My '72 charger - the odyssey so far - update 5/30

[richard pettys 73]

that is one sweet ride  cant wait to see it completed   

[defiance]

the raptor liner comes in a kit, usually sells for around $100 for the full kit.  The kit includes four bottles of liner around 3/4 full, one bottle of hardener, and a spray gun.  To use it you just fill a bottle the rest of the way up with hardener, shake for a bit, put it on the gun with an air supply, and spray it on.  Really easy stuff as long as you have an air compressor, and it's TOUGH too - I had to clean off a spot to weld on the subframe connectors after the first layer, and it took a few minutes with an angle grinder!

So I decided tonight I'd try my hand at aluminum welding.  So, I cut down the intake elbow, ground the flange backside down flat and ground in a bit of an angle into the tube, prepped it for welding ... then I grabbed some random bits of aluminum to practice with.  Got some decent beads in practice.  Then I decided to actually start working on it, and man... I SUCK at aluminum welding!  I probably jammed aluminum wire in the feed mechanism somewhere around 7.2 billion times, welded about 3 million tips shut, ruined a nozzle, and accomplished absolutely nothing useful (ended up grinding off all the crap I spattered on the elbow).  Man.  normal mild steel welding is farking EASY compared to this crap!

[71green go]

the raptor liner comes in a kit, usually sells for around $100 for the full kit.  The kit includes four bottles of liner around 3/4 full, one bottle of hardener, and a spray gun.  To use it you just fill a bottle the rest of the way up with hardener, shake for a bit, put it on the gun with an air supply, and spray it on.  Really easy stuff as long as you have an air compressor, and it's TOUGH too - I had to clean off a spot to weld on the subframe connectors after the first layer, and it took a few minutes with an angle grinder!

So I decided tonight I'd try my hand at aluminum welding.  So, I cut down the intake elbow, ground the flange backside down flat and ground in a bit of an angle into the tube, prepped it for welding ... then I grabbed some random bits of aluminum to practice with.  Got some decent beads in practice.  Then I decided to actually start working on it, and man... I SUCK at aluminum welding!  I probably jammed aluminum wire in the feed mechanism somewhere around 7.2 billion times, welded about 3 million tips shut, ruined a nozzle, and accomplished absolutely nothing useful (ended up grinding off all the crap I spattered on the elbow).  Man.  normal mild steel welding is farking EASY compared to this crap!

Sweet car!....

Are you mig welding the Aluminum?.......which gas do you have in your tank?......same as steel welding?....I believe the shielding gas is diff for Aluminum........??........

[ACUDANUT]

as always man...slammin...i can't wait till mine is there...what a sick car

That Charger is anything, but SICK.  Awesome car.   What was the Original color anyway ?

[Rolling_Thunder]

TIG welders are ALOT better for welding aluminum...    friend of mine can weld an aluminum can back together after I cut it on a band saw...     scary skills

[defiance]

Yeah, I was trying to mig   I'd changed the gas out - for steel I was using argon/co2 mix.  For aluminum I'd switched to pure argon.  I gave up and found someone to do it for me (can't afford a spool gun or a tig welder ).  Supposed to pick it up this afternoon.  I think my problem is that i'm still using a metal spiral liner, and really should switch to teflon.  Oh well, I'll worry about learning that later

[Charger666]

Beautiful car brother.

[JPL]

progress has been slow past few weeks, but I think I'm starting to catch up.  Had a pretty good day.  I've now replaced the oil pressure gauge I toasted (I just got a cheap $15 sunpro and worked it into the stock location; ended up looking pretty much stock), managed to put together all the tranny connections -- that was trouble since I found out my transmission came from a truck originally, so it didn't have the proper mounting spots for the lower shifter linkage bracket... fabbed up one, ended up being easier than I thought.  Found all the parts for the speedometer pinion housing (had some trouble finding the seal, found it at brewers performance, good find.).  Finally got all that done and broke my starter-- twisted the bolt on the solenoid and broke the little insulator pad inside it.  Figured out something really cool, though - if you need a starter out with headers, you don't necessarily have to take the headers off!  On mine (440source mini starter and hedman headers), I took off the two screws that hold the main starter motor to the front piece, disconnected the power cable between the two halves, and was able to pull it off in two pieces.  Once I figured it out, took about 10 minutes to get it off, then 10 to get it back on once I had everything in it fixed.  So hopefully done with the 'spending more time fixing my screwups than actual progress' phase!

Anyway, once that was all finally finished up, I got the driveshaft in (mancini 1350 cut-to-length kit), then the exhaust in - 3" summit kit with a 3" summit x-pipe.  Looks good so far.  I knew it wouldn't completely bolt up given that I was adding the x-pipe kit, but it came impressively close - I only had to get creative with the connection between the front of the x-pipe and the first piece of the exhaust pipe.  I put together the rest of the kit with the supplied clamps, then welded the joint between the x and the first exhaust piece.  I may go back and spot weld 3 spots on each of the others to keep them still, but I don't want a full welded set in case something ever rusts, I can just pull out the bad part and be done.  Then I welded on a couple of o2 sensor fittings (one on each pipe),, and FINALLY dropped the car off jack stands.  I'm TIRED of being UNDER that thing, so it feels really good to have all that stuff done.

Anyway, today I did a crapload of engine wiring stuff.  with efi, buncha fans, relays, etc, that part's pretty time consuming, but I think I'm nearly done.  Still need to connect all the vacuum lines, need to finish up the heater hoses (hoses are actually all done, but I ran out of clamps), put in the radiator, fans & fan wiring, a/c lines, condenser, dryer, charge the a/c, put the steering coupler back together, put in the instrument cluster, bleed the brakes, and it should be ready to run!  So yeah, long list, but a long list of small things; I think this week is doable for having it started!! WOW what a long time coming this has been.....


After that I still have to finish up the driver's side door panel (waiting on a replacement lower panel handle), do some work on the kickpanels, and put the trunk/amps/subs in, but those are of secondary importance.

Oh, and I just remembered - I'm going to have to have my intake elbow cut and shortened about an inch to make room for my air filter - it's too close to the rear firewall, and I can't make it face forward either; hits the a/c compressor that way. 

Oh, here's a few pics - engine bay as it stands right now (yes, it's VERY dirty, but my driveway is REALLY steep, so I can't move it out the driveway until I can actually drive it back in, and I can't wash it in the garage...).  the rear view as it stands right now (raptor lined the gas tank, so it's all coated now), side car view with the engine in so the front isn't up so high (still a bit higher than I'd like, probably due to lost weight in aluminum parts), and a view of the installed auto rust technicians subframe connectors after I raptor lined them.  for some weird reason they were about an inch too long; Called a.r.t. and gave them the length and my measurements matched what they have on record for a '72, but my car was shorter for some reason.  ended up being a really easy fix, though, I just cut back the front notch an inch.  No biggie.  Guess my car is a mutant

Anyway, it's been a long weekend.  I'm effin' tired

After seeing your motor pic, you should, imho, maybe point that throtle body to the side and do a ram air thing, it looks like your not going to be getting enough cfm with that set up, here's a pic out of something, I don't know what but kinda the same idea.....:

[Foreman72]

the raptor liner comes in a kit, usually sells for around $100 for the full kit.  The kit includes four bottles of liner around 3/4 full, one bottle of hardener, and a spray gun.  To use it you just fill a bottle the rest of the way up with hardener, shake for a bit, put it on the gun with an air supply, and spray it on.  Really easy stuff as long as you have an air compressor, and it's TOUGH too - I had to clean off a spot to weld on the subframe connectors after the first layer, and it took a few minutes with an angle grinder!

sounds like something i might look into...is it rust inhibiting as well or just like a bed liner kinda thing

as always man...slammin...i can't wait till mine is there...what a sick car

That Charger is anything, but SICK.  Awesome car.   What was the Original color anyway ?

sick=cool in my generation

sorry...what a neato car...

[defiance]

well... it isn't specifically chemically rust inhibiting, but if no moisture gets to the metal, no rust can occur - kinda like paint, but thicker.  So, you have to be sure the underlying metal is clean, dry, and completely rust free before applying it (thus over a week of being under the car soda blasting for me first!  that was NOT fun   )

I just got the intake elbow back today and it's in good shape.  I still have it rear mounted at the moment, but I test fitted it, it can be rotated to rear or front easily, and to the sides with a slight spacer.  Not sure how much hood clearance I have, though (hood is off), so once the hood is on I'll see how it fits and decide then which way works best. 

[ACUDANUT]

the raptor liner comes in a kit, usually sells for around $100 for the full kit.  The kit includes four bottles of liner around 3/4 full, one bottle of hardener, and a spray gun.  To use it you just fill a bottle the rest of the way up with hardener, shake for a bit, put it on the gun with an air supply, and spray it on.  Really easy stuff as long as you have an air compressor, and it's TOUGH too - I had to clean off a spot to weld on the subframe connectors after the first layer, and it took a few minutes with an angle grinder!

sounds like something i might look into...is it rust inhibiting as well or just like a bed liner kinda thing

as always man...slammin...i can't wait till mine is there...what a sick car

That Charger is anything, but SICK.  Awesome car.   What was the Original color anyway ?

sick=cool in my generation

sorry...what a neato car...

Thanks for the heads up.  If I did not know that and someone told me I had a "Sick Car" I would have told them to go to Hell. 

[Foreman72]

the raptor liner comes in a kit, usually sells for around $100 for the full kit.  The kit includes four bottles of liner around 3/4 full, one bottle of hardener, and a spray gun.  To use it you just fill a bottle the rest of the way up with hardener, shake for a bit, put it on the gun with an air supply, and spray it on.  Really easy stuff as long as you have an air compressor, and it's TOUGH too - I had to clean off a spot to weld on the subframe connectors after the first layer, and it took a few minutes with an angle grinder!

sounds like something i might look into...is it rust inhibiting as well or just like a bed liner kinda thing

as always man...slammin...i can't wait till mine is there...what a sick car

That Charger is anything, but SICK.  Awesome car.   What was the Original color anyway ?

sick=cool in my generation

sorry...what a neato car...

Thanks for the heads up.  If I did not know that and someone told me I had a "Sick Car" I would have told them to go to Hell. 

happy to help you out sir

[quapman]

On the other hand, if they call YOU a sick tool......     

[Silver R/T]

Very nice restomod Charger

[defiance]

So, I didn't make the dyno day I was hoping for last month, and really got pretty burned out.  Haven't really touched it all month...  Finally I went out today, cleaned out the garage, and got back to work on it.  Got it running enough to drive it out of the garage, clean it up, and get some pics.  Still have the hood off for now, figured I'd put it back on when the engine is 100% tuned; simplifies work in the meantime (and saves my skull from getting the infamous latch crater )

Still haven't touched the kickpanels or the trunk audio.  Have a minor leak in the trunk seal I need to fix before putting anything electronic in there, and that's all secondary to getting it driving anyway.