Don's 69 Charger Rust Belt restoration

[warpspeed]

OMG! 
Magic, right. 
I now know just what it will take to tear down my RT/SE. 
My car is worse than this Charger since it sat on the ground for years. 
Not so sure anymore if I really want to do that. 
Great job!

[gers1968rt]

OMG! 
Magic, right. 
I now know just what it will take to tear down my RT/SE. 
My car is worse than this Charger since it sat on the ground for years. 
Not so sure anymore if I really want to do that. 
Great job!

You've got a car worse than Don's? Oh my, you will have to really love that car to fix it like Don is doing. At least its an RT/SE so it would be worth it if you can do most of the work yourself.

[fy469rtse]

Warp speed , post photos ,
Have a look at GERs thread , set up a jig similar to GERs, those large holes in chassis rails good points to locate rails for replacement, just start , concentrate on one area at a time ,
Do the rear rails floor and panels first

[Mopar Nut]

 

[mopar4don]

Drivers side wheel house removed

I did this just like the pass side.....

[mopar4don]

With the wheel house out of the way, I peeled back the remaining piece of the wheel house that was under the roof support.

[mopar4don]

I peeled it back far enough until I could get my air hammer in between the back edge of the roof support and the lip of the wheel house.
These spot welds were really small. Easily cut through by the air hammer.
(I pushed it a little to hard on this side. You can see how the air hammer tore the metal around the spot welds)

[gers1968rt]

Don, your car looks so much like mine, but just half as much. 

[r4daytona]

You're really making progress!  Hope you're current on your tetnus shot!

[mopar4don]

Thanks Ger, and Tom.
The worst so far was when I was wire wheeling with a 4-1/2 grinder and a wire flew off and lodged into my eyebrow!   OUCH!
And Yes, I was wearing safety glasses and a dust mask. But since that happened I use a full face shield!

Buy the way, Tom your Daytona is AWESOME! I have enjoyed watching it on facebook and GYC "come back from the dead"!

[tsmithae]

Keep on keepin' on! I too had an incident with a grinder... I had a sliver of metal ricochet off of my face, safety glasses, and straight into my eye...  had to go the the optometrist to get it removed... Needless to say, I upgraded my safety glasses! 

[HOTROD]

Holey crap what car , when you started how much did you pay for it ??

[mopar4don]

I've decided to remove the roof skin so, the 1st thing I did was remove the seam sealer from inside the drip rail.
I used a torch and screw driver to scrape it out.

[mopar4don]

Then I started drilling spot welds from under the drip rail. Once this is removed the roof skin should come off fairly easy.
I decided to do it this way for three reasons,
#1 I had some rust damage that I needed to get at and removing the drip rail would allow me access.
#2 I will get the roof structure blasted and primed. And with the skin off, I'll get a better job!
#3 I thought it would be easier!

[mopar4don]

more

[mopar4don]

There are a LOT of spot welds
AND I MEAN A LOT OF SPOT WELDS 105 of them! Man I'm tired! And just think I get to do it again on the drivers side! LUCKY ME!

[mopar4don]

Here is a little of the rust damage I'll have to fix.

[Stevearino]

Did you realize when you started this project that you would have to go this deep to replace this much metal or is this a journey of discovery?

To your estimate what exactly will be left of the original car by the time you are done?

[mopar4don]

Did you realize when you started this project that you would have to go this deep to replace this much metal or is this a journey of discovery?

To your estimate what exactly will be left of the original car by the time you are done?

When I bought the car I had no idea it would be this involved! I'm sure that someone else that has experience restoring cars would probably not do what I have done, but do to my nature (DO IT RIGHT) I CANNOT do something halfway.
I will say right now the only sheet metal that will be original will be the roof structure, package tray, hood, trunk lid, and doors. But then again I have not gotten to all of those yet!

[myk]

I can't say anything that hasn't already been said about your impressive work.  You sir, are truly gifted!

[tan top]

got some time consuming stuff going on now , ..... that's what i hate doing the most with bodywork ,  drilling out spot welds & cutting & cleaning up all the rust & rot ,  have always hated doing that bit  when its all cleaned up new panels or metal clamped in place ready to weld is a different story 

keep the pictures coming !! 

[gers1968rt]

Wow, that is some ugly rust there. You sure you don't have a whole roof out back somewhere? 

[hemi-hampton]

And I though ridelikehell's silver car was alot of work. with 99% of the car replaced could this be considered the same car or rebody? LEON.

[88Saleenmustang]

Unfriggenbelievable!  x/1000 bro!

[RIDELIKEHELL]

And I though ridelikehell's silver car was alot of work. with 99% of the car replaced could this be considered the same car or rebody? LEON.