Most correctly restored Challenger ever?

[70challrtse]

Whoa now, my major was in Finance/Economics.  Gonna have to get out my webster for the pejoritive.   I know what incongruous means.       I didnt reallize some of our members were quite so edumacated.  he he he.   

Forget the dictionary and get back to work on your RTSE.

[NoMope Greg]

Ghost,
Thank you very much for taking the time to ask those questions and put things in a different perspective.  If I prematurely came across to forceful, I sincerely apologize.  You would not believe the slighted comments I have received from people that had nothing to do with the car, the efforts to complete it or the cost involved.  I am shocked that something so far removed from their life has become a bother to them since being  displayed at the Nationals. 
It would be a pleasure to explain some of the criteria for the mindset I have with these cars.  I am 47 years old.  I have an older brother who was a teenager right in the middle of late sixties and seventies.  He took me to see Vanishing Point at Ronnies Drive In was I was in sixth grade and I immediately loved the car.  His friends would pull up after school in their 69 Z28s, SS Novas, 429 Boss Mustang (one of only 3 in the state of Missouri at the time), 440 Six Pack Cuda (same guy with the Boss 429), 1966 Shelby Mustangs, etc......  These cars literally were in our driveway on a daily basis.  I fell in love with their appearance and thundering personalities.  My brother and his friends would make fun of me for playing with my Hot Wheels and I told them that one day I would have "neater" cars than ANY of them would ever have.  They laughed at me of course.  Fast forward to 1998.  I was doing well as an independent engineer that designed hydraulic and air logic systems for companies like General Motors, McDonnell Douglas, Chrysler, etc....  This was before I started ECS.  I decided to start buying some of the cars that were considered sporty and fast.  First was a 1999 SS Camaro.  Then a 1999 Corvette.  Then a 2001 Zo6 followed by a 2001 RT/10 Viper. Next was a 2002 Zo6 and 2002 SS Camaro.  These cars were a blast to drive.  I then decided to go back and find the classic cars I had always admired as a kid growing up.  (My Dad bought me my first car in 1979 which was a 1969 400 Firebird.  I still have that car.)  First was a 70 Boss 302.  Next was a 69 Z28 Camaro.  Then came the Hemicuda followed by this White Challenger.  After getting use to driving the modern day muscle cars I was very disappointed when I got behind the wheel(s) of the old classic muscle mobiles.  I had a grand perception about these cars, while growing up, that did not add up to the reality of what I was experiencing while driving them.  They were not so fast, didn't handle well and were uncomfortable!  (Sorry, just my opinion!!)  Rather than completely ruin all the fond memories and the "legionary status" I felt about these cars, I decided to restore them to showroom condition, let them sit and drive the new cars for my "speed" fix. This way I could save my memories regarding how I felt about the Muscle cars of the late sixties/early seventies.  One thing led to another and restoring them was not enough.  I wanted these old cars to represent that radical "era" and exactly how they would have appeared (new) at that period in time.  It took a series of attempts with various vehicles but this Challenger has hopefully hit the mark.  I thoroughly enjoy just looking at them in my garage and remembering the old days (in the driveway) as a 10 year old kid.  That is pretty much it in a nut shell! 
Again I apologize if I misconstrued your comments concerning this subject.  Thanks for taking the time to explain your thoughts.  If anything I probably need to take a deep breath before I respond to comments of those that I do not know.  Take care and good luck with all of your projects.  If there is anything that I might be able to do or assist you with please feel free to call me anytime!

Sincerely,
Dave Walden
314-707-2523

Now THAT was in the spirit of Cuda-Challenger.com.    

Welcome to the board.     Hope you'll stick around and lend us your expertise. 

[fantum]

 

Dave,

Stick around.  You'll find that most of the members here are in it for many of the same reasons you are.  We are a very supportive bunch who enjoy watching others restore their cars to the level they envisioned when they started their projects.  Like you, these are our babies.  While you, as you so eloquently stated, like to remember your younger years by revelling in the beauty of your Challenger, many others here like to enjoy their cars on the road.  To each their own.  Please understand that we respect your feelings and hope that you will stick around for a long time as many of us would like to be able to reference your knowledge base regarding the reconstruction of our babies.

Hope I didn't ramble too much.


fantum

[Ghost]

Ghost,
Thank you very much for taking the time to ask those questions and put things in a different perspective.  If I prematurely came across to forceful, I sincerely apologize.  You would not believe the slighted comments I have received from people that had nothing to do with the car, the efforts to complete it or the cost involved.  I am shocked that something so far removed from their life has become a bother to them since being  displayed at the Nationals. 
It would be a pleasure to explain some of the criteria for the mindset I have with these cars.  I am 47 years old.  I have an older brother who was a teenager right in the middle of late sixties and seventies.  He took me to see Vanishing Point at Ronnies Drive In was I was in sixth grade and I immediately loved the car.  His friends would pull up after school in their 69 Z28s, SS Novas, 429 Boss Mustang (one of only 3 in the state of Missouri at the time), 440 Six Pack Cuda (same guy with the Boss 429), 1966 Shelby Mustangs, etc......  These cars literally were in our driveway on a daily basis.  I fell in love with their appearance and thundering personalities.  My brother and his friends would make fun of me for playing with my Hot Wheels and I told them that one day I would have "neater" cars than ANY of them would ever have.  They laughed at me of course.  Fast forward to 1998.  I was doing well as an independent engineer that designed hydraulic and air logic systems for companies like General Motors, McDonnell Douglas, Chrysler, etc....  This was before I started ECS.  I decided to start buying some of the cars that were considered sporty and fast.  First was a 1999 SS Camaro.  Then a 1999 Corvette.  Then a 2001 Zo6 followed by a 2001 RT/10 Viper. Next was a 2002 Zo6 and 2002 SS Camaro.  These cars were a blast to drive.  I then decided to go back and find the classic cars I had always admired as a kid growing up.  (My Dad bought me my first car in 1979 which was a 1969 400 Firebird.  I still have that car.)  First was a 70 Boss 302.  Next was a 69 Z28 Camaro.  Then came the Hemicuda followed by this White Challenger.  After getting use to driving the modern day muscle cars I was very disappointed when I got behind the wheel(s) of the old classic muscle mobiles.  I had a grand perception about these cars, while growing up, that did not add up to the reality of what I was experiencing while driving them.  They were not so fast, didn't handle well and were uncomfortable!  (Sorry, just my opinion!!)  Rather than completely ruin all the fond memories and the "legionary status" I felt about these cars, I decided to restore them to showroom condition, let them sit and drive the new cars for my "speed" fix. This way I could save my memories regarding how I felt about the Muscle cars of the late sixties/early seventies.  One thing led to another and restoring them was not enough.  I wanted these old cars to represent that radical "era" and exactly how they would have appeared (new) at that period in time.  It took a series of attempts with various vehicles but this Challenger has hopefully hit the mark.  I thoroughly enjoy just looking at them in my garage and remembering the old days (in the driveway) as a 10 year old kid.  That is pretty much it in a nut shell! 
Again I apologize if I misconstrued your comments concerning this subject.  Thanks for taking the time to explain your thoughts.  If anything I probably need to take a deep breath before I respond to comments of those that I do not know.  Take care and good luck with all of your projects.  If there is anything that I might be able to do or assist you with please feel free to call me anytime!

Sincerely,
Dave Walden
314-707-2523

That was exactly the type or response I was hoping for.

[Roppa440]

Ok, I hope this helps. Dave's car.

Superb! Just what I wanted to see. Thanks.

[torredcuda]

"After getting use to driving the modern day muscle cars I was very disappointed when I got behind the wheel(s) of the old classic muscle mobiles."

I think if you had driven these cars back then not having modern day muscle to compare them to you would have a better opinion of how they drive,obviuosly they don`t compare to well 30-40 year newer technology but for me that is part of why I love driving them.

[70challrtse]

Superb! Just what I wanted to see. Thanks.

I'm pleased I could be of assistance.

[kissalien]

For the guy who wanted to see Dave's pinchwelds did you want to see his car only or any example. I have found that in application some were pretty neatly done, other were a sloppy mess. Here's an unrestored example.

[autoxcuda]

For the guy who wanted to see Dave's pinchwelds did you want to see his car only or any example. I have found that in application some were pretty neatly done, other were a sloppy mess. Here's an unrestored example.

That looks like it was applied with a brush? and sprayed. I don't know which was first. There is a T/A out here that is that way.

[Roppa440]

Thanks Kissalien. It was me wanted to see those shots. I just wanted to see a good example of how the factory did it. Usually they have flaked or been scrubbed off with wear and tear.

I painted mine but as my car is not a restoration I did mine rather neater than the factory.

[70challrtse]

Here's mine. It's a bit neater than it came from the factory.

[RusTy/SE]

As far as you know, is the blackout correct for all colors? I took no before shots of that particular area of the car save for this one; it appears the custom paint may have covered whatever was original 

Russ

[71340RT]

Dave, 
     I checked out your Challenger at the Nationals and thought it looked great no matter how I looked at it. I don't even want to know the hours put into the car as I restored my 70 Cuda in a 2 car garage and it took me 5 years and I stopped keeping track after I hit 1,000 hours. I purchased some of your decals and tags for my 70 Cuda and must say they are top of the line as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for your contribution to the hobby and I hope I meet you someday as I live just across the river in southern Illinois. This is a great web site so stick around and enjoy all it has to offer.
Jeff

[Roppa440]

As far as you know, is the blackout correct for all colors? I took no before shots of that particular area of the car save for this one; it appears the custom paint may have covered whatever was original 

Russ

It applied to the same colours that got the radiator support blackout. In other words it would have been a bit hit and miss on the darker colours.

What I would really like to find out now is was this applied to all models or was it just the E-Bodies? If on other models what years??

I have wondered this for years because you hardly ever see it on "restored" cars.

[kissalien]

You are correct!  Some were sprayed only.  Some were brushed on.  Then there were those that incorporated both styles of application.  I have the factory drawings that show and explain the reasons for the variations.  The weird thing about it is that some of the cars I have documented have deviated from what is found and stated in those engineered drawings.

I don't find it weird. Line workers didn't use engineering drawings.