SRT-8 Daytona Clone

[Stevearino]

The right side fender is my "Wonder Fender". Mostly because I spent a month wondering where it was. I bought it of a guy on Ebay for $300.00 shipped from Iowa.
It took him 3 weeks to finally put the thing on a bus and another week to get from Iowa via transfers in Kansas City, Philadelphia and southern New Jersey. I learned a lot about shipping by bus.

The Vega window plug came from the guy who sold me the nose and wing. I paid $250.00 and I guess since these things are getting harder to find I should be pretty happy but while searching I found a beautiful one on Craigslist in San Diego for $20.00 local pick up only.

I got lucky and was able to trade the 68 hood to the same guy I bought my hood and left fender from to get the deck lid.

Very Cool Project, I look forward to reading more about your Daytona Clone... Welcome to DC .com

Thanks for the welcome.

[Stevearino]

Heres another 69 to 08 charger

http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149892

Wow! Ole Rowdy Gowdy ain't scared.  I love the way he's doing it with a tractor , an electric grinder,and a stick welder in a car port with some tarps down the sides. Holy Moly!

I hear Red Green sent him a case of Duct tape too   

Based on the cut off method he may need it.

[Budnicks]

The right side fender is my "Wonder Fender". Mostly because I spent a month wondering where it was. I bought it of a guy on Ebay for $300.00 shipped from Iowa.
It took him 3 weeks to finally put the thing on a bus and another week to get from Iowa via transfers in Kansas City, Philadelphia and southern New Jersey. I learned a lot about shipping by bus.

The Vega window plug came from the guy who sold me the nose and wing. I paid $250.00 and I guess since these things are getting harder to find I should be pretty happy but while searching I found a beautiful one on Craigslist in San Diego for $20.00 local pick up only.

I got lucky and was able to trade the 68 hood to the same guy I bought my hood and left fender from to get the deck lid.

Very Cool Project, I look forward to reading more about your Daytona Clone... Welcome to DC .com

Thanks for the welcome.

Good luck...

[tan top]

This is just a test to see if this site will accept my photo's as formatted. 

Well I don't know why but it seems to have accepted these photos this time around.  Anyway I am new as a member but I have been looking at this site for a few months going through the 130 odd pages of threads to get info on this project I have started. Lots of great stuff and good work by talented people here.  I am building a Daytona clone using a 68 Charger shell to be fitted over a salvaged SRT-8.  I have seen the body swap done a couple of times so that's not new. Maybe a wing version will be.
These are pictures of a model built to help visualize some of what I want to do. I will try to post what I have been up to as time permits.

hello & welcome    you got some project going on there !!   looking forward to seeing  more pictures & up dates & stuff 

[Stevearino]

 Thanks for the welcome TAN TOP

The next phase of my project was to strip out the remaining stuff in the car getting it down to just a rolling shell.

Even though I will not be using this chassis I took the time to neatly remove the bad floor pans and trunk pan for two reasons. The first is to get the hazardous rusty metal out so it is easier to work on the parts that will be saved.  The second is I will try to remove the chassis intact as most of the chassis except for the torsion bar cross member are in pretty good shape and someone might be able to use the components.

The right side quarter panel was caved in at the top pretty good. It took some time with a porta power and some hammer and dolly work but I got it out  reasonably decent.

[Baldwinvette77]

Awwww Man this is gonna get good           

Btw what did you do with your 68 drivers fender, cause im in need of one 

[Indygenerallee]

Steve,You big showoff

[Stevearino]

Awwww Man this is gonna get good           

Btw what did you do with your 68 drivers fender, cause im in need of one 

Still have it. The front edge in the grill area is kind of boogered up and it's a little bent at the bottom where it attaches to the frame. I have to reduce the file but I'll post a pic of it tonight.

[Stevearino]

Steve,You big showoff

You got me pegged David.

[70Sbird]

Steve,
Welcome to the forum! I'm always amazed by you guys with the metalworking skills and what you can reduce a car to, them build it back up...great work, wish i could do that. I'l really looking forward to seeing your project progress, Keep the pictures coming!

[Stevearino]

Steve,
Welcome to the forum! I'm always amazed by you guys with the metalworking skills and what you can reduce a car to, them build it back up...great work, wish i could do that. I'l really looking forward to seeing your project progress, Keep the pictures coming!

I was just reading your thread last night Scott. I can't wait to see your Superbird completed.

[Stevearino]

I needed to get inspired so I started with the metal work that would get me going. I started by building the bed for the short deck lid. I decided to fabricate the front edge similar to the stock piece reusing the front corners of the existing bed and fabricated the mid section. Since I was going to remove the dutchman panel entirely and the sheet metal on the insides of the tunnel back I would not have the old hinge points to go to. I moved the hinge points to just in front of the new forward rim and was able to use the stock Charger hinges. Pictures 2 and 3 are of a temporary wooden jig that held the deck at the right angle to establish the hinge points. Picture 4 is of the inner liner cleaned up with some material removed for weight.

[Stevearino]

Awwww Man this is gonna get good           

Btw what did you do with your 68 drivers fender, cause im in need of one 

Still have it. The front edge in the grill area is kind of boogered up and it's a little bent at the bottom where it attaches to the frame. I have to reduce the file but I'll post a pic of it tonight.

Here are some pictures of the left side 68 front fender.

[moparstuart]

fantastic fab steve 

[Baldwinvette77]

Holy crap you do beautiful work, way to make me look like a pile of crap, and nice fender, SELL ME IT!!!!!!.... if you dont mind 

[Stevearino]

Holy crap you do beautiful work, way to make me look like a pile of crap, and nice fender, SELL ME IT!!!!!!.... if you dont mind 

I don't mind selling it to you but I am not up for shipping the thing right now as I have a lot on my plate at work right now. PM me so we can get some particulars.

[Stevearino]

The first picture in this post is of the lower left quarter before and the second picture is after replacing the bad metal.
Picture 3 and  4 are of the beginnings of what would be a long process of rebuilding the tail panel to to rust repair and also to convert from a 68 to a 69 style.
In picture 4 you can see that rather than try to get the molded corner piece I opted to just open up the back of the quarter and finish it out in .035 steel.

[Stevearino]

Picture 1 here shows the lower roll pan corner needing replacement.
Picture 2 shows the replacement piece I made to match the old one.
Picture 3 the corner is installed.
Picture 4 some of the adjacent metal under the rear bumper area has been repaired.

[mightywing7]

Beautiful work!   

Keep the progress pics coming!! 

[mauve66]

  and welcome
metal skills are something i wish for, among others...........

[Stevearino]

Beautiful work!   

Keep the progress pics coming!! 

Thanks man.

and welcome
metal skills are something i wish for, among others...........


[/quote  Don't wish. Buy a Ron Fournier book on metal fab and start tinkering. You'd be amazed how quickly you will pick it up. I like to say it's arts and crafts with steel. You know Sissors/ Shears  Hot glue gun/ welder.

[Baldwinvette77]

DUDE YOU ARE A GOD AMONG FABRICATORS I wish to some day have the tools and skills to even do half of what you can do 

[Stevearino]

DUDE YOU ARE A GOD AMONG FABRICATORS I wish to some day have the tools and skills to even do half of what you can do 

I appreciate the compliment but its a bit over the top.  I know more than a few guys on here who make me look like like a hack. Don C comes to mind immediately.

[Budnicks]

your doing some nice metal fab work

[Stevearino]

your doing some nice metal fab work

Thanks it's the fun part for me.