Re-body an LX car with a B body?

[Darius]

Hey Donny
You have seen my effort, if it wasn't for the economy I would be done for at least a year by now.....another rant.sorry
I am with you on the wanting to know how they bolted the fenders on the LX frame as well as the wheel cans etc. My measurements have the LX being appx4" longer and appx 4" wider than the B Body platform! This is why I decided to not try to xfer the entire rear end suspension and axle/differential assy.
Obviously it can be done, just a lot of work and planning and doing,undoing,re-doing.....but that is the challenge that makes this idea so attractive isn't it?
Check out Coparts for a car to start with. They have lots all over the country and the cars are there for all sorts of reasons. You should be able to find one there that will work for you. I got my donor for 6700 and drove it off the lot. It had 20k miles on it!
Go for it! Best of luck with the project...I look forward to seeing this and I know you will share the "intricacies" of the build with the rest of us.

 

[Donny]

This build still is turning in my head, have not done anything on it but yap my trap, but...this would be a long-term deal, not too long of a term though -- since retiring from the Army I've kept busy in school and on my Media Blasting biz, if I can just finish the school (almost there) I'd have more time.

I've never heard of Coparts? Link? If I do this project, it will be off an SRT8 vehicle, anything less, even the RT/C models to me won't make it worth it...the GTX-8 just sounds so cool!

Like you, I know this can be done! Let's see what 2011 brings for us all! 2010 was a road of pot holes!

 

[MOPARMAGIC]

Hello All

I see you have some questions about the build.
i don't mean to be rude but this is our family business. We do this professionaly for a living, and are trying to make a business out of conversion and restoration mopars.
it is really hard for us to get a foot in the American door. We are competing on currency/ parts, and taxes. Canada's market is quite grim and i don't see an end, therefore i have to hold on to what information i have, for my families protection. you must be able to appreciate that.

i could tell you how my baby was built, but that would take a long time and i wouldn't get paid .

i can give some of the jist................

The whole car was built from the 2007 Charger platform and a 1968 Dodge Charger, that's pretty plain to see.

it took 6 months for all 4 of us to get it to paint. it was a filler project.
Modifiying, engineering, and design . it went together pretty much the first time like it was meant to be, no real big issues.

FYI- Do your homework ......your right about the length: but everyone knows that- if they look at the specs for the new vs old dimensions.

Dan & I would be happy to build one for you with your spec/ details. Our car was featured in MCG, Mopar Action and was voted #1 for 2009 along with a VIP tickets to the Mopar at the Playboy Mansion. , we regret that we will not be able to tell you how to do it , these are my engineering secrets ! But if you want an award winner in your driveway, contact me.

Good Luck and try to keep your sanity.

it just wouldn't be a one of a kind if everyone built one the same!

contact us if you have any further inquiries

Jen

 

[Donny]

Thanks for the reply Jen, I know time is money, and money is time. I can appreciate holding onto your trade secrets, makes sense to me. Thanks for your input, too bad you all were not down here in Texas; prices are very reasonable on all fronts!

 

[MOPARMAGIC]

Hey Donny
Dan and I have thought briefly about up and leaving Canada to get our business going. I guess we are family orientated people and would hate to give up our home/family, but if someone were to make that transition easier we might reconsider.
keep me posted on your project, you have put a great deal of "labour of love" can't wait to see the end result.
Jen

 

[bigjimmyl]

in IL if its a custom build you can call it or title it whatever you want

 

[rrunner]

Hello All

I see you have some questions about the build.
i don't mean to be rude but this is our family business. We do this professionaly for a living, and are trying to make a business out of conversion and restoration mopars.
it is really hard for us to get a foot in the American door. We are competing on currency/ parts, and taxes. Canada's market is quite grim and i don't see an end, therefore i have to hold on to what information i have, for my families protection. you must be able to appreciate that.

i could tell you how my baby was built, but that would take a long time and i wouldn't get paid .

i can give some of the jist................

The whole car was built from the 2007 Charger platform and a 1968 Dodge Charger, that's pretty plain to see.

it took 6 months for all 4 of us to get it to paint. it was a filler project.
Modifiying, engineering, and design . it went together pretty much the first time like it was meant to be, no real big issues.

FYI- Do your homework ......your right about the length: but everyone knows that- if they look at the specs for the new vs old dimensions.

Dan & I would be happy to build one for you with your spec/ details. Our car was featured in MCG, Mopar Action and was voted #1 for 2009 along with a VIP tickets to the Mopar at the Playboy Mansion. , we regret that we will not be able to tell you how to do it , these are my engineering secrets ! But if you want an award winner in your driveway, contact me.

Good Luck and try to keep your sanity.

it just wouldn't be a one of a kind if everyone built one the same!

contact us if you have any further inquiries

Jen

What vin do you guys use? As stated here already it was said to use the old vin, but I would think that the new vin would be used as that's what the car really is with old sheet metal hung on it.

 

[MOPARMAGIC]

Best of Both Worlds

What vin do you guys use? As stated here already it was said to use the old vin, but I would think that the new vin would be used as that's what the car really is with old sheet metal hung on it.

Ok, we had many options to use
a new Vin because it was custom build
the Old Vin of the "69"
or the New Vin of the "07"

We chose to go with the "69" Vin as it is a Classic Mopar and it would get us out of the Emissions Test us Canadians have to do every 2 years. and we also can pep up the exhaust to our pleasing without the hassels of EPA.

i know your thinking now it's a 68 body and yes this is true, Dan loves the body style of the 68 so we used the vin of the 69 shell we picked up in Texas back in 2005. ( let's make one thing clear, we have been given a lot of slack for using a perfectly good 69 Dodge Charger, what they assume and what is true are two totally different things.)

As i said we picked up this shell from texas, it was rough and i mean rough. We had to do a total restoration.
before we had the idea of converting both vehicles, we had already bought and started to do a restoration on this pile of rotten steel. new floor pans, trunk pans, all panels were bought. then when the new charger came out, it was like an apiphany. I wanted the new charger (but was very disappointed with the style and Dan wanted to restore this old charger) so we compromised and combined the two together.

we found a collision write off 2007 Charger with 4000miles and we started tearing out everything we had already put into the 69 charger, floor pans and all. alot of engineering and measuring and sleepless nights, but within 6 months our two boys , Dan and I were done the mating of New Meets Old.

Traveling in the comfort of air conditioning in 100 degree weather and not worrying of over-heating is a blessing. Another great point is that if any part needs to be replaced, we just hit the local dodge / parts dealer , parts are always in stock...... no special order, no waiting. everything is where it is needed, no special fabrication to fit parts. best of both worlds.

We do have other Mopars that are original. Our 1968/2007 is also original -one of a kind.
P.S not to put down west coast customs , but everything on our car works, including the wiper blades and our 6 ft tall son fits in the back seat and front very comfortably without touching the roof.

 

[Donny]

Hey MoparMagic, Thanks for this reply, I was thinking this thread might just go off and die as I have not moved on it at all. However, and ironic how I've actually sold off my floor pans for my GTX I had acquired years ago; these are pre AMD items, so, they would need all the associated bolt holes, etc. If I do what you've done, or, and rather close to what you've done I will be selling off the rear frame rails as these won't be needed in this living and breathing aberration; except mine will be visually a 69 GTX, I think I might go with GTX-8 or SRT-X8 -- but, that is a LONG way off! However, I don't want it to be too long!

I have many questions, but, as you indicated and I respect -- I will sort it out myself and figure out the mating of Rocker Panels, inner front fender splash shields, and wheelhouses, etc. The magic and holy grail I would think would be what changes you would institute in the second iteration of this creation; meaning what you would do differently and better from the first one.

If I get lucky in my cursory searches for a SRT-8 car, I will certainly energize this thread as it would be a major lane change from my GTX project to SRT/GTX project! Too bad you're in Canada! Thanks for the replies!!

 

[Donny]

Mopar Magic, one more thing, I appreciate you contributing to this with your hands on, and already done this! Thanks, it's very helpful!!! How was it welding the new steel to the old steel?

 

[MOPARMAGIC]

Take time to understand your project!

Hi Donny,
Don't get frustrated, it takes time and a whole world of patience.
the welding of the old and new was no problem. PREP,PREP AND MORE PREP. i've seen picts of your welds your doing well. keep working towards your goal.


as for any changes i would make to the car if i was to do one again, for myself personally, Dan would add a supercharger- just for fun! (it's still in his future).
The car handles great, we have had not one problem with the car. As with any modifications, we expected problems, but i really think we were thinking about everything/ every problem while designing it and it just worked out in our favour the first time. don't rush into it , unless you plan on changing things later. do it right the first time! it may take longer, but the outcome is well worth the wait.

mAYBE I SHOULD WRITE A BOOK?

Jen

 

[McMopar]

OK, this looks great, but what does it cost 100-200K?

 

[4dr4ever]

Seems to me imo at least from looking under my 63 belvedere that it would be just as much an undertaking to put the rear suspension under a factory body and taking the front clip and putting it in the old body. That way your not stuck with that god awful dashboard they have in those cars. I think this type of conversion is best for a car that is basically completely gone. an option I might undertake because I desire a 68 charger but likely to only afford rotted out shells.

 

[Hemifried]

What vin do you guys use? As stated here already it was said to use the old vin, but I would think that the new vin would be used as that's what the car really is with old sheet metal hung on it.

By using the old VIN it would also allow this vehicle to be insured as a classic as well in SOME provinces qualify for antique license plates. allowing a huge savings if the vehicle wasn't going to be used as a daily driver.

 

[Grancuda]

I don't get it, why not just get a new Challenger SRT-8, it has old looks with all the mega brakes, bulky interior stuff and the over-complicated electronics and it has a warranty.

 

[rapidtransitric]

I don't get it, why not just get a new Challenger SRT-8, it has old looks with all the mega brakes, bulky interior stuff and the over-complicated electronics and it has a warranty.

not everybody does get it. but those that do...............well there ya go

 

[chrisd]

Hey Donny, any more thought put into this project? I've been searching for individual parts myself to incorporate into my '67.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Not trying to cause a war, I am just askin a straight out question......why is it ok to rebody a car, but transfering a VIN is illegal? Seems like it's virtually the same thing.

 

[chrisd]

Maybe this sounds like I'm splitting hairs, but I don't see this as the same thing. But about the build...

 

[Donny]

Humm....Even though I've welded in the floors, and started on the wheelhouses, I would cut 'em out if I found a rear-wrecked SRT-8 car (300 or Charger, or maybe a Challenger) I totally like my minds-eye picture of a 69 GTX with a custom fabbed in SRT-X in the grille replacing the GTX, and also along the qtrs the same indicated badging!