Started the Hemi project

[Belgium R/T -68]

What does Brian mean with structure work?

Per

[b5blue]

He means parts of uni-body that form and function as frame parts, have body mounted in a way that supports it to replace floor boards to retain factory shape. Then add bracing before going to rotary mounting.    Very good work Per!! 

[Belgium R/T -68]

Does that include welding on the subframe connectors while it's still on the ground?

Per

[b5blue]

Good question.  Mustang convertibles had extra plates added to floor boards, do Challengers?

[Belgium R/T -68]

Continued today to clean the quarters from paint and tons of bondo/filler. Was I in for a surprise I really start to think I'm in over my head here not having any experience with bodywork. Propably this car had a serious accident somewhere in time considering the very
"proffesional" patching with pop rivets. Question is, will quarterskins from a 2dr fit
a convertible? I don't see any other chance to fix this or? It will soon be cheaper to pay someone
of you bodyguys to come over and help me then to leave this car to a bodyshop.

Per

[Charger-Bodie]

Wow ,Thats a shame Per.

[Belgium R/T -68]

Got a link to a thread on Moparts regarding quarters for challenger verts, evidently a guy
making conversionkits for E-bodys makes convertible quarters out of the repops for the hardtops.
Another option is to use the skins but that will not cover the mess on the top of the passide.
Secondly, I assume replacing a quarterpanel needs some kind of skills or? Isn't it rather important
to get it good for the dooralignment etc? Leaving it to a bodyshop used to Fiats and Volvos doesn't
give me such a good feeling. I also now see that I ordered sheetmetal way to early.
With quarters off I can replace the complete trunkfloor and not the 2 halfes I ordered etc.
Good advices are welcome, really feel depressed now.

Per

[Belgium R/T -68]

Some more pics from driverside, dutchman and underside. Besides some rutten parts the drivers quarter looks OK on the top side, the dutchman looks very good but the trunkfloor extensions has to go. I also starts to think about new outer whellhouses. Damn, it will soon be no more original
sheetmetal on that car.

Per

[Belgium R/T -68]

Last ones.

[Belgium R/T -68]

Started to assemble the frontpanels and was very happy untill I realised that I chopped one
of the brackets I didn't order that btw isn't available.
Anyway, the fitting of the AMD stuff is just amazing. A welder could fix this in notime.
Just a little bit scared on how you are sure that you have a nice square, with a meter?

Per

[b5blue]

Can you use the hood as a checking gauge?  Tack it in a few spots here and there and hang parts for fitting?

[NorwayCharger]

Check the underbody measurements first, then the upper diagonals.
We use something like this http://www.merlinlazer.com/Telescopic-Measuring-Poles

[Belgium R/T -68]

Check the underbody measurements first, then the upper diagonals.
We use something like this http://www.merlinlazer.com/Telescopic-Measuring-Poles

Thanks.

Per

[Belgium R/T -68]

I was sure I had ordered this supportbracket, from cowl to shocktower and since it was a little bit misformed already I was kind of violent when removing it. Now it seems that AMD don't carry them
so I guess I have to fix it somehow. What function does it have and does it has to be 100% correct?

Per

[yeahitsgotahemi!]

Wow, cool car, a challenger vert! Sorry to hear about the ugly patch work. If it helps, I think your off to a great start, and I'm sure things will work out fine if you keep at it. Keep the progress pictures coming!  It's looking great.

[Belgium R/T -68]

Motivation for this project has been nill, zero, nothing during this cold winter. the only things I've done is ordering all remaining sheetmetalparts from Stefan at elitecustombody ( ) , ordered my 482 Hemistrokerparts from Tim@FHO so that I can start build the Hemi this summer.
Also sent my doorhinges to SMS restoration for rebuild and I'm very happy with their service, work and prices. Biggest news and joy regarding this project is though that Mike aka "lilwendal" is coming over helping me with the bodywork at the end of mei before he continues his european holiday.

Per

[Troy]

I didn't know Mike was making house calls? That should certainly boost your motivation!

Troy

[Belgium R/T -68]

Big disapointment when I heard from Koen that Mike isn't coming, just lost 6 months waiting for nothing there. Found a good welder in the neighbourhood so I got the new front welded
together, next thing is the full floorpan incl the rear pans.

Per

[Belgium R/T -68]

Been busy this weekend with cutting and drilling out the floorpans but how can I get the spotwelds out in the front corners? The only way I see is to drill them out from the enginebayside  Those "boxes" are in the way, alternativly weld the new pan over the old edge? What about inside the frames, clean and primer or some special product? 
The rear pans were really a PITA because they were welded in the torqueboxes and that wasn't spotwelds.

Per

[six-tee-nine]

What about inside the frames, clean and primer or some special product? 

Brian recomended me a copper weld thru primer from roberlo..... its from spain and easily available locally. Type "Roberlo producten" in google, then select all the belgian pages and pick the closest shop to home...

Good luck.

[Belgium R/T -68]

Thanks Koen.

Per

[Belgium R/T -68]

Have cleaned the frames and all the rest and primed with rustprimer so now the new floorpans can go in.
Yesterday I went to the customs and picked up the parts for the 482 Hemi and some sheetmetal, this project starts to look a little bit more funny now.

Per

[Belgium R/T -68]

Have removed the trunkfloor and prepped for the new one but now I'm kind of stucked due to lack of fenders. I need them before the quarterskins and the rest of the rear can be fixed. AMD has promised there's to be released next month for 2 years now. What to do, go for Goodmark although all the rest of my sheetmetal incl shakerhood is AMD?

Per