Re: Selling my Daytona is "underway", guess who was the first to call on it...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Here is where I am at on front end sheetmetal... A friend knew of a 1969 Charger that was being "restored" at a local body shop when they discovered that the front sheetmetal was not correct for a 1969... after the car was painted!      They replaced the sheetmetal, and this front end sat in a corner getting dusty for several years... it was a good buy at $550, the hood an fenders are in great shape!  These 1970 parts will be modded into Daytona parts if original parts cannot be purchased.

Last pic shows an original Daytona driver's side fender that I recently bought from a friend who has been very helpful with Charger & Aero Car parts!  Knowing that I needed the fender, he basically offered to give it to me for free... but after a discussion with Doug S., I paid the price he suggested for a friend-to-friend sale... $1500.  A great buy now-a-days IMO...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Having a closer look at the Daytona with the help of a friend... Finding mostly good things, but some bad...  like the trunk floor... ITS TOAST!   Also, found  an old Polaroid photo... see arrow on last image.

More on inspection in coming days & weeks...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

The photo...  it might be a previous owner...

[69_500]

Allen, you need to quite working on that car and just send it my way. JK

Looks like its a very solid car Allen. Should not be near the hassle to complete as the 500 was for you.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Allen, you need to quite working on that car and just send it my way. JK

Looks like its a very solid car Allen. Should not be near the hassle to complete as the 500 was for you.

I would like to do just that Danny...  IF you can get someone to trade me a turn-key original Daytona (solid #2 condition or better) for my 4 Speed Charger 500 (finished) and my 4 Speed Superbird project car with most parts to build it (no "soft" parts... seat covers, tires, etc.)... then the R4 Daytona will be available for trade or purchase... with you having the right of first opportunity to get it along with the parts that I have gathered for it...

Once the front frame is repaired, it should be fairly easy restoration... so my interest it trades will be much less.

[tan top]

Daytona looks well solid  , from the pictures      awesome lot of pictures !! thanks for sharing

[RallyeMike]

Out of curiosity, I'd like to see what you are up against in the front end. Have any photos?

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Out of curiosity, I'd like to see what you are up against in the front end. Have any photos?

I have not taken any recent photos yet, but nothing has changed since I took the photos below 22 years ago...

To properly repair the damage, the complete front sub-frame will be replaced, i.e. the firewall and everything forward of it and the frame rails going aft from the firewall.  All joints used will be factory joints to leave no evidence of repair (like splice plates, etc).  A large jig will be fabricated to control all critical interfaces (suspension attachment points, etc).  Even external sheetmetal will be test-fitted while the uni-body is still in the jig.  Factory tolerances will not only be met, but greatly improved upon.  AND, the process will be documented.

A 1969 B-Body donor car will be used to insure the parts are identical, 1968 & 1970 models have some differences.   A non-air 1969 B-Body damaged in the rear would be an ideal donor... if any knows of one available, please let me know.

Here are the pics of the front frame section damage:

[Davtona]

Allen, Do you have the missing piece to the radiator suport?? Is that serial number there or did they pitch it?

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Allen, Do you have the missing piece to the radiator suport?? Is that serial number there or did they pitch it?

Unless it shows up when I track down the previous owner that wrecked it, it's probably long gone...   

The only bad rust that I have found so far is the center of the trunk floor... it's totally ate up with rust... easy fix though.

Trunk pics:

[xs29j8Bullitt]

More trunk pics...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Last trunk pics...

[Charger-Bodie]

The structural part Will be fairly easy. The firewall will be more complex than the whole front structure...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

The structural part Will be fairly easy. The firewall will be more complex than the whole front structure...

You are right Brian...  One of the concepts we are considering is to replace the entire firewall/cowl assembly.  The separation points would be (1) at the bottom of the A-Pillars,  (2) firewall to front floorboard joint,  (3) door hinge post to side rocker beam, and (4) fore-aft subframe beam to transmission cross-member subframe beam.

If you understood all that... wadda ya think Brian?

[Charger-Bodie]

 That would actually make for a cleaner repair imho.

[RallyeMike]

Looks like you have some work ahead of you. Thanks for the photos. Good luck.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Looks like you have some work ahead of you. Thanks for the photos. Good luck.

Luckily for the Daytona (and me), a talented member of this forum is going to tackle this challenge.  He can handle "Rocket Science"... he has worked in the Aerospace field for a long time, and now routinely builds high-tech aircraft components as a vendor.  We have discussed measuring my NOS Daytona nose cone and valance while they are still "attic fresh" (unused) as well as other Aero Car components "just in case" he decides to get into a side business someday.  The measurements would be made with a CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine).  And, to top it off, he is a life long Charger nut... having owned a 1969 Charger R/T many years ago, and soon getting the 1969 Charger R/T project car that I currently have.  

[XS29LA47V21]

Looks like you have some work ahead of you. Thanks for the photos. Good luck.

Luckily for the Daytona (and me), a talented member of this forum is going to tackle this challenge.  He can handle "Rocket Science"... he has worked in the Aerospace field for a long time, and now routinely builds high-tech aircraft components as a vendor.  We have discussed measuring my NOS Daytona nose cone and valance while they are still "attic fresh" (unused) as well as other Aero Car components "just in case" he decides to get into a side business someday.  The measurements would be made with a CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine).  And, to top it off, he is a life long Charger nut... having owned a 1969 Charger R/T many years ago, and soon getting the 1969 Charger R/T project car that I currently have.  

Seems like that cut would be most cost effective and quite frankly, maybe better for a good driving car rather than replacing pieces found to be bent at a moment or partial panel cuts.  I am curious on some level cars, it seems a big deal to replace "more then necessary" sheet metal.  Do you think there is a long term value difference?  Still seems like you are taking the right approach for the cars quality in the long run. 

[RallyeMike]

If you can't find the stamped radiator core piece, what is the best plan?

1. Leave whatever stamping is on the replacement.
2. Erase any stamping
3. Restamp it to the correct #

I could not handle doing #1 - I think I'd go with #2 if I had to do it. As long as you are documenting the rebuild #3 seems ok to me.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Looks like you have some work ahead of you. Thanks for the photos. Good luck.

Luckily for the Daytona (and me), a talented member of this forum is going to tackle this challenge.  He can handle "Rocket Science"... he has worked in the Aerospace field for a long time, and now routinely builds high-tech aircraft components as a vendor.  We have discussed measuring my NOS Daytona nose cone and valance while they are still "attic fresh" (unused) as well as other Aero Car components "just in case" he decides to get into a side business someday.  The measurements would be made with a CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine).  And, to top it off, he is a life long Charger nut... having owned a 1969 Charger R/T many years ago, and soon getting the 1969 Charger R/T project car that I currently have.  

Seems like that cut would be most cost effective and quite frankly, maybe better for a good driving car rather than replacing pieces found to be bent at a moment or partial panel cuts.  I am curious on some level cars, it seems a big deal to replace "more then necessary" sheet metal.  Do you think there is a long term value difference?  Still seems like you are taking the right approach for the cars quality in the long run. 

My "guesstimate" is that this approach will:
1) Save about 80% of the labor hours involved
2) Virtually guarantee a fully factory spec uni-body, in fact exceed tolerance control requirements
3) Eliminate the chance of it becoming a "road crab"... it will drive straight down the road!
4) Make the repair virtually undetectable by using factory joints, yet fully documented with hundreds of photos

[xs29j8Bullitt]

If you can't find the stamped radiator core piece, what is the best plan?

1. Leave whatever stamping is on the replacement.
2. Erase any stamping
3. Restamp it to the correct #

I could not handle doing #1 - I think I'd go with #2 if I had to do it. As long as you are documenting the rebuild #3 seems ok to me.

Not #1 or #3... #2 or replace with an unstamped NOS part that I have "in stock" already.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

New pics... door jam areas are rust free, and much of the interior should clean up nice...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

The steering wheel is bent, and the Tic-Toc Tach & Speedometer lenses as smashed...

I found a penny... purchase price lowered to $1799.99... 

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Close-ups of the tach and speedometer... and the rotted carpet.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

The headliner...