In our July issue, we started work on our beyond-basket-case-rated Challenger and quickly realized we had bitten off a lot in the way of a project car. we've seen cars in better shape hit the crusher, but that's the way things are these days-the decent, rebuildable cars have either already been rebuilt or crushed years ago. In other words, acquiring a project car now usually means starting with a less-than-stellar candidate.
Last time, we tackled the floor replacement on the Challenger. That in itself was a big job, but now it was time to replace the exterior visible sheetmetal. Since we are replacing the metal, a plan was hatched to turn the car into a '70 model. Yes, we're going to change the look of the car. Many times, folks get defrauded by unscrupulous people who build a seemingly more desirable car from a less than desirable shell, and we want to assure everyone that such is not the case with this car. The car will retain its proper VIN, and forever be known as a '73 Challenger with '70 parts. Hey, don't yell at us. we asked you guys what you thought we should do, and the consensus was to change it. When considering a sheetmetal change, usually there is no problem until you consider things like trim items (e.g., side marker lights, bumpers, bumper brackets, and so on). So since we are making this car look like a '70 Challenger, we'll have to address items such as bumpers, grille, and taillights in the future.
For now, however, we need to focus on the outer sheetmetal. If you saw some of the photos in our previous installment, you know the car was really rusty, so metal removal was extensive. The best way to do this is to have the car firmly located on a frame jig. If that's not possible, several jackstands-although not as ideal-can be used. just make sure that no matter what method you use, do a lot of measuring before you weld to ensure that things are not welded improperly or the trunk and/or doors won't close properly.
Now it's time to get down to work and literally back half a car.
This is where we left off...
This is where we left off on our Challenger in our July '08 issue. Now it's time to cover the exterior with more new metal.
To make the installation process...
To make the installation process easier, we punched the required holes for fill welding before attaching the metal to the car. There may be some folks out there that will write in and tell us we punched too many holes in the lip that shows in the photo, but we're not going for a perfect resto. If you don't have a hole punch, a drill bit will work just as well . . . it just takes a little longer.
After we completely removed...
After we completely removed the old quarter, we found that our rocker panel needed a small patch on the passenger side.
When we originally removed...
When we originally removed the old quarter-panels, we just rough cut them off. Now we need to cleanly remove any traces of the old metal to replace it with new. a spot weld cutter by Blair Equipment makes quick work of the task around the doorjambs.
After quickly bending one...
After quickly bending one up, it was fixed.
When it comes to the area...
When it comes to the area where the roof meets the quarter-panel, the first thing required is the removal of the lead filler. Since it is lead, proper care should be taken in its removal and disposal. While using a small propane torch and simply melting the lead and discarding it might work, that's not appropriate or safe. After the lead was gone, we then drilled the spot welds in this area.
Likewise, the bracing under...
Likewise, the bracing under the roof panel needed some repairs.
After a new piece was fabbed...
After a new piece was fabbed and welded in place, the area was coating with a rust preventative by KBS Coatings. Wherever we could slather on the KBS, we did-whether the area would be visible when the car was finished or not.
Before you begin any welding,...
Before you begin any welding, start by clamping the new parts in position. It will take a lot of clamps to do this properly, but making sure the panel is positioned correctly before you weld is a big time saver.
Ok, let's face it, we're not...
Ok, let's face it, we're not fancy, so we don't have a set of those fancy Cleco pins to hold things in place. what we did do was put a single spot weld in the rear window opening just to help hold the panel in place for positioning.
With both quarters clamped...
With both quarters clamped in place, we slid the tailpanel into position. Before the tailpanel was attached, we again needed to measure to ensure the parts were installed correctly and are square. If you get this far and are wondering what the measurement should be, you should have taken them before you did any cutting.