My 69's Life extention project.

[c00nhunterjoe]

I will not call this a restoration thread as i am sure i will get hounded for the work that i have done. 1st and foremost, this was not meant to be a restoration. The sole purpose of my work was to stop the rust that was overtaking the car, get it preserved and back on the road until i can get a garage built to properly protect the car and do a full restoration on it. i have owned the car since 1999. it needed bodywork then and it had got really bad over the years of sitting outside, on the road for many of the years, exposed to road salt among other things. 1st, the backstory........

     I bought the car painted as the general lee. The dukes of Hazzard is what orignaly turned me on to the 69 charger. The love for this car has only got stronger over the years. I saved every penny as a kid, worked my butt off as a teen, and by the time i was 15 i had saved 2500 bucks and was off and shopping. In Maryland there was a huge show every year called the Big M Bash. i went every year to drool over the cars. That fateful spring of '99 i was walking through the parts tables and a small 4x6 photo caught my eye. The general lee was for sale for a ripe price of $2000. To make a long story short i ended up buying the car and am still very good friends with the guy i bought it from.
      I drove the car everywhere throughout high school. The 400 that was in it spun a rod bearing on the way to school one morning and locked up. I was able to limp it to school as it took its last breath. I was a junior at this point and going to a tech school i had to do a large project for my Auto class. The blown motor opened that door. I was given a 383 commando out of my girlfriend's grandfather's 66 belvedere for a ripe price of 25 bucks. The block was sent to a local machine shop and punched 30 over. I accuired a set of used trw flat tops from the same guy i got the car from for a nice price of free dollars. I rebuilt the heads at school and did the full assembly as well. The same engine is in the car today.
     In 2001 we moved from Md to Pa and things went downhill. To keep another long story short, We moved into an area with a community association. They had a "no tag, no car" rule. with nowhere to store the car i was in trouble. To get antique tags in Pa the car has to be basicly "perfect" and origonal. I was denied tags on several attempts because "the general lee" is not a factory 69 charger option. The community association was threatening to impound the car and scrap it if i didnt have tags. With tears in my eyes the decals were stripped off and i shot the car with a gallon of black laquer paint. To add insult to injury, it started raining while i was painting. I got tags with a few days to spare before the association was to show up for the car. At that point i lost interest in the car and it sat at my parent's house.
      I got married, moved out and had 2 kids. The dukes of hazzard started airing on TNN i believe. The spark was relit. I got the car running and brought it to my house. the few years of sitting untouched was rough on it. My high dollar paint job was rusted through and the origonal body work was split and bondo chunking off the car. Work commenced on the drivetrain. The rear was rebuilt and i added a 742 case with 4.30's. The torqueflight was swapped out for an 833, my favorite addition to the car to date. This past year i started on the body work.
     As you get to the body pictures please remember these 2 important facts. Number 1: I AM NOT A BODYMAN! and Number 2:The sole goal of the body work was to remove the rust and patch the car up to be driveable until i build a garage. I know it probably wont last 5 years but hopefully a garage is built by then. For now i am loving cruising EVERYWHERE in the car. Enjoy the show!

This is the day the car was delivered to me. My dad is driving as i still didnt have a license, im the handsome kid in a white t shirt, and the shirtless guy is the gentleman i bought it from.


The interior and 400 engine, the block is my 383 adn the trw's in my hand.


The 383 when 1st completed, only changes since 2000 is carb swap to 750 holley, aircleaner swap to K&N and oil changes.


Shortly after getting the car back from a few years of neglect, 2006ish, i had ground the roof down and primed it by this point.


cleaned up the interior, 4 speed installed, laid sound deadener and fresh carpet.


Added 3 inch full exhaust with flowmaster 50 series SUV mufflers. a welcomed change from the 40 series.




we have made it to the fall of 2010. got the bright idea to pull the front end off the car, found out just how much bondo was in the car. it was hiding some serious rot holes!

no before, just the repair of the smashed in corner of the fender.

[c00nhunterjoe]

just remember that the goal was not a show car.

[69finder]

I for one thing you did a great job!  How many people can say they still have their first car?  And a Charger to boot!

Man, you have nothing to explain to anyone and nothing to justify.  You kept the car through it all and it's ready to go again!  At least you'll be enjoying yours (people have spent their lives, wifes, money trying to get their cars back on the road).

Props brother!!

[c00nhunterjoe]

Thanks, it really means a lot. The car actually looks decent a few feet away. Up close you can see every single flaw. But I figured why dunp the time and effort into the panels. In the end it still needs all of the components replaced.

I am enjoying it every chance I get. The car is extremely reliable and a total blast to drive. My next major undertaking may be installing a\c. This 100+ weather is killing me.

[cdr]

hello joe i think you did great ,your drivin yours while mine is in the garage in 49879498 & 1peices 

[cdr]

I for one thing you did a great job!  How many people can say they still have their first car?  And a Charger to boot!

Man, you have nothing to explain to anyone and nothing to justify.  You kept the car through it all and it's ready to go again!  At least you'll be enjoying yours (people have spent their lives, wifes, money trying to get their cars back on the road).

Props brother!!

[cdr]

did you use a stick welder ?

[c00nhunterjoe]

I have a 110v mig. Used 75\25 gas and .023 wire for the vast majority of it. Early on I had a spool of .030 wire but quickly swapped to the thinner wire.  The car is far from done. I would say it's current state is "awaiting restoration" lol. Even with all of the flaws I am amazed at the positive attention it gets at cruises. I have had a few of the negative pricks but I completly expect it.

[HANDM]

Good job, it is a solid reliable drivable Charger, who could ask for anything more.

I too restored my Charger and it was no small feat, after the initial welding/ body and paintwork false starst, I finally got it together.. 

[twodko]

Good on ya Joe! 

[myk]

'OP don't let the nut/bolt/rotisserie 'resto snobs keep you from being proud of what you have.  Sure, we'd all love to tear our cars down to the bare body shell and build it back up again with chrome this, repainted that and NOS blah blah blah but many of us don't have the coin or skill to do such a thing.  You did the best you could and for "not being a body man" it looks straight enough to me.  It's human nature to want more than what we are but sometimes you have to accept your limitations.  For now you and your car are just where they need to be.  Let's hope that one day the both of you can go where you want to be...

[tan top]

been busy dude   

[Ghoste]

I like that idea of a "life extension", it implies all the good driving part that these cars were meant for. 

[Dino]

I was a professional body man for many years, did anything from concours restorations to collision to painting cars after hours for the guy who couldn't afford much and did his own prep.  I have only one thing to say to you:  Good job!  

It takes guts to do what you did, it's not easy doing all that work and for a novice you did a fine job.  So it's not perfect, so what.  You're enjoying it and that's what it's all about.  Now go drive the wheels off that thing!

[Brightyellow69rtse]

Great job man! Props on jumping right in and getting it done. Keep diving her and enjoying it. Thats basicly what I'm going to be doing to my camaro cept there will be no later restoration lol. I just dont care about it that much.

[Indygenerallee]

Well it may not be perfect but I bet you don't sweat when you leave it in a parking lot!!! Looks like a fun driver!!! 

[bill440rt]

Kudos to you Joe for rolling up your sleeves & getting down & dirty with it.
It's something you can be proud of, and at least say "I did it myself!" 

Enjoy!

[Brass]

Tough – I love it.  Good job!

[Scaregrabber]

You did well. You saved it and you're driving it. Later if you want it to make it better you can. Any car on the road beats 2 in the garage that are never driven.

Sheldon

[c00nhunterjoe]

Wow, thanks guys, it really means a lot.  The car is a blast to drive. Still need to swap 4 speeds as the syncros are shot in this one. Perhaps this winter I will swap them along with the ft disc brake swap and tubular upper contrl arms. I didn't put any of it on since I was dying to drive the car!

[myk]

You did well. You saved it and you're driving it. Later if you want it to make it better you can. Any car on the road beats 2 in the garage that are never driven.

Sheldon

Damn straight...

[Dino]

hello joe i think you did great ,your drivin yours while mine is in the garage in 49879498 & 1peices 

Hey at least you counted them!

[Cooter]

Joe, I find most of your posts are genuinely good. Your car is exactly what I'm talking about when I say I have more in common with the guy in primer. I'd buy you beer and hollar at 'ya ifn' I was to see it at a cruise. Well done. Not many can say they did it all themselves. No need to make light of it's short comings. You did great. You shoulda seen my first attempt at welding and bodywork..It looked horrid compared to yours, but you know what? It didn't stop the level of pride i had for that 'ol Satellite. Again, well  done mate.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Well I can say I have done  all of the work myself except boring the block .

I am a proficient welder, just not on sheet metal...... I prefer pulse mig, its quite the treat if you've never had the oppertunity to try it. I weld on abrams tanks all the time. I am used to getting maximum penetration and rolling dimes, this whole tack.........................tack..............................tack thing drives me up a wall.....lol.

And I like yuengling   lol

[jessejames]

 Awesome that you kept the car and stayed with it. Dukes of Hazzard also. Bought my first charger at 15yrs old as well. But, I gotta tell you... If  some yuppie neighbor told me he was gonna take my car away and  crush it. I'd have a shot gun and shovel waiting for him! Great story!! Keep up the good work!