What was the hardest stage of your chargers resto?

[Chargeraddict]

Im finding the body/chassis is taking the longest and most out of me so far...

[uskatebetter]

I think the hardest part of the restoration is when you dont have any money to get anything done haha

[Arigmaster]

The worst part for me was replacing the aftermarket quarter shells....

[GTX]

I'd say the two hardest parts are gathering the funds and parts for all I want and need, mostly the parts but the hardest actual technical part would be the body.

The more I tear into the car the more I end up deciding to do this better or that better. I might as well just replace this while I have that out etc..... but I can do most of the upholstery and I can do the front end work, brakes etc, etc.
I can even do basic body and paint but the part that I find hardest is cutting and welding panels just because I have little experience at that.
I'm getting into the rear window filler panel and trunk floor replacement and I've never had to do those before.  The GTX didn't need it but the trunk floor of that one will need it next since it's been years and it's getting weak now.

Probably the most boring would be the media blasting of the small parts and stripping everything to bare steel, that was a pain.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

The hardest PART was finding NICE bumper filler moulding for a 73' Charger.
BMOTOXSTAR#079

[Brock Samson]

hardest part of mine was having my front clip crushed the day i finished the resto when a gal in a miata made an left turn in to me... across a double yellow...

[Big Lebowski]

  I think cleaning the bottom of the car sucks, even though the $900 media blasting job got 75% of the undercoating off, it's still alot of work getting the bottom to look like stainless steel. It took many hours & lots of beer to finish it. Good thing for my friends Captain Morgan & Red Bull, they helped out too.
    BTW Also, taking the Charger apart and bagging all the screws with written directions of where the part goes is 100% gotta do it.

[69bronzeT5]

Not being able to work due to funds.

[Mean 318]

Money.... trying to find out where in the hell that bolt goes!

[BigBlockSam]

the hardest part for me was to stay motivated .

[resq302]

convincing the wife that " I absolutely will die if I don't have that part as a spare since they are sooooooo hard to find".

[Rolling_Thunder]

hardest parts for me:   money (like everyone else) and saying "its enough" I'm always changing things it seems...    especially engines - i had a nice 318 auto car...    then a 360 auto car...     then a 383 5-speed....      then a 440 5-speed....       now i have the EFI512 5-speed ready to go in....       I think this is the LAST DAMN TIME...    keep in mind - i've swapped the 318 3 years ago...    in the past year i swapped the 383 to the 440 - and the 512 will be going in by the end of next month...    still sorting out some fuel delivery things for the EFI and rebuilding the front suspension - new leaf springs, new torsion bars, new bushings, ect...       

[tan top]

for me i think it was  , working on customers cars 9 1/2 hours a day . then coming home  eating your dinner then going to work on your own till midnight during the week, especially in the dead of winter . plus may be working 12 - 14 hours on it at the weekends . for pritty much 3 years .  doing that stuff when i was younger did not seam that much of a biggie , in fact did not give it a second thought . but as you get older ...... when i  Finally got round to do  mine ..... ... 

[Shakey]

Finding the time to work on the car!   

Rounding up all of the "correct" parts!   

Waiting for shipments to arrive!   

Having my loving Wife remind me that I am spending too much money on my "toy"!   

[6670charger]

1.  Finding the money

2.  Finding the time

Probably the hardest thing to date was discovering that my driver's side front frame rail was so rotted from battery acid leakage, that I couldn't change my torsion bars, and then having a HELL of a time finding someone to weld in the repair cap I bought for it.  I really thought for a few weeks that I was going to have to buy a rolling chasis from somewhere and start all over again.

[Charger-Bodie]

waiting for it to be done 

[694spdRT]

The panel replacement and body work were definately time consuming. For me though it seemed finishing up the car with all the detailing and reassembly after painting took a ton of time. I think part of it was the anticipation of it being so "close" yet so many little things were needed to truly have it done.

[PocketThunder]

teaching myself how to rewire the whole car   that took 3~4 months of nights and weekends..

[triple_green]

I way underestimated the time/money involved in the paint/bodywork. And mine didn't even need very much body work.


3X

[plum500]

Deciding what to do with it....how far to take it, vs skills and budget and wanting to drive it NOW 

[bull]

for me i think it was  , working on customers cars 9 1/2 hours a day . then coming home  eating your dinner then going to work on your own till midnight during the week, especially in the dead of winter . plus may be working 12 - 14 hours on it at the weekends . for pritty much 3 years .  doing that stuff when i was younger did not seam that much of a biggie , in fact did not give it a second thought . but as you get older ...... when i  Finally got round to do  mine ..... ... 

Me too. I work full time fixing buses and then to pay for the bodywork on the Charger I got a part-time job doing maintenace on delivery vans, and then when I went home and had to find the motivation to work on the Charger it just wasn't there. Now all the money is gone and so is the part-time job so there it sits with fresh bodywork and no money to do anyhing else. I guarantee you the next time I get a part-time job it will not involve turning wrenches.

[Charger_Fan]

I think the hardest part of the restoration is when you dont have any money to get anything done haha

Same here.
I have the time to work on it on a semi-regular basis, but not enough money to really get into it.  A lot of my problem is the fear of getting it all apart & the money supply dries up, leaving me with a garage sized basket case.

Sometimes I'm tempted to suck out the equity I've got in my house & use that money to finish my car...but the voice on the other side of my head sez that's a really bad idea.
I'll figure something else out.

[69-DodgeCharger]

I really wish i had a Charger to work on in the first place

[TX9 Charger]

The most difficult part for me was installing the headliner (no wrinkles in the sail panel area) & adjusting the door and quarter glass. Getting no wind noise/water leaks, a door that closes gently with the window that was up or down was a challenge for me. You adjust one thing & it changes three others.

[69_500]

So far the hardest part of the restoration is locating the 69 Daytona to start doing the restoration on. Other than that its going smoothly.

I do have the 500 that needs a lot of work, but I prefer to hold out to do a restoration on a Daytona and enjoy the 500 as is.

[Silver R/T]

finding time to actually git r' done

[Chargeraddict]

Ya im in about 2 and a half years on my resto, i think im doing a really good job...She should be in paint by march or april of this year, so im trying to figure out if it possible to have her on the road this summer. The engine and tranny are sitting waiting to go in, the grill and dash are all restored, got all my brakes and suspension done, its a matter of doing my fuel/brake lines, wiring the car, and the entire motor/tranny deal...putting the glass in....Im not really counting on having the interior done, as long as i have a seat so i can drive her...been waiting 26 years for this...

[72chargerSE]

Dealing with a prima donna painter....

Not saying all painters are prima donna's, just some..well, this ONE! 

[HITMAN 149]

I think the hardest part of the restoration is when you dont have any money to get anything done haha

hahahahah skater beat me too it!!!!!!!!!!!

[terrible one]

Not being able to work due to funds.

Right there with you!

[Troy]

Te hardest part for me is keeping things rolling. I have spurts where I get a ton of stuff accomplished and then it seems like nothing happens for months. I wish I could keep a steady pace but I'm always juggling time with other priorities.

Troy

[Khyron]

sanding


sanding


more sanding


ohhh aand did I say sanding?







damn this car is long

[The70RT]

Saving the car for 29 years and finally building a garage just to do the Charger knowing since I am a one man crew it will take a while, and now scrapping all that gooo from the underside

[Hemidoug]

Without a doubt....BODYWORK!!!! It's the most expensive and frustrating part of any restoration. Just finding someone who will do a good job is a task worthy of superman. Then you have to pay for it!!!

[Telvis]

Finding time... I should have been finished a long time ago. I seem to never have enough time to accomplish much.