Patina'd RR1 Burgundy 1968 Charger ("Ribeye")

[70B5Cuda]

I tried to remove the vinyl top glue with 3M adhesive remover and acetone but the glue was not coming off so out came the DA.

 

[70B5Cuda]

Any pics ?

 

[70chall440]

1. Nice score
2. your detailer is talented
3. that was a hell of a wreck
4. looks like you will need the personal inspection at TSA going forward
5. that new 68 is going to look very cool

 

[davek]

OUCH

 

[khryslerkid]

Ouch, double ouch!

 

[davek]

Glad your ok.

 

[Basket case]

lost a sweet Charger but it saved his life in more ways than one.

 

[70B5Cuda]

OUCH View attachment 935006

Yep. It was a rough ride. A guy tried to dart across 4 lanes of traffic on Old 81 highway. There were cars in the middle two lanes and the timing was such that we never saw each other. I was doing 55mph when the other guy's late model GMC Sierra T'd me in the left front fender. Our back ends swung around and clapped together and we spun our separate ways. My Charger slid sideways for about 100 yards before entering the ditch sideways. Somehow it didn't roll and after collecting my breath after slamming against the steering wheel (I only had a lap belt on), I crawled out the passenger side door. I walked away with just cuts/bruises but emergency room x rays found bone cancer in the nick of time. I had the top half of my right humerus cut out and replaced with a cadaver bone. My arm/shoulder will never work the same but I'm grateful to be alive and to have an arm! I try to thank God every day...

 

[70B5Cuda]

The trunk floor had a big hole in the middle where water had collected. I spent about 6 hours cutting out the majority of the trunk floor and grinding spot welds.

 

[HawkRod]

Replacing the trunk seems to be par for the course with B-bodies...

 

[70B5Cuda]

I'm that guy that keeps pulling the string when it comes to his cars....

I started knocking undercoating off the bottom of the car. I wanted to stop at the seam where the rear passenger foot well pans meet the sheetmetal under the rear seat, but the vibration of the needle scaler would knock loose undercoating up to 12" ahead of where I was working so I ended up removing all the undercoating. The needle scaler has a way of finding the soft spots. The cabin floor pan had looked so good prior to removing the undercoating but now showed pin holes in both front floor pan troughs where water in collects. The worst damage was under the passenger seat, which seems very odd. I called 521 Restorations and ordered a full set of cabin floor pans. It's overkill for sure, but I've come to hate floorpan patches when I can remove and replace the whole cabin floor so easily. Tomorrow I start removing the cabin floor pans...

 

[70chall440]

Yeah it is always something, part of the "fun" of old car building..

 

[Basket case]

that's rust free here in Ohio....

 

[70B5Cuda]

I know! It's pretty much rust free for anywhere...but if I'm going to go to the trouble to replace the trunk floor and paint/undercoat the bottom, I may as well do it all and do it right.

 

[Thrashingcows]

Love the name for the car...Ribeye... And the patina is amazing on it, your friend really did an amazing job turned out nice.

 

[The Rebel]

WOW!, that color is awesome and your detailer is really talented.

Sorry about your old car but also glad you got the cancer in time.

Looking forward to your updates!

 

[70B5Cuda]

Thanks guys!

A few more pictures of the driver's floorboards...

 

[70B5Cuda]

Well, the day got busy and I only had 1.5 hours to work on the floorpans but the right air chisel makes quick progress of the sheetmetal removal...I still need to go back and remove all the spot welds/sheetmetal strips.

 

[blue69runner]

Yes it is better to do it now instead to later. Some times we think I will just replace this but it went on and on for me. Good luck and hope this is all you find.

 

[blue69runner]

Now you can see the cross member and part of your frame rails. Good time to clean them and prep them. Good job.