Took the Charger out, life is good.

[Dino]

The wife and I spent most of the day cruising our newly acquired 69.  It was a gorgeous day so we had the windows down and just drove and drove.  Life sure can be good from time to time. This car is more than I could have hoped for.  The 440 is so smooth to cruise yet rips up the road when you want it to.  The accord is not going to be much fun anymore. 

Since the car was all dusty I figured I'd stop by the self car wash and rinse it off.  This being a sunny Saturday all bays were taken but the automatic bay just became available.  You know the kind, you drive in and this rotating pressure washer starts taking laps around the car.  As soon as it started up I realized I should have checked the condition of the weather stripping seeing that it has never been replaced.  When it hit the passenger side it started leaking where the top of the door glass meets the quarter glass.  I was actually quite happy it was only a few drops seeing this thing was really close to the car and the water was blasted out really hard.  My relaxed state quickly took a turn when it hit my side though, Niagara falls in my friggin's car!  The entire top of the door glass was letting water in as if I had the window not rolled all the way up.  I couldn't help but laugh, this was my own dumb fault.

When the washer stopped I pulled out and checked the seals, they were dried and had tons of flat spots, no wonder it leaked like it did.  Guess I'm getting new roof rail seals!  Metro's ok?  Who's the fastest shipper by the way?  I'm in SE Michigan.

After that we took a long trip through the farming communities here getting lots of thumbs up, saw a beautiful Cuda so I had to return the favor!

When I bought the car I knew some of the lights were not working.  Only one low beam worked, one parking light, several of the small bulbs inside did not work and only one hood turn signal indicator.  I stopped at a small parts store hoping to find something and they had every little light bulb I needed plus all the sealed beams, original or halogen!  So I grabbed all halogen, low and high beam and a ton of small bulbs.  I didn't even hit $50 for all that stuff, I was happily shocked!  I'm doing the mod with the relays soon but still have to figure out where to start and what parts to buy.

After the trip I spent about an hour replacing all the lights in and out so I'm good to go.  The ps backup light doesn't work yet, it wasn't the bulb, but I was hungry so called it a day.  Also have to pull the cluster to replace a few small bulbs, everything else works.  Hood turn signal simply had a cut wire so I snaked it through the hood and reattached it and voila, they're both blinking again.  Gonna need new lenses eventuall, these things are cracked and faded!

According to my rough calculations I did about 10 mpg with 3.91 gears, 14" magnums and a trunk full of parts (forgot to unload them).  Oh and yes I did stomp the gas from time to time, how could I not?  I would love to swap the gears for the 2.94 I have here but I don't want to waste my whole Sunday on it, I've never done this before.  I was constantly running 3000 rpm @ 50-60 mph and it's a bit much so I do need to make the swap.

Regardless, this was one hell of a day and I enjoyed the Charger endlessly, there's nothing quite like it.  What a ride!

Oh and by the way, I always wanted a small block so it would be a bit more affordable...yeah forget that, 440's rule!   

[bakerhillpins]

Know the feeling... So much fun 

Need some pics!!!!    

[Dino]

I took these a few weeks ago when it was still pretty dirty so I'll snap some more tomorrow and post them Monday while at work, got dial up at home...

http://s1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb477/Dino-69/1969%20Dodge%20Charger/

[Fred]

I've got Metro roof rail seals in my Charger and I'm happy with them.  
As for the ride...............know that feeling well. Nothing else like it!

[tan top]

   cool stuff 

[1969chargerrtse]

Cool.  You got 2 more mpg than I get when I cruise.

[Dino]

Woke up this morning, grabbed a cup of coffee, went into the garage and just looked at it and smiled.  What a car....

I just removed the parts from the trunk. that weight sure didn't help matters!  I had a complete Wilwood disc brake kit in there, the original cast iron intake and thermoquad carb, torsion bar and air filter housing.  Only think I left in there are the spare tire and jack.

Seems the milegae will be pretty decent for a 440 when I ride a bit more sane and not floor it at every stop sign but hey, a man's gotta have some fun.   

Today I'll realign the console door as it's a bit loose, try to find out where the leak in the glove box is coming from (windshield I bet) and try to find out why the backup light fuse blows when I turn on the am radio.     Not that am is so desirable but I'd like it to work regardless.

I'm going to look around and see where to best get the Metro seals.  My door seals look pretty good but they too are the originals so I should change them.  You can buy the whole kit on ebay for $150 but is there still such an issue with the door seals being too thick?  If so I'll just buy the roof rail seals and quarter window seals seperately.  The trunk seals is still good enough to do the job apparently.

OH, isn't there supposed to be a VIN on the trunk lip somewhere and on the A pillar?  Where exactly are they?  The car was painted white and I just blinded myself shining an led flashlight on it.

[Fred]

Woke up this morning, grabbed a cup of coffee, went into the garage and just looked at it and smiled.  What a car....

I just removed the parts from the trunk. that weight sure didn't help matters!  I had a complete Wilwood disc brake kit in there, the original cast iron intake and thermoquad carb, torsion bar and air filter housing.  Only think I left in there are the spare tire and jack.

Seems the milegae will be pretty decent for a 440 when I ride a bit more sane and not floor it at every stop sign but hey, a man's gotta have some fun.   

Today I'll realign the console door as it's a bit loose, try to find out where the leak in the glove box is coming from (windshield I bet) and try to find out why the backup light fuse blows when I turn on the am radio.     Not that am is so desirable but I'd like it to work regardless.

I'm going to look around and see where to best get the Metro seals.  My door seals look pretty good but they too are the originals so I should change them.  You can buy the whole kit on ebay for $150 but is there still such an issue with the door seals being too thick?  If so I'll just buy the roof rail seals and quarter window seals seperately.  The trunk seals is still good enough to do the job apparently.

OH, isn't there supposed to be a VIN on the trunk lip somewhere and on the A pillar?  Where exactly are they?  The car was painted white and I just blinded myself shining an led flashlight on it.

The trunk vin is on the driver's side in the centre under the weather stripping. You can feel it when you run your fingers along underneath.

[elanmars]

car looks like mine that just died! except with a black top and magnums. looks good!

[Dino]

I didn't check under the seal, I'll check again.  Isn't there supposed to be one on the ds A pillar as well?  I think they used a bit too much paint and covered it, there's a little sticker on it that seems to be original though.

Yeah they do look a like a lot!  Sorry to see you lost yours man, and I hope you're on your way to recovery.

[projectanimal]

Life is good Dino!!   
Can't wait until next year when we have ours on the road and   I'll have the same stories of afternoon cruises!!      Nice looking ride too! 

[Dino]

It sure is a great car.  It needs work but apart from some new roof rail seals nothing that can't wait.  The body has some bubbling on the lower quarters and rockers but that is pretty much it.  And the good news is, nobody tried to hide it.  The interior is pretty worn but that's okay, it's green and it has to change!  Actually besides the seat and upper door pads i's in pretty good shape!  Even the uppers are very good for a driver, but of course the vinyl has lost all it's elasticity so it's cracking.  Dash pads are great though funny enough.

I'm sitting here looking at the weather forecast, it's gonna rain for a few days and I want to drive this thing!  But not without the seals!

[Fred]

I didn't check under the seal, I'll check again.  Isn't there supposed to be one on the ds A pillar as well?  I think they used a bit too much paint and covered it, there's a little sticker on it that seems to be original though.

Yeah they do look a like a lot!  Sorry to see you lost yours man, and I hope you're on your way to recovery.

There's also one on the radiator support. It's visible from the top.

[TexasStroker]

Great story, made me happy just reading it, lol.  I'd keep the 3.91s though, you'd see better mileage, but loose that low-end oomph.  3.55 would be as low ad I'd go, but that is just me.  The more often you have to stop for gas the more often you'll get some crazy story from someone, or meet other Mopar people that you can come back and post up for everyone!

Your Charger looks great, I don't see many white ones...can't go wrong with the black top and black bumblebee stripe!  Hope you get to keep cruising!!

[Dino]

Oh I forgot about the rad support, I'll go around it again this weekend and see what I can find.  I know the hoistory of the car and can trace it back to the original owner so I'm not worried something's not on the up and up, but it would be nice to actually see the vin on the car other than the dash.

I will be keeping the 3.91's because I really do want an overdrive or manual trans or...anything but 3 gears....

Right now it's a bit much, just drove it into work, 55mph @ 3000 rpm, ouch.  Also noticed that when I replaced the headlights with halogens this past weekend I kinda forgot to check the angle of them.  Ps is shining upward a bit too much , no oncoming traffic flashed me so I guess it's not too bad but still something I have to get in order.

There's lots of little things to do but I am way happy they are just litle things.  It does look good in white, shows the lines really well.  I always planned to paint it black and have the interior in saddle, but I'm leaving my options open now.

[41husk]

congratulations! I still find myself standing with the garage open just staring Must be a Charger thing?  I stare at the Challenger a lot too, maybe it's a mopar thing

[Fred]

You're dead right. I stare at my Cuda almost as much as I stare at my Charger..............it must be a Mopar thing!

[drifter69]

I stare at the chicks that are stareing at my charger and wish they were stareing at me.