Hi folks! I had a restoration thread over on cuda-challenger and figured I'd move things over here since this is where all the cool kids hang out these days ;)
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=98700.0
I'm gonna repost some of the pics and my comments so that this is a fairly complete restoration log.
Started to find lots of hidden issues ::)
:welcome: to the site!
Good luck and keep us up to date on progress. ...and yes, all the cool kids are on here. :wave:
Pulled the glass out and ripped off the roof.
It was right around this point that I realized I was in WAY over my head :o Pulled the rear quarter panel off and found nothing but trouble every direction I looked. Looking back, I should have just gutted the car here and put it on a rotisserie so I could blast everything. However, hindsight is 20/20 eh!
Started to patch the rocker panel next... that was a big job! Turned out half decent for my first attempt at making a patch :banana:
Keep at it and thanks for sharing. Someone once told me " it's going to take everything I got" to finish my restoration and I thought he was crazy but by the time I was done I realized that I was some pretty good advice.
Maybe don't tear anything else down until you start putting some new parts back on.
Maybe
@HP_Cuda (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/hpcuda_20) can share some inspirational pics before his car was done.
More work on the rocker panel and my first attempt at the wheel housing.
Starting to question what I had done in life to deserve this mess, I pressed on an pulled out tail light panel and truck pan next :bricks: Pretty sure everyone said I should just crush it at this point.
I debated long about how to proceed with the frame rails. The end sections were completely rotten and a patch was scabbed over at some point. I really didn't want to install full replacement rails and I didn't like the idea of the rail covers. So I decided to cut out the bad section and splice in a new section. My reasoning was that if I screwed it up I could always buy the full replacements anyways. It turned out really nice in the end!
You are literally building an entire car. Glutton for punishment or....excellent fabricator! Either way, get er done! Way to go!
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I love your commentary. Keep the updates coming. You are one dedicated man, or maybe you are nuts at this point. :bradsthumb:
:yes:
Love the commentary and love the dedication
Hey life is never supposed to be easy
Great work so far
Thank u for including us along the way
Can not wait to see more
God Bless,John
Great to see another one saved too
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Glad you're posting your restoration. All hale the 74s!! PM sent.
From what I can see you are doing a great job! Keep up the good work! :bigthumb:
Good to see you haven't given up! I had a lot of knowing been there, done that smiles and nodding of the head as I watched you walk through the minefield that is restoring one of these rust buckets. You're on top of it and I can't wait to see how it all turns out for you! :twothumbsup:
You will really appreciate your car once it's done buddy.
Quote from: jimynick on November 14, 2019, 11:22:52 AM
Good to see you haven't given up! I had a lot of knowing been there, done that smiles and nodding of the head as I watched you walk through the minefield that is restoring one of these rust buckets. You're on top of it and I can't wait to see how it all turns out for you! :twothumbsup:
Nope, haven't given up yet! Just needed a break to focus on other things in life. How's your car coming along?
Looking good, It all takes time.
Quote from: daaboots on November 15, 2019, 09:01:00 AM
Quote from: jimynick on November 14, 2019, 11:22:52 AM
Good to see you haven't given up! I had a lot of knowing been there, done that smiles and nodding of the head as I watched you walk through the minefield that is restoring one of these rust buckets. You're on top of it and I can't wait to see how it all turns out for you! :twothumbsup:
Nope, haven't given up yet! Just needed a break to focus on other things in life. How's your car coming along?
Well, it's a driver and I've been doing just that; but son Jim is getting hitched next May and he thinks it'd be nice to have a finished Challenger as a wedding car! So the pressure's on and I'm just trying to re-kindle some ambition to tear it all back down to paint it. :tool: :cheers:
If you are as tenacious as I am the effort will be worth the result.
I will say that I probably won't take on a project like this again.
cool project thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing the pictures HP. Hopefully that serves as some inspiration for others.
This is the last video until the new one drops this week. Hope you can tune into the premiere on Nov 30th!
To answer your question- hell no! Then we wouldn't get ANYTHING done- on the car! Enjoy! ;)
Next video goes LIVE this Saturday at 8pm (Eastern Time). I hope you folks tune into the show.
My Dear Lord in heaven... I admire your grit and determination... that was one rusted out challenger. Since you are not using the engine or transmission, then maybe that car would have been better as being a parts car. At least you have a garage full of all of the tools and equipment necessary, and obviously a lot of knowledge and skill for the restoration itself. I could NEVER have pulled it off.. as i have neither the tools nor the expertise.
I hope that in addition to the videos you are doing two things:
1) Keeping a full log of the hours that you are putting into it.
2) Keeping a full log of all of the parts and other costs that you are putting into it.
So, that when it is fully done, you can say...here is the "cost" to do a full restoration. Of course that depends on what dollar value per hour of labor as well. Most restoration shops charge anywhere from $50 to $100 per hour (US). My guess is that your going to have around a 1,000 hours which at even $50 hr, means it would "cost" $50,000 for the labor alone.
I also have a 74 Challenger which i restored, but, it was no where near as far gone as yours. Wow..
Anxious to see the end.
Well I think no matter how much u have financially.. you have learned a valuable lesson on how much work this can be and we all have learned how a car that looked much better than we all found out when you stripped her down to her bones
You have done exceptionally well and with your great enthusiasm...i am sure you will finish out strong
God Bless,John
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Thanks for the kind words :slapme5:
I've been keeping all the receipts but I haven't been tracking my time. The car is rough, I know, but it's been a good learning experience so far. And when I finally finish this car, I'll have proven to myself that I can actually take on a huge project and finish it.
Quote from: daaboots on November 29, 2019, 01:33:21 PM
Thanks for the kind words :slapme5:
I've been keeping all the receipts but I haven't been tracking my time. The car is rough, I know, but it's been a good learning experience so far. And when I finally finish this car, I'll have proven to myself that I can actually take on a huge project and finish it.
Well said
It is not what it costs in the end
It is what u learned along the way
Following this thread for sure
God Bless,John
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Nice!
Should be on Netflix.
"Ottawa Valley Restorers"
That guy in BC has a show, no reason why you shouldn't. :drinkingbud:
Quote from: dodj on December 02, 2019, 11:09:38 AM
Nice!
Should be on Netflix.
"Ottawa Valley Restorers"
That guy in BC has a show, no reason why you shouldn't. :drinkingbud:
Now that would be amazing!
Who's this BC fellow?
Search 'Rust Valley Restorers'
Sorry I haven't kept up with the photos.. It's on my to-do list. I HAVE been putting a lot of time into the video series though, and I hope you can tune in this Friday night to watch!
Following. :popcorn:
Very cool.
Thanks for the updates
Alright, I'm gonna try to get caught up on the photos. Next up was the passenger side frame rail. It's wasn't nearly as bad as the other side and I sorta kinda knew what to do this time around. I didn't get any pics of the finished job... looks pretty much the same as the other side!
Figured at this point I might as well pull the engine. I drove the 318 and tranny back to my in-laws place and picked up the 440 block that he had kicking around.
... and then it sat like that for 3 years :bye:
Next video goes live this Thursday! Hope you guys can tune in.
Did i miss something
This happened three years ago
Are u still working on this?
Are the videos old?
God Bless,John
Are u not working now on this?
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Quote from: jringo8769 on February 04, 2020, 05:46:55 PM
Did i miss something
This happened three years ago
Are u still working on this?
Are the videos old?
God Bless,John
Are u not working now on this?
I took a break and just recently started working on the car again. I've been trying to get caught up with posting pictures (transferring over from CC) which is why you're seeing old pics posted up recently. All the videos I have been posting lately are new!
Here's the link to the video going live tonight at 8pm!!
Alright, I'm gonna try to get caught up with the photos. So after a 3 year break from the Challenger, I kicked the dust off the car about a year ago. But first, I had to get some nice photos to promote the video re-launch ;)
First order of business was to fix my first attempt at fixing the wheel housing and mini-tub it! With that done, I was finally able to install the quarter panel!!! Only took 4 years :bricks:
Nice job! :popcorn: :clapping:
With a smidgen of confidence and restored self-esteem after gloating in my quarter panel accomplishment, I decided to jump over to the passenger side. Turns out it wasn't nearly as rotten as the driver side :banana:
I'm super proud of the patch I made for the pillar. Took a long time to get it fitted just right, well worth the effort. And if you remember from my last video, I ran into an issue with the trunk pan, so I finally got around to fitting the quarter panel on so I could mock up the trunk extension to see where I went wrong. Pretty sure I have that sorted out now. More pics and a video to follow soon!
Looking good there.
I've been isolating in my garage these days... which means new Challenger videos! I'll have some pics to post soon as well. Take care everyone and stay safe :wave:
It's been a good long minute, but I'm finally in a position in life right now to dump some serious time and money into this project!!! :wave: My fellow Canadian builders will understand just how expensive shipping big sheet metal parts can be. I have always had items shipped to a UPS store just across the border to save on shipping cost. Well covid put and end to that, until just recently with the announcement of the land border reopening to non-essential visits! So, in a few days, I'll be placing a big order for the next batch of metal that I need - floor pan, drip rails, and rear bumper crossmember. Hopefully I'll be able to get the items before Christmas so I can start working over the break.
One question though - can anybody recommend plans for a DIY rotisserie? I'm getting to the point where having one would make sense.
Thanks and stay tuned!
...except now you'll just have to deal with a lot of parts being out of stock or on back order... :pullinghair:
Glad you're getting back at it. I hope you can get the parts you need.
Poked the car last night to figure out the remaining pieceses of metal that I'll need. The order has been sent in... fingers crossed I can get the parts!
Progress again, FINALLY! And boy does it feel good to be moving forward on the car. My shipment of body pannels from National Moparts arrived a few weeks back (thanks anlauto for the suggestion). I spent a decent amount of time getting the crossmemeber and tail light panels correctly fitted... well as best as I could that is. I made sure they went on nice and level. I wish I would have bought the rear valance now so I can finish up with the rear end of the car.
Lookin' good! AND, coming along., too. If you get truly stuck over that rear valence, I might still have my old one, but I don't remember what shape it's in. I'll try to remember to look and let you know. The price would be right, that's for sure. :cheers:
Quote from: jimynick on January 18, 2022, 07:59:13 PM
Lookin' good! AND, coming along., too. If you get truly stuck over that rear valence, I might still have my old one, but I don't remember what shape it's in. I'll try to remember to look and let you know. The price would be right, that's for sure. :cheers:
You gave me your old one :twothumbsup:
It's a bit rough in a few spots so I figured I'd look at getting a new one. I can give it back to you or I'll just pass it along for free to someone that can make good use of it.
How's your car looking these days anyway? I haven't seen any pics of it.
"You gave me your old one" LOL, I knew my brain was turning to mush, but jeez, I didn't think it was that fast. Anyways, let's go with my heart was and I guess, is, in the right place. If you or someone else can use it, go for it. I'd rather see it used than trashed, if possible. As for my old gal, the boys and I finally thrashed it this spring, as Jim wanted to use it for his wedding car; so it finally got painted and put back together. PM me a phone # and I'll send you some pics of it. Hopefully, yours will be done before too long and you'll get to enjoy the fruits of your labours! :bigthumb:
Progress, Nice! You gonna make more videos?
Maybe I can find some inspiration again, going on 2 years since I worked on mine now.
It feels great working on the old car again! AND it's really starting to look like something half decent :yes:
Always impressed by the work in these videos. Proves any car car be repaired if you've got the ambition :worship: :clapping:
You're doing an awesome job, but I wish I'd seen this earlier. The issue in my tiny mind is the deck lid fit in between the 1/4s. This was your best shot at adjusting before welding and I hope it works out! I note your comments about the rear mldg holes mating with the 1/4 ones. A tapered punch of the right diameter is your friend there. The fit between the 1/4 and the rear body panel is abysmal beneath the mldg area in these cars, and a blunt chisel or drift powered by a BFH can be your friend in "walking" those two panels closer together. You'll likely never get them tight, but that's why the factory bought seam sealer by the ship load, eh? May I recommend mounting the deck lid and seeing where you're at? If required, a slice or two now would be preferable to later when you're farther along. Hopefully, there'll be no need, so let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. I'm so glad to see how your vicegrip collection has grown and how well you employ them! :D :bigthumb:
Quote from: jimynick on January 25, 2022, 02:38:40 PM
You're doing an awesome job, but I wish I'd seen this earlier. The issue in my tiny mind is the deck lid fit in between the 1/4s. This was your best shot at adjusting before welding and I hope it works out! I note your comments about the rear mldg holes mating with the 1/4 ones. A tapered punch of the right diameter is your friend there. The fit between the 1/4 and the rear body panel is abysmal beneath the mldg area in these cars, and a blunt chisel or drift powered by a BFH can be your friend in "walking" those two panels closer together. You'll likely never get them tight, but that's why the factory bought seam sealer by the ship load, eh? May I recommend mounting the deck lid and seeing where you're at? If required, a slice or two now would be preferable to later when you're farther along. Hopefully, there'll be no need, so let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. I'm so glad to see how your vicegrip collection has grown and how well you employ them! :D :bigthumb:
Ah good idea with the tapered punch... wish I would have thought of that earlier! Yeah I guess I should throw the trunk lid on again and check the gap. It was off a bit on the driver side last time I checked. The door gap on the passenger side is off too... hopefully I'll be able to sort that out. Worst case I can always weld in some filler pieces I guess :dunno:
I have lots of vice grips now buddy! Princess auto to the rescue.
"Worst case I can always weld in some filler pieces I guess " Yeah, if you're out of other methods. If it gets to that, may I recommend you cut the 1/4 vertically about a 1/2" back from it's edge? That way you can add a piece the size you need and still retain the factory edge where it meets the door. Welding in a spacer and trying to get the door/quarter gap both even and smooth is a class A, PITA. :cheers:
I have a roof!
The rotten old floor pan is finally OUT!
Getting it out is the hard part. Gonna look nice.
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Slowly untangling the mess...
Well I have the floor pan in for the most part. Still need to make some patches in the rear seat area and close up the openings I made to access the frame rails. The front section where it meets the firewall still needs a lot of work, as do the front rocker panels. It's getting there though, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! :cooldance:
Car is back in the shop... it's BUILD SEASON!!
First order of business is dropping the K-Frame so I can start working on the firewall. Can't wait to start tearing into this old girl again!
K-Frame is out! Those torsion bars were a bit of a pain. Work on the passenger side has begun. The firewall is a complete mess, and the frame rail is a bit more rusty than I thought. One piece at a time!
Heee's back! :twothumbsup:
Good to see progress.
No envy on having to go that deep in.
New video just went live on YouTube!
Nice! Takes me back to the early days of my '74 Canadian Cuda restoration - and I am still working on the later stages years later.
I see your K-Frame has those two weird brackets sticking out of the front like mine does - from what I read this is on "some" '74s - not really sure what its for.
I had to do much of the same - patch up the firewall, replace inner fenders and patch or replace their brackets.
Things just got serious again :o
Now I just need my firewall to arrive from Taiwan...
Next video is up on YouTube. I tackle the door jambs (is that what they're called?) along with a lower bulkhead on the passenger side.
I love the Yamaha Enticer....I always wanted one back in the day... :drooling:
Wow, you are seriously "all-in" on this project. :clapping: Funny when I think back to your original videos on this project when you anticipated having it back on the road in a few months. But I know how that goes, my Cuda was off the road for about the first 20 years of my ownership. Keep at it! :cheers:
Oh I know! I get a good laugh when I look back at my early videos. I really had no idea what I was talking about back then :dunno:
Quote from: DeathProofCuda on January 10, 2023, 10:41:04 AM
Wow, you are seriously "all-in" on this project. :clapping: Funny when I think back to your original videos on this project when you anticipated having it back on the road in a few months. But I know how that goes, my Cuda was off the road for about the first 20 years of my ownership. Keep at it! :cheers:
It's call the "SNOWBALL AFFECT" :haha: :haha: :haha: and you're building one heck of a snowman :twothumbsup:
:worship:
I aways thought it takes a lot of confidence, or ignorance, to take out the whole firewall. Certainly a version of crossing the Rubicon...
Wow , you certainly have ambition I'll give you that! :bravo:
Boy, that looks familiar! LOL You are aware that that lft frt door pillar is 2 piece, right? Be careful to not throw out any of it until you've got it all back and tacked together. When I cut mine out, I didn't realize there were 2 lower connecting panels and had to go out and drag the junk back in, to remove the mangled (by me) pieces so as to repair and refit them. I found the trans tunnel didn't want to play nice at the point where it met the new firewall.but a 4X4 on a floor jack up in the tunnel helped that out. We bonded the cowl to the firewall before installing them for what it's worth and you may want to check that out. Send me a PM with your email on it and I'll send you the pics of when we did mine, for reference. It's coming along nicely! Cheers, Ian
Quote from: jimynick on January 20, 2023, 07:11:26 PM
Boy, that looks familiar! LOL You are aware that that lft frt door pillar is 2 piece, right? Be careful to not throw out any of it until you've got it all back and tacked together. When I cut mine out, I didn't realize there were 2 lower connecting panels and had to go out and drag the junk back in, to remove the mangled (by me) pieces so as to repair and refit them. I found the trans tunnel didn't want to play nice at the point where it met the new firewall.but a 4X4 on a floor jack up in the tunnel helped that out. We bonded the cowl to the firewall before installing them for what it's worth and you may want to check that out. Send me a PM with your email on it and I'll send you the pics of when we did mine, for reference. It's coming along nicely! Cheers, Ian
Agreed.
Also, there is a bend that shouldn't be there on the AMD cowl side panels that attach to the firewall and overlap behind the hinge pillar. My LH side also had the parking brake pedal assembly mounting nut welded onto the wrong side of the panel! You definitely don't want to find that out after all of this work when you begin reassembly; I'm glad I caught mine before installation.
Quote from: jimynick on January 20, 2023, 07:11:26 PM
Boy, that looks familiar! LOL You are aware that that lft frt door pillar is 2 piece, right? Be careful to not throw out any of it until you've got it all back and tacked together. When I cut mine out, I didn't realize there were 2 lower connecting panels and had to go out and drag the junk back in, to remove the mangled (by me) pieces so as to repair and refit them. I found the trans tunnel didn't want to play nice at the point where it met the new firewall.but a 4X4 on a floor jack up in the tunnel helped that out. We bonded the cowl to the firewall before installing them for what it's worth and you may want to check that out. Send me a PM with your email on it and I'll send you the pics of when we did mine, for reference. It's coming along nicely! Cheers, Ian
I'll send you a msg with my email for the photos.
Yes, I did order the inner and outer piece for the door pillar. I wasn't aware of any other lower connecting panels. I guess I'll have to drag my scrap back in as well :D
Quote from: Dmod1974 on January 21, 2023, 07:32:54 AM
Agreed.
Also, there is a bend that shouldn't be there on the AMD cowl side panels that attach to the firewall and overlap behind the hinge pillar. My LH side also had the parking brake pedal assembly mounting nut welded onto the wrong side of the panel! You definitely don't want to find that out after all of this work when you begin reassembly; I'm glad I caught mine before installation.
Does the bend cause a fitment issue or is it just not "original" in appearance?
Thanks for the heads up on the brake pedal issue. I'll give mine a good look when it arrives.
Quote from: anlauto on January 19, 2023, 07:05:26 AM
It's call the "SNOWBALL AFFECT" :haha: :haha: :haha: and you're building one heck of a snowman :twothumbsup:
This whole car has been one huge snowball running downhill :looney:
Quote from: dodj on January 20, 2023, 05:18:40 AM
:worship:
I aways thought it takes a lot of confidence, or ignorance, to take out the whole firewall. Certainly a version of crossing the Rubicon...
Probably ignorance on my part :o
Quote from: Brads70 on January 20, 2023, 07:44:23 AM
Wow , you certainly have ambition I'll give you that! :bravo:
Thanks buddy!
Quote from: daaboots on February 01, 2023, 08:57:51 AM
Quote from: Dmod1974 on January 21, 2023, 07:32:54 AM
Agreed.
Also, there is a bend that shouldn't be there on the AMD cowl side panels that attach to the firewall and overlap behind the hinge pillar. My LH side also had the parking brake pedal assembly mounting nut welded onto the wrong side of the panel! You definitely don't want to find that out after all of this work when you begin reassembly; I'm glad I caught mine before installation.
Does the bend cause a fitment issue or is it just not "original" in appearance?
Thanks for the heads up on the brake pedal issue. I'll give mine a good look when it arrives.
Both. I just massaged the bends out of mine so they were flat like they're supposed to be.
It's been minus a million degrees in Ottawa lately. :o. Probably got lots of garage time in? :wrenching:
Quote from: dodj on February 09, 2023, 04:55:50 AM
It's been minus a million degrees in Ottawa lately. :o. Probably got lots of garage time in? :wrenching:
Bah! We had one sorta kinda cold night and everyone FREAKED out :'(
Haven't touched the car since the last video. I'm waiting for the firewall and related parts to show up. Until then, there's only a few little things I can fix up, and I haven't found the motivation to get my ass in gear.
My sister is in Orleans..she said -40*?
Quote from: dodj on February 09, 2023, 01:54:42 PM
My sister is in Orleans..she said -40*?
..
.well it's forty below and I don't give a :foul: , got heater in my truck and I'm off to the rodeo..... :banana: :banana:
Get back in the garage...we need another video to watch... :cooldance:
Next video is live! I repaired the front driver side rocker panel. I should have a bunch more parts in a month to start putting the firewall back together.
I'm back at it! New door post and firewall is slowing going in :twothumbsup:
New video! I just finished installing the a-post pillar (door hinge post)
Amazing how much work it takes to rebuild a body. May be put hinges on and test fit the door at this time?
Been there, done that, and I don't miss or envy this stage of a build.
Yup, that cowl side piece fits like crap. My AMD ones also had that incorrect bend and the notches did not line up with the OE pieces. Also, double check the parking brake weld nut on the driver side. Mine was welded on the wrong side! That would have been really bad if I didn't catch and correct it before going together.
Quote from: Dmod1974 on June 16, 2023, 04:13:49 PM
Been there, done that, and I don't miss or envy this stage of a build.
Yup, that cowl side piece fits like crap. My AMD ones also had that incorrect bend and the notches did not line up with the OE pieces. Also, double check the parking brake weld nut on the driver side. Mine was welded on the wrong side! That would have been really bad if I didn't catch and correct it before going together.
Well I'm glad I'm not the only one with fitment issues. I'll check out that parking brake nut. What side should it be on?
Quote from: daaboots on June 19, 2023, 07:06:18 AM
Quote from: Dmod1974 on June 16, 2023, 04:13:49 PM
Been there, done that, and I don't miss or envy this stage of a build.
Yup, that cowl side piece fits like crap. My AMD ones also had that incorrect bend and the notches did not line up with the OE pieces. Also, double check the parking brake weld nut on the driver side. Mine was welded on the wrong side! That would have been really bad if I didn't catch and correct it before going together.
Well I'm glad I'm not the only one with fitment issues. I'll check out that parking brake nut. What side should it be on?
It should be on the backside of the panel so that the parking brake pedal assy. sits flush on that panel. On mine, and several others I've seen, the weld nut was on the wrong side so the parking brake assy. would sit on top of the tiny weld nut instead of flush against the panel. It might still physically bolt up since the stud holes on the firewall are pretty big, but the bolt hole end is sitting up on a 1/2" diameter nut instead of fitting tightly against the cowl side panel with way more surface area. That's assuming the bolt hole in the parking brake assy. isn't so large that the weld nut passes through it. I fixed mine instead of waiting to find out if it would work at all.
(https://i.imgur.com/oG0UfWKh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/s4yeGyvh.jpg)
And here's the parking brake assy. That bolt hole is slotted and pretty big.... Not sure if it would pass through and prevent you from tightening it down or not.
(https://i.imgur.com/VSOLWAOh.jpg)
Quote from: Dmod1974 on June 19, 2023, 07:21:33 AM
Quote from: daaboots on June 19, 2023, 07:06:18 AM
Quote from: Dmod1974 on June 16, 2023, 04:13:49 PM
Been there, done that, and I don't miss or envy this stage of a build.
Yup, that cowl side piece fits like crap. My AMD ones also had that incorrect bend and the notches did not line up with the OE pieces. Also, double check the parking brake weld nut on the driver side. Mine was welded on the wrong side! That would have been really bad if I didn't catch and correct it before going together.
Well I'm glad I'm not the only one with fitment issues. I'll check out that parking brake nut. What side should it be on?
It should be on the backside of the panel so that the parking brake pedal assy. sits flush on that panel. On mine, and several others I've seen, the weld nut was on the wrong side so the parking brake assy. would sit on top of the tiny weld nut instead of flush against the panel. It might still physically bolt up since the stud holes on the firewall are pretty big, but the bolt hole end is sitting up on a 1/2" diameter nut instead of fitting tightly against the cowl side panel with way more surface area. That's assuming the bolt hole in the parking brake assy. isn't so large that the weld nut passes through it. I fixed mine instead of waiting to find out if it would work at all.
Thanks for the heads up!
Still plugging away on the firewall
Comin' along! I can see that you're not paying for the mig wire the way you welded that hinge pillar to the firewall! LOL One of the things I admire about your repair is your tenacity! There is no way in hell you can repair one of these things in the state ours were in, without it. You'll get a great high one day as you sit and look at her and you'll have earned every bit of it. Roll on lad, roll on! :bigthumb:
Quote from: jimynick on June 25, 2023, 07:20:25 PM
Comin' along! I can see that you're not paying for the mig wire the way you welded that hinge pillar to the firewall! LOL One of the things I admire about your repair is your tenacity! There is no way in hell you can repair one of these things in the state ours were in, without it. You'll get a great high one day as you sit and look at her and you'll have earned every bit of it. Roll on lad, roll on! :bigthumb:
Thanks Ian! LOL... what's a few dollars of mig wire at this point eh :drunk:
Good job! I had exactly the same issue at the floor/firewall hump and a piece of 4X4 longitudinally on a floor jack helped to achieve a half decent fit. I was nodding my head when you said you were going to weld the complete seam and that's exactly what I did and don't regret it a bit. Suggestions? Seam seal around the stacks for the vents. Water will lay in the top of the firewall and you don't want to give it a chance to wick/rot it's way into your interior. We bonded my cowl panel with a few spot welds. I used the bonding kits to seam seal as well. Some like to paint inside the cowl as well as the firewall before assembling; can't hurt. You've really grasped the "massage" part of an install and I can't see anything stopping you doing it. Nice job and we'll look for the second part of "as the cowl turns!" :bigthumb:
Quote from: jimynick on June 26, 2023, 06:55:55 PM
Good job! I had exactly the same issue at the floor/firewall hump and a piece of 4X4 longitudinally on a floor jack helped to achieve a half decent fit. I was nodding my head when you said you were going to weld the complete seam and that's exactly what I did and don't regret it a bit. Suggestions? Seam seal around the stacks for the vents. Water will lay in the top of the firewall and you don't want to give it a chance to wick/rot it's way into your interior. We bonded my cowl panel with a few spot welds. I used the bonding kits to seam seal as well. Some like to paint inside the cowl as well as the firewall before assembling; can't hurt. You've really grasped the "massage" part of an install and I can't see anything stopping you doing it. Nice job and we'll look for the second part of "as the cowl turns!" :bigthumb:
Same here!!! I ended up welding the entire seam because it fit so poorly. I also seam sealed the cowl vents.
One other thing I'd add, MAKE SURE TO MOCK UP YOUR STEERING COLUMN AND DASH FRAME BEFORE WELDING THE COWL ON!!!!! I had to drill the spot welds out on the firewall column/pedal bracket and move mine because it was not where it should be. I couldn't get the main pedal bracket assembly to line up with the various bolt and stud holes on that welded bracket and the firewall holes as it was installed.
Quote from: jimynick on June 26, 2023, 06:55:55 PM
Good job! I had exactly the same issue at the floor/firewall hump and a piece of 4X4 longitudinally on a floor jack helped to achieve a half decent fit. I was nodding my head when you said you were going to weld the complete seam and that's exactly what I did and don't regret it a bit. Suggestions? Seam seal around the stacks for the vents. Water will lay in the top of the firewall and you don't want to give it a chance to wick/rot it's way into your interior. We bonded my cowl panel with a few spot welds. I used the bonding kits to seam seal as well. Some like to paint inside the cowl as well as the firewall before assembling; can't hurt. You've really grasped the "massage" part of an install and I can't see anything stopping you doing it. Nice job and we'll look for the second part of "as the cowl turns!" :bigthumb:
Thanks Ian!
I was looking at the seal around those vent stacks and thinking exactly the same thing!
What do you mean when you say "bonding"?
Quote from: Dmod1974 on June 26, 2023, 07:19:53 PM
Same here!!! I ended up welding the entire seam because it fit so poorly. I also seam sealed the cowl vents.
One other thing I'd add, MAKE SURE TO MOCK UP YOUR STEERING COLUMN AND DASH FRAME BEFORE WELDING THE COWL ON!!!!! I had to drill the spot welds out on the firewall column/pedal bracket and move mine because it was not where it should be. I couldn't get the main pedal bracket assembly to line up with the various bolt and stud holes on that welded bracket and the firewall holes as it was installed.
Oh that's interesting! Guess I'll have to drag those parts out and do a test fit. Thanks for the heads up!
Bonding is a procedure that uses modified epoxies to literally glue body panels together. It's used by many if not most OEM car manufacturers and I was a sceptic until I saw it demonstrated. Some have micro particles to give proper part spacing and they're available in short, medium and longer cure times. I also used them for seam sealing although they're expensive for that duty.. Dominion Sure Seal makes a couple of good, straight seam sealers too. #214 and 224 are good and affordable. You can buy spray cans of Krown rustproofing and don't be stingy with it! After all, who'd want to go through all this again in a few years? :bigthumb: :cheers:
Happy Friday folks! New video is up on the tube. This one is just a small panel fabrication to cap off the front of the sil.
Quote from: Dmod1974 on June 19, 2023, 07:21:33 AM
Quote from: daaboots on June 19, 2023, 07:06:18 AM
Quote from: Dmod1974 on June 16, 2023, 04:13:49 PM
Been there, done that, and I don't miss or envy this stage of a build.
Yup, that cowl side piece fits like crap. My AMD ones also had that incorrect bend and the notches did not line up with the OE pieces. Also, double check the parking brake weld nut on the driver side. Mine was welded on the wrong side! That would have been really bad if I didn't catch and correct it before going together.
Well I'm glad I'm not the only one with fitment issues. I'll check out that parking brake nut. What side should it be on?
It should be on the backside of the panel so that the parking brake pedal assy. sits flush on that panel. On mine, and several others I've seen, the weld nut was on the wrong side so the parking brake assy. would sit on top of the tiny weld nut instead of flush against the panel. It might still physically bolt up since the stud holes on the firewall are pretty big, but the bolt hole end is sitting up on a 1/2" diameter nut instead of fitting tightly against the cowl side panel with way more surface area. That's assuming the bolt hole in the parking brake assy. isn't so large that the weld nut passes through it. I fixed mine instead of waiting to find out if it would work at all.
(https://i.imgur.com/oG0UfWKh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/s4yeGyvh.jpg)
Well would you look at that. Mine has the same issue! Thanks for the heads up.
I've been slacking with photos lately, so here's all that I took during the door hinge and firewall replacement. All in all, things went decent. The joint between the floor pan and firewall on the passenger side could have been better. I think I'll fully weld the entire seam at some point.
Enjoy another video showing the cowl installation :cheers:
I fixed up the rad support and installed the new inner fenders.
Great job! Just watched all the firewall/cowl and inner fenders parts videos, dreading to do this on my 73 when the time comes.
Quote from: soundcontrol on September 17, 2023, 11:59:24 AM
Great job! Just watched all the firewall/cowl and inner fenders parts videos, dreading to do this on my 73 when the time comes.
It's a big job. I was really worried about the firewall, but it wasn't too bad once I got into it. Best of luck on your 73!
Lookin' good lad, lookin' good! This would be the perfect time to buy and install the USCartools frt apron reinforcement kit. I did and it was an easy enough install and gives much more rigidity to these old flexy flyers. Glad to see you were aware of those two connecter panels between the apron and firewall! I wasn't, and had to drag back inside the scrap and salvage them for mine! Jesus, what an idiot. Glad to see your confidence growing and also glad to see your persistence, it's paying bigger and bigger dividends here. Keep up the good work! :twothumbsup:
Quote from: jimynick on September 18, 2023, 07:12:48 PM
Lookin' good lad, lookin' good! This would be the perfect time to buy and install the USCartools frt apron reinforcement kit. I did and it was an easy enough install and gives much more rigidity to these old flexy flyers. Glad to see you were aware of those two connecter panels between the apron and firewall! I wasn't, and had to drag back inside the scrap and salvage them for mine! Jesus, what an idiot. Glad to see your confidence growing and also glad to see your persistence, it's paying bigger and bigger dividends here. Keep up the good work! :twothumbsup:
Thanks Ian. I always appreciate the kind words. I do plan on installing some kind of frame stiffing kit... I might attempt to make my own though depending on price. I should have the car up on the rotisserie in a month or so. I'm looking forward to finally finishing the metal fab so I can move onto the paint phase!
The next video is up. I finished up the inner fenders and installed the shock mount brackets. I'm getting so close to having the metal work complete on this car, finally!
Solid progress there.
Definitely do not envy that work load.
Nice, great video too !
Next video is up. Started fixing up the front frame rails. Turned out half decent!
Video won't play. It said an error had occurred..
:iagree: Yup, I get the error too when I try to watch it.
My bad... the link is fixed now. Here it is again so you don't have to scroll up. :cheers:
So it looks like the updated forum handles YouTube links differently. I went back and fixed the links to all the previous videos. Enjoy!
You know what? I think one of the biggest sources of enjoyment I've gotten during this series, is the growth not only in your ability, but more importantly, in your confidence and ability to take the never-ending discoveries requiring more repair in stride. That, coupled with your willingness to do the job properly, are impressive. You've developed the ability to think the problem through and then fix it. Nice work lad, nice work! :twothumbsup:
Quote from: jimynick on November 30, 2023, 08:08:41 PMYou know what? I think one of the biggest sources of enjoyment I've gotten during this series, is the growth not only in your ability, but more importantly, in your confidence and ability to take the never-ending discoveries requiring more repair in stride. That, coupled with your willingness to do the job properly, are impressive. You've developed the ability to think the problem through and then fix it. Nice work lad, nice work! :twothumbsup:
Thanks so much Ian. I always appreciate your kind words. I was thinking along similar lines tonight while working on the car. I was looking at some of my first work and thinking to myself how much better my latest patches are in comparison.
Take care!
Time to get caught up on some photos. All my attention has been on the front end of the car. The inner fenders needed to be replaced, and sections of the frame rails needed to be cut out and replaced. Everything went smooth and I'm happy with the results.
Next dump of photos...
Excellent video...You are certainly getting better with your craft with every video....Let me know when I can start sending cars to you... :twothumbsup:
Been watching when you first start rebuilding this car. Glad you are getting close to be done with the rust repair. Seems like never ending. Any plans to go beyond factory like sub frame connectors etc? Don't recall if you spoke about your plans for the car. Tell us more on your visions of the end product. Driver, pro-touring or factory restoration?
Quote from: anlauto on December 02, 2023, 07:17:54 PMExcellent video...You are certainly getting better with your craft with every video....Let me know when I can start sending cars to you... :twothumbsup:
Thanks Alan!
Oh goodness... one is enough for my lifetime :drunk:
Quote from: 7212Mopar on December 03, 2023, 11:08:32 AMBeen watching when you first start rebuilding this car. Glad you are getting close to be done with the rust repair. Seems like never ending. Any plans to go beyond factory like sub frame connectors etc? Don't recall if you spoke about your plans for the car. Tell us more on your visions of the end product. Driver, pro-touring or factory restoration?
I plan on adding some home-built subframe connectors and torque boxes for the rear suspension mount point. I might add some bracing to the front shock towers as well. I plan on using this as a daily driver in the summer months. I'll be upgrading to a 4-link suspension in the rear. Front will remain stock for now, but would like to switch to one of those fancy double a-arm kits with rack & pinion steering someday. I'm looking for a 440 engine, and would like to convert it to EFI. I already have a factory 4 speed and posi rear end from my father-in-law, although a Dana 60 would sure be nice! I'd like to install a roll cage, but I don't want it getting into the way too much for the back seats.
That's the plan anyway... we'll see what the future holds!
After many years of rust repair, I FINALLY have this car on a rotisserie. Thanks so much Ian (@jimynick) for lending me this unit. I have a few repairs on the back frame rails and driver rocker panel to complete, and after that, the metal work is finished! Time to start thinking about subframe connectors, suspension, and paint!
:drinkingbud:
Glad to see the car on the rotisserie! May I suggest welding back together the longitudinal piece of angle iron that runs from front to back? It keeps the ends from wanting to walk out when a load gets put on them. I just blew it in half for portability and thought I'd given it to you ?? With your acquired welding skills it'd be a piece of cake to re-install it. Roll on :bigthumb:
Quote from: jimynick on December 05, 2023, 07:26:42 PMGlad to see the car on the rotisserie! May I suggest welding back together the longitudinal piece of angle iron that runs from front to back? It keeps the ends from wanting to walk out when a load gets put on them. I just blew it in half for portability and thought I'd given it to you ?? With your acquired welding skills it'd be a piece of cake to re-install it. Roll on :bigthumb:
I think I left that piece behind because it was too long to fit in the back of my truck. I have some scrap angle around here somewhere that I'll weld to it. Take care!
Another great video....you've come a looooong way brother ! :cheers:
Quote from: daaboots on December 05, 2023, 06:24:15 PMQuote from: 7212Mopar on December 03, 2023, 11:08:32 AMBeen watching when you first start rebuilding this car. Glad you are getting close to be done with the rust repair. Seems like never ending. Any plans to go beyond factory like sub frame connectors etc? Don't recall if you spoke about your plans for the car. Tell us more on your visions of the end product. Driver, pro-touring or factory restoration?
I plan on adding some home-built subframe connectors and torque boxes for the rear suspension mount point. I might add some bracing to the front shock towers as well. I plan on using this as a daily driver in the summer months. I'll be upgrading to a 4-link suspension in the rear. Front will remain stock for now, but would like to switch to one of those fancy double a-arm kits with rack & pinion steering someday. I'm looking for a 440 engine, and would like to convert it to EFI. I already have a factory 4 speed and posi rear end from my father-in-law, although a Dana 60 would sure be nice! I'd like to install a roll cage, but I don't want it getting into the way too much for the back seats.
That's the plan anyway... we'll see what the future holds!
Planning and decide ahead is important to avoid doing more than once and save some $ and time. I did my share of that. For example, like if you keep the stock front suspension, then you need bigger torsion bars for the 440 since you pulled out the 318 originally. The bars you have now does not have the correct spring rate for a heavier 440. Later when you go with the rack and pinion and coilover setup then you will need to sell the torsion bars.
Unless you're hitting the dragstrip every weekend and build a motor with gobs of torque, all that extra bracing and stiffening is overkill and will just make the car so ridged that it won't be a pleasure to drive, it will ride like a tank...good luck keeping the family interested in a Sunday drive :alan2cents:
Quote from: anlauto on December 06, 2023, 04:25:31 PMUnless you're hitting the dragstrip every weekend and build a motor with gobs of torque, all that extra bracing and stiffening is overkill and will just make the car so ridged that it won't be a pleasure to drive, it will ride like a tank...good luck keeping the family interested in a Sunday drive :alan2cents:
Interesting... I'm hoping to someday have a motor that will be around 500 hp and I'd like to take it to the track once and a while. I would like something that's comfortable to drive though :thinking:
The more stiff and rigid the chassis is, the better the suspension can do its job. So springs and shocks calibration determines stiffness or softness of the ride. Stiffening the chassis (in our case, the unibody) to remove flex is always a good thing to do.
It boils down to what the intended purpose of the car is... :banana:
Quote from: daaboots on December 06, 2023, 10:02:15 AMQuote from: jimynick on December 05, 2023, 07:26:42 PMGlad to see the car on the rotisserie! May I suggest welding back together the longitudinal piece of angle iron that runs from front to back? It keeps the ends from wanting to walk out when a load gets put on them. I just blew it in half for portability and thought I'd given it to you ?? With your acquired welding skills it'd be a piece of cake to re-install it. Roll on :bigthumb:
I think I left that piece behind because it was too long to fit in the back of my truck. I have some scrap angle around here somewhere that I'll weld to it. Take care!
Guess I'll have to be a wee bit more careful when mowing! :bigthumb: Glad 6you can replace it and I think it'll work better for you.
Quote from: daaboots on December 07, 2023, 08:55:36 AMQuote from: anlauto on December 06, 2023, 04:25:31 PMUnless you're hitting the dragstrip every weekend and build a motor with gobs of torque, all that extra bracing and stiffening is overkill and will just make the car so ridged that it won't be a pleasure to drive, it will ride like a tank...good luck keeping the family interested in a Sunday drive :alan2cents:
Interesting... I'm hoping to someday have a motor that will be around 500 hp and I'd like to take it to the track once and a while. I would like something that's comfortable to drive though :thinking:
Stiff body will be a necessity with the hp you noted.
4 link with proper shock setup will more than make up for the "stiffness".
Same with proper front shocks. A lot of fine tuning is available with factory suspension. Converting to a rack setup will increase turning radius. I converted another project of mine. Enjoy its precision. Hate its turning.
Adding frame connectors to mine right now as I am aiming for 500hp with the turbos.
New video up on YouTube. Getting really close to having the metal work done on this old rust bucket!
Here a dump of photos I haven't posted yet. Most details are already covered in my last few videos. The 4 speed hump is installed, and I started to work on the doors. The passenger side was good enough to save, but the driver side was a mess so I decided to pull the skin off.
You should have kept the portion of the floor pan which covered the cross member. Now road crap can get in.
Quote from: larry4406 on March 16, 2024, 11:54:21 AMYou should have kept the portion of the floor pan which covered the cross member. Now road crap can get in.
Agreed , also stronger with that section of the floor in. Especially being the torsion bar crossmember. Not too late to add it back in though! Easy enough to do.
This is what the factory 4 speed cutout(s) look like, there was actually two holes:
Hmmmm...I left mine open since I did the four speed conversion somewhere around '86. Never thought about it until now..thanks guys...another thing to add to the 'round tuit' list.
Thanks for the heads up everyone! I guess I got a little too carried away cutting out the floor.
New video is up on the channel. I fabricated some subframe connectors!
Sure is nice to have a rotisserie, SO much easier! Nice work! Don't forget about the e-brake cable.....it needs to go thru the subframe connectors
I really dislike the original e-body 'clothesline' e-brake system so I replaced it with one of these.
https://www.estopp.com/info
Mounted on to the side of a sub frame connector and bought two Lokar cables to run to each wheel. Works great.
Quote from: dodj on March 18, 2024, 03:39:31 AMI really dislike the original e-body 'clothesline' e-brake system so I replaced it with one of these.
https://www.estopp.com/info
Mounted on to the side of a sub frame connector and bought two Lokar cables to run to each wheel. Works great.
Where did you mount the button? Did you remove the E-brake pedal?
Quote from: larry4406 on March 18, 2024, 04:57:25 AMWhere did you mount the button? Did you remove the E-brake pedal?
Button replaced the lighter and yes I removed the ebrake pedal and plugged the firewall holes.
@dodj I really like the looks of the e-brake system! I think I'll use that system to simplify my build.