$500- 68 charger

[daytona kid]

Don't get me wrong, I think that just the tubes as seen in my pics add some stiffness , but a lot more will come with the additional tubes I'm putting inside the cab..,, It's the extra plates that came with them that I don't think are not much extra strength.

 

[tallhair]

Are the plates for the upper shock tower or to mount the tubes? I was talking about the ones for the shock tower

 

[conv67bdere]

I'll give these a thumbs up for ease of install.. They came with some extra plates/pieces that would beef up where they meet the shock tower but I really don't see them adding that much strength, so they're probably not going on unless someone can convince me otherwise.

Thanks for the review Daytona Kid . . . like Tallhair, I've seen a couple of different styles of tubular supports ( like yours ) that I've been thinking about adding to my convertible for some additional strength too . . . but I'm wondering how much added rigidity it'll really add to the car.

 

[Donny]

Very good thread. Another reason why this site is far better than other sites because the majority of people in here are doers, not just dreamers, but, DO IT!

 

[daytona kid]

Are the plates for the upper shock tower or to mount the tubes? I was talking about the ones for the shock tower

Yea, the ones to add to the connection at the shock tower, I can't see them adding that much more strength there. Plus they really don't want to fit there very well. There are 2 plates to put there at the front shock tower connection for each side. 1 of those plates doesn't come close to being able to fit. I'm sure XV wants you to grind them to fit better and I could have been able to make them all work but I feel it's fine like it is without them. XV has videos showing how their stuff works > http://www.xvmotorsports.com/products/detail/index.cfm?nPID=299&cid=105&cdesc=Chassis Stiffening and most of it works along with other stuff, such as the brace over the top of the motor which attaches near the top of the shock tower thus helping the inner fender tubes like I just put on. Don't think I'll put one of those on.

 

[Propwash]

Very good thread. Another reason why this site is far better than other sites because the majority of people in here are doers, not just dreamers, but, DO IT!

You got it man! Crazy craftsmanship going on at this site, including Daytona's great thread.

 

[daytona kid]

Thanks Guys!. Got the tubing to finish the connections of the stiffeners to the door bars. Ordered the extra tubing from Jegs thurs, got it sat am.. Great service from Jegs.
Guess I'll have to put in a hand emergency brake.. :eusa_think:

 

[daytona kid]

All done with these.. And one last thought about the XV stiffeners,. If you notice in previous pics, the XV inner fender stiffener tubes use the 2"x3" plates to mount to the front side of the firewall., without something like what I've done here to the back/inside, the thin firewall metal is not something that I would think would really have enough strength to make the tubes very effective. JMHO

 

[747mopar]

Agree very much Daytona, Looking good.

 

[69 GTX]

Looking good Kid, glad your happy with them!

 

[conv67bdere]

Thanks Guys!. Got the tubing to finish the connections of the stiffeners to the door bars. Ordered the extra tubing from Jegs thurs, got it sat am.. Great service from Jegs.
Guess I'll have to put in a hand emergency brake.. :eusa_think:

Daytona Kid - You matched the plate on the firewall for the roll cage - to match the plate that was on the XV Frame stiffener - Sounds like a great idea !

If that doesn't make a difference - I don't know what will ? ? ? Looking really good ! ! I think I'm going to add a hand brake in my center console too . . . somehow . . .

 

[daytona kid]

I think I'm going to add a hand brake in my center console too . . . somehow . . .

Yea, surely someone makes one that will work/fit.

- - - Updated - - -

I talked to a body shop guy a few days ago and he questioned me about how I lined up my 1/4 skins as far as body lines and the doors. I have to admit I did not try the doors on as I was fitting the skins, but I did measure everything I could down to a gnats butt. Now that I have my doors apart they are a lot lighter so I did put them in place to check my lines. Fortunately for me they look fine, I guess I lucked out there. But one thing I did not think about enough to check was where my door bars run as far as the arm rest, door handle, and window handle. While I had the doors in place checking the body lines I saw where there is no way the opening handle will work or the arm rest. The window handle may work, if not I may go with electric windows, on the doors anyway. So now I've got to figure out a way to make my inside door handles work. One idea I had was to cut out a section of the bars and bend them in a way to make them not interfere with handles. I also thought about getting swing out door bar kits and bending the swinging bar so it would miss that area. I wonder tho if the strength of the bar system would be lowered with a swing bar kit. It just doesn't seem like the car's stiffness would remain the same with the swing bars. Anyone with thoughts on this plz chime in..

 

[tallhair]

Wow kid that's gonna be a stiffy alright LOL

 

[69 GTX]

How much room do you need to clear?

 

[conv67bdere]

Yea, surely someone makes one that will work/fit.

- - - Updated - - -

I talked to a body shop guy a few days ago and he questioned me about how I lined up my 1/4 skins as far as body lines and the doors. I have to admit I did not try the doors on as I was fitting the skins, but I did measure everything I could down to a gnats butt. Now that I have my doors apart they are a lot lighter so I did put them in place to check my lines. Fortunately for me they look fine, I guess I lucked out there. But one thing I did not think about enough to check was where my door bars run as far as the arm rest, door handle, and window handle. While I had the doors in place checking the body lines I saw where there is no way the opening handle will work or the arm rest. The window handle may work, if not I may go with electric windows, on the doors anyway. So now I've got to figure out a way to make my inside door handles work. One idea I had was to cut out a section of the bars and bend them in a way to make them not interfere with handles. I also thought about getting swing out door bar kits and bending the swinging bar so it would miss that area. I wonder tho if the strength of the bar system would be lowered with a swing bar kit. It just doesn't seem like the car's stiffness would remain the same with the swing bars. Anyone with thoughts on this plz chime in..

Daytona Kid - Got a couple suggestions . . . how about
1 - moving the location of the inside door handles ( up / forward / etc ) to a location that will work
Or
2 - find a newer model Dodge interior door handle - ( newer ones = more flush mounted ) - adapt it to fit your door and operate the linkages to open the door.

Both would leave the roll cage intact . . . Seems like either of them should fit the bill . . . that's my $0.02 . . . ( smile )

 

[daytona kid]

Moving the handle location is something I considered but I did not think of using a newer style one, I'll keep that in mind.. Thnx

- - - Updated - - -

How much room do you need to clear?

I think I could make it work with about another inch.

 

[Mr.SpeedFreak]

Just weld the doors and keep the windows down. Yeeeeehaww! lol

Great work as always Daytona! And thanks for the pics/thoughts on the inner fender braces, I was thinking about putting them on my car but also was thinking along the same lines as you as far as the firewall not being the greatest anchoring point on its own. How was your customer service experience with XV? Seen a lot of people complain about long shipping times, no one answering the phone, etc.

That is a PITA about the door handles.. probably the easiest way to go would be cutting out and bending up that section of the door bar :shruggy: I was planning on bending up my door bars to tuck along the line of the seat instead of diagonal, for that reason and for how much I'll be driving my car I think diagonals would get annoying to me after a while haha. But I'm sure you'll get everything sorted no problem :icon_thumleft: keep up the great work!

 

[daytona kid]

How was your customer service experience with XV? Seen a lot of people complain about long shipping times, no one answering the phone, etc.

Actually I got them from one of the guys here in the forum, who gave me a great deal on them. He had bought them but then decided to go with the USCAR TOOL ones which are plates instead of tubes.
I will wait to fix my handle prob later, but I think I could move them up an inch or 2 pretty easy., just kinda hate not keeping things as stock as I can. I wouldn't be able to use a stock arm rest either unless I bend the bars. I'll figure it out and try to do it as right as I can.

 

[daytona kid]

I cut my leaf spring hangers back off so I can use my rolling stands, since they bolt on where the hangers go. Member 69GTX made me aware of one difference in the offset hangers and stock ones. He's working this situation out for us, since his set-up is like much like mine. As you can see here there is .5" difference where the spring bolt goes thru. I may try the fit with tires and wheels with the extra .5 rearward, but that will be later.

 

[440ronnie67]

looking great!