Lookie what $5000 buys you....

[Cranky]

Looks awesome. I have never done this before, but it does look quite easy. Please do correct me if I'm wrong, but I reckon even I could do that.

Not really hard....just lots of work and you have to make sure it's right. Was helping a buddy do the same thing to a nice Duster that someone had stuffed into a guardrail while driving in the rain with slicks. Found a donor and had both front ends off and ready to install the good front end one the smashed one when my bud decided to go through with it. Lots of work for nutin! Some times I wonder about my friends lol

 

[Kern Dog]

KD went on a bizarre rant in another thread , and no one has seen or heard from him since! I think the midgets got him!

I went on a rant? Where ?? More accurately, WHICH time ???

No...I would LOVE to work on the car more but I took a job starting the 6th. They were so impressed that they started me on overtime and Saturdays.....while they shipped some other guys out to other jobs. Good, competent Carpenters are apparently in demand around here and they are real happy to have me. I'm happy to be earning my credits to reach my 30 year mark.

 

[chargervert]

Something about not so straight lymricks on the bathroom wall!

 

[Kern Dog]

Back in post #294, I showed a picture of THIS valance:

I had planned on banging away at the mangled corner to see if I could get it straight. I posted about this on a couple of other sites and on the 1970 Charger Registry site, a guy from Canada offered to ship me this:

He had a couple that were only damaged on one side much like mine is. The plan now is to weld these two halves together right down the center. I am quite happy to have the chance to save this valance since it looked to be a lost cause.

Today I went to the prior owners place. He moved out of state for work and left behind some car parts that I'll be able to use on this car or to just keep as spares. I found a fuel filler neck, (This car is missing one...THIS could be from this car) bare center console, trunklid, new windshield, side glass, ragged door panels, torsion bars, leaf springs, hood hinges and hood latch support, sway bars, drive shafts, cylinder heads, wheels, a truck 8 3/4" axle I might cut down to A-Body width, 2" Hooker headers that I sold to HIM in 2006, 1 7/8" Hooker headers, a bunch of hubcaps and more. He left a folding engine hoist and a good engine stand that I will collect but probably give away. Anyone in Northern CA need a FREE engine hoist??

 

[Kern Dog]

I resumed repairs on the valance.
First, I laid the orange half onto the green half and scribed a line.

 

[Kern Dog]

I then cut the green valance 1/2" past the solid black line to allow for a recess flange. I had first planned to just do a butt weld but I figured the overlapping flange would make this easier.

It is a good thing that I had the flange. I made a mistake in my measuring. The orange panel was supposed to rest on the full 1/2" of the recess but after checking against another valance, I needed to widen it all and ended up only overlapping by 3/16" to 1/4". If I had cut the green valance on the line, I'd be about 1/4" too narrow. I don't know if that would be noticeable since it would only pull in the bottoms of the fenders 1/8" each side. Regardless....I started tack welding the two halves together.

I am stitch welding even with the flange joint. A few more zaps and I'll grind and prime. There are a few other holes to weld up and a few other small repairs to do to it. I'm just happy that Fred from 1970ChargerRegistry.com was kind enough to GIVE me the orange half for just the cost of shipping.

 

[Kern Dog]

The orange side will need some additional repair:

I'm going to cut off the rusted sections and patch in some fresh metal.

 

[chargervert]

While I can appreciate your valiant valence save effort,you would be far better off to get a new AMD one. I let them use my perfect NOS valence pan to make the mold for it,and they fit perfectly. They are made of heavier guage metal than the original ones were,therefore they are more resistant to denting. If you drive your car, and I know that you do,than you know that the front valence pan takes a lot of abuse, and if you have welds,seams and bodywork on them,they will crack, and body filler will break off your painted valence pan. For the amount of time and materials that you have invested in a patchwork part,you could have bought a perfect block and shoot part.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

While I can appreciate your valiant valence save effort,you would be far better off to get a new AMD one. I let them use my perfect NOS valence pan to make the mold for it,and they fit perfectly. They are made of heavier guage metal than the original ones were,therefore they are more resistant to denting. If you drive your car, and I know that you do,than you know that the front valence pan takes a lot of abuse, and if you have welds,seams and bodywork on them,they will crack, and body filler will break off your painted valence pan. For the amount of time and materials that you have invested in a patchwork part,you could have bought a perfect block and shoot part.

I think Greg is just taking it as a challenge, he posted a picture early on of a decent valance that he has...

 

[chargervert]

Ok that makes more sense! There was a time, not that long ago that we had little choice but to fix 70 Charger front valence pans like that if you couldn't locate a decent usable part,but I was able to talk AMD into making them, when they were not really interested in making any 70 Charger front sheetmetal. When I offered them a perfect template, and told them that they are a frequently damaged part,that no one else offers, they agreed to make them.

 

[Kern Dog]

This "Jigsaw" Charger is a mix of parts from several different cars.
From the firewall back, it is original. The front stub is a Belvedere. Left fender is from a white car, the right fender is red. The hood is green, half of the valance is another shade of green.
I have a decent spare valance. Not perfect but workable.
I know of a guy here in town with a NOS valance along with a scad of other B and E body parts. I might see what he wants for his stash and keep what I want, sell the rest. What is the cost of the AMD valance?

 

[Kern Dog]

Wow. Not cheap but not horribly priced.

• Valance Panel

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MM1773 - 1970 Dodge Charger Front Valance Panel
This Restorer's Choice™ factory-style replacement front valance panel is manufactured in OE-gauge steel featuring all original contours, details and mounting points.

This panel mounts below the front bumper. Valance panels are commonly damaged in front end collisions, but with this factory-style replacement, you no longer have to drive around with a damaged panel.

Each panel features a black electrophoretically deposited coating (EDP , or E-coat) for superior long-term corrosion …

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MSRP: $351.99 ea
Classic: $319.99 ea

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[Kern Dog]

While I can appreciate your valiant valence save effort,you would be far better off to get a new AMD one. I let them use my perfect NOS valence pan to make the mold for it,and they fit perfectly. They are made of heavier guage metal than the original ones were,therefore they are more resistant to denting. If you drive your car, and I know that you do,than you know that the front valence pan takes a lot of abuse, and if you have welds,seams and bodywork on them,they will crack, and body filler will break off your painted valence pan. For the amount of time and materials that you have invested in a patchwork part,you could have bought a perfect block and shoot part.

I do appreciate that a new one is available and if I didn't have any choice, I'd buy new. I also appreciate that you offered up your own panel for them to make the mold.
I'd be more likely to buy new for my red car. For the record, Since paintwork was finished on the car in 2003, I have never put a dent in the valance.

The amount of time and money on this panel:
The bent green one was free. I paid $80 to ship the free half from Canada to California. MIG wire and gas....$10? These cars are a hobby to me so I never include my labor in the "money invested" in a car.
Randy is right again. I have this junkyard mentality with some cars where I try to scrimp and save or salvage damaged panels. A shop would surely not go to this extent unless no new parts were available.

 

[Photon440]

I wonder why, if they are thicker and stronger than stock they would advertise them as OE-gauge steel?

 

[chargervert]

I wrecked one of mine,when I pulled too far into my garage and drove up onto the bellhousing of a transmission I had sitting on the floor against the wall.

 

[chargervert]

I wonder why, if they are thicker and stronger than stock they would advertise them as OE-gauge steel?

I have both,and the AMD one weighs more. The price is not bad for a ready to paint part. I test fitted it on three different 70 Chargers,and the fitment was excellent. I paid a hundred bucks for the NOS one from a Chevy guy at a local swap meet about ten years ago, the guy said it fits some Dodge! Right after that,I saw one at Carlisle for $895,00!

 

[Habib]

Valance is looking good, kern. I think it is good you saved that original panel. Adds to the cars overall character. And you are saving Factory steele, Always a plus.

 

[Kern Dog]

F I N A L L Y some progress to report.
After weeks of dealing with other distractions, I was able to dig back in and get a few things done.
I did a quickie fix on the bottom edge flange where it is rusted here:

Sorry, no picture of the repair. In short, I laid a strip of 14ga metal behind the rusty section and welded it in.
Valance is in place. It fits nice on the right side but the left side will need work. The left fender is in need of a fair amount of hammer and dolly work.

 

[Kern Dog]

Remember, the front stub in the car now is from a 1970 Belvedere. I figured that I'd possibly run into some problems with the mounting of Charger specific panels but the valance bolted to the lower radiator guard just fine. The hood latch support bolted right in too.

 

[Kern Dog]

Slowly, it is taking shape.