my Charger has cancer

[CB]

Today I worked all afternoon to find out the real condition of my Charger.
Let me revise:

Front dr side floor pan:
pine holes who once you start pooking with a screw driver, they start to grow
new floor pan was ordered

Trunk
Middle section is hard (?)
extensions are soft, they riveted aluminum plates over some holes and put ounces of bondo over it
nasty view once you start pounding with a pointed hammer...

lower 1/4 panels
All gone
have replacement panels

rear valance panel
same story, aluminum over some  holes and then ounces of bondo

All holes will be restored with repop sheet metal and or  metal patches.

My budget will be shrinking fast 

ps: pics comming soon

[Charger_Fan]

Well CB, hopefully the rust hasn't spread much further than the spots you've already found. We all know that the real weak spot for these cars as far as rust goes, is the back third of the car, so at least you're not venturing into unfamiliar territory.

[cudaken]

 Great talking with you Christen, at this point I think all you have found is pretty normal if not better than normal.

With the top of the wheel well's having no bubbles and frame rail clean you should have little to worrie about. I will send you some PIC or normal rust here in the US. It will make you feel way better.


Tell Gerts I said HI as well.

                               Cuda Ken

[CB]

yea Ken, nice talking to you on the phone 

I don't know Geert in person but I know he's a member of some dutch Mopar board.

Also,is it hard to weld the dr sidefloor and trunk pan and some other patches if you never have welded before?

My body guy asked me 'why not doing it yourself?'
He saw that the trunk and floor need some help, not the outer shell. So it won't be visable. I might replace the full trunk if I could do it myself. Saving on $/hour for labour could buy me some nice clean new sheet metal.

Christian

[runningman]

I am doing my floor pans right now....I have never welded before, I bought a Miller 135 and just started going at it.  It is taking me a long time though, I am sanblasting the frame rails and getting most of the little dings and dents out of them before I weld the floors in.   My drivers side is in, should have my passenger side in next week.  I heard you really don't have to be a good welder, just a good grinder

[73rallye440magnum]

sounds awesome, lets see some pics!

[bull]

I'd be more worried if you couldn't find any rust. It's pretty much a given.

[Blown70]

Well if have any mechanical ability you can weld... If you want buy a welder and start practicing on a scrap part.  You can learn a lot about too hot setting how much time etc,

Now as long as you are not doing outer body pannels warping is not as much of an issue.  Still can be but not as much.

Are you planning to over lay the pannel or butt weld?

[Drop Top]

You may not be a welder now. But after your done replacing all the rusty panels on the inside. You'll be ready to tackle the outside panels. Theres plenty of good people on this board that will give you all the advice you need and then some. The trick is to know who's advice to take. By talking to Ken? Well, that is a very good start. 

[cudaken]

 Christen, here are a few PIC. What we in the US find to be pretty much normal rust. All the cars where saved that are in the PIC.

[cudaken]

 Few More, I hope these make you feel a little better Christen. One thing that struck me odd was when you said the guys at the shop said "stop doing that, you won't have a car left"? Heck, unless you don't have a rust problem in Belgium they should no you have to take the bad metal out first.

If I can help you with shipping parts I be happy to as well.

                                            Ken

[cudaken]

 Sorry PIC are so dam big, I forgot to shrink them






                          Ken

[CB]

thanks for sharing Ken
Indeed, it helps a bit 

I gonna work on the Charger tomorrow and I'll try to shootsome pics of the car.

Cheers

Christian ( not Christen  )

[41husk]

Christian, that's real close for Ken

[cudaken]

 Said thing Allen, my spelling is better

Christian, I just saw the PIC of your 68 Charger, so why does this one have you worried?


                                    Ken

[CB]

well, seeing that pic again, I realised how much work that 68 needed.

Today I tried to get all the rot out (95% done). They riveted aluminum over the 1/4's, used way to much bondo to straighten it out.

Anyway, it'll need trunk extensions (all gone) some trunk floor patching, 1/4 panels and 1 front floor pan replaced.
+$600 of sheetmetal + $700 of welding labour. Guessing...

And then, straigtning, primer, block sanding , spraying.
No,we are not home yet.

[Silver R/T]

good progress

[six-tee-nine]

Keep Up the good work,

and hang in there. I'm sure you'll be very proud once you're done.


It might take a while but you'll get there afterall.

[CB]

next week my 69 will get some of the sheet metal replaced.
partial floorpan, 2 lower quarters and 2 trunk extensions. It will be a rock solid car again 
Then I gonna replace the leaky exhaust and get the tranny leak fixed. (trans is rebuild but a gasket was ripped  )