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

[moparstuart]

will the block have an   xx on it  ?  I will keep an eye out for you at swap meets at least 

Ooohhh...  good question, as the C500s were done both ways - but the answer is on the transmission.  The engine should show XX29L9B****** also, just like in the picture Allen posted.

The line workers used the same "burp" gun to stamp both the transmission and engine after they were mated together.  This was done on the assembly line, shortly before the engine/trans/front suspension were installed in the chassis. 

there were a couple 440 blocks at the columbia swap meet but no XX29 on them , i will keep looking allen

[PocketThunder]

Damn nice progress!  I love that part where you see the car getting a good cleaning by the blasters. 

[69_500]

Well with the build date of Allens car it should read XX, but then again there are no guarantee's as there is a known 500 with a later build date that has XS everywhere on the car. 2 cars actually. However considering that the tranny had XX on it, as Gene said it should also read XX on the engine. And unlike some of the earlier 500's it wouldn't have been double stamped. IE early 500's have XS with a second X over the top of the S.

Love the look of a car after its been blasted. Clean shinny metal. 

So did you take the wheel houses from the parts car? Not the Daytona I'm assuming. It was a joke about the Daytona. But if you wanna part it out I'll take it. 

[xs29j8Bullitt]

will the block have an   xx on it  ?  I will keep an eye out for you at swap meets at least 

Ooohhh...  good question, as the C500s were done both ways - but the answer is on the transmission.  The engine should show XX29L9B****** also, just like in the picture Allen posted.

The line workers used the same "burp" gun to stamp both the transmission and engine after they were mated together.  This was done on the assembly line, shortly before the engine/trans/front suspension were installed in the chassis. 

  there were a couple 440 blocks at the columbia swap meet but no XX29 on them , i will keep looking allen

Thanks Stuart!... I will PM the complete VIN to you.

Allen

[69_500]

Maybe you will get lucky and your #'s matching engine will have a typo on it Allen. Instead of reading XX29L9B, maybe it will read XX29J9B 

Which would be the opposite of how Jerry's car is. HEMI car with XX29L on the engine. Well can't tell if its "L" or just a backwards "J". 

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Damn nice progress!  I love that part where you see the car getting a good cleaning by the blasters. 

I just received more pictures and a short video clip of the media blasting!... Great customer service!!! 

I will post more pictures later.

Allen

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Well with the build date of Allens car it should read XX, but then again there are no guarantee's as there is a known 500 with a later build date that has XS everywhere on the car. 2 cars actually. However considering that the tranny had XX on it, as Gene said it should also read XX on the engine. And unlike some of the earlier 500's it wouldn't have been double stamped. IE early 500's have XS with a second X over the top of the S.

Love the look of a car after its been blasted. Clean shinny metal. 

So did you take the wheel houses from the parts car? Not the Daytona I'm assuming. It was a joke about the Daytona. But if you wanna part it out I'll take it. 

Maybe you will get lucky and your #'s matching engine will have a typo on it Allen. Instead of reading XX29L9B, maybe it will read XX29J9B 

Which would be the opposite of how Jerry's car is. HEMI car with XX29L on the engine. Well can't tell if its "L" or just a backwards "J". 

The C500 is starting to look a lot different with the removal of the old dead paint... A LOT BETTER!

I really hope I find the matching numbers block... with the Internet anything is possible! 

You were only kidding?... Uh-Oh, good thing I didn't touch the Daytona... 

The wheelhouse will come from a pair of 1970 quarter panels that I had set aside for my 440 Six Pack Charger... here's a picture from last year:

Allen

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Progress pictures from today... slow but safe progress!  Some small areas of the bottom side of the car will need touching up with sand blasting or other methods.  Plastic media is not nearly as abrasive as sand, coal slag, etc... but also not nearly as prone to sheetmetal warpage.  The thicker guage sub-frames and stiffened floorboards can be safely touched up with sand blasting.

Allen

[PocketThunder]

Good God Allen this is such and inspiration for me to start on my C500 this summer.        

[hemi68charger]

Allen, you go boy !!!!!

[69bronzeT5]

Its going great Allen!!! Keep up the good work!!!!!

[BigBlockSam]

looking good   

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Good God Allen this is such and inspiration for me to start on my C500 this summer.        

Allen, you go boy !!!!!

Its going great Allen!!! Keep up the good work!!!!!

looking good   

Thanks everyone... its been a busy week at work and with the C500

Here are some in process pictures that Doug sent me Wednesday night showing work on the C500 unibody.  The unibody was finished yesterday, and I will post the finished shots later tonight after I resize them.

Allen

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Four more in process pictures...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

  Bare Body C500 ! 

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Bare top!...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

More bareness...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

And more...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Last pictures for tonight... Thanks again Doug! 

[xs29j8Bullitt]

I uploaded two short video clips of the plastic media blasting to YouTube... let me know if the links work.

Video 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TehylAyVuHg

Video 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khonyH7mcp0

XS

[69_500]

OH she looks good NAKED, why can't it be mine? 


I didn't try to view the youtube links though Allen, I'll take a look at those in the morning. You really need to stop posting photo's of the progress its making me want to strip mine naked. I need more people to just leave their cars as is, and drive them so that mine fits in.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Good God Allen this is such and inspiration for me to start on my C500 this summer.        

You really need to stop posting photo's of the progress its making me want to strip mine naked. I need more people to just leave their cars as is, and drive them so that mine fits in.

Paul / Danny - My main advice is to line up everything that you can while your car is running/driving so you reduce the risk of getting burnt out on the project and deciding to sell it as a unibody with a bunch of boxes... BTW, don't anyone get there hopes up about that happening to me... been there, didn't sell! 

I have seen a LOT of neat Mopar projects sell after guys got burnt out on there first projects... including several cars that I own now.  Buy the repro, used, & NOS parts that you need now, but not perishable stuff like paint.  Also, do your homework now on vendors, especially if you plan to start in the next 18 months or so... learn from the misfortunes of others, like my problem with the crap from Goodmark! 

Just think guys, while my C500 is being pushed around this year (and maybe next year)... y'all will be cruising in your's... 

Allen

[brianz426]

Great advice Allen, I also have seen many people get frustrated and/or loose interest. Then they sell their car only to regret it years later. I also have had to take a break but never to the point of giving up. The image of the finished product in my own mind has always kept me going. Thanks again for sharing all the details.
Best of luck to you,
Brian

[BigBlockSam]

I also have had to take a break 

  yea . sometimes i get burnt out on restorationa and walk away for a  while. clears the head  . so when you come back things seem better and more fun. Rene

[69_500]

Darn it, here I was hoping that eventually you would just throw in the towel on this one and move on to something else.

Look on the bright side though Allen. Come the Talladega Meet in '09 you will be there with the 500, and I'll be the one asking you if I can go for a ride. However if by the slim chance that the car isn't done by then, you are more than welcome to go for a spin in my car anytime you want.