Re-skinned modern mopars

[cbrestorations]

I'm toying with the idea of just producing re-skinned Chrysler 300's and chargers into 68-69 chargers as a buisness. Yes I know it's nothing new but I'm talking just buying new panels and skinning the car instead of sacrificing a real charger body. Using the original Chrysler 300 Vin. What do you guys think something like that would be worth? It might not even be profitable after buying all panels and time needed to build one. Basically it would just be a kit car

[Old Moparz]

I love the idea but the reality for me is it's not something I'd ever be able to afford. 

[Homerr]

Seems like you'd have to offer turn-key (at least to show how it can be done) or a DIY kit.  Just paint 'em orange, the masses will love them.


Although that Crown Vic police cruiser reskinned seemed like a mass-market proposition as well.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,130373.msg1621594.html#msg1621594

[aerolith]

Best idea I've heard in years!
Biggest drawback will be cost for the finished product.

Hand-built=expensive...

Chrysler/AMD dropped the ball with all the new sheetmetal being thrown at 70/71 Challengers.
They should have done a 66-70 B-body platform 'over the counter' with optional bodyskins.
Maybe updated it with Coilover suspension with rack/pinion steering, but hey a good torsion-barsolid axle car, is still a good ride...

Some Folks are doing modern JENSEN Interceptors here in the UK, throwout the clunky 440/383 and put a 383 chev in there and charge $150,000!
Err, just buy a nice original at $50,000...

[sixty-niner]

A guy in my mopar club was one of the first ones to do it like 10 years ago, many shops were calling him about it and he even presented the car at sema.  When I rode in it, I hated it personally.  The dash was super high, the placement of the seats was off, from the outside it looked perfect but on the inside it was really weird.  It was a ton of work and money, I did not dig the finished product at all.

[cbrestorations]

A guy in my mopar club was one of the first ones to do it like 10 years ago, many shops were calling him about it and he even presented the car at sema.  When I rode in it, I hated it personally.  The dash was super high, the placement of the seats was off, from the outside it looked perfect but on the inside it was really weird.  It was a ton of work and money, I did not dig the finished product at all.

Good feedback, things to fix

[70 sublime]

Price of the finished car might be the hard part to figure out
Get too pricey and then an original one would rather be had

[Nacho-RT74]

no for me thanks, not even having the money. I like the real deal. And I know ppl locally making fiberglass AC Cobras clones over VW chassis or Chevettes ( can't recall )... or Mercedes Gazelles replicas too. Those I have seen looks somehow nice, but I don't think will work to have one

[miamivice]

Seems like you'd have to offer turn-key (at least to show how it can be done) or a DIY kit.  Just paint 'em orange, the masses will love them.


Although that Crown Vic police cruiser reskinned seemed like a mass-market proposition as well.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,130373.msg1621594.html#msg1621594

Chris - I am the guy that texted you a while back.  This is the car I have at my place right now in Summerlin.  Come by and check it out!

[Homerr]

I think a 'Singer' style 2nd-gen is probably more profitable, just don't push it too far.  A couple of cars a year could keep someone busy and in the gravy.

keepat's 'Modern Bullitt Build' is pretty close to the template for this, imo.

[Stevearino]

If you keep an eye on things you can keep the out of pocket cost around $30,000.00 That is what I have in mine. There was a lot of custom work because of it being a Daytona Clone and doing vent window deletes that ate up a lot of time so it probably wouldn't take as long as mine. I had about 3000 hours in it.  Frankly since the first ones have been done I hear the same thing. Very labor intensive.  What is not available from AMD is an issue also. You need to start with at least a solid roof substructure , A pillars, windshield bed, front door jambs and you would also need the interior panel that supports the rear seat side glass regulator. There was a massive amount of work in the cowl-dash-fire wall area which has to be considered if you want the HVAC and windshield wipers to work. A challenge to say the least. There is also the wheel base. 120" on the Charger /Chrysler 300 does not look too good on a stock 69 Charger body.A lot of work to shorten the wheel base. If you start with a new Challeger the wheel base is 116" which works better but the cost of the donor car is ridiculous. No use building one without a performance model like an SRT or R/T if you are going to do it for re sale a plain Jane 5.7 is not going attract much attention. Again up goes the price of the donor. I paid $8,500. for an 06 SRT 8 Charger. Nice everything but with the 4 door car I had to custom modify the passenger seat so you could get into the back. I could go on but you get the picture. Cool to build for yourself but the numbers are hard to reconcile for resale. Believe me I have been trying to figure them out for a while. One more thing there is a Road Runner that has been on consignment at RK Motors here in Charlotte for a number of years. It was professionally done and I saw the build blog. Very well done. I would guess the owner has over $200,000  invested but it has been for sale for I am thinking 3 years (not sure) at an asking price of $120,000. It is still there

[Bronzedodge]

As far as a business model - there's a place around Lousiana or Texas that restores Jeep Wagoneers and sells them.  I have no idea what a restored 83 Jeep that has great visibility and 12 mpg goes for.  Lol.

[Baldwinvette77]

i'd like to see you do one  maybe do another rat-muscle theme and just see if it sparks any interest, you could always paint it later if the money seems to be there.

[Kern Dog]

This guy has over $160,000 in the car. It is a stock body 1970 GTX with a 2007 Charger 5.7L engine, trans and dash frame/gauges. The body is stock, he runs an 8.75 axle with the RMS front end, a Street Lynx rear.

[VegasCharger]

The dash was super high.....

Ya think 

[aerolith]

Cripes that GTX is nice!

Same old problem here though. Folks will say ''why throw out a 440/727 combo'' from one of Mopars finest Musclecars???

Me I would have put a date coded 426 hemi and hemi 4-speed in there and been in Seventh heaven...

[Mytur Binsdirti]

This guy has over $160,000 in the car. It is a stock body 1970 GTX with a 2007 Charger 5.7L engine, trans and dash frame/gauges. The body is stock, he runs an 8.75 axle with the RMS front end, a Street Lynx rear.

I personally like the concept of having a modern drivetrain, suspension & electronics in an old car, but to have 160 large into a car that's really worth 1/3 of that doesn't make economic sense.

[Nacho-RT74]

I personally like the concept of having a modern drivetrain, suspension & electronics in an old car, but to have 160 large into a car that's really worth 1/3 of that doesn't make economic sense.

I'm agree on this... modern drivetrain is not my personal taste at all but really nice and acceptable for the hobby... now build a car over a diff plattform seems to be ( to me ) something "weird". At the end you won't have any of both for real

[chargerperson]

This guy has over $160,000 in the car. It is a stock body 1970 GTX with a 2007 Charger 5.7L engine, trans and dash frame/gauges. The body is stock, he runs an 8.75 axle with the RMS front end, a Street Lynx rear.

Sounds nice except for gauges.  Just my own preference but the modern gauges (and dashes) look out of place. 
Having had a restomod built or me - the costs can quickly get out of control

[Scaregrabber]

I like old cars, I like new cars too. However my love of the old mopars is the complete package, right down to the starter that annoys GM guys. The way you are talking though would be the best way to do it and keep the aftermarket panel manufacturers going too.
I agree about the dashboard, the Rallye gauges in a Charger or Challenger are one of the best parts of the car and are probably the most annoying part of these hybrids.

[BDF]

The dash was super high.....

Ya think 

[70B5Cuda]

Yeah- the costs add up quickly on custom builds....I'm all too familiar with that.

I think Re-skinning is too labor intensive and the stance isn't right once it's done. I think you're better off buying or making an aftermarket front and rear suspension and going with late model engineand transmission.

Here is a 68 roadrunner I'm deep into. If I had to do it again I would not go with IRS suspension. I'd probably just go with a 4 link setup from RMS.
http://www.pro-touring.com/threads/124397-1968-Roadrunner-post-6-1L-hemi-6-speed-and-IRS

[70 sublime]

I'm toying with the idea of just producing re-skinned Chrysler 300's and chargers into 68-69 chargers as a buisness. Yes I know it's nothing new but I'm talking just buying new panels and skinning the car instead of sacrificing a real charger body. Using the original Chrysler 300 Vin. What do you guys think something like that would be worth? It might not even be profitable after buying all panels and time needed to build one. Basically it would just be a kit car

What price are you thinking a finished car would cost you to build and better question what price are you hoping they could sell for ?

[XS29LA47V21]

I like the idea too, really.  I love 69 Chargers....  But has to have a lower Charger stance. 

I am trying to get to the same place with a 69 Dart with/for one of my kids.  In last 6 months a friend has installed the complete US Car Tool kit.  The rest is intended to be a purpose built true daily driver with 6.1.  With a friends experience building a car based off or on a 300, he ended up going after market frame to get the right stance.  The issues were not at nice Charger butt, but getting the 300 shock towers and suspension to work out as I recall.

I love the idea, but see the costs stacking up higher than a used Hellcat or viper.  So math does not work out for my brain.

I am hoping my Dart..... being Dart parts..... that intended purpose built salty go to track from time to time daily driver will be under 30k (& I am farming out more and more as I get older). 

[Fitz73Chrgr]

This guy has over $160,000 in the car. It is a stock body 1970 GTX with a 2007 Charger 5.7L engine, trans and dash frame/gauges. The body is stock, he runs an 8.75 axle with the RMS front end, a Street Lynx rear.

Sounds nice except for gauges.  Just my own preference but the modern gauges (and dashes) look out of place. 

Agreed.  I like modern tech, but keep it hidden to the max extent possible.  Old-style dashes look so much better in old cars.

[Harper]

question:
could you just build a charger body from AMD and other suppliers PARTS? are there enough parts to get close? How many parts are available what all is missing?

[Troy]

question:
could you just build a charger body from AMD and other suppliers PARTS? are there enough parts to get close? How many parts are available what all is missing?

Most of the middle structure? Look at that picture and you won't see the inner roof or the parts that connect it to the rear wheel houses nor the area inside the rear window assemblies where the interior panels attach. I don't see a firewall either but I thought they made it.

Troy

[Moparpoolman]

question:
could you just build a charger body from AMD and other suppliers PARTS? are there enough parts to get close? How many parts are available what all is missing?

It would cost way too much to buy all the parts not mention the labor cost to put it all together.   

[cbrestorations]

Not all of those panels are needed though, just outer sheet metal

[Baldwinvette77]

honestly i think considering all the beat up old 2nd gens you find it may be more economical and practical to use the rusty remains of an original, i mean i remember you dragging a 68 through a junkyard and the front end fell off or something?

[Moparpoolman]

Not all of those panels are needed though, just outer sheet metal

Sorry, I was referring to the question posted by Harper about building a whole Charger from AMD parts, which is off topic anyway and should be in a new or different thread.

[cbrestorations]

honestly i think considering all the beat up old 2nd gens you find it may be more economical and practical to use the rusty remains of an original, i mean i remember you dragging a 68 through a junkyard and the front end fell off or something?

Lol good times

[Pat1973charger]

Minus the rear window area, you can build a charger from any 2 door b body with a decent main roof structure. I have seen it done first hand 

[Stevearino]

Minus the rear window area, you can build a charger from any 2 door b body with a decent main roof structure. I have seen it done first hand 

A four door will do also. You would have to be a little creative with the inner rear side window panel and the "C" pillar support but those are minor problems compared to getting the majority of the roof substructure, the windshield bed and front door pillars. Also seen that done.