Here is what $5000 buys you.

[AKcharger]

Sounds great!

[Kern Dog]

I pulled the cluster out and set it on the test table. The oil pressure and temp gauges in the car were dead but the faces still looked decent. I tested the gas, water and oil gauges in the other 2 clusters that I have and all 6 gauges responded to voltage. The faces on those gauges were crappy though....SO I decided to swap a few parts around.

[Kern Dog]

I mixed up some JB Weld and pressed the faces on the good gauges and let them sit in the sun for a couple of hours.
Once they set up enough, I reinstalled them in the panel and put the panel back in the car.
Once I started it up, the oil pressure gauge responded immediately. The temp responded once the engine warmed up.

[Kern Dog]

This car was missing a few things when I bought it. The inside was missing the radio and faceplate, the HVAC control panel, the center lower dash "pad" with the A/C vent in it and the map light. I have a faceplate but it is cracked.
I do eventually plan to put a stereo in it but for now, I'm making a radio "delete plate" for it. I've never seen a Charger with a radio delete plate.
I had a dash panel in the parts stash....it normally fits over the glove box door.

[Kern Dog]

With it cut to size and fitted, I can now remove, clean and paint it.
The middle lower panel doesn't fit the dash quite right though. The column shifter nub wants to rub the edge.

[Kern Dog]

I loosened the nuts that hold the column to the dash and pulled the column out a little, then tightened the nuts. Now there was room to put the center dash panel in. The shifter nub clears it now.

[VegasCharger]

.....I have a faceplate but it is cracked.....

Awesome Greg!!

Here's a "Did You Know"

The 1970 B Body had 4 screws that fasten the radio plate to the dash frame.
The 68s & 69s B Body had 3 screws to fasten the radio plate to the dash frame.

[Kern Dog]

Ha...
I am humble enough to admit that I don't know much about the specific differences between the years on these cars. I've owned 3 B bodies....Two '70 Chargers and a '68 Satellite wagon. I've owned almost 30 A body cars though....I know them fairly well but am still learning all the time.
Hey...Are you ever coming back to Vegas or did you plant roots back East?

[Kern Dog]

A few little nuggets:
*I started replacing the rear window trim clips. The ones along the top were replaced only because they were bent. No rust or corrosion.
The clips on the right side and bottom channel were too far gone to use, plus I patched in new metal in a few spots last year. There were 2 original clips on the left side that I replaced. I asked elsewhere about the proper positioning of the clips. "Pnora" responded with some advice...Thanks to him.

*The radio delete plate ...... is just a bullshit temporary cover just for my own amusement. The car will get a stereo with at least 6 x 9 speakers in the rear deck.

*This 3.23 Sure Grip is as loose as a retired hooker. I can't get the car to slide sideways in the dirt! It is coming out. The gear is too soft for the combination anyway. The 280/474 cam isn't huge but in a 9.2 383, I need more gear. I have a 3.91 SG that was in my red car up until 5 years ago. It made a little whine but was tight. This engine idles with almost no lope but sounds great from the exhaust. On the road, it feels a little soft from a dead stop. I may need to check if the distributor has enough advance left in it. I welded the slots last Summer but I wonder if I closed up the gap too much and took too much out in the process.

[ACUDANUT]

 You did what....."I welded the slots last Summer but I wonder if I closed up the gap too much and took too much out in the process."   

[Kern Dog]

That was in reference to the distributor advance slots. They are rectangular but to reduce the amount of mechanical advance, you close up the rectangle hole by welding on one side to fill in the space. The advance weights then have less travel, reducing the overall amount that the breaker plate can move.
If you have an engine with a bit more cam than stock, you'll need more initial advance at idle but still want to limit the total timing to around 35 degrees. If I set a stock distributor to 18-20 degrees initial like the engine wants, at full advance I would be at 46-48 degrees! The trick of welding the slots has been done for decades but I just started doing it about 8 years ago.

[Kern Dog]

The front sway bar is in. I used a 1 1/4" bar from a Chevrolet 1 ton flatbed truck.
It was modified to fit the Charger chassis.

For the full story, see THIS link:\




http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,139767.msg1729744.html#msg1729744

[Kern Dog]

Since the first time that I started and drove this car, it has felt sluggish. I checked all of the usual stuff....
The ignition timing is set to 19 initial, 34 total. I welded the distributor slots last Spring in anticipation of an engine with a cam bigger than stock.
The Holley 750 was rebuilt and is jetted right. It gets plenty of accelerator pump shot.
The 383 has 9.2 compression and a MP 280-474 cam. It idles with a slight lope but is not racy or radical. The 727 and 11" converter are from my red car and are working just fine.
When I put the rear axle in the car, I used a rebuilt SG and 3.23 gear. The diff is fine in a straight line but slips enough in turns to allow the inside wheel to grip while the outside wheel acts like an open diff.
I have several other 8 3/4" 3rd members in the garage so I grabbed a '489 case 3.91 gear SG chunk. I reused the gear oil since the stuff in there only had a few miles on it.
With the 3.23, the car would barely peel out in a straight line. Now it peels out quite well through first gear but hooks up when 2nd kicks in. It feels much more peppy than before.
I'm happy to report that the car brakes well and handles well. Hardly any rattles despite having no carpet or sound deadener. No rear window or door panel on the left side. It still feels pretty rough though compared to my red car, Ginger.

[white]

 

[VegasCharger]

Coming along great KD!!!!

[ACUDANUT]

 I love this thread. I just wish you you make it one color. 

[Kern Dog]

One color?

PPFFfftttt!! 

Part of the fun is the dirtbaggery!
I have a shiny Charger. Having a crappy looking one is fun.

[krops cars]

Been awHile since I stopped by. Nice work

[Kern Dog]

Thank you, Sir.
My goal at first was to get the car running and driving. This was so that IF the Wife and I do get around to packing up and moving out of state, it is a lot easier to move a running car.

[hemi-hampton]

Why would you leave the Beautiful State of California? 

[Kern Dog]

Ha ha....
Fires, taxes, mismanagement, the explosion of bums everywhere, high prices for everything....

[Kern Dog]

When I replaced the front frame rails and aprons, I just put on the fenders, hood, valance and bumper/grille just to have it all together.
The LH fender that came with the car is in good shape except at the edge where it meets the door. It looks like there was some interference and the driver caved the fender edge in trying to get out of the car.

[Kern Dog]

There is a stiff brace visible on the back side of the fender that allows the fender to be mounted at the cowl and the leading edge of the rocker panel. In the black fender, that brace is bent to shit.

This white fender isn't good. Yeah, it has no rust but it has dents and creases....

[Kern Dog]

Those dents do pop out for the most part but easily pop back in. I'm told that this is referred to as an "oil can" condition....guys under 50 probably don't get the reference since oil has been sold in plastic bottles for at least 30 years now.

[Kern Dog]

I've heard that the oil can problem can be fixed by heating the panel and then throwing a wet towel against it. This fender can be saved but I'm thinking of fixing the black one. Today I met up with a guy and bought a fender from a '68 Coronet. The brace should be the same.