How Long has your Charger been a project?

[hutch]

Going on 10 months next week.  Every night.  I have spent more money on GoJo than I have parts I think.

[moparstuart]

Going on 10 months next week.  Every night.  I have spent more money on GoJo than I have parts I think.

yeah but think of the pride you will have , having done it your self

[ipstrategies]

Bought it in March 2005 and have the mechanics done to make it driver, now I need to get the body done.

[bull]

I'm at about 4.5 years now but it sat for the first two years of that time. I'm hoping I'll have it done within a year but that all depends on the inflow rate of cash.

[69bronzeT5]

almost 9 frickin years

[Wango Mango]

WAAAAYYYY to long!  My 69 R/T SE was started 4 yesrs ago & the body was stripped & painted B7 blue w/ black top.  Matching #'s block ws cleaned & sonic tested.   Got all the legendary interior, but the project is sitting in a storage unit.  Cant' decide whether to sell the project or finish it.  Got 5 4 other mopar projects in competition for my time!   

[moparstuart]

WAAAAYYYY to long!  My 69 R/T SE was started 4 yesrs ago & the body was stripped & painted B7 blue w/ black top.  Matching #'s block ws cleaned & sonic tested.   Got all the legendary interior, but the project is sitting in a storage unit.  Cant' decide whether to sell the project or finish it.  Got 5 4 other mopar projects in competition for my time!   

wango mango sweet                  oh i guess not

[dodgecharger-fan]

Almost 6 years and I'm about to start over from scratch again.

I've just bought up some good used frame pieces; I'll need to take advatage of gunslingr's Christmas sale and get a tailpanel.
I've arranged for another shop to take it in, blast it back to bare metal and re-do all the heavy metal work but this time keep right on going until it's in paint.

[moparstuart]

Almost 6 years and I'm about to start over from scratch again.

I've just bought up some good used frame pieces; I'll need to take advatage of gunslingr's Christmas sale and get a tailpanel.
I've arranged for another shop to take it in, blast it back to bare metal and re-do all the heavy metal work but this time keep right on going until it's in paint.


   good luck i hate those stalled project stories i guess cause i have so many myself

[Mefirst]

Bought my Charger back in 2002 and started a mechanical rebuild on her in 2003... and she is fighting me in every way possible... The Bitch

/Tom

[moparstuart]

Bought my Charger back in 2002 and started a mechanical rebuild on her in 2003... and she is fighting me in every way possible... The Bitch

/Tom

just give ole christine a hug

[Mefirst]

Bought my Charger back in 2002 and started a mechanical rebuild on her in 2003... and she is fighting me in every way possible... The Bitch

/Tom

just give ole christine a hug

-What I'm thinking of doing is to have a Priest come down to the garage and sprinkle Holywater on her and do some exorcism... Then again my bet is, that the second the Holywater drops touch her, she will burst into a flaming inferno...

[moparstuart]

Bought my Charger back in 2002 and started a mechanical rebuild on her in 2003... and she is fighting me in every way possible... The Bitch

/Tom

just give ole christine a hug

-What I'm thinking of doing is to have a Priest come down to the garage and sprinkle Holywater on her and do some exorcism... Then again my bet is, that the second the Holywater drops touch her, she will burst into a flaming inferno...

or spinn around in a complete 180 several times  ?

[Charger-Bodie]

always has been, always will be

[firefighter3931]

-What I'm thinking of doing is to have a Priest come down to the garage and sprinkle Holywater on her and do some exorcism... Then again my bet is, that the second the Holywater drops touch her, she will burst into a flaming inferno...

Tom...make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy ! Too funny !!!


Ron

[firefighter3931]

always has been, always will be

They're never really finished. 

Mine's been "down" for several years but soon to be resurrected. 

The E-headed 446 will eventually be replaced with something bigger....it will never end ! 



Ron

[Magnumcharger]

Lets see:
Got out of the military in 1990, had a nice R4 1969 Roadrunner with a 440+6.
In 1991, I traded it for my 1968 Charger R/T. Duhhhhhhhh....
1992 my daughter was born. All ahead...stop.
Between 1993 and now:
Built two houses, rejoined the military, been to basic training again, trades college twice, went into business, moved across the country four times, had numerous jobs. Paid for university for my wife, now paying for my son.

And the Charger got disassembled, dipped, had new floors and shifter hump, subframe connectors, gas tank, fenders, quarter panels (x2), trunk extensions, wheelhouses, inner fenders, rad support, doors, trunklid, hood, seats, transmission (Hemi fourspeed from automatic), rearend, brakes, changed to fourspeed pedals, new console (complete), new glass, and the list goes on.....

Built a rotisserie in 1999, and put it on there. Stayed on it 5 years. Re-assembled it a for move. Disassembled again, and back on rotisserie since 2004. Still there.
Haven't driven the car since 1998.
Owned since 1991 so I guess it's been 16 years.
16 long years, and it's not even close to being done.
If I spent the time working on it that I've spent here on this website, the car would have been done a long time ago!
However, this website is FREEEEEE!!!

[The70RT]

I have had mine for 30 years. Drove it for like 3 years then rebuilt the engine In like 81. Since then It has only had about 1000 miles on it. Since than lots of little stuff kept me from driving it. Finally last year I said enough is enough and completely tore it down. I have been working on it for a year now and I was figuring about 2 years to do it....yeah right I have had to stop on it for funerals, family surgery's, fix this fix that ...yada yada yada. Looks to be 3 years....maybe. I am doing it more extensively than I thought but since it is torn down I might as well be as thorough as can be.

[71ChallengeHer]

My brother's 70 Charger 500 has been sitting since 1984. I finally gave him a good swift kick in the ass to get it on the road.

[mally69]

restoration on mine took 3 years and iv had it oon the road for a yer anda half..   oh  and by they way, you will never be totally done working on it    there is always somthing

[70charginglizard]

Since the day I bought it.

lol....no doubt

Is it ever really finished? 

[Lord Warlock]

Don't get in a rush at the stage you're in.  I can relate a little.  After you strip the body down, and start working out the body it tends to take forever getting things just right.  Mines in the paint stage as well and after a coat goes on, its never good enough underneath so you naturally rework it.  Eventually it will be good enough to me. 

As far as how long has it been a project?  I bought the car in 78, drove it for a year in HS, then drove it to college for 4 years, then stored it.  Its been in a garage the whole 30 years except during school.  It got an engine transplant in 83, did it myself with a cable comalong and a 4x4 in the rafters of my dad's hobby garage, actually i did it twice since i pulled the motor out of a wrecked 69 charger r/t with 69,000 miles, and after cleaning it up put it and the transmission into my car.  Its been a "project" ever since, it has seen less than 300 miles total since i stored it the first time.  Of course there were distractions along the way, such as 4 years of military service involving moving to California, then to South Dakota, then back to Florida, getting married, having 2 kids, and watch all my hobby funds go for diapers, then later female hygene products (wife and 2 girls) then for clothes, etc, other cars that i drove daily, each of which have been strong drivers and are still with me. 

I did plan a little bit over the years, and last year actually spent 30k building a garage just to cover the charger in the backyard.  Recently though, I've seen old friends who were strong ties to the automotive world pass away, and even family get diagnosed with cancer.  Finding out that time is actually running out has forced my hand and is making me rebuild the car finally.  I expect it will be drivable within the next 9 months, but it will be at a hefty expense, the wife will just have to accept that its waited long enough, and it won't wait anymore. 

Was going to trump everyone with the 30 year history, but got beat by another old timer. 

[The70RT]

LordWarlock.....thanks for going through all the details...similar in lots of ways. I built a garage behind my house also a few years ago also for the Charger. I'm glad I held on to it and tore up others while mine sat inside for so many years. I had all the fun and now it is getting close to relive them with a more sensible head on my shoulders.

[Lord Warlock]

I kind of primed the pump 5 years ago while rebuilding the stealth turbo, to give her an idea of what can actually be spent on a car "project" spent 18k redoing the engine, suspension then the interior and lastly the paint (it was my "learn to paint" canvas for 4 years) at least the charger's first ever repaint (stripped the factory paint off as soon as i finished the garage out back) has started out pretty well.  Still alot of work to go, and even when i'm happy with the paint, i still have to wetsand and buff it all back out afterwards.  Hardest thing for me is to take sandpaper to fresh paint, seeing a shine on the car after years of primer or dull factory paint is hypnotizing. 
The harsh part is that when i finished the stealth, it had depreciated from 10k to 5k.  Now i have to decide if i should sell it to buy my 16 year old daughter something safe and dependable to drive, or just store it beside the charger and use it occasionally as a back up or a means to keep from putting too many miles on the 04 svt cobra. 

[Marck]

I got mine in april this year, and (fingers crossed) I hope to have it running next summer, body work winter 08/09, and paint spring 09...

Not in too much of a hurry, but I've only driven the thing once, and I'd really like to try it again...