68 charger with amnesia build

[Baldwinvette77]

...gm style lower control arms and hopefully my spare corvette spindles...

Sure those GM parts won't make the car spontaneously combust? 

no promises 

[Baldwinvette77]

A quicky update, i think it speaks for itself 

I'd like to thank those who offered fenders to me, especially cooter and Stevearino who gave me pretty damn good deals on them, however i found this one within an hours drive, which made it more practical 

[Baldwinvette77]

Also found a device capable of pushing slower traffic out of the way, i shall patent this 

Pretty cool feeling, After 3 months i finally have a project car to start with   

[Stevearino]

More please.

[Baldwinvette77]

Not really a big update, just been tying up a few loose ends, been busy with school actually, im graduating highschool finally on the 27th   (i finished my courses in january, but had to wait till june like everyone else)

Anyway in no particular order i bought a 68 coronet grille for it, (dont have a picture of it yet, and its still at my neighbours house... long story) also thanks Bill440rt  

I replaced the drivers door lock cylinder with one from a 76 gm i have the key for , i lost the other cylinder so i just welded up the passenger side  

i welded up 90% of the trunk floor, and test fit a fuel cell i got locally for 100$, has a sending unit, all the fittings, holds 15 gal. and came with another free fuel gauge  

filled in the marker light holes for the 68 and 69 fenders, as well as the antenna hole.

built some simple subframe connectors, but ran out of my 8th role of welding wire before i could even tack them in, also need to cut a section of the drivers floor for them to fit  

welded up the taillight panel, and chopped up my bent trunk torque rod ( my dad thought it was scrap and used it as a pry tool   ) so i turned it into a trunk prop rod

also will be building my own k-member soon, which should be in my next update, unless something should go horribly wrong, which could also be worth posting  

[Baldwinvette77]

Dat trunk floor 

[Baldwinvette77]

I just hope that Gm door lock learns to co-operate with all them mopar pieces, must feel like a redheaded bastard child 

Also my napkin sketches of what my k-member may look like, i kick ass at art 

[Darkman]

Mate, your whole car is the redheaded bastard child in the eyes of the purist  .

But that is exactly the reason why I love this build. Well done and keep up the good work

[Stevearino]

Keep diggin

[HeavyFuel]

Anyway in no particular order i bought a 68 coronet grille for it, (dont have a picture of it yet, and its still at my neighbours house... long story) also thanks Bill440rt  

Didn't the '69 500's have Coronet grills?

[Baldwinvette77]

yup, i guess this will unintentionally be a 500 tribute, minus the plug... and hemi engine  still its far more afordable than a charger piece, and will give it a bit of a unique look 

[Indygenerallee]

You missed spray painting "Bro" after the "Mad" on your Charger!! 

[Baldwinvette77]

You missed spray painting "Bro" after the "Mad" on your Charger!! 

Thanks, its easy to forget things on a project like this   

[Bob]

I just read all 10 pages and what pleasant surprise. Not to bash the other restoration threads but this one is the most creative. Great work Baldwin.

Bob

[Baldwinvette77]

I just read all 10 pages and what pleasant surprise. Not to bash the other restoration threads but this one is the most creative. Great work Baldwin.

Bob

Thankyou man  its by far the most fun project i've ever done or been a part of, i've met a bunch of people who hunt high and low for correct parts, even i used to, its really refreshing just grabbing whatever you have laying around or have access to and making it work, i seriously encourage anyone with some spare junk to give it a shot, its not very expensive since the parts are bought far a few between and its fun seeing it slowly come together before your eyes for the first time 

[Baldwinvette77]

so i was thinking about putting a 4 point roll bar in the charger, but didnt have the tools, or will to pay shipping or labour fees, then i found a chevy s10 main hoop for a few dollars locally, and well, it fits way better than i ever could have imagined, not bad for a part intended for a 4 banger chevy pickup 

[JB400]

Whatever works

[Bob]

 

Bob

[69finder]

Well done!   

I'm from a VW background and guys put together all manner of things just by 'doing' insteading of thinking.  Great work!  I am in a similar boat, I have a few shells, but what has me stuck is how to get them mobile.

I love your re-engineering of the front end and I think I will look for a way to get my Charger rolling 'any way possible'. Thanks for the inspiration, I was just at the point of dumping them (literally!).

[Baldwinvette77]

Annnnd My work on this planet is complete  Seriously though, helping a fellow enthusiast by simply giving him a new outlook on his car is well worth it  , hope to see a build thread up here by you 

[69finder]

As luck would have it, I started searching Kaja for Charger parts and I might have what I need!  If it is, I will for sure post up what I got and work on mine   Thank you!

[1974dodgecharger]

gotta give the man credit he is working with what he has and doing the best he can to get another charger on the road again.....

[Baldwinvette77]

gotta give the man credit he is working with what he has and doing the best he can to get another charger on the road again.....

Thanks man  

Anyway, started my k-member, may look kinda strange but theres madness to my method (you read that right)

my plan is to use a mustang 2 lower crossmember that actually just showed up at my door, lower triangulated arms (still need to buy), coil overs(also still need to buy), a manual mustang 2 steering rack  i picked up for 120$ , i want to use some spare vette spindles i have kicking around which will give the charger 4 piston calipers and 12" rotors (and a GM front bolt pattern) and i will use off the shelf, aftermarket upper control arms for b-bodies, however like all my plans, something is subject to change  

to start, i tacked two 20" 2x2 bars together 31-1/2" apart from each other and tacked that to the framerails level, then made mounting tabs, and rear extentions which is where the crossmember will mount, everything is just tacked together, and needs lots of refinement.

Theres still alot that needs to be done, but it started to rain  

[projectanimal]

 
Looking great and even better to know it was all created by your hands!   

keep up the progress and the pictures!!!   

[Steve P.]

I love this idea, but am concerned with the 2x2 inside the original frame rails. This looks like it could be taking valuable space needed for headers. Could you not go under the frame rails and build brackets for the lower control arms??  If the mustang crossmember is the reason, baybe steel from it's design and build your own. I'm sure yours would be stronger anyway!!!!