70 Challenger Conv. Resto Mod-6.1 Hemi

[js29no]

A family affair!! cool.

[soundcontrol]

Back from the blaster with 2K epoxy, a few small rust holes in the firewall appeared, and a previous fix under the battery tray that I can improve. Now I'm gonna replace the trunk floor, fix front torque boxes and install the fender braces and lower radiator support. Major progress!
(Thats my dad in the background).

[usraptr]

Looking good! 

[soundcontrol]

It's been sitting all summer waiting for a trunk floor from AMD, now I got the trunk floor, and I'm swamped with work...

[YellowThumper]

Too much work = more money but no time.
Not enough work leaves little money but plenty of time.

[plumsun3]

Looks like you're doing it right. It took me 14 years to complete my #s '70 Challenger R/T vert. I purchased in '93 and got it finally finished for the'08 Nationals.
It's time and money, for me working side jobs while trying balancing work with family. I sold it in '12 when economy took it's toll and I cashed in the bank account
for more important needs. I got back in the market last year with a "71 Charger R/T this time. my retirement present. Kept the 440 with a slight mod build, then
added a 5 Spd. tremec, 4 wh discs and 17" Americans. My grandson calls it Grandpas Noisy Car, but it's a blast.
My youngest son just bought a clean '74 Cuda that I found down here in Florida. It's a good start for rebuild, his plans are to install a Gen 3 5.7, tremec 5 spd.,
Hotchkis suspension. He has me to do the work but funds will take him awhile and Dad won't help on that end. If he wants I'll start puling it apart later this winter,
the original Powder Blue has got to go.
We'll follow your thread and wish you good luck with your build. During my Chally project I continued to keep interest by going to shows knowing one day I'd get it done.

[soundcontrol]

Thanks! ..and welcome to the site! It's gonna take me 20 if I go at this speed!
And I promised my wife to ride in it next summer...  I'll better get on with it.
YellowThumer nailed it, with the money/time comment, that is the problem!

[1 Wild R/T]

Awesome progress!! Your dad looks as impressed as My Dad looked back in 95 when I had my Challenger Vert in similar condition....  He wasn't one to pull punches & his words basically were WTF were you thinking spending hard earned cash on this POS...   But one year later when it was a running driving showpiece he was very proud to say his son had done it....

[soundcontrol]

Awesome progress!! Your dad looks as impressed as My Dad looked back in 95 when I had my Challenger Vert in similar condition....  He wasn't one to pull punches & his words basically were WTF were you thinking spending hard earned cash on this POS...   But one year later when it was a running driving showpiece he was very proud to say his son had done it....

Wow, one year! That is quick, I'm at 2 years now and still in welding mode... still planning to drive it next summer! Always an optimist

[1 Wild R/T]

I spent 4 hours every night after work plus 8-12 hours every Saturday/Sunday in the Garage.... I sold my all time favorite driver Mopar to get a lump of cash (still miss that car) & obviously I was single at the time....

[Topcat]

I don't miss what you're going thru.

I sweated bucket loads on my car.
Temps in the backyard were 80-90 degrees during Summer.
Heat reflected added 10 degrees higher.

She always worried then I would get heat stroke.

Keep in your mind the light at the end of the tunnel.

[soundcontrol]

Finally! Some time to myself so I can work some on my car. I started to put the bottom part of the Hemi together, got the wrong oil pickup from Bouchillion so I cut it and reclocked it, TIG welded it, that was faster then them shipping a new one to Sweden. Got the Milodon oilpan mounted. Now I'm gonna clean the engine and repaint the hemi orange on the block. Also painted 2K epoxy inside the US Cartool fender braces (with a brush) before I'm gonna weld them in, gonna be hard to get to when done, going to spray a black topcoat also, and paint the stock fender brace, and area under there black.

[YellowThumper]

 

[soundcontrol]

Started with the inner fender braces. There's a Whole Lotta Grinding Going On here...
Had to add some material also. I'm also painting the area under the pieces I'm welding, gonna do the same inside the big fender brace.
After welding I'm gonna apply Eastwood internal frame coating to cover the welds.


Unfortunately I found some more rust that even the sandblasting did not reveal. Someone had put a big chunk of weld on top of it, when I tried to grind it down to make it look nice I found rust, and I could poke a hole in it. Its in the corner area of the cowl, glad I did that, that will eventaully had rusted through and caused a leak in the inner firewall. So now I gotta fix that before I can continue with the fender braces. Looks lika a tricky part to make a patch for, I also gotta repair the top overlapping part of the upper cowl. Oh well, I'm up for the challenge.

[rhamson]

Looks like you're doing it right. It took me 14 years to complete my #s '70 Challenger R/T vert. I purchased in '93 and got it finally finished for the'08 Nationals.
It's time and money, for me working side jobs while trying balancing work with family. I sold it in '12 when economy took it's toll and I cashed in the bank account
for more important needs. I got back in the market last year with a "71 Charger R/T this time. my retirement present. Kept the 440 with a slight mod build, then
added a 5 Spd. tremec, 4 wh discs and 17" Americans. My grandson calls it Grandpas Noisy Car, but it's a blast.
My youngest son just bought a clean '74 Cuda that I found down here in Florida. It's a good start for rebuild, his plans are to install a Gen 3 5.7, tremec 5 spd.,
Hotchkis suspension. He has me to do the work but funds will take him awhile and Dad won't help on that end. If he wants I'll start puling it apart later this winter,
the original Powder Blue has got to go.
We'll follow your thread and wish you good luck with your build. During my Chally project I continued to keep interest by going to shows knowing one day I'd get it done.

Thank you for this post. I have been working on my Challenger now for around ten years and money and time just seem to get in the way. You give others inspiration through your perseverance.