70 Hemi Road Runner Street Monster build

[70chall440]

I've been working on trying to get the trunk floor back in, however after some careful examination I discovered that the sculptor... I mean body guy (who must have owned stock in a bondo company) got creative with the back of the package tray. The rear window must have been leaking for a long time because the entire back of the package tray  is rusted out. I thought about buying new replacement panels from AMD but given that I am working on a limited budget here and I have a full shop of tools, I decided to give it a shot at replacing the missing part. Because this area has turns and different contours, making it out of one piece was not an option (at least to me). Therefore I cam up with this solution which I think is going to work out well.

There are some other small areas along the trunk gutters as well, but I will get to them later.

[tony 73]

Awesome project and you are the right man for the job .

Like your thinking on doing the fabrication , well within your skill range.

[70chall440]

Thank you sir. 

Comes down to time v money, since I have more time than money this is the route. I kept thinking of what would have been done back in the day before they repopped the parts but realize that back then we would either find a donor car or would have made this a parts car.... LOL

It will work out one way or another, if this method fails for some reason, I can always default back to getting new parts.

[70chall440]

The rust repair continues, I had forgotten how much I enjoy dealing with rusty metal (yes that is sarcasm). Got the back channel fabed up but not installed yet, had to fix an area around the bottom of where the back window trim sits (see pic). I cut along the top seam thinking I would just blend it in but then quickly remembered that if you are within an inch of the rust its going to such to weld to...  Kept blowing through or when grinding would then burn through because everything was thin. Finally got it sorted out. I have to deal with the left side of the package tray which has a couple of holes, problem is that they are hard to get to, but I am sure I will figure something out.

[70chall440]

I finally got the package tray welded up, not real pretty but definitely solid.

[jimynick]

Looks good! Suggestion? Make a one piece template that covers the bottom of the "U" and then just add whatever the required height is to the sides of your pattern. That way you can make the patch in one- or two or three- pieces and hammer the edges up where you want them. Being bigger pieces, they won't jump around as much and be such a PITA to hold. position and weld in. Either way you do it, you'll be ahead in the endless rust vs man battle! 

[70chall440]

ah..... its welded in now so... won't be any more templates... 

[70chall440]

Rust and structural repair continues..... had to weld in a few spots no the bottom of the window channel and then set about repairing the damage left by Bubba when he/she put in the rollcage. While working on that I noticed some spots along the edge of the C pillar that have holes  I am probably going to have to cut out that edge and remake it 

[jimynick]

LOL! Jesus, it never stops, does it?! Good thing you're stubborn, because some guys would roll their eyes and give up! Keep on keepin' on, you're getting there. 

[70chall440]

Exactly what I said when I saw it...  A smart guy would have bought quarters and started fresh, or better said a smart guy with some money... Ive done enough of these now where it is almost to be expected. Definitely don't like it but it is what it is.

[redo1973]

Wow, this project landed in the right caring hands!  Nice progress.

[70chall440]

Thanks Carl, or perhaps I am the sucker who ended up with it... LOL Back in the day this was absolutely a parts car sitting in a field some place, thank god for all those investors who decided Mopars were like rare art and drove the prices through the atmosphere... 

[YellowThumper]

Wow that is a bunch to do. Looks like 
good progress.

[70chall440]

Yeah its coming along albeit slowly. If I had the money, I would have just bought new quarters, dutchman panel, and package tray, but I don't so here we are.

[70chall440]

Still chugging along on the car, took a day off to do some shooting. I managed to get the left side of the package tray back together. Not super pretty but it is solid and will work, now onto the right side. Adding the "pre" picture just for reference.