Repair/restoration of wrecked 1969 Charger

[mariusjh03]

Hey guys,

Just wanted to quickly introduce myself. First post to the forum, although I joined some months ago in preparation for my newest project. Although I've restored mostly Mustangs in the past, I was a long-time engineer at Chrysler (Michigan) and have now relocated to the Bay Area, California.

Now, the car. I recently picked up a wrecked 1969 383-2 Charger (green/green - I know not everybody's favorite color combination). It was listed on CL for a long-time, as some of you may already know (http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,127542.0.html). It just pained me to see the poor thing wrecked like that and after working out a deal with the owner, I brought it home so that I could restore it to it's former glory.

Now the good and the bad:
Although the owner stated that it "runs well," - it does not. The water pump blades had crushed into the block through the front. The radiator was completely trashed (and 90% empty of coolant), the front engine and transmission motor mounts had all been sheared off (the entire engine slid forward over an inch in the wreck!), the passenger-side manifold is cracked, it leaks oil like hell out of the passenger-side valve cover, pulleys are rubbing each other, etc. And god knows what else. What a mess!

However, for the good, the car is mostly original (does currently have a darker-green than original paint job - it used to be F5), the interior is okay, does have some annoying die on the headrests and unoriginal black carpeting - but everything does work. Radio, lights, etc. Also came nicely equipped from Hamtramck with power steering/brakes, disc brakes, hood signals, remote mirror, light package, A/C. It also included numerous spares (wheel covers, master cylinder, rotor/caliper/knuckle assemblies), the spare wheel/tire, jack, wrench and original '69 Calif. black plates.

The frame isn't damaged, but the radiator support is crushed-in and inner fenders wrinkled up front. The fenders, grill, headlight support, hood, bumper, bumper mounts are all trash.

I plan to disassemble the entire front end, pull the motor, repair the rad support & inner fenders, paint the engine compartment back to it's original medium green metallic (it's black now), replace the fenders/hood/grill etc. and restore it 100% to the original build plate and spec. sheet. I know it will never be an R/T. But should be a wonderful big-block Charger in good driving condition once repaired and restored!

Please wish me luck!

[68RT440]

I do remember seeing that car. I'm glad that someone is going to fix it. Good luck with the repair and post pics of the progress!

[darbgnik]

I remember that one I think?
They're all worth saving! And I'd much rather build a damaged one than a rusty one.

[tan top]

 Hello & welcome    good luck with your project 

[JR]

Welcome to the site.

That car was a great find. X2 on repairing the wrecked car over the rusty one.

That restoration will be a breeze. Replacement K frames are easy enough to find.

Make this a build thread and post progress pics. We love build threads here.

[charge69]

You've got a good head start on it considering how bad some of the restoration-in-progress Chargers we have here on the board now!  I am confident you will make a beautiful restoration on it !

Good luck and fair winds for you on this future project ! !

[BDF]

Good luck!
Love the color!!!   
I'll be watching this one. 

[Lennard]

Welcome, good luck and enjoy!

[VegasCharger]

Welcome aboard 

Good luck 

Let me know if the inner fenders and rad support is too much of a challenge.

I have some nice OEM sheet metal. 

[Charger_Fan]

Welcome aboard! That looks like a good project you have there, looking forward to seeing your future progress updates on this car. I hope you were able to talk the seller down quite a ways from his original asking price. Other than the wrecked parts & some of the interior, it looks like a really clean Charger.

the front engine and transmission motor mounts had all been sheared off (the entire engine slid forward over an inch in the wreck!)

Same here, when mine got wrecked years ago...all three mounts sheared, sending the engine & trans forward into the radiator. The driveline popped out & it drained ATF all over the ground, along with all the coolant. I bent the steering wheel & collapsed the column in the crash.

[CDN72SE]

Welcome to the site and I will be following along to watch the transformation, don't see many builds like this.

[mariusjh03]

Thanks, everyone!

I hope you were able to talk the seller down quite a ways from his original asking price. Other than the wrecked parts & some of the interior, it looks like a really clean Charger.

Yep, worked out a fair deal... in hindsight I may have overpaid a little, but it'll be a really fun project and it is pretty clean from the A-pillars back. A little rust at the bottom of the C-pillars and in the trunk (probably from sitting at the wrecking yard for a year or two), but nothing extensive. The underside of the car is solid. Really solid. It was southern California after all! It has a newer vinyl top, nice headliner, almost-perfect upholstery, door panels, chrome, trim, etc. Just the front end is a mess! Plus, I discovered that it can't make right turns, haha. The idler arm of the steering hits the exhaust pipe where the motor/transmission assembly sheared the mounts and slid forward in the car.

Let me know if the inner fenders and rad support is too much of a challenge.
I have some nice OEM sheet metal. 

Much appreciated, Vegas! I'm going to try to salvage as much as the original metal as possible, but inevitably it's going to need something. I'll let you know!

Welcome, good luck and enjoy!

Thanks!

Good luck!
Love the color!!!   

Me too, actually!

Make this a build thread and post progress pics. We love build threads here.

I'll give it a shot and try to upload as much as I can!

[mariusjh03]

Hello & welcome    good luck with your project  

Thank you!

I am confident you will make a beautiful restoration on it !

Appreciate the confidence!

I'm glad that someone is going to fix it. Good luck with the repair and post pics of the progress!

On it!!

By the way - one of the seller's photos - but here's the front-end damage. Ouch!!!

[mariusjh03]

Some more pictures of the damage:

[mariusjh03]

Fortunately, being a southern California car with minimal rust, all bolts came out easily with an impact driver and the front end was easy to take apart. Aside from the whole front end being trash, the bolts are probably salvageable along with a few brackets and other odds-and-ends.

For example, although the entire grill was trashed, the vacuum canisters and brackets were just a little tweaked, but okay! Can be straightened easily. Plus, the headlamp bezels are mint! Bonus! 

[cdr]

DO NOT throw ANYTHING away even if it looks like junk,trash ect,, until the car is put back together

[Lennard]

DO NOT throw ANYTHING away even if it looks like junk,trash ect,, until the car is put back together

Great advice

[darbgnik]

DO NOT throw ANYTHING away even if it looks like junk,trash ect,, until the car is put back together

Great advice

Hahaha, yeah, I don't even bin old u joints till the new ones are in........ might need a c clip... lol

[VegasCharger]

DO NOT throw ANYTHING away even if it looks like junk,trash ect,, until the car is put back together

And even after that. 

[Mopar Nut]

Welcome aboard!

[Charger_Fan]

Looking good!
Did the previous owner say what he hit? I'm guessing he rear ended a truck with a trailer hitch, but I can't figure out how the bumper got creased offset, on the driver's side.

[marshallfry01]

I wondered if someone ever bought the car! I'm glad it was someone here. A few months ago I made the post about it but I never called the owner. Looks like a great car to start with. New front clip and some other minor fixes and you'll have a nice charger. Good luck to you!

[tan top]

DO NOT throw ANYTHING away even if it looks like junk,trash ect,, until the car is put back together

And even after that. 

yep what they said   

[qwick68]

Very cool, congrats

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Looks salvageable. An accident repair like that is better than working with a rotted hulk.