Run on HeavyFuel (Resto)

[tan top]

   nice work !! looks awesome 

[HeavyFuel]

Thanks guys.  

Yeah, it's great feeling being able to count the things you have left.

Target date for the first fire up is 1 May.....not sure if I'm gonna make it...gotta take the Mrs. to Vegas sometime between now and then.  

Plus, it might still be snowing in May; we got another couple inches today.

[Dino]

Thanks guys.  

Yeah, it's great feeling being able to count the things you have left.

Target date for the first fire up is 1 May.....not sure if I'm gonna make it...gotta take the Mrs. to Vegas sometime between now and then.  

Plus, it might still be snowing in May; we got another couple inches today.

Can I give you one small piece of advice?  Scratch the date, doon't have an agenda.  This close to the finish is when a lot of people start cutting corners to get it done for the season and it will come back and bite you in the butt.  If it fires up on the 1st great!  If not, then there's nothing wrong with firing it up a week or two later.  You've been doing an awesome job and I'd hate to see you rush towards the finish.

Besides, as fun as it is to drive these beasts, the journey is one that will be with you forever and you will ook back on it with pride and pleasure.

[HeavyFuel]

Thanks guys.  

Yeah, it's great feeling being able to count the things you have left.

Target date for the first fire up is 1 May.....not sure if I'm gonna make it...gotta take the Mrs. to Vegas sometime between now and then.  

Plus, it might still be snowing in May; we got another couple inches today.

Can I give you one small piece of advice?  Scratch the date, doon't have an agenda.  This close to the finish is when a lot of people start cutting corners to get it done for the season and it will come back and bite you in the butt.  If it fires up on the 1st great!  If not, then there's nothing wrong with firing it up a week or two later.  You've been doing an awesome job and I'd hate to see you rush towards the finish.

Besides, as fun as it is to drive these beasts, the journey is one that will be with you forever and you will ook back on it with pride and pleasure.

That is true...but for me deadlines, even if I don't make them, keep things moving along.

[HeavyFuel]

Got a little more done over the last couple weeks.  The carpet took a longer to get in than I figured it would, but turned out decent.   This is ACC and the pre-molding is accurate, for the most part.  The passenger floor turned out absolutely perfect....the molding is right on.  The driver's floor is off a little, and that is because I think the heel pad is maybe not molded onto  exactly the right spot.  But I wanted the heel pad in the correct spot under the pedal, so I gave up some fit.  The puckers in the carpet on the tunnel get covered by the console carpet flap anyway....so it's all good.

The glued on jute padding was off center just a little, and I filled in the voids with jute/foil of my own.

The ACC also had lots of extra carpet on the sides and front to be trimmed off.....so no worries there either.  The overlap from front to rear is only about 1-2".

[HeavyFuel]

Extra padding was added to take up a little slack.

The jute padding with foil under the back seat bottom was cut to fit where the runners sit on the floor.  If this is not done, the seat bottom is pushed up and forward and you'll have a bitch of a time getting it hooked.

[HeavyFuel]

My seat belts turned out nice after cleaning with hot soapy water.  I reproduced the rubber anti-rattle with left over foam from a DMT kit used earlier.

The repo door panel compared to the original.  Legendary.  Pretty nice, and close to the orginal as far as size , but not perfect.  I had to narrow off the long point a little bit. Also, snip off a little vinyl that is pulled back and stapled in the corners to allow the top edge of the panel to slip under the SS trim piece.  Otherwise, it's too tight, and you won't get it under all the way.

The pre-perforated spots on the new panel for the armrest screws are off just a little as well.  I cut the holes about ½ - ¾ of an inch higher.

I could not get the small piece of SS trim behind the sill plate to fit correctly.  I know how it is supposed to work/look, and I couldn't get there.  So they aren't going on.......it looks fine without them, and my carpet is tight, not going anywhere.

[HeavyFuel]

The original rear seats are perfect, which is maybe very common.  So I cleaned 'em up and they're good to go.

My car contained two broadcasts, so one went back home under the springs of the seat back.  I cheated a little and left it in the plastic protector it was stored in.

Overall, the carpet and back seat area turned out pretty decent.  Only the panels and carpet aren't original.

[HeavyFuel]

The car is sooooo close to being assembled.........and I'm soooooo close to getting suffocated in my sleep by my wife cause I spend alot of time thinking/working on the car.   

This weekend our laundry room is getting re-done......enough said.

[NHCharger]

Car is looking awesome. Can't wait until I'm on the home stretch like you are.

[fy469rtse]

A few things I learned from the headliner install:

1.  The foil-back insulation provides a "starry night" effect when light reflects off the foil back through the fabric holes.    Not.

2.  Make sure to attach this silver bracket (circle below) before you put the fabric up.   The rest of the stuff that mount to the roof through the fabric is easy enough to locate, but this bastard has to go on first.    

3.  Use the glue sparingly, I don't think it plays a overly big role.  And brush it on if you can, there is more control over where it goes.  And only put it where it's supposed to go (arrows below), or run the risk of having your fabric stuck to parts of the roof that it shouldn't be.  

4. Paint the pillars and above the door the color of your fabric, or run the risk of seeing the body color through the holes is the fabric.

I knew about these things and forgot/neglected to do them......make a checklist.

just doing my head liner ? What are those small screwed on clips for , not the coat hooks , that's the area next to it hopefully ? So what are there for , what do they hold  purpose

[HeavyFuel]

The aft hole is for the coat hook.  The screw-on bracket is for the shoulder belt retaining strap push snap.  The bigger threaded hole is for the shoulder strap bolt.

[fy469rtse]

The aft hole is for the coat hook.  The screw-on bracket is for the shoulder belt retaining strap push snap.  The bigger threaded hole is for the shoulder strap bolt.

thanks , damn just new there would be a good reason for those , headlining in now ,

[HeavyFuel]

Just about there.  (The laundry room turned out nice, by the way)

Not really in the mood for alot of commentary right now....so I'll post up pics, maybe add dialogue in the future.

EDIT-  I'm ready for to expand a little..

1) The console is all original except for the carpet and lid latch.  The latch needed a bit of filing to get it to close....the shape of the catch was not quite right and it wouldn't close without modification.

2) Doors are all original except the panels and armrest bases. 

[HeavyFuel]

I tried to duplicate that factory fresh look and feel as much as possible.  Changed up the anti-sway bar bracket.....my originals were toast, and I couldn't find any replacements.  The LCA is boxed, hopefully that will help the handling a little.

[HeavyFuel]

1) The original (I think?  Plywood disks?  Really, Ma Mopar?) seat spacers were trash, so I made new ones.  A little thicker, but I'm tall, so it's all good.

2) The repo muffler hangers were not very good in the rubber strap dept., so I constructed new straps (right).

The first try with new straps put the mufflers too tight against the floor, so I added 1 inch to the length (left).  The mufflers hang just low enough for me to fit my fingers between now.....that should be good.

3) I wanted to use my original Magnums, which severely limited my tire choices.  Ended up going with the Coopers.  225 70r14.  They are really close to the diameter of the Goodyear Speedways (my spare is in the pic, and will go in the trunk).  The Coopers are a little wider at the tread, and I think the car looks pretty good, considering the narrow stock tire size.  I'll probably go wider in the future.

[HeavyFuel]

Bored yet?

EDIT-  Sorry for that comment....it doesn't give the tone I really mean.  It's just that I post a bunch of pics at a time.

1)  I'm more than satisfied with the way the trim on the car turned out, I was able to re-use all of the original stuff.  The only piece that is not quite right is one of the wheel well mouldings.  Somewhere along the line it got a little bent up, and those things are a total pain to re-shape.  I'm sure there is a tool to help out, but I don't have it.... so the trim doesn't follow the body lines like it should.

2) Stock looking for the most part.  I don't like the looks of the tan dist cap, so I went with black.  The electronic ignition box is located on the firewall just above the tranny tunnel.  Hopefully it doesn't get too hot there, and it's nice and concealed.  It's an A/C car, and I left it off (I hate A/C) so the hose configuration might look a little strange.

4)  The original magnums still look nice.  The black paint is still factory...I just cleaned 'em up with a Magic Eraser.  Not really diggin' the snake on the side of the Coopers, but like mentioned before, the options are limited for 14" x 5.5" rims

[Bob T]

Nope, not bored yet, keep em coming   looks awesome, very pleased for you. I kinda rushed my reassembly after I had the interior out and wiring changes, I would like to do it over again with new stuff instead of some half worn old interior fitments, your carpet really lifts the interior and the guages looks fantastic
I was just amping to get it driving and deal with the rest of detailing in the future.

Soo close to rubber meeting the road, that'll be a golden day

[HeavyFuel]

Thanks, Bob.

Yeah, getting close now.  Put repo stickers in the trunk and door jambs last night, also picked up the vital fluids.


The 'war dept' is going to Salt Lake on Wednesday, so I think the fire up could happen the end of next week.   


I've been saving a cask of Sam Adams 2009 Utopius....a $150 bottle of exclusive 'beer'.   

[General_01]

Looks great! Nice work.

[HeavyFuel]

The edge of the trunk lid took one for the team (me) last weekend.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,101864.0.html


Could have been worse....something to take care of later this summer after the car gets up and running.

[JB400]

Did the taillight panel take a hit as well, or is that a different type of spot?

[General_01]

The edge of the trunk lid took one for the team (me) last weekend.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,101864.0.html


Could have been worse....something to take care of later this summer after the car gets up and running.

I saw that last week. Better the car than you man. You can buy paint. You can't buy your life back.

[HeavyFuel]

Did the taillight panel take a hit as well, or is that a different type of spot?

Yeah, the panel took a nick as well....that's just gonna get a dab of SEM trim black and call it good.  After I start driving it, this car is never gonna look as good as it does right now, and I'd better get used to a few dings here and there.  I want it to be a driver and what happened is a common story, the resto took on a life of it's own, and the car ended up getting way more detailed than I had originally planned.

[Dino]

Did the taillight panel take a hit as well, or is that a different type of spot?

Yeah, the panel took a nick as well....that's just gonna get a dab of SEM trim black and call it good.  After I start driving it, this car is never gonna look as good as it does right now, and I'd better get used to that.  I want it to be a driver and what happened is a common story, the resto took on a life of it's own, and the car ended up getting way more detailed than I had originally planned.

You will be kicking yourself for a long time to come if you don't fix the damage properly.  Your car is mint, it's worth the extra time to do it right.