SURVIVOR vs. GROUND-UP RESTORATION!

[hemiken]

Hey Brian,

Where do you buy the battery shell from buddy ? I want to do the same kind of modification on my cars.

I love this whole thread, if i had the oppertunity to do a factory gold oe style restoration, that would be awesome, i love the survivor cars equally as much as a full restoration, just too hard to pick between the two i say.

[resq302]

Hi Ken,

Long time no talk.  I think anyone can post ANY kind of survivor or restro as this is more of a comparison thread between the two.  Especially how things were done and how people (if they want to) could restore the car correctly the way it was done originally at the assembly plant.  Our GTX will be no where close to being OE Gold but we want to have it look just like it rolled off the assembly line.  We also drive our cars with the exception of going to a long distance show or trailing it to a high point show which we then have the bias ply tires on.  Otherwise, we get as much behind the wheel time on these cars as possible.  That alone I think would knock us out of OE Gold right there!.   

The battery was actually an old one out of my charger that I held onto when it died as they cost so much money, I ended up changing the battery out at shows (man those things are heavy!) and then ended up locating another working one for my charger.  After I found out about this modification, I gutted my old battery and tried it.  I will say that it is not as easy as it looks!  It is messy and there is a very good chance that you will crack the case.

[resq302]

Very nice battery!

[hemiken]

Thanks guys, maybe someone needs to have a talk with the guys reproducing the Mopar batteries and see if they would offer them as empty cases, this would be something i would love to have.

[resq302]

Ken,

To be honest, I think they battery company will NEVER do that.  Too many variables as to what battery to put inside and how people would hook it up.  Great idea but I just dont think that they would want the liability of someone doing something like I did with the modification.

[resq302]

Hi Dave,

Gorgeous pics as always.  Just curious if the pic was photo shopped since they were reline tires on the blue carpeting in a previous pic.  Now they are white walls?  Do you have a special marker or crayon to change the colors?  Wait, I know its one of those "spot the difference" type of puzzles!   

[resq302]

You are right Steve.  I wasn't even going to address the topic because I was sure I'd be accused of recently swapping them out.  (Most liars think that everyone else reacts like they do.)  When I bought those MOPAR plugs, you said they were service replacements so we didn't use them.  If you recall, we ended up using the correct Champion plugs that were one heat range higher.

The Challenger is currently sitting 12 feet in the air on a lift above the Valiant but I was able to have Cindy get a couple of pictures today that show the plugs that have been in the car since we finished it.   (I'll have Jon size & post them on Monday.)  Those MOPAR plugs were NOT in the Engine when we showed it at the Nationals in 2008.  I grabbed an old picture to show the paint on the underside of the Engine.  I didn't even notice it was an old one showing the wrong plugs.  We also have pictures of the temp sending unit painted just like we found it.  After ALL that scrutiny, our good "friends" couldn't find anything else to critique.  Keep in mind that even THOSE aspects were actually correct!   

I also thought that Mike's quote (or Tony or Stevie) that stated, "non-numbers matching rot box" was actually referring to Tony's car shown below!  I still would like to know how Mike's Professional Restoration Shop restored Tony's fender Tag on his "rust free" Daytona?







   

Dave,


You would have to check with Mike or his shop as he was the one who restored that tag with jb weld and tig welding from what I remember.

[resq302]

This thread has been about the features and procedures for doing an OE restoration.  Whether it is a Survivor or Ground-up Project, the criteria for an OE car is the same.  For the past couple of years, it has become more of an attempt to re-write History on how these vehicles were assembled.  If you can't do the proper work, move the target and claim it is correct!  Some of these guys use all kinds of cliches for describing what everyone expects to hear but that is where reality stops.  All their talk won't change the Facts.  Sitting in a Hen House doesn't make you a Chicken and claiming your work represents OE quality doesn't make incorrect features suddenly correct.  It appears that the Editors misquote Mike quite a bit.  He should talk to them about that. 


A quote in Mopar Muscle Magazine on Mike's consensus of OE documentation:
"If you can find documentation of when it was built, and what went on it when it was built, all the better. That means the original fender tag, broadcast sheets, window sticker....."




Here is what was said.....


Here is what was found!  How did you repair this "original fender tag"?


 
Remember this Mike?  Was it you who incorrectly aged my Reproduction sheet and tried to pass it off as a "real Broadcast Sheet"?  It does appear to convey your signiature inconsistencies.

Dave,

Here is another example of his work!  Man, I wish I knew how to re-grow metal and reverse the process of time!   

[jfreakofkorn]

they have a company that does reproduce cowl tags, and i would think fenders also

its a pretty penny to0 tho, like 200 plus for each tag ....

[resq302]

they have a company that does reproduce cowl tags, and i would think fenders also

its a pretty penny to0 tho, like 200 plus for each tag ....

Jfreak,

Mike was claiming that there was no rust on the car and that the tag was original that was on the white daytona.  So he obviously regrew the metal somehow.  Otherwise it would have been deducted points for it being a repro or non original equipment part.

[hemiken]

Hi Ken,
The new maintenance free batteries that are available in the "old" style configuration are basically the same setup that Brian and I used to convert our units.  They are using a smaller battery internal power source but you are not able to access the internals after they sealed in the battery case.  The good thing about our units is that you have infinite starting power because the internals can be swapped out at any time.

Thanks Dave & Brian, Having some issues with trying to transport a wet battery that has acid in it to me here inAustralia, i will have to send it via Boat it looks like. That is why a Mopar case would be so handy, no dangerous liquid issues to deal with at all, plus the weight saving on the shipping. You guys have cool batteries i must say.
Thanks for sharing those pics Dave, you have some real nice cars buddy

[resq302]

I can't thank you enough for your help Brian!  That was the inspiration I needed to "restore" the components myself.  I have worked non-stop on these parts to get them to look new again.  Below are the final results.  I also included pictures of the supplies that I used to perform the restoration work.  It was a little difficult but the results are acceptable.  I have some additional "tweaking" that I have to do on the Weather-Striping.  I should have used a little more rope and black duct tape around the edges.   



BEFORE


AFTER

Dave,

You forgot the Tig Welder and the JB weld and some fiberglass!   

[resq302]

Yes.  Hopefully the wrongs will be corrected!

[PasiR]

Great pics of exhaust  How much is complete set for -70 Cuda w/340 automatic?

[resq302]

I'm still looking for the same head pipes as well in aluminum and head pipes for a 383 in a 69 B body.          Just kidding Dave.  I know as soon as you find original examples, I will get the notice that the order can be filled.