The Willomet Charger

[NoCar2023]

The LS/Gen III engines are awesome, I have a lot of experience with this platform and still support them. tough little engine!
I am following this build and others. you guys are doing some killer work here!!
Cant wait to see the firewall (sorry, bulkhead) and trans tunnel for this car.

 

[747mopar]

Not everyone wants to shell out the cash to do that assuming they have it in the first place. I can appreciate the fabrication and creativity that goes into a build like this regardless of weather or not I like the engine.

Exactly.

The LS/Gen III engines are awesome, I have a lot of experience with this platform and still support them. tough little engine!
I am following this build and others. you guys are doing some killer work here!!
Cant wait to see the firewall (sorry, bulkhead) and trans tunnel for this car.

It's like EFI, some hate it on the old cars because it isn't "right" but nobody can deny the advantages or superiority of it. The LS is a great engine just wrong brand lol. At least it's tucked into the dash. I only like to poke a little fun, he had to expect it.

Watching this thread just makes me regret not doing some of the same things to mine especially moving the engine back but it was my first resto so I didn't want to push it. This is definitely at the top of my list for cars I'd love to go for a ride in, curious about the feel of having a more balanced chassis with the engine being so light and moved back. Just sucks that he'll always have that negativity about the engine with the purist crowd but I always say build it your way or not at all.

 

[1970RT]

I am following this build and others. you guys are doing some killer work here!!
Cant wait to see the firewall (sorry, bulkhead) and trans tunnel for this car.

Hey, thank you. I’m still working out the plans for the bulkhead - 80% there, but still have some figuring to do.

I only like to poke a little fun, he had to expect it...

...This is definitely at the top of my list for cars I'd love to go for a ride in, curious about the feel of having a more balanced chassis with the engine being so light and moved back. Just sucks that he'll always have that negativity about the engine with the purist crowd but I always say build it your way or not at all.

I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from your build. Great attention to detail and a really clean execution. Let’s hookup when powertour rolls through Ohio. I’ll be happy to swap keys.

I’ve got some thick skin, and don’t mind constructive and critical feedback. It’s how we all get smarter and learn new stuff.

David

 

[1970RT]

Big day today.

The car is getting a fat dose of pro-touring growth hormone straight to the jugular. Chris Alston’s Chassisworks is now a project sponsor, and so I'm planning to cut out my last 18 months of work to install their Perimeter-X Framd chassis, tin kit, and front and rear suspensions. This should create a basis for Chassisworks to have all the b-body dimensions, and they can put them in their files for future users.

Lots of work ahead. First, update my chassis measurements, and get this into production.

David

 

[747mopar]

That's awesome news except the part where you have to gut your work, it was looking pretty awesome itself. Can't wait

 

[1970RT]

That's awesome news except the part where you have to gut your work, it was looking pretty awesome itself. Can't wait

I was resistant/defensive in my mind for only a moment. When I game planned out the floors, bulkheads, suspension systems, and brake kits that come with the chassis, it quickly made sense. It’s a great leap forward.

David

 

[747mopar]

I was resistant/defensive in my mind for only a moment. When I game planned out the floors, bulkheads, suspension systems, and brake kits that come with the chassis, it quickly made sense. It’s a great leap forward.

David

Yeap, I've told myself if I ever build another I'll go that route if the $$$ is there.

 

[1970RT]

Back to work! I’ve been measuring for this chassis for the last two weeks, and created my third and (likely) final version of the build sheets last night. Not surprisingly, there’s more to it than slapping the tape measure on the frame table. In total, I needed to complete two worksheets and markup one assembly drawing:

• Front crossmember and suspension worksheet - determines the width of the crossmember, rack and pinion, standard or wide track A arm, and a handful of small assembly details
• Rear suspension and Fab9 worksheet - determines wide of the rear frame rails and axle housing and the location of suspension pickup points
• 68-72 Chevelle assembly drawing - they don't have a b-body Mopar drawing (yet), so I'm marking up their largest GM assembly drawing for length, width, etc. It's interesting how similar the Charger and Chevelle are in a few key dimensions.

To complete all these with a high level of accuracy, I needed to mount and gap the front fender and use the mockup 305 tire to determine the ballpark backspacing for wheels I have not yet ordered. In short, lots of time spent with the T square and tape measure, translating the location of features on the car to marked locations on the frame table, and capturing those dimensions in a linear method. Specifically, the front of the car is 0" and the rear is about 185", and the suspension centerlines, torque boxes, rockers, etc. are all measurements within that range. This is the best way I know to control and counter tolerance creep.

Front fender on, 305 at ride height 6" below the rocker. I had to cut the internal fender bracing to fit. The front suspension is pushed forward by 1.5".

For reference, max stuff with the original inner fender.

Cut and at ride height, level to the front. I'll dial in the suspension stance much later in the process, as everything has to be built level to the frame table.

This is my "evaluation pose". I'm trying to relocate the tire in the center of the wheel arch. Originally, the axle was pushed fairly far back in the slot, which I think was a styling consideration so the fender swept down and over a larger portion of the rear sidewall. I prefer the tire to be centered, because it satisfies my OCD. To achieve that, the rear axle moved forward 1.75". Wheelbase is planned at 116.75".

I'm headed to pickup a whole mess of 3" square tube so I can brace up the unibody externally and begin the cutting.

David

 

[mopar4don]

WOW awesome work!

 

[1970RT]

Unibody (re)lockdown commences.

Simple enough design. I’m just latching onto the front door mounts, and rear unibody bracing above the rear inner fender.

David

 

[watermelon]

awesome work

remind us(me) where the name Willomet comes from?


thanks,

watermelon

 

[1970RT]

remind us(me) where the name Willomet comes from?

It’s an Anglicized version of the French word “willamette”, which itself was a mispronunciation of an American Indian village in the Pacific Northwest.

I like that the word itself doesn’t come from anything except mistakes and best guesses, which sort of fits.

David

 

[1970RT]

A few chassis updates.

I drew up a design for the rails that would accommodate the engine setback, and had them bent by Jimmy at MRC Fab just outside Charlotte, NC.

He transferred my design, and quickly rendered it in steel.

Quickly laid it out on the floor - everything will trim to fit.

The whole assembly will be stiffer and lighter than my Rev1 effort.

David

 

[1970RT]

One more item - you can now find the Charger (and the shop) on YouTube. I'm working with a friend to host the series on his channel. Meanwhile, this thread will remain active and updated; the videos are just another way to capture the can-do elements of the whole process. We're all just car folk trying to build what we want to drive, and this is a great venue to share progress.


David

 

[Brandy]

Nice! Thanks for doing this, as I am very interested in your project. You have mad skills with steel mister, I am very impressed.
As I work on the Yankee Express up here in Vermont I dream of the day that I can do the things you are doing. Thanks!

 

[1970RT]

Nice! Thanks for doing this, as I am very interested in your project. You have mad skills with steel mister, I am very impressed.
As I work on the Yankee Express up here in Vermont I dream of the day that I can do the things you are doing. Thanks!

Kind words, and they are appreciated. The whole project has been about learning and growing a skill base. What isn’t shown (as much) is my scrap pile of early revision, which is how I learn.

Maybe we’ll both be done in time for a Powertour one year.

David

 

[5.7 hemi]

Damn! I look forward to seeing more videos! You’ve got an awesome project, can’t wait to see more progress.

 

[Brandy]

Kind words, and they are appreciated. The whole project has been about learning and growing a skill base. What isn’t shown (as much) is my scrap pile of early revision, which is how I learn.

Maybe we’ll both be done in time for a Powertour one year.

David

perhaps we will. I too have discarded hunks of stuff I have made and then found a better solution....lol.

 

[747mopar]

A few chassis updates.

I drew up a design for the rails that would accommodate the engine setback, and had them bent by Jimmy at MRC Fab just outside Charlotte, NC.

View attachment 788688

He transferred my design, and quickly rendered it in steel.
View attachment 788687

View attachment 788689

Quickly laid it out on the floor - everything will trim to fit.
View attachment 788690

The whole assembly will be stiffer and lighter than my Rev1 effort.
View attachment 788691

David

Love it!!

So what kind of cost will be involved in this frame and will the body be bolted or welded down? I ask because I'm already seeing some stress cracks in minor spots on my car (hard acceleration and donuts possibly) so when it goes back under the knife I'd really like to set it on a frame and I really like the motor relocation idea as well. Care to build 2 haha.

 

[1970RT]

Catching up The Tubes to what y’all already know.



David