When old and new collide

[Ghoste]

So I wasn't that beer fogged after all.  I guess by the time you track down a pair of donor cars and spend a couple of years or even a year doing the labor but still, I'm not so sure there are all that many people out there right now who would pony up that sort of cash.  Are there?

[bigred68]

 I really liked that (those) Chargers also. But, it kinda' seemed to me that the fabrication wouldn't be THAT difficult?   What I mean to say is, start with a decent '68 Charger body and a decent possibly wrecked, or stolen/recovery LH platform car, (any one of them would work, right?). Cut out the center section of the floor pans of both cars, weld the center section of the LH car into the center section of the B-body, 'VOILA. I know I may be WAAAY over simplifying, but, really ,isn't that what happened here? Actually, I was thinking the front end sat a little high, and the wheel diameter was little large for my taste. Also, not to hijack this thread but did anyone else notice the 10.98 second Cherry red '69 parked next to it at the NATS? REALLY nice car, nice guy, (from Colorado).

[six-tee-nine]

Every time i look at the pictures there pops the same question inmy head....

A modern engine in an old car i can get somehow, but who wants an ugly modern dash in a great looking old car......
IMO the Mopar ralleye gauges were the best looking dashes in the muscle car era...you just dont replace that.

[Ponch ®]

Something about the stance of those cars that just looks odd to me. Same thing with the one WCC built. Part of it is that the wheels have to be of a certain size (17's at least) and of certain offset to clear LX brakes.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Something about the stance of those cars that just looks odd to me. Same thing with the one WCC built. Part of it is that the wheels have to be of a certain size (17's at least) and of certain offset to clear LX brakes.

I agree...those 20's look too large on there...looks like they did try and fatten up the sidewall though compared to mine...

[Rolling_Thunder]

Well I am knee deep with a similar project with a buddy of mine - We used a 2008 SRT8 Magnum and a 68 Dodge Charger...   The amount of fab work needed is higher than giraffe ****y...         We used the entire floor pan from the Magnum and all the suspension - granted our project is still in the midst of a build and is currently on a budget of $30,000 so it is nowhere near as nice as that one but the principal and work is the same....      The newer cars use a different type of steel than back in the day and it simply EATS spot weld cutters and is rather difficult to weld...    the harder parts is mating the stock 08 floors / wheel houses to the 68...       All the A/C, Firewall, Dash and such need to be trimmed and modified as well...    Inner fenders, structures, EVERYTHING needs to be worked on... 

[Mike DC]

    

Modern drivetrain & front seats & rear independent suspension is cool, but they lost me at the 2006 dashboard.  



These cars really force us to re-examine what we think we want in a resto-mod.  Just about the only difference from driving a 2006 car and this one is gonna be the looks that other people give it.  Is this the goal?  It seems like they might as well have just put chrome bumpers & trim on a modern 2009 Challenger type of retro-model.  


IMHO too much of the original car's character has been lost.  I don't find any single one of the changes too objectionable by itself, but I would not want the whole package.

 

[Ghoste]

Very good point Mike.  In some ways it isn't all that far removed from those Rolls Royce front end kits you could stick on your VW Bug.

[Mike DC]

In some ways it isn't all that far removed from those Rolls Royce front end kits you could stick on your VW Bug.

Yes, that's a good analogy.  The baseline car is better than a beetle and the project is more extreme, but the jist is the same. 


It's not unlike a "kit car" where you reskin a Fiero like a Lamborghini or make a Beetle chassis look like a McLaren racecar.  Imagine if this guy had used a one-piece fiberglass mold of a 2nd-gen instead of manually welding on the 40yo steel Charger panels.   

I don't hate it, but it's a few steps farther than I would want to do.

   

[Silver R/T]

not fan of interior of those ones

[mauve66]

it might help if they had changed to some other rims that fit the LX hubs but might be a little more nostalgic, might have helped the look of the wheels/wheel wells

[Mike DC]

    
I like the subtle wheelwell work, though.  He stretched those front wheelwells upwards a bit and it really doesn't show if you're not looking for it.  It helps the car swallow the huge wheels without losing the good stance. 

[Bill Howell]

I have seen similar builds in the camaro world. Like others, I don't get the dash change, the car's exterior doesn't match the interior. IMO.
My 72 has the same type changes as this as far as drivetrain goes, fabbed to fit the old car, not the other way around. I know some will not agree with this, but there are much better suspensions out there than even the late model Charger frontend. My decision to go with the XV stuff was more costly than if I had found a new style donor, but I feel the end results will override the cost.
My car does have a DANA 60, another thing most purists demand in a restoration, whether it be original or resto rod, it has to be a dana.
You can stuff plenty of wheel and tire under the original body with just a little foresight. Better than new IMO.

[mikesbbody]

I like it not sure about the wheel and tire combo though...