Don's 1969 Charger Restoration

[71airgrabberRR]

It's been a while since I've posted on your thread Don. You have DEFINITELY made some killer progress !!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep it up bud...............

 

[mopar4don]

You are working on things that i am very interested in seeing how you are doing it. I am at this point with my car. You are doing a great job and I am watching your progress. I will be back on my car soon and using some of your pointers.

Great to hear from you! How are you and your brother doing?

Ha! Sometimes it feels like it... Hope to be in to the new place late spring / early summer. Will have a heated garage after that so I can play catch-up next winter if needed. :VB toast:

Oh sure, just go ahead and put the pressure on,

It's been a while since I've posted on your thread Don. You have DEFINITELY made some killer progress !!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep it up bud...............

Thanks Louis, I just wish I could move a bit faster.
The plan was to have the back half of the car all mocked up (quarters, tail panel , valance, etc.. ) but the weather stopped that. You see, at this time of the year, (up here in the North) the temperature is a bit cooler than it is down there in Florida. And the back end of the car is about 4 inches away from the garage door, which means I need the door opened to work on the back end of the car.
(DID I mention it's cold?) So until spring rolls around I decided to get some of the other components started. Like the front suspension.

 

[mopar4don]

Lower control arms

I boxed in my LCA's while I was at it!




I never got a pic after grinding down the welds.
I will get some after they come back from powdercoat

 

[Glenwood]

Hey Don, what does boxing these in do for the suspension?

 

[mopar4don]

Hey Don, what does boxing these in do for the suspension?

Hi Glen, from what I understand the LCA's flex a bit. and boxing them in eliminates this problem.

 

[mopar4don]

4 speed firewall bracket

I got the 4 speed pedal backer bracket welded in.


Interior shot

 

[mopar4don]

Grill support re-assembly

Ok, next I got my grill support back together.


Before I disassembled the grill support, I drilled some 1/8 holes to aid in re-alignment




These alignment holes worked for self tapping screws






These next 4 pics show the support compleatly finished

 

[daytona kid]

nice!

 

[pat1969charger]

Good to see you keep busy, I'm sure you'll be happy when you can get back at the shell again. Top notch work as usual!

 

[69 GTX]

Good progress.

 

[BigBlock61]

Excellent work as usual Don, the grill support and firewall bracket look great. It was a high of 14 degrees here today. I made it out to the garage for about 2 hours before I had to give up to the cold. I had my heater going full blast and it never got above 25 in there.

 

[mopar4don]

Internal frame coating

I was a bit concerned about any rust that I could not get at when I blasted.
So I bought some Eastwood internal frame coating and sprayed down the inside of the a-pillars and inside the front frame rails


notice all the tape, this was to cover the holes so the coating would not run out


But it did anyway! WHAT a MESS! but I think it is worth it.
(makes me feel a little better)



I will most likely spray inside the torsion bars and rear frame rails before the get covered.

 

[daytona kid]

Love that stuff. I put it in everywhere I could. When I ran out I reused the nozzles and tubes with some other paint I had, figured that was better than nothing..

 

[pat1969charger]

Looks good Don usual! I have been wondering what I could do with my A pillars as well to coat them, not sure if I can get east wood stuff in Canada though.

 

[showard]

That is a good idea. I wish that I would have done that before I had my car painted.

 

[69 GTX]

Looks good!

 

[mopar4don]

front suspension update

I got my suspension parts back from the powder coater. And I must say I AM IMPRESSED!
k-frame, strut bars, sway bar, boxed LCA's. My upper control arms were toast and had to purchase a set. I also upgraded to the .960 mopar preformance torsion bars.

 

[showard]

Your K frame looks good. It's all coming along good.

 

[69 GTX]

looking good

 

[Coronet66JJ]

your work is much better than original mopar quality