Here is what $5000 buys you.

[Kern Dog]

This is not a test.
Too many cars get disassembled and sit for long periods of time. My goal with this car was to get it running and just enjoy it as a beater. Some may see it as a dirtbag way to be but some of the most fun that I have ever had was just bashing around on dirt trails in a V8, rear wheel drive car. Them Duke boys seem to have a blast, right?
I bought the car in September 2019. For the last couple of years, the Wife and I have considered a move out of state. I have several cars here that will be much easier to move if they are running and drivable. Some enthusiasts follow the habit of fully restoring their cars before seeing any street time but not me.
I love B-5 blue. Currently, my long term plan is to strip the car back down and do a proper body and paint job to it.

[timmycharger]

  I can respect that.  I know exactly what you mean which is why when I restored my Charger, I did the engine bay/inside trunk/deck lid and jambs first so I could put the drivetrain in and drive it/move it around while doing the bodywork. 

Being from New England, I am always scared of leaving anything in primer as it can soak up moisture like a sponge.

[cdr]

I agree !!!!!s DRIVE IT 

[cp-chargr/6]

Taillights too....Sort of.
The center bulbs work but the outers don't. The sockets are cruddy so I'll need to solder in new ones.
I get no dash lights. The high beam indicator does come on but the dash stays dark. The bulbs looked good. The plug for the dimmer switch looked a bit dirty so I wonder if a good cleaning would help.

Dash lights are connected to the main voltage, or the dash voltage regulator?. The first thing to check is probably the switch (and maybe bypass it to the dash power cable to see if it works), and that dash you probably fixed and used before, but I'm just thinking about it.

[XH29N0G]

I found that disassembly and cleaning of the switch helped me with dash lights.  That may not be your case.  I checked resistance with my trusty multimeter and could see it had gaps in contact.  I cleaned with hot vinaigre (sour wine or vinegar if you speak english - left in my french spelling just for you  ) and then neutralized with baking soda solution. 

By the way, I really like the comment "Some may see it as a dirtbag way to be but some of the most fun ....."

I say go for it.  You have a nice one and you know what you are doing.  I doubt you plan to drive it to its death...  At least I hope not.

[Kern Dog]

Thanks for understanding, guys.....

[krops cars]

Each his own. I would love to see that car on the street or dirt road.

[TexasStroker]

Coming along nicely!

[Dano 1]

Needless to say I appreciate and support your cheap thrills approach to this build, keep it between the ditches 

[Kern Dog]

Heck yeah....we could have been brothers!

[Kern Dog]

For a lot of Charger owners, they regard these cars with such importance that they wouldn't dare to be seen in a beat down car like mine. That is fine. There is room for all types in this hobby.

To the others.....

Thank you.
A lot of the work and parts have been done with low cost in mind. I'm not a cheap ass but I do enjoy looking for ways to "repurpose" parts where I can. Some things you have to get new because it makes no sense to use a used part. Gaskets, crusty wiring, fluids, brake lines and other obvious things.
I have sold parts to fund this project from the start. There is a small part of this car that was actually paid for from my savings. I parted out cars and sold off some of my 64-66 Valiant parts stash to fund this project. I sold a 65 Valiant Convertible for $2000, the buyer still owes me half of that. In the last 18 months, I've sold a few 8 3/4" axles, a 340, 383 and 440 engine, small parts through online forums and in total, I have just under $7500 in this car with about $1800 of it being from my own account.
In the late 90s, I made a couple of video movies using my family and friends. The plot centered around me being an amateur Bounty Hunter driving a 73 Duster. I drove it much like the Duke Boy's General Lee. Dirt roads, paved roads, through shallow creeks and tall grass. It was THE most fun that I have ever had in my life aside from "Alone time" with women.
My red car is too nice to drive off road throwing rocks everywhere. It isn't a dedicated show car....It is a great street performer that looks nice but I find myself restrained in how I drive and enjoy it. There lies the trouble with restoring a classic. You spend so much time making it nice, it prevents you from driving it without worry.

[hemi-hampton]

Doesn't the Roadkill Guys drive beat up Mopars.

[GreenMachine]

I agree, I've had a couple of nice cars in the past, I didn't enjoy them as much as the dented and faded paint cars. I ended up selling them because I got bored with them.

I do like to make the interior nice and comfortable, and the drivetrain/electrical system bulletproof. I'll spend half a day making the doors open and close like new and the windows roll up and down better than new, before I'll spend any time on the exterior appearance.

Another plus is it might save you a murder conviction when some careless idiot damages your car and then acts like it's no big deal!

[Kern Dog]

That is great!

[Kern Dog]

I was optimistic that once I started connecting stuff, the lights would work.
I put a turn signal lamp in the right side of the valance, 2 headlights from the parts shed then .....There was L I G H T !

[Kern Dog]

The center bulbs were the only ones that lit up so I soldered in newer sockets in the outers. The rh inner worked once I changed the bulb but it was really bright, sort of like a brake light. It also dimmed the middle and outer bulb so I just pulled the bulb and put the sockets in the housings without any bulbs in them.

[Kern Dog]

The headlights work but the door motor didn't work. I  am pretty sure that I turned the headlights on without turning the key on so maybe it does work?
If not, the relay in the dash could be dead or the door motor could be bad.
I thought that someone on this forum had a modern solution for the headlight door relay.
The pictures below seem to be for a headlight relay, not for the headlight door relay. Am I wrong?

[GreenMachine]

I'm not sure what you had installed, but the taillight inners require different bulbs than the others, #67.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=103754.0

[Kern Dog]

Thank you!
I clicked on that link and saw this:

"Using an 1156 for the inners make them brighter than the outers when the headlights are on."

I also read this further down:

" I researched this a while ago for my Charger. Here are the specs I found;

#1095  - 7.14 watt
  #67  - 7.96 watt
  #89  - 7.54 watt
  #97  - 9.32 watt

The #1157 outer bulbs are  8.26/26.88 watt

The 89 is closest in wattage to the original 1095, but I went with the 67 because it is closest to the 1157 park wattage and easy to find. I think that gives a consistent brightness between the 3 bulbs."

That thread was really helpful. Thank you!

[GreenMachine]

Your welcome.

The bulbs are physically smaller, a bulb like the 1156, along with being too bright, sits very close to the lens and can potentially melt it.

[cp-chargr/6]

sorry, I checked your post again, and found my answer not related...

[Kern Dog]

The headlight door motor was dead. I tested the spares that I have here. Two of the 5 still worked. Two wouldn't operate at all and one just spun but did not drive the rod. I suspect that the gear inside was broken.
I understand that there are internal stops that are adjustable. This one H/L door motor I swapped in closes the doors just fine but won't open them until I screw the knob several turns to take up the slack. I first thought the battery had discharged from testing everything but after an overnight recharge, it acted the same.
I soldered new wires in to fix the reverse lamps. I'm not sure of how to test these until I have the transmission in place but they are not a crucial part of the car yet.
MY experience with electrical systems is limited but I am learning as I go. It feels pretty good to have success with something that is fairly new to me.

[kent]

Looking good Greg!  I envy your approach. I'm going to try and enjoy my car once it is one again. Time will tell. I love the idea of driving these cars like we use to when they weren't mobile china stores. Drive it like you stole it! 
Once more Greg love watching your progress. Keep the faith! lol

[70 sublime]

Yes the head light door motor has stops inside that the plastic gear will lift open and shut
You might just have some crude in the one direction

You can take this apart but be very careful
It can be very fiddly to get it to work right and you can not really tell till you put it all back together 

[ACUDANUT]

 Or you can open and close them by hand.  How much driving do you do at night ?