Disassembly of "MILKSHKE" finally begins

[RoscoePColtrain]

hey fellas,

Disassembly of my 68 finally began last month after having the car almost a year! Home renos took precidence.  I'm a total noob in terms of auto mechanics, but am pretty good with home renos and am mechanically inclined, so I decided to jump in the pool, photographing, bagging and tagging everything.

First things first, the trim.  Through the wealth of knowledge on this site, researched how to remove stainless trim.  Saw the tool, but thought, "How could I do this myself?"... so took an old reciprocating saw blade, hammered the teeth wave flat, angle grinded the worn teeth off and cut out the "arrow".  Lemme tell you, it worked like a charm!  Unfortunately bought a half complete set of front windshield trim at MoparFest the weekend prior in case I frig things up in my first attempt.  Now I have an extra set.

[RoscoePColtrain]

BTW, "MILKSHKE" is an inside joke with my wife and I.

Back to the trim.

[RoscoePColtrain]

And more trim

[RoscoePColtrain]

Spent a while looking for the damn bolt that holds the door trim in place, then with a little search on this site, found my car is an early 68, so no bolt at the end of the trim.  Came off pretty easily with a putty knife.

Then the drip rail trim (I think that's what it's called).  Came off with a little difficulty near the bend.
My documentation skills suck.

[JB400]

 

[RoscoePColtrain]

Next the back seat and backrest... after a little research on this site...

Pushed the back seat(drivers side) with my knee (located about a foot to the right of the drive shaft hump) and gave it a good push to the rear of the car and with a lifting motion, it came loose.  Did the same with the passenger side.  The yellow arrows show how the seat was connected to the "fish hook" on the floor pan.

[Cncguy]

Keep posting. I'm enjoying.

[mightywing7]

Love seeing the progress....keep them coming!   

Take your time and good luck!   

[Mopar Nut]

Awesome!   

[72Charger-SE]

 

I am enjoying your post(s)...  bag & tag..  bag & tag...       Great progress!

GOD Bless!

[charge69]

Your documentation skills are a lot better  than mine!  Looking forward to following this thread!

[fy469rtse]

yes, good job so far,
good starting point , car looks in great shape

[SovereignZuul]

I would have recommended this to remove drip rail trim, as I just removed mine last week using one.  Came off super easy with this and I just put some masking tape on it to prevent scratches.  My window trim tool sucked for taking that stuff off, causing some minor damage.



Anyway, best of luck with the tear down and future rebuild!

[EccentricMagpies]

Lovin all the green !

[Chris 69]

I am enjoying your post(s)...  bag & tag..  bag & tag...       Great progress!

GOD Bless!

In addition, I'd recommend buying a notebook, and as you take stuff apart, write down the step, any notes such as washer placement for example, then write the number on the corresponding parts bag. This way you have a step by step sequence if how you took it apart, and you can follow the steps backwards to put it back together.

I did this with a motor/trans swap on my '68 this year; very helpfull!

[Charger-Bodie]

Out of curiousity. Does this Charger bring all the boys to the yard?

[Laxy]

Cool thread, very similar car to mine and I will need to tear to tear it down at some point in the future so appreciate the documented steps and pics!

[TPR]

Out of curiousity. Does this Charger bring all the boys to the yard?

Beat me to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AwXKJoKJz4

Good Luck with it Roscoe.
TPR

[Shakey]

Here's to getting started!   

Like the others had stated, bag and tag, take notes (notebook or laptop) and of course a lot of photos.  Sometimes I thought that all of the photos I took were overkill but when I would snap 3 - 4 photos of an assembly from different angles, it sure helped when it came to re-assembly.  Before and after photos of components are always nice to look at also!

Best of luck, be patient and be sure to keep us updated as you progress forward!   

[tan top]

 good stuff !! keep the pictures & updates coming 

[RIDELIKEHELL]

That a boy!

[PlainfieldCharger]

Great job on that trim. You have any pics of the tool being used? Thanks for your time in posting your progress!!

[Homerr]

Sometimes I thought that all of the photos I took were overkill but when I would snap 3 - 4 photos of an assembly from different angles...

I thought I took a lot of pics before/during disassembly, but I could have used a ton more.  Looking forward to updates.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Rear backrest removal...

With the rear seat removed, lifted the bottom of the backrest out, releasing it from two tabs, then lifted up to unhook it from its "fishhook".

[RoscoePColtrain]

Next, rear pads...

With the rear seat and backrest removed, removed the screw in the door jamb and one that would've been covered by the backrest.  Had to pull from the door jamb to the back to release it from its clips and the plastic plug at the end.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Before the lower rear panel can be removed, a weird retaining plate had to come out (after the door sills, rear arm pad and window crank).

Then used a putty knife to remove the rear door panel, starting near the door jamb (where the 3 clips are).  Had to be careful when prying since its cardboard and is also wedged under the stainless trim.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Metal backing plate comes out (drivers side).
Weird "WTF" plate comes out (drivers).
Plastic vapor barrier is all that is left (passenger).

[RoscoePColtrain]

On a roll, but my first born decided to come 3 weeks early.  Please welcome Mason.
Now, if you had asked me to give up my 68 prior to his arrival, well, them there's fightin words.
With his arrival, I don't care... weird huh?.  Wife says to keep plugging away at the car(within reason), coz your hobby is still your hobby even though you are a dad now.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Out of curiousity. Does this Charger bring all the boys to the yard?

Negative.  Although was hoping for a "I now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry" scene... then reality sank in... ain't gonna happen...

[RoscoePColtrain]

yes, good job so far,
good starting point , car looks in great shape

She's in fairly good shape and is complete.  Previous owner moved the battery in the back, literally hammered out his own alternator bracket (with a GM alternator), put fiberglass fenders on, typical rust on the rear quarters and around the rear window and the torsion bar cross member should be replaced.  Not too bad.

Took the car out to clean up the garage for the teardown, parked it back in and... boom, alternator bracket broke in half after turning the car off.  Good thing its all coming apart.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Workspace was getting cramped, so had to move a bunch of stuff into the basement.
Went to Princess Auto (Canadian version of Harbor Freight) and picked up 4 wheel dollies($30 a pair, rated at 2500lbs a pair).
Put the car on dollies to be able to get to the passenger side.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Vapor barrier came out, brittle in some areas.
Rubber piece at the top corner came out.

The two arrows denote where the bolts that hold the rear triangle window are located (after rolling down the window about half way until you see it).

[RoscoePColtrain]

WD40'ed the rear window bolts(drivers) up and came out no problemo.

Then it happened... tried the passenger side and didn't wait for the WD40 to penetrate and snapped one of the lil' bastard window bolts(not shown).  The other came out no problem.  Will have to remove it later.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Rear fuzzies and stainless with the little rivit removal...
After the window was removed, removed the fuzzy with a small pry bar (the screwdriver sized one) and it popped out.
Next, the stainless.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Took out the 4 screws (3 in my case, the other was missing on both sides) that held the stainless in place and also removed the retaining brackets.
Wiggled it to remove it, but no go.  The ridge on the drip rail is smaller under the stainless(thicker everywhere else along the drip rail), so she ain't sliding out (and in the 2nd pic, "1" is deeper than "2").  Wrestled with it for a bit and finally came out.  Passenger side cameout in 2 minutes.

[Shakey]

On a roll, but my first born decided to come 3 weeks early.  Please welcome Mason.
Now, if you had asked me to give up my 68 prior to his arrival, well, them there's fightin words.
With his arrival, I don't care... weird huh?.  Wife says to keep plugging away at the car(within reason), coz your hobby is still your hobby even though you are a dad now.

Congratulations Roscoe!   

Make hay while the sun shines!   

By that I mean, if you're Wife is giving you the go-ahead - go full steam a head!  Was the same with me, then I stalled a bit, the girls started growing and asking for more time with me (which of course I loved) and then it was "please take me to figure skating, soccer etc., etc., etc.!

And that's when my project got put on hold.  Don't regret a moment of it - just sharing my experience.

All the best and enjoy all that you have!   

[fy469rtse]

fantastic , great documenting of the disassembly process,
this will help you enormously when your putting it back together,  also helps with a car that looks in great shape to start with

[VegasCharger]

I would have recommended this to remove drip rail trim, as I just removed mine last week using one.  Came off super easy with this and I just put some masking tape on it to prevent scratches.  My window trim tool sucked for taking that stuff off, causing some minor damage.



Anyway, best of luck with the tear down and future rebuild!

Which side do you use when using a bottle opener 

[RoscoePColtrain]

Great job on that trim. You have any pics of the tool being used? Thanks for your time in posting your progress!!

Used 2, 3, 4, the wedges and the rectangular piece for the windshield and the rear window trim.  Used 3 to gently lift the trim (with rectangular block to protect the windshield) so I could slide 2 over to a clip, then used the wedge to prop it until I hit the next clip (being careful not to kink it).  My windshield had a lot of black caulking sealant stuff, hence the need for the pry.

Used 1 for the trim on the door, slipped it under carefully and gently lifted up about a 1/4 inch at a time so as to not bend or kink it as well.

Used 3, 4, and 5 for the drip rail with the rectangular block for leverage against the roof and rail.  Went really smooth until I hit the bend, then it got a little tough, but do-able.  

Trim on the rear quarter needed the window removed (2 bolts), fuzzy removed (8 clips) and its held in by 4 screws (with associated retaining clips).  

The buttress trim was held in by three nuts, accessed from the trunk, and used 1 to remove the C pillar trim, lifting a 1/4 inch at a time (slid into the buttress trim).

[SovereignZuul]

Which side do you use when using a bottle opener 

The round side, though really either side works.

I just looked it up and there are a bunch of people on YouTube who've done the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bYijoQUN_4

[RoscoePColtrain]

Ok, I found this part a little daunting becasue its so cramped.  Someone on this site said they took the whole window mechanism out as one piece; for the life of me, I could not.  She had to come out in pieces.

Red arrows are bump stops (1 bolt on left and 2 bolts on the right)
Blue arrows are sliding rails
Yellow arrows (7 bolts) hold the mechanism in place to the body (technically, so do the blue).  Two bolts (noted by the two yellow arrows at the very bottom) were slightly shorter than the other ones.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Bump stops: Check
Bottom plate: Check
Rear top slide: Check
Rear bottom slide: Check

[RoscoePColtrain]

Tried to remove it as one unit: FAIL
Came out as two pieces, 1 mechanism, 1 long slide with 2 roller units
Mess on the floor: Check
Rebuilt complete assembly using passenger side as a template: Check

[RoscoePColtrain]

The broken passenger side rear quarter bolt which I snapped in my exuberance. 
I felt it kinda twist, but thought, "C'mon baby, just a little"... tried, she said no... and snapped... 
Good thing is it's still sticking out about a 1/4 inch.

[SovereignZuul]

Great pics!  Don't worry about the odd broken bolt here or there.

I love lots of pics, very helpful for me as well, I'll be removing mine before Winter and it's a handy guide for newbies!

Keep up the good work and share that info!

[RoscoePColtrain]

Conundrum???
Passenger side has the armrest retainer clips recessed, drivers has it protruding, which is correct?
Its the same clip, and although oriented 180 degrees, the angle is the same, with the same bolt length... but what is the correct orientation?

[RoscoePColtrain]

The C pillar trim was held in place with 3 clips and 1 clip-bolt near the rear.  Removed the clip-bolt nut via the trunk and used a putty knife to lift the trim.
Removed the 3 nuts that hold the buttress trim in place (via the trunk) and used a putty knife to lift the trim.
Removed both trim pieces together and separated it when completely removed (the clip-bolt wouldn't allow me to take it out separately), no biggie.

Kinda odd combination for the C pillar trim:  From the quarter window: Clip, Screw, Clip, Screw, Screw, Clip, Clip-Bolt.  I guess it don't matter as I'm not replacing the vinyl top, not my bag baby.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Took off the rear window interior trim by removing the left and right corner pieces (2 screws each).  The upper left and right pieces came off no problem.
Couldn't take off the bottom piece, it is stuck to the flat metal piece.  Anyone???  Bueller?

I removed the screws from the flat metal piece the bottom trim piece was attached to, but its behind the left and right brackets which are part of the body (therefore can't be removed).  Take out the rear window first?  But wouldn't that damage the lower trim when removing the glass with a metal cable?

[VegasCharger]

Conundrum???
Passenger side has the armrest retainer clips recessed, drivers has it protruding, which is correct?
Its the same clip, and although oriented 180 degrees, the angle is the same, with the same bolt length... but what is the correct orientation?

Here some pics from my 68. It appears that both sides are flush.
Hope that helps 

[73rallye440magnum]

Sweet project! Looks like you have a '70 Plymouth driver to keep the fire burning?

[RoscoePColtrain]

Cool, thanks VegasCharger.   

[RoscoePColtrain]

Took off the rear window interior trim by removing the left and right corner pieces (2 screws each).  The upper left and right pieces came off no problem.
Couldn't take off the bottom piece, it is stuck to the flat metal piece.  Anyone???  Bueller?

I removed the screws from the flat metal piece the bottom trim piece was attached to, but its behind the left and right brackets which are part of the body (therefore can't be removed).  Take out the rear window first?  But wouldn't that damage the lower trim when removing the glass with a metal cable?

Well, got a solution to my second issue the hard way.
The rear window trim, the bottom trim specifically, is held on by unaccessable tabs which is basically a force fit.  Pulled it out and... SNAP!  Son of Gun!
Good thing is its only about a 2 inch crescent piece and the rest came out without too much hassle.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Sweet project! Looks like you have a '70 Plymouth driver to keep the fire burning?

Yessiree, its a 70' Plymouth Satellite, semi-cloned into a RR.  Was my first muscle car bought about 3 years ago, funny thing is I'm reluctant to sell it, even though the 68 is my first love and is being taken apart for a complete rebuild.

It was originally a 318 car.  Supposedly two owners ago, he found a wrecked Road Runner and transplanted the 383 and drivetrain into this Satellite.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Huff!  Now the interior...
Drivers armrest, door lock and door latch: Check
Drivers door upper pad: Check
Drivers door lower pad: Check

[RoscoePColtrain]

Semi-naked drivers door with trim removed.

Thought I'd be proactive and dive into the drivers window mechanism and pop out the blue peg holding the window in.  Spent a good amout of time and frustration and finally decided to look up the shop manual.  The window, quarter window and adjusting rod slide come out as one piece.

Thought that was frustration, no... Got it unbolted and couldn't get the slide guide past the inner and outer fuzzy opening!  Left it and moved on until I could muster more patience.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Center console...

Apparently there is a screw behind the drivers carpet in the center console, mine was missing.
Opened the console door and removed the two screws near the back.
Removed the two screws holding the shifter plate.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Had to remove the shifter knob before the shifter plate can be removed. 

First removed the Allen bolt (right arrow) then unscrewed the top shifter button (left arrow).
Removed knob and plate.
Removed the two final screws holding the center console in place(total of 5).

[RoscoePColtrain]

A few questions from within the console...

What do the purple wires connect to(right-most arrow)?  It was not connected to anything.
What do you think the two spliced black wires were for? (one to yellow and one to pink).

[RoscoePColtrain]

Vinyl tops gotta go.

Peeled off the interior rear quarter headliner
This revealed a cardboard triangle held in place by a threaded nail which I couldn't remove and ended up breaking the board.
Removed the cardboard.
Revealed two nuts that secure the "Charger" script on the C pillar.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Time to peel off the top... revealing my rusty rear window sheetmetal...

[RoscoePColtrain]

Just for kicks and giggles, placed the vinyl top on the Satellite...

[VegasCharger]

A few questions from within the console...

What do the purple wires connect to(right-most arrow)?  It was not connected to anything.
What do you think the two spliced black wires were for? (one to yellow and one to pink).

I'll answer the purple wire question.
That is for the reverse lamps. It plugs into a pigtail coming from your auto shift selector switch (see pic, red arrow)

Hope that helps.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Cool, thank you kindly VegasCharger.

Now I have to find the other end going to the reverse lamps as there was nothing on the auto shift selector switch.

[timmycharger]

Fantastic job documenting the tear down, great pictures, thank you!! 

[CDN72SE]

Need some updates. 

[RoscoePColtrain]

Sorry fellas, we had a baby back in August 2014 so the Charger was at the loosing end.  He's 15 months now, so all I've been able to do is restore the grille with the help of some PVC pipe shavings, MEK, a blow torch and some JB Plastiweld.  Got some fibreglass and resin to reinforce, but found out that wifey is preggers and so...  I'll post up soon.

[RIDELIKEHELL]

Update us  good chatting today!

[cdr]

Took out the 4 screws (3 in my case, the other was missing on both sides) that held the stainless in place and also removed the retaining brackets.
Wiggled it to remove it, but no go.  The ridge on the drip rail is smaller under the stainless(thicker everywhere else along the drip rail), so she ain't sliding out (and in the 2nd pic, "1" is deeper than "2").  Wrestled with it for a bit and finally came out.  Passenger side cameout in 2 minutes.

Only having 3 screws here seems to be the correct amount. for the rear side window stainless trim.