TOP 10 MISTAKES WHEN RESTORING A 68-70 CHARGER!!!

[dodgedarren]

Ive made a few mistakes I wish I knew before hand so I thought
I'd start this to help people not the same ones I did.

#1 Didnt black out radiator support.

[nvrbdn]

front upper door pads are different in a 70.

[skip68]

For me it would be thinking I can fix anything by myself.  I've tried to do several things and made it worse and then had to pay to get it fixed.   

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

Using Bondo in the rear valance corners

[ChargersETC..ETC..]

Sanding the doors or hood . It looses the factory stamping lines original shape.Most common on the pressed door design.

[paironines]

On 69 charger tail panels alot of people paint black past the corner chrome   L pieces all the way to the body color quarter extensions. There should be a thin line of body color there.

[1968 Charger B5]

Biggest mistake....

listening to anyone else other than yourself....restore it how YOU want it....it is your car...

[Troy]

#1 Deciding to restore a 68-70 Charger
#2 Deciding to "save money" by restoring the car yourself
#3 Buying a car that is missing all the rare/expensive parts that aren't reproduced (or the repros are junk)

Then, once you get started...
Inner door frames not painted to match the interior
No radiator support blackout
Hood recesses not blacked out
Pinch weld under rocker panels not blacked out
No OR improper applied undercoating in the wheel wells
Tail panel black out incorrect
Too sharp center body line (or one that's curved)
Stripes installed incorrectly
Orange painted engines in 68
69-70 doors on a 68 or vice-versa when the door lock knobs aren't moved
Incorrect door handle buttons (black early, chrome late)
Headlight bezels on anything other than a 68
Painted 3-speed wiper motor

Some picky members will say:
Non-factory battery
Installation of electronic ignition
Washer bottle with the cap facing the wrong way

and about a 100 more "noticeable" things. I hardly count the vinyl pattern differences since so few know about them AND you can't buy the original stuff any more.

Troy

[dodgedarren]

#1 Deciding to restore a 68-70 Charger
#2 Deciding to "save money" by restoring the car yourself
#3 Buying a car that is missing all the rare/expensive parts that aren't reproduced (or the repros are junk)

Then, once you get started...
Inner door frames not painted to match the interior
No radiator support blackout
Hood recesses not blacked out
Pinch weld under rocker panels not blacked out
No OR improper applied undercoating in the wheel wells
Tail panel black out incorrect
Too sharp center body line (or one that's curved)
Stripes installed incorrectly
Orange painted engines in 68
69-70 doors on a 68 or vice-versa when the door lock knobs aren't moved
Incorrect door handle buttons (black early, chrome late)
Headlight bezels on anything other than a 68
Painted 3-speed wiper motor

Some picky members will say:
Non-factory battery
Installation of electronic ignition
Washer bottle with the cap facing the wrong way

and about a 100 more "noticeable" things. I hardly count the vinyl pattern differences since so few know about them AND you can't buy the original stuff any more.

Troy

Hey Troy thanks for some great pointers.
What kinda black should be used on the rocker panel pinch weld? Semi gloss???

and how should the undercoating in the wheel wells be applied??

[kikgas01]

Pentastar on both front fenders, 70 tail lights in a 69.

[Cooter]

#1.............




440 SIX PACKS AND 426 HEMI'S in EVERY freakin' Charger built...Especially, the 1966-68 Chargers with Six packs.

[John_Kunkel]

#1 mistake? Calling anything but exactly the way the factory did it a "restoration".

One tiny deviation makes it a "restification" not a restoration.

[SRT-68]

Restoration? There is no such thing. Although I have seen some very nice rebuilds.

[twodko]

Thankfully The only mistake I've made with my 69 was punching a hole threw the cone of a brand new package tray speaker. Ouch but small taters really. Given what I paid for the car and wanting to restore it properly, I asked a lot of questions of the members here. This crew saved me from some real bad juju. Thanks folks. 

[Vainglory, Esq.]

I personally hate all the stripe mistakes.  Stripes too wide, not wide enough, tilted all stupid, 69/70 stripes on 68s, 68 stripes on anything else, etc., etc.

I mean, hell, if you're gonna put a stripe on it, at least do it right.

[bakerhillpins]

If we could filter out all the extra questions and comments and keep it to individual issues with the corresponding "correct" way this would make an awesome sticky thread! 

Hood recesses not blacked out
Pinch weld under rocker panels not blacked out
No OR improper applied undercoating in the wheel wells
Tail panel black out incorrect

I would also like to know about these.

[jaak]

#1 mistake? Calling anything but exactly the way the factory did it a "restoration".

One tiny deviation makes it a "restification" not a restoration.

Good point, I have always tried to keep in mind not to call mine a restoration, since my car is totally different from how it came from the factory.

Jason

[J-440]

  For the anal retentive: Having the wrong stamping on your intake bolts when that "T" should be an "I' or the correct paint drippings were not exactly reproduced...good Lord just calm down and drive the thing will ya!!!

[Lennard]

Biggest mistake....

listening to anyone else other than yourself....restore it how YOU want it....it is your car...

[Rolling_Thunder]

biggest mistake:  taking it apart in the first place thinking  "it won't cost that much"       

[UH60L]

#1 mistake? Calling anything but exactly the way the factory did it a "restoration".

One tiny deviation makes it a "restification" not a restoration.

Good point, I have always tried to keep in mind not to call mine a restoration, since my car is totally different from how it came from the factory.

Jason

I try to catch myself before I say "I'm restoring my car", and instead say "I'm rebuilding my car". 

I am also quick to point out to the anal ones that I have in no way attempted to hide the fact that my car was orignially a 318 car.  Someoen swapped the 318 for a 440 over 20 before I bought it, and it's not going back.  My car is a mutt, thus I can do whatever I want with it, and I don't have to worry about it being exactly factory.

My car is an R/T clone resto mod, and the anal people can complain all they want while I'm cruisin & jamming to my alpine stereo system.   

I've spent a ton of money and put alot of elbow greese into my car, and I'm not even done yet.   I can only imagine how much more it would have taken to put it all back to "original".

[bill440rt]

#1 mistake? Calling anything but exactly the way the factory did it a "restoration".

One tiny deviation makes it a "restification" not a restoration.

Well said.
Anything other than a 100% stock resto would/could fall into the "modified" category. Then, it all boils down to details & workmanship.
Painted stripes that should have been decals on a stock resto is a big no-no. 

"Pinch weld under rocker panels not blacked out"
Troy, it is my understanding this was a '71-up thing? On a 2nd gen undercoat car, there might have been some sloppy overspray on the pinch welds, but I've never seen a separate black out paint applied there.
You have any confirmation of this?? 

[bull]

So is this about mistakes we have made or pointing out those of others? The main two mistakes I've made so far (there are dozens of small ones) is that I painted the car too soon. I should have painted just the engine bay and then waited until I had the entire underside of it done and the drivetrain in before doing the rest. The other mistake I made was choosing the clown I chose to paint it.

[440]

Bull - Overall are you happy with it or   

It's only the undercoating isn't it ?

[nvrbdn]

if we list all our mistakes, do we get judged with a point system? if we aquire so many points do we get benched for X amount of days? cause i have mistakes------or mabey mistakes to others, but just doin a charger the way i want to me. #1. i have 68 parts in my interior. #2. i have a 71 steering wheel. #3 i have 69 front seats, #4 i have a 69 block, #5. i have a black interior instead of a charcoal interior, #6. my paint color is a forien semi paint code, #7. i have smoothed out the seams in the rear valance, #8. there is bondo in my car, #9. (and this is a biggie folks) i painted a stripe on a car that didnt come with a stripe, and then i painted a "68" stripe on a "70" charger. im thinkin i could be in the lead for the most NO-NO's.