Project '68

[KSChrgr68]

thoughts on hobart welders?  my pop has a hobart gas welder that he says will work great on the car, just asking.  Thanks for the info guys

Also, any pointers on pulling the gas tank? i can see the two bolts keeping the straps in place behind the rear axle, do i have to remove the rear end?  the bolts look mostly corroded, couldnt crank easily with the clearance I have.      

And.... lol is there a suggested method for peeling two pieces of metal apart where its hard to use a cutting wheel?  like a air hammer or something?

[Hemidog]

You might want to remove the filler tube before you loosen the straps, but after that, the tank comes straight off..

[greenpigs]

I know you want to get into it but it sounds like you will not have anything left after stripping it. You might want to finish a section before ripping the whole car apart.

[six-tee-nine]

Well you're a brave kid.......I saw several guys quit on easier projects.

First thing that popped trough my mind was : The next AMD poster car is here...

Stick to it and with the right amount of patience (me guessing ALOT) you'll get there. With todays repop parts availability almost anything is restorable. It WILL cost you more than a finished car but you have to be able to get the cash on the table at once.......same for me.....

[SRT-68]

 Go get a good respirator/ mask with replaceable filters before you get into this. The by-products from cutting and grinding a rusty car WILL kill you.

Invest in some makita right angle grinders. Put a cut off wheel in one, a sanding disk in one and a wire wheel in the third. Then go get an extension cord with three outlets on it. This may sound crazy but it has been proven effective time and time again. When you have all three at arms reach the job goes much faster. These things can be bought cheap at pawn shops and yard sales.

You are looking and hundreds of hours of work, the safer and more efficient you are the faster you will reach your goal.

The Hobart is a good welder as long as it has settings low enough for sheet metal and is a gas mig.

To split the pinch welds, thin the bad side with a cut off wheel first and then hit it with an air chisel (sp).

[XS29L9B2]

good luck in your projet your car is very very rusty 

[westcoastdodge]

 

[ktneifert09]

My car was a total rust bucket. When you're ready to buy sheet metal, email me and I'll give u a bunch of tips.

[charge-it]

Save yourself tens of thousands of dollars and years of fustration. Strip the car of any possible parts that are salvageable and sell them off. Take the rest to the scrapyard. Take that money and go buy a better car to start with. You are going to be into that car so deep that you'll be way ahead just taking the hit up front by buying a driver. That car is not a reasonable project car for a beginner. That car would be a big challenge for the most expirienced bodyman. I've done my share of restorations and believe me, the thousands you'll spend on tools and material for that car will buy you a pretty decent driver these days.

[Blakcharger440]

I think you should part the car out,keep what you can or sell then save up to buy another car in better condition...maybe even a driver. You will be way ahead of the game in buying a car that takes alot less work or experience in rust removal,sheet metal work,etc.  

You will still get plenty experience with the next project car you buy.  

Better projects are still out there to be had just be patient.  

With that said good luck in what you decide to do with it.

[Daytona R/T SE]

I'd shove that rusted heap out back and strip it for the parts you need for the car you are actually going to restore. I'd go ahead and find another one with at the very least rust free framerails, solid inner fenders, good solid rockers and firewall and a floorboard you can't see through. Bonus points for one that has the front AND rear suspension still attached to the car....

You are going to have to fix some rust and replace a few panels on these cars, Even if you buy a "Done" car, once you start digging into it, chances are you're going to find something rusted...It's almost a certainty...

But...

My God man, give yourself a fighting chance and start with a better car!

[200MPH]

I have to agree with the 2 previous posters

[KSChrgr68]

im pretty determined to fix this car once the weather warms up.. that 'rusted heap' out there can be fixed, and its going to happen..  one piece at a time im not in a hurry.. ive decided I am going to give it a go... its My Restore.. im nervous but going to try, i think this car has potential.. i hope to someday show you all a car that came back from the dead

[ktneifert09]

I say go for it

[Patronus]

dude.... really? How much did this thing cost? I'd love to see this AMD order...

[KSChrgr68]

still stripping it, just got the rear window out, was cleaning up the window track and tore open a big blister on my middle finger, @$#% that hurt... had to stop to clean it up because it was oozing and mixing with crap from the window..  

I paid 2,000 for it several weeks ago.. if shit hits the fan financially for me i am sure the engine/tranny and various other parts would sell separately and make back most if not just a little bit more of what i gave for it..  but I wont give up on this car.. im gonna do what I can to fix it the best of my abilities, If its beyond me Ill bring in some help.  right now its just being stripped down to the bare body, once thats done I will assess whats going to happen.  I would love to have a ready to drive charger but damn im not equipped financially to make that happen and i cant afford another loan payment.. maybe it wasnt the best purchase, but i did it and wont regret it until i know its time too.. 

on another note i bought the 1968 charger service manual, expecting it to arrive in a few days.   

[NHCharger]

I know its going to be expensive, but damn im not gonna sit back for 5 or more years trying to save money to buy a finished one.. part of what i enjoy about this is fixing something no one thinks can be fixed.  i know some serious shit awaits me but damn a few less naysayers pleease!  I want to actually learn how to fix the problems not just be told give it up... damn   maybe someday itll get the best of me, but damn it all im going to try, so maybe a few of you old timers will share some of that good old respect for a kid trying his best to accomplish a real challenge..  

They're not trying to pee in your Wheaties. It's just a fact that you will spend more in L&M than if you went out and bought a driver and started with that. Some of us have already been down the path your about to travel (me included) and wouldn't go that route again. One of my friends that is restoring a 3rd gen told me by the time he is done it would have been cheaper to buy a new Chally. And this was a 318 car.

[KSChrgr68]

i know that. im just a stubborn person.. I dont like to admit that perhaps a mistake is sitting in my barn back there.. but that car is mine now, no taking it back to Kmart..

[Back N Black]

That car will cost at least $60,000, just to get it to look half decent.   

[Patronus]

You should already have a list then...
Anyone would have to do this in chunks, you should be prepared for years... if your not feeling lucky..
On a brighter note, if you finish it, you'll most likely pump out the next one no problem- no one does it once.
Its an impressive skill set, your going to learn a lot. Good luck, all your answers are here.

[KSChrgr68]

if i can get past the frame rails successfully, this car has a chance..

[ktneifert09]

This the beauty of this site. Everyone has different thoughts and priorities. My car wasn't far off from yours and I paid MORE so maybe we're stupid together. However, I've only got about 10K into mine including the price and sheet metal is almost done and what isn't done is already bought. By doing the work yourself up save tens of thousands in labor and you will know every nut, bolt and weld on your car. Framerails are hard work but check out this site a bunch of people have replaced theirs. It's metal and best of all it's hidden so you can weld, cut and grind as many times as it takes to get it right. Only the perfectionists crawl under a car go look at your frame rail install job - the day one of my "friends" does that I hit him in the head with the biggest tool I bought during my restore lol. Btw Harbor Freight is great for buying those special things you'll only need once or twice on the cheap. Buy good stuff where you'll use it often.
Good call on the manual, I use my all the time. Good luck it'll be amazing I'm sure. I'll post a couple before and after pix of my pos so you can see what can be when I get a chance.

[squeakfinder]

You should already have a list then...
Anyone would have to do this in chunks, you should be prepared for years... if your not feeling lucky..
On a brighter note, if you finish it, you'll most likely pump out the next one no problem- no one does it once.
Its an impressive skill set, your going to learn a lot. Good luck, all your answers are here.

         




  I use a Hobart 135 handler with shielding gas. I'm not sure if the model is still available but it works good for lightweight stuff like bodywork. You might want to read up on the meaning of the words duty cycle. I burned up my first 110 volt wire feed welder by welding continuesly a few to many times without a brake.

[westcoastdodge]

if i can get past the frame rails successfully, this car has a chance..

my car was as bad as that and that was before AMD i say go for it

[KSChrgr68]

been talking to dad, he has decided to lend more of a hand than he originally intended because he sees the dedication im putting into it.. he is optimistic but also concerned about the frame rails, but he has metal experience, so im going to learn what i can and just chug forward and do it piece at a time..  thanks for the kind words and support, I dont want to see this car in a salvage yard, i wanna hear it rumble and see it roll down the road someday.. great idea with underframe pics, my biggest challenge i think is the removal of the old rails, and seeing just how much good metal is left... im sure the rear axle well and inner wheelhouses are solid enough to work with and keep the car rigid during cutting.  planning on taking off the gas tank and rear axle next.. then finish the dash once i get the manual lol.. alot of the dash screws were removed prior to me buying it, but the dash is still solid in there.. hmm