Coming soon.....

KS71owner · May 31, 2009, 07:33:42 PM

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 · May 31, 2009, 07:40:09 PM

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

WingCharger · May 31, 2009, 07:42:34 PM

Dude, I LOVE YOUR CAR!

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

KS71owner · May 31, 2009, 07:52:35 PM

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 · May 31, 2009, 07:53:52 PM

I love rear window louvers. Classic look!!

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

KS71owner · May 31, 2009, 08:06:28 PM

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 · May 31, 2009, 08:39:29 PM

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

KS71owner · May 31, 2009, 08:44:49 PM

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 · May 31, 2009, 10:16:11 PM

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

KS71owner · May 31, 2009, 10:31:02 PM

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

4cruzin · May 31, 2009, 11:23:16 PM

r_biccum · June 01, 2009, 09:58:50 AM

KS71owner · June 01, 2009, 11:52:23 AM

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 · June 04, 2009, 08:10:13 PM

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

KS71owner · June 04, 2009, 08:17:21 PM

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 · June 04, 2009, 08:27:40 PM

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 · June 04, 2009, 08:39:15 PM

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 · June 05, 2009, 10:51:54 AM

NICE! looking forward to watching

Brock Samson · June 05, 2009, 11:07:22 AM

Quote from: KS71owner on May 31, 2009, 07:52:35 PM
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 · June 05, 2009, 11:59:38 AM

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

Skyview69 · June 05, 2009, 12:14:02 PM

Quote from: Silver R/T on June 05, 2009, 11:59:38 AM
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 · June 05, 2009, 12:24:50 PM

Quote from: Brock Samson on June 05, 2009, 11:07:22 AM
Quote from: KS71owner on May 31, 2009, 07:52:35 PM
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 · June 05, 2009, 12:27:57 PM

Quote from: Silver R/T on June 05, 2009, 11:59:38 AM
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 · June 06, 2009, 05:21:22 AM

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 · June 06, 2009, 05:42:59 AM

Cant wait to see her finished

build them how you want I say

KS71owner · June 06, 2009, 01:31:17 PM

Quote from: rav440 on June 06, 2009, 05:21:22 AM
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

Thanks. Yeah, I know it will take a long time, but I'm okay with that. I'll feel better actually doing something with the car than just leaving it to gather dust in the garage. Really this is just the last step, to make the parts you can't see as nice as what you can.

KS71owner · June 09, 2009, 06:16:02 PM

Aargh....weather SUCKED Sunday, so nothing got done. Supposed to rain/storm almost every night this week so unlikely anything will happen before Friday, but we'll see.

On another topic, after some additional consideration I decided....why do this halfway? If the car's gonna be apart, might as well upgrade the drivetrain too. Small block will be going bye-bye.

I put up for sale the small block wiring harness I've been holding onto if anyone's interested.

KS71owner · June 14, 2009, 01:12:13 PM

I'm waiting on a call to help my stepdad install an a/c unit so I didn't have time to take the car out, but I did manage to get some pics taken.

KS71owner · June 14, 2009, 01:14:04 PM

Here's a few more. Sorry for the less than stellar quality, if I can get the thing backed out tonight for better pics I'll retake the interior ones.

mopar_nut_440_6 · June 14, 2009, 02:16:36 PM

Very nice combination!

KS71owner · July 04, 2009, 09:50:21 PM

Progress! (of sorts)

Got the garage cleaned out today, put up some shelving and pushed the Charger out to take the first round of pics. Found a few other things I'd forgotten about that will need some work.

Found a small rust spot beneath each door....nothing serious, and no bigger than it was 6 months ago.

KS71owner · July 04, 2009, 09:57:32 PM

I totally forgot about these patches on the driver's side.....passenger side is fine though.

KS71owner · July 04, 2009, 09:59:35 PM

Trunk floor will definitely be replaced....I forgot how many patches it has!

KS71owner · July 04, 2009, 10:07:56 PM

Anybody need a '74 bulge hood?

69*F5*SE · July 05, 2009, 06:19:39 AM

That bulge hood remark could start a frenzy around here.

Anyhoo, I can't wait to see this car's progress. To think how cool it looks already, then going through a resto.

KS71owner · July 05, 2009, 11:02:44 AM

Quote from: 69*F5*SE on July 05, 2009, 06:19:39 AM
That bulge hood remark could start a frenzy around here. Anyhoo, I can't wait to see this car's progress. To think how cool it looks already, then going through a resto.

Lol actually I am serious....I will be putting this hood up for sale shortly. I want to have the correct '71 hood on this car, preferably one with either louvers or the Super Bee style insert. I know I'll have to pay through the nose for one but if I'm gonna do this right I don't see why I should hang on to this one when there is probably someone out there (or on this site) who can use it.

bull · July 05, 2009, 02:07:20 PM

Quote from: rav440 on June 06, 2009, 05:21:22 AM
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

Knowing what I know now I wouldn't mess with it if I were you. But if you enjoy working on Chargers more than driving them you'll be happy. Why not just replace a few things as you go as weekend projects so to speak? It sounds as if you don't want to go full-bore anyway if you're talking about patching instead of replacing floors and what not.

KS71owner · July 05, 2009, 03:37:50 PM

no I'm saying there's a lot of patches already - the trunk floor is evidence of that. I do want to make car whole, and once I've posted the photos I took today I think you'll see why.

KS71owner · July 05, 2009, 09:27:36 PM

Ok....progress report for today, then more pics. I got the rear bumper, taillights, grilles, and partially unbolted the front bumper today. I also got rid of all the old wiring in the trunk and under the hood, as it will all be replaced. The trunk floor has lots of spot-welded patches, and the extension on the driver's side isn't even there...it's been completely covered by a patch. There are also several patches on the inner wheelwells in the trunk, and where the braces attach to the wheelwells. The driver's side quarter panel is intact, magnet testing found no weak spots. Passenger side however is another story....even a fairly strong magnet will barely stick anywhere below the side marker light. Fenders are good, as are the valances except for one broken weld on the rear valance bracing. There is some old rot at the bottom of the quarter panel/body joint, about 2" long on each side. Also found some rear end damage, possibly from an attempt to pull the car by the rear of the body between the framerails - the back panel is bent outward to the point where some tearing occurred at the bottom lip. Rear framerails look OK from a quick initial inspection, but I haven't gotten all the way under the car yet so I'll keep my fingers crossed. I'm hoping to get the front bumper, front valance and fenders off this week, as well as start pulling out the interior so I can get a look at the floor.

Pictures will be posted as soon as I get them all resized.

KS71owner · July 05, 2009, 09:34:33 PM

Ok, here we go....

Here's the back of the car, with closeups of problem areas. In the first photo you can clearly see the bottom of the rear panel is bent outward. I don't remember ever seeing that before, but I KNOW I didn't do it...I've never tried to pull this car at the rear from anything, and I've never had any accident that could cause this.

KS71owner · July 05, 2009, 09:39:35 PM

More pics of the trunk.....I forgot to take pictures of the wheel well patches, I'll get those tomorrow. The center of the trunk floor is largely intact...all the patching is at the sides out to the quarters.

KS71owner · July 05, 2009, 09:48:51 PM

The garage is now starting to look like work actually takes place in it!

Tricialin · July 07, 2009, 09:37:38 AM

This looks awesome and I can't wait to get over there and help you!

.....And I joined this forum just so I could watch your progress.

KS71owner · July 07, 2009, 12:15:37 PM

Hey Tricia!! Glad to see you made it over here!

Gonna be doing some more this week for sure...I'm also taking some time off next week since my brother will be in town on leave so we might be working on it quite a bit!

KS71owner · May 25, 2010, 06:19:50 PM

I FINALLY got to get back out to the garage to continue pulling the car apart. Last weekend I pulled the rest of the front clip, headlamp assemblies, bumper brackets and fenders, and a buddy came by yesterday to help me pull the hood and decklid. So far I am encouraged, there is a lot of dirt but the undercoating seems to have done its job, no serious rust found so far. I did break a couple of stuck fender bolts but most came out with no problems. Here's a few pics, I'll get more later this week when I have the car back out again.

KS71owner · May 25, 2010, 06:24:25 PM

....and as promised ages ago, I will be putting this hood up for sale soon.....

RallyeMike · May 25, 2010, 07:32:19 PM

The adventure begins !

FYI - Your hood appears to be a 74, not a 72.

KS71owner · May 25, 2010, 07:59:45 PM

yeah I need to edit that other post

Wicked72 · May 27, 2010, 10:12:02 AM

Whats the diff between the hoods? btw I might be very interested in the hood!

KS71owner · October 09, 2010, 10:01:59 PM

sorry I know it's been a while, but I will have more pics to post shortly. Some progress has been made.

News:

Coming soon.....