Lookie what $5000 buys you....

[Cranky]

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!

Was going to help a buddy fix a really nice Duster that hit a guard rail. Found a donor car and pulled the complete front end off. Lots of work just to do that! Then he decided to not bother with it. I've about had it with helping others that don't want to commit to doing stuff like this. Too much work he said....wa wa waaa. Gotta hand it to KD for doing stuff like this!

 

[t.flatt]

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/1970-plymouth-gtx-front-end-accident-repair/ Here is a link to the article and a video I just found out existed!

 

[t.flatt]

Was going to help a buddy fix a really nice Duster that hit a guard rail. Found a donor car and pulled the complete front end off. Lots of work just to do that! Then he decided to not bother with it. I've about had it with helping others that don't want to commit to doing stuff like this. Too much work he said....wa wa waaa. Gotta hand it to KD for doing stuff like this!

That's a hell of a lot of work for nothing! I don't have the skills and wasn't about to practice on my X!

 

[Cranky]

That's a hell of a lot of work for nothing! I don't have the skills and wasn't about to practice on my X!

It was my first time to dive in but it's really not that hard. Labor intensive and making sure things are aligned when you go back together but other than that, not that hard. Another good thing to have is the room to do it!

 

[Kern Dog]

I was back at it today.
Yesterday I hand loaded the stub into the back of the Power Wagon and brought it down to behind the shop.

I drilled out the spot welds and split the rails, aprons and core support from the firewall and cowl.

On the advice of someone here, I bolted in the replacement K member to stiffen it up then I "walked" it into the shop through a 32" opening in the sliding glass door!

 

[eldubb440]

fun, aint it?

 

[Kern Dog]

The replacement rails were cleared of all the old floor pan and welds, then I went to work removing the rest of the RH frame rail. The center pin in the spotweld cutter broke so I called it a day. I noticed that the floor pan is buckled a bit on the right side. I expected there to be some additional work to get this replacement stuff to fit.
The torsion bar crossmember looks fine though. That is encouraging!

 

[chargervert]

Bolting in the K frame stiffened it right up didn't it,now it won't twist or flex while you install the clip. Don't forget to save the upper radiator support from the old clip,the numbers are stamped in it!

 

[Ceedawg]

The replacement rails were cleared of all the old floor pan and welds, then I went to work removing the rest of the RH frame rail. The center pin in the spotweld cutter broke so I called it a day. I noticed that the floor pan is buckled a bit on the right side. I expected there to be some additional work to get this replacement stuff to fit.
The torsion bar crossmember looks fine though. That is encouraging!

View attachment 872864

I use a 6d finish nail for the pin in the cutter. I drill a 1/8 hole in the spot weld so it centers and doesn’t skate all over

 

[Kern Dog]

I have been drilling the pilot hole 1/8" too. The pin in the cutter is noticeably smaller but the smaller drill bits I was using kept breaking.

 

[Ceedawg]

I have been drilling the pilot hole 1/8" too. The pin in the cutter is noticeably smaller but the smaller drill bits I was using kept breaking.

Same here, I buy the 10 pack of 1/8 bits and even they will break a lot

 

[Kern Dog]

Bolting in the K frame stiffened it right up didn't it,now it won't twist or flex while you install the clip. Don't forget to save the upper radiator support from the old clip,the numbers are stamped in it!

The original core support was so badly damaged, only a few pieces of it were salvageable. I only recently learned that on many 1970 B body cars, the numbers are not on the top of the top bar but on the vertical section of the top bar facing the radiator.
My red car has the numbers there, barely visible with a radiator in place. This XH model looked like this:

The top bar was cut out above the radiator opening so the numbers are long gone.

 

[chargervert]

Many years ago before people cared about the numbers being stamped into the bodies of these cars,I wrecked the upper radiator support on my 70 Charger R / T SE. I was putting an engine in my car,and we forgot to put the wheel chalk behind the rear tire. When I pushed the cherry picker in,and the car rolled away, the engine crashed onto the radiator support, and me and the back of the picker were about six feet in the air as the whole shebang went rolling down the driveway! Luckily for me, my brother in law was walking up the driveway,and stopped the car from rolling out into the street with me in tow! I replaced the upper support with a nice NOS one,and tossed the one with the numbers on it into a junk car. Who knew that I scrapped my stamped numbers radiator support!

 

[Kern Dog]

Good progress today.
I cleared out the remaining section of the RH frame rail first. You can see the way that the floor had buckled from the crash.

MORE welds to drill out....

Finally!

 

[Kern Dog]

Now to the left side:
Two cordless drills. The DeWalt had the 1/8" bit for the pilot hole. The Milwaukee had the spotweld cutter.

It sure helps doing this with a car that isn't rusty.

All cleared out and ready for the Belvedere stuff.

 

[Kern Dog]

Now, keep in mind that THIS is the first time that I have ever taken on something this complicated. Up to now, I have never even replaced a frame rail....Heck, I've only gone so far as quarter skins, taillight panels and lower quarters. This is a major undertaking for me.
ElDubb440 gave me some good pointers, others have as well. He said that the sheet metal will dictate where everything finally rests. If the sheet metal lines up and has consistent gaps, the sub-structure is within spec.

Here we go......

I sprayed all mating surfaces with Copper weld through primer.
The K member keeps the rails in place and rigid. I made a bracket for the floor jack that sort of wraps around the K member to keep it from slipping off.

While the K member did keep everything secure, that proved to be a problem. The stock Charger sheet metal bracing was left in place and as a result, the rails could not flex to squeeze in between both sides. The rails spread apart from the firewall to the torsion bar crossmember so its as if they have to come straight up from underneath IF they are left rigid. If I had removed the little side braces, this would have been a bit easier.
I was out there doing this alone so I had to find a way to do it myself. I just removed the K member and used jack stands under the front and rear of the frame rails. With the K member out, there was enough flex to get it all in position.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Making good progress....

 

[Kern Dog]

So at close of business tonight I got it "roughed in".

 

[Kern Dog]

Since ElDubb440 said that the sheet metal helps determine everything, I measured a few things on this car and compared them to my unmolested red car. The numbers are real close so far if not exact.
I am contemplating using this part of the cowl from the Belvedere:

It is very straight. I cut it about 1/2" past the bend on top. THis would help restore the proper edge so the hood to cowl gap would look original. The Charger section has that crease in it that could be repaired but I'd have to fill it with welding rod, grind, fill, shape, etc. Also, that original bracket with the 1/4" threaded stud is pushed down where the stud sits. This would necessitate a stack of shims for fender alignment and then...what if the stud is too short? I could replace just the bracket, weld washers on, use a longer stud OR just use the Belvedere stuff that isn't damaged. I'll likely do the latter.

 

[nchrome]

Kirndog before you start welding use screw to hold everything in place then put your fenders on and hood. Check your gaps If you are satisfied with your gaps and measurements then weld. But do do this before you weld that way if something is not rite you can unscrew and adjust accordingly. Check it twice before ya weld that way you won't have to cut welds adjust and reweld Just a suggestion to save you some grief. Go to Junkerup ratmusclecarz on U-tube he's great on what he does. Check out what he did on a GTX