The hemi is finally in the challenger convertible.

[hotrod98]

I've had this 426 crate motor for over a year and I'm just now getting time to set the car down over the motor. When I was lowering the car, I really didn't think that big motor would clear the frame rails. As a matter of fact, it didn't clear the $400 hemi power brake booster that I bought last year. I had to remove it to set the car all of the way down on the k-member. This engine swap has been the biggest hassle of my life. Everything that I needed for the engine, pulleys, brackets, headers, etc. were very expensive and difficult to get in some instances. Almost everything for a hemi is different than a regular big block. There were times that I wish that I had just re-installed the 340 after the resto and saved the hemi for the superbird clone. I still have to install the new dash, windshield, convertible top and interior. Hopefully I can finish it up in time to drive this summer. Out of all of my cars that I've restored, this one has been the most difficult for some reason. My wife custom mixed the color for the car in our mixing room at the shop. I painted the car and she decided that she didn't like it. So...we mixed another color and repainted everything. Now she likes it. We originally installed the 5.9 fuel injected motor and od tranny and then decided that we would use that setup in her 73 cuda, so out it came. Starting to get the picture? I feel like I've built this car twice. Oh well, it's the only convertible that we own so we might as well make sure that we're happy with it.
More later as we assemble.

[Bandit72]

you suck....you do know that right    really though, nice cars and garage....

later 

[ChargerHound69]

That really fills up that engine compartment.  

Looks good though.  You will be happy when it is done.

[The Ghoul]

man...
shop
lift
71 cuda
wife mixing colors for you
very impressive list of cars
having to make the decision of puting the hemi into your convertable or a superbird project...
where can I sign up for you life?

[Silver R/T]

its a beast

[694spdRT]

Looking great Hotrod!

Hope you get it done in time for some cruising this summer. 

[RD]

larry, looks outstanding!  next time i head to OK, i should head over and say hello and talk shop.

[hotrod98]

RD,
Sounds like a plan. We can take some of the cars out for a ride. I'm going to try to use that wiper motor that I bought from you on the chal vert.
larry

[hotrod98]

Hey Jamey,
I think I found a 69 charger to use for the daytona clone so that I don't have to use my R/T SE car.
larry

[RD]

Hey Jamey,
I think I found a 69 charger to use for the daytona clone so that I don't have to use my R/T SE car.
larry

that is fricken outstanding!  without turning this into a daytona thread, what would you have to do to the 69 in order to prep it for the nose cone?  how good of shape is the 69 in?

[dkn1997]

nothing like a big elephant. 

[PocketThunder]

 

[hotrod98]

Hey Jamey,
I think I found a 69 charger to use for the daytona clone so that I don't have to use my R/T SE car.
larry

that is fricken outstanding! without turning this into a daytona thread, what would you have to do to the 69 in order to prep it for the nose cone? how good of shape is the 69 in?

Jamey,
Mainly just remove the 69 fenders and hood and install the 70 fenders and hood. You have to alter the lower area of the fenders in front of the wheel opening. There's several pieces to the nose. The nose and headlamps get a little complicated. I'll use the vega plug that I have for the back glass and of course the aluminum wing that I got from Dane. Right now I'm gathering the stuff for the superbird clone. Don Currie should have my nose, fender extensions, fender scoops, steel hood extension and steel wing ready next week. I'm getting anxious to get started, but have to wait until the convert is finished. The wing car clones are going to take a while since I'm so busy at the shop.
Strangely enough, I called a guy about a 70 charger for a friend to build a daytona yesterday and when he came over to the shop and showed me pics, there was a 69 sitting next to the 70. They're pretty complete other than the interiors are pretty stripped. He said he would take $1500 each and I immediately said sold. I'm going to drive over and look at them Saturday after I get the hood stripes painted on a 69 runner that I'm painting.  I'll let you know how the chargers look in person. I really don't want to use my triple black R/T SE car for the daytona clone if I can help it.
larry

[RD]

larry,
  did you get both of the cars for 1500 each?!?  my god man....  I cant wait to get my 70 down here...

[BigBlockSam]

nice garage!

[6pkrunner]

The yellow is really sweet on the Chally. Nice garage setup too.

[Crazy Larry]

man...
shop
lift
71 cuda
wife mixing colors for you
very impressive list of cars
having to make the decision of puting the hemi into your convertable or a superbird project...
where can I sign up for you life?

I'll be second in line....

[hemi68charger]

WooHooo !!!!  What a sight and what a shop !!!!!



Troy

[hotrod98]

I appreciate the compliments regarding the car and the shop.
I'm fortunate to have a hard working wife that happens to love cars as much as I do.
As for the shop, I outgrew it over two years ago. Since I have to use it for storing cars, I have very little room to work. I have about half of my cars stored at other locations to keep them out of the weather. I've been restoring them at the dealership, but they tend to get in the way there sometimes. As money allows, I plan to add on to the shop. The new area will be the body shop area where I can have room to mount the cars on the rotisserie as well as do all of the body work and paint. I plan to retire some time soon and do nothing but resto work. I'll have to wait until I can afford the new addition though.

[BigBlockSam]

here were i live now. a shop like that would bring my property taxes up about $1500 to
$2000 a yr. thats one of the reasons that i'm moving. Rene

[4402tuff4u]

That's awesome! Nice garage too!!

[bull]

I don't see the K-member anywhere in your pics but I assume you bolted the engine to it before lowering the car, correct? Did you have the tranny bolted to the engine when you mounted it or did you put it in later?

[hotrod98]

The engine and transmission are bolted together along with the headers and most of the bolt on parts then and mounted to the k-member. I already have the control arms and steering components attached as well. I then set the entire setup on jack stands and use a bob weight to find the approximate location of the k-member in relation to the frame rails. When the car is lowered almost to the engine, I use the cherry picker through the core support to lift the engine a little to make the final alignment. I remove the cherry picker and lower the car down the rest of the way and bolt the k-member to the frame. With jack stands used for additional safety under the arms of the lift, I crawl under and attach the trans crossmember. I can then lift the entire car up and attach the upper control arms, shocks and torsion bars. I started installing my engines this way five years ago when we built our shop and now I'm totally spoiled.

[bull]

The engine and transmission are bolted together along with the headers and most of the bolt on parts then and mounted to the k-member. I already have the control arms and steering components attached as well. I then set the entire setup on jack stands and use a bob weight to find the approximate location of the k-member in relation to the frame rails. When the car is lowered almost to the engine, I use the cherry picker through the core support to lift the engine a little to make the final alignment. I remove the cherry picker and lower the car down the rest of the way and bolt the k-member to the frame. With jack stands used for additional safety under the arms of the lift, I crawl under and attach the trans crossmember. I can then lift the entire car up and attach the upper control arms, shocks and torsion bars. I started installing my engines this way five years ago when we built our shop and now I'm totally spoiled.

Yea, that's perfect. I hope to do mine that way when the time comes. I think it's safer for the engine compartment paint and really saves a lot of stress and cussing on the part of the guy doing the installation. That's how it was done at the factory. Many people install the wiring beforehand too just to avoid all that leaning over the fender later on.

So you're saying you used the cherry picker to align the k-member to the frame and then bolted the k-member on or you just used it for alignment and bolted the k-member on later?

[hotrod98]

You can do it either way. If it's pretty close, you can just wait until you're almost all of the way down and then lift the motor slightly for the final alignment. Since the hemi is so wide, I had to move it just a little before I could set the car down any further to keep the frame rails from hitting the valve covers.