Coming soon.....

[KS71owner]

I've decided over the last couple of days that since my Charger hasn't been driven in close to two years (hell, I haven't tagged it for almost that long) I am going to dive in and start the long-promised restoration that it has never had. My budget is small, but it doesn't cost anything to take something apart  and since that's where I'm starting I might as well get to it. I'll feel better about actually making some progress on it than to have it just sitting gathering dust. I will post some new 'intact' photos later this week, and I will begin the teardown soon after. I'll try to make the updates as regularly as I can, with accompanying photos. Also, I already know of a few things I won't be  needing and will put up for sale so hopefully I can help somebody out with their project too. I'd like to thank everyone on this fantastic site for their feedback and knowledge - the treasure trove of information and know-how I've found here is what has encouraged me to take this step.

Here's where I'm starting out....fairly solid car, some filler in the driver's quarter but not much more (that I know of - if there's one thing JB666's thread has taught me is that Bondo can be anywhere). The passenger quarter was fixed a few years ago and a lot of filler was taken out of there and a patch was put in for the lower quarter.

[jb666]

Awesome!! The car looks great sitting there -- I can't wait to see the shots along the way 

[WingCharger]

Dude, I LOVE YOUR CAR!

Can't wait to see it worked on. (How about a vision of the finished product?)

[KS71owner]

I'm not anticipating it looking too different...the interior might see some slight changes, I may go from dark green to black but keep the FJ6 inserts in the seats. I'm leaning towards the Viper Snakeskin Green for the paint, for a nice twist on the color I already have. I'll likely keep the wheel/tire setup unless I find something I like better. I'll be converting it to front disc/rear drum for sure, and I will keep it as a small block since I have already had a full rebuild done on the 904. I'm not sure yet, but I imagine I will sell off the small block and save up for one of the MP crate 360 magnums or maybe build up a nice one myself. I will be ditching the headers and going back to manifolds for a more stock appearance, plus the headers hang so low they scrape a lot, and that gets old. I will also most likely put on a vinyl top and rear window louvers - I've always wanted some.

[jb666]

I love rear window louvers. Classic look!!

Sounds like it's going to be a winner..

[KS71owner]

also, the standard resto stuff will be done....all new wiring, new fuel tank, lines, etc. and the usual odds and ends that come up halfway through a project. As far as sheetmetal work goes, I imagine new floorpans might be in order, or at the very least some patching may need to be done. There's a little rust in one of the rocker panels, it's starting to bubble the paint in one spot but not very much. The suspension is all relatively new, having been completely rebuilt shortly after I got the car so I won't need much there. Oh, and new glass too.

[69bronzeT5]

Restore THAT!?!?!? It makes my car look like a basket case!

[KS71owner]

Thanks, but really this car has never had a full resto. There's a lot that can be done. It was a daily driver for a long time, so really all I did until about 8 years ago was whatever needed to be done to keep it safe and reliable. My dad and I both agreed that someday we would tear her down and start from scratch when I had other reliable transportation and a place to work on and store the Charger. Now that I have my own house and garage I see no reason not to start now. The one thing that SHOULD make it easier is that I don't think it will need much in the way of sheet metal work.

[69*F5*SE]

Awesome Charger to start with.  Take pics of everything start to finish     

[KS71owner]

Will do...I'm excited myself to get started!

[4cruzin]

 

[r_biccum]

 

[KS71owner]

Just heard from my friend Tricia, another Charger fan (and former owner) who said she'd love to help me begin the teardown. We're gonna get together and see when we can get started.

[KS71owner]

We're gonna try to start on Sunday. Gotta study up!

[KS71owner]

Also forgot to mention - I ran into Rocky and Marianne Slagle today, told them about my decision to get this project off the ground. Too bad I was just leaving to head back to the office after lunch or we could have sat there and talked shop for a while.

[mikesbbody]

Always loved your Charger  by the sound of thing's the resto is gonna the way you want it not a "numbers matching" type deal? that's the sort of thing Id do to my Charger if I ever had the $.

[KS71owner]

No, no numbers matching. They don't match now!  Yeah I'm basically just gonna build exactly what I want. Which means my plans will likely change at least twice during this whole process....

[Khyron]

NICE! looking forward to watching

[Brock Samson]

I'm not anticipating it looking too different...the interior might see some slight changes, I may go from dark green to black but keep the FJ6 inserts in the seats. I'm leaning towards the Viper Snakeskin Green for the paint, for a nice twist on the color I already have. I'll likely keep the wheel/tire setup unless I find something I like better. I'll be converting it to front disc/rear drum for sure, and I will keep it as a small block since I have already had a full rebuild done on the 904. I'm not sure yet, but I imagine I will sell off the small block and save up for one of the MP crate 360 magnums or maybe build up a nice one myself. I will be ditching the headers and going back to manifolds for a more stock appearance, plus the headers hang so low they scrape a lot, and that gets old. I will also most likely put on a vinyl top and rear window louvers - I've always wanted some.

   i don't understand, small block?..  isn't that a proper '71 R/T?... im my opinion if your gonna dig in and do an overhaul incl. new viper snakesskin green paint and convert to discs and other decent tweaks why stick with a small block and a 904... 904 ain't the decent set up,.. at least convert to a 727 known as one of if not the best auto trans ever made?..
  i must have missed something,.. care to elaborate?..
i'd like to see alot more pics of the car as it sits too, especially the engine bay interior and rear please... 

[Silver R/T]

Looks nice way it is, I'd drive it as it sits.

[Skyview69]

Looks nice way it is, I'd drive it as it sits.

That's an understatement.  I think it looks great the way it is.  good luck on the resto.

[KS71owner]

I'm not anticipating it looking too different...the interior might see some slight changes, I may go from dark green to black but keep the FJ6 inserts in the seats. I'm leaning towards the Viper Snakeskin Green for the paint, for a nice twist on the color I already have. I'll likely keep the wheel/tire setup unless I find something I like better. I'll be converting it to front disc/rear drum for sure, and I will keep it as a small block since I have already had a full rebuild done on the 904. I'm not sure yet, but I imagine I will sell off the small block and save up for one of the MP crate 360 magnums or maybe build up a nice one myself. I will be ditching the headers and going back to manifolds for a more stock appearance, plus the headers hang so low they scrape a lot, and that gets old. I will also most likely put on a vinyl top and rear window louvers - I've always wanted some.

  i don't understand, small block?..   isn't that a proper '71 R/T?... im my opinion if your gonna dig in and do an overhaul incl. new viper snakesskin green paint and convert to discs and other decent tweaks why stick with a small block and a 904... 904 ain't the decent set up,.. at least convert to a 727 known as one of if not the best auto trans ever made?..
 i must have missed something,.. care to elaborate?..
i'd like to see alot more pics of the car as it sits too, especially the engine bay interior and rear please...  

Allow me to explain....

this car was originally a 1971 Charger 500, 318 2-barrel. It was freshly-painted FJ6 when I found it, so I added all the R/T graphics and accessories to it. If you look closely you can also see that the bulge hood is from a '74 - no vents. It also does not have the correct R/T doors. Most likely I will re-badge it as a Super Bee since they had smooth doors. As for the small block, I prefer working on them to big block cars, and finances play a part in this decision as well. I have already purchased the small block wiring harness, and I don't want to buy another transmission when I just spent over $1000 a couple years ago to completely rebuild the one I have. Also, this car has always been purely for cruising and long trips, which this setup is well suited for. If I ever get a big block car, it will be a different one. I'd love to have a 66 or 67 eventually - that would likely be my big block project.

[KS71owner]

Looks nice way it is, I'd drive it as it sits.

Thanks, I have been for the most part, but as stated earlier there is still a lot that has never been done to this car, so I figure if I'm not driving it much right now I might as well get started working on it again. I like to think of it as if I had just bought it...it's a fantastic starting point for building what I've always wanted.

[rav440]

heres my 

PRO:
that car looks great as is .

CON:
taking something apart and haveing little cash flow = long long time to put back togather .

trust me i know

but good luck 

[mikesbbody]

Cant wait to see her finished build them how you want I say