My free 69 charger R/T ....

[nakita7]

ANYTHING can be fixed...all it takes are time and money. 

[Pat1973charger]

Wow there's still interest in my little old build thread. Don't worry guys I haven't given up. Had some other stuff to attend to since I last posted an update. A very close friend passed suddenly at only 32 and with the holidays it's been hectic. I'll get back in the swing of things soon and have some updates.

[Baldwinvette77]

Awwww man 

[green69rt]

Just reading thru you thread and noticed that you are fitting up the quarters.  A tiny hint....fit up the quarter extensions at the same time (some might call them the quarter eyebrows).  The metal items that are at the very tail end of  the quarters.  If you don't take the time now, fixing it later is a bear.

[Pat1973charger]

Thanks Mitch, I think I read somewhere else where you had mentioned that. I'm not to that point yet but I will do that for sure. When I left off I was using the quarters to help with fitting the trunk floor, inner wheels houses and so on.

[green69rt]

Thanks Mitch, I think I read somewhere else where you had mentioned that. I'm not to that point yet but I will do that for sure. When I left off I was using the quarters to help with fitting the trunk floor, inner wheels houses and so on.

I repeat myself a lot.   

[Pat1973charger]

Thanks Mitch, I think I read somewhere else where you had mentioned that. I'm not to that point yet but I will do that for sure. When I left off I was using the quarters to help with fitting the trunk floor, inner wheels houses and so on.

I repeat myself a lot.   

Haha no worries Mitch, I appreciate the info. It was on another thread where I had read it in your defence.

[Kern Dog]

Who cares?  After it's been painted, nobody will see the difference.

Who cares?
Maybe any unsuspecting guy that comes along when this car is put up for sale. In some cases, 2 or 3 owners down the road, someone may buy a car that may appear okay from the outside but is a flimsy mess underneath. Who wants to be that guy?

No offense to the OP. The work may be top notch, maybe even better than when it was new. The following applies to builders with no regard for quality.

What would you choose to buy? An original, never wrecked, never rusted car or one that looks like the "Phantom" Cuda on GYC after they dipped and stripped it?

Again, no offense to the OP but it is easy  to shortcut a project by using fewer welds, more body filler and high build primer. A crooked panel gap can be cheated by cutting and welding the edges of the doors. What if the door gets damaged? A replacement will required to be modified to fit. Same goes with any other bolt on part.

I do applaud the skilled guys that can chop up a car this way and somehow get it all back together. I'd still prefer a tired original over over a car that needed every exterior panel replaced.

[500Jon]

Sorry to hear your sad news Pat.

Life can throw up some huge shockers when you least expect them!
Our thought are with you and your friends family at this time.

Cars are important, they get you from A-2-B most of the time.
Some get left in a field, or a ditch, or on the side of the road when they break-down.
To the owner, they are past their usefulness and are left to rot or worse, THE CRUSHER!

Then along comes Pat and others like him and do the most unexpected thing, they fall in love with a metal wreck...
With the help of AMD and other metal-menders, DC.com, one day a Charger will be saved...

Originality over careful recreation?
Who really cares, as long as it drives down the road in a straight line...

Keep going Pat, you have come tooooo far to turn back now.

[68pplcharger]

Yeah between originality and a car that has been reworked I don't really care. I always strip them anyway so I know what I have to replace. Reworked or original they always need the same amount of work underneath in the end. If it's original they always have terrible rust that was covered up. If it's reworked they usually were done wrong. I would probably prefer a car Like this one, that is done correct, as long as the documentation is there showing the progress and techniques over an original covered up car. Unless the car was in a museum for it's entire life the car will have issues that need fixed.

[Pat1973charger]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. He was a great guy, very handy, hard working and a good friend. He and I were around the same age with families. He left behind a wife (married just over 2 years) and a 2 1/2 year old little girl. I see her all the time when my little guy who is also 2 to daycare and my heart breaks knowing she will never truly know how good a guy he father was. Now, back to the car, Kern dog, you can think what you want, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I am not half assing this car. It's been my dream at since I knew what cars were. There will be as many of more welds on it then new. It has to be inspected by an engineer (for what that's worth) when finished. My father in law is a certified body man and also a overbuilding perfectionist and he's painting it for me so I know if I miss something he will correct it lol. As for assembling the car post body. That's the easy part, I work on cars daily as I'm a red seal automotive technician so I kno my way around the mechanics of a car through and through. I can't wait for that part so I can shine, the body work is not new to me but not what I'm used to which is why I am taking my time to make sure everything fits as perfectly as possible. I uncovered her yesterday so the fun will restart soon! Thanks for following !

[70 sublime]

It has to be inspected by an engineer (for what that's worth)

Why do you have to do that ?

[Pat1973charger]

Since the car had no title I had to submit photos and other documents to obtain one with the correct vin info in my name. They registry of motor vehicles saw how rough it was and said it would need to be certified by an engineer before I am able to get plates. This also meant I can't do any modern upgrades. Radial tires and electronic ignition are pretty much all.

[tan top]

Wow there's still interest in my little old build thread. Don't worry guys I haven't given up. Had some other stuff to attend to since I last posted an update. A very close friend passed suddenly at only 32 and with the holidays it's been hectic. I'll get back in the swing of things soon and have some updates.

sorry to hear about your friend , looking forward to seeing more up dates on your charger build 

[500Jon]

Carry on with the good work Pat!

A guy here in the UK was restoring a Mopar and unfortunately passed away.
His friend took on the car and finished it for him, 'in his memory', nice fella indeed!

I have rebuilt a lot of Mopars and the welding is not up to modern 'ROBOT' standards at all...
Strengthening pieces totally 'unwelded' and left hanging to name just one.
The classic 'welding mistake' it the inner fenders, huge great MISSED welds around the shock towers is another...

I took a car for an inspection once and the 'EXPERT' said the flange joints on the rockers should be 'CONTINUOUS' welded?

WoW, how you gonna do that you MORON!!!

They are pinch welds, that's why there's a flange you PLONKA!!!

[Kern Dog]

Hey Pat,
I missed the post about losing your friend. That is terrible and I do know the pain too well. Be strong, the pain does fade as time goes on. What is weird for me is that with the family members that I have lost, Christmas, Birthdays and various Holidays feel so empty now. It makes me wonder sometimes if being a survivor is a test from God to assess our strength and determination.

Secondly.... I was not intending to insult your work. Please REread what I wrote. If it wasn't clear, my intentions were to express that Lennards opinion on the matter seemed cavalier. Maybe he was joking but I doubt it. There are multiple instances where a substandard repair lurks under great looking paint. A hack job bodyman sells the car to an inexperienced buyer, that guy later sells the car....10 years later there are cracks and bubbles coming through.
I will also say that I see no evidence of bad work in the build you are doing. I merely had an issue with the attitude of one member here.

[Pat1973charger]

No offence taken, my reply wasn't mean to seem ignorant. I appreciate the sympathy guys, I have coped with it I just feel bad for his family since I am in a similar family setting.

[Pat1973charger]

I guess I'm due for an update. I have been picking at the front. Clip I acquired last summer. Lots of removing of unwanted bits and cleaning up, some small patches here and there. Back in April my good buddy and accomplice in this restoration carefully removed the firewall from the car by disecting it at the top of the A pillars. Then it was time for the clip to be slid into place and be squared away with the jig and locked down into its final position. Things are starting to get real now!

[Hemidog]

How have I not sen this thread before 

Great work!

[qwick68]

Wow, I can't wait to see the finished product....

[djcarguy]

Any new progress ??  happy holidays an post away...

[Kern Dog]

The OP has done a "Keyser Soze" and POOOoooof !! disappeared.
Maybe he sold the car for bail money, alimony, drugs, hookers, dog grooming, a nice set of spatulas, gourmet granola bars, LASIK surgery, a donation to the DNC, a mint flavored enema, DirecTV or a new Iphone....?

[djcarguy]

He was active yesterday/  so what all the made up crap......   

[69rtse4spd]

How's your jig holding up, looks to be an upright for heavy duty racking. Keep up the good work, life always gets in the way. .   

[ACUDANUT]

The OP has done a "Keyser Soze" and POOOoooof !! disappeared.
Maybe he sold the car for bail money, alimony, drugs, hookers, dog grooming, a nice set of spatulas, gourmet granola bars, LASIK surgery, a donation to the DNC, a mint flavored enema, DirecTV or a new Iphone....?

Kern dog, you crack me up.