SGTPauls 68 Charger RT project

[detmatt1]

Sarge I think you could have gotten ac with a 440 4 spd? Maybe not but it’s seems strange that I have a ‘68 4 speed post coupe RR that was an original ac car….
The house looks fantastic btw.

 

[hunt2elk]

Good to see you ready to get back on that awesome car. Don't know if I could have put it off for so long.

 

[SGTPaul]

Thanks everyone! Feels really good to be back at it. A little Christmas present to myself. I feel a bit lost though. Where do I re-start? So this is what I've come up with to get me going:

1. Since I only have DP90 on the top of the lower cowl and that stuff is not UV stable, I'm going to need to remove the upper cowl to put some real paint on it. Started on this last night. This sucks. I really welded that in good... We'll better now that rust sunning out of it later.
2. Not totally happy with the lower rear corners that go between the quarter and the rear valance below the bumper. Looks kind of pushed in. I think I can just for this out of body solder to bring it out.
3. Adding in a portion of an A/C fire wall into the non-A/C one on the car. I think I have a lead on this part. But if someone close to me has one please speak up.
4. If I remember correctly, I had a passenger door alignment issue so I'll look at that.
5. When I stopped, I started stripping down the deck lid. Will want to continue on that.

Not going crazy. Trying to keep it obtainable this winter.

Spring of 2020 when I was out of inside the house stuff to do, and too cold outside to work, I went thru and got organized. I found stuff I forgot I had. Let's just say I have no reason to buy anymore taillight clusters.... My wife alos says I have a fender fetish. I've also learned not to sell anything till I'm done. Already regretting things I sold when I first started, thinking I'll never need this, and now I do or had to go find another. Oh well.

Merry Christmas to ALL!!!

 

[SGTPaul]

Sarge I think you could have gotten ac with a 440 4 spd? Maybe not but it’s seems strange that I have a ‘68 4 speed post coupe RR that was an original ac car….
The house looks fantastic btw.

Hey Matt, From everything I've seen, a 440 4 spd and any Hemi car was not available with AC. That was even one of the pop quiz questions on graveyard carz one time. Here is a thread with some answers: https://board.moparts.org/ubbthread...ger-r-t-could-they-have-air-conditioning.html

Also thanks for the feedback on the house. Long time coming....

 

[440jimr]

Hey Matt, From everything I've seen, a 440 4 spd and any Hemi car was not available with AC. That was even one of the pop quiz questions on graveyard carz one time. Here is a thread with some answers: https://board.moparts.org/ubbthread...ger-r-t-could-they-have-air-conditioning.html

Also thanks for the feedback on the house. Long time coming....

440, 4bbl, 4 speeds were definitely available with A/C. Only the Hemi and Six Pack cars were not, 4 speed or automatic….

 

[Nxcoupe]

Correction, ac was not available with super track pack cars. So 4.10 dana with a 4 spd. That's from my distant memory when I used to know something.

 

[SGTPaul]

440, 4bbl, 4 speeds were definitely available with A/C. Only the Hemi and Six Pack cars were not, 4 speed or automatic….

Looking at my 1968 charger models and option pamphlet, it shows AC is not available with a hemi, 383 2bbl & 440 with a 4spd trans (top line in 2nd pic below). Perhaps in later model years you could get AC on a 440 with a 4spd, but not in the 1968 model year.

 

[bassvamp13]

Hey Sarge! Amazing work you’ve done on your car! As a fellow SE Michiganiac, (I’m front the downriver area) I may have to hire you to help me when I’m finally able to get my project going. Between reading your thread, watching “Junkerup” Chris Birdsong videos on YouTube, and my son begging me to start working on it, I’ve got a pretty bad itch to start.

 

[SGTPaul]

Hey Sarge! Amazing work you’ve done on your car! As a fellow SE Michiganiac, (I’m front the downriver area) I may have to hire you to help me when I’m finally able to get my project going. Between reading your thread, watching “Junkerup” Chris Birdsong videos on YouTube, and my son begging me to start working on it, I’ve got a pretty bad itch to start.

Thanks @bassvamp13! I'm originally from Taylor so just the next city over from you. You can take the boy out of downriver but not the downriver out of the boy. Would be happy to point you in the right direction and hopefully help you learn from my many mistakes. Hope you can get your project started some day soon.

 

[SGTPaul]

I’ve been working away. Nice having heat in the garage. So far I’ve working on the upper cowl and the fire wall for the AC unit. I must say I did a really good job of welding in the upper cowl before since it took a lot of effort to get it out. The welds were so big I really trashed the upper cowl welding flanges. Thanks to @mopar4don I got a another that just needed some TLC. So after the cowl came out I repaired some areas on the lower cowl welding areas that got damaged in the removal of the upper cowl. I also got the portion of the fire wall I needed for the AC heater box from @Moparparts . To locate where to cut I made a press cardboard (cereal box material) template and transferred the vital info from one fire wall to the other and came up with where to cut. Worked out pretty well. Only had to do a little trimming after the initial cut. Got the new AC fire wall piece all welded in. Went and applied the weld thru primer on the cowl mating surfaces, new coat of DP90 on both, and a top coat to protect it all. Just used rustoleum as the top coat. Upper cowl is all clamped in and ready to weld.

Upper cowl out.

Repairs in progress:

Template to transfer positioning info - bolts thu insulation retainer holes. Template idea also came from @mopar4don

AC fire wall tacked in and test fitted heater box:

Weld thru primer and top coated lower cowl:

Upper cowl clamped in ready for welding:

 

[black64]

Very nice work!

 

[mopar4don]

Looks GREAT Sarge!
Good to see you using those clamps.
Just a note on the rustoleum you applied. My painter has warned me multiple times NOT to use rustoleum in any area that will get top coated. Something about automotive paints don't stick to rustoleum. Maybe someone on here with painting experience can verify this? Anyway you might want to verify this

 

[SGTPaul]

Looks GREAT Sarge!
Good to see you using those clamps.
Just a note on the rustoleum you applied. My painter has warned me multiple times NOT to use rustoleum in any area that will get top coated. Something about automotive paints don't stick to rustoleum. Maybe someone on here with painting experience can verify this? Anyway you might want to verify this

Thanks Don. No final paint will go on the rustoleum. I planed on sanding off any that came thru the cowl vent and other openings.

 

[BigBlock61]

I'm glad you and your vice grips are back. Nice work on the new house. I never knew you were from Taylor, that's my stomping grounds. You're right you can take the man out of downriver but you can't take downriver out of the man. Nice work on the Cowl. I'll be starting on mine when the weather warms up. I really need to insulate my garage and install a side door so I dont have to always open the main door to go in and out.

 

[SGTPaul]

I'm glad you and your vice grips are back. Nice work on the new house. I never knew you were from Taylor, that's my stomping grounds. You're right you can take the man out of downriver but you can't take downriver out of the man. Nice work on the Cowl. I'll be starting on mine when the weather warms up. I really need to insulate my garage and install a side door so I dont have to always open the main door to go in and out.

Good deal man. Still get down to Taylor once and a while but no. A couple of us used to meet up at the Trolley stop or Drinks Salon. Looked at your car thread. Good luck on yours. Looks like it's coming along.

 

[BigBlock61]

Good deal man. Still get down to Taylor once and a while but no. A couple of us used to meet up at the Trolley stop or Drinks Salon. Looked at your car thread. Good luck on yours. Looks like it's coming along.

I've lived here most of my life and recently bought a house in sin city off of Eureka and Inkster and I gotta say that this neighborhood doesn't live up to its name. It's pretty quiet here and my neighbors are great. What more could you ask for? My Coronet is coming along slowly but it is my first time restoring a car so there have been alot of mistakes. You just keep truckin' along and fix what you screw up. Your Charger looks like it's almost ready for bodywork and paint. I want to get mine to that point by the first snowfall this Winter.

 

[SGTPaul]

Thanks for all the comments and constructive input. Chipping away at it. Upper cowl and associated brackets as well as the AC portion of the fire wall are all welded in. Been working on the door and fender installation to ensure I don’t have any more cutting and rewelding to do. I need to get my hinges rebuilt but for now I think they are ok for fitting, I think. Got both sides installed and looking ok. Will still need to monkey with the gaps since I’m not really consistent. Don’t know if that is from my work or the factory. Door gaps are coming in around 0.15” +/- at the jambs, the cowl to door and fender are around 0.27” +/-, but really has me baffled is the bottom of the door gaps. On the left I’m hovering around 0.25” +/- and the right I’m closer to 0.40” +/-. What could be causing this? Left outer rocker is original and not replaced but the right was. What is a original door to rocker gap coming in at?

On to the hood next.

I will have to drill out the right quarter panel to door jamb welds and adjust the quarter. The quarter is in too far at the top. I knew this was off from before so just need to get it fixed.

 

[1962polara]

Now if you could only get propwash back .....

 

[SGTPaul]

Well after a very busy summer doing landscaping (glad that is not my full time job) and a busy fall and winter at the day job, I’m finally able to get back to the car. My plan is to have it into the body shop this year for paint. Yes, that is the plan!! Hope it all goes according to plan.

I’m starting out at the *** and working forward. At the seam between the rear valance and the corers it was sucked in a bit so I worked it out to be straight across with a little body solder and feathered it out with metal to metal. I then turned my attention to the quarter panel extensions. Selected the best from my collection and fitted them in and a little tweaking and a bit more body solder and metal to metal and I was all set. Of the four deck lids I have I selected the best (which means it needed the least work) and installed it and repaired the right rear corner with a section off a doner part that was trashed. Pretty happy with the fit of it. I believe this is the same deck lid I used when putting the quarters on. Stripped as much paint off the deck lid as I could before taking it to the blaster to have it finished off.

Also got my door hinges rebuilt by MoparLeo to address the sagging I was having while trying to fit them up last year. Short break for now to deal with a deadline at work, but I’ll be back soon. A few pics of my progress to enjoy.

 

[SGTPaul]

Time for an update! Got the deck lid blasted, fixed low spots with metal to metal on the top and bottom sides, DP 90, and K36 primers. Also priming the trunk hinges, trunk spring rods, and 1/4 extensions. Reprimed the bar metal on the end of the car from sanding it out. Now going thru and filling low spots. Arms are sooo tired every night I'm out there but feels good to be moving forward again!!! Looking forward to Carlisle in a month!!!