My 68 Charger R/T is Being Buffed - UPDATE 4/10/06

[4402tuff4u]

Kevin @ Millennium my body shop guy painted the Charger on Friday. He now has to sand it down to eliminate the orange peel and he has to install the black vinyl top. He scheduled to sand it this week and install the black top either this week or next. Him and I will install the engine one night, hopefully soon when my engine gets done with it and the engine gets dynoed. Not because it's my Charger and everything but I'm in awe on how the MM-1 paint looks in the sun!!! You can see a the metallic flake reflection on the paint. Even Kevin said that the tones really give the paint allot of depth. I'm happy with all the lines. All the gaps are equal and parallel. Another customer that is having an 2006 Escalade stretched into limo asked if I wanted to sell it. I told him make an offer. He said he would talk to me so other time. Truthfully, is not for sale!!

I'm getting some resistance on the engine paint with Carl the guy building my 440. I went with the INDY EZ heads and I have to admit they look awesome not painted, also with the aluminum manifold not painted. I told CArl I wanted the whole engine painted the correct turqouis green several times and everytime I see the engine and ask him to not forget to paint it he says "your crazy to paint the heads and the manifold!". I like the stock look on the 440's. The bottom line is, that he will do what I tell him but I guess he wants me to see it all together unpainted. Oh, the valve covers are the stock one's and I think they will look funny painted over unpainted heads. What would you guys do???  Paint the heads and manifold or not? 

[4402tuff4u]

some more pic's........

[Shakey]

AWESOME!

That looks great.

Can't wait to see it all finished.

[tan top]

wow that looks awesome,would like to see more pictures when it is finished, once the black vinyl top goes on it will even better, if it were me i would paint the heads & intake 

[Blown70]

 

That looks great.  Remember for the right price anything is for sale.   $80,000 I bet would make you think....

[700HPCharger]

Looks great!

[terrible one]

That looks incredible!! I'm jealous

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Lookin great!

I woould paint the engine completely AND put the drivers side VC on the right way

[69pistolgripRT]

Should look fantastic when finished.

I would definitly paint the heads and intake. It just looks awkward without- especially to Mopar people.

[69pistolgripRT]

Lookin great!

I woould paint the engine completely AND put the drivers side VC on the right way

You "detail" guys are all the same.

Who says the valve cover has to keep the oil in the engine?

[67_Dodge_Charger]

I would not paint the heads and intake.  If you decide to change to mopar heads you could still sell the indy heads and the intake.  The engine does look odd with the heads not painted but you will get used to it.

That is a good looking Charger.

-Robert

[700HPCharger]

I wouldn't paint the heads and intake, but would use different valve covers.

[4402tuff4u]

Thanks for all the compliments. I was kind of torn between painting and not painting the heads, but I'm leaning towards painting the heads, intake, etc... I really think the engines look awesome painted as it came from factory, especially with the huge wrinkle black air filter pan that has the two snorkels. The heads have to come off cause Carl found out that the FElpro 1215 is not compatible with the INDY EZ heads. I had to order the INDY valley pan from Eric @ Muscle Motor Racing. All it is, is a flat ribbed aluminum plate that seals the engine block and the heads. I hope that the stock heat shield brackets for the spark plugs fit with the INDY's, we'll see.

Chris, I'm pushing for Carlisle, but it's going to be tough. It's not the time frame really that will dictate completion of the Charger, it's more a matter of $$$. I still have to purchase complete exhaust system, send the gauges out for full restoration and many other parts I have to get. My budget has been totally depleted between the engine and paint job. I will try though and see what I can do.

[4402tuff4u]

Oh, I forgot to mention valve covers and intake manifold are just sitting there not installed. It was just covered with plastic and I removed it and took the picture. As you can see the valley is totally open or maybe it's clear type?   Carl the engine guy does not really like me touching the engine. 

[BigBlockSam]

looks great! i just had an argument with one of my friends. he said the engine on my 68 r/t come from the factory painted blue. i agree with you. I'm painting mine the same color as yours. looks awesome. Rene

[Chris G.]

Looks great! Believe it or not, I went to look at a couple Challengers for sale today and one guy said he also has a '68 Charger R/T. Low and behold we go into his garage and boom and done MM1 Charger. It was under a cover, but he took some of it off so we could get a look. It was really stunning and I loved the color. Sorry no pics, but it's there. Oh yeah, he said it's for sale....for 75K.

[Silver R/T]

car looks nice. I would not paint heads/intake, and probably would go with Mopar Performance Vcovers

[PocketThunder]

Holy Crap the race is on!     My engine comes back from the machine shop in 3 weeks....  My guages are done and in the dash though so i might have a leg up on you there. 

[4402tuff4u]

Holy Crap the race is on!     My engine comes back from the machine shop in 3 weeks....  My guages are done and in the dash though so i might have a leg up on you there. 

You do have a leg up on me for sure. The Charger funds were totally depleted when I sat down with the body guy to review the original estimate and all the extra stuff I added for him to do.  Oh well, the engine dyno might have to wait. Might just break it in at home with the mechanic when I get it and find a chassi dyno sometime in the future. I did'nt even send out the instruments out yet. Might do that this week. I also have to buy exhaust system!!!

Paul, where did you get your instruments restored? Auto Instruments.com?

[PocketThunder]

Paul, where did you get your instruments restored? Auto Instruments.com?

[Dennis K]

Wow! Your car looks great! I can hardly wait until it's my turn to post pics of a freshly painted MM1 68 with a black top, but the day is coming. Mine's in the body shop now, but it's still in the sheet metal work stages. It will be a few months before the color goes on. Thanks for the inspiration!

[4402tuff4u]

Wow! Your car looks great! I can hardly wait until it's my turn to post pics of a freshly painted MM1 68 with a black top, but the day is coming. Mine's in the body shop now, but it's still in the sheet metal work stages. It will be a few months before the color goes on. Thanks for the inspiration!

Dennis, post some pictures when you can. Would love to see another MM-1 being restored! Awesome color!! I'm hoping to get my Charger home next few weeks. Waiting on the engine guy to drop it off at the body shop. The body shop guy said he would install it for me if I give him a hand one night. I have to drop off the vinyl top I have at home under my bed. I opened it from the package and rolled it to get the creases out. If you have your vinyl top still wrapped up from the supplier, I suggest you open it and roll it up. It's never to early. Cheers, Mike.

[Dennis K]

Thanks for the tip about the vinyl top. I will do that. I did take a few pics of it about 2 months ago when it just came back from the soda blaster, all bare metal on a rotisserie, but when I got home I saw there was a bunch of other pics on the camera, so I started deleting the ones I didn't want and ended up hitting the wrong button or something because I deleted all the pics on the camera. I guess if you've seen one naked Charger on a rotisserie, you've seen them all.

[NYCMille]

AWESOME!! when is the completion date... glad to see that its REALLY starting to come along.

[4402tuff4u]

AWESOME!! when is the completion date... glad to see that its REALLY starting to come along.

I'm pushing for Carlisle meet (July) which is kind of agressive, but $$$ is basically going to dictate the completion. I was over budget on both the engine and the body work. The term "do it right, do it once" is expensive! No regrets so far.

[4402tuff4u]

Stopped by last night to drop off my vinyl top, trim pieces and roof emblems that can be installed after vinyl top is installed and Kevin had one of his guys buffing out the paint job, while he was welding new extended rails on the Escalade on the back being stretch to a limo. The shine coming out of the paint is awesome. Kevin said it gets three passes with different compound grit. His guy was starting the first buff. While he was buffing, I was working on re-assembling the brake pedal and re-attaching the links to the master cylinder. I had to take a few breaks - the fumes or dust of the buffing compound is kind of strong. I left at 9:00 PM and they were staying until 11:00 PM to get a jump on it. Hopefully, my engine guy will be done by this Friday, so I can pick up the Charger maybe next week and bring it home.

[BigBlockSam]

looks great .this bodyshop sounds like a good place. letting you work on your car. Rene

[tan top]

 looking good

[4402tuff4u]

looks great .this bodyshop sounds like a good place. letting you work on your car. Rene

Yep! He don't care. He's very easy going type of guy. He even lets me use his awesome tools - he has every tool imaginable; actually he did'nt have a socket for the upper ball joints for a Mopar!! He is a clean and neat freak. He has his guys quit 30 minutes before closing to sweep the whole shop - very neat place - that's why I went with him on the resto job. We kind of hit it off since he grew up where I live and basically is into hunting like I am and collects firearms like I do too. But he has enough guns to start a militia of his own - I just have enough to arm my family . I asked him how come he does'nt have a hot rod or a Mopar or collectible car.......his response was "same reason a cook does not cook at home". The only thing that he does not like and gets pissy is if he has workers working and you start talking to them, cause that pulls them off what they were doing - you can't blame him for that. So if I visit him during normal working hours, I just wave at his workers and don't say anything. 

[4402tuff4u]

Picked up the engine this afternoon!    Boy was that a heavy load!! Planning on stopping by and dropping the powertrain tomorrow to the autobody shop. Kevin, my autobody shop will probably install it one night next week. I have to help him which I dont mind doing at all!!    Getting close on getting it home!!

[4402tuff4u]

I have to do some touch up work on the paint and clear coat it! As you can see I went with the stock look and painted all the aluminum upgrades. I discovered that one of the heat shields for the spark plugs that looks like a squared off "U", I can't use it. The sparkplugs on the INDY EZ heads come out in angles and would hit the shield. I'm getting a bit nervous cause I see a possible problem with the angle and the exhaust manifolds on the passenger side - where the the manifold heads down towards the floor - 2 spark plugs will be very close and I most likely will have too build a custom shield or put a heat barrier sock.

[BigBlockSam]

looks great. what kinda valley pan it that?

[moparsinbarns]

LOOKS EXCELLENT!!! Its almost the same colour as my 69 used to be but darker

[PocketThunder]

Mike do you have the formula handy for that engine color?  i need to paint my engine.  Or where did you get your paint?

[4402tuff4u]

looks great. what kinda valley pan it that?

It's a valley pan put out by INDY. All it is, it's an aluminum flat plate (3/8" +/- thick) with some ribs on the top surface for cooling. When you use the INDY heads the Felpro 1215 valley pan does not work and in addition to that, my machinist had to shave off completely the heat crossing chamber on the bottom surface of Weigand aluminum intake manifold. Supposedly, according to Eric at Muscle Motor Racing (very helpful) where I bought my INDY EZ heads, I'm one of the first to use the INDY's with stock exhaust manifolds. He wants me to let him know what other problems/modifications I encounter or do so that he can relate them back to INDY. I had to fabricate this past weekend a heat shield for two spark plugs that are located next to exhaust manifold. These two plugs are angled towards the exhaust pipe. All spark plug are angled on the INDY EZ heads.

http://www.musclemotorsracing.com/main/

[4402tuff4u]

Mike do you have the formula handy for that engine color?  i need to paint my engine.  Or where did you get your paint?

Hey Paul, it's the 1968 Chrysler Turquiose color put out by that engine paint company that claims paint is good for 500 - 1,000 degrees, can"t recall the name. Totally Auto, Mancini Racing or Eastwood carries it. I picked up four cans of the paint and two clear engine coat at a local racing shop @ $ 10 per can. I probably could have done better pricewise some place else, but then you have to include freight and the wait. Don't spray the clear on until you are ready to install it so you dont dirty it up with oily and greasy hands. Wipe the paint really good before coating it with the clear. I used my auto body shop's cleaner - not sure what it is, but it sure wipes any oil or grease off and preps it for the clear! I have some clear left over- one can unused. If you want it I'll put it in the mail for you

[4402tuff4u]

I dropped off the engine to the autobody shop this Friday. Kevin gave me the cleaner and prep solution and I wiped the engine and clear coated it. I also installed two spark plugs that I thought were going to be a problem on the passenger side, however to my relief, they are not. All I have to do is install a heat shield. I went home on Saturday with some measurements and a template made of paper and mig welded a shield for the two spark plugs. I thought I was going to have to go with headers in lieu of the stock exhaust manifolds. Good thing it worked out!!   Kevin said we will install the engine one night this week. Possibly Tuesday night!!

I might be getting the Charger home this week  .......Kevin said he would push to get it done! 

[tan top]

engine looks real good ,a quick look at the engine now it's all one color, it would pass for stock to the none mopar eye

[BigBlockSam]

looking good! thanks for the tips about engine painting. Rene