'68 Charger from the Great White North

[67Charger]

This thread picks up where the last one left off.

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/threads/my-68-charger-restoration.9928/

Really short version:

Wife bought me a rusty '68 Charger for my 30th birthday so I could finish it by my 40th. I dug in deep, lost my job, got a job, sold it for really good money to Fast and Furious 7, bought a '71 Challenger with the money, then found a '68 Charger /6 roller in Montana for $2000. Grabbed it and am well on my way with a 5.9L/46RE out of a '98 Ram. Car now runs, the drivers side floor pan is out for replacement, and I now have a 30x33 shop in my back yard since I moved 2 months ago.

Everybody up to speed?

This link covers the progress on the car to this point:
My '68 Charger restoration

Last weekends progress:

I pulled the dash and heater box to install a pair of bulkhead connectors to clean up the wiring under the hood. Next step is to complete the engine-side connectors so the engine/trans can be pulled out and set aside. My welder friend owes me some work, so I am having him build me this rotisserie:

http://members.tripod.com/mopar_roadster/body_rotisserie.html

I can blast at my house/shop since I actually have property and no neighbors on 2 sides.

 

[67Charger]

I have the right one of the two connectors wired up. I'll hoping to get the other side done tonight now that I received my DelCity order for more connectors and seals. I grossly miscalculated the number of connectors and seals I would need when I placed the first order.

Here is a picture of the wiring diagram I've come up with and revised to where I am now. I am using Mocrosoft Visio, and it is obviously much clearer that what you see here.

 

[67Charger]

I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I lost the engine in my Excursion last year and had to replace it. That ate up ALL my time and discretionary fundage. 6.0L diesels are not cheap, and mine died only due to a loose hose clamp on the lower radiator hose (I was NOT the one that messed with it last). This summer has been better, and I'm finally back on the '68. I've got the kids trained how to use an angled die grinder with a 3" ROLOC pad, and a box of scotchbrite discs. I love free labor. Pics soon.

I've ditched the 46RE for an 833OD, and will be swapping in a new torsion bar crossmember shortly. The other one was pretty toasted out at the ends, so I have a new AMD piece sitting next to the car now waiting for its date. I bought the rear disc brake kit last week so I can get the rear end buttoned up. I didn't have a good set of drum brakes to start with, so I went straight to disc.

 

[67Charger]

Hello again... actual progress!

Finally started working on the '68 again this past weekend. Needing rear frame rails and trunk floor has been a major hurdle. I finally came up with a plan that I am confident in. The key for me was a 3 way laser and 12" calipers to be able to get good references off the tubing structure along with removing everything in one chunk so I can get dimensions and assembly methods off of it. I KNOW the aftermarket parts wont be right, but I know where the body and suspension points need to be and the rest is along for the ride.

I blocked the rear end to the shock crossmember and removed the shackles to relieve any stress on the rails. The rear tail panel is good, but the valence and crossmember were both shot. The frame rails had 26" removed. I pulled everything out in one piece so I can maintain reference measurements. You can just see the ends of the square tubing that spans from the trunk hinge plates to the tail panel and a crossbar with vertical measurements down to the tops of the frame. I will get the frames tacked in, rear crossmember located and rear valence test fit, then remove the panels, finalize the frame, slip in the 1 piece trunk floor, then reinstall the crossmember and tail panel and massage them all together.

I still need to get out the rest of the bad trunk panel and the rest of the rear valence (you can see the scraper wedged between the remainder of the valence and the tail panel as I grind out the spot welds), but then it is on to blasting all the mate and/or hidden areas and getting welding.

Yes, that is a trailer light connector in the middle of the tail panel... I kind of like it now. Maybe I'll just put a new one in there. I'm having the hitch powder coated and I'll
be reinstalling it as well.

 

[showard]

Good to see you back!
Great project, great progress and I'm looking forward to see further progress. It took me 12 years to restore mine while raising my family. Sigue adelante!
I like the looks of the 68 charger's tail panels, even in that condition.

 

[67Charger]

LH trunk extension and rear spring hanger showed up, still waiting on the right hand hanger. Jegs had a mismarked rear cross memeber they sent me instead of the right hanger. I'll finish separating spot welds so I can blast and prime the mate areas and the shock crossmember.