Mitch's 69 Charger restoration -sheet metal

[green69rt]

lookin great Mitch!!!!!

Thanks Charlie, more to come.

[green69rt]

I just had to put up a couple of before-and-after pics.

Pic # 1is the passenger side rear floor when I got the car.
The second pic is the floor now.

Third pic is the driver side rear floor.

And just for good measure, one more pic of the front floor.

[green69rt]

I've set a goal of shipping the car to the painters by the end of July, we'll see how that goes.  I've looked at three places, the first stores their cars outside so I don't like that.  The second told me they are cutting back on their projects and don't have room for me.  The most likely shop is called MoMuscle in Conroe, Tx.  I talked to the shop manager and looked over their shop, impressive.  They even said they will loan me a set of bolt-on car dollies to get the car to their shop.  I plan to have them finish the welding underneath the car ( a few points), blast the underside, finish whatever putty work it needs and block, sand and paint.  Then fit up the fenders doors, hood and trunk lid.  When I get it back it should look like a charger again.  Maybe I'll have them do the vinyl top, not sure about that yet.


I have some final filler work to do on the car, especially where the quarter meets the rocker, and depending on the time available to me, I might spend some time getting the 80 grit sandpaper scratches out of the primer.  Also the trunk floor got really dirty from all the flying metal dust and sanding dust so I might get in there and clean that up.  Getting close!!

[cdr]

did you talk to s&t paint & body?  they are around the corner from you.

[green69rt]

did you talk to s&t paint & body?  they are around the corner from you.

No, where are they, phone number?? edit...just looked them up.  They are really close!!  Have you had any experience with them??

[cdr]

yes i know them.talk to JEFF,HE IS ONE OF THE OWNERS.

[fy469rtse]

Mitch always great to see your progress, fantastic work , we'll thought out always , and executed, have enjoyed watching your work, you should be proud of you efforts , better than new, I can't think of any one I would rather see put that vinyl top on , look on you tube for the install video, with your patience  no one will do the job you would , not that hard if you take your time, again great work on a car most would find too daunting, this one saved only because of you and all your hard work,  been watching for an update for a while now , keep posting , I have been using your build to help and inspire a good friend of mine with he's similar build , thanks for all the detailed photos

[green69rt]

Thanks  fy469rtse.  It's always nice to know someone is paying attention.  I try to add some of the goofs as well as the progress.  Maybe someone can learn from my mistakes, I usually do.

[Charger-Bodie]

Thanks  fy469rtse.  It's always nice to know someone is paying attention.  I try to add some of the goofs as well as the progress.  Maybe someone can learn from my mistakes, I usually do.

Oh theres lots of us watching. You are doing a top shelf job here and you should(and probably are)be proud of what youve accomplished here. 

[fy469rtse]

No goofs that I have seen , just damn fine quality work, and a ton of patience, will follow this thread all the way , what a great car this is going to be

[green69rt]

Looks like I'm on track to send the car off for final sanding, paint and panel fit up.  I have a very little sanding to do on the rockers and the rear valence corners.   I've been using 80 grit to sand the filler.  Started putting some high build primer a few places to fill the 80 grit marks.  I'll be sanding that primer with 180 grit.  That's as far as I will go, let the paint shop take it from there.

Pic #1 shows the seam between the rocker and the quarter.  This is probably the thickest putty, up to 1/8 inch.   You can't see how far out the putty goes because I've started to put high build primer on it, but it is feathered out about 8 inches to the front and rear of the seam.

Pic #2 shows the valence corner as I get close to finishing the putty and sanding on them.  I haven't decided if I will restore the seam lines or just French everything in 

Pic #3 shows that looooong passenger quarter where I patched the new skin on, the shiny stuff is high build primer where I'm starting to take the 80 grit sanding marks out.

Finally, the trunk, it looks bad now.  It's an accumulation of about 2 years of sanding and grinding dust that I need to clean up.  Too late to wish I had protected it better.

[green69rt]

As I get the car ready to ship I've started dragging stuff down from the attic and off of shelves.  I've been accumulating this stuff for years so naturally I've lost track of the exact location of things.  I don't even remember what I've bought that I might need now so I have to go thru everything.

I had a small box that I put all the bags (yes they are labeled) of small parts and have been trying to get out the hood hinge bolts (sometime in the past I bought a new set) and fender mounting bolts (still haven't found the old ones and I want new ones anyway.) All the bags are super dusty from setting all these years but the labels still make sense and haven't faded.  I put the labels on pieces of paper inside the baggies not on the outside.

Found the front valance that came with the car and the old hinges and some splash shield.  Need to find the other splash shields and all the rubber seals that go with them.  


Now back to the garage for more sanding....

[JB400]

Looks good.

[fy469rtse]

mitch with that filler tube , dummy you tank in first and just drill a hole roughly where you think , and dummy fit filler tube to enlarge hole , take you time here , that seal not very forgiving for moving it over, hope this helps you avoid a goof as you call it ,don't ask me how I know , one of my goofs lol

[green69rt]

mitch with that filler tube , dummy you tank in first and just drill a hole roughly where you think , and dummy fit filler tube to enlarge hole , take you time here , that seal not very forgiving for moving it over, hope this helps you avoid a goof as you call it ,don't ask me how I know , one of my goofs lol

Yeah, after looking at it I think I'll do it your way.  I can see that there is considerable play in how things go together.  The seal looks funny and I don't want to chop up the floor and have to do a repair.  Actually the seal looks different from the crappy one I took out, maybe I got the wrong one??  It's supposed to fit 69 charger (and 70 if I remember right.)

[fy469rtse]

No your ok that's a repop seal , looks correct, are you going to put the line on , cut it in the filler on rear valance to separate corners, or the joint gap, I did mine similar to yours but cut a line or groove in, also another goof of mine , I should have paid attention to condition of my hood hinges, you can get reproduction hinges, or get new pins , weld up sloppy or oval holes , re drill hole and press new pins in, you can weld and add metal to teeth to elimate slack in hinges, one of those area's I wish I had taken notice of when I disassembled car, everything painted, reassembled car and realised one hinge has a bit more play then the other, I'm sure a lot of us on this site have done this, take your springs off and check them Mitch, you will curse later when hood doesn't lift like it should

[green69rt]

No your ok that's a repop seal , looks correct, are you going to put the line on , cut it in the filler on rear valance to separate corners, or the joint gap, I did mine similar to yours but cut a line or groove in, also another goof of mine , I should have paid attention to condition of my hood hinges, you can get reproduction hinges, or get new pins , weld up sloppy or oval holes , re drill hole and press new pins in, you can weld and add metal to teeth to elimate slack in hinges, one of those area's I wish I had taken notice of when I disassembled car, everything painted, reassembled car and realised one hinge has a bit more play then the other, I'm sure a lot of us on this site have done this, take your springs off and check them Mitch, you will curse later when hood doesn't lift like it should

Interesting, I hadn't thought about the hood hinges.  I was just going to blast them, paint and install.  Another little item to think about!

[Brian in GA]

I was gonna recommend some billet gas charged hinges I'd seen recently, until I looked online and saw they sell for $750/pair.   

They sure are nice looking.  For that kind of money they ought to be made out of fairy dust or something.  Or add 150 hp.

[green69rt]

I was gonna recommend some billet gas charged hinges I'd seen recently, until I looked online and saw they sell for $750/pair.   

They sure are nice looking.  For that kind of money they ought to be made out of fairy dust or something.  Or add 150 hp.

Wow

[green69rt]

Well I was feeling pretty cocky about getting things done.  The body work was going ok.  Then I sprayed the last (I hoped!!) coat of primer and crap!!!   I think what happened is the high build primer I used was not compatible with the epoxy primer.  Anyway, you can see the results in the pictures.  Needless to say, I spent the last two days stripping the new primer and the high build primer off.  Could have been worse but glad I found out now rather than a year down the road and the finish paint started to come off.  I found out that I could actually get a putty knife under the high build primer and just flake it off.

Back to the 80 grit and a little filler.  Hope I have time to set things right before it goes to the painters.

You can see how the primer just crinkled up over the areas where the high build primer was present. Sand, sand, sand.

[fy469rtse]

Mitch do you have original fenders and after market front valance, you might want trial fit those, where the bottom line joins the valance you might have issues there , just a tip to prevent some frustration later, if after market front fenders, the issue with these is to the door opening edges not formed or tapped around enough, also the leading edge front of fenders not as round as it should be , shape not correct if you compare it to nos fender or original still watching , love watching this cars progress

[sardillim]

Going forward its not a good idea to mix product brands, I would pick one brand of product and use there system start to finish,    for what its worth I like Clausens

[cdr]

Going forward its not a good idea to mix product brands, I would pick one brand of product and use there system start to finish,    for what its worth I like Clausens

thats what i have it is very good stuff !!!!!    http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clausenautobody.com%2Fproddetail.php%3Fprod%3Dall-u-need&ei=CkDnUZGpAorO9ASn1YHIAw&usg=AFQjCNEC4GY6z6inULEKajhKWXfNToGZyw&bvm=bv.49478099,d.eWU&cad=rja

[green69rt]

Going forward its not a good idea to mix product brands, I would pick one brand of product and use there system start to finish,    for what its worth I like Clausens

thats what i have it is very good stuff !!!!!    http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clausenautobody.com%2Fproddetail.php%3Fprod%3Dall-u-need&ei=CkDnUZGpAorO9ASn1YHIAw&usg=AFQjCNEC4GY6z6inULEKajhKWXfNToGZyw&bvm=bv.49478099,d.eWU&cad=rja

That stuff looks good, wish I'd known about it 4 weeks ago.

[green69rt]

I've found a shop that will take my car.  Surprising how hard it is to find an available and good restoration shop in a city the size of Houston,  maybe they hide away??

Been getting the car ready to go.  The shop (Mo' Muscle) even loaned me a car dolly to mount my car on for the transport (Pic #1).

I've been bolting things back onto the car, seems easier than shipping a bunch of separate pieces. The rest I just threw inside.  The previous owner had bought a front valance so I just threw it inside the car.  Not AMD so we'll find out how it fits. (Pic #2)

As you can see, I bolted the hood and trunk lid back on.(pic #3)

Then comes my next boo-boo.  In pic #4 notice that there is no door gap.  It was tight before I replaced the quarter, funny how those 1/4 inch tolerances can sneak up on you.  Hinges are adjusted all the way forward so looks like this door will need to have the edge shaved.   Not a big deal (I think) but another few bucks for the body shop to bill me.  The back of the quarter lined up beautifully, teaches me to not have the door in when I aligned the quarter.