getting car back from shop what next

[bricklayer]

the suspension brakes are all on the car. it's gutted no wiring/glass dash ect.. what should i do first in this long process of putting my car back together 69 charger thanks  tom

[moparmusclecars]

I don't know if its already painted or what? Is there an engine and transmission it it already? Your brief about telling us what is all there. Is the doors, trunk lid, or hood on this car? I believe I would like more info before I can comment. Thanks, Lyle

[bricklayer]

no engine or trans. no wiring no glass, doors, hood ect..  it is painted as far as the doors hood i can put that on any time? what i'm asking is should i wire the car then the dash or wire the car then engine tranny then dash orrr? Not sure i just need a push in the right direction so i don't make too big of a mistake thank you   tom

[694spdRT]

The engine and tranny going in will not have much to do with anything in the interior. Don't put the hood on until the engine and trans are installed. I left everything off the firewall too becasue I didn't want to damage anything while the engine went in. I wouldn't put the fenders or grill in until the engine is installed either to avoid damage. Once the engine is in you can install the engine wiring harness, wiper motor, brake lines, etc. I covered as much as I could with blankets to keep from scratching the paint. Don't forget to watch the radiatior support paint when putting in the engine.

I didn't put my windshield glass in until the dash was done. I had to paint the metal dash frame top first. I also did not put the windshield or rear glass in until the vinyl top was installed. You don't have to do it that way but then you need to trim around the moulding clips. 

I tried to focus on one area and get it as close to done as possible. That way you can see progress and keep yourself motivated. My biggest piece of advice is to think ahead on what parts you will need and when. I ended up waiting a couple months to finish my interior because the repo dash pad I bought was junk. I had to find a good original dash pad before installing the rest of the dash because it is much easier with everything out.

No matter how well you plan there are going to be things that you install that will end up coming back out 2 or 3 times before your done though. 

Good luck.

[4aThrill]

Been thinking of this for awhile now brake/fuel lines, brake booster and wiper motor are going in before the engine/trans are installed less to move around and less chance of scratching something. then the wiring harness for the engine, dash and so on from there no windsheild till headliner is in.

[bill440rt]

Some good tips here!

Think of it like building a house. You need a good foundation to start from. If the car is a shell, I would install the rest of the sheetmetal (doors, trunk, etc). You'll need to line up the hood first with the cowl (2nd gen?) prior to installing the fenders. You can always mark the hood with tape by the hinges to line it back up if you need to take it off to install the engine. Unless, of course, you're going from underneath like the factory did it. Because of space limitations, I also cannot do it this way, so I'm gonna install the engine/trans the hack way from up top.

Once you have the shell together, good place to start is with the suspension. Then fuel system, wiring, etc. Then you'll have a good platform to continue. I'm up to the vinyl top & headliner, & all side glass is in the car. Wiper motor, linkage, etc is also in the car, PRIOR to installing the dash. I'll also install the heater box prior to the dash to make it easier. Once the dash goes in (that's next), I'll then install the windshield & back window. At this point, the basic shell is complete, so I'll move on to the engine & trans to complete the drivetrain. I'll wire everything up & finish installing the underhood components once the engine & trans is in the car.
The grille, bumpers, tail lights, interior, etc will be last. That's the fun stuff.

[bull]

I'm in the same boat. Too many things I need to do and I don't know where to start but the first thing I started doing was gathering all the parts I'm going to need to install the engine such as intake, carb, new HV oil and water pump, pan, yadda, yadda. My radiator needs to be rebuilt and now is a good time to get all the wiring you're going to need (be sure to put the engine harness on with the engine out, it's much easier ) and then you need to decide if you're going to rebuild the front end because all that stuff is much easier to do with the engine out. Is your trans ready to go? As mentioned above I'd start at the bottom and work your way up.

[Back N Black]

I'm in the process of putting my car back together. I started at the bottom and working my way up, completed rear end,front end, fuel tank,converted from drums to disk up front. I had the back window, headliner and vinyl roof installed before it left the bodyshop.

[bricklayer]

this is just what i;m looking for keep it coming thanks  tom

[Charger-Bodie]

 1. Paint and body
2. engine tranny rear end and all the lines
3. Dash and wiring
4. ext trim
5. all glass exc. the windshield
6. interior
7. windshield
8. lots of cleaning and fine tuning ie wheel align, a/c charge etc.