No such thing as a charger "parts car" anymore?

[Charger440RDN]

 I was wondering what other people think about the idea of saving all chargers no matter what. It seems to me that with the abundance of new repro sheet metal from AMD and others, that any charger can and should be saved. Just a few years back a charger would have been junked by some just for having rusty frame rails. Now you can basically build a charger from repro sheet metal. i don't think a new charger body shell from DYNACORN is that far away either, or at least I hope they build it.

[G-man]

If you are rich, do it. I definately cant/refuse to afford it.

[Mike DC]

  
I think the repro metal will allow us to junk a few more of the original cars, if anything.  


We can get fully new 69 Camaros or 68 Mustangs.  That doesn't mean people no longer ever junk one of those cars.  The total availability of repro metal has turned the cars (at least those without some claim to fame like a great VIN) back into commodities.  IMHO people are a bit more willing to junk a rotted out one now than before.  




And honestly I agree.  

I don't like seeing originals destroyed any more than the next guy.  But taking an original firewall & roof framework of a Charger and hanging 1100 pounds of AMD metal underneath it .  .  . this isn't really much like saving an original car either.   We're reaching that point out of necessity, but I doubt many of us would wanna do a rust repair like that if a full Dynacorn repro shell was available.

[Shakey]

You can start right now - there are plenty of them for sale on e-bay, craigslist etc.   

[Old Moparz]

Having new sheet metal available is one thing, even all of it, but what do you do in a case where you have a rotted shell that's been stripped of everything that can be unbolted or unscrewed? They don't make every single part that makes up an old car.

[Mike DC]

 
Oh yeah, that stuff is still valuable.  I doubt anyone is gonna be crushing any Charger shells without TOTALLY picking them over first even if the Dynacorn shells are in the catalog.

[69bronzeT5]

Just a few years back a charger would have been junked by some just for having rusty frame rails.

My '69 was almost junked back in 1998 for that reason....then we saved it and gave it a second chance at life.

[charger_fan_4ever]

Last year i saw a 71 6 pack RR at a local show. Saw a photo albumn so i took a look. The car started out a rotted complete car. At the start of the resto it was carved down to the 2 rear frame rails that were sitting on a table. Everything was changed from there on up. There was 1 piece of 1 front frame rail that was original in addition to part of the rear ones.

I was amazed that they even got the car back together. The body lines were a little off, but I have seen worse lines from guys just changing 1/4's.

Point being if an original car is rusted to the point that the frame rails, firewall, inner roof ect have to be changed it should just die IMO.

I have to give it to the guy though he could have just swapped the #'s onto a rust free body and gone with it. Instead he went threw the whole deal to end up with what i still think is a body swap.

I'm looking at a 68 shell to get the roof and the deck filler off of. The front end is already cut off, Vin # gone. Once i get the parts off it i need if there is anything else salvageble I'll cut those off and send the rest to scrap. The floor is non existent and i assume frame rails are toast too.

Yes its sad another one will die, but really who would fix something like that ? It would be the same in the end as the 6 pack RR i saw.

[Mike DC]

I'm looking at a 68 shell to get the roof and the deck filler off of.

By the time you've bought that shell, dragged it home, drilled out all the spot welds, carefully removed those parts, cleaned them up for primer . . . wouldn't you have been better off just buying the two panels from AMD? 

Never mind the morality of killing the car or not.  Pirating all that stuff to re-use it just seems like a cost-ineffective idea in its own right. 

[Charger440RDN]

You can start right now - there are plenty of them for sale on e-bay, craigslist etc.  

 I never said I could AFFORD to save every Charger   but it sounds like it may possible now more than in the past but I guess you had better know how to weld, or have deep pockets to pay a body shop.

[BrianShaughnessy]

Not economically feasible to save every one.     There's many more important historical things in the world that couldn't or can't be saved also.     

If you got the cash...  nobody is stopping you. 

But if you don't...   don't complain about somebody sacrificing one so that others may live.

[charger_fan_4ever]

I'm looking at a 68 shell to get the roof and the deck filler off of.

By the time you've bought that shell, dragged it home, drilled out all the spot welds, carefully removed those parts, cleaned them up for primer . . . wouldn't you have been better off just buying the two panels from AMD? 

Never mind the morality of killing the car or not.  Pirating all that stuff to re-use it just seems like a cost-ineffective idea in its own right. 

There are a few other parts I need to. Lower section of the door latch pillar, section of rear floor, cowl panel, sections of the inner rear window frame.

But if its not nice I won't buy it.

[NHCharger]

Seems like every few months we have a save all the Chargers thread. Even if they repoped all the sheet metal there is still many other parts that are not being made at this time.

[bearbqd]

I feel ya brother. I wish we could save ALL American Muscle Cars. So sad to see sites like cars in barns with great American Iron just rotting away. Makes me wanna cry. I wish I WAS rich so I could save as many as I could afford to.

[aussiemuscle]

Wont a Dynacorn repro shell just bring up all those rebody arguments that litter this forum?

[darkfiire5000]

When I got my charger it was just the body no doors, no fenders, no hood, just the bare body.Now Im getting the parts to put it back together it takes time but its actually kinda fun now that I got the money to do it.

[Mike DC]

   

Wont a Dynacorn repro shell just bring up all those rebody arguments that litter this forum?

An existing "restored" Charger with new framerals + floorpans + outer skin + glass + trim + bumpers + interior + drivetrain + wiring + weatherstripping + suspension + wheels & tires . . .  this is already the same body in name only. 

 

[Old Moparz]

Wont a Dynacorn repro shell just bring up all those rebody arguments that litter this forum?

Sure it will.  

The body shells are actually considered a "replacement panel" for the ones already available, like the Mustangs & Camaros, & the new body shell doesn't have a VIN tag that's being switched to a rot box to take it's place. This, through the laws on the books in certain states, is legal, while swapping tags from one car to another is illegal. The new shell, or replacement panel, will legally get whatever VIN the owner has whether it's a 318 car or something else.

Dynacorn Q & A Page: http://www.dynacornclassicbodies.com/faq/afmfaqs.asp

[Charger440RDN]

Ok after looking at a few of the Chargers currently on Ebay I admit that not all chargers can be saved.