1974 Charger Project!!

[XP29H9]

Hey guys, it's been a while since I've been on here.  I orginally came to the board with a 69 charger, started working on it, got it running... and then sold it to one of my best friends.  Older guy who's got the means of finishing the restoration.

Now, he sold me a 1974 Charger that needs some work but will make a great car!  I'm really just excited to have something else to be working on!  It has some front end damage but is a complete car.  I went over yesterday and cleaned out the weeds around it, vaccumed out the engine bay and interior, wiped down the seats and dash.  Next step is to get the front fender and grill off and also to oil up the carb, run a fuel line to a temporary gas tank to the fuel pump and try to get her running!

Here are a few pics!  I know I like to see all the pictures I can when I'm on here so I enjoy being able to put some up in return!

-JT

[XP29H9]

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[XP29H9]

Oh yeah...

318 2brl
Auto
KB5 Blue 92992 miles

[41husk]

You got some wprk to do there  Best of luck, don't get in a big hurry

[BigBlackDodge]

Awesome! The second car I ever drove was my brothers 318 '74 Charger.......I've always had a soft spot for them.

Once you get that minor scratch out of the fender you'll be go to go!

Good luck



BBD

[XP29H9]

Definitely have a lot of work to do.  I'm excited at the opportunity though.  Don't get many chances to own a complete charger for cheap and have the access to a garage and every tool I could ever need.  It should be a fun journey.

How did you like driving that 318?  I don't know much about those engines.  I've watched a lot of the videos on youtube to get a tune for the exhaust, but other than that, nothing.  I've heard they're alright for one of the smaller engines.

Yeah, that small scratch shouldn't be too hard.  At first glance I thought it might buff out 

[magnum]

Nice car! Be awesome when done. I have a complete front bumper with brackets and all if your interested. I guarantee it will be cheap

[BigBlackDodge]

"How did you like driving that 318?"

The 318 is a great motor and I have one in my '70. It's durable and responds well to minor upgrades....headers...4 barrel...etc.

You won't be winning many races with it but it's reliable and gets decent gas mileage if driven sensibly.


BBD

[XP29H9]

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to seeing that B5 blue like new.  I really didn't realize the car was B5 until a few days ago.  I've been looking at the car for probably a year or more, but never realized the color.  I don't think my friend did either, and when I said to him, Hey isn't that B5 blue, he kinda got exited and was asking me if I was sure I wanted the car haha.  (He has a 2010 challenger B5 blue) 

Magnum... so you say you have a complete front bumper for a '74 ayy?     PM is in your inbox!

BBD... That's great to hear.  I had thought that the 318 would probably be pretty reliable.  Thanks for the info.  I wouldn't mind seeing a nice set of headers under there one day.  Won't have to worry about the racing.. I'm just more into the thrill of driving now.  Don't get me wrong though, I do like feel that torque every now and then   

[TK73]

What kinda $$ you drop on that one?

[XP29H9]

Believe it or not, I got this one from a good friend of mine for $500.  Not a bad deal between friends.  Although, he does currently own the '69 Charger that I used to have.

[XP29H9]

Well, got the car moved out in the open so I can get to it when working on it. 

Unfortuantely, when we were moving it, the chain broke and the Charger rolled back about 15 ft into a tree and bent up the rear end.  It's a shame, but just something else to fix.  Already have a rear bumper, so that's not an issue.  Getting the trunk straighted out... now that's another story.

[XP29H9]

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[XP29H9]

Also took the valve covers off to see what the valves/springs looked like.  Wow.... never quite seen one like that.  I've heard Quaker State oil can coagulate like that and clump up.. especially when you don't change your oil frequently.  I guess that's the case here.

[XP29H9]

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[BigBlackDodge]

Ahhh...sluge...my old friend!


BBD

[wingcar]

That picture of "Mr. Sluge" reminds me of a 1963 Dart a friend had....looked just the same when he purchased it.  He was told NOT to change his oil as the sluge was keeping everything together!  He actually cleaned everything up and did change the oil...car ran for many years......

As for the rear damage due to a chain breaking.....I had the same issue when I relocated my 1967 Charger.....a Tow strap rated at over 10,000 pounds broke and sent it down the ramp.....cracking the taillight...the original taillight that had no damage.....luckly I had another in the garage at the time (but, a 10,000 pound rated tow strap breaking?)....and the only damage to the 67 was the Taillight?  Could have made a grown man cry!)

Good luck on your project, as others have already said....just take your time....

[Ghoste]

Fastback taillights are the Achilles heel of damage to those cars.  They not only cover the width of that target zone, they are shaped to stick out slightly in the middle from end to end.

[XP29H9]

Glad to hear about the sludged engine running for years to come.  I will say my heart kinda dropped when I pulled the valve cover off and saw that (pulled one on the 69 I had and it looked new(ish)).  I didn't know what to think.  Like I said, from what I heard... NEVER use Quaker State! 

Tried putting a fresh battery in the other day to see if it would crank over and lights came on in the dash, but nothing happened when I turned the key.  I'm wondering if the starter is bad?  Maybe just the ignition switch. 

Next step is getting that bad fender off and the front bumper off... hopefully that will happen tomorrow if the weather is nice.

In the process of looking for a doner car.  Don't really know if it'd be worth it price wise to invest the money into though?

As far as a strap or a chain goes... I guess it never hurts to have a backup like everyone's saying.  If you have two chains/straps, might as well use them.  Lesson learned.

[Wicked72]

strip it down and see what it looks like if the passenger side seem straight and the driver frame seems bent you could always find a frame rail with an inner fender to fix the mess. seems like she stands straight which is good. cant wait to see the progress.

[TK73]

Looks like a LOT of work but it can be FUN!!

Then, there is the final result:

[Corey Dean]

TK73, what is the color on that Charger. I like it.

Looks like a LOT of work but it can be FUN!!

Then, there is the final result:

[Old Tired Rebel]

Any new updates?