The Roach

[Chargerjase]

Car is looking fantastic. Looks like your body man is a top notch guy. Great work.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Curious what the advantage to releading those joints are. Just asking because nobody around here does it, probably because nobody around here knows how. They get welded solid and then covered with fiberstrand filler.

I can understand why the factory did it because the lead would harden faster than bondo. I'll be going out to see him next week & I'll ask him why lead today and not fiberstrand bondo.

 

[chargervert]

The factory would have used bondo on the quarter to roof joints on a vinal top car. The non vinal top cars got lead. The lead will last longer and hold up better than the bondo. The early 68 cars were done with lead regardless of if they came with a vinal top or not, Some bean counter decided that they could get away with using bondo under the vinal tops and save the company a few bucks on each car.

 

[Photon440]

The factory would have used bondo on the quarter to roof joints on a vinal top car. The non vinal top cars got lead. The lead will last longer and hold up better than the bondo. The early 68 cars were done with lead regardless of if they came with a vinal top or not, Some bean counter decided that they could get away with using bondo under the vinal tops and save the company a few bucks on each car.

The factory did use a plastic filler but it wasn't Bondo, it was Plastisol. The main difference was that Bondo uses a hardener to set up and harden while Plastisol used the heat from the baking oven to cure.

 

[Richard Cranium]

The early 68 cars were done with lead regardless of if they came with a vinal top or not, Some bean counter decided that they could get away with using bondo under the vinal tops and save the company a few bucks on each car.

That makes sense why my bronze Charger (built in 12/67) had lead in the quarter-roof seam. This 1970 car, which had a vinyl roof still did have lead in the inner portions of the sail panel and up over the edge for about an inch & a half. You can make it out in this photo....

 

[eldubb440]

I can understand why the factory did it because the lead would harden faster than bondo. I'll be going out to see him next week & I'll ask him why lead today and not fiberstrand bondo.

I weld those seams solid, plus a little

after peeling them up for cleaning if necessary

 

[chargervert]

That makes sense why my bronze Charger (built in 12/67) had lead in the quarter-roof seam. This 1970 car, which had a vinyl roof still did have lead in the inner portions of the sail panel and up over the edge for about an inch & a half. You can make it out in this photo....

View attachment 1615119

As soon as they got the lead over the peak of the fin,they switched to that rubbery bondo that the factory used.

 

[Richard Cranium]

As soon as they got the lead over the peak of the fin,they switched to that rubbery bondo that the factory used.

What they saved in cost in not leading that additional 16" had to be virtually nothing.

 

[chargervert]

What they saved in cost in not leading that additional 16" had to be virtually nothing.

I'm sure doing the lead took more time to do,and the materials were more money. Even if they saved ten bucks a car,x 92,000 cars in 68,83,000 in 69 and 46,000 in 70 adds up!

 

[eldubb440]

I'm sure doing the lead took more time to do,and the materials were more money. Even if they saved ten bucks a car,x 92,000 cars in 68,83,000 in 69 and 46,000 in 70 adds up!

when you have Cranium's money..........it's a drop in the bucket

 

[Kern Dog]

I'd like to learn about lead work.
I replaced quarters in a 73 Dart Sport 340 that had some unusual modifications....

They used some weird copper tube or something to form a higher arched wheel opening edge...

Weird stuff.

 

[Richard Cranium]

when you have Cranium's money..........it's a drop in the bucket

Well, that goes without saying.

 

[dadsbee]

I'm just waiting for RC to sell a '68, to me, to pay for all of this...

 

[Richard Cranium]

I'm just waiting for RC to sell a '68, to me, to pay for all of this...

Which one?

 

[dadsbee]

You'll have to line up the color selection and state pricing... LOL

 

[Richard Cranium]

You'll have to line up the color selection and state pricing... LOL

 

[chargervert]

when you have Cranium's money..........it's a drop in the bucket

If I had Cranium's money.i'd burn mine! It would be a small uneventful fire!

 

[Photon440]

I'd like to learn about lead work.
I replaced quarters in a 73 Dart Sport 340 that had some unusual modifications....

View attachment 1615173View attachment 1615174

They used some weird copper tube or something to form a higher arched wheel opening edge...

View attachment 1615175
View attachment 1615179
View attachment 1615180

Weird stuff.



View attachment 1615181

View attachment 1615182

I remember a magazine article in the late 70s (the van era) showing how to use electrical conduit to form wider wheel flares.

 

[Richard Cranium]

If I had Cranium's money.i'd burn mine! It would be a small uneventful fire!

All your millions are in the garage & if it went up (God forbid), it would be a bon fire.

 

[chargervert]

All your millions are in the garage & if it went up (God forbid), it would be a bon fire.

And the end of my involvement in this hobby!