Rolling Thunder's Charger Restoration Thread *PICS* *UPDATE!*

[NYCMille]

That feeling of "I'm almost there..." is a nice one isn't it... 

[Rolling_Thunder]

That feeling of "I'm almost there..." is a nice one isn't it... 

Indeed it is         Still pretty far off - but every day it is inching closer...   

[Rolling_Thunder]

Well Today was a monthly club meeting and I must say I am completely motivated to finish my Charger - I finally got around to modifying my fuel tank to accept a Walbro 255lph pump...    I ended up cutting the corner off of the tank, made a sheet metal box, welded bolts from the inside, and then mounted my wazoo fuel pump holder...   Now I can get it into the car and figure out the rest of the fuel lines - thus completing the fuel system.

Remaining is fabbing a bracket for the new gas pedal -

Minor electrical work will need to be done to wire everything up -

Run defroster and A/C ducts - hook up the controls - and finish the A/C lines

Mount condenser, bumper, grille, and wire up the headlights



Dash got installed finally - along with the front windshield


Freshly powder coated Grille frame


Mounted headlight - they are all mounted at this time - running HID lamps with 8000k lamps


Aerospace connectors - I am using these where I can on external harnesses --->  Expensive though - but IMO worth it. These will be used for bulkhead fittings in the engine bay and headlight harnesses

[PocketThunder]

   There is no such thing as too many pictures.   

[FlatbackFanatic]

 

[Rolling_Thunder]

Well at the moment what little progress I was planning on making is on hold - I am currently cleaning out my garage to make room for the Charger -  There has been construction next door for about a year but they need to now demolish my block wall and build a new one - so I'll be damned if they are going to get within 10 ft of my Charger with bobcats and other forms of destruction...

The plan was to get her in the garage when completed anyway so it is just happening sooner rather than later.

[Rolling_Thunder]

Alright guys - I spent the last week cleaning up my garage and I finally got my Charger in my garage (where it should be) - I washed her before she went in and she is definately looking good.  I did find some minor issues with the paint - contacted the painted and said to bring it back and he'll fix it right up. 

While it is in the Garage I plan on getting the remaining electrical done and then the fuel system...   that is about the only think keeping the Charger from running....     

Pretty excited about the whole thing

[sixty-niner]

Dude, your project is awesome!!  you say your in LA?  what car club do you belong too?  I want to join a mopar club too.  lAlso, love to check out the car some time too, since I am pondering a similar build to my 69 charger.  keep us posted !!

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Keep going Alex!

[Rolling_Thunder]

Dude, your project is awesome!!  you say your in LA?  what car club do you belong too?  I want to join a mopar club too.  lAlso, love to check out the car some time too, since I am pondering a similar build to my 69 charger.  keep us posted !!

I am a member of South Bay Mopars       http://www.southbaymopars.com/

[motorcitydak]

You said earlier that you are going to run 13 inch front rotors and PBR calipers. Is that a kit or are you making it yourself? I am trying to figure out what to do for my front brakes. Any help would be great. I want something around 13". I saw a magazine that used Viper calipers, that would be sweet. They said they are around $250 for a pair and have to use a 13"+ rotor that is 1.25 thick. I just have not been able to find an application that would be that size with the rite bolt pattern, or one that could be redrilled

[Rolling_Thunder]

I am going to make my own set up - The problem with running the Viper calipers are that most modern rotors do not have enough offset to justify them. Mostly the rotors have 1" of offset - this poses a problem with caliper clearance to the rims (why I plan on going with PBR calipers -     The only way to run the Bembo (Viper) calipers is to run a big wheel spacer - this then poses problems with selecting wheels with proper offset.

The Viper caliper needs almost 2.75" off center clearance - subtract 1" for the caliper offset and another inch for Caliper clearance built into the wheel. This leaves .75" interference...          PBR calipers only require about 1.75" clearance. 

The de-facto standard for 13" rotors by 1.25" thick are 2002 ish Mustang Cobra Rotors...     

You could always go with a more modern wheel with a lot more backspacing and caliper clearance but this I think is pretty difficult as no off the shelf wheel seems to have correct backspacing for our applications.... 

Once I get it all sorted out I will be posting information.

[Troy]

I'm using a Dr Diff kit with the Mustang rotors and calipers. It only moves the hub face out about 1/4" but does require 17" wheels.
http://www.doctordiff.com/?page_id=41

AR Engineering makes the Viper conversions but I'm not sure what you have to do for wheel offsets. And is a great source of information though and always answers questions quickly and concisely.
http://www.arengineering.com/caliper/viper/viper13.html
http://www.arengineering.com/caliper/viper2/viper_ab13.html

Troy

[Rolling_Thunder]

The Dr. Diff kit is the PBR calipers with a Mustang Cobra rotor - pretty much the same thing I will be doing for now

The AR Engineering kit uses a Mercedes 13 or 14" rotor that uses a larger offset - making them work with conventional wheels. No fancy offset is needed from what I know.

the downside to the AR engineering kit is the mercedes rotors need to be machined to work with their hub - the rotors are also very costly...       


I am currently searching for a rotor with the correct offset and big enough to do what I like - at that point I would run some 6 piston calipers front and 4 piston rears...     but finding that rotor is proving quite difficult.

for now - my SSBC front and rear discs will work with my 15" magnum 500's

[motorcitydak]

Looking at the Dr. Diff site, their 13 inch front kit is only 800 bucks. It looks like it includes everything you need. I think with the project I have going on it will be nice to have one thing that I can just bolt on the car.

[Rolling_Thunder]

agreed - the Dr Diff kit is the same thing XV sells for about double the cost -  It is now pretty much the standard for guys who want 17" wheels

[Troy]

My Dr Diff front kit has genuine Ford Mustang calipers - complete with the running pony logo (Ford was out of stock on the plain ones). The rears might be PBR (they are black) but I thought they were from an Explorer or Expedition.

Troy

[Rolling_Thunder]

Yep - PBR makes the calipers for Ford, GM, and many others - they are very common on most cars - even new Chargers and Magnums -

They are great calipers and more affordable than Brembos...       

[suntech]

agreed - the Dr Diff kit is the same thing XV sells for about double the cost -  It is now pretty much the standard for guys who want 17" wheels

:scratchchin:XV is using Stoptech in their kit, at least their level II kit.

[Rolling_Thunder]

their level one kit - 13" rotors with PBR calipers...       

[Rolling_Thunder]

Alrighty guys -   time for an update....       I finally got some needed parts for my project...   I have been doing a lot of mocking up of things including brakes and what not...       

The lack of progress is a direct result of cash flow...   the economy still sucks balls and I'm having to run around to quite a few different endeavors to get $$$ - also back in college so it is usurping a lot of my time...   

The last major piece of the puzzle is my wheel and tire package...    (Expensive parts) So forgive my lack of posting.

Anyway - I have finally pulled the trigger on the brake package....    I know I have done a lot of talking to this point but I have the parts in hand and mocked up (and no - no photos at the moment...    I want to get some miles on the car before I post anything - I want to make sure they will function the way I'd like) - The wheels will be ordered as soon as the company gets back to me with Caliper Clearances --->  If everything goes according to plan - the wheel design has been picked and the sizes as well...     I'll order the wheels as soon as i get an answer - should take 4-5 weeks to get them after that...    The plan is to get the car running in the mean time and work out any bugs...   

Car has been getting wired up - been doing some misc things like heater hoses, intake manifold fittings, fuel lines, mounted the fuel pump, mounted the fuel tank...   and things of that nature...    I still need to do some wiring...   things like headlights, fan relay, mount PCM, mount gas pedal, and wire gas pedal...      I plan on mounting the gas pedal this weekend and getting it wired in as well...      The charger is now in the garage but it is raining like a SOB outside and I can't work under the hood with it in the garage...   need to wait for clearer weather.

I have also started doing some rust repair on my 69 Road Runner just so it is easier to sell...    I figure with my plans to enlist in the USAF I will not have time / place / money for the 69...    I am going to keep the 66 Satellite simply because it is a convertible....      nice little cruising car...   

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Great work so far can't wait to see some more pics. What wheels are you gonna get?

[Rolling_Thunder]

I hate to be a stickler but nothing is set in stone - I have picked one but if the wheel maker does not get back to me about a few things I will go elsewhere...   I will be running 18x8 and 18x10 wheels with Nitto tires... 

The biggest issue is caliper clearance...   I need quite a bit but i guess wheel makers don't know their products well enough to give me an answer...   

[Dukes69]

I hate to be a stickler but nothing is set in stone - I have picked one but if the wheel maker does not get back to me about a few things I will go elsewhere...   I will be running 18x8 and 18x10 wheels with Nitto tires... 

The biggest issue is caliper clearance...   I need quite a bit but i guess wheel makers don't know their products well enough to give me an answer...   

What size front rotor are you planning on?

[Rolling_Thunder]

The fronts will be 14.2" Diameter and the Rears will be 13.8"