$500- 68 charger

[daytona kid]

I'm having the same dilema as you trying to pick a color. I have changed my mind 3 times already and am still no closer to a final decision. Was your car an original blue? If I didn't already have a blue RR, that would have been one of my final choices for the Charger. Can't remember if you said you had a fender tag or buildsheet?

Yep, light blue. Kinda hate changing but don,t really care for the light blue. B3 blue, I think.

 

[hunt2elk]

Yep, light blue. Kinda hate changing but don,t really care for the light blue. F3 blue, I think.

Must be B3. I thought maybe it was B5 or Q5. F3 light green is the color mine was originally and I don't particularily care for that color either.

 

[daytona kid]

Yep, I meant B3, I corrected that.,lol. Thats how much I know about colors. Thnx.
BTW , My car was missing some minor things, one was the tail-lite lens and holders. I scored a pair of whole assys today, complete- $250. Very good condition, very slight age signs.
Whats the best way to massage these back to new looking/shiny?. Mother's?

 

[Ron 73]

I used Mothers aluminum cleaning and polishing paste and found it to work real good, I made my need to be retired Cragers look better also with it.. They do look it good shape, those are one aspect on the 68 that makes it look as cool and sweet as they are! Always did love those tail lights...

 

[tallhair]

Yep, I meant B3, I corrected that.,lol. Thats how much I know about colors. Thnx.
BTW , My car was missing some minor things, one was the tail-lite lens and holders. I scored a pair of whole assys today, complete- $250. Very good condition, very slight age signs.
Whats the best way to massage these back to new looking/shiny?. Mother's?

some great info here from Marpar's GTX tail panel resto. http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?43743-68-GTX-Tail-Panel-Resto

info on polishing lens'es from 696Pack here: http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?37443-polishing-tail-light-lenses

search for "muriatic acid" in the threads and you'll find some examples of how that is done and how it works.

 

[daytona kid]

Mocked up the tail before attaching to check fit. Looked good. New stand feet are adjustable to help with measuring alignments. Had to work at real job an extra day, so that was 9 x 10 hr days, now I have 5 days of fun charger work ahead. Hope to get the tail done and start on interior floor and roll bar install.

 

[daytona kid]

Spot welded the tail panels together. Getting it ready to attach. A lot of measuring and fit checking.

 

[Propwash]

Looking good man..Looking real good.

 

[hunt2elk]

You are doing a great job - won't be long and that rear will be back in one piece.

 

[Bruzilla]

Car's looking good! BTW, my Road Runner was primed with POR 15, and it's been fantastic. The P&B guy who did my car told me his grandfather and him have been using the stuff on every car they do due to the humidity down here in Florida. Here's the thing about it though... you can't get any water into it when you're mixing or applying it. If you're sweating, and a drop of sweat falls into the container, it's done. This is why you're hearing stories about POR 15 coming off. Once any moisture gets into it, that will happen.

The guidance I got was mix it up, then pour it into a small container and brush it on. That way if some liquid, usually sweat, does get in it doesn't ruin a lot of it. And as 747 mentioned, brush it on as it's ruin a sprayer. Good news is once it's on, it's on and rust problems are gone.

 

[xj964]

Great build, it is coming along nice!!

 

[daytona kid]

Been looking at engines, What do you guys think about this one? Looks like a good deal to me.> http://high-performance-engines.com...Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ATK&Product_Code=HP47C

Also looking at one of these, the 522ci/525hp, next to the bottom.> http://www.cmengines.com/Engines/Pe...rformanceStreetEngines/tabid/117/Default.aspx

 

[daytona kid]

Got a lot done today. Tail welded up nice. 2 small rear vertical braces inside and that will be it for the tail and trunk.

http://s1284.beta.photobucket.com/user/daytonakid/library/68 charger

 

[Propwash]

Really can't call it a $500 Charger anymore...LOL Not with a new tail on the old girl. Think you're coming along great and having fun with it.

Rear looks just a tad better than it use to lol............................

 

[daytona kid]

Thnx Prop.
The tail work has given me some good confidence. I don't think there is anything left to do that will be much more difficult than the rear rails, tail, and trunk. The interior floor, roll bar, torque boxes, and sub frame connectors are next, then the quarter skins.

Note/Warning to anyone doing trunk rework- the center rear latch brace is not centered, I almost welded it in the center till I checked it with the cardboard template I made during disassembly.

 

[Propwash]

No sweat....Just want to hit on the Sub-frame connectors. I've installed a couple sets over the years and waiting to install a set of Globe West bars on my bird. Two out of the three sets I installed stated in the instructions to install them with full weight on wheels and the car should be in a driving state, meaning everything installed. I spoke with Globe West and Competition Engineering on this and what they said makes sense. Us uni-body guys know how much these cars flex, especially when pans and panels start to get removed. Heck even putting my coronet on jacks stands, the doors and trunk don't close quite the same when it's in the air and its a solid car. Anyways, they want you to install them in that fashion I mentioned because the car is in a normal resting/driving position. When the cars in the air or out of norm structurally, the car can be considered in a sprung position. When you tie the frame together with the sub-bars, well your locking the car in that position, especially if you're going with the sub-bar that conforms and welds into the pans. If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense and doing such could really pose some issues fit and alignment wise, even handling for that matter. Just my $0.02 so take it for what its worth, but I wouldn't install them in that state.

 

[daytona kid]

Rgr tht, I do remember reading that in my instructions. I guess I can hold off on them. Thnx for reminding me.

 

[roadrunnerman]

Excellent work on the trunk and thanks for bringing up about the trunk latch. I'll have to remember that when it comes to me doing mine.

 

[daytona kid]

Had to set the tail-lites in for before and after shot.

 

[daytona kid]

I need some help here guys, for my OCD, but I,m trying to do as many simple things as I can to make this car as perfect as I can, when I can. Here is the dilemma- the new trunk/bumper bracket plates I installed do not have what I think is a part number which is on the old ones. They are left and right and I assume the number reflects that beginning in R & L. The left says LT539 3 but the right says as you can see RT "S" 39 3. So is that an error and should read RT"5"39 3 and the guy at the factory got his S and 5 mixed up? Disregard the test/practice numbers & letters I put around the original. I meant to stamp them before I installed them and may not be able to get them in as deep as original but it will bug me to not try.