Wicked72s build!! finally some progress

[Wicked72]

Well here it is the build thread on my 1972 charger!! But first.. my story. I have had many cars but none compare to the passion that I had for my first Charger. She was a green SE with a gatorskin top, 318 that some how ran on the mud of the 10year old gas that sat in the tank. She spent a few years with a broken out rear windshield and some how managed to keep the floor boards in great shape. She was rough! The body was trashed and the interior was nasty. I was 11 when my grandfather got me into muscle cars which they became my #1 dream to own some type of muscle car, unique, powerful, and completely beautiful. When I was 14 my grandfather had bought the charger and I the second I saw her I fell in love, she spoke to me...ya weird . I didnt have any money at the time but I got a job with my uncle installing flooring which in time I had some money I could make an offer with. It wasnt much but my grandfather could see the twinkle in my eyes as I pulled out $800 from my pocket and he couldnt help but hand me the keys. I put my life blood and soul in making her perfect. I kept working and dumping all I had into her with the aid of my grandfather and his financial contribution which I found out was my $800. He helped me build one hell of a 413 that we picked up for $150 and did a nice 450hp build. I later learned that I hate sanding but bondo smells awsome, welding requires a mask even if you cant fit your face there, and rust+eyes=damn it! and that moldy old car smell is comforting.

After moving and getting into trouble (didnt have the car at the time) I packed my bags and moved in with my grandparents where I started working on the charger I left behind once again! By the time I was 18 the last thing she needed was the paint job! But unfortunately I needed money really bad for some speeding tickets, the girl I was dating (which I later married) and working with family got old.. really old, so I needed  a work van and a vehicle that I could daily. I wont get into what I bought...to ashamed . I regretted selling her to this day... some 4 years later I saw a plum crazy purple charger sitting on a car trailer at the kmart near my house! IT WAS HER!! The exact same 1972 charger that I gave 4 years of my life too! She was just bought by a man at the mopar swap/show in Carlisle PA. I knew it was her because I left the old head liner in that had mouse holes in it and I went out and bought these little fuzzy fake mice from a pet store and stuck them in the holes to freak my friends out.. they were still there!! I suppose the other owners thought it amusing as well. I talked to the new owner and he didnt know a damn thing about the car . I gave him my number saying ill offer him double on what ever the price he paid. And never saw her again.. Sadly I have spent the past 7 years since the day I sold her looking for her or at least the perfect priced and shape 1971 or 72 charger that has the windows I like so much.

[Wicked72]

Here is the only pic I have of her before I sold her, its a before pic I took because I was about to put her new rims and tires on.

And here is the last time I ever saw her, in her new paint... I was gonna paint her silver.

[69charger2002]

that is a really cool story. i hope you can find her back someday. did you at least find out where the guy was from that had it on the trailer that day? was he local?

[Wicked72]

Ok so lets make this a build thread! Actually heres the story on this one first.... a little shorter this time hahaha. So after 7 years I have found the perfect charger! Searching on ebay a couple months ago I came across an off white charger in Arizona that hardly had any bids. The auction was about to end and the owner put his number on the listing so I figured what the hell, I might as well make an offer. He had it up for $3k and Im buying a house so that price wasnt going to fly until things settled so I made the call. I told told him the short version of my story   and he had a very similar one (We bonded) . I offered him $1500 and he took it! . So now I had to get my new baby home. I live about 2400miles away so the cost of me driving that far to bring her home would be insane. I got tons of quotes and picked one that sounded nice... they said they WILL have the car picked up in 3 days and have her home in no more then 7! Oh how awsome, NOT! The company I booked with was called AAA All Star Discount Auto Transport. The words cannot describe how much I want that company and its owner Paul Baldwin to just.... well you get the idea. They took my deposit and because of their low rate no driver would take it. Ill get into the details of their scam one day. Ill post the link to the review website with my review muahahahaha. So I ended up picking a diff company called Global Logistics and they had a higher price but I know some ppl that have used the company and the recommended them. Which was perfect! until...... 7 days after booking the driver calls me to drop of my baby.. its was 11:30 and he said he was going to get some sleep near by then drop her off in the morning. I had it all planned out how to get her off and get him in and out. At about 12.30 I get another call.. I just had a bad feeling. He decided to check out the drop off zone.. I had told him earlier not to come down the driveway because he wont make it( one of those mile long evil driveways). So what does he do!?! he gets nice and stuck... I tried to get him out with my beast truck but a tractor trailer truck with 5 vehicles on it and trying to use a 1ton truck aint gonna happen unless he lightens the load and what made matter worse it started to rain! So I left his ass there for the night.

[Wicked72]

He lived about an hour from me and I did alot of work in that area so I ended up getting a map and searching every road and talking to every muscle car guy I saw in the area with nothing to find..

[Wicked72]

So here she is! waiting for daddy to save her!!!

[Wicked72]

So after spending 2 hours convincing the driver to at least take two cars off and another hour later getting a 25 year old  backhoe to lift the trailer as best as it could, I hooked my International (Its not a ford damn it! dont judge me...) to the 60k lb truck. I then put it in 4x4 low and dropped the clutch!! All for meats spinning on damp pavement yanked the turd out. The driver did a ton of damage to my property and my bosses property which he used to turn around . On to the good news . My baby was ready to come off the trailer she did not have any damage at all I had pics sent before transport to match up but the title which the owner but in the glove box was stolen!!! thats another story.. It took all of 2 min to get her to the driveway which I cried for a bit once I got to stand back and take it all in  tears of joy of course. So after $1000+ worth of property damage the driver wanted his money... and all thou I should have at least gotten a discount I was sick of all the BS and just wanted to play with my new baby so I didnt argue, I just couldnt take it anymore. My baby was fine and thats all that matters. I gave him the money told him to stop messing shit up and get the hell out of my driveway. Then I spent 3 hours squishing the ground flat everywhere and trying to fix the flower bed he drive through.

[Wicked72]

OK OK HERE SHE IS!!

RUST FREE!! AND I DONT MEAN FREE RUST!!!!

[Wicked72]

When you get a car that is said to be rust free you usually get free rust. I can honestly say there is no rust out! But at what price? there has to be something free that you really really REALLY dont want..


YES! THATS SHIT! LOTS OF IT! 16 GAL of SHIT to be exact that I scooped, sprayed with bleach and vacuumed for 3 days! 

[mopar73]

Great Story   Congrats on your find

[Wicked72]

Thanks alot! Shes going to be a handful when we get into the new house and the fresh garage! hopefully will be making settlement on my first house on the 26th! wish me luck!!

[Wicked72]

The poo you see is Arizona roof rat poo and other... I have no idea what the larger poo is Im hoping dog and not human... honestly who knows.. either way the rat poo is extremely dangerous. So I have to be careful.

This gonna keep me alive! I hope

[FlatbackFanatic]

Congrats on the car!!And, good luck on the house!!

[Wicked72]

Ok well enough poo/other pics and on with some interior pics!




There was a carb fire that got out of control at one time and burned up all the wiring and hoses under the hood and as you can see it got into the dash. I had already planned before I got the car to build a custom dash and redo all of the wiring. But getting the dash out all melted wont be easy.

[Wicked72]

Thanks alot! I cant wait to her to the garage. I popped all the floor plugs out and got her all scrubbed and hosed also left the windows down to help air out everything before she gets to the new house. Ill have more pics tomorrow of some more progress and a cool find!

[mikesbbody]

Congrats  nice story keep us updated 

[Wicked72]

Shes mostly clean now, im sure there is a little more poo here and there but most of it is out and some still in the dash which i hope to have out this week.

Here are some more exterior pics.


It looks like she had a hell of a life and the last owner had some fun for sure! Now I have to make her whole again and its my turn to drive her I like a rental!!!

[Wicked72]

Looks like a gas tank booboo. I hope thats not gum haha.

This appears to be a factory engine oil cooler. I wonder if its worth using or would an after market one work better?

Let me know what you guys think!

[Wicked72]

On to the engine! I wonder what mods have been done obviously a couple bolt ons. The fender tag says it had a 400 now I am not sure if it still is because of the intake.

This what is making me think 383 and not a 400. Could the intakes work on either or are they diff between 383 and a 400?

[Wicked72]

When I get into the new house ill be pulling the engine out and get the numbers off it. Also ill be getting her off the ground and stripped down. I am going to DA the outside and sandblast the inside. Has anyone used bakingsoda blasters before? I am considering buying one to help with smell while stripping paint instead of sandblasting but I have never used one.

[charger_cody]

Man your story inspired me. Great looking old car and great looking (new to you) new car. No experience with bodywork so I couldn't tell you about the blasters.

Cody

[Wicked72]

Thanks Cody  . I wish I could do some more on the car today but my wife just had her tonsils taken out friday and its not an easy recovery . but i do have some more pics to post!

[Foreman72]

WOW! what a story...those pictures look awfully familiar...

so whats the current project?

[Wicked72]

Lol Im sure there is a few ppl on this forum that saw it listed! As far what I am looking to do to her, Im thinking pro touring. And as for paint I have to many ideas floating around in my head.. I want to bring out the body lines so maybe a two tone, or even go with the silver I wanted to do long ago. so many options!

[Wicked72]

So here is something cool I found while removing the Upholstery the other day! It was stuck behind the driver seat in the plastic cover. Its the same year as the car!! What are the chances of that!?