Protouring build style

[Bill Howell]

Last Four

[suntech]

Rear suspention quite different from the 68. Did you do the mods yourself?

[Bill Howell]

I bought the kit from XV but nothing fit or was used except for the lower trailing arms, top link assembly and the brackets were used for patterns. Panhard bar was all wrong and would not clear the chunk. We also beefed up the mounting point in the center alot. The swaybar is in that upper tube you see at the top and attached on either side of the rearend above the trailing arm mounts. As you can see in one picture, we had to notch the left framerail for clearance also.  As I said before, XV said they had never sold a kit for a 72 and wasn't sure if the pieces would work, so that was on me. I feel this will all work now though and I am happy with the package.  Now if I can just finish the project.....

[dfsmopars]

Ok, here are a few pictures from two weekends ago.

What do you think I think? This winter mine is getting lowered and a modern interior is going in. Eventually everything will be modernized. Go for it! Your color is perfect!

[Bill Howell]

Great! what wheels  you running? I am thinking something like that for the 18s that will be used when autocrossing and roadracing.

[dfsmopars]

My wheels are from Boze. I would love to be where you are right now but I have to move slowly as funds allow. I think your set up is fantastic. I have had original cars and frankly I get bored with them. I do not buy rare collectable cars any more because I want the ones I can put my signature on. I spent Saturday at a Mopar event and the ones that draw me are the ones that have been made better than factory. I do like the classics but give me a fast, comfortable, curve hugging, nodernized muscle car any day.

[BigBlockSam]

wow! dig-in  the car .  i like that big rear and suspension .  i have to do something like that to my daytona . to make it handle better. i get a lot of body roll .  Rene

[BMOTOXSTAR]

 

[Finn]

I dig it!

[FLG]

I gotta say, great work on the suspension/steering and engine, should make the car handle great and preform awesome. I like the pro-touring look on 2nd gens but i cant say the same for 3rd...i like more rubber on my rims, but to each his own. Regardless, good luck and shes comming along great. 

[Mike DC]

 
I'm not a big fan of the Pro Touring "look" although I appreciate the intentions and the efforts of it.  I bailed when Chip Foose's style totally took over. 

It really chafes me to hear this style continually referred to as new or cutting-edge.  The raw idea of a corner-happy musclecar is at least as old as the TAs, AARs, and Z-28s that we're currently restoring.  The roots of the trend's modern rebirth can be traced to the "Big Red" Camaro from 1989.  By the later 1990s, (which was already a full decade ago) there was virtually nothing else in "Popular Hot Rodding" each month.




As for your car, I like most of the exterior body ideas and I definitely dig the suspension stuff.  With the exception of preferring the '73/74 style rear side windows, I can't think of anything I would want to change about it. 


You lost me at the 20" wheels though.  When a car's street rims/tires are even bigger/lower profile than the car's track set . . . that's bling territory.  That kind of 20" rim & sidewall combination looks like it's liable to get $1000 worth of rim damage from a moderate-sized pothole.  IMHO that situation is hardly much more streetable than Pro Street bigs & littles. 

I'd keep 18s on it for the street and get the most tire sidewall height I could find.

[Old Moparz]

The car looks great & should be a lot of fun to drive.    I like the whole concept of upgrading the suspension so it's more comparible to a modern sports car than a 40 year old box on a moving dolly.    

Not complaining, but for me. the one thing I can't get into on the older cars are the huge wheels & tires without any sidewalls. I know it may improve the handling, but the visual is way off to me with such strange proportions of tire, wheel, & wheel wells. 

One question, what color is that?

My '69 Satellite is B3 light metallic blue & looks very close.

[Hemidog]

Cool Charger! 

[SFRT]

that suspension set up rules.

[Bill Howell]

I am not sure on the paint color, but I know it is a factory color for 72. In person it is silver with a blueish/greenish? tint. The guy I bought it from was a true original only type and was so proud of the fact it was FACTORY PAINT, I just dug the color, original did not matter one way or the other.
Rims sizes are certainly a personal taste. As far as streetable, I have a 65 GTO with similar wheel/tire combo and have driven it 11,000  miles, two complete Power Tours, downtown Jersey and NYC and all the other bad roads between here and there and not so much as a flat. I did worry about bent rims at first too, but so far so good. I did get more sidewall with the Charger setup so the ride will be better than the goat. One thing is for sure, you either like the big rims or hate them, there is no in between that I have found. I am 50 years old, and came up in the Rally Wheel only era, so most don't beleive I went from that style to the bigger wheels now, but I did.
I do have an original set of Rallys for the charger with all chrome etc though, If anyone needs a set....

[Joshua]

All new front suspension setup? Looks like iit all needs to go forward @ 1-2"...

[Bill Howell]

That has alot to do with the angle of that picture. The frontend will only bolt up in one position, and it is about 1/2 inch rearward of center of the fender. The way the front flares out compared to the back side of the fender makes it look worse than it is. I guess I should get someone with an original setup to see where the spindle center is from the factory.

[PocketThunder]

+1 vote for the bling wheels here.    and for the demographic, i'm 33.

[RD]

absolutely beatifully stunning.... congrats bill on a good plan and great execution... 3rd gens in protouring just scream "race me".

[Joshua]

That has alot to do with the angle of that picture. The frontend will only bolt up in one position, and it is about 1/2 inch rearward of center of the fender. The way the front flares out compared to the back side of the fender makes it look worse than it is. I guess I should get someone with an original setup to see where the spindle center is from the factory.

Yeah....it "could" be the angle of that pic making it look worse than it is, the pic of the other side doesn't look as far back.....but it definitely is not centered. But for a 3rd gen...it looks cool........ (actually, your build is one of, if not the, nicest I've seen)

I'm not a real big fan of the big, Chrome "bling"-type wheels, but those 3 piece wheels look really nice, not bling, more of a road race DTM, or endurance racer, ALA LeMans.......
Leave the big chromies for the RAPPERS ......

[Bill Howell]

Here are some shots Kevin Ostese of V8TV took recently at my shop.
http://www.v8tvshow.com/images/stories/FeaturesMopar/HowellCharger/BillHowellChargerS_007.jpg
http://www.v8tvshow.com/images/stories/FeaturesMopar/HowellCharger/BillHowellChargerS_008.jpg
http://www.v8tvshow.com/images/stories/FeaturesMopar/HowellCharger/BillHowellChargerS_009.jpg
http://www.v8tvshow.com/images/stories/FeaturesMopar/HowellCharger/BillHowellChargerS_010.jpg
http://www.v8tvshow.com/images/stories/FeaturesMopar/HowellCharger/BillHowellChargerS_013.jpg
http://www.v8tvshow.com/images/stories/FeaturesMopar/HowellCharger/BillHowellChargerS_016.jpg
http://www.v8tvshow.com/images/stories/FeaturesMopar/HowellCharger/BillHowellChargerS_020.jpg

[Hemidog]

Man, that engine looks so small in that huge compartment!   

[studio57]

Hi Bill
my Level II kit wasnt what i was expecting and i have talked with Scott and Peter and for some reason they think there is nothing wrong with my kit, what is your opinion?
is this the quality best you guys can do or has something gone wrong on my kit?
few samples and talk:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,77825.0.html

http://www.protouringmopar.com/showthread.php?460-XV-motorsports-Level-II-to-68-Charger-modification-started

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=6469761&page=0&vc=1&PHPSESSID=#Post6469761

[Bill Howell]

Hi Bill
my Level II kit wasnt what i was expecting and i have talked with Scott and Peter and for some reason they think there is nothing wrong with my kit, what is your opinion?
is this the quality best you guys can do or has something gone wrong on my kit?
few samples and talk:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,77825.0.html

http://www.protouringmopar.com/showthread.php?460-XV-motorsports-Level-II-to-68-Charger-modification-started

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=6469761&page=0&vc=1&PHPSESSID=#Post6469761

I commented in the link above. My frontend fit my car perfectly and overall has been a good fit for what I do with the charger. I have logged 14K+ miles on it since the build and other than the UCA issue at OUSCI in 2009, have been happy. However, that issue should have never happened, and I am yet to get reimbursed for other damage caused by lousy parts. We are talking about one bent fender and one lower ball joint, not alot of money but certainly the principle of making a customer whole seems unimportant.
I have had to replace the wheel bearing assembly due to failure and I upgraded with ZR1 bearing pack, which is much more heavy duty IMO and hopefully takes care of that problem. Remember, Corvettes weigh much less than a 72 charger so I am not sure the factory bearing/hub is strong enough to handle the extra weight. At least if you do what I have been doing with my car.
Now, keep in mind, most will never road race their vehicles and average, normal driving will never stress test one like I do, so don't let my wearing out a bearing effect your decision on who's parts to buy, just know if you do road race, go ahead and upgrade now, saves you from brake knockback and plowing up dirt and grass  because  you had no brakes in turn 4 at Gingerman.... Ask me how I know......

[Paul G]

I love the car! Not the billboard! That billboard is an E body thing. I wouldnt do it on a B body myself. Great work though.  Others dont like the big wheels, I say go for what works. You almost have to for the whole package to work together.