My 68 Charger R/T is Being Buffed - UPDATE 4/10/06

[4402tuff4u]

Kevin @ Millennium my body shop guy painted the Charger on Friday. He now has to sand it down to eliminate the orange peel and he has to install the black vinyl top. He scheduled to sand it this week and install the black top either this week or next. Him and I will install the engine one night, hopefully soon when my engine gets done with it and the engine gets dynoed. Not because it's my Charger and everything but I'm in awe on how the MM-1 paint looks in the sun!!! You can see a the metallic flake reflection on the paint. Even Kevin said that the tones really give the paint allot of depth. I'm happy with all the lines. All the gaps are equal and parallel. Another customer that is having an 2006 Escalade stretched into limo asked if I wanted to sell it. I told him make an offer. He said he would talk to me so other time. Truthfully, is not for sale!!

I'm getting some resistance on the engine paint with Carl the guy building my 440. I went with the INDY EZ heads and I have to admit they look awesome not painted, also with the aluminum manifold not painted. I told CArl I wanted the whole engine painted the correct turqouis green several times and everytime I see the engine and ask him to not forget to paint it he says "your crazy to paint the heads and the manifold!". I like the stock look on the 440's. The bottom line is, that he will do what I tell him but I guess he wants me to see it all together unpainted. Oh, the valve covers are the stock one's and I think they will look funny painted over unpainted heads. What would you guys do???  Paint the heads and manifold or not? 

[4402tuff4u]

some more pic's........

[Shakey]

AWESOME!

That looks great.

Can't wait to see it all finished.

[tan top]

wow that looks awesome,would like to see more pictures when it is finished, once the black vinyl top goes on it will even better, if it were me i would paint the heads & intake 

[Blown70]

 

That looks great.  Remember for the right price anything is for sale.   $80,000 I bet would make you think....

[700HPCharger]

Looks great!

[terrible one]

That looks incredible!! I'm jealous

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Lookin great!

I woould paint the engine completely AND put the drivers side VC on the right way

[69pistolgripRT]

Should look fantastic when finished.

I would definitly paint the heads and intake. It just looks awkward without- especially to Mopar people.

[69pistolgripRT]

Lookin great!

I woould paint the engine completely AND put the drivers side VC on the right way

You "detail" guys are all the same.

Who says the valve cover has to keep the oil in the engine?

[67_Dodge_Charger]

I would not paint the heads and intake.  If you decide to change to mopar heads you could still sell the indy heads and the intake.  The engine does look odd with the heads not painted but you will get used to it.

That is a good looking Charger.

-Robert

[700HPCharger]

I wouldn't paint the heads and intake, but would use different valve covers.

[4402tuff4u]

Thanks for all the compliments. I was kind of torn between painting and not painting the heads, but I'm leaning towards painting the heads, intake, etc... I really think the engines look awesome painted as it came from factory, especially with the huge wrinkle black air filter pan that has the two snorkels. The heads have to come off cause Carl found out that the FElpro 1215 is not compatible with the INDY EZ heads. I had to order the INDY valley pan from Eric @ Muscle Motor Racing. All it is, is a flat ribbed aluminum plate that seals the engine block and the heads. I hope that the stock heat shield brackets for the spark plugs fit with the INDY's, we'll see.

Chris, I'm pushing for Carlisle, but it's going to be tough. It's not the time frame really that will dictate completion of the Charger, it's more a matter of $$$. I still have to purchase complete exhaust system, send the gauges out for full restoration and many other parts I have to get. My budget has been totally depleted between the engine and paint job. I will try though and see what I can do.

[4402tuff4u]

Oh, I forgot to mention valve covers and intake manifold are just sitting there not installed. It was just covered with plastic and I removed it and took the picture. As you can see the valley is totally open or maybe it's clear type?   Carl the engine guy does not really like me touching the engine. 

[BigBlockSam]

looks great! i just had an argument with one of my friends. he said the engine on my 68 r/t come from the factory painted blue. i agree with you. I'm painting mine the same color as yours. looks awesome. Rene

[Chris G.]

Looks great! Believe it or not, I went to look at a couple Challengers for sale today and one guy said he also has a '68 Charger R/T. Low and behold we go into his garage and boom and done MM1 Charger. It was under a cover, but he took some of it off so we could get a look. It was really stunning and I loved the color. Sorry no pics, but it's there. Oh yeah, he said it's for sale....for 75K.

[Silver R/T]

car looks nice. I would not paint heads/intake, and probably would go with Mopar Performance Vcovers

[PocketThunder]

Holy Crap the race is on!     My engine comes back from the machine shop in 3 weeks....  My guages are done and in the dash though so i might have a leg up on you there. 

[4402tuff4u]

Holy Crap the race is on!     My engine comes back from the machine shop in 3 weeks....  My guages are done and in the dash though so i might have a leg up on you there. 

You do have a leg up on me for sure. The Charger funds were totally depleted when I sat down with the body guy to review the original estimate and all the extra stuff I added for him to do.  Oh well, the engine dyno might have to wait. Might just break it in at home with the mechanic when I get it and find a chassi dyno sometime in the future. I did'nt even send out the instruments out yet. Might do that this week. I also have to buy exhaust system!!!

Paul, where did you get your instruments restored? Auto Instruments.com?

[PocketThunder]

Paul, where did you get your instruments restored? Auto Instruments.com?

[Dennis K]

Wow! Your car looks great! I can hardly wait until it's my turn to post pics of a freshly painted MM1 68 with a black top, but the day is coming. Mine's in the body shop now, but it's still in the sheet metal work stages. It will be a few months before the color goes on. Thanks for the inspiration!

[4402tuff4u]

Wow! Your car looks great! I can hardly wait until it's my turn to post pics of a freshly painted MM1 68 with a black top, but the day is coming. Mine's in the body shop now, but it's still in the sheet metal work stages. It will be a few months before the color goes on. Thanks for the inspiration!

Dennis, post some pictures when you can. Would love to see another MM-1 being restored! Awesome color!! I'm hoping to get my Charger home next few weeks. Waiting on the engine guy to drop it off at the body shop. The body shop guy said he would install it for me if I give him a hand one night. I have to drop off the vinyl top I have at home under my bed. I opened it from the package and rolled it to get the creases out. If you have your vinyl top still wrapped up from the supplier, I suggest you open it and roll it up. It's never to early. Cheers, Mike.

[Dennis K]

Thanks for the tip about the vinyl top. I will do that. I did take a few pics of it about 2 months ago when it just came back from the soda blaster, all bare metal on a rotisserie, but when I got home I saw there was a bunch of other pics on the camera, so I started deleting the ones I didn't want and ended up hitting the wrong button or something because I deleted all the pics on the camera. I guess if you've seen one naked Charger on a rotisserie, you've seen them all.

[NYCMille]

AWESOME!! when is the completion date... glad to see that its REALLY starting to come along.

[4402tuff4u]

AWESOME!! when is the completion date... glad to see that its REALLY starting to come along.

I'm pushing for Carlisle meet (July) which is kind of agressive, but $$$ is basically going to dictate the completion. I was over budget on both the engine and the body work. The term "do it right, do it once" is expensive! No regrets so far.