My '72 charger - the odyssey so far - update 5/30

[Tilar]

Thanks. 

[defiance]

Minor update to the original post with final hood pics.  The car has actually just entered the *assembly* stage... Kinda shocked after 2 years in the body shop!

[defiance]

What a day!  No pics yet, but the machine shop called early and told me the rear seal issues were fixed - the problem was, as someone had suggested, pressurization: because there was nowhere for oil to drip back from behind the rear cap, it was pushing through the seal.  The shop milled out the seal retainer to make some room, and viola, fixed.  So I just got the engine back inthe garage on the stand, getting ready to put it on the test stand soon
Then this afternoon the body shop called to let me know the car is ready to pick up.  I don't have a trailer, so it'll be a week or so for me to make arrangements, but it's been in the body shop 27 months now, so I'm DAMN excited! 

I'll update the pics as soon as possible

[BROCK]

 

[69*F5*SE]

  

[defiance]

Sorry, it's been COLD the past couple days, so I haven't touched the engine.  I'll be picking the car up on the 26th, but the body shop did send me this pic.  Note the marker light indentation in the bottom right

[ChargerSG]

Good picture I think the Charger will look great in the end

[FLG]

Sorry, it's been COLD the past couple days, so I haven't touched the engine.  I'll be picking the car up on the 26th, but the body shop did send me this pic.  Note the marker light indentation in the bottom right

DAMN!!! i want my paint to look that good girlfriend says it looks orgasmic =D

[defiance]

Body work is done!   These pictures were actually taken while they were in the middle of final buff/cleanup, so it's pretty dusty, but you get the idea.  I need some outside pics, but it was actually sleeting when I was at the shop -







Meanwhile, the machine shop met with success on the rear seal - the problem was pressurization; they had to mill out some drain channels in the seal retainer and it worked like a charm.  Now the engine/transmission is on the test stand.  I just need to attach the flexplate>torque converter and finish up a bit of electrical work on the stand.  Hopefully I'll have it started this weekend.  Then a few weekends to put together a hoist and get the engine in the car, another couple of weekends to move the rear spring shackles and weld all the spring/shock perches on the rear end.  Then I'll need to order the proper length driveshaft, so I'm still a couple months away from actual driveability as it stands.

Once all that's done, there are a few things I need to do to the interior (finish console, trim work, etc.), get the audio system assembled (all components are here, just need to put it all together and do something neat in the trunk), and get some new rims.

I still plan on doing an alterktion kit and gearvendors overdrive, but tht's probably looking like October timeframe.  Yes, I know, nearly a year away - but if all goes well, I'll be able to actually drive it in the meantime!

[Charger1973]

Very cool, cant wait to see some shots in the sunlight.  Nice work dude.

[Back N Black]

WOW! Very nice.

[Foreman72]

i've been following this one and it just keeps looking nicer...great work going on there

[nakita7]

I really like the 'reverse' look you did on the doors and hood, just like a real Rallye car, but a little confused as to why you would put the tail stripe? I love 72 Rallyes, but personally don't like tail stripes on 3rd gens, just looks wrong to me, but it's you're car, have fun with it!

[FlatbackFanatic]

I like the red with the black, very cool

[defiance]

heheh - I guess it's not everybody's thing, but the stripe is one of my favorite parts of the paint job

Anyway, now that it's home I've suddenly gone from months upon months of waiting to realizing just how much I need to do ->
-test run engine
-small repair to front grille
-touch-up paint on tail light grille
-repair to some of the dash/instrument panel wiring
-repair door lock/window wiring
-repair trunk wiring
-relocate stereo and wiring
-install dash
-strip, de-rust, and coat (raptor liner) trunk floor
-strip, de-rust and coat underside
-sand blast and repaint dash frame (removed it last night)
-build rear suspension parts (I'm fabbing up my own cal-tracs type system - waiting on metal now)
-install rear suspension & rear end (with new bushings, above system, data, etc
-clean up k-frame & steering box
-reinstall column
-fix steering issues (will do alter-k eventually, but in the meantime *MUST* rebuild coupler)
-install engine
-install exhaust

Right now I'm focusing on the rear end so I can get it back on it's own "feet" so to speak - but after I got it off the ground,removed the rear end, gas tank, rear suspension, and exhaust, I realized this would be a *perfect* time to scrub and coat the underside. 

Incidentally, the car came stock with front discs/rear drums, and I'm swapping in rear discs.  My understanding was that with the stock setup, there should be a prop valve, but since I'm 4-wheel disc now I should remove it - I just traced back the brake lines, though, and can't find anything in line between the distribution block and the rear.  Any suggestions as to what it looks like and where it is?

Anyway, once I get my hands on the metal I'll get some pics of the progress on the rear suspension setup, It's pretty fun

[hutch]

Damn that is a nice car.   A+ work and great color combo.   

[BigRed66]

Sorry, it's been COLD the past couple days, so I haven't touched the engine.  I'll be picking the car up on the 26th, but the body shop did send me this pic.  Note the marker light indentation in the bottom right

Stupid question, but, what's up with the 20? Were you waiting for the pizza guy? 

[defiance]

lol - that was the body shop guy, so yeah, maybe they were waiting on pizza?

[defiance]

Warning: some of you are going to see this and think I'm fraking insane.  You were warned

So a million little jobs have built up I need to get taken care of.  The one I worked on most of today is a tough one, a bit sacrilegious, and a crapload of fun! I scrapped the idea of a custom console- was trying to mock everything up, but the stereo wasn't comfortable to reach unless it was far enough back to have issues with the shifter, etc.etc..., and decided instead to 'glass a new pod onto the existing dash frame.  I had already planned on taking the whole frame out, having it sandblasted, and repainting it ... this just adds a "small" step to that process

Step 1, framing and bracketing:


Stage 2, initial fiberglass layer.  I put an old dead cd player in there, surrounded by plastic sheeting, to make sure the cavity stays large enough for a player, then I used fiberglass cloth instead of fiberglass mat.  Yes, my garage is a COMPLETE WRECK right now, with about 12 different charger-related projects going on simultaneously!  I actually relocated the fiberglass work outside after this part



Step 3 - swamp thing   - I used bondo-glass to build up to the general shape I wanted.  I could've done that with fiberglass alone, but it would've taken a LOT of layers. You'll notice it's really red - My mixture was a bit weak, so I gooped on a bit of extra hardener after the fact.  Worked out OK.



Step 4: final shaping:  After I ground down the bondo-glass layer with an angle grinder, I put one last layer of fiberglass on just to close up any gaps.



And finally, gave some attention to the surface shape, making the corners bend evenly, that sort of thing.




  Shape is now satisfactory, I just need to layer on some body filler and sand it to a perfectly smooth finish.  Then, sandblast the rest of the metal, smooth where necessary, and paint the whole unit.

Still a lot of stuff to do.  I put it all in a project plan, which made it look really depressing ... but I've scratched a pretty long list of things off already, so that's making me feel a little better.  Still to go:

-repair small crack in front grille, repaint (can do immediately)

-clean up instrument panel wiring, and relocate stereo wiring (can do immediately)

-clean up trunk floor (there was a hole in the rail before, and my old house had no garage, so rain was dripping into the trunk   Not bad rust, but a bit.

-clean up underside of car (already stripped out exhaust, rear end, springs, etc.  I think I'm going to sandblast the bottom - using a small portable, low pressure blaster, which I just ordered.  waiting on sandblaster.  I know I myself have advised against using a blaster...  but I'm sure with a lot of care, a lot of patience, and a very low pressure setting, I can make it work without being unnecessarily abrasive.

-finish cal trac construction (building my own - 6"x36" 3/16" flatbar for bellcranks will be here thursday,rest is done)

-coat underside, trunk floor, and maybe inside firewall with undercoat (raptor liner, ordered and will be here thursday)

-install rear end and gas tank (both ready to bolt in, but waiting on underside to be coated and, for the rear end, cal tracs to be finished

-figure out if I have a proportioning valve, if I need it, and if necessary remove it (old rear had drum brakes, new has disc)

-touch-up paint on steering column

-fix hole in instrument cluster and polish lenses

-install dash, cluster, column (with new coupler rebuild kit)

-install console

-test run engine (could do it now, but want all these other 'open' projects finished up so garage will have enough room to work)

-install engine & engine harness

-test all wiring, lights, etc.

-have exhaust with o2 sensor bung built and installed

-check drive shaft length

-have drive shaft made, or shorten existing shaft and put on 1350 yoke

-install window trim (had to order new clips, and they're back ordered...)

-install stereo

-install kick panels

-build new trunk setup to match box, and install subs,amps, eqs, and wiring in trunk

-buy new wheels & tires.  Looking into american racing torq thrust M's, black with silver lip, 17x10.5's for rear, 17x8 front, with 315 width tires in the rear (the spring reloc gives a ***LOT*** of room!!) and 255 width fronts.

So yeah, still a LOT to do, but it's all a lot of relatively small projects, so it's getting there

[Foreman72]

man i am following this thread like a hawk...can't wait 2 c how the interior ends up man

[defiance]

Well, the wife has been laid off for the last month so work has been at something of a standstill.  Budget wasn't hurt yet (severance covered the gap), but I just didn't want to spend *anything* until things were settled.  Got confirmation of her new position today and ordered the next wave of parts (things like transmission mount, subframe connectors, etc.).  I think this will actually be the last wave of parts, so hopefully all that's left is WORK.   My goal is to have it ready for a local dyno day on April 25th.

Anyway, the only thing I've been able to really make headway on in the meantime has been the dash.  Here's a pic in primer.  Not completely finished smoothing, need a couple more wet sand sessions, but it's darned close.  Just as a note, the upper slot above the stereo is for a 60gb USB hard drive for my music

[Forza]

Lookin great man! 

[Foreman72]

Well, the wife has been laid off for the last month so work has been at something of a standstill.  Budget wasn't hurt yet (severance covered the gap), but I just didn't want to spend *anything* until things were settled.  Got confirmation of her new position today and ordered the next wave of parts (things like transmission mount, subframe connectors, etc.).  I think this will actually be the last wave of parts, so hopefully all that's left is WORK.   My goal is to have it ready for a local dyno day on April 25th.

Anyway, the only thing I've been able to really make headway on in the meantime has been the dash.  Here's a pic in primer.  Not completely finished smoothing, need a couple more wet sand sessions, but it's darned close.  Just as a note, the upper slot above the stereo is for a 60gb USB hard drive for my music

so ur just gonna drop a HD in like a 8track or is it gonna be permanently installed? looks sweet btw

[defiance]

I've got a USB enclosure that slides into the slot, so I just plug the cable in then slide it in.  Kinda like an 8-track, yeah

[Foreman72]

I've got a USB enclosure that slides into the slot, so I just plug the cable in then slide it in.  Kinda like an 8-track, yeah

i saw somethng like that on a pimp my ride once

wicked trick tho...i like it