Lookie what $5000 buys you....

[eldubb440]

it is also possible that only the upper portion is over....... will be watching for updates

 

[Kern Dog]

Maybe both rails, inners, and core support as a unit, just cut everything that's bent off......... the hood and fenders, will dictate everything..... this is still an option.

I am tempted to just slip THIS in:

Fender aprons, rails, core support all intact. Fewer welds to complete the repair, fewer chances to screw things up.
The downside? I'd then be without THIS stub if I ever needed it for my red car if I wrecked it. I'd sure feel better if I had another 66-70 front stub or a parts car with it intact.

 

[eldubb440]

I am tempted to just slip THIS in:

View attachment 870606
Fender aprons, rails, core support all intact. Fewer welds to complete the repair, fewer chances to screw things up.
The downside? I'd then be without THIS stub if I ever needed it for my red car if I wrecked it. I'd sure feel better if I had another 66-70 front stub or a parts car with it intact.

yes! you get it! ........ that piece will rot before you ever need it, and there are others out there anyway......... you saved that part to repair a charger, and that is exactly what you are doing!

 

[Kern Dog]

You need to pull the frame on that car, its too far out for shims or elongated holes.
You can rig up a come-along or a cherry picker to make a pull.
Check this out.

Thank you for the response.
I'm sure that I am going to go back and forth with ideas with this. The front stub seems like the best idea at the moment.

 

[Kern Dog]

My welder WAS a cheaper, entry level unit that only used flux core but I converted it to the 75/25 gas. I've had this for years and done numerous frame connectors, torque boxes, exhaust & muffler stuff, some quarter skins, lower quarters, Trunk floors...I plugged a crappy sunroof hole, filled hundreds of trim holes, etc. I'm not a professional but I can weld stuff that holds together.
I will be seam welding the rails at the torsion bar crossmember and adding frame connectors to this car as I did with the red car.

 

[eldubb440]

that whole front is square and in tact making it a no brainer, the driver side being that far out make it more complicated than it needs to be

 

[Kern Dog]

Now I get to come up with a way to get it in the car and supported! I might enlist the help of a couple of car guys that I know. I'll need a few more jackstands. I gave 4 away when I bought the car lift, thinking I'd not need them again.

 

[Cranky]

I have flattened numerous hammer faces over the 32 years in construction. I don't recall any of them being hardened. I have used Titanium hammers since 2001 and have to reface them every couple of months. The grid pattern wears fast.
I hope to get the car in my shop in the next couple of days and start removing the bent stuff. I'll certainly go back and REread some of the advice I've received in this thread.

Used to do plywood decking and 1x4 strip decking (when we could still do cedar shingles) and used a framing hammer to drive 6's and 8's. Set the nail and one hit home but every now and then, I'd scrape a finger with that cleated bastid so I ground them smooth along the edge of the head. Bingo! Didn't work in home construction nearly that long but drove a lot of nails. Still have the framing hammer. Also used a decent size hammer hatchet to chop the ends of the ceiling joists since the framers were too lazy to cut them and would use it to lay down the first sheet of plywood or a few rows of 1x4 then come down and stand up enough material to do at least half the house or until I got hungry. Still have the hatchet too but it's seen better days....

Now I get to come up with a way to get it in the car and supported! I might enlist the help of a couple of car guys that I know. I'll need a few more jackstands. I gave 4 away when I bought the car lift, thinking I'd not need them again.

I've done way too much stuff like that. Gave my nephew a couple of sets when he opened up an automotive shop but he wasn't too good at running a business and closed the doors after about a year, so got the stands back.

 

[Kern Dog]

I figured that I'd continue clearing the way for the replacement parts. I don't know the proper terminology for some of the brackets/mounts so please forgive me if I call them by the wrong name.
The RH rail is junk. I figured that there was no point in removing it in one piece.

 

[Kern Dog]

I've parted out a few cars and the ones that take the most time are the ones that I carefully disassemble. I am not reusing the fender aprons so they are getting trashed but there are two choices for where to attach the replacement parts. Between the firewall and aprons, there is another stamped bracket/support. I could have either used the brackets from the Belvedere stub or keep the Charger brackets in place. I chose the latter.
First, I had to clear away the junk.

 

[Kern Dog]

The cowl was folded back and under from the impact. That L bracket with the threaded stud is supposed to sit level and plumb. You can see how out of position that it is.

To better reverse the damage, I cut the panel out and hammered it from the back side.

Check out the batch of leaves inside!

 

[Kern Dog]

I still have some more shaping of the panel, mainly flattening out some spots. I bent the cowl up and trial fitted several times.

I noticed that there was some seam sealer between the panels. I would have welded it back in place today but I want to duplicate the stock procedure. I'll need to stop by an auto paint supply store. I already have weld through primer to spray everywhere else.

 

[Kern Dog]

I moved to the left side. I'm going to save this rail just in case I need it for something later.

I plan to drill out the spot welds in the Belvedere stub in the next couple of days. Maybe by Thanksgiving I can have the replacement parts mocked up.

 

[eldubb440]

on the new inners....... when removing that skinny bracket (that attaches to firewall); try not to put holes in the new inners to avoid welding 2 pieces of swiss cheese together

on pieces I have to re-use; I usually grind the welds off (the trash side)with the edge of a cutoff wheel instead of drilling........

lol.... I havn't used a spot weld cutter in 25 years, got sick of breaking them

 

[Kern Dog]

Good idea. No need to create more work for myself.

 

[Ceedawg]

When you find the sealer (black foam stuff) that goes between the cowls let me know. Im putting another whole cowl back on my Belvedere. Does the new frame go back to crossmember or are you butt jointing it?

 

[Kern Dog]

I'll reassemble the members in the factory manner, complete frame rails back to the torsion bar crossmember. All the attachment points will be "plug welded" through the drilled out spot welds. The connection at the torsion bar crossmember will be perimeter welded since I will also be adding frame connectors.

 

[chargervert]

I swapped out the whole front clip on my 71 Challenger convertible. I left the whole clip in one piece with the K frame on it to help keep it square while installing it.

 

[Kern Dog]

That is a great idea. I will do that as well, thanks!

 

[t.flatt]

Kudos to you for tackling this your self! My GTX needed the whole front stub replaced. With only a few welding projects under my belt I farmed it out to the pros but it cost me dearly! The repair is covered in the July Mopar Muscle magazine. Sounds like factory measurements are the key to success! Best of luck!