Daytona clone or leave it be?

[charger_fan_4ever]

I know where one is just trying to get ahold of the guy $475.00 and it's a southern rust free piece, I can't understand what is it with the driver fender!? I have found a ton of passenger fenders but man that driver fender is kinda tricky!? musta been a magnet for damage!!!

In the rust belt in the east the salt is usually laid in the middle of the road. The gunk got splashed more on the drivers side IE rotting them away.

I bought a 70 drivers side was supposedly NOS stripped and primed all looked good. Once stripped I believe they sand blasted the whole thing and warped it. Beat it with a pick hammer and even made a few pinholes. $500

I'd never buy another body part in primer without seeing it in person 1st.

[Indygenerallee]

I don't buy "stripped and primed" parts because thats what you get someone elses quick mud job so they can make a buck, this one fender I just bought I gave $200 for plus shipping $325 total and it's coming from Iowa, it has original paint on it and he took pics of the backside of dogleg and it looks good not all ate out, I saw some old pull holes with mud coming through them (about 10 vertical by the rear inside support) no biggie, the whole car will have filler on it, assemble panels, adjust, filler over entire car and block the living crap out of it to get all the lines arrow straight.

[Indygenerallee]

Anybody ever ran a "Nascar" style nose ala no headlight doors? Since Stinger will make me nosecone with or without headlight bucket openings I was thinking it might be kinda cool to have some H.I.D. lights mounted into a Valiant turn signal housing (if they will fit) and then mount a couple amber LED lights beside it for the turn signals!? That way I get a more Nascar looking Daytona, I noticed the Nascar Daytona's also had a cool aluminum scoop under the nose for more air, I really like the way it looks as well! Might have to call Rick at Stinger back in the morning to see if he can change it.

[nvrbdn]

it might be interesting that way. lots less moving parts to deal with. have you seen pic's or something for the lights?

[Indygenerallee]

I had thought about using a HID system 9004 bulbs in a small housing about the same size as the 69 Valiant turn signals, could probably modify a valiant housing and then use a small LED cluster right beside it I have seen several motorcycle LED turn signal markers on Ebay they are very thin most are only about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long, and they are clear when off. I think it would work out very well and as much as I plan on driving at night and I kinda like the Nascar looking no headlight bucket nosecone better! I have been really digging the side exhaust on the Nascar versions as well!!! There is a video on Youtube of a EV2 Daytona with black wing and it looks tubbed has steel painted wheels and just looks badass shows it pulling out onto a road sounds pretty healthy too! I will have to see if I can post a link to it.

[Indygenerallee]

Here is the video I love the stance of this Daytona wheels look good, I like side exhaust but I think this one might stick out too far!? looks bad!  http://youtu.be/Yo-LsbEDbZE

[moparstuart]

Here is the video I love the stance of this Daytona wheels look good, I like side exhaust but I think this one might stick out too far!? looks bad!  http://youtu.be/Yo-LsbEDbZE

that cars bad ass  !!!!!!!!!!!   

[Indygenerallee]

Anybody have a Vega hatch for sale? This guy I have been talking to in Texas is dragging his feet and does not seemed too motivated to sell me the hatch he has.

[nvrbdn]

yep, thats pretty wicked. and sounds great. tubbed pretty good. nice find.

[Indygenerallee]

Anybody have a template of the side profile of a Daytona/500 trunk hinge? I would pay someone a little something for them as well! I need to get these made as soon as possible.

[BigBlockSam]

Nice car for sure . sounds wicked

[hotrod98]

Anybody have a template of the side profile of a Daytona/500 trunk hinge? I would pay someone a little something for them as well! I need to get these made as soon as possible.

I may have a template here at my shop or it may be at Howies shop. It was made from an original hinge from Howie's 500 and is on clear acetate.
I'll look and see if I have it.

I bought a tubing bender to make them and just never got around to it. The Heck Industries bender works great for bending the hinges. It has the correct square dies. You cannot make them using the original thick tubing though. The bender isn't strong enough. I think you use .062 wall instead of the .120 wall that the originals are made from. I don't have a set here to measure.

I'll be in the shop tomorrow installing a set of rear springs on a runner. I'll look for the template.

[Indygenerallee]

Hotrod, Thanks like I said I can throw a few bucks your way if you can get me a template!!! I had placed a WTB ad for a Vega hatch last week and had a guy call me around 4pm tonight said it was a 77 hatch and said I could have it for $100.00 bout a 3 hour round trip drive and I have my hatch!! In great shape the trim was really nice no dings and glass was nice, I went ahead and took the trim off and pulled the glass and bodysawed the rear lip off the hatch and that was about all I got to tonight. I was going to see if you guy's removed your entire understructure or left the inside panel pinchweld section on? I was thinking about cutting right up next to the inside pichweld that way it is still double sheetmetal on that pinchweld area and gives more strength. I was going to use my grinder on the edges all the way around it to free the rest of the inner skin after I cut inside around the pinchweld. I sat it on the back of the Charger and it looks like there is not much left of the hatch right next to the sail panels maybe only 1/2" going to have to do some trimming. Thanks to Rene I have a hood coming and have just have to buy a driver fender but have one lined up! I need to get a 3rd gen dutchman panel still trying to find one.

[BigBlockSam]

i left as much of the inner structure as i could for strength . plus you have to convert your trunk lid first so you know where the dutchman  panel goes . remember there is a space between the hatch and the roof of the car that you have to weld in a piece of metal . 

[Indygenerallee]

Rene, yeah I know I have to do the trunklid first that's why I am needing to make my trunk lid hinges bad! I have my trunk lid all marked out where it needs cut and then fold the front lip over, still need to order the closeout panel and modify the trunk hinge mounting point.

[hotrod98]

I alter the deck lid last. I break the back edge of the vega plug and lap it down into the drip trough. Much less body work that way and is much stronger. I make a bending template using 3/4" angle iron. I cut multiple slots in the angle iron, bow it to match the opening and spotweld the cuts back together to hold it. I make two. Then I clamp them in place and use a large face body hammer and slowly make my lip. Once the vega plug is mated to the dutchman then I have my measurement for making the front lip on the deck lid. Theres more than one way to skin a cat. (or a vega plug) 

Here's a pic showing the final placement of the plug before welding it. I made some cuts near the lower corners of the glass opening to relieve the pressure. I used an english wheel to get the panel to lay down against the dutchman. You shouldn't have to pull it down into place. In the pic, you can see where I overlapped the plug down into the trunk opening. If you alter the deck lid first that lip is going to make the gap way too tight.

The second pic was taken in February of 2006. It was when I first noticed the similarity of the curvature between the closeout panel and a third gen dutchman.

I guess you've noticed that the sail panels will need to be slitted from top to bottom for the plug to sit down into the opening.

[hotrod98]

Another pic showing how I made the entire vega plug fit without any major cutting. The only part of the dutchman that shows is the actual drip trough itself when the plug is installed correctly. Well, correctly in my opinion  

[hotrod98]

This is that car after completion. The body lines are all consistent.

[Indygenerallee]

Thanks for the pics Hotrod! I cut the holy heck out of this vega hatch took it completey down to the outer skin still very rigid so I think I will be good since the outer edges are so close to the sail panels anyway, and I am going to weld the teeth onto the sides and top after I have it media blasted. Hotrod, did you happen to find the hinge template? Thanks!

[BigBlockSam]

ya know you have to strap your frame   

[Indygenerallee]

??

[BigBlockSam]

if ya don't strap your frame the flex from the uni body might form cracks on the plug bodywork . seen it happen with fiberglass and vega plugs .  this link shows what to do 


http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,73949.0.html

[BigBlockSam]

I alter the deck lid last. I break the back edge of the vega plug and lap it down into the drip trough. Much less body work that way and is much stronger. I make a bending template using 3/4" angle iron. I cut multiple slots in the angle iron, bow it to match the opening and spotweld the cuts back together to hold it. I make two. Then I clamp them in place and use a large face body hammer and slowly make my lip. Once the vega plug is mated to the dutchman then I have my measurement for making the front lip on the deck lid. Theres more than one way to skin a cat. (or a vega plug)

Here's a pic showing the final placement of the plug before welding it. I made some cuts near the lower corners of the glass opening to relieve the pressure. I used an english wheel to get the panel to lay down against the dutchman. You shouldn't have to pull it down into place. In the pic, you can see where I overlapped the plug down into the trunk opening. If you alter the deck lid first that lip is going to make the gap way too tight.

The second pic was taken in February of 2006. It was when I first noticed the similarity of the curvature between the closeout panel and a third gen dutchman.

I guess you've noticed that the sail panels will need to be slitted from top to bottom for the plug to sit down into the opening.

your still my hero  , what happens when it rains and i cant work on my car

[Indygenerallee]

Ok subframe connectors!!! Yeah Rene I have a nice US cartool set I picked up about 2 months ago! SUPER NICE! still have to install them I will tack them in before the car goes back onto the rotiserre and then fully weld them in! Hotrod, I was going to say my Vega plug sat rat in between the sail panels, I don't know the exact gap it is supposed to have but it was slid almost all the way up until it wedged in good (probably 1" between roof and hatch?) looks like it should be further down though to me, I saw those slices you made and that makes a ton of sense cause it did not want to lay out right and I was going to run it through the english wheel and put a gentle slope on it, I was looking for a 3rd gen dutchman panel but I had been thinking about making one like you said probably in all reality be easier in the long run, also this may sound like a stupid question but what is the best way to get the curve cut on the trunklid? I was thinking of making a template from one side to the middle with the appropriate slope and then flip it and trace it on the other side?

[Indygenerallee]

I found a complete 2006 5.7 Hemi 25,000 mile complete with PCM and wiring harness sounds awful damn tempting at $900.00!!! Might have to buy it and make it a "Hemi" Daytona clone!!!