68 Roadrunner Post w/ 6.1L HEMI, 6 speed, and IRS

[70B5Cuda]

I first saw this car in 2000. It was a really solid western Kansas car but was missing fenders,hood,grill,auto transmission, radiator, front seat, differential, etc. I had a deal struck at $1200 but I came back with the money and the seller backed out because someone else had offered more $$$. Lesson learned: always have a trailer and cash when you go to buy....but that's ok because I was a broke college kid and would've had to sell it. I tracked the buyer and car down in July of 2015 and bought the car-the price was much higher this time. I had to buy this 68 Roadrunner post car, a 68 roadrunner post parts car, and a 69 GTX with no drivetrain (fender tag showed it to be a red 4 speed, dana 60 car) in order to get a good deal. I sold the 68 post RR parts car and the 69 GTX.

I've really struggled with what to do with this car for many reasons. Mainly because...

1. I've just got way too many projects going for a guy in his early 30's with 4 kids. Although I have too many projects, it's getting to be difficult to find a car this clean so I would hate to sell it.

2. This car has it's numbers matching 383, but I already have one original mopar (a 69 survivor charger w/ 383) and I'm more of a restomod guy. I want fuel injection. I've also parted out over 35 SRT8s over the past couple years so I have all the 6.1L hemi engines I could ever want.

3. I just like to shift. Originally I wanted to mate an A833 4 speed behind the Gen 3 hemi because it would be easy and I wouldn't have to cut up the floor pans/tunnel/torsion bar crossmember. I had all the 4 speed parts collected, rebuilt, and ready to go. Then I came to my senses. I had been driving my 6 speed 2010 Challenger SRT8 and had been loving every shift. I kept wondering "why go easy with a 4 speed when I won't be happy with it?". Then I added up the value of all the 4 speed parts and hydraulic throwout setup and it was crazy how much I could sell it all for. I had several TR6060's and pedal/hydraulic clutch setups in stock from late model Challengers I had parted. Decision made....CUT UP THE FLOOR AND TUNNEL!!


Ultimately, I want something reliable that gets 20mpg. I don't want to wait 5 years for it. I want to be able to drive it to work 1 or 2 days a week (60 mile round trip) and not worry about it being parked in the parking lot. I post this with the hope that I can maintain momentum since people may be checking up on the project. Wish me luck.

I finally started rolling on this project in about September of 2016. Luckily, I have a great buddy Matt, who is an EXCELLENT fabricator. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have his expertise to lean on. Matt has never steered me wrong and he always has great ideas. Matt is the one doing all the metal work. I'll stick to mechanical work. Metal is his thing.

 

[70B5Cuda]

What drew me to this car was the solid nature of the frame rails and torsion bar crossmember.

 

[70B5Cuda]

I was blown away by how solid the trunk floor was. Usually B body floor pans are toast by this age.



From the factory it had red paint with white/red interior, which is a pretty cool combo. Most unrestored cars seem to be green anymore...

 

[70B5Cuda]

The fenders look terrible but they're really quite solid.




It had lots of rash/dents down the sides.


The right quarter has so many dents/waves that's its not worth trying to save. I'm sure someone could have...

 

[70B5Cuda]

After owning the car a year, I finally got tired of looking at the fenders and pulled them. I used a heat gun to warm up the rubberized undercoating on the back side and scraped it all off little by little. The fenders were originally from a satellite and had trim running down the top edge. A buddy welded up all the emblem holes, wheel lip trim holes, and the trim holes along the top ridge of both fenders. Then I took them to a local metal finishing company and they used aluminum oxide to strip the fenders. When I picked them up I was pleased. The guy who owned the business was blown away by how solid they were. They do have a few dings but nothing bad. This is how they looked after picking them up



The fenders were cleaned with wax/grease remover and then fender metal was roughed in with hammer/dolly, spoons, and files.







Metal was then ground with mud hog and 80 grit. Edges were hit with rolls scotchbrite one wire wheel. The entire surface was then DA'd again with 80 grit before being cleaned again with wax and grease remover.

 

[70B5Cuda]

Then fenders, nose filler panel, and radiator support were sprayed with 2 coats of Spies and Hecker etch primer, followed by 2 coats of Spies and Hecker 5400 surfacer.

 

[70B5Cuda]

The passenger side quarter panel was cut off; the whole quarter was dented and wavy so it wasn't worth saving. The driver's side quarter just needed a lower patch panel. the dropoffs/trunk extensions are also being replaced. All pieces are AMD

 

[70B5Cuda]

The passenger's side rocker had also taken quite a beating. A previous owner must have hit a pole. The damage:



It got up into the door



Closeup carnage

 

[70B5Cuda]

First I took it to a local frame shop and had them pull out the dent somewhat.



I bought a new complete AMD frame rail, with the hope that just a section could be used if the rest looked ok underneath.....but that's never the way that works out.



The front side of the rocker was very solid. The backside...not so much

 

[70B5Cuda]

So much for just a patch/splice. The whole right rocker ended up coming out



New AMD rocker in place

 

[70B5Cuda]

I was curious what condition the roof skin was in. From a distance it probably looks like a vinyl top, but a previous owner used some sort of rubberized undercoating to cover the top. Considering this car came from Great Bend, Kansas, there should have been all kinds of hail dings. Great Bend always seems to get hail, and I've bought several old Mopars from that area that were HAMMERED with hail. But the rubber roof must have really protected the roof skin.



View of pinstripes on top:



A closeup to show texture

 

[70B5Cuda]

The rubberized coating that was put on the roof was extremely hardened and wouldn't budge with a wire cup wheel; it would just smear. We tried a heat gun and putty knife but it took too much heat to warm it up and warpage was a concern. Finally, this disc did the trick. The key was not to drive through all the layers at once but do keep moving around and take one layer off at a time.

 

[70B5Cuda]

When I first got the car, I looked at the rear window corners and thought it looked pretty solid:





It turns out i was wrong...

 

[70B5Cuda]

 

[70B5Cuda]

 

[70B5Cuda]

For several weeks, I would go check on progress and I would end up ordering more AMD sheetmetal. That's just the way these projects seem to go. Originally the rear crossmember, which is behind the rear bumper, was just going to get some patches. But once the bumper was off, and the rust was exposed, I ended up buying the rear crossmember, the sheetmetal right above it, and the rear corner pieces that run between the crossmember and the quarter panel.



New rear crossmember.



Matt cut a piece out of the new sheetmetal piece above the rear crossmember. We didn't want to disturb the lip/profile of the lower edge that sits agains the deckled

 

[70B5Cuda]

This next idea is purely Matt's idea. The profile of the inner wheel house is pretty much vertical but the profile of the outside wheel house slopes into the wheel tub and encroaches on available tire space. After looking at the gap between the quarter panel skin and the outer wheel tub, Matt took some measurements and cut out a section of the old outer wheel house. Matt made a plug that will allow more tire by taking the slope out of the outer wheel house profile

 

[70B5Cuda]

Right quarter panel went on after that

 

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Left quarter patch panel

 

[70B5Cuda]

Lower rear window corners