threewood
Well-Known Member
Great car and I like the progress so far. Your garage is great. It looks like the white floor adds light and makes everything brighter. I like it!
It is Time to Finish That Which I have Begun: '68 Charger by a mechanical idiot
- Thread starter Aron
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funknut
Well-Known Member
Nice work! My lower rad support was pretty bent as well. I did the same thing as you and just hammered away until I got it close enough to clamp to the reinforcement piece. It's a great piece and cheap insurance. 
Aron
Well-Known Member
Thank you sir! Although, when this car is finished (and I'm hoping for 2022) I've gotta re-do the floor. It's good material, but the white shows EVERYTHING...and my welds have pock marked it like no other with drips of burning metal (aka my garbage mig welding skills). I think I'll go light grey when I resurface it. If you are considering it, go to www.spartanepoxy.com - they have good stuff and the customer service is very good.
Aron
Well-Known Member
Nice work! My lower rad support was pretty bent as well. I did the same thing as you and just hammered away until I got it close enough to clamp to the reinforcement piece. It's a great piece and cheap insurance.
I think you said in an earlier post it was a fun piece to add and I agree - compared to the subframe connectors and the torque boxes, it was by far the easiest because it was a lot easier to work on - not hunched up under the car and fighting gravity - at least not quite so much. Also, it was a confidence builder in the sense that I did manage to bring the bent radiator support back into line even though, when I first saw how bent it was, I was genuinely concerned I'd have to just cut it out and weld in the support piece as the new Radiator support. Nice to fix something AND make it better at the same time.
Aron
Well-Known Member
Alright, well, got some good progress happening. I took out the entirety of the rear end. Suspension parts are all out, I've taken off the drum brakes but the backing plates are still attached. My next steps are:
1) Take out the carrier and the axles
2) I've got a shop that will press in new US Gear 3.73's for me which should work well with the new Tremec swap you can see in the background, the 5th gear / OD is .064 so that should be freeway friendly but fun to get on here and there around town.
3) Clean up and repaint the entire housing in flat black so it looks really squared away.
4) Put it back in and then put in all the great new suspension the FirmFeel guys are sending me soon.
5) Install the disc brake conversions to the rear. … then I'll go after the front suspension which is more intimidating, lots more parts up there.
I want some advice: On Steps 1, 2 and 3 -- what's the best order? Should I clean up the entire unit now, then pull the carrier and take the axles out? How do I get off the disc brake backing plates? When I clean up the housing unit, I'm thinking 409 and my pressure washer, then scrub it and use a small media blaster to get out what I didn't get the first time around....anyone have thoughts?
1) Take out the carrier and the axles
2) I've got a shop that will press in new US Gear 3.73's for me which should work well with the new Tremec swap you can see in the background, the 5th gear / OD is .064 so that should be freeway friendly but fun to get on here and there around town.
3) Clean up and repaint the entire housing in flat black so it looks really squared away.
4) Put it back in and then put in all the great new suspension the FirmFeel guys are sending me soon.
5) Install the disc brake conversions to the rear. … then I'll go after the front suspension which is more intimidating, lots more parts up there.
I want some advice: On Steps 1, 2 and 3 -- what's the best order? Should I clean up the entire unit now, then pull the carrier and take the axles out? How do I get off the disc brake backing plates? When I clean up the housing unit, I'm thinking 409 and my pressure washer, then scrub it and use a small media blaster to get out what I didn't get the first time around....anyone have thoughts?
Nice progress!
Regarding steps 1-3: I would suggest an initial cleanup, then get the gears installed, new bearings, whatever. Then when it is all done paint the entire thing. If you want it fully original, in which case the rear is black and the cast iron carrier is unpainted/ cast, then I would paint each when the work is done and you are ready to assemble the units. Bottom line is I have found the later I paint things the better, or I end up chipping paint, etc. I'm sure others will chime in if they have other ideas.
For step 4: Are you installing a sector support kit? I highly recommend one. See post below for details:
https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...d-the-restoration.65096/page-9#post-910096581
Good luck!
Hawk
Regarding steps 1-3: I would suggest an initial cleanup, then get the gears installed, new bearings, whatever. Then when it is all done paint the entire thing. If you want it fully original, in which case the rear is black and the cast iron carrier is unpainted/ cast, then I would paint each when the work is done and you are ready to assemble the units. Bottom line is I have found the later I paint things the better, or I end up chipping paint, etc. I'm sure others will chime in if they have other ideas.
For step 4: Are you installing a sector support kit? I highly recommend one. See post below for details:
https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...d-the-restoration.65096/page-9#post-910096581
Good luck!
Hawk
Aron
Well-Known Member
For step 4: Are you installing a sector support kit? I highly recommend one. See post below for details:
https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...d-the-restoration.65096/page-9#post-910096581
Great advice Hawk - I am getting a sector support kit. Firm Feel said they'd have me the parts in about 8-10 weeks, that was about 6 weeks ago or so - can't wait to they get in. For now, I have the diff out, the axles out but I'm having a hell of a time getting the third member to dislodge from the housing. The bolts came off find but man, it's glued on there pretty good. I'm working hard not to damage the housing or the third member. Oh well, I'll get back to it soon - as usual, tons of other projects around the house and this damn J O B have really gotten in the way of Mopar.
https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...d-the-restoration.65096/page-9#post-910096581
Great advice Hawk - I am getting a sector support kit. Firm Feel said they'd have me the parts in about 8-10 weeks, that was about 6 weeks ago or so - can't wait to they get in. For now, I have the diff out, the axles out but I'm having a hell of a time getting the third member to dislodge from the housing. The bolts came off find but man, it's glued on there pretty good. I'm working hard not to damage the housing or the third member. Oh well, I'll get back to it soon - as usual, tons of other projects around the house and this damn J O B have really gotten in the way of Mopar.
nice project, was just directed here by a link, thank-you. nice set-up to work under her and the white floors are cool, but the white does get dirty for sure , put a white floor in a lab for a chemist friend of mine several years ago it does show everything but is still easy to clean. keep pecking away at it before you know it 2022 will be here, good luck.
Aron
Well-Known Member
Some quick updates - it's been too long and I've gotten a fair amount done...and re-ordered things a little. Dropped out the entire rear end, as well as the front end - front end took some serious work. Had to get aggressive with the pickle fork.
Cleaned up the rear axle, took it down to metal, primed and painted it. Then took it to the Rear End Shop in Livermore, CA., and they put a set of Sierra Gear .373's for me. Got it back just last week and now it awaits...well, everything else. Also got my entire shipment from Firm Feel of most of EVERYTHING for the rear end and most of the front end too. Need to order some odds and ends for the front, like tie rods.
I was going to put in all of the suspension BEFORE sending it off to paint and body but then got some solid advice from a friend of a friend who is a fellow Mopar guy (and ran his own body shop in a different life) and so I'm going to take out all of the glass, take off the front fenders, then put it on roller stands and then send it out for paint and body. But before that I'll pressure wash the entirety of it and chassis black the underside by myself....love to do a rotisserie with it but this ain't that budget.
As always - thank you to this community, I've reached out to a number of you and gotten so much great advice - it is very much appreciated. Not a day goes by when I don't fantasize about how I'll feel the first time I turn it over and hear that 440 again - not to mention have this car done the way I've always wanted it to be done.
Cleaned up the rear axle, took it down to metal, primed and painted it. Then took it to the Rear End Shop in Livermore, CA., and they put a set of Sierra Gear .373's for me. Got it back just last week and now it awaits...well, everything else. Also got my entire shipment from Firm Feel of most of EVERYTHING for the rear end and most of the front end too. Need to order some odds and ends for the front, like tie rods.
I was going to put in all of the suspension BEFORE sending it off to paint and body but then got some solid advice from a friend of a friend who is a fellow Mopar guy (and ran his own body shop in a different life) and so I'm going to take out all of the glass, take off the front fenders, then put it on roller stands and then send it out for paint and body. But before that I'll pressure wash the entirety of it and chassis black the underside by myself....love to do a rotisserie with it but this ain't that budget.
As always - thank you to this community, I've reached out to a number of you and gotten so much great advice - it is very much appreciated. Not a day goes by when I don't fantasize about how I'll feel the first time I turn it over and hear that 440 again - not to mention have this car done the way I've always wanted it to be done.
daytona kid
Well-Known Member
Great work! A lot of us know exactly how you feel.. And we want to see the first ride on vid. Just now getting confident enough with mine's reliability to go on to some evening cruise-ins, the 68 charger always draws a crowd... Be sure to put the torsion bars back in the same way they came out., and rear axles. You can get them mixed up (left and right) which is not good. One thing I learned is things like to go back where they lived previously.
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70chall440
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Great work, just keep taking it one thing at a time and don't get too wrapped up in the process or procedure. What I mean is that often times during a project I will skip around to things I am interested in or are thinking about while in the process of doing something else. Point is that it all has to be done, so if you are working on something that you are not enjoying or find yourself thinking about something else, go ahead and do it; it will keep your interest up and the project moving forward. Yes, there are things that need to be done in a certain order, but not all that many.
I jump around a lot when I am doing a project, some things are drudgery (like cleaning, removing undercoating, etc.) but other things are enjoyable; like refinishing something that is highly visible. So, I will do what I have to but then redirect and refinish something or do some fabrication (which I really enjoy).
I just bought a 71 Charger, so I have yet one more project to do..
I jump around a lot when I am doing a project, some things are drudgery (like cleaning, removing undercoating, etc.) but other things are enjoyable; like refinishing something that is highly visible. So, I will do what I have to but then redirect and refinish something or do some fabrication (which I really enjoy).
I just bought a 71 Charger, so I have yet one more project to do..
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