Building a 70 charger from scratch. I have a few ?'s

[tnthull]

As the ad says I'm building a 70 charger from scratch. I have a tube center section we built at my work now I'm about to locate the roof and start building the body from mostly reproduction amd metal. My 1st question in this process is I have the amd roof skin and I need to weld a few brackets on it to be able to bolt the roof to the center section cage. Where Would the best place be to weld brackets on without warping the sheet metal or at least minimal warping?

[Baldwinvette77]

sounds badass i guess the best place to put brakets would be the very edges since its rounded and has a slightly lower chance of warping than the flat areas    Goodluck and post pictures of that beast 

[tnthull]

I appreciate it, and I will as soon as I get home. Already have the roof, full rear quarters, deck filler panel, door skins, trunk lid, tail light panel, rear lower valance and rear bumper so I'm ready to get started!

[Mike DC]

As for the roof, you really oughtta get a $500 rusty Charger hulk and use some of the cabin/roof's understructure. 

I realize you're gonna build a tube chassis from scratch.  But ask yourself - What if that understructure stuff was in the AMD catalog too?   Would you consider using some of it then? 

Be it used or new repro, loadbearing or just along for the ride, sometimes the factory unibody structure is still the most practical way to mount something.  Old Grand National-era NASCAR Chargers still used portions of the factory unibody structure even after they were already tubing & fabricating much of it. 

[bull]

Build it around one of these so when someone jumps it it won't get destroyed.

[tnthull]

I would totally use the factory stuff if there was room for it, but the factory roof supports hang too low for everything to fit the way it has to on the tubes. Trust me I thought about it because I couldn't find a roof for awhile since amd isn't going to have Any until aug 14 but I finally tracked one down

[Mike DC]

  

Build it around one of these so when someone jumps it it won't get destroyed.

You'd be amazed at the price of one of those things.  It makes a race-ready NASCAR look cheap.
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I would totally use the factory stuff if there was room for it, but the factory roof supports hang too low for everything to fit the way it has to on the tubes. Trust me I thought about it because I couldn't find a roof for awhile since amd isn't going to have Any until aug 14 but I finally tracked one down

What exactly are you building?  
It sounds interesting.  

Pics?  

[tnthull]

Yeah those off road trucks can be a half million or more!
And I'm building a fun car I can drive on the street but I want a charger that will handle also instead of just drag race. I want it to weigh less than 2500 lbs. i want to take it to some road atlanta and atlanta motorsports park track days and things like that. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

[dyslexic teddybear]

Interesting.

A lightweight Charger ........VERY interesting. 2500 lbs would be a blast at track days.

I like

[tnthull]

Thanks! And that's the idea. I figure I can make up for some of the long wheelbase with alot less weight and get the front end push out of it. I've got some wilwood 4 piston brakes and Brembo rotors for it too so hopefully it will stop also

[Homerr]

Sounds like a fun project.  How is the VIN/licensing stuff handled?

[Baldwinvette77]

build it with a perfect 50/50 weight balance and rally car suspension, that way you can fulfill every charger owners dreams   

[tnthull]

That's what I'm hoping for. As close to 50/50 as possible and I'm doing coilovers all the way around also. I hope it will outhandle a stock vette. And as for the title stuff it will be treated like a kit car, I'll apply for a home made car with the county and the police will have to come inspect it for brake lights, head lights, turn signals etc.

[Ghoste]

You should do a build thread with pictures.

[tnthull]

I'm going to put some pictures on here later today.

[Highbanked Hauler]

You should do a build thread with pictures.

  me too !!!

[tnthull]

Yeah I want to also so I can look back at progress when it's done

[Mike DC]

 
2500 lbs? 

I guess you really are putting the outer skin of a '70 Charger on something totally custom underneath. 



What are you gonna power it with?  Please don't tell me you're gonna try to make a big iron-block V8 work in that.   

[tnthull]

Yeah it will just be the charger skins. And I'm doing fiberglass in the front also. And no iron block, it will be an aluminum block race motor

[dyslexic teddybear]

aluminum block race motor

The plot thickens......

[tnthull]

I'm going to get the body built from the firewall back as well As the rear clip, get my quick change rear End and fuel cell in it before I start on motor stuff though. I've got a lead on where some NASCAR cup dodge motors are sitting since dodge got out last year...fingers crossed on getting a hold of one.

[Mopar Nut]

You should do a build thread with pictures.

[dyslexic teddybear]

This could get really[expletive deleted] interesting.

I've wondered for a long time just how far one could go with weight reduction. A shell, tube frame, aluminum block and safety equipment. Want to set the engine back? Not so hard if nothing is in the way. So what, if you almost sit in the backseat.

A quick-change rear? Unusual approach. So I am not the only one that thought of that. Some interesting performance/cruising possibilities there.

Yeah.....this could get very[expletive deleted] interesting.

[tnthull]

a lot of the parts I'm using because I already have them, such as the quick change and the tube center section, brakes and hubs. We originally were building a car to run on the 1.5 mike track at Atlanta motor speedway so I'm just taking some of the bars out of that. You'll see when I post up pictures what I mean.

[dyslexic teddybear]

OK, a little clearer what you are going for. Looking forward to seeing the pics.

[JB400]

Sounds like an interesting project.  I have a relative doing something similar with a Dodge pickup. He's putting a late 70's cab on an old asphalt late model.  Unfortunately, he's wanting to use a Chevy engine

I think I'd use like 3/8 rod bent along the contours of the roof to support the roof, then weld tabs on it to match tabs welded to your chassis.  If you haven't done it already, I think I'd also mount your doors and  side panels on first, then mount your roof last.

[tnthull]

I like the idea of the 3/8 rod. I think that might work good. Sounds like a cool project on the truck. Is there a thread on here?

[JB400]

Nope, he's not into online chatting.  I'm sure others have done similar projects though worldwide.  His project is still in pieces.