72 Charger - Long Awaited Update...

[ACUDANUT]

I don't see a 72 Se At all. ?

[72Charger-SE]

It's a 72 SE according to the VIN.  I am just making it 'my' 72 SE with a few 'slight' modifications.

[ACUDANUT]

Sorry, I forgot you removed the SE plug on the quarter glass...Great choice.

[Wicked72]

I had the same rims on my first 72. what are they and size? i would love to get another set

[72Charger-SE]

I am not sure what they are, actually.  They are 14"x7" that is all I know.  They were on the car when I bought it.

[72Charger-SE]

Rust Repair 101...

Cut out old...  fabricate new... weld in place... grind... weld more...  grind... repeat...  simple enough, right?  Well... here goes...

A few photos...  Please don't be too critical...  this is my first attempt welding on the car instead of just a 'test piece'...  I realize it is not perfect...  

[72Charger-SE]

More photos...

[72Charger-SE]

More photos...

[72Charger-SE]

More Photos...

[72Charger-SE]

Finished...  well, almost...  ran out of welding wire...  LOL...

[AirborneSilva]

The only criticism I can/will offer is you should have cleaned your metal a bit better.  Other than that you did a great job 

[72Charger-SE]

Funny.... looking at the pictures I was thinking the same thing...  The metal did not appear to have as much surface rust on it last night when I was cutting it??    Hmmm...  I will make sure to wire brush the other side before cutting the metal.  Thanks for the advice...  I do appreciate it..

[AirborneSilva]

Funny.... looking at the pictures I was thinking the same thing...  The metal did not appear to have as much surface rust on it last night when I was cutting it??    Hmmm...  I will make sure to wire brush the other side before cutting the metal.  Thanks for the advice...  I do appreciate it..

  Keep up the good work!

[71_Charger_R/T]

Good to see you making more progress.  A couple (three) of pointers I might be able to add...... (I must say, It's refreshing to see someone who is receptive to constructive help.) First: When grinding (or welding) any metal, make sure to cover any glass that may be in the line of fire of sparks and spatter. Those sparks will melt into glass and pit it and ruin it. Even cars in background.....  Second: make sure to weld those patches continuous (no pinholes) I see a couple of holes remaining on the rocker panel patch. (when you weld, it burns off any kind of "E coat" that may be on the backside of the panel.) If not sealed up completely, this is an access for moisture and that's where you will encounter rust in the future. Seam sealer will help in these areas as well.   Your technique of little welds is good to keep warping down but make sure to overlap them so they are a continuous weld when done. An auto darkening welding lid is your friend with that task, and can be purchased pretty cheap at harbor freight tools. On sub-structure welds such as that, I would personally weld longer beads as warpage is not as big an issue. This will create a stronger weld which is very important when carrying precious cargo like your little helper around in the finished product. (accidents can happen) And lastly:  I would test fit your fender over that front of the rocker repair to make sure it clears well. It appears to be sloped down towards the back and could cause you some panel alignment troubles if it interferes with the fender tail (better to catch it now than when under paint.)  
I say all this to help (not to criticize) as these are things I have learned along the way. (the hard way!)
Keep up the good work! Looking forward to more progress.

BTW if you need some Non-SE drip rail moldings, I have some extras. But first you will need to extend the drip rails to support them.

[72Charger-SE]

Thank you very much for the advice.  There currently are no other vehicles in the garage so the grinding should be safe.  I will be sure to keep that in mind as the cold weather arrives and the truck gets a home next to the Charger.  I was thinking the same thing about fitting the fender to see.  I agree the backside of the patch is 'lower' than the front.  I must have bumped the magnet and did not reset it...     As with anything I have learned... go slow... take your time...  keep checking the measurements along the way.  Sadly, I didn't take my own advice...  So, on the welding it is OK to have 'overlapping welds' continuous on the these areas, correct?  I was concerned about the metal warping.  I set the welder (Lincoln wire welder with a gas setup), on .5 wire feed and 3 on power.  It seems to penetrate the metal and 'hold'.  We'll see how round 2 goes tonight.  I'll probably get the opportunity to do that again since I think the fender will not fit...    Oh well, part of the learning process.

[ACUDANUT]

71 Charger R/T, I don't see any glass in the area of his weld. ? 

[nvrbdn]

i think he was refering to the grinding in the shop with the other car near by.

[71_Charger_R/T]

I don't see a 72 Se At all. ?

No, I know. There's a lot of things you don't seem to see. But if you look back in the post, you will see the quarter windows are still in the car when the SE window plugs are being removed. I would think a grinder could be used in aiding with that removal and maybe was. It may just be dust on the glass or it may be pits from grinding. I don't know but thought I would let him know it's an easy oversight. And as NVRBDN stated, yes, it appears that there is a silver Malibu on the neighboring drive-on lift that could be in harms way while the frame rust repair was being done.
If you've ever made the mistake of grinding or welding near glass, you would know how easy it is to ruin a perfectly good piece of glass without even realizing it till detailing time. Just giving a heads up, not criticizing.

[72Charger-SE]

and.. to add to that....  I am grateful for the heads up...   since I DID grind the window quarter windows with the glass in...     Oops...  another lesson learned...   Thanks everyone...

[Baldwinvette77]

its prettier than my first attempt at welding on a car   and yes clean metal and flux wire are good friends, when i used flux i also kept a wire brush handy, because the spatter from the welds contaminated the metal often  

[ACUDANUT]

and.. to add to that....  I am grateful for the heads up...   since I DID grind the window quarter windows with the glass in...     Oops...  another lesson learned...   Thanks everyone...

So did I. If the glass was rolled down, you should be fine.  Oh wait,  "there is a lot of things I missed".

[Old Tired Rebel]

This build is going great, I will be learning how to do this myself.

[72Charger-SE]

Well...  As most of you already knew the welds were too low which meant the fender would not mount...

So, I was blessed with the opportunity to cut out the patch and try again.  It isn't done but here is what I have to this point. 

The GOOD NEWS...  the fender fits now...

I did change the weld wire and tip from .23 to .30.  This is giving me more 'fill' without burning as many holes in the metal.  Wire speed = under 1 and Power = 3.

OH..  And I picked up a used welding table (lightweight) for $25.  The deal was too good to pass up... 

[72Charger-SE]

The 906 heads were dropped off today from the Motor Shop.  Complete Rebuild with new Valves, Hardened Seats, Springs...  LOOKING GOOD,  if I do say so myself.

[ACUDANUT]

What did that cost ?