Re: Restoration of my B5 Blue 4Spd Charger 500... Blue Thunder debuts...Finally!

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Well, almost... First is the extraction from it's last long term storage nest.  That started yesterday, with the first task being to remove a small mountain of parts & boxes that have had the car trapped in for years.

To begin, I relocated my '68 Polara to the house garage... expelling my 2004 Ram to the great outdoors for a few weeks.  The Polara will move back when the C500 is sent off to the paint & body shop.  Next I planned out how & where to move the parts & boxes... my shop does not have a lot of free space.  Also planned out was how to move the various non-operable cars blocking the C500 in... it won't be easy!  Kind of like a 2D Rubik's Cube...  

The basic plan is to put the '68 318 Charger on my old trailer with a cover on it for 6-8 months behind my shop.  With the C500 & 318 Charger out of the shop and the Polara self mobile, that gives three open spaces on that end of the shop for my electrician to do his work while I set up shelving and sort through 25+ years of parts & boxes... it will like opening presents at Christmas.

I expect my updates will be sporatic, posting them when I have new pictures and the time to post them.  Here are the first four pics showing the beginning of digging out the C500...

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

With the Polara out of the way I start moving parts & boxes, but first I set up a good fan and chair for a rest/cool down station...  important when you start to get a bit ancient. 

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Finally able to walk up to the C500 after many years for a close-up look...

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

As more parts & boxes are carted off, more of the C500 is visible...

[69bronzeT5]

Looks like a very good project man. Do you plan on keeping the same colour scheme? I wish I had a garage full of Mopars. I know how it is when you clean a garage/shop. It took me 2 days but I finally cleaned out my garage. It only took me 2 days . I had a fan too, not for resting, for blowing all the dust out of the garage so I wouldnt choke to death.


Heres what my garage looked like after I cleaned it

[66chargerkid]

mopar heaven 

[69bronzeT5]

The Charger infront of the green Challenger, is that the Daytona?

[xs29j8Bullitt]

The C500 had been dense-packed like many of my cars in the shop... it still looks as solid as I remember it being.  The car needs a good scrubbing... especially the interior.  Unlike most of my cars, I never cleaned it out after buying the car.  The C500 is exactly as I purchased it 21 years ago...

XS

[69bronzeT5]

It looks like it has C5X interior?

[xs29j8Bullitt]

The Charger infront of the green Challenger, is that the Daytona?

Yes... both the Superbird & Daytona were "de-winged" in the 1980s to make them less noticeable when the doors were open at the public storages they were kept in.  Both will receive their wings back soon!

Last four pictures for now, one more interior and the vacant engine bay.

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

It looks like it has C5X interior?

The interior code is C6X for all vinyl seats (C5X is vinyl & cloth).

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Do you plan on keeping the same colour scheme?

Definitely... B5 Rules!  Besides, a friend we call "B5 Dale" would hire some thugs to do me in if I changed it! 

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

mopar heaven 

Thanks, it seems like Mopar hell at times tho... but not too often.

XS

[hotrod98]

I see I'm not the only guy with garages packed full of Mopars. I have 6,000 sq ft and still don't have enough room. The wife said no more shops on the property.
Would be great if my wingcar clones were real wingcars like yours though.  Love those b5 blue cars. I have a 69 runner and a 69 bee and both are b5 blue with blue interiors. Actually dug both of them out a couple of weeks ago and took them out to blow off the dust...at about 70 mph. I also have a 70 barracuda and a 70 gran coupe that are b5 cars. Sold a b5 70 barracuda convert a few years back as well.
Keep us up to date on the progress.

[hemi68charger]

Alright Allen !!!!!!!    Can't wait to see her some time......... 

Troy

[Magnumcharger]

Me thinks you have way too many toys for one man....
And you've sat on the 500 for 21 years! I can't imagine doing that.

Are you now going about restoring them, because you've realized that life is too short?

[BigBlockSam]

 

[nascarxx29]

.Looking forward to seeing the restoration progress pictures.As your cars emerge from deep storage  .Heres another B5 charger 500 a friend of mine.Bought it also in the 80-s $2500.00 440 Automatic AC car
[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e67/75414/front500-1.jpg[/img

[PocketThunder]

Alright Allen !!!!!!!    Can't wait to see her some time......... 

Troy

Where is your famous qoute about trading for his Daytona? ?? 

[71ChallengeHer]

Can't wait to see the pics. You have a lot of great Mopars.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

I see I'm not the only guy with garages packed full of Mopars. I have 6,000 sq ft and still don't have enough room. The wife said no more shops on the property.

Mine is only 3,000 sq ft plus 500 sq ft more effective area when you count the loft... and I have room for more shops on the property (being single, the votes always go my way  )

But, I need fewer cars, not more storage... 

Allen

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Alright Allen !!!!!!!    Can't wait to see her some time......... 

Troy

Thanks Troy, I wish the C500 could be ready for Boerne... but it not going to be. 

Allen

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Me thinks you have way too many toys for one man....

You are correct, and the problem is being addressed... wanna buy a 1973 Charger SE 440 car?  Sold a 1971 Challenger R/T original Shaker car a few months ago...

And you've sat on the 500 for 21 years! I can't imagine doing that.

It might help to imagine some serious health problems, losing $28K on an investment made to help a friend, 5 months of unemployment followed by 6 years of 60-70 hr weeks with travel, then a job change (liked the 50-60 hr weeks better), buying a new house, building a 50x60 shop, moving 21 trailer loads of cars & parts 300 miles by yourself, Etc...

Are you now going about restoring them, because you've realized that life is too short?

The `Cuda 440-6 was finished in those years, the Challenger Convertible was 95% restored, the Hemi `Cuda is at about 50% done.  When I bought the C500, I had 13 more cars than I have now.  You are close to being correct, life is too short to have too many cars... I will have some hard decisions in the next few years.  BTW, the only cars for sale at the moment are the 1973 Charger SE 440 Hp car & a 1968 Polara 2Dr HT 383 HP car.

While many of my cars did indeed "sit" for 20+ years, almost all were stored inside...  my storage bill in the late 1980s was over $650/mo, while my house payment was $720/mo.

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

.Looking forward to seeing the restoration progress pictures.As your cars emerge from deep storage  .Heres another B5 charger 500 a friend of mine.Bought it also in the 80-s $2500.00 440 Automatic AC car

Thanks Dave!  Your friend's car looks super solid... maybe we can park them side by side in a few years at the Monster Mopar Weekend!

Allen

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Alright Allen !!!!!!!    Can't wait to see her some time......... 

Troy

Where is your famous qoute about trading for his Daytona? ?? 

Did you have to go there?!?    Besides, Troy wants a nice shiney one... not an old war horse like mine! 

Allen