1971 Charger project

[JDmac72chrgr]

Partial driver pan used to patch work mine, on a budget too.

 

[Nxcoupe]

Hi all. I've been a Mopar fan for the better part of my 50 years. First vehicle was a '76 Dodge 1/2 ton, short bed, two tone green with white top. First love, for sure. Then had a '70 sport satellite with a mildly build 440/727 combo, repainted E5 rallye red, new interior. Was a very nice car. Sold for $2400 after being on the market for months. Wow, that hurts to think about.
Next was a '76 Aspen R/T with a stout 340. Also long gone. Have a '99 ram 2500 with 500k on it. Love that truck, and a black/white stripes 2009 challenger my wife has pretty much claimed. Never seen snow and rarely rain here in Michigan.
A gentleman and his son, not far from me, bring cars up from Texas now and then, don't list them for sale, just put one in the yard with a sign now and then. I drove by a few times before stopping to look at a 1971 charger, 318, column shift automatic. From Texas, so paint is pretty well gone, interior crazy brittle. Vinyl top off as well. Seats from something distinctly non-mopar, I'm guessing. Rust is limited to a-pillars and driver's toe box on floor pan. Undercarriage, trunk, remainder of floor is amazingly clean. 318 rebuilt to stock as well as brake system. Runs and drives excellent.
Well, I fell in love with this (not going to sell this one!) and bought it. Clean Michigan title in hand. Here's a few pictures of it in as-found condition. A-pillars are going to be fixed next weekend as well as the floor pan. Original carpet and under padding, which pretty well had disintegrated, was removed I'm the last couple of days as well as the non-original front seats (split bench, held in with two bolt apiece), and the matching rear seat (held on with bubblegum and a prayer).
Floor pan in really in nice shape. Wish the foot area didn't have rust/pinholes. Cleaned it with angle grinder and wire wheel and it felt solid, but doesn't look like it, so better safe than sorry.
This car is mine, and won't be a mistake sell like in the past, so I'm going to make it something I'm hopefully proud of. Originally B5 blue, blue interior, going to end up green go with white top and white interior, black stripes/hood bulge.
This forum is an amazing wealth of knowledge and real-world guidance. I look forward to getting to know you all better as time progresses. I'll post updates as they go. Hopefully most of you will like the direction it's going. Any suggestions and feedback, positive or negative, are more than appreciated.

-Pete in Michigan

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Welcome! Nice project!

 

[451Mopar]

Sounds like a good set up. Did you replace your leaf springs as well?

Rear leaf springs, I had a spring shop add a leaf that goes from the front bushing area to just past the second spring to stiffen the front section of the springs and had them re-arched a but to raise the back of the car up. The car rides nice, but I think with the stiffer rear springs and rear roll bar the car hos no understeer. Makes the car handle nice in tight SCCA Solo II type events, but sweeping curves at 150 MPH, the rear of the car feels like it might want to kick out. I guess I could add a spoiler or bigger torsen bars?

 

[Hmmm70]

Rear leaf springs, I had a spring shop add a leaf that goes from the front bushing area to just past the second spring to stiffen the front section of the springs and had them re-arched a but to raise the back of the car up. The car rides nice, but I think with the stiffer rear springs and rear roll bar the car hos no understeer. Makes the car handle nice in tight SCCA Solo II type events, but sweeping curves at 150 MPH, the rear of the car feels like it might want to kick out. I guess I could add a spoiler or bigger torsen bars?

I like the old school slightly raked look. I can push on the trunk area and the rear will bounce for way longer than it should. Guessing the suspension is pretty soft at this point.

 

[Hmmm70]

Welcome! Nice project!

Thanks Nx!

 

[barbee6043]

Michigan!!! SO thats where all our TX. cars end up!!! Glad it found a home. We can 't afford the idiot asking prices for projects down here!!

 

[Hmmm70]

Michigan!!! SO thats where all our TX. cars end up!!! Glad it found a home. We can 't afford the idiot asking prices for projects down here!!

I live in Shepherd, MI. Lol This one was in a barn for years down there. Most projects that end up in Yankee territory here were bought for very little before being hauled up here, but thatststarting to decrease in frequency. Projects are costly down there on the open market?

 

[Hmmm70]

Hi all. Just a brief update. Waiting for new front floor pans to come in, so cleaned the trunk pan out. Wow, it is clean. Plan is to rust encapsulate it and either top cost it gloss black or have it painted body color. Haven't decided on that yet. A member on here has a set of high back bench seat and rear seat I'm looking to get, just figuring out shipping.
The plan is green go exterior with black graphics,white top. I know the traditional would be a white interior, but a black one is more appealing to me, as well as being way easier to source interior parts. What are your thoughts? Attached are some pics of the trunk progress, as well as a (not mine) red car/white top, with black seats. Would like your comments.

Thanks again for such a great, inviting community.

 

[barbee6043]

I live in Shepherd, MI. Lol This one was in a barn for years down there. Most projects that end up in Yankee territory here were bought for very little before being hauled up here, but thatststarting to decrease in frequency. Projects are costly down there on the open market?

IMO 98% od Texas projects are overpriced. You a look at project offerring Ok Ar La Ms and generally way cheaper for same car.