Keithcuda's 68 Charger Project

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Aug 23, 07 9:17 pm

Ok, over the past 10 months+ i've been gathering the parts to put this charger back to its 68 form (currently a 69 General Lee clone).

Along the way i've also purchased a few other nice bits, only cos they seemed like a bargain, they may not even get used on this project. For example the Magnum Force K-Member and front suspension unused for less than 1/2 cost including the shipping.

I've got a NOS rear light pannel to convert the car back to 68, (i'll have a 69 spare panel after i've done that, i'll put it in the for sale then).

I've got a tatty but complete front grill which i will have to fix up make do or restore. (unless anyone knows of a good restored/mint looking one for not silly money, No, didn't think so)

And a good size box of new repo nuts, bolts, gromits, stops, etc,etc.

BUT, i am not going into a full resto quite yet.

This car was imported from the US and has not yet been registered here in JERSEY or the UK.
On getting the car the previous owner did not check things over and was not mechanically minded (even though he owned a garage and partsd store, pays everyone else to do his work). I heard he poored petrol directly into the carb and fired her up, litterally, no fire extinguisher in sight and closed the bonnet.

. So called fire service and insurance (don't know which first

), After getting quotes to fix it the insurance wrote it off and i bought it from the insurance for a little over £2k. $\:D/$

Anyhow the DVS (like your DVLA) need to do a full inspection of the car to get it registered, (this will be a bit like an MOT but possibly more thorough). So i intend to get it just about road worthy before i start pulling it appart proper and modernising it (DVS are not keen on non-stoke bits), Get it through the inspection and registered in my name. Oh and have a little play in it on the roads as the General Lee.

So i'm calling this Registration Stage 1.

This week end i will be removing the engine and other burnt parts to establish what else i need to buy. This may include (i hope) heads off inspection to measure bore etc. I'll be getting a large stroker kit from somewhere (maybe 440Source, unless someone has better ideas).

Anyway i'll be posting plenty photos of the whole ordeal.
And i hope you will enjoy my joys and missery.

Here's some i took a while back to give you an idea of the scope of work.
Glad its a long weekend.

$\:D/$

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Aug 23, 07 9:30 pm

umm your gunna need a long weekend lol, gud luk with it and keep the pics coming

andyrob · Post by **andyrob** » Thu Aug 23, 07 9:38 pm

bargain

good project if your keen, I love a bit salavge, get a new bonnet, it will never look right again & will rust no matter how you treat it, I think the motor will be ok, but are you going to strip it down when you take it out ?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Aug 23, 07 11:42 pm

good luck with the project and keep the pics acoming

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Fri Aug 24, 07 12:23 am

Blimey! Looks exactly like a resto posting from last year! You ain't a scammer are yer?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Aug 24, 07 12:41 am

Seen that before somewhere.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Aug 24, 07 12:46 am

Thanks Kev and Adam, no, just took my time to find the bits i needed or thought i'd need and to save up some reddies. these things arn't cheap.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

Andyrob you might be right about the bonnet for the final build, till the registration it will do.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Aug 24, 07 12:54 am

Keith , can't remmember where i'd seen it , can you tell me?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Aug 24, 07 1:03 am

Found it , one of your posts back in Nov 06 , was buggin me.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Aug 24, 07 1:04 am

I posted on this forum when i got the charger and posted the photos with a few others. Or it could be on www.dodgecharger.com, i think i posted there.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Aug 24, 07 5:45 pm

good buy ---if you do a full resto --change that colour --sorry not my seen tango , good luck ,whats the rest of car like ,is it in good nick ,more pics ,Andy

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Aug 24, 07 6:04 pm

More pics tomorrow rtse, and yes the body is real good. I'll get it up on the lift too as i havn't had a look either.

Have to goto work in the morning for a few hours first then its cars, cars,cars. $\:D/$

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Aug 26, 07 1:37 am

Ok took me a while to set this up to work with bbcode etc.

I was kept at work longer than i had hoped 1pm, but still pleased with what i'd accomplished.

First Off i had to re-arrange the cars and dig out the Charger so that i could work on it. As you can see the shed is quite full.

And so out go the Cuda's for a bit of sun, Oh if its sunny like this tomorrow i'm out for a drive before another stint.

You may notice another car covered in the background (Any guesses?)

Oh, i should mention it took me a while as i was on my own and the Black cuda is not running yet. And no its not mine, it belongs to Noel Mallet a very good friend who hasn't been to work on the cars for a while and is getting married soon, maybe thats why!!!!

Before i moved the Charger i had to use the lift just quickly to fix my A to B vehicle a £60 Peugot 205, had to fix the exhaust, took 30 minutes, much better now.

Then move out the Charger. And put it in the lift.

And now some shots to show how straight and relatively rust free it is:

The last 2 show a few rust bubbles onder the flag, and the grill damage with the 68 grill yet to be renovated.

Up on the lift you can see that the wheel arches are clean, ie no major rust, and the sills look good too.

Underneath no clutch cover, and this car was converted to Manual?????
Oh and no tail pipes, i think they were removed by the garage who gave the quote as i distinctly remember them when i went to see it after it got burnt and before it was moved.

Some dodgy hole patch just behind the gearbox mount.
And the rear shocks look to be some adjustable type, with tubes comming out them, i think you can add air???

Gass tank is dented.
And clean sills again.

Before i start the removal of the burnt stuff this is what i had to start.

Remove Bonnet, again not easy on your own, their not light.

out with this lot.

Save this lot.

End up the day with lifting plate on, radiator out and Power pump cabled to the side.

And going to add to my list of stuff to do to address this:

Looks like the clutch assembly was not installed properly.

So that all i got done this afternoon/evening.

For safety sake i did not take the engine out as i was on my own, and thing best to have many hands for this one.

Should i take out the transmission with the engine, i'd have to undo the clutch levers etc? If i leave it in how should it be supported? OR take out engine then trans, cos i'll then be able to get to the clutch stuff more easily?

Some other photos from today HERE

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sun Aug 26, 07 4:25 am

Good progress

I always split the transmission - be careful not to hang the motor on the gerbox input shaft as you can damage the pilot bearing or bend the input shaft. The Manual gearboxes are very heavy! If you burr the pilot bearing you will never get the box to relocate on installation.

If you are competely stripping the car, why not drop the "K" member out complete with the box from underneath? Just need to split the suspension control arms. I bet the front bushes are shot anyway and need replacement (mine were!!!)

If you split the 69 grille I would be interested in some of the parts, please as mine is damaged, thanks.

Good luck with the resto

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Sun Aug 26, 07 8:50 am

Great buy!

How the hell did you get the bonnet off on your own without doing damage, though?

It's enough of a ball ache with 2.