chargervert
Well-Known Member
It appears that you are finally starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, as far as the metal work goes! Great work! Soon you will be able to go into bodywork and blocking mode! So much fun!
My GY8 '71 Road Runner
- Thread starter ct71rr
- Start date
Thanks! I can’t wait...
. Your Charger’s looking good. I always thought those hoods were very cool.
. Your Charger’s looking good. I always thought those hoods were very cool.
chargervert
Well-Known Member
It's getting there, no metal work needed, right from the Arizona desert! Originally a EV2 Hemi orange car with a white vynal top and interior and black R/T stripes.
Not much to report. I put my bird back on the rotisserie, which took much of the day 
.
Everything lined up with how it was installed before I changed out the frame rails, etc. I guess that’s a good sign.
.Everything lined up with how it was installed before I changed out the frame rails, etc. I guess that’s a good sign.
chargervert
Well-Known Member
A tethered bird cannot fly!
Hello all, It’s been a little while since my last update. Life gets in the way sometimes. Anyway, I’m back at it. I decided to start cleaning up the passenger’s side frame rails so that I could get them and the driver’s side frame rails in epoxy. The driver’s side rails were were previously stripped and primed so I will only have to go over them with a scotchbrite before shooting them in epoxy. I also have to touch up a few tech screw holes on the frame rails I replaced with the welder. After getting started, I decided to blast the door openings, outer rockers, radiator support and cowl. Why I chose to do this during a heat wave...I encountered a big area of bondo on the driver’s side outer rocker. It was 1/4” in a few places. After grinding the bondo out, I found there to be damage to this area of the rocker. Super! I’ll have to patch this area. I also found a few areas on both door opening that will need small patches. The PO bondo’ed over these areas, as well. I also cleaned up the roof (inside). There was a ton of spray adhesive and some surface rust. I used a grinder on this area.
Frame rails cleaned up:
Passenger’s door opening:
Cowl:
Radiator support:
Driver’s door opening:
I also blasted the driver’s side rear window structure:
Frame rails cleaned up:
Passenger’s door opening:
Cowl:
Radiator support:
Driver’s door opening:
I also blasted the driver’s side rear window structure:
Bondo!
1/4” in spots:
Found some areas with small holes:
Roof before:
Roof After:
Thanks for looking.
1/4” in spots:
Found some areas with small holes:
Roof before:
Roof After:
Thanks for looking.
Forgot to post an image of the rocker area damage:
And a before shot of the frame rail:
And a before shot of the frame rail:
Once you peel back the paint it is amazing how much wrong stuff you find. Bond O is just some peoples answer to fixing thing's. But putting metal back in is a much better IDEA!!!!!!! Looking good. Been looking for a Charger project myself but no luck so far.
Some of this stuff can seem to go on forever and is a pain in the ***, but the work spent here will translate into an awesome restoration when you are done. Keep up the good work and keep chipping away at it (both the work and the Bondo)!
Against all better judgement, I decided to patch the driver’s side outer rocker today. It hit 99 degrees today...very hot! After removing the bad section, I sprayed the inside of the rocker and backside of the patch with Eastwood’s inner frame spray. After it dried a bit, I welded in the patch. I still need to fix a few small pinholes - I was getting too hot so I stopped for the day.
Good sized dent covered in bondo. The face was also pretty banged up too:
Section removed and sprayed:
Back of patch sprayed too:
Removed section - it was pretty messed up:
Good for now, I still need to clean it up a bit though:
Thanks for looking!
Good sized dent covered in bondo. The face was also pretty banged up too:
Section removed and sprayed:
Back of patch sprayed too:
Removed section - it was pretty messed up:
Good for now, I still need to clean it up a bit though:
Thanks for looking!
After sandblasting, I uncovered a few problem areas; one on the cowl and one at the base of the passenger’s side cowl side hinge panel. Not to mention several pinholes in various locations. I patched both problem areas and was able to weld most of the pinholes.
Cowl area:
Test fitting patch:
Welded in:
Lower cowl support:
Patch welded in:
I also started plugging all the holes in my frame rails and torsion cross member made from tech screws when I installed the floor pans.
Thanks for looking!
Cowl area:
Test fitting patch:
Welded in:
Lower cowl support:
Patch welded in:
I also started plugging all the holes in my frame rails and torsion cross member made from tech screws when I installed the floor pans.
Thanks for looking!
chargervert
Well-Known Member
When I started sand blasting the engine bay of my wife's 70 Challenger convertible there were two rust spots that needed repair,when I finished blasting it there were twenty three spots needing rust repair!
Now that's a bad day. I've been there tho.
chargervert
Well-Known Member
Especially back then because there were no replacement panels for the firewall and cowl. I had to hand fabricate all the repair pieces.
I was doing it in the early 80s, so yeah, no patch panels.
I definitely feel like I’m in one step forward, two steps back mode.
chargervert
Well-Known Member
Better to find out now that you got all the rust issues fixed,than having these areas rear their ugly head a year from now through your shiney new paint! The blaster shows the whole truth and doesn't sugarcoat it! This is why I started buying them from out west and down south. The ones from the rustbelt might look like solid builders,but they have rust everywhere.
chargervert
Well-Known Member
My other 71 Charger R/T project needs the whole driver's side inner and outer rocker replaced, so I just cut it out of the 72 Plymouth parts car I bought recently. It looks like a good piece. I put the project on the back burner, but a parts car came up that had the piece I needed for the Charger R/T. The car is a 440 4 speed, Dana car with the Ramcharger hood option, so it is worth saving it,but it needs about 60 percent of the metal work you had to do to your car.
Chargervert, I agree. That Charger must be saved! And you’re right about catching this stuff now. It’s frustrating finding shitty repairs (lack there of) hiding under tons of filler and multiple coats of paint.
Similar threads
