that I have had to stand back and look again. In both cases I am pretty content with my choices. With the wheels I might have preferred a more old school look. More dish and a smaller diameter wheel with more tire sidewall. I would also have preferred wider rear tires than the front. Since I chose an SRT-8 for my platform I was hemmed in in a number of ways. First the large Brembo brakes kind of dictate the wheel diameter so kind of stuck there unless I wanted to invest in smaller brakes.( pointless) The width of the body in the rear and the inner fenders and suspension placement meant that I could not get wider tires to fit unless I widened the body. (I like the stock proportions of the 68 Charger so didn't want to do that) Also because of the width of the suspension I was restricted to wheels that had a face biased mount (thus no dishing) Most wheels today do not have the old school design (unless you want to spent about $700 per wheel for custom billet.Not happening here) There are very few good looking 5 spoke designs on newer wheels as that is not the style today. Faced with all of these restrictions I picked a wheel that had 5 spokes. Had some painted out areas reminiscent of the old Keystone Classics. And had a faux dish accomplished with a cut back in the spoke where it attaches to the wheel. Given how restricted I was I am pretty happy with the way they ended up looking and again it is a matter of taste in the end.
As for the door handles I had fully intended to paint them but dropped them into place before I was about to sand them down and just liked the way they carried some of the black elements of the wheels over into the body side. Sitting at a stop light this morning I watched tons of car go by. There are 4 ways to go. (1) A chrome handle across an indention on the door. (2) Painted like the body (3) Put period correct chrome handles on (4) Then this was mostly on trucks and SUV's. Black. So while it is not a strictly a car thing it is not way out when considering design detail. Any how that rambling wall of text was just to give you an insight into the decision process I went through before settling on both those items.
Have a nice day.
Agree, it is your car, do what you want. This is not a democracy.
IMHO, for what very little it is worth, you can change the wheels in the future.
Keep the brakes, just find another set of wheels, maybe 18" or 19". some 40 series rubber and just get a good combination of retro and new to your liking. Keep both sets of wheels, as it's like wearing a different suit to suit you mood.
Door handles, I think period correct, as a little chrome is OK and it will keep more people off balance to just what you have done. ( I realize the amount of work and effort to change them, so leave them as is!)
Remember, I offer this as just my opinion, and respect anything you do. (Even not going original on the fuel filler!)
Well my controversial decisions aside I only got one day in on the car this weekend so I was just able to get the head liner and all of the accessories re installed.
Also got the "A" pillar covers back on. I tested out all of the courtesy lighting on the grab bars and the (essential for all hot rods) make up mirrors on the sun visors and all are in working order. I also made my final connection of radio antenna and mounted it on the rear package tray which I also did my final installation of.
For what it's worth I think you picked a perfect combination of contemporary and old school to make this car. You have to have certain touches on the outside that are contemporary to pull together the modern interior of the car. This car has the old school lines with a slick looking set of five spoke rims. The door handles and wheels give that touch of modern but custom to tie it all together. It alerts the auto enthusiast that this is not the normal Daytona. :2thumbs:
:Twocents:
Quote from: 68pplcharger on June 06, 2016, 11:20:40 AM
For what it's worth I think you picked a perfect combination of contemporary and old school to make this car. You have to have certain touches on the outside that are contemporary to pull together the modern interior of the car. This car has the old school lines with a slick looking set of five spoke rims. The door handles and wheels give that touch of modern but custom to tie it all together. It alerts the auto enthusiast that this is not the normal Daytona. :2thumbs:
:Twocents:
Thanks for the vote of confidence. I know this is not everyone's cup of tea and I have been surprised I have not gotten more negative feedback. While criticism is never pleasant to deal with it has helped me dig a little deeper on this project and that is a good thing in the end.
Regardless of how each person might change this or that, we can all agree (and respect) the amount of man hours and skill that has went into this build! :yesnod: I love it! :2thumbs:
Would I change some things? Sure. But I'm not going to say the MINOR things that I would change because it's not my car, so my opinion doesn't really matter. :yesnod: Plus I actually love it as is! Awesome car, awesome build, and an awesome guy (I can tell by the way you interact with people in this thread)! :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Car is really looking awesome!!
Quote from: Stevearino on June 06, 2016, 11:49:39 AM
Quote from: 68pplcharger on June 06, 2016, 11:20:40 AM
For what it's worth I think you picked a perfect combination of contemporary and old school to make this car. You have to have certain touches on the outside that are contemporary to pull together the modern interior of the car. This car has the old school lines with a slick looking set of five spoke rims. The door handles and wheels give that touch of modern but custom to tie it all together. It alerts the auto enthusiast that this is not the normal Daytona. :2thumbs:
:Twocents:
Thanks for the vote of confidence. I know this is not everyone's cup of tea and I have been surprised I have not gotten more negative feedback. While criticism is never pleasant to deal with it has helped me dig a little deeper on this project and that is a good thing in the end.
Steve, for what's it's worth, I like every facet of your build, the detail, the blend of old/new, your color choice, wheels, etc, all combine to envision fluidity in your build from top to bottom, front to back, the only grief I gave you was on the fender scoop inserts, I felt they needed the detail that you later supplied, other than that, your ride is absolutely stunning, it will set the bar very high for the next builder of such a project
Mike
I *think* that you'd get more negative feedback if you half-assed the job. I believe people appreciate the effort even if they may not agree with all the decisions. The quality and attention to detail is well beyond what most of us could hope to achieve. Of course, we've seen in the past where really awesome work on a horrible design can generate a lot of negativity so you must be right in the middle!
Troy
Quote from: Troy on June 08, 2016, 11:34:55 AM
I *think* that you'd get more negative feedback if you half-assed the job. I believe people appreciate the effort even if they may not agree with all the decisions. The quality and attention to detail is well beyond what most of us could hope to achieve. Of course, we've seen in the past where really awesome work on a horrible design can generate a lot of negativity so you must be right in the middle!
Troy
yea, and this post is on it's 60th page.. Record breaker. ? :cheers:
garner7555,DAYCLONA,,Troy, ACUDANUT. I know I said it before but thank you for all the kind words of encouragement. I just wish this wasn't the internet and there was some kind of communal maker space where everyone could meet and push all of our projects forward and share ideas. This is the next best thing and again I do appreciate the feedback.
Stevearino
Ignore the negative Steve,
You are building the car for "You" and not for them. I had some negative comments on mine when I was building it because it was a 68 and I only added the wing, fender scoops, and a 6-pack scoop to it. It was fun while it lasted but there will always be the Purists and nay Sayers...
I think this build has been nothing less then phenomenal and I wish I had half of you sheet metal skills. I also admire your problem solving abilities using everyday items to fabricate solutions for the style and function.
Can't wait to see it finished and you driving it around.
Steve I hope you can bring the car to the Charlotte speedway for black friday laps this year. :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Steve, maybe a stupid question, but does it fire right up ? :shruggy:
Quote from: Arigmaster on June 09, 2016, 01:24:30 PM
Ignore the negative Steve,
You are building the car for "You" and not for them. I had some negative comments on mine when I was building it because it was a 68 and I only added the wing, fender scoops, and a 6-pack scoop to it. It was fun while it lasted but there will always be the Purists and nay Sayers...
I think this build has been nothing less then phenomenal and I wish I had half of you sheet metal skills. I also admire your problem solving abilities using everyday items to fabricate solutions for the style and function.
Can't wait to see it finished and you driving it around.
I do appreciate the vote of confidence Arigmaster. I however have always been a little thin skinned and have spent a lifetime trying (not always succeeding ) in opening up my mind to the possibility that I might not have all the answers and let some outside advice seep in. :scratchchin:
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on June 09, 2016, 09:11:18 PM
Steve I hope you can bring the car to the Charlotte speedway for black friday laps this year. :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
I hope so too Highbanked Hauler.
Quote from: ACUDANUT on June 10, 2016, 01:40:38 PM
Steve, maybe a stupid question, but does it fire right up ? :shruggy:
At no time in the build (except when I had the steering column out) did it not fire up and drive. All it lacks is gas right now. I just did not want it to go bad in the tank so I siphoned it all out.
Well I always think I will get more done than I can. This weekend was no exception. I wanted to finish out the nose and re hang it on the car for the final time. I did manage to get all of the mechanisms back in. It has been so long since I built them that I had to reference my photo history to figure out how to put it back together. There were a lot of funny moments with me saying " Well. How about that? I did not know I did that."
I wanted to include a close up shot of the attachment prop to the doors. I used two heim ends one right hand thread and the other reverse so that I could have a final adjustment to tighten up the doors. I used these also on the center actuating arm so as to relieve any binding through the range of motion.
I put the bug eyes back on the car for the last time in prep for putting the nose back on the car.
I sanded an polished the clear coat on the chin spoiler and installed it on the nose.
I also finished the fabrication to put the 06 side markers in the side of the spoiler.
Here is where I ran out of steam because it looks ready to put on but I realized I still have to make a box to cover all of the wiring and motor for the headlight doors as they are in the air stream and will get hit by road debris. It is always something.
In order to dampen any vibration between the nose and the fenders I added this 1/4" self sticking rubber gasket that compresses down to 1/8" to the face of the front fenders.
Here is a picture with the rubber molding applied to the front fender.
The second picture here is a view looking up at the side window seal where it meets the head liner. I decided to use the 06 finish molding/door gasket for this area. It finishes the joint nicely but also I found it to be more compliant when rolling the window up to it.
I got the seat belts back in and spent a little time learning how to apply window tint to the quarter glass. Unfortunately I learned a little about old glass. What looked like pretty decent quarter windows looked awful once the tint provided a dark background to highlight all of the age scratched on the outside surface. Kinda looked like someone dressed up in a tux with muddy shoes when it was in. New glass already on the way.
Also started getting the rug back in the car.
It has been 3 1/2 years since I dismantled this car and I found some ducting that was rather mysterious until I figured out that it went under the rug in the front to send air to the back seat area.
I re-assembled the center console as it came out of the car...............Yeah. That rear seat DVD player had to go. I have an arm rest from ebay on the way.
as always,, lookin great!!! I loved Hot Wheels when I was a kid & still do, now your car is my Favorite Hot Wheels ever made !!!!!!! the wheels are AWESOME on your car, perfect!!!!
Absolutely phenomenal work! :o
I can't wait to see it on the road in all its glory. :2thumbs:
Over the top cool ride. I wish I had your talent. One of one....how cool is that :2thumbs:
awesome stuff :yesnod: :2thumbs: :bow: :cheers: :popcrn:
How much to build me one?
I don't think it can be said enough, incredibly incredible!!
I was curious about the same question...how much would you charge if you were building the same car to sell...there is a local shop here in Florida that sold a 69 red Roadrunner on a late model Charger running gear that I saw a few years back. Granted, it didnt have anywhere close to the detail yours has, when I inquired about how much they sold their Road runner for they said around $100k. This was probably 5 years ago now. The car I saw was very nice, without a doubt, but your car is spectacular, plus its a wing car, so that adds a lot in my worthless opinion.
David
Quote from: cdr on June 12, 2016, 07:04:10 PM
as always,, lookin great!!! I loved Hot Wheels when I was a kid & still do, now your car is my Favorite Hot Wheels ever made !!!!!!! the wheels are AWESOME on your car, perfect!!!!
Thanks CDR. I hope to be styling and profiling like you soon. :coolgleamA:
Quote from: Dino on June 12, 2016, 07:16:36 PM
Absolutely phenomenal work! :o
I can't wait to see it on the road in all its glory. :2thumbs:
Thanks Dino. ME TOO. :dance:
Quote from: out there on June 12, 2016, 10:19:22 PM
Over the top cool ride. I wish I had your talent. One of one....how cool is that :2thumbs:
Thanks out there.
Quote from: tan top on June 13, 2016, 04:26:37 PM
awesome stuff :yesnod: :2thumbs: :bow: :cheers: :popcrn:4
Thanks again Tan Top
Quote from: Bobs69 on June 13, 2016, 08:24:54 PM
How much to build me one?
I am going to assume you are kidding but I will give you a round about idea of what went into it so far. I am out of pocket about $35,000.00 for both the cars and all the bits and pieces and I am not 100% complete yet. The shop rate for this kind of work even here in N.C. is north of $100.00 per hour. As of this weekend (and again I am far from done) I have about 2,500 hours into it so the math is a little ridiculous. I definitely could not afford to have this car built. I also might do things a little differently but were I would save labor I would end up adding cost. All the effort to fix the old car both in metal and body work was out of necessity. I would start with new sheet metal but that would add about $10,000 to the materials list.
Quote from: crj1968 on June 14, 2016, 12:14:25 AM
I don't think it can be said enough, incredibly incredible!!
crj1968 I thank you for the compliment.
Quote from: farm966 on June 14, 2016, 09:12:32 AM
I was curious about the same question...how much would you charge if you were building the same car to sell...there is a local shop here in Florida that sold a 69 red Roadrunner on a late model Charger running gear that I saw a few years back. Granted, it didnt have anywhere close to the detail yours has, when I inquired about how much they sold their Road runner for they said around $100k. This was probably 5 years ago now. The car I saw was very nice, without a doubt, but your car is spectacular, plus its a wing car, so that adds a lot in my worthless opinion.
David
I know the car you are talking about. They had extensive build pictures on their facebook page when the build was underway. They might still be posted there. It was West Coast Restorations in Florida who did it. I don't know how they pulled it off for $100,000.00 They did stuff I did not do. They actually stripped the new car down to the bare chassis and shorted the wheel base 5". That is a ton of effort. They also painted the entire thing on a rotisserie. Beautiful pro job. They definitely built it for a customer because they had some pictures of him taking possession. I sold up here through a classic car dealer for $100,000.00 so maybe the owner took a loss on the project.
Maybe the shop was a little light on the price thinking they were going to sell me one or something?? It was a beautiful car, but I am partial to wing cars myself. I was there picking up a pair of quarter panels they had for sale, and you are correct, that was the shop, I had forgotten the name.
David
your work is really beautifull you are a magician :2thumbs:
I sure enjoyed catching up on this thread today, thanks so much for continuing to share your progress! :cheers:
Quote from: farm966 on June 15, 2016, 06:32:51 AM
Maybe the shop was a little light on the price thinking they were going to sell me one or something?? It was a beautiful car, but I am partial to wing cars myself. I was there picking up a pair of quarter panels they had for sale, and you are correct, that was the shop, I had forgotten the name.
David
Either that or they pay some really talented guys slave wages. :scratchchin:
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on June 15, 2016, 12:10:16 PM
your work is really beautifull you are a magician :2thumbs:
Thanks man. I appreciate the compliment.
Quote from: Charger_Fan on June 17, 2016, 04:31:42 PM
I sure enjoyed catching up on this thread today, thanks so much for continuing to share your progress! :cheers:
Well I am having fun sharing the experience.
This is a video clip of the front lighting test I did today. The nose is back on for the final time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYNtKJ_-rS0
Dang those things open fast. Can't wait for burnout video. Jk, I can.
Luke
Quote from: Stevearino on June 12, 2016, 06:32:19 PM
I wanted to include a close up shot of the attachment prop to the doors. I used two heim ends one right hand thread and the other reverse so that I could have a final adjustment to tighten up the doors. I used these also on the center actuating arm so as to relieve any binding through the range of motion.
I put the bug eyes back on the car for the last time in prep for putting the nose back on the car.
I sanded an polished the clear coat on the chin spoiler and installed it on the nose.
I also finished the fabrication to put the 06 side markers in the side of the spoiler.
Here is where I ran out of steam because it looks ready to put on but I realized I still have to make a box to cover all of the wiring and motor for the headlight doors as they are in the air stream and will get hit by road debris. It is always something.
In order to dampen any vibration between the nose and the fenders I added this 1/4" self sticking rubber gasket that compresses down to 1/8" to the face of the front fenders.
looks like you rolled a lip into the front fender. Not bad.
This is your brother checking in. This build is fantastic and I want folks to know growing up your younger brother I had a front row seat, a witness to your many talents in music, carpentry, drawing, film, sculpture, entrepreneurship and the list goes on. A "Renaissance Man" you are. And your sense of humor is only surpassed by your humility. I can't wait to see this project "in the flesh" so to speak.
Happy Father's Day!
Quote from: chrism on June 19, 2016, 04:19:05 PM
This is your brother checking in. This build is fantastic and I want folks to know growing up your younger brother I had a front row seat, a witness to your many talents in music, carpentry, drawing, film, sculpture, entrepreneurship and the list goes on. A "Renaissance Man" you are. And your sense of humor is only surpassed by your humility. I can't wait to see this project "in the flesh" so to speak.
Happy Father's Day!
Right back at you brother. Happy Fathers Day.
Quote from: lukedukem on June 18, 2016, 05:22:59 PM
Dang those things open fast. Can't wait for burnout video. Jk, I can.
Luke
I hope the burnout is not in my wiring job. :eek2:
Quote from: Bobs69 on June 19, 2016, 11:20:55 AM
looks like you rolled a lip into the front fender. Not bad.
Thanks I was hoping it wouldn't look horsey.
Well the last thing I had to do before I could put the nose back on the car was to make up a cover for the headlight door motor and wiring. Since it is in the air stream I needed to protect it from debris. I bent up some .040 pre-painted matte black aluminum and fixed it into place .
Once that was done I installed the nose on the car. It was touch and go since the nose was now loaded with equipment and I had not had it on since I put the 1/4" rubber gasket on but I was pleased to see that it was just the right size to give the seam a finished look.
So I had posted a YouTube link for the video of the headlight door test. Here is the link again and also some screen grabs from the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYNtKJ_-rS0
Finally I got the heavy blocking done on the wing and the back bumper. They got a final coat of K2 primer and will get light blocking and hopefully some paint.
So I couldn't tell in the pics you showed us when you started this thread. Is the rear bumper going to match the car, or is it going to be chrome?
Quote from: Cha11engerD on June 24, 2016, 02:05:58 PM
So I couldn't tell in the pics you showed us when you started this thread. Is the rear bumper going to match the car, or is it going to be chrome?
It will match the color of the car. I originally was going to do a treatment similar to the Fast and Furious Daytona but I was not thrilled with it when I saw how it looked on the movie car.
As for the cost of shortening the modern Charger's wheelbase - a builder could start with a modern Challenger instead of a Charger. They are old enough to be salvage material now.
1968-70 Charger wheelbase: 117"
LX Charger: 120"
LX Challenger: 116"
----------------------------
I gotta catch up on this thread again soon.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on June 24, 2016, 09:22:33 PM
As for the cost of shortening the modern Charger's wheelbase - a builder could start with a modern Challenger instead of a Charger. They are old enough to be salvage material now.
1968-70 Charger wheelbase: 117"
LX Charger: 120"
LX Challenger: 116"
----------------------------
I gotta catch up on this thread again soon.
You would think that but I browse them all the time and they are still way higher for comparable power trains than you would expect for as old as they are. Unless of course you are looking at a 6 cylinder model. They seem to be holding their value for some reason even though there seem to be tons of them for sale.
This built is SO beyond impressive it's painful... :2thumbs: :cheers: :drool5:
QuoteYou would think that but I browse them all the time and they are still way higher for comparable power trains than you would expect for as old as they are. Unless of course you are looking at a 6 cylinder model. They seem to be holding their value for some reason even though there seem to be tons of them for sale.
It's probably because the used market likes 2dr sports cars more "grown up" stuff like Chargers. 12yo V8 Mustangs have big demand but you can't give away a 12yo minivan.
I'm curious - do you know if the Chally's unibody is roughly the same thing (for this kind of project) aside from the wheelbase & door difference? Is the dashboard/firewall structure the same as the 4dr Chargers? What about the trunkfloor?
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on June 26, 2016, 06:09:17 AM
QuoteYou would think that but I browse them all the time and they are still way higher for comparable power trains than you would expect for as old as they are. Unless of course you are looking at a 6 cylinder model. They seem to be holding their value for some reason even though there seem to be tons of them for sale.
It's probably because the used market likes 2dr sports cars more "grown up" stuff like Chargers. 12yo V8 Mustangs have big demand but you can't give away a 12yo minivan.
I'm curious - do you know if the Chally's unibody is roughly the same thing (for this kind of project) aside from the wheelbase & door difference? Is the dashboard/firewall structure the same as the 4dr Chargers? What about the trunkfloor?
I have done a cursory look at the Challenger. A guy at work has a 392 and it appears very much like the LX. Unless and until I got to take one apart I would no know for sure. I believe it is called an LS platform. I do know that there is not a lot of back seat leg room in the LX and looking at the Challenger it appears as if they don't care if anyone ever sits back there. That indicates to me that it may just be a shorted version of the LX.
The Challenger has always been created by shortening the Charger platform in the backseat floor area.
The process starts with Mopar having a good midsize RWD musclecar platform like the Dodge Charger.
The public wants a sporty ponycar version of it. Mopar doesn't listen to them.
Then Mopar notices that Ford is selling the heck out of their new Mustang.
Mopar starts to think maybe Ford is onto something with their "build what people want" concept.
The same thing played out with the 1970 Chally and again in 2008.
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on June 26, 2016, 07:57:36 AM
The Challenger has always been created by shortening the Charger platform in the backseat floor area.
The process starts with Mopar having a good midsize RWD musclecar platform like the Dodge Charger.
The public wants a sporty ponycar version of it. Mopar doesn't listen to them.
Then Mopar notices that Ford is selling the heck out of their new Mustang.
Mopar starts to think maybe Ford is onto something with their "build what people want" concept.
The same thing played out with the 1970 Chally and again in 2008.
People might jump to the conclusion that Chrysler wasn't thinking ahead enough when they did this but even now it is a much smaller company that Ford or GM and making risky calls on any model can sink a company. I guess we can all be thankful that they eventually came around in the end during both eras.
Quote from: NYCMille on June 25, 2016, 11:23:08 PM
This built is SO beyond impressive it's painful... :2thumbs: :cheers: :drool5:
Agreed, total devotion to the project/build, it's more in-depth and worthy than any magazine coverage could possibly give it, more deserving of Big Muscle (hint, hint :icon_smile_big:) HotRod TV, etc,etc type of recognition rather than an internet forum
Mike
Quote from: DAY CLONA on June 26, 2016, 11:09:40 AM
Quote from: NYCMille on June 25, 2016, 11:23:08 PM
This built is SO beyond impressive it's painful... :2thumbs: :cheers: :drool5:
Agreed, total devotion to the project/build, it's more in-depth and worthy than any magazine coverage could possibly give it, more deserving of Big Muscle (hint, hint :icon_smile_big:) HotRod TV, etc,etc type of recognition rather than an internet forum
Mike
:iagree:
Quote from: cdr on June 26, 2016, 11:38:52 AM
Quote from: DAY CLONA on June 26, 2016, 11:09:40 AM
Quote from: NYCMille on June 25, 2016, 11:23:08 PM
This built is SO beyond impressive it's painful... :2thumbs: :cheers: :drool5:
Agreed, total devotion to the project/build, it's more in-depth and worthy than any magazine coverage could possibly give it, more deserving of Big Muscle (hint, hint :icon_smile_big:) HotRod TV, etc,etc type of recognition rather than an internet forum
Mike
:iagree:
Thanks for the vote of confidence Mike and CDR. I am happy playing in this sand box right here. No need to get my head all swelled up. :lol:
Well I finally got some paint on the rear bumper. I also made an EDPM gasket for the the drivers door mirror and mounted it.
Early on when coming up with ideas as to what I wanted to do on this build one of the features I had to give up on due to time and cost was a real carbon fiber wing. I had reconciled to just paint the wing. I final blocked it and sealed it but decided to try to wrap it with some 3M 1030 series vinyl wrap. If it did not go well I could always peel it off and paint it but I am pretty happy with the results. I was going to clear over it but to my disappointment I cleared a sample and it pretty much doesn't look like carbon fiber after you do that so here are some pictures of the results.
:o I like it !!
That looks great! You could always spray on a matte or satin clear but I have to say I love the way that looks as is. :yesnod:
Wing looks awesome!
I like the carbon fiber look on the wing!! :2thumbs:
The whole "Carbon fiber" look... :scratchchin:
Yeah,
I don't get it. :shruggy:
Very cool! Are you also doing a CF Daytona stripe?
Pat
Quote from: Dino on June 26, 2016, 07:07:18 PM
That looks great! You could always spray on a matte or satin clear but I have to say I love the way that looks as is. :yesnod:
Unfortunately I sprayed a sample with clear and it obliterated the carbon fiber pattern so much as I would like to. :rotz:
Quote from: funknut on June 26, 2016, 07:22:58 PM
Wing looks awesome!
Thanks funknut. It definitely helps to have one to finish out the car. :lol:
Quote from: garner7555 on June 26, 2016, 07:28:34 PM
I like the carbon fiber look on the wing!! :2thumbs:
Thank you garner7555. I only wish I could have afforded a real one.
Quote from: Daytona R/T SE on June 26, 2016, 07:29:32 PM
The whole "Carbon fiber" look... :scratchchin:
Yeah,
I don't get it. :shruggy:
Yeah. It can be an over done thing these days but so is Gun Metal grey. I am pretty happy with it though. Good thing is that the wing like the wheels are bolt on items and can be changed pretty easily if I get tired of either.
Quote from: keepat on June 26, 2016, 08:54:07 PM
Very cool! Are you also doing a CF Daytona stripe?
Pat
I was never a big fan of the stripe so no.
very nice
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on June 28, 2016, 11:17:13 AM
very nice
Thanks. I see your project is coming along nicely. :2thumbs:
Well as anyone who has worked on car projects knows the small BS eats up a lot of time and seems to go on forever. This weekend I had three days and was determined to just get all the work under the car done and get it down on the ground. I did but just barely.
First chore was to weld up my Frankenstein exhaust and install it under the car. I had to eliminate the resonator to fit it so I hope it doesn't sound goofy when I fire it up or have some weird harmonics.
Next I had to make a close out panel to cover the span between the end of the 06 under carriage and the rear roll pan. I made a cardboard template to fit the span and secured the 3/16 plastic panel with some stainless steel screws. The plastic is pretty tough stuff I got from work so it will take a beating under the car.
Here is the cavity before and after it was closed up.
The next little project was making an adapter for the licence plate light fixture from the 06 to bolt into the bottom of the 68 bumper. I used the same 3/16 plastic with some threaded inserts to make up the piece.
Exciting stuff......right?
My next project was under the front of the car behind the front air dam. The SRT-8 radiator is way taller than the 68-70 B body deal so there is quite a bit hanging down below. Fortunately when the car is on the ground you cannot really see this area at all. Never the less I had to make a panel to protect the lower radiator from debris and allow some air flow through it. I bent up some .040 pre painted black aluminum to create the cover. Since I don't have access to a louver stamp I went down to the home center and got an HVAC return air duct cover.
I attached the grill to the back side with some 1" 3M trim tape and a few rivets and painted the whole thing matte black. Remember this piece is purely functional and really can't be seen so while it is not elegant it fits the bill.
More small but time consuming stuff. The wires to the front side markers in the front air dam were dangling so I put them in a little plastic harness cover , made a "P" clip and got them tucked up and out of the way.
I got all four of the inner fender tubs re installed for the last time.
I also got my tail lights, rear bumper and back up lights installed.
I messed around with a little badging on the rear wing. The SRT-8 logo that I ordered was cast metal and it was about 1/8" thick but fortunately it was hollow on the back. This allowed me to grind it off until it was only 1/16" thick so it lays nice and flat against the upright on the wing.
Under the front of the car just behind the front wheel tub there was a plastic cover to protect the E brake cable. I had to make an abbreviated one out of black aluminum because of alterations to the chassis in this location.
Quote from: Stevearino on June 14, 2016, 05:43:33 PM
Quote from: Bobs69 on June 13, 2016, 08:24:54 PM
How much to build me one?
I am going to assume you are kidding but I will give you a round about idea of what went into it so far. I am out of pocket about $35,000.00 for both the cars and all the bits and pieces and I am not 100% complete yet. The shop rate for this kind of work even here in N.C. is north of $100.00 per hour. As of this weekend (and again I am far from done) I have about 2,500 hours into it so the math is a little ridiculous. I definitely could not afford to have this car built. I also might do things a little differently but were I would save labor I would end up adding cost. All the effort to fix the old car both in metal and body work was out of necessity. I would start with new sheet metal but that would add about $10,000 to the materials list.
You'd have to be pushing for a million to get in the delusional seller thread. I think your skill and creativity is worth $150/hr., but I don't write checks that big! Of course it'd be a pretty select field of buyers in that realm, if you were ever to sell. Just insure it accordingly!
Quote from: Homerr on July 05, 2016, 07:56:25 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on June 14, 2016, 05:43:33 PM
Quote from: Bobs69 on June 13, 2016, 08:24:54 PM
How much to build me one?
I am going to assume you are kidding but I will give you a round about idea of what went into it so far. I am out of pocket about $35,000.00 for both the cars and all the bits and pieces and I am not 100% complete yet. The shop rate for this kind of work even here in N.C. is north of $100.00 per hour. As of this weekend (and again I am far from done) I have about 2,500 hours into it so the math is a little ridiculous. I definitely could not afford to have this car built. I also might do things a little differently but were I would save labor I would end up adding cost. All the effort to fix the old car both in met.al and body work was out of necessity. I would start with new sheet metal but that would add about $10,000 to the materials list.
You'd have to be pushing for a million to get in the delusional seller thread. I think your skill and creativity is worth $150/hr., but I don't write checks that big! Of course it'd be a pretty select field of buyers in that realm, if you were ever to sell. Just insure it accordingly!
I figured out long before I started this project that if you are going to do something like this don't be simple minded and think you are going to get your money out of this. Some things in life just need to be done for the love of doing them. I know some would disagree but not everything has to be about commerce. And I will insure it for whatever I can afford to within reason. That is just a reality of my financial situation.
Oh MAN, I hope you're getting as excited as I am, Steve! Car is looking great! :2thumbs:
Do you have one badge for each side of the wing, or just the one? Cause I think two would look better. (Just throwing in my :Twocents:)
Finally I wanted to black out the bottom of the rocker and the pinch weld to further define the side of the car. I decided to coat this area with spray on bed liner to also protect the area from road debris.
I did get the car on the ground and I hope to not have to put it on jack stands again before it is finished........ I said I hope. :lol:
Quote from: Cha11engerD on July 05, 2016, 08:07:23 PM
Oh MAN, I hope you're getting as excited as I am, Steve! Car is looking great! :2thumbs:
Do you have one badge for each side of the wing, or just the one? Cause I think two would look better. (Just throwing in my :Twocents:)
Yes I do have another badge for the other side of the wing. I try not to get excited. Experience has taught me that's when things tend to go wrong. So.....
Hey Steve, I just dont have words , well one word,,,, AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Steve,
That last pic of your car sitting in the garage, WOW! Now that is a Bitchin Ride quoting someone famous in the car world!
Tons of time and sweat in a build like this :2thumbs:
Best Daytona Ever Built! :2thumbs:
Not sure if you mentioned this, but what's the door and hood hanging on your wall for? Tribute to what it once was?
Luke
Ive followed your build since the start,All i can say is WOW what a very awesome car.a different approach to a customcar. I LIKE IT.
Quote from: cdr on July 05, 2016, 10:11:12 PM
Hey Steve, I just dont have words , well one word,,,, AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Thanks as always CDR. You are one of my biggest cheer leaders and I appreciate it.
Quote from: moparnation74 on July 05, 2016, 10:41:47 PM
Steve,
That last pic of your car sitting in the garage, WOW! Now that is a Bitchin Ride quoting someone famous in the car world!
Tons of time and sweat in a build like this :2thumbs:
I can't help but get a little excited but I have to stay focused and finish.
Quote from: DonC1 on July 06, 2016, 02:32:50 AM
Best Daytona Ever Built! :2thumbs:
DonC1 as always that is a big compliment coming from you knowing what you are capable of.
Quote from: lukedukem on July 06, 2016, 07:03:16 AM
Not sure if you mentioned this, but what's the door and hood hanging on your wall for? Tribute to what it once was?
Luke
The door skins are off the original door shells which I did use. At one point I was considering fixing them but they were too far gone. I had put them up there out of the way and just never took them back down. The hood is a much more bizarre story that I can't do justice to right now. I will probably tell it when this build thread is done with some pictures. Some here know the story as I had posted it on Facebook about 5 years ago. Definitely weird.
Quote from: winghawg on July 06, 2016, 05:17:10 PM
Ive followed your build since the start,All i can say is WOW what a very awesome car.a different approach to a customcar. I LIKE IT.
Well I certainly appreciate you hanging in there for the last 3 1/2 years.
She's looking phenomenal! :drool5:
:2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :2thumbs:
Just popping in to catch up on your build...it's looking freaking AWESOME!! :drool5:
Quote from: tsmithae on July 06, 2016, 06:57:32 PM
She's looking phenomenal! :drool5:
Thanks tsmithas. How is the 70 build coming?
Quote from: djcarguy on July 09, 2016, 11:21:26 AM
:2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :2thumbs:
Thanks djcarguy. We ever gonna see some pics of the Dartona? :scratchchin:
Quote from: Charger_Fan on July 12, 2016, 06:27:21 PM
Just popping in to catch up on your build...it's looking freaking AWESOME!! :drool5:
Thanks Charger_Fan. I hope to be done somewhere along here some day. :lol:
Disastrous is too mild a word for the last couple of weeks. I feel like I have been slipping backwards through a series of brainless moves on my part. The first thing that set me spiraling down was I set the rear glass in the bed. and even though I thought I had made all precautions not to mess with the contours of the Vega window bed the glass only set down on 3 of four edges. The bottom edge was about 1/4" too flat. Well I was beside myself that I had not caught that earlier. Fortunately since I had no Dutchman panel I had built what looks like a bridge truss under the base of the back window to tie everything in and make it rigid. After covering the entire trunk with a welding blanket because I had put all of the liners back in I proceeded to cut all of the diagonal braces out leaving only the uprights. (Sorry no pictures but I was in no mood for it) I put a bottle jack under the center of the bridge and slowly jacked 1/4" of crown into it. I then welded the diagonals back and luckily it all stayed put an did not cause the panel to buckle.
Dumb move number 2. I spent the better part of the 80's installing glass solariums so I am pretty familiar with glass (cutting, bedding ect.) I built the windshield bed with the original windshield but have known for some time that my replacement glass was about 1/4" wider than the original. It is not that it would not fit into the hole. It was that there was no room left for the trim clips. Also it did not want to lay down on the driver's side and had to be shifted towards the passenger side which made matters worse. I decided when the time came I would trim 1/4" off of the right side edge. Can be done. It is just tricky with laminated glass since it is two layers with a rubberized layer between. Well the picture shows I was not successful and got a run in one layer. The rest of the damage is from my foot. I ordered a replacement and came home early to meet the delivery truck. I was late and the driver had laid the box standing on it's side.I like to have a heart attack when I saw the box. Can you guess what was hanging out the break in the box a mere 1/4" from the pavement. Luckily the glass was not damaged and even luckier it was the right size for the hole.
I was wanting to get the rear glass and the side glazing tinted before I re installed it but as luck would have it a combination of bad window film and inexperience had me packing up all the glass and carrying it to a window tinter who was willing to do it out of the car. The first couple of guys said they wouldn't touch it unless it was in the car. Go figure. That is where it all is right now which is preventing me from finishing out the interior.
The last massive bone head move came just yesterday when I was trying to install my cowl cover. I had never installed it with the hood in place and it wasn't going in on the driver side. So without thinking I loosend the hood hinge and before I realized it I had gone to far. It came undone and the hood came crashing down on top of the right front fender doing most damage on the top of the fender near the still bolted right side hinge point. After several screaming laps around the shop. I straightened it out but I have some body repair.
Now for some of the stuff I got done despite my stupidity.
I laid the rear glass in the bed and centered it up with rubber blocks that will stay in the bed until I set it permanently . I taped out the area that will cover the window bed and the pattern I needed for the center tail light.
Once back on the work bench I taped off the under side to back paint a black border on the glass. Since the paint is not part of the glass as it would be if it was baked in at the factory I left a 1/4" border unpainted for the urethane to stick to the glass directly. I did the same treatment on the windshield.
I sprayed the glass with this adhesion promoter before I gave it 3 coats of black Imron. I will post pictures of the result when I get my back glass back from the tinters.
You can see from the next two pictures that with the rear seat back installed there is not much room to spare to the back glass or the head liner for that matter as these seats fold forward to access the trunk. Having the Daytona glass is a real plus here as I would have had to cut these seats down in a stock Charger.
Also got my windshield washer nozzles installed on the hood and the lines run to them.
Here is my method for getting a pattern off of the bottom of the side view mirror so that I could cut a gasket out of some 1/16th EDPM to cushion it against the door top.
Finally here is also the right side mirror installed on the car. I was also able to re install the right side window regulator and motor in addition to the right door speaker.
The last task of the day before I quit early today was to bed the windshield. Also in the picture is the trouble making cowl cover that conceals the wiper motor.
Beautiful work as always.
I'm very sorry about your misfortune but I have no doubt that the damage will be gone before long and you'll be right on track again. :yesnod:
Quote from: Dino on July 17, 2016, 05:14:35 PM
Beautiful work as always.
I'm very sorry about your misfortune but I have no doubt that the damage will be gone before long and you'll be right on track again. :yesnod:
I appreciate the sentiment but I will be feeling like a dumb ass until it is fixed. Which will be a while. :rotz:
This thread is about 60+ pages of almost entirely smart-ass moments on your part.
A few dumb-ass moments along the way will not come anywhere near shifting that balance. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on July 17, 2016, 08:26:57 PM
This thread is about 60+ pages of almost entirely smart-ass moments on your part.
A few dumb-ass moments along the way will not come anywhere near shifting that balance. :2thumbs:
from whom ?
Quote from: Stevearino on July 17, 2016, 03:17:24 PM
Thanks tsmithas. How is the 70 build coming?
It is coming slowly. I just updated my thread with some shots of the epoxy primer on the bottom and some of the other panels. It finally felt like forward movement instead of backwards for once.
Quote from: Stevearino on July 17, 2016, 03:30:04 PM
You can see from the next two pictures that with the rear seat back installed there is not much room to spare to the back glass or the head liner for that matter as these seats fold forward to access the trunk. Having the Daytona glass is a real plus here as I would have had to cut these seats down in a stock Charger.
That's a good thing, or you may have never been able to vacuum the package tray either.
Great update pics as usual! :cheers: Bummer about the chipped paint, I'm glad it wasn't worse.
Quote from: Charger_Fan on July 19, 2016, 03:06:52 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on July 17, 2016, 03:30:04 PM
You can see from the next two pictures that with the rear seat back installed there is not much room to spare to the back glass or the head liner for that matter as these seats fold forward to access the trunk. Having the Daytona glass is a real plus here as I would have had to cut these seats down in a stock Charger.
That's a good thing, or you may have never been able to vacuum the package tray either.
Great update pics as usual! :cheers: Bummer about the chipped paint, I'm glad it wasn't worse.
Oh. It got worse today. I was fitting the last piece of glass. The drivers door and I damaged it. It is a custom piece and I hope I can get one to replace it or I will have to live with an upside down smiley face crack right about where you look at the side view mirror. Oh well. Here is a little walk around video I did today. I have a short family trip so I will be taking a much needed break from this for the next couple of weeks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73ueqRrXkac
That was awesome. It would be nice to place a face with that build !!
Nice video!! :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
A well deserved break. You will feel much better when you start back in after.
:2thumbs: :cheers:
Quote from: Stevearino on July 17, 2016, 03:35:09 PM
The last task of the day before I quit early today was to bed the windshield. Also in the picture is the trouble making cowl cover that conceals the wiper motor.
Not sure if it would look right because of the hood lines but... A raised cowl induction (even if not very tall would allow you to extend the hood in the back and conseal the motor. You could alo conceal the washer sprayers under it. Granted it's not OEM but if it's done right you could also include an air grabber in it too. Just not sure how to make the hood scallops follow in.
nice video :popcrn:
Saw this on FB This is Stellar Steve :icon_smile_cool: What a build!
Coming back to this thread after while to see all the progress is like waking up on Christmas morning :popcrn:
good video !! :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers: :popcrn:
Quote from: ACUDANUT on July 24, 2016, 08:20:41 PM
That was awesome. It would be nice to place a face with that build !!
I am no cinematographer but thanks. And a face? Do you need something to frighten small children?
Quote from: garner7555 on July 24, 2016, 08:33:03 PM
Nice video!! :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Thanks. I wish I had an actual video camera instead of just a phone.
Quote from: Charger-Bodie on July 24, 2016, 08:41:13 PM
A well deserved break. You will feel much better when you start back in after.
I hope things go better in the next couple of weeks. I have been a one man wrecking crew over here. Good luck on your Texas adventure.
Quote from: ws23rt on July 24, 2016, 08:58:48 PM
Right back at you ws23rt.
Quote from: Arigmaster on July 25, 2016, 09:28:13 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on July 17, 2016, 03:35:09 PM
The last task of the day before I quit early today was to bed the windshield. Also in the picture is the trouble making cowl cover that conceals the wiper motor.
Not sure if it would look right because of the hood lines but... A raised cowl induction (even if not very tall would allow you to extend the hood in the back and conseal the motor. You could alo conceal the washer sprayers under it. Granted it's not OEM but if it's done right you could also include an air grabber in it too. Just not sure how to make the hood scallops follow in.
:2thumbs: :cheers:
I am okay with what I have going there. The only problem was when I did not take enough care to re install the panel. Thanks for the ideas though. You never know if I will have the energy to build another.
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on July 26, 2016, 12:16:34 PM
nice video :popcrn:
I would have liked to have shot video all along but I still don't have a proper camera.
Quote from: RIDELIKEHELL on July 26, 2016, 12:38:39 PM
Saw this on FB This is Stellar Steve :icon_smile_cool: What a build!
Yeah. That is where I started to post the build and it went a little viral back in February and got a little nuts for a while. It has calmed back down now so that is good. Thanks for the compliment.
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on July 28, 2016, 09:28:52 PM
Coming back to this thread after while to see all the progress is like waking up on Christmas morning :popcrn:
At least on Christmas morning you know you are done spending money for a while. :smilielol:How are your Mad Max builds coming along? I haven't kept up with your thread lately sorry to say.
Quote from: tan top on July 29, 2016, 12:27:55 AM
good video !! :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers: :popcrn:
Thanks tantop.
Well a small update. I am out of town visiting my mom for here 84th birthday but last week I finally contacted the NCDMV to send an inspector out to look at the car. They said it would be more than a week before they could come out and would call me. Drip drip drip. On the side glass the bad news is that the guy who sold me the glass is out of business. When I bought them they were extras that he had made for the cars in "Drive Angry" and "Fast and Furious 7". I had hoped he would have an extra I could get. They were $500 each when I bought them. I had wanted to get tempered glass but the best quote I could get was $5000. So I settled and hoped for the best. There is a vendor in Georgia that I talked to at the Auto Fair 2 years ago after I had already gotten the laminated side glass. He said he could make me two pieces of tempered for $1000 a piece. He was an older fellow and seemed like he was semi retired so i have not contacted him as of yet. I did however look up his business on the internet and it said it was still in operation. Then I read two reviews . One bad and the second said" Absolutely the rudest people I have ever dealt with in my entire life". :-\ So there is that. I then went on the hunt for someone who could make me a replacement for the curved laminated piece that I damaged. 2 vendors. One in Pennsylvania and one in Vancouver.......Not good. The one in Pa. wanted $2000 for one piece of glass. I then found out that Cinema Vehicles in La. had bought out the glass company that had supplied me the glass in the first place. I talked to the glass shop foreman and he said he would look in inventory and try to help me out. I had called him last Tuesday and hope that he will get back to me..........the saga continues.
Like reading a good book-you never want to put this one down. Thanks for taking us along on the ride Steve and keep it coming. This could be a best seller "50 shades of grey Daytona" would sell as a title!
I'm kind of surprised that removing the vent windows from a 68-70 isn't already a popular mod in general. Other muscle cars of the period were doing it. NASCAR guys did it. It looks good.
Been following your build.. Just incredible.. Looking forward to seeing some videos on the road
Quote from: taxspeaker on July 30, 2016, 10:28:14 AM
Like reading a good book-you never want to put this one down. Thanks for taking us along on the ride Steve and keep it coming. This could be a best seller "50 shades of grey Daytona" would sell as a title!
That's a good one. :lol:
Quote from: Mike DC (formerly miked) on July 30, 2016, 12:39:45 PM
I'm kind of surprised that removing the vent windows from a 68-70 isn't already a popular mod in general. Other muscle cars of the period were doing it. NASCAR guys did it. It looks good.
I am too and a little disappointed I was not able to do it 100% correctly with tempered glass. That would have made me a lot happier but sometimes a compromise is necessary. I should have tried harder to find a piece of standard glass that would have done the job or used the front half of a 71 Charger roof to build this car. That way I could have at least used the side glass from that car.
Quote from: 4spdwing on July 31, 2016, 07:35:17 PM
Been following your build.. Just incredible.. Looking forward to seeing some videos on the road
Well I am looking forward to driving it also if the NCDMV would cooperate. It took me 2 weeks to get an inspector out for a final look to convert my inoperable title to operable so I could begin the process of tagging it. If you will recall when I started this project the 68 Charger was bought from Georgia which sold vehicles with a bill of sale from the dealers up until the early 80's. No problem. I just had to go to my insurance company and take out a bond in case there was a claim against the vehicle because a possible theft in it's past. I then was able to secure the inoperable title. The inspector that came out at that time (2012) said to call him out again when the car was able to be started and could move under it's own power. I worked very hard towards this goal which took nearly 2 years. In 2014 I called and that inspector had been moved out of this district and I got the number of his replacement. He came out and was not sure of what to make of the car. He never the less took pictures and said when he got back to the office he would send the paper work to Raleigh N.C. and I would have my operable title in 6 weeks. After 20 minutes I get a call from him saying that he showed the pictures to his boss and was told the law had been changed and that the car had to be completely road worthy to finish the titling. So last Thursday another inspector shows up.........in a 2006 Dodge Charger.....I said to myself uh..oh. He looked very concerned and puzzled. I explained the build but in the end he took pictures of all my documents and said he would have to consult with his boss about whether or not it should be titled as a 68 or an 06. He was however going from my house straight away to his vacation and wouldn't be back in the office for 10 days.
I have been assured by a guy who recently went through this with a kit car Cobra that the law requires that the body be the indicator of the year the car is titled as. We will see...........
So after much nail biting I got the rear window trim on the back glass. What a pain that was. I was sure more broken glass or dented trim molding was in my future.
The good news is that the company that made my door glass was sold to a company that still has the mold and is willing to make me a replacement for $500. Hopefully that will go well. I will have to ship the existing glass to them for an exact trim fit but for now I am going to leave it in the car and finish out the jambs and sill work.
The back seat area is done and thank goodness the seat folds down because I have to go into the trunk and replace my fuel filler line. I chose silicone hose on the recommendation of the NAPA salesman for the filler tube Because it has to travel so far across the wheel tub some gas was laying in the tube and the fumes in the trunk were frightening. Turns out the silicone tube is a bit permeable. I got the gas that was laying in the tube to drain out and the smell went away immediately but some custom stainless steel line is in order.
I also got the front windshield moldings in place. Another nail biter as this was my second windshield.
Everytime i look at your pics i find something i haven´t noticed before :icon_smile_tongue:
Have you kept book of the hours spent so far ?
There is some true craftmanship in this build....or magic :o
:drool5: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :cheers: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5:
this thread never gets old... I'm excited to see it finished but I will also miss watching this build take shape. :yesnod: :2thumbs:
Very nice Steve your doing things I never considered..... new and old is looking pretty damn good Ide be happy with a/c and cup holders behind the pistol grip in the console....but maybe we all gotta do more ? Keep it up we need to see this thing moving !!!!
What did you use to blackout the trim? I was toying with the idea of doing that on mine...
Quote from: Fin Day on August 10, 2016, 01:59:28 AM
Everytime i look at your pics i find something i haven´t noticed before :icon_smile_tongue:
Have you kept book of the hours spent so far ?
There is some true craftmanship in this build....or magic :o
Over the top for sure with those remarks but I appreciate them non-the-less Fin Day.
Quote from: djcarguy on August 10, 2016, 02:56:57 AM
:drool5: :drool5: :popcrn: :popcrn: :cheers: :cheers: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :drool5: :drool5:
Thanks for the string of emojis djcarguy. They are appreciated.
Quote from: garner7555 on August 10, 2016, 05:20:52 AM
this thread never gets old... I'm excited to see it finished but I will also miss watching this build take shape. :yesnod: :2thumbs:
I wish I had something lined up to do behind it but it looks like painting my house is next. :-\
Quote from: dave14 on August 10, 2016, 10:35:58 AM
Very nice Steve your doing things I never considered..... new and old is looking pretty damn good Ide be happy with a/c and cup holders behind the pistol grip in the console....but maybe we all gotta do more ? Keep it up we need to see this thing moving !!!!
Thanks dave14. Having the new Charger platform to work with was awesome. I love the way old looks but l really love the way new rides.
Quote from: tsmithae on August 10, 2016, 12:38:30 PM
What did you use to blackout the trim? I was toying with the idea of doing that on mine...
First I glass beaded the stainless to give it some tooth. I then sprayed it with SEM black self etching primer. I then finished it with SEM Trim Black. Got them both at the auto paint supply in spray bombs. The stuff is really durable and dries to a very uniform satin finish without a build up. Some guys skip the self etching primer but why not go the extra step? :Twocents:
Steve, when is your first planned road trip ? :yesnod:
Congrats on getting your front & rear windows in! I'm sure you are breathing a sigh of relief, now that those are done. Best of luck with the DMV dude. :cheers:
Ian got a package from you today , from Hendricks Way address he was thilled THANK YOU
Quote from: ACUDANUT on August 11, 2016, 12:34:05 PM
Steve, when is your first planned road trip ? :yesnod:
That depends non NCDMV. Whenever they get done sorting out whether it is a 68 or an 06 and complete the operable title work it will be at least 6 weeks from that point. I haven't heard from them yet. It has been a week and a half.
Quote from: Charger_Fan on August 11, 2016, 01:33:55 PM
Congrats on getting your front & rear windows in! I'm sure you are breathing a sigh of relief, now that those are done. Best of luck with the DMV dude. :cheers:
Well it is certainly good to know that new Vega glass can be had for about $300 if something should go wrong but lets hope this glass has another 40 years in it.
Quote from: moparstuart on August 11, 2016, 07:40:46 PM
Ian got a package from you today , from Hendricks Way address he was thilled THANK YOU
Wish I was closer to get in on the fun that project is going to be. I think it needs a rat nose and wing :shruggy: :lol:
Well this weekend was a challenge that I was going to give up on except for the fact that even when the passenger seat was run all the way forward there was no way to get into the back seat. I had determined that I was going to make the seat tilt forward but when I looked at it I wasn't sure it could be done. After seeing that access was impossible without a tilt forward I took it back out and gave it a second look.
The seat back is held on by two bolts on each side. By removing the lower one the upper one becomes a pivot point. Since it was designed to be tightened I replaced the top bolts with sleeve bolts and nyloc nuts so as to leave the pivot loose while still tightening the bolts.
I then clearanced the lower bolt hole so that the lower bolt threaded partially in would act as a stop when the seat back was in the upright position.
I put a lock nut on the back side of the partially threaded lower bolt to keep it from backing out.
There are wires running up into the seat back so I drilled a couple of holes and tie wrapped them in such a way as to not get them caught in the pivot.
I then made up two brackets out of 1"x 1" steel angle and attached them to the lower seat back.
I had some spiral return springs that would slip nicely over some .125 wall 3/4" steel tube.
I then made two end pieces that could be bolted to the "L" brackets out of 2 bolts that sleeve nicely into the tube.
On the bolts and on the tube I welded tabs to capture the spring ends which I had been bent to 90 degrees.
The bolts ended up being a little two long in the tube and were causing a little drag so I shortened them up to about 2" and then place the assembly between the "L" brackets.
Once I was satisfied with the location of the tube I welded the ends to the "L" brackets to keep them from rotating leaving the center section to rotate and return with the springs.
I then welded another 3/4" tube with brackets to the lower section of the seat. After that was done I cut two hooks out of 3/16" flat steel. I rotated the center shaft to put it under tension and welded the hooks to the shaft.
I then added a "U" shaped handle so the whole thing could be rotated.
With the hooks in a locked position I welded in a piece of 3/8" tubing to act as a stop on the rotation of the hooks so that when the seat back is lowered the shape of the bottom of the hook rolls the hooks open to then grab around the lower bar.
I then removed the entire device to paint it.
There is a side cover for all the switches to the seat which had to be modified in order for the seat back to rotate past it. I trimmed about an inch off of the rear side.
There were three attachment points for the plastic side cover and the rear was attached to the seat back so the plastic stud that located the screw had to be cut off.
Using a little double stick tape I placed the cut off stud temporarily to its old screw location.
Using the plastic stud as a guide I made a new steel tab for the attachment point which was welded to the seat base . I then removed the plastic stud.
A bit of plastic had to be trimmed from the top side of the plastic cover in order to allow the side of the seat back to rotate forward without pinching the upholstery.
The seat belt catch is attached to the other side of the seat and so that the wires for that would not catch in the pivot I had to create more slack by moving the plug for those wires closer to the back of the seat.
I then put the painted seat catch assembly back on the seat back.
Finally the seat was installed in the car. This picture shows it all the way forward on the rails but I ran it back and I can still get into the back seat area .
So I never gave it much thought but the car did not have a spare and jack set up. I thought it went missing before I got the car. Nope. Turns out the SRT-8 came with a small air compressor and a can of fix a flat. There is not enough room in the spare tire area for a 20" spare. 17" is max. Problem is the 17" will not fit over the front brakes. There are several solutions to this problem that I read about but the one I chose is to get the 17" spare and if a front tire goes flat put one of the rears on the front and use the donut for the rear. It is really funny to me that I am trying very hard to be diligent in trying to keep this car to factory standards ,as much as that is possible, only to find out that the factory cut corners.
Another surprise to me during the exploration of what to do about the front seat tilt was in looking at a Challenger the only way you could sit in the back seat is if you were a double amputee. There is about 4" between the back of the front seat and the front of the lower cushion.
Also one of the few things to go smoothly was me finding short enough wiper blades to attach to the modified arms I had made. So shocked.
I put in a new battery. $200 for that sucker but that is what doctor Dodge prescribed.
Your talent to re engineer things & then actually make it work is amazing, GREAT JOB !!!!! :o :notworthy:
Quote from: cdr on August 15, 2016, 06:31:03 PM
Your talent to re engineer things & then actually make it work is amazing, GREAT JOB !!!!! :o :notworthy:
You don't see all the stuff that goes into the trash CDR or you would not be so amazed. Thanks again for the compliment.
you building a Battle Bot
Quote from: moparstuart on August 15, 2016, 07:11:00 PM
you building a Battle Bot
That's what those claws are for. :nana:
Every time I read this post and look at the pictures my draw drops. Someday I have to see this car in person.
Dane
Like many other lurkers this is my favorite thread. The car looks great Stevearino. You have some impressive skills.
QuoteYou don't see all the stuff that goes into the trash CDR or you would not be so amazed. Thanks again for the compliment.
We do lots of fab at my job and we call that 'the nicest parts in the scrap bin'. :cheers:
Quote from: Daytona Guy on August 19, 2016, 09:54:40 PM
Every time I read this post and look at the pictures my draw drops. Someday I have to see this car in person.
Dane
DMV won't let me out of my driveway yet let alone Oregon. :lol:
Quote from: Charger1970 on August 20, 2016, 10:30:58 AM
Like many other lurkers this is my favorite thread. The car looks great Stevearino. You have some impressive skills.
QuoteYou don't see all the stuff that goes into the trash CDR or you would not be so amazed. Thanks again for the compliment.
We do lots of fab at my job and we call that 'the nicest parts in the scrap bin'. :cheers:
Thanks for the thumbs up. I do quite a bit of lurking myself around here. :yesnod:
Sunlight and wide open spaces.
more...
more.....
more.....
more...
more....
No more :'(
Wait a minute; is she done?
Quote from: Cha11engerD on August 20, 2016, 05:17:50 PM
Wait a minute; is she done?
Some tinkering and mechanical stuff left to sort but pretty much. Yeah. Pretty anticlimactic huh?
:shruggy:
WOW! Looks awesome! Congrats!
Pat
:o I love this car !!!! You have done such an AWESOME job on this beauty!!!
*standing ovation* *all the applause*
Well done! Congratulations!
Looking sharp!!! I'm loving the color, and the fitment of everything from the nose to the bumpers, exhaust... It all looks so well sorted!
:2thumbs:
Dude, this is an amazing build. Thank you for sharing this.
It's just a matter of time before this car has its own magazine shoot/article.
I am in awe...this is absolutely stunning. :o
Congradulations :cheers: Well done on the build and happy to see the car pretty much done :2thumbs:
Thanks for sharing the process along the way
What the others wrote. It is beautiful.
Fantastic job :drool5: :drool5:
...Holy HELL.
Words fail me. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Dino on August 20, 2016, 07:17:26 PM
I am in awe...this is absolutely stunning. :o
May she run as fine as she looks.
Pure... Awesome... :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
fantastic job steeve
wow looks awesome !! :faint: :coolgleamA: :coolgleamA: :yesnod: !!
its no secret i prefer chargers/ mopars looking stock or day 2 etc ...& extensively modified custom chargers are not a favourite ( cant mess with perfection IMO ....but at the same time can appreciate the work that goes into them none the less )
THIS Daytona clone of yours Stevearino , i never thought i would say this about such a extensively modified charger ! just works for me , everything about it works , im a no bigger than 15 inch rims guy , & even the wheels work , looks fantastic !! so far removed from a stock Daytona , yet it still looks perfect , like its meant to be ... Awesome Fabrication Awesome Job :2thumbs: :coolgleamA: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Quote from: keepat on August 20, 2016, 05:31:06 PM
WOW! Looks awesome! Congrats!
Pat
Thanks Pat
Quote from: cdr on August 20, 2016, 06:29:49 PM
:o I love this car !!!! You have done such an AWESOME job on this beauty!!!
CDR I appreciate you slogging it out with me all the way. Seeing you get your car done against some pretty steep odds really spurred me on.
Quote from: Cha11engerD on August 20, 2016, 06:38:23 PM
*standing ovation* *all the applause*
Well done! Congratulations!
Thank you ChallengerD
Quote from: funknut on August 20, 2016, 06:44:06 PM
Looking sharp!!! I'm loving the color, and the fitment of everything from the nose to the bumpers, exhaust... It all looks so well sorted!
:2thumbs:
One of my pet peeves about the cars of this era was the poor fitment so I worked extra hard to try and reconcile what I could. Thank you.
Quote from: JR on August 20, 2016, 06:56:57 PM
Dude, this is an amazing build. Thank you for sharing this.
It's just a matter of time before this car has its own magazine shoot/article.
I have had some interest. We will see if anything materializes :shruggy: The idea of sharing it helped keep me motivated for sure.
Quote from: Dino on August 20, 2016, 07:17:26 PM
I am in awe...this is absolutely stunning. :o
I am flattered Dino. Thank you for the enthusiasm.
Quote from: 69_Charger_RT on August 20, 2016, 08:21:09 PM
Congradulations :cheers: Well done on the build and happy to see the car pretty much done :2thumbs:
Thanks for sharing the process along the way
You are very welcome 69_Charger_RT.
Quote from: XH29N0G on August 20, 2016, 08:30:18 PM
What the others wrote. It is beautiful.
I am happy you think so XH29N0G.
Quote from: sy440m on August 20, 2016, 08:36:38 PM
Fantastic job :drool5: :drool5:
Thanks sy440m.
Quote from: Lighthorseman on August 20, 2016, 08:46:19 PM
...Holy HELL.
Words fail me. :2thumbs:
Thanks again Lighthorseman. You have weight in on several occasions. :2thumbs:
Quote from: mike69440 on August 20, 2016, 08:55:35 PM
Quote from: Dino on August 20, 2016, 07:17:26 PM
I am in awe...this is absolutely stunning. :o
May she run as fine as she looks.
mike69440 That has yet to be determined. I hope her first 66,000 miles were not rough.
Quote from: garner7555 on August 20, 2016, 09:06:05 PM
Pure... Awesome... :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Thanks garner7555.
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on August 21, 2016, 01:06:16 PM
fantastic job steeve
Thanks XS29L9B2. I will be watching your progress. So far it is looking real good.
Quote from: tan top on August 21, 2016, 03:00:06 PM
wow :faint: :coolgleamA: :coolgleamA: :yesnod: !!
its no secret i prefer chargers/ mopars looking stock or day 2 etc ...& extensively modified custom chargers are not a favourite ( cant mess with perfection IMO ....but at the same time can appreciate the work that goes into them none the less )
THIS Daytona clone of yours Stevearino , i never thought i would say this about such a extensively modified charger ! just works for me , everything about it works , im a no bigger than 15 inch rims guy , & even the wheels work , looks fantastic !! so far removed from a stock Daytona , yet it still looks perfect , like its meant to be ... Awesome Fabrication Awesome Job :2thumbs: :coolgleamA: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
What you are really reacting to are the styling cues that brought people out to the race track and what made me fall in love with these cars. From the beginning I wanted to simulate the race car as much as would be possible without actually painting a number on the side. These are the specific things I wanted that the street cars did not have. Large diameter tires that filled up the wheel holes. No vent windows (1970) . Smooth area where the chrome gas cap went. Radius front wheel openings with a fender flair. I wanted it to be low with a definite rake. I wanted a decent size front air dam. I wanted the nose to look sculpted not an after thought tacked on later. The area behind the door simulates the way they flared the quarter panel in just behind the door. Things that were not on the race car that I thought the car needed was some of the superior styling of the Superbird nose with the grill underneath and proper signal lights. I also thought that the longer hood that is similar to the 71 would be cool to try. Half the cars in the field had the Daytona stripe. I preferred cars painted like Bobby Allison where the wing was painted the same as the top color of the car. So in reality my modifications are not stock but by no means new. They are slight tweeks on what the race car version. I just stole what I liked.
:lol:
Damn, I'm six days late to the party! :o
That is one dead sexy hunk-a-vehicle you've created there Steve, absolutely outstanding! :woohoo:
Thank you so much for taking us all along with your build, and for all the great looking pics of the car out in the fresh air. Nice looking yard too, by the way. :2thumbs:
Very nice ..... its a wing car but a unique wing car nothing like the rest with awesome refinements of a new car re- engineered sort of ... I hope you get legal soon shes too pretty to look at !!
Dave
Quote from: Charger_Fan on August 26, 2016, 11:53:26 AM
Damn, I'm six days late to the party! :o
That is one dead sexy hunk-a-vehicle you've created there Steve, absolutely outstanding! :woohoo:
Thank you so much for taking us all along with your build, and for all the great looking pics of the car out in the fresh air. Nice looking yard too, by the way. :2thumbs:
It was my pleasure Charger_Fan. Yard looks good from far away when I cut the weeds. :lol:
Quote from: dave14 on August 26, 2016, 07:56:50 PM
Very nice ..... its a wing car but a unique wing car nothing like the rest with awesome refinements of a new car re- engineered sort of ... I hope you get legal soon shes too pretty to look at !!
Dave
Thanks Dave. I can't wait to drive it that's for sure.
Well I started on the items that need to be re done. The first was getting the drivers door glass that I cracked back out of the car. It might not be entirely my fault as to why it cracked. I don't know why I did not notice it with all the times I had the glass in and out of the car but I laid a straight edge on it and it has quite a bit of bow to it front to back. The passenger side is dead flat front to rear and fits nicely along the "A" post.
You can see from these pictures that the passenger side glass fits much better and if very flat where it meets the roof and goes into the door.
looking great :coolgleamA:
Quote from: Stevearino on August 27, 2016, 07:10:20 PM
You can see from these pictures that the passenger side glass fits much better and if very flat where it meets the roof and goes into the door.
Is that regular Charger glass ?
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on August 29, 2016, 12:09:29 PM
looking great :coolgleamA:
Thanks Baldwinvetty77
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on August 29, 2016, 07:45:00 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on August 27, 2016, 07:10:20 PM
You can see from these pictures that the passenger side glass fits much better and if very flat where it meets the roof and goes into the door.
Is that regular Charger glass ?
No. It is one of a couple of pieces of custom glass made for the "Drive Angry" and "Fast and Furious 7" movie cars. Not really a surprise that it was not perfect. Movie cars are props. I just sent the drivers side door glass off to Cinema Vehicles in California. They bought out Alan Auto Glass which supplied me with the glass back in 2014. They have the molds so hopefully they can make me a better piece.
i have been watching your build since the beginning. amazing craftsmanship and dedication! it turned out incredible! thanks for sharing the journey with us :2thumbs:
I feel your pain.
Pretty amazing conclusion. Are you going to sell it now and start another project? :lol:
Quote from: fez340 on August 30, 2016, 06:39:22 PM
i have been watching your build since the beginning. amazing craftsmanship and dedication! it turned out incredible! thanks for sharing the journey with us :2thumbs:
It was a lot of fun and while I won't be posting as often I will put something up when I start taking the car around. Thanks for the compliments.
Quote from: Patronus on August 30, 2016, 09:55:52 PM
I feel your pain.
What are we doing? Are you putting in a vent window delete and if you are where did you get the glass made up?
Quote from: RallyeMike on August 31, 2016, 09:02:00 AM
Pretty amazing conclusion. Are you going to sell it now and start another project? :lol:
No. I won't be selling it unless someone comes along with a boat load of money. It would take a lot to justify letting 4 years of my life go without enjoying it.
I wish I had the luxury of moving on to some of the other ideas I have had but finance and time won't allow. I hope to do something else in the future. Hopefully not to distant.
"...No. I won't be selling it unless someone comes along with a boat load of money..."
Man - if I had a spare quarter million or so... :drool5:
Selling that can´t be an option !
I would suggest a world tour with it - showing it, telling how it was built and driving it also.
I even have a suggestion of first stop : Helsinki, Finland :yesnod:
Quote from: Lighthorseman on September 01, 2016, 11:12:18 PM
"...No. I won't be selling it unless someone comes along with a boat load of money..."
Man - if I had a spare quarter million or so... :drool5:
I can hold it for you. :lol:
Quote from: Fin Day on September 02, 2016, 01:23:15 AM
Selling that can´t be an option !
I would suggest a world tour with it - showing it, telling how it was built and driving it also.
I even have a suggestion of first stop : Helsinki, Finland :yesnod:
Finland? I can't even get DMV to let me get it out of the driveway.
Speaking of DMV. You know how it took 2 weeks for them to come out. And when the guy came out he said he was going on vacation and wouldn't be back in the office for 10 days. Well that back in the office day was 2 weeks ago and now it is almost a full month since he was out here and I get a call from him. He said he has some more questions. Which means he hasn't submitted the paper work yet. That was Wednesday. I answered the questions to the best of my ability and he said he would fill out the forms and E-mail them to me the following day. Yes it is now Friday and no e-mail from DMV. And so on it goes. :'(
Just in case anyone would be curious the State of North Carolina has deemed it legal and proper for me to own my car and it is now eligible to be insured and tagged. That process will happen next week as I am exhausted from repeat visits to DMV. Turns out the inspector had thought he had e mailed the forms to me a week ago but had not in fact done so. When he did I printed them out right away as to not loose them. After all is said and done. After all the back and forth. After all the photo documentation. The top of the form read " 1968- Dodge Charger-2 door sedan-factory". :scratchchin: :slap:
Woohoo! I'm glad your wait is finally coming to an end. :2thumbs:
So does that mean you can insure it as a classic car?
Quote from: Dino on September 09, 2016, 03:12:07 PM
Woohoo! I'm glad your wait is finally coming to an end. :2thumbs:
So does that mean you can insure it as a classic car?
My insurance company State Farm has a Classic Car/ Resto Mod division now and this falls under the latter. So they are going over some of my build pictures to see if we can come to what is known as an "agreed upon value". The premium will be based on that. Guy at work insured his car for $40,000 under a similar scenario and pays about $400 a year. I plan to try for $50,000 which gets me my out of pocket money and about 15%. Trying to get my labor would not be practical as replacement by a pro shop would be between $250,000.00 and $300,000.00 so even if I could get that assessment I wouldn't want to pay that premium.
Quote from: Stevearino on September 09, 2016, 03:42:30 PM
Quote from: Dino on September 09, 2016, 03:12:07 PM
Woohoo! I'm glad your wait is finally coming to an end. :2thumbs:
So does that mean you can insure it as a classic car?
My insurance company State Farm has a Classic Car/ Resto Mod division now and this falls under the latter. So they are going over some of my build pictures to see if we can come to what is known as an "agreed upon value". The premium will be based on that. Guy at work insured his car for $40,000 under a similar scenario and pays about $400 a year. I plan to try for $50,000 which gets me my out of pocket money and about 15%. Trying to get my labor would not be practical as replacement by a pro shop would be between $250,000.00 and $300,000.00 so even if I could get that assessment I wouldn't want to pay that premium.
No that would be a painful premium to be sure! The resto mod plan sounds real solid! Get good coverage and don't pay through the nose for it. :yesnod:
I paid over $400 for my 69 just to have an agreed upon value of $30K, but Michigan is known for their higher premiums.
:cheers: :cheers: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :popcrn: :popcrn: :popcrn: :2thumbs:
Glad to hear she's been cleared!
iI look forward to seeing it in Alabama now that you will be able to start your 48 state tour! HAHAHA :2thumbs:
Quote from: Stevearino on September 09, 2016, 03:42:30 PM
Quote from: Dino on September 09, 2016, 03:12:07 PM
Woohoo! I'm glad your wait is finally coming to an end. :2thumbs:
So does that mean you can insure it as a classic car?
My insurance company State Farm has a Classic Car/ Resto Mod division now and this falls under the latter. So they are going over some of my build pictures to see if we can come to what is known as an "agreed upon value". The premium will be based on that. Guy at work insured his car for $40,000 under a similar scenario and pays about $400 a year. I plan to try for $50,000 which gets me my out of pocket money and about 15%. Trying to get my labor would not be practical as replacement by a pro shop would be between $250,000.00 and $300,000.00 so even if I could get that assessment I wouldn't want to pay that premium.
hagerty! I had put my 69 on a state farm policy when I got it years ago before restoration. I had 19,000 in coverage and it cost me $47/month. last year I switched to hagerty and told them it was worth 50K and the premium is about $40/month
Quote from: Chargen69 on September 10, 2016, 08:26:12 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 09, 2016, 03:42:30 PM
Quote from: Dino on September 09, 2016, 03:12:07 PM
Woohoo! I'm glad your wait is finally coming to an end. :2thumbs:
So does that mean you can insure it as a classic car?
My insurance company State Farm has a Classic Car/ Resto Mod division now and this falls under the latter. So they are going over some of my build pictures to see if we can come to what is known as an "agreed upon value". The premium will be based on that. Guy at work insured his car for $40,000 under a similar scenario and pays about $400 a year. I plan to try for $50,000 which gets me my out of pocket money and about 15%. Trying to get my labor would not be practical as replacement by a pro shop would be between $250,000.00 and $300,000.00 so even if I could get that assessment I wouldn't want to pay that premium.
hagerty! I had put my 69 on a state farm policy when I got it years ago before restoration. I had 19,000 in coverage and it cost me $47/month. last year I switched to hagerty and told them it was worth 50K and the premium is about $40/month
Depends on where you are I suppose. I had mine insured with Hagerty and the cost went up more than $100 in a single year. I think my last premium was going to be $429 for $30K coverage. Never again.
Quote from: tsmithae on September 09, 2016, 09:38:34 PM
Glad to hear she's been cleared!
Thanks tsimthae .It was as excruciatingly long as I had anticipated and then some but we are legal so the pressure is off.
Quote from: garner7555 on September 10, 2016, 05:45:50 AM
iI look forward to seeing it in Alabama now that you will be able to start your 48 state tour! HAHAHA :2thumbs:
I have a few more things to do so it will be a while until I can officially come out to play.
I have started my punch list some of which I have no control.
(1) Sent the drivers window out to California to be re-made. We shall see how long that takes to come back. I still have my lexan mock up window if
I get to itchy to drive this thing I will try to put that back in.
(2) I told the sad tale of dropping the hood on the car in an act of monumental stupidity. I fixed the damaged area on the top of the fender and
nose and buffed them out and they look pretty good.
(3) The gas tank being in front of the rear wheels is a long way from my filler on top of the quarter. When I moved it to that location I used 1" ID
silicone hose to extend the fill tube in through the wheel tub and up to the filler neck. I thought I had enough pitch in it but it holds gas and that
is no good. That stuff might be good for fuel transfer but gas laying in that actually permeates the tube. I thought I had a leak in the tube but I
just lifted it up so that it would drain and the overwhelming smell went away immediately. Bottom line is I have to pull out everything in the
and get in there and fashion a metal line that has the proper pitch or I will blow myself up.
(4) I had opened up the rear wheel openings about 1/2" to allow for more tire clearance but it was not enough on the right side. So I had to work
on moving the quarter panel out at the bottom without cracking the body work. That seemed to go alright.
(5) Here is a real stinker. I had upholstered my front door panels about 2 years ago. Well the heat in the loft of my shop where I had them safely
stored was a little too much for the Foam and Fabric glue that I have used a bunch over the years. Must have gotten a bad batch. So I have to
remove the vinyl from the front door panels, clean off the glue, re-bondo any damage I do to the panel when pulling off the fabric, re-seal them
and re cover them using commercial vinyl top glue this time. Good times. The more recent work seems to be just fine. Time will tell.
(6) Once all that is done I will take it to a real mechanic to look over the front end and all of the stuff I had to replace to see if I missed anything.
So here you can see the old set up for the fuel filler extension. The blue silicone hose ended up being back pitched and was holding fuel . Making a hell of a stink in the trunk even though it was not leaking. I replaced the entire thing except the junctions with a 1" steel tube that is heavily pitched to assure the gas drains out of the fill neck. You know what they say. " Our stuff is nice because we do it twice" :yesnod:
Excellent work. I didn't expect anything less. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Dino on September 10, 2016, 08:34:28 AM
Quote from: Chargen69 on September 10, 2016, 08:26:12 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on September 09, 2016, 03:42:30 PM
Quote from: Dino on September 09, 2016, 03:12:07 PM
Woohoo! I'm glad your wait is finally coming to an end. :2thumbs:
So does that mean you can insure it as a classic car?
My insurance company State Farm has a Classic Car/ Resto Mod division now and this falls under the latter. So they are going over some of my build pictures to see if we can come to what is known as an "agreed upon value". The premium will be based on that. Guy at work insured his car for $40,000 under a similar scenario and pays about $400 a year. I plan to try for $50,000 which gets me my out of pocket money and about 15%. Trying to get my labor would not be practical as replacement by a pro shop would be between $250,000.00 and $300,000.00 so even if I could get that assessment I wouldn't want to pay that premium.
hagerty! I had put my 69 on a state farm policy when I got it years ago before restoration. I had 19,000 in coverage and it cost me $47/month. last year I switched to hagerty and told them it was worth 50K and the premium is about $40/month
Depends on where you are I suppose. I had mine insured with Hagerty and the cost went up more than $100 in a single year. I think my last premium was going to be $429 for $30K coverage. Never again.
mine just renewed for the 2nd year, same price
So the insurance company wanted more pictures and asked for one of the engine bay. Can you believe of all the pictures I have posted I did not have one clear shot to send them. So here is the picture I took today.
One of my re do's was the bracing on the back side of the driver side lower quarter panel. When I took it for a jaunt around the property a couple of weeks ago it showed a tire rub. I cut the welded stob that I had holding the lower panel in place and added an adjuster to move the panel out a little at a time until it looked clear. I then welded the vertical stob back to the frame. I hope this is the cure. I guess I will find out after I jump the car a few times :smilielol:
As I had mentioned before the front door panels had been covered about 2 years ago and stored up stairs in my shop. The heat must have been too much for the glue that I used. and some of the vinyl was detaching. So I started the process of re doing them. I pulled the vinyl off and removed the old glue. As I expected it pulled some of the bondo away so I had to re mud it and this time I sealed it with K2 Primer. I got vinyl top glue so that their would be no letting go. The 3M brand foam and fabric glue that comes in a can just doesn't cut it.
BEST CHASSIS PROTECTION!
http://www.masterseriescoatings.com/index/
Steve,
IMHO this stuff works well, I really would not recommend it if I had any doubts.
I brushed this stuff on the underside of my Terminator 14 years ago and it is still all there, doing its job 78,000 miles later.
03 is a 2-1/2 season daily driver. I still in many ways regret selling to buy the Cobra.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,121983.0.html
Quote from: mike69440 on September 13, 2016, 08:04:39 AM
BEST CHASSIS PROTECTION!
http://www.masterseriescoatings.com/index/
Steve,
IMHO this stuff works well, I really would not recommend it if I had any doubts.
I brushed this stuff on the underside of my Terminator 14 years ago and it is still all there, doing its job 78,000 miles later.
03 is a 2-1/2 season daily driver. I still in many ways regret selling to buy the Cobra.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,121983.0.html
Looks good. I will have to try that stuff out. At least you were able to find your old car and it is being well cared for. I had a car that I did a custom job on in the early 80's that I had sold to a guy who garage kept it for nearly 30 years. Recently while visiting back home about 5 years ago , I saw the car parked at his son's house under some pine trees and now it is gone. So you are lucky.
Well tomorrow the 15th of September is 4 years to the day that I went to pick up my 68 Charger shell which I had bought pretty much on faith and some scroungy pictures on Craigslist. It was 5 hours away in Georgia. Today ,one day shy of that anniversary I have plates on the car. They are temporaries until I get my personalized plates in a couple of weeks and the EEK is perfect because I think I made that sound when I got them in hand. So if I wanted to I could take the car for a ride. Will I. Well probably not for a couple of weeks. But there is an excellent reason. Mopar Muscle is sending a photographer around to do a photo shoot which might be in the magazine early next year. So......I can't really take any chances with scratching or otherwise messing it up. I had hoped that they would do it earlier this month but the photographer is coming from Philadelphia and could not justify the 11 hour one way trip to shoot one car. He will now do it on the way to shooting a road course race somewhere south of me.
this is GREAT NEWS!!!!! LOL EEK is appropriate :) .
I have not chimed in for a while but I have been watching. Beautiful craftsmanship and design. Time to enjoy it for a while, before you get another "idea". :cheers:
Too bad the license plate wasn't "EEK 6806...... What are the real personalized plates going to say?
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 14, 2016, 06:25:25 PM
I have not chimed in for a while but I have been watching. Beautiful craftsmanship and design. Time to enjoy it for a while, before you get another "idea". :cheers:
After that creation do you have anything left in you? Are you just warming up? Or is it business as usual? I would think that you've given so much of yourself to the build that you'd need a rest! Artists are usually the sensitive type aren't they?
Or do you find this very taxing?
very nice
So Steve, the whole time you planned on finishing the car up on page 69 on this post, didn't you?? :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: cdr on September 14, 2016, 04:51:39 PM
this is GREAT NEWS!!!!! LOL EEK is appropriate :) .
That is what I thought when the lady handed me the plate on both counts.
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 14, 2016, 06:25:25 PM
I have not chimed in for a while but I have been watching. Beautiful craftsmanship and design. Time to enjoy it for a while, before you get another "idea". :cheers:
I have plenty of ideas. What I lack is time and money. :'( Sound familiar?
Quote from: 71_Charger_R/T on September 14, 2016, 10:17:01 PM
Too bad the license plate wasn't "EEK 6806...... What are the real personalized plates going to say?
Yes. That would have been a good one. The plate I wanted was taken already. That would have said "WARRIOR". So I settled for
"WNGWRIR" . Not as obvious as I would like but better than nothing. (limit of 8 Characters)
Quote from: Bobs69 on September 15, 2016, 07:30:13 AM
Quote from: Swampwing2 on September 14, 2016, 06:25:25 PM
I have not chimed in for a while but I have been watching. Beautiful craftsmanship and design. Time to enjoy it for a while, before you get another "idea". :cheers:
After that creation do you have anything left in you? Are you just warming up? Or is it business as usual? I would think that you've given so much of yourself to the build that you'd need a rest! Artists are usually the sensitive type aren't they?
Or do you find this very taxing?
I find the work challenging and stimulating as opposed to my day job which many would think is glamorous but is very annoying and boring to say the least. As opposed to sensitive I would characterize myself as "thin skinned". That would be more accurate.
As I stated above I have way more ideas than I have resources (finances) You are only truly free when you are building a car with no commercial expectations. You can only really do that for yourself with your own money. While I would like to say there is another build in the future I can't see what or how that would be in the short term.
Quote from: XS29L9B2 on September 15, 2016, 02:15:42 PM
very nice
Thanks XS29L9B2. I am watching your project progress nicely. :coolgleamA:
Quote from: WINGIN IT on September 15, 2016, 04:03:38 PM
So Steve, the whole time you planned on finishing the car up on page 69 on this post, didn't you?? :icon_smile_big:
Well that is pretty crazy. I did not notice that. So weird.
"Yes. That would have been a good one. The plate I wanted was taken already. That would have said "WARRIOR". So I settled for
"WNGWRIR" . Not as obvious as I would like but better than nothing. (limit of 8 Characters)"
Great minds think alike, I went with a slightly different version.. :yesnod: :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: WINGIN IT on September 16, 2016, 10:41:49 AM
"Yes. That would have been a good one. The plate I wanted was taken already. That would have said "WARRIOR". So I settled for
"WNGWRIR" . Not as obvious as I would like but better than nothing. (limit of 8 Characters)"
Great minds think alike, I went with a slightly different version.. :yesnod: :icon_smile_big:
Yes. I think I would agree. Yes indeed. :yesnod:
Congrats on finally being able to register it, Steve! :cheers:
I like your fuel filler tube fix, that looks like it will function much better than the hose.
Quote from: Charger_Fan on September 17, 2016, 05:35:30 PM
Congrats on finally being able to register it, Steve! :cheers:
I like your fuel filler tube fix, that looks like it will function much better than the hose.
Thanks Charger_Fan. I gotta say I am relieved to have replaced it with something more substantial.
Posted on MSN news.................
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/srt8-daytona-clone-is-done-but-nc-won%E2%80%99t-let-him-drive-it/ss-BBwyFvH
The car looks Great :2thumbs:
Quote from: Xenon on September 27, 2016, 12:35:43 AM
Posted on MSN news.................
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/srt8-daytona-clone-is-done-but-nc-won%E2%80%99t-let-him-drive-it/ss-BBwyFvH
That's kind of crazy. Thanks for the link.
Quote from: billssuperbird on September 27, 2016, 11:30:43 AM
The car looks Great :2thumbs:
Thanks Billssuperbird.
Here is a little video of the car out on the road for just the second time. The first time I had some air in the coolant system and 5 miles out I spiked the water temp gauge. I bled it off and that seems to have done the trick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIkCBnmFDDk
Nothing like going on that first ride in your own creation! Cool video!
:coolgleamA: :2thumbs: thanks for the cruse :cheers:
Great cruise video! Congrats and enjoy!
Pat
Loved the drive along, very cool!
Just stopping by and taking a chance that this thread is still awsome at the end. Here to say I am another fan of the execution of the details. I have an ongoing Challenger build with many mechanical changes and twin turbos. It's amazing the amount of simple bracketry needed when deviating from factory. Most of which no one will ever see.
My hat is off to you sir...
BTW I am religisly reading every page. Up to 40 now and avoiding the end.
Mike
Quote from: Hemi Runner on October 03, 2016, 04:24:50 PM
Nothing like going on that first ride in your own creation! Cool video!
Still shaking out the bugs but yeah.
Quote from: tan top on October 03, 2016, 04:43:04 PM
:coolgleamA: :2thumbs: thanks for the cruse :cheers:
It's the least I can do for the long suffering followers of this build thread.
Quote from: keepat on October 03, 2016, 08:53:41 PM
Great cruise video! Congrats and enjoy!
Pat
I am just glad I overcame the overheating issues and was able to let it breath a little.
Quote from: Charger_Fan on October 06, 2016, 11:41:05 AM
Loved the drive along, very cool!
Thanks Charger_Fan. I feel a little like a fish out of water actually driving it and not working on it at this point. I WILL adapt though. :lol:
Quote from: YellowThumper on October 10, 2016, 09:22:45 PM
Just stopping by and taking a chance that this thread is still awsome at the end. Here to say I am another fan of the execution of the details. I have an ongoing Challenger build with many mechanical changes and twin turbos. It's amazing the amount of simple bracketry needed when deviating from factory. Most of which no one will ever see.
My hat is off to you sir...
BTW I am religisly reading every page. Up to 40 now and avoiding the end.
Mike
Well Mike, I hope it meets with your approval when you get to the end. Happy reading.
Well I am taking the car out on longer excursions. I took it into work yesterday and showed the guys who were putting up with me talking about the car for 4 years just what it looked like. It was a lot of fun.
I had and am still having my share of issues. My first run out with the car I had not gotten all the air out of the cooling system and pegged the temperature after getting about 5 miles out. Luckily I did not hurt anything . I purged it properly and she runs at the proper temp now. The oil light sender went bad and gave me a heart attack. I got that changed out. I got the HVAC charged and I had a bad control module in the dash so that got changed out. I have a clunking noise in the right front and I am still chasing it down. I suspect I have the wrong sway bar link on there as it does not look like the one on the left. That one has tapered studs and the replacement one just has bolts so I think it is shifting under load. It also could be the only surviving part on the right side suspension. That would be the Bilstein shock. It might have a slightly bent shaft from the original wreck. I had the headlight door module decide to not activate once it got warm in the engine bay. Have to sort that if I intend to take it on any trips that will find me running in the dark. It came back to life once the car was cooled down. A bigger issue is I tried to put gas in at a gas station for the first time yesterday and I had a hell of a time getting the pump to stop kicking off due to the fuel backing up in my new fuel line. Not sure what I am going to do about that. Again I am waiting for the drivers door glass which is being reproduced out in California. The new owners got the old owner to bring his mold for the window by and it turns out it was just as bent up as my piece of glass so they made up a new one. We will see how that goes. I was going to take the car to the Good Guys in 2 weeks but my wife informed me we have family coming in from out of town that weekend so other plans are afoot. Also the photographer from Mopar Muscle came by about a week and a half ago and spent from 4:30 in the afternoon until 1:30 the following morning shooting the car. Should be interesting to see how those shots come out. Well that's all for now. Hopefully I will get out and scare myself some more real soon.
Thanks for the update !!! :2thumbs:
WOOOW :o :popcrn:
Like a capital warship that had a major up-fit and overhaul, a few shakedown voyages are needed prior to commission on active duty.
If you every make it to NH, you can use our farm as a port of call.
Quote from: Stevearino on October 11, 2016, 07:08:00 PM
A bigger issue is I tried to put gas in at a gas station for the first time yesterday and I had a hell of a time getting the pump to stop kicking off due to the fuel backing up in my new fuel line. Not sure what I am going to do about that.
My '76 F250 does that too, because the filler tube does a sharp turn just past the filler opening. I have to gas up with the nozzle on half speed, or it just kicks off every 10 seconds. Pretty frustrating, especially when filling up both tanks.
I wish you luck as you continue to wring out the bugs! :cheers:
Quote from: cdr on October 11, 2016, 07:17:42 PM
Thanks for the update !!! :2thumbs:
You are welcome cdr.
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on October 11, 2016, 07:34:47 PM
WOOOW :o :popcrn:
Yeah.
Quote from: mike69440 on October 12, 2016, 08:11:33 AM
Like a capital warship that had a major up-fit and overhaul, a few shakedown voyages are needed prior to commission on active duty.
If you every make it to NH, you can use our farm as a port of call.
Thanks for the generous offer mike69440. You might look out your window one day and see me parked in your drive way. :lol:
Quote from: Charger_Fan on October 12, 2016, 11:57:56 AM
Quote from: Stevearino on October 11, 2016, 07:08:00 PM
A bigger issue is I tried to put gas in at a gas station for the first time yesterday and I had a hell of a time getting the pump to stop kicking off due to the fuel backing up in my new fuel line. Not sure what I am going to do about that.
My '76 F250 does that too, because the filler tube does a sharp turn just past the filler opening. I have to gas up with the nozzle on half speed, or it just kicks off every 10 seconds. Pretty frustrating, especially when filling up both tanks.
I wish you luck as you continue to wring out the bugs! :cheers:
I will try a few things like another gas station or two before I go tearing anything out. It was a bear to get in there and change out what I had in there in the first place. I am not anxious to spend another day fabrication inside of my trunk.
Well I am sorry I cannot show you all what I saw today because of the confidentiality agreement I signed with Mopar Muscle magazine. I got a preview of the pictures taken of the car and I have to say I was blown away at how they came out. Something to look forward to in a couple of months for sure in anticipation of which photos they will choose and how they will translate to print.
If it helps... I had trouble with my Cuda and my Mach 1 with the new pump nozzles. It's partially because the tube is behind the license plate and flattened out so I think the pressure builds (and I have to hold the nozzle sideways just to clear). Also modern pumps flow much faster than the pumps available when these cars were new so there isn't a happy balance between fluid in and air out. Additionally, I have a 95 Toyota 4Runner that has a multi-piece filler tube that travels a long way over the wheel and under the middle of the car that I also can't fill at full speed. My 76 Power Wagon had dual tanks and the rear would also back up. So I'm pretty used to filling up at a leisurely pace!
Troy
steeve your video is fantastic thank you
:2thumbs:
Nice...
Well it has been October since I posted last but I am finally able to put the final nail into this project with the April issue of Mopar Muscle coming out and bestowing upon me the great honor of featuring my car on the cover. I have really missed both working on and blogging about this car but life and work have pulled me away from any new projects in the near future. I have really enjoyed being part of this close knit community and I will return to lurking and enjoying the builds here.
...More
Good stuff. Congrats.
Awesome! Congrats! :cheers:
Well Done! Great Achievement! :2thumbs:
Well deserved. Congrats :cheers:
Quote from: Stevearino on October 02, 2016, 06:30:21 PM
Here is a little video of the car out on the road for just the second time. The first time I had some air in the coolant system and 5 miles out I spiked the water temp gauge. I bled it off and that seems to have done the trick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIkCBnmFDDk
Awesome... That car is just fantastic! :2thumbs:
Congrats man .
I know of no one more deserving :yesnod: :2thumbs:
Hope all your hard work translated well into the article
I saw your car on the cover but haven't had a chance to read it yet. Congratulations!! :2thumbs:
Well deserved! I got to tell a few people I've chatted with that guy and have followed the build from day one! :2thumbs:
Excellent! Congrats, it's well deserved. :2thumbs:
Congrats on making the magazine!
A well deserved project for the story!
MJ
Quote from: Mopar John on January 24, 2017, 10:28:21 AM
Congrats on making the magazine!
A well deserved project for the story!
MJ
x2
Somehow managed to miss this thread!!! Just spent a long while reading just about the whole thing....truly amazing. Trouble is I don't know whether to be inspired, as far as my own far more humble project is concerned, or depressed that I have to make do with far less in the way of skill (and equipment!) than you have and just get on with it!! :lol:
Congrats Steve!
:cheers: :2thumbs:
Congrats! You deserve it!
Congrats! Great job on the car.
Troy
perfect steeve
would you fine me one for me?
congratulations !! Great stuff :cheers: :cheers: :2thumbs: :coolgleamA:
Thanks once again for all the kind words and support. You guys have been great. :2thumbs:
WOW Steve.. aneurism.... never. Was a great follow and some absolutely wonderful workmanship!! :yesnod: :2thumbs:
One of the things I love about your build Steve, is that you didn't take a rustfree example only to cut away most of the body. You took a so so example of each due to the other being wrecked and made a great result! Aneurism averted.
Beautiful car Steve I was a bit skeptical at first with the old and new thing but with the quality of the work there was no way it could suck..... even for the purists and i think we all looked forward to its completion but given the quality of the build didnt wanna see it end either !
Maybe you should build a Plymouth next ? Ill be looking out for that Mopar magazine ,might even hang it up in the garage ..... Dave
:drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: AWesum car an coverage,congrates Steve :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
NEW CHALLENGE take the 68 unabody an build a copy of a on track DAYTONA race car ? ? ? mass roll cage with new skin hung on it?/ this mission will self destruct in 10 seconds,HA HA HA
looked at magazine cover several time before noticing the 4dr image below it. AWESUM car an was great reading an following the build,,THANKS for that... lattter DJ way out west :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers:
A little late to the party, but I simply HAD to say congratulations! :cheers: Having a nice write-up in a magazine, at the end of this long road is the icing on the cake. Very cool!
A copy arrived to me too - allways takes some time to ship it to northern Europe but here it is and immediatly read the article.
There was something about how your car will be received among the quite nitpicky Daytona/Superbird crowd.
Where is the strict and cautious Aero crowd ?
Not here anyhow - I have only seen praises about your build !
And, well deserved praises they are !
Nice one!
If it looks like a Daytona, sounds like a Daytona, smells like a Daytona, ITS a DAYTONA, or is it?
Who really cares, you took four years to create your DREAM!!! :pity:
WELL DONE SIR-STEVE...some of us will never manage that ourselves. (Wingcar dreamers like me)
If Mother Mopar had any BALLS left, she would have built a TWO DOOR Charger for the 21st Century! :RantExplode:
Not leave it to a few Diehards to build there own Modern Mopar!!! :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Quote from: birdsandbees on January 24, 2017, 08:11:12 PM
WOW Steve.. aneurism.... never. Was a great follow and some absolutely wonderful workmanship!! :yesnod: :2thumbs:
Thanks birdsandbees.
Quote from: Charger-Bodie on January 24, 2017, 09:24:09 PM
One of the things I love about your build Steve, is that you didn't take a rustfree example only to cut away most of the body. You took a so so example of each due to the other being wrecked and made a great result! Aneurism averted.
I would never harm an example of a sought after car of any kink Charger-Bodie. As a matter of fact if I had to do it all over I would just buy the sheet metal from AMD and not bother with an original car at all. I wish other Mopars had as much metal available as the second gen Charger. There would be a few others I would like to do this with.
Quote from: dave14 on January 25, 2017, 11:59:17 AM
Beautiful car Steve I was a bit skeptical at first with the old and new thing but with the quality of the work there was no way it could suck..... even for the purists and i think we all looked forward to its completion but given the quality of the build didnt wanna see it end either !
Maybe you should build a Plymouth next ? Ill be looking out for that Mopar magazine ,might even hang it up in the garage ..... Dave
Good luck finding that issue or Mopar Muscle in a store or on line. Not only did I not get a comp copy of the magazine, I had a hell of a time finding it on news stands or in stores. I did manage to get a few copies but Mopar Muscle never replied to two inquiries about buying multiple copies from them directly. Not like I was asking them to send them free. Pretty disappointed about that aspect. Oh well. Life in the big city and all that.
Quote from: djcarguy on February 03, 2017, 09:02:22 AM
:drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: AWesum car an coverage,congrates Steve :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
NEW CHALLENGE take the 68 unabody an build a copy of a on track DAYTONA race car ? ? ? mass roll cage with new skin hung on it?/ this mission will self destruct in 10 seconds,HA HA HA
looked at magazine cover several time before noticing the 4dr image below it. AWESUM car an was great reading an following the build,,THANKS for that... lattter DJ way out west :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :cheers:
They are building a replica of Bobby Allison's wing car at Steve Levitt's shop in Morresvile N.C. so that is being done DJ. Yeah I really liked the mirror shot with the 06 and 69 together. I inquired about getting a high quality print of that and got no response. Would be nice framed.
Quote from: Charger_Fan on February 15, 2017, 03:13:05 PM
A little late to the party, but I simply HAD to say congratulations! :cheers: Having a nice write-up in a magazine, at the end of this long road is the icing on the cake. Very cool!
The response to the car build from the articles posted on the Hot Rod Network was overwhelming. I have heard nothing in response to the magazine. I guess what they say about print media being dead is true or the car has been over exposed. Thank you for the congratulations. It has been a very rewarding experience Charger_Fan.
Quote from: Fin Day on February 24, 2017, 03:08:03 AM
A copy arrived to me too - allways takes some time to ship it to northern Europe but here it is and immediatly read the article.
There was something about how your car will be received among the quite nitpicky Daytona/Superbird crowd.
Where is the strict and cautious Aero crowd ?
Not here anyhow - I have only seen praises about your build !
And, well deserved praises they are !
I appreciate the praise Fin Day. The hardest thing for me to do was to keep the writer of the article from going overboard with things but that is what they do to sell copies of the magazine. You have to hype things up a bit. I have had surprisingly little blow back of the negative type. Very fortunate considering how ill tempered folks can be about just about anything these days.
Quote from: 500Jon on February 24, 2017, 04:38:53 AM
Nice one!
If it looks like a Daytona, sounds like a Daytona, smells like a Daytona, ITS a DAYTONA, or is it?
Who really cares, you took four years to create your DREAM!!! :pity:
WELL DONE SIR-STEVE...some of us will never manage that ourselves. (Wingcar dreamers like me)
If Mother Mopar had any BALLS left, she would have built a TWO DOOR Charger for the 21st Century! :RantExplode:
Not leave it to a few Diehards to build there own Modern Mopar!!! :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Thank you Jon. I understand the car we currently know as the modern Charger was developed with another name badge and Charger was applied at the last minute. The fact that the newer models got more styling cues from the original gen 2 just goes to show that Chrysler really had no idea it would be such a big deal to so many people. I think the Challenger's re introduction in 09 was an attempt to right that wrong. When you see a Challenger or a Modern Charger on the road they really stand out against a back drop of jelly bean cars so building them both was a big risk for a relatively small company. Just glad they did so I did not have to build my Daytona using a Crown Vic. :smilielol: :smilielol:
I know it's still early and all, but whats next? where do you go from 68 charger welded to an 06 charger and dressed as a daytona? A 71 challenger welded to a totaled hellcat? :coolgleamA:
Quote from: Baldwinvette77 on February 24, 2017, 08:50:44 PM
I know it's still early and all, but whats next? where do you go from 68 charger welded to an 06 charger and dressed as a daytona? A 71 challenger welded to a totaled hellcat? :coolgleamA:
Unfortunately my wallet and my dreams are a mismatch. I have things I would like to build but time and dollars do not permit. I had thought of building to sell but seeing that this type of conversion has been done about a dozen times in the last ten years and have been seen by the public I don't see a real market for it. Over a lifetime I have been stuck with more than a few of my "great ideas". Just ask my wife.
Steve i did find the mopar mag.its going up in boys room above garage by some other bird pics. under my nose cone (wall art for now ) renovating now building a bar etc. but as soon as thats done itll make the mopar wall for sure ... nice build i hope you enjoy it!
Quote from: dave14 on February 25, 2017, 08:29:00 PM
Steve i did find the mopar mag.its going up in boys room above garage by some other bird pics. under my nose cone (wall art for now ) renovating now building a bar etc. but as soon as thats done itll make the mopar wall for sure ... nice build i hope you enjoy it!
I am honored dave14. Thank you and I already am. :2thumbs:
Whats up?
Put a Demo in that thing already!
Quote from: mike69440 on August 04, 2017, 09:58:39 AM
Whats up?
Put a Demo in that thing already!
I would need a hood bulge.......Oh yeah and a wallet bulge too.
How many miles do you have on it now, Steve?
Quote from: Charger_Fan on August 05, 2017, 03:04:44 PM
How many miles do you have on it now, Steve?
I have put about 1,000 miles on it. Not much for being done for a year. I have been babying it and working out some issues. I had re do the door panels because I used the wrong glue but they look good now. Been working on the window seals getting the wind noise down. Had a pro work on the exhaust. The drone under power would make your ears pop. It is better now. One of the pipes was bent from the donor car crash and was banging against the rear end. That is sorted. Tightened up some rattling components in the doors. I had the throttle body go out on the highway and replaced that.Scary. I still need to get the check engine light taken care of. Looks like the prior owner used regular gas and cooked the O 2 sensors in the catilytic converters. Had the air conditioning worked on. I still have to bring it to the dealer and get another key. I thought something was wrong with the transmission as it would not shift out of first gear but it turns out I did not know it has a slap shift option and I must have hit the shifter sideways by accident. I have taken the car mainly to cruise in's as I really don't have the time to go to 2 or 3 day car shows right now so mostly local stuff where I can buzz in and stay a while and take off. I have gotten brave and taken it to breakfast on the weekends. Parking lots give me a lot of anxiety. Itching to start something new but time, money and other obligations are keeping that from happening anytime soon. Probably to much info but thanks for asking.
Obviously your hands have been touched by God! Your skill and artistic view are second to none of those guys I've seen on TV.
Hey man, who said you could use my plate ! ;D ;) :2thumbs:
Quote from: Bobs69 on August 06, 2017, 07:40:59 AM
Obviously your hands have been touched by God! Your skill and artistic view are second to none of those guys I've seen on TV.
Wow. That compliment is over the top but I will take it and go on. Thank you Bobs69.
Quote from: WINGIN IT on August 06, 2017, 09:39:24 AM
Hey man, who said you could use my plate ! ;D ;) :2thumbs:
Great minds think alike. :smilielol: :smilielol:
Quote from: Stevearino on August 05, 2017, 07:07:38 PM
Quote from: Charger_Fan on August 05, 2017, 03:04:44 PM
How many miles do you have on it now, Steve?
Probably to much info but thanks for asking.
Too much info? Never! I have been wondering if you've had many bugs & issues to work out, so you saved me from hounding you with questions. ;D That's great that you are still getting it fine-tuned. I don't blame you with the parking lots, I'm with you, I would be nervous as hell!
MERRY X-MAS,HO HO HO .... Heres ta a great new year and a little lite reread of this SRT 8 Tona build only 70 someish pages...HO HO HO :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :drool5: :popcrn: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Just seeing this post for the first time, awesome build! If you ever want to sell to fund another project, let me know. This would be a great car to own and drive :)
Mark
Quote from: roadrunninmark on November 08, 2018, 03:01:26 PM
Just seeing this post for the first time, awesome build! If you ever want to sell to fund another project, let me know. This would be a great car to own and drive :)
Mark
Thanks much. Haven't thought about selling it. Will keep you in mind if I do. :2thumbs:
For anyone who might be interested here is a link to some video of the car on the road that my brother in law took while he was visiting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOkGp6sUEXM The first time since I built it that I got to see what it looked like riding down the road.
:drool5: I like when the wheels reach a certain rpm, they look like they are not turning. :coolgleamA:
Quote from: roadrunninmark on November 09, 2018, 06:00:30 PM
:drool5: I like when the wheels reach a certain rpm, they look like they are not turning. :coolgleamA:
Video makes them look like spinners. LOL. Definitely not my intention.
Film in HD...then it won't (probably) happen.
Quote from: alfaitalia on November 09, 2018, 07:00:11 PM
Film in HD...then it won't (probably) happen.
I don't have a camera just a phone camera so I get what I get.
Steve - Would it be possible to have a "Daytona clone" get together? It would be cool to see that happen. Would love to see the clones and the creativity of each one. Maybe someone could compile a list of top clones.
Dane
Quote from: Daytona Guy on November 15, 2018, 11:46:15 PM
Steve - Would it be possible to have a "Daytona clone" get together? It would be cool to see that happen. Would love to see the clones and the creativity of each one. Maybe someone could compile a list of top clones.
Dane
I could have sworn there was a thread on here at one time on just clones. I have never had any success with the search function of this site when trying to find anything so..... :shruggy: That would be a start.
Quote from: Stevearino on November 16, 2018, 08:48:23 PM
Quote from: Daytona Guy on November 15, 2018, 11:46:15 PM
Steve - Would it be possible to have a "Daytona clone" get together? It would be cool to see that happen. Would love to see the clones and the creativity of each one. Maybe someone could compile a list of top clones.
Dane
I could have sworn there was a thread on here at one time on just clones. I have never had any success with the search function of this site when trying to find anything so..... :shruggy: That would be a start.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=1955.425
Quote from: moparstuart on November 21, 2018, 03:25:30 PM
Quote from: Stevearino on November 16, 2018, 08:48:23 PM
Quote from: Daytona Guy on November 15, 2018, 11:46:15 PM
Steve - Would it be possible to have a "Daytona clone" get together? It would be cool to see that happen. Would love to see the clones and the creativity of each one. Maybe someone could compile a list of top clones.
Dane
I could have sworn there was a thread on here at one time on just clones. I have never had any success with the search function of this site when trying to find anything so..... :shruggy: That would be a start.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=1955.425
Thanks Stu. You da man! :2thumbs:
Bump :)