Channeling Charger Body

[71GSSDemon]

Back story first. I found a very rough 68 Charger and plan to build a stock car for the street. Can someone tell me why not to channel the body over the front frame stub while having to replace the floor and torsion bar cross member anyway? There will be no inner fenders being run, full frame will be built from the firewall to the tail lights and will have a full competition roll cage. So, the thought is to raise the mounting spots of the torsion bar cross member, channel where the rails go under the firewall, and lower the radiator mount. Other than hood to engine clearance being reduced by the 2", is there any reason not to? This would give the lowered/tucked wheel look and still have full stock suspension. Thoughts? Be constructive please. I have built chassis' and hot rods in the past so all has been done similar but different before. Thanks.

 

[Cranky]

If you're going to do all that work, why bother with torsion bars?

 

[F4R/T]

Ummm unibody over frame ...better ways to lower the car than that . Stock car ? Dirt car or ? I would build and stiffen the unibody before going the route of a full tube frame... or are you talking old vintage nascar type build? Just my opinion

 

[Cranky]

Ummm unibody over frame ...better ways to lower the car than that . Stock car ? Dirt car or ? I would build and stiffen the unibody before going the route of a full tube frame... or are you talking old vintage nascar type build? Just my opinion

Kinda my thought that with a full chassis, the body panels would be attached to the chassis/roll bar etc. unless a roll bar isn't being planned into the build. Really need more info on this one imo.

 

[dvw]

Dropped spindles would be a lot less work. Then everything fits.
Doug

 

[71GSSDemon]

I want to build a vintage stock car for the street similar to Buddy Bakers #3. I plan to build a tube frame from the torsion bar back. This would allow to narrow the frame rails a bit for a nicer rear tire. So there is just the mounting at the firewall, the torsion bar cross member height and the radiator support mounting. I would rather not engineer the front suspension and the packaging is nice as well as true to the era.

edit: Yes, full cage with the body attached to the cage/chassis

 

[71GSSDemon]

Dropped spindles would be a lot less work. Then everything fits.
Doug

I looked into the dropped spindles and most seem to lock you into custom disc brake kits. With raising the stub, all the factory parts are as designed. Plus full suspension travel, angles, akerman, etc will be factory.

 

[dvw]

Trust me I’ve thought about it. I love the old school short track car look. You’re worried about aftermarket brakes. But you’ll do all the work to move the rails, inner fender mods, drive shaft tunnel mods, floor pan mods, seat track mods, custom carpet? Trust me something really cool could result. Drop spindles and a raised rear axle housing could achieve a far more streetable result. The amount of work to make everything fit back nice isn’t for the average home builder. If this is really what you want? Buy an old ARCA, Hobby Stock, or Vintage Late Model. Way easier and cheaper in the long run.
Doug

 

[71GSSDemon]

Trust me I’ve thought about it. I love the old school short track car look. You’re worried about aftermarket brakes. But you’ll do all the work to move the rails, inner fender mods, drive shaft tunnel mods, floor pan mods, seat track mods, custom carpet? Trust me something really cool could result. Drop spindles and a raised rear axle housing could achieve a far more streetable result. The amount of work to make everything fit back nice isn’t for the average home builder. If this is really what you want? Buy an old ARCA, Hobby Stock, or Vintage Late Model. Way easier and cheaper in the long run.
Doug

Thank you for the input. The only reason I have considered all the work, is that there are little to no floors in it now, there is no torsion bar cross member to speak of, the rear rails are MIA with springs through the trunk, and the front frame rails need to be repaired at the radiator core support. The inner fenders would be completely removed in this build. If those areas all need work, why not raise the mounting positions when putting back together? Then also, all stock components will be used. I don't have a lot of money (dropped spindles and custom brakes) but I have steel tubing, saws, a great welder and time. I have also built a couple hot rods this same way, just with solid axles, no hoods and no fenders - so there in lies the questions here.

I hadn't thought of the driveshaft and transmission tunnel changes. The 2/3 of the tunnel is in good shape all the way down the center. The other cars had nothing to start with and needed to be built. This is why I am asking for peoples thoughts on it. Thank you

 

[gkent]

**** it ... stick a Camaro front clip on it and drop in an LS motor.

 

[71GSSDemon]

**** it ... stick a Camaro front clip on it and drop in an LS motor.

Oh, not feeling that. Thanks though

 

[BeatersRus]

maybe this video could give you some ideas?

 

[chargervert]

Check out my Daytona Charger stock car thread in the Daytona/Superbird section. It's a 70 Charger R/T body on a circa 2005 Laughlin Nascar chassis.

 

[chargervert]

**** it ... stick a Camaro front clip on it and drop in an LS motor.

Do not do that! I am running a 472 fuel injected second generation Hemi in my car.

 

[70chall440]

Interesting concept but not new, Morrison makes a frame as does Schwartz. I am a bit amused that you are willing to cut the floor out of a car and fab it onto a frame but are concerned about "aftermarket brakes"... LOL

 

[F4R/T]

I think honestly your about to dig a very big hole and you’ll be well on your way to China. I also would be concerned that if you ever go to sell it you’ll never recoup much back as it’s very unique... imo KISS- keep it simple stupid... my old high school teacher preached this and I have to agree.. not calling you stupid either just trying to help because sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees... best of luck it’s your car!

 

[69L48Z27]

If you’re building a back half cage and chassis why not just build a full chassis and be done with it? Then you can set the engine where you want and when you open the hood it will look like a stock car.

Check out videos of Mike Finnegan’s stock car Charger. That’s a fairly stock suspension car. Leaf in the rear, I forget what the front is.

 

[71GSSDemon]

Thank you everyone.. So the concept was that I can fab it and have the time, just not a lot of available cash. I researching as much as I can and comparing a couple channeled chargers to dropped spindles cars, I may just go that route. A full chassis front to back would be ideal, but at this time not in the cards. The intent of the thread was to see if there was another unseen reason not to. Well, trans and driveshaft tunnels, radiator support, bumper mount, firewall channel, raising torsion bar cross member, exhaust, etc are what I am finding will be the major concerns. This is still in concept mode and most everything I just mentioned needs attention anyway, so it seemed feasible to raise it, while there working. I will start a build thread once the welder comes out.

 

[chargervert]

I think that I posted some underside pictures of my Daytona stock car in the thread. The car was built by a Nascar race shop in North Carolina.