New members Restoration, 69 RT/SE

[elacruze]

BTW what did you do with the gears? How cool would that be to have a known factory mistake?

I changed them for a set of 3.23's. I didn't want the 3.55's. Maybe the wrong thing to do?

Car has cruise control on the build sheet, but its not fitted and never was.

I don't know if this stuff makes the car more valuable or not, but I'd have the double-stamped gears cleaned up and displayed or something. To me it's uniqueness, and anything unique adds cool factor.

[375instroke]

Originally the car was T7 bronze but as this is officially the nastiest colour ever applied to a mopar, it was binned in favour of T5.

Thanks a pantload (see left).

[375instroke]

Wheels will be 15 inch steels in body color. It had 14 rallyes originally, but i dont really like them.

Had 14" Rallyes when you got the car?  If you didn't know, Rallyes weren't available till '70.  Perhaps Britain, if that's where you are at, had a different arrangement.  Do you know what wheels were on it from the factory?  I think wheels weren't coded on the fender tag.  Only on the build sheet.

[375instroke]

So this is a new shield?  Did you try zinc plating your old ones?  Can you show us what happened?

finally got to fit my new brake shields. After spending hours on my old ones without much success, i found out that Roger Gibson was doing these. they are a very nice piece 

[375instroke]

Is this sway bar bare metal or painted?  What about the drag link and idler arm?

[375instroke]

Could you give descriptions on how you did this?  What electrolyte did you use?  What's zinc blackener, brightener, and yellow chromate?  Is the chromate easy to get?  I've used chromic acid (Alodine) to turn aluminum yellow.  It's a liquid that you just apply for a minute and rinse off.  Is the yellow chromate treatment the same, or is it an electrolytic process also, like I assume the zinc is?  I'm sure your blackened zinc will hold up better than the phosphate since the zinc actually plates the steel.  Did you do this to your backing plates?

Rather than phosphating bolts, ive taken to Zinc plating and then using a special zinc blackner afterwards. Hopefully this should hold up better than phospate. Heres a couple of K frame bolts.




I zinc plated [the wiper motor stator] with plenty of brightner and then stuck in some yellow chromate and dried it off with a hot air gun.

[roger440]

Originally the car was T7 bronze but as this is officially the nastiest colour ever applied to a mopar, it was binned in favour of T5.

Thanks a pantload (see left).

Got to say, that doesn't look T7 in that pic. But i still dont like it

[roger440]

Wheels will be 15 inch steels in body color. It had 14 rallyes originally, but i dont really like them.

Had 14" Rallyes when you got the car?  If you didn't know, Rallyes weren't available till '70.  Perhaps Britain, if that's where you are at, had a different arrangement.  Do you know what wheels were on it from the factory?  I think wheels weren't coded on the fender tag.  Only on the build sheet.

errr, didn't know that. One of the first pics shows what was fitted. What do you call these? Build sheet was coded W21.

[roger440]

So this is a new shield?  Did you try zinc plating your old ones?  Can you show us what happened?

finally got to fit my new brake shields. After spending hours on my old ones without much success, i found out that Roger Gibson was doing these. they are a very nice piece 

That is indeed a brand new shield. The old ones were very badly pitted with holes in many places. I welded the holes up, primed with a high build primer, sanded smooth (ish) and painted silver. I didnt know i could get new at the time or i wouldn't have bothered. They dont look great.

[roger440]

Is this sway bar bare metal or painted?  What about the drag link and idler arm?

Both painted. Idler is bare metal as its a longer one, so not technically correct.

[roger440]

Could you give descriptions on how you did this?  What electrolyte did you use?  What's zinc blackener, brightener, and yellow chromate?  Is the chromate easy to get?  I've used chromic acid (Alodine) to turn aluminum yellow.  It's a liquid that you just apply for a minute and rinse off.  Is the yellow chromate treatment the same, or is it an electrolytic process also, like I assume the zinc is?  I'm sure your blackened zinc will hold up better than the phosphate since the zinc actually plates the steel.  Did you do this to your backing plates?

Rather than phosphating bolts, ive taken to Zinc plating and then using a special zinc blackner afterwards. Hopefully this should hold up better than phospate. Heres a couple of K frame bolts.




I zinc plated [the wiper motor stator] with plenty of brightner and then stuck in some yellow chromate and dried it off with a hot air gun.

Im in england, so my suppliers are different, but you can buy all this from caswells, www.caswellplating.com

chromates and the zinc blackner are both solutions that you dip the components into after the zincplating process is complete.

The whole plating process takes a while to perfect, but its well worth the effort. Like all things, its all in the prep.

The shields were new, so not plated by me.

Hope this helps.

[375instroke]

Originally the car was T7 bronze but as this is officially the nastiest colour ever applied to a mopar, it was binned in favour of T5.

Thanks a pantload (see left).

Got to say, that doesn't look T7 in that pic. But i still dont like it

It's been repainted at least twice.  There's new paint in the engine compartment and trunk that looks like T7, then it must have been painted again on the exterior and door jambs only, but a lighter color, which as bad as T7 is, this is even worse.  Too much yellow.  Could they not get the color right, or did someone think this was better?  Idiots.  A few more really stupid things were done to the car, but not that big a deal I guess, like throwing away the original carb and installing a much smaller Edelbrock AFB in it's place along with a tiny electric fuel pump.  They also separated the steering coupler and installed it 180° out.  They then lengthened one tie rod all the way out, and bottomed out the other one to get the steering wheel straight.  These items are now fixed.  I only have to deal with the color.  I think you've inspired me to paint it a color I like.  I look at my brown/tan/tan car and see a Charger.  I see other people's Chargers and think "Wow!  Cool Charger."

[375instroke]

Wheels will be 15 inch steels in body color. It had 14 rallyes originally, but i dont really like them.

Had 14" Rallyes when you got the car?  If you didn't know, Rallyes weren't available till '70.  Perhaps Britain, if that's where you are at, had a different arrangement.  Do you know what wheels were on it from the factory?  I think wheels weren't coded on the fender tag.  Only on the build sheet.

errr, didn't know that. One of the first pics shows what was fitted. What do you call these? Build sheet was coded W21.

Those are called Road Wheels.  That's what's on my car.

[tan top]

nice work Roger    looks great   keep the pictures  coming  

[roger440]

Wheels will be 15 inch steels in body color. It had 14 rallyes originally, but i dont really like them.

Had 14" Rallyes when you got the car?  If you didn't know, Rallyes weren't available till '70.  Perhaps Britain, if that's where you are at, had a different arrangement.  Do you know what wheels were on it from the factory?  I think wheels weren't coded on the fender tag.  Only on the build sheet.

errr, didn't know that. One of the first pics shows what was fitted. What do you call these? Build sheet was coded W21.

Those are called Road Wheels.  That's what's on my car.

I stand corrected!

[roger440]

Originally the car was T7 bronze but as this is officially the nastiest colour ever applied to a mopar, it was binned in favour of T5.

Thanks a pantload (see left).

Got to say, that doesn't look T7 in that pic. But i still dont like it

It's been repainted at least twice.  There's new paint in the engine compartment and trunk that looks like T7, then it must have been painted again on the exterior and door jambs only, but a lighter color, which as bad as T7 is, this is even worse.  Too much yellow.  Could they not get the color right, or did someone think this was better?  Idiots.  A few more really stupid things were done to the car, but not that big a deal I guess, like throwing away the original carb and installing a much smaller Edelbrock AFB in it's place along with a tiny electric fuel pump.  They also separated the steering coupler and installed it 180° out.  They then lengthened one tie rod all the way out, and bottomed out the other one to get the steering wheel straight.  These items are now fixed.  I only have to deal with the color.  I think you've inspired me to paint it a color I like.  I look at my brown/tan/tan car and see a Charger.  I see other people's Chargers and think "Wow!  Cool Charger."

My thinking was i wanted a color i liked but didn't want to lose the "character" of the car, hence going 1 shade lighter, although as i posted early on, the color has been "modified".

Over here in the UK, originality counts for a bit less, and should i ever want to sell it, a brown car isn't going to sell!!! No matter how "original" it is.

Are you restoring yours then?

[roger440]

nice work Roger    looks great   keep the pictures  coming  

doing my best

[375instroke]

I'm not restoring it.  It's a daily driver, and the brown works well at hiding the dirt.  I don't have a garage, so that helps a lot.  This car is probably the least desirable '69 Charger R/T as far as options and colors.  Brown with tan top and interior, and column shift.  It does have low rust, a straight body, color sanded and buffed brown paint (polished turd), and 90,000 mile original drivetrain.

[TylerCharger69]

That Charger is looking awesome!!!   Nice detail as well!!!   Keep those progress pictures coming!!

[roger440]

Time for a quick update. Not a huga anmount has been done, but it seems, a huge amount of time.

Not helped by the fact i dont know/cant remember where everything goes. Plus my original strip down photos show some, err, modifications!

Ive concentrated on attaching stuff to the firewall.

The thing is, there are some bits im not sure of.

Here are some pics,

First up is the heater box area. Ive installed the AC "thingy" on the fire wall and attached the capillary to the heater box

[roger440]

Wanted to fit the column plate, but at this point realised ive lost one bolt and i dont have the gasket. Doh!!!

More importantly, the 2 holes to the left, what are they for. Ive seen from genos, daytona resto that an odd rubber thing goes in the oval hole. What is it, and can you buy them? Also, what is the round hole next to it.

[roger440]

Remainder of insulation pad cut from a non a/c pad

[roger440]

Here is my firewall. The vac line currently comes out through a hole just above the A/C "thingy". This is where it was when i took the car apart.

What is the hole next to it for? It did have a choke cable in it. These dont have a manual choke do they?

[roger440]

My restored bendix booster and cylinder. Nice i think.

Tried to install the brake lines. the 2 to the distribution block went ok, but it seems ive bought the wrong kit. Needed Y1 QRB96, not QRB6!!!!!!

[roger440]

New screenwash bottle and hose installed.

Needless to say, my "100% correct" replacement hose and nozzle lit wasn't 100% correct. Had to by some hose from Frank B to make it correct!

Originally, well before i took it apart, the engine harness was tied into these straps. I assume that this was wrong and that the harness should run along next to the valve cover on the engine?