Chippas Charger

[Chippa]

Not really sure how to start off this thread but i guess the best way is to just simply say that i, like most of us here have a bond with cars that alot of people just dont get...

I have been a Ford boy for most of my life loving the famous XW-XY GTHO falcons here in Australia as a little kid, but like most car lovers appreciate many models,shapes and sizes....my Dad owned a few Aussie Chryslers back in the early 70's which i think started planting the seeds and, as a young teenager started getting into the car scene with friends that had owned a classic Aussie built Chargers running 265 hemi with triple carbs...boy that car could move for a 6 cyl !!!

Soooo...fast forward 25 or so years, married, 2 beautiful kids etc etc and on the wrong side of 40 my thoughts turned back to when i always dreamed of owning a classic piece of American Muscle history...in particular Mopar Muscle.So many of us outside the U.S like myself could only dream of living in an era when there were so many great cars being produced let alone owning one.....but as fate would have it a chance came along for me to realise a dream of owning a 1969 BB Charger.... lifes too short....enjoy your life as much as you can !!!! so  here is a bit of a brief thread about this fine car,this is by no means a nut and bolt resto, more of an opportunity to show how another one of these fine cars will be loved once again and thank whoever owned it and cared for it over the years and made it to the Sunny shores of Oz but to also thank the person that got it here and the guys doing all the work for me...Photos will be in no particular order.....just me taking pics as i get the chance to do so.

Cheers Chippa 


"Daddy why has it got such a big engine"  because its a Mopar Son hahaha

[charger Downunder]

Welcome I have a 70 charger rt and I know how rare they are in Australia I bought mine in 82 when I was 16years old.

[Chippa]

The car has been slowly restored by the current owner over the last 18 months or so, he has owned a few of these great cars , Chargers,Roadrunners, but has turned his attention to another project car from the same stables and cant keep both....lucky me..

I'm sort of coming in at the half way point of this car as the driveline,suspension,diff,brakes etc have all been rebuilt...as much as i would of liked to dedicate 5yrs + to restoring a car myself it would be out of my reach so getting a car with most of the hard work already done is the way to go  

[Chippa]

My first few pics of her










Fresh R4

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Gotta love the red/white combo

[tan top]

   looking good 

[Chippa]

Yep i'm a fan of the red/white combo even though its not very unique....the car was an original 383 4BBL centre console car which now has a 440 plant, 727, and 3.23 LSD. The interior is still original and in great condition but with new carpet,the dash pad has no cracks in it at all, all of the gauges work and no tears in hood lining.

Like i have mentioned this car has been looked after over the years,i was very happy with the overall condition of the car. It must of been garaged most of its life as there is no signs of major rust in the usual places which is a huge bonus for me as i have seen so many pics of these cars with a bit of the Fred Flinstone action going on and see through boot floor (trunk haha).

[Chippa]

Some more random pics













Engine will be getting some fresh paint along with pulleys etc

[Chippa]

A few more pics of some under body work going on...



















Tried to get some numbers off the heads looks like 906??? block castings are 10-24-77 and 4006630-440-4





Photos arent the best quality sorry..

[69rtse4spd]

 Looks clean, & welcome to the site. .

[Darkman]

Looks good!

What part of the best country in the word are you from?

[Chippa]

Sunny Perffffffffffff.....

[Fred]

I can't see you Chippa but I know you're smiling from ear to ear! 

[Chippa]

Yes.....yes i am haha ..engine back in 2moz and will be fired up....i have the rest of the week off so i will head down to the worshop and get a vid of it being started for the first time in a while. The extractors are good but the rest of the system could do with replacing in the near future but for now it will have to do, might need to throw a set of mufflers on it will see how they sound first...

[charger Downunder]

Wow you have a good clean car to work with.

[68r/t]

Where in Perth you located Chippa? I,m up Joondalup way.

[Chippa]

Hey 68 r/t....i'm up around hills not far from Midland looking forward to catching up with some of her brother and sisters in the not to distant future  
Thx charger Downunder !!! i'm looking forward to seeing the body get all painted and a few coats of clear,new bumpers and other bits and pieces..i was thinking about changing the Cragars over for some Magnum rims but they will have to do for now as the piggy bank is starting to get lighter haha

[Chippa]

A couple more today..engine and trans back in and new fuel tank mounted up

[Wicked72]

welcome to the site 

[Bob T]

Gidday Chippa, a fine looking 69 you have there 
A week off to work on your car , what a bonus  it'll be a race to the finish 

[Chippa]

Cheers Bob T !!! i have actually been a bit crook this last week but that hasnt stopped me tinkering around with a few little things like detailing the interior panels and centre console while it all stripped out.... i spent most of today just having a couple of Buds ( yes i drink Budweiser my fav dont like Aussie beer that much ) and cleaning up my console a bit heres a couple of pics although i really need to buy a decent camera cause these shots are pretty shit haha

[Chippa]

First time i have heard this fire up ........ its only a very quick clip when we have thrown on some ignition leads quick ,after we dropped the engine and trans back in, put some fuel in the new fuel tank, it hasnt been timed up or carbi tuned so i will take a better clip when she is running a bit sweeter......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKT9R80mDcc

[nvrbdn]

sweet. the build is coming along nice

[Fred]

The sweetest thing of any car restoration is firing up the engine for the first time.  That rumble can send you to heaven.
She sounds mighty good Chippa. I know you're one happy man. 

[Chippa]

Cheers Fred !! yes pretty happy to hear it fire, i dont really know alot about this motor as it was built in the states by previous owner (recent build) so i'm not sure about cam specs comp ratio etc etc but for a motor thats been sitting for a bit it started up straight away.
I'm going to do a compression test on it just to see where the pots are at, but i'm assuming its quite good as fires straight up, i just grabbed some 95 ron which its running on fine but will be to run on 98 once i get it up and running proper....that said i probably should of just put 98 in to start with but i've only put about 15 lts in to get it started.

[Chippa]

Ok so i dropped by the workshop tonight and picked up the whole complete front Grill/headlight assembly,took it home and dismantled it...will be taking the metal frame and metal components back 2moro to get stripped back to bare metal and then primed and painted black.
While thats getting done i will go to town on the plastic grill assembly,fix up a few minor cracks here and there and try and find some silver/grey paint to redo that area of it..
I hope that i'm not boring ppl with all these pics, i'm like a kid in a candy shop at the moment..















Since you have started on the Charger you dont play with anymore Dad haha



Hopefully i can get it all back together by the weekend and post up some pics all nice and new again 

[Fred]

No but your dog looks mighty bored.   remember to throw him a stick occasionally.  

[charger chris]

 

[Chippa]

Ok so some more random shots....was down the workshop yesterday doing my bit to help the car along some more  Grille is coming along very nicely but its been a very time consuming job!!! will post up some pics of it later in the week hopefully all assembled..

Anyone know what this sticker represents ?? tried looking up online think its some kind of parts coating company

 

This is the extent of the rust in this vehicle....as mentioned before i am very lucky...



Very happy with the roof lining for its age...no tears or holes



Yes...it has a radio haha



New one piece floor all spot welds unpicked and put back in as per factory as far as i know...this floor was replaced by current owner due to some minor tunnel damage, not rust



Dry rubbed yesterday and ready for final wet rub then into the spray booth for some fresh R4



Hopefully by Wednesday she will have some colour 

[Fred]

Good job on the head liner.   

[nvrbdn]

looking great.ill bet you are excited.

[RIDELIKEHELL]

Right on!

[Chippa]

Thx Guys!!

Well these are not the best shots as i wasnt allowed into the booth as my painter had only just finished but am very happy to see some R4 go on!! will be left for a day then will be buffed up and then a few coats of clear 











Heres some shots of my 43 yr old interior getting some love and elbow grease from me cant believe how well they are coming up!! very happy

Before






After




A couple of the passenger seat...will take some better ones







Well thats all for today....Yay for Chippa!!! hahahaha

[nvrbdn]

thays right, yea for chippa. the car looks great and the seats are coming out great. sweet.

[Chippa]

Well after many nights in the shed after work i have finally finished giving the grille assembly some love  it was something that at times tested my patience but i think its turned out great !!!! a few little touch ups here and there to be done but i'm glad that i stripped it down and fixed it up...
















Just have to clean up the trim rings that go around the headlights and clean up the wiring harness abit and shes ready to go back in

[doctor4766]

Looks great mate. Cant wait to see it  

Just out of interest, are you puitting the white stripe back on?

[Chippa]

Hey Bud... i'm really not sure to be honest, the stripe that was on it was painted on and i wasnt really happy with it.
That said i think i probably will at some stage but i want to see if it grows on me minus the stripe.. 

My other dilema is rims....i will stick with 15" but the SS Cragars that are on it are old and tired the chrome is rooted and i think it will be a crime to leave old shoes on the car after doing all the work to it...i'm leaning towards Magnums but i also like the black Steelie look but that might not suit having the white top.

Thru it back up on the hoist to put the exhaust back on and noticed that the steering box was pissing fliud so we ripped that out and giving it a service so hopefully that will go back in this weekend if its ready...getting close now to coming home 

[doctor4766]

Mate, everything you find and fix now is just one less headache to deal with when you're out cruising.
Gis a shout when she's coming home and I'll try and take a spin out your way in mine.
MY current ride lives in Midland which isn't too far from you I think, so could be good for a weekend trip in the hills for a BBQ or something.
I can probably help with the tail stripe when it comes time too.
Gotta put one back on my Charger soon so you can have a look at that and see if you think you might like one again, although I may go back to black again for a while myself.

[Chippa]

Cool matey sounds like a plan  yes thats what i'm doing if i see something that i think needs Attention i'm just getting it out the way now...when shes home i will def let you know..

[Back N Black]

Nice work, the car looks great! 

[Chippa]

On her way home on Friday  time to start putting it back together

[nvrbdn]

why is the hood popped and a strap around it?

[tan top]

nice  work 

[Darkman]

why is the hood popped and a strap around it?

Maybe the latch isn't on it

[CLG]

why is the hood popped and a strap around it?

Yep, the bonnet latching gear was not attached due to some confusion over the replacement bonnet rubbers, we chose to cushion the bonnet with rags to protect the paint during the journey home.

Hi Andrew!

Clint

[Chippa]

Hey!!!!! Yes give the man a prize hahaha..... secondary latch only attached and Clint was kind enough to secure/cushion it for the ride home....

Big raps to Clint who is the owner of where the majority of the work was done ....always made himself available to answer any of my questions and kindly allowed me to come down and help out with small things and learn whenever i could....

Cheers Mate 

[Bob T]

Looking good now mate, get stuck in and you'll be hussing tyre in no time

[Chippa]

Thats right Bob T  spending most of my spare time now putting it all back together which i'm enjoying and hopefully in 3-4 weeks time it will be getting close for licensing..

heres a pic of me removing many years of grime off the roof...looking nice so far

[bakerhillpins]

  Wow, that is coming out B-e-a-utiful Chippa.    

Its so nice to see how wonderfully the vinyl parts are returning with a good cleaning. And the work you did on the grille is amazing.    

Your Lab is quite a beautiful pup to boot. We have 2 ourselves. Great companions they are.

[Silver R/T]

That Charger turned out great, nice job

[Chippa]

Thx Silver R/T and Bakerhillpins!!!

Well a few more random shots.....my 9 yr old boy telling me to hurry up and finish the car haha and just another front end pic...have been working most nights after work and a couple of full weekends,the weather looks good here for the weekend so i might get my self an online temporary movement permit so i can go for a drive to the workshop and back to finally get my very first drive of her...

Can't wait...so close now going to be weird driving a Left hook car haha

[doctor4766]

Good stuff mate.
I'll drive for ya if you're too nervous......

[Fred]

I'm so used to it I get confused when I'm in the RHD.

[Ghoste]

As you should, RHD is confusing.

[Bob T]

Hey Chippa, a mate was telling me the other day that in some states Qld? maybe that the only way you could legally drive a lefty was to be a member of a club and have a logbook with a dedicated route in it, or else be compelled to change it to right hook, is this true or b/s?
Sounds damned horrible govt tactics if it is, I know that are hell bent on restricting imports for protectionism for local manufacturers but that is terrible if that is the case

[Chippa]

Hey mate never heard of that one here in WA   ....that would shit me big time if i had to do that

[Fred]

Hey mate never heard of that one here in WA   ....that would shit me big time if i had to do that

Doesn't apply here in Vic either.

[doctor4766]

Congratulations to Chippa on getting his Charger on the road and licensed last week!!
Well done mate 

[Fred]

Well done mate! 

[Hemidog]

Looks damn good! 

[Tooz 72]

That is one sweet Charger !!   

[Chippa]

Cheers guys and thx for the comments She went over the pits first time which i was very happy about,Only things that i have to do is fit a passenger door side mirror for some more vision/safety as driving on the LHS of the road with a left hook car has its challenges!!!

One of the Cragars has a small chunk out of the centre part of the rim which they werent happy about so i had to make a mad dash to the workshop and swap over my rims and tyres then drive back to show them ( i then went back and thru mine back on  )and that was pretty much it apart from all the usual scrutineering that accompanies licensing a car...i really want to buy new Magnums or even new alloy Cragars but the Charger funds account is a little low haha, but i'm keeping my eye out incase a really good deal pops up!!

I had a bit of an embarrising moment at the servo the other day, i pulled up,put some fuel in her  and everyone was staring which made me feel 10 ft tall ... but when i went to hop  back in the car my brain was still in RH drive mode and i hopped into the passenger seat to start her up!!!!!
I then proceeded to pretend i was looking for something in the glove box for a minute and casually got back out...what a stooge i am haha

So i have been ironing out a few small probs this week and tonight just put a seal kit thru the oil pump as i had a small oil leak and been re aligning the throttle cable and kickdown linkage, i have set it up ok but still need some fine tuning.....other than that shes pretty good to go but as most of us know all too well these cars can be a labour of love spending time tinkering around trying to improve on our current state of the car etc etc....

Just want to say a big thankyou to everyone on this site that has been willing to impart some knowledge onto me and words of encouragement, i still have alot to learn and more smaller details to do on the Charger but now after all my hard work and paitience i can finally get in it and cruise!!!
Spring is here now in Oz so bring on the good weather and car cruises!!!!!! will try and post up some nice pics on the weekend..

Cheers Andrew 

[doctor4766]

Good onya mate.
I'm looking forward to you joining us for a cruise or two over the next few months.
Try to get down to the next Charger Club meeting if you can. Don't have to bring the car along as it's at night anyway, but you can meet some of the guys, have a beer or two at the bar, and get info on upcoming events.
I'm no longer making bootie calls to the blonde out your way but I'm sure we'll catch up elsewhere soon.
Congratulations on getting another Mopar onto the streets of Perth.

[68r/t]

I had a bit of an embarrising moment at the servo the other day, i pulled up,put some fuel in her  and everyone was staring which made me feel 10 ft tall ... but when i went to hop  back in the car my brain was still in RH drive mode and i hopped into the passenger seat to start her up!!!!!
I then proceeded to pretend i was looking for something in the glove box for a minute and casually got back out...what a stooge i am haha

HaHa, I have done that many times and also have a browse through the glovebox,
Congratulations on getting the car regoed,

[doctor4766]

Even worse when you've been driving LHD and then go to get into your daily driver on the wrong side lol

[FlatbackFanatic]

Looks Great!! Good Job!!

[Fred]

I had a bit of an embarrising moment at the servo the other day, i pulled up,put some fuel in her  and everyone was staring which made me feel 10 ft tall ... but when i went to hop  back in the car my brain was still in RH drive mode and i hopped into the passenger seat to start her up!!!!!
I then proceeded to pretend i was looking for something in the glove box for a minute and casually got back out...what a stooge i am haha
Cheers Andrew 

  That's funny stuff.

[Chippa]

Well we have a Chrysler Expo day comming up in Feb here in West Oz (Perth) and my door scuff plates were looking very sad so seeing as i didnt want to go to the expense of buying and importing in new plates i thought i would have a crack at bringing some life back into the old ones....

Sooo after spending $12.99 on a cheap 3 stage buffing wheel set with polish sticks,some elbow grease,and a couple of Budweisers heres my results....not too shabby 

[Bob T]

Good result for $12.99 and a few beers 

[nvrbdn]

looks good. i was gona work on my car sat, but the weather was warm and when i moved the bike out to start, i just never got off the bike. 

[69rtse4spd]

Fantastic looking job on the car.  .

[billschroeder5842]

Chippa,

As I sent you a PM, that was my old Charger! I had it in northern Illinois for about 7 years and it was a blast to drive. I'm going to dig up what I can find on the car and send it to you.

I'd love to help you with the history on the car.

I need your "real" email.

[Chippa]

Chippa,

As I sent you a PM, that was my old Charger! I had it in northern Illinois for about 7 years and it was a blast to drive. I'm going to dig up what I can find on the car and send it to you.

I'd love to help you with the history on the car.

I need your "real" email.

Hey Bill!!!! thats awesome news   so cool to hear that this was your old ride and that its now in Australia where it is being well loved!!!! looking forward to finding out some more history about the car

Andrew