My 1970 440 Challenger is going back togethor!

[redgum78]

Hi everyone.
I have finally decided what I am going to do with my 70 Challenger.
I have owned it for about 10 years. In the first 2 years of owning it I had it media blasted then I set out repairing rust. I have replaced floor panels, rear quarters, repaired the roof and trunk floor and a little bit of rust on the inner front fenders. It then sat in storage until now (and suffered a little surface rust).
I was initially going to do a full and proper restoration on it. Then I thought I would go down the resto mod path but I since have come to realize that this is not really what i want either.
What i want is a running driving 1970 Challenger that I am not scared to park down the street.
I appreciate a nice shiny show quality paint job but..... I would rather a tough driving and handling Challenger with dirty shity paint than a show quality paint job that i might finish one day, and then worry every drive because of all the time and money I have tied up in it.
I know many of you will not agree with this method but I hope you can understand that it will at least become a running driving car again. If I stick to my original plan it will still be in pieces in another 10 years!

Here is a pic of what I am working with.

[Cuda Cody]

Everyone is working with different time constraints and goals.  Glad to hear you're getting back on her and I hope to see you driving it soon!      

[ksierens]

What ever your direction or goal, it would just be great to get it done, oh and I still wouldn't park it down the street, it will be gone quicker than sh#t, still a Challenger you know 

I have been working on mine off and on for at least 10 year, though it is finally getting to the end, money providing!

[redgum78]

What ever your direction or goal, it would just be great to get it done, oh and I still wouldn't park it down the street, it will be gone quicker than sh#t, still a Challenger you know 

I have been working on mine off and on for at least 10 year, though it is finally getting to the end, money providing!

Yep it would be great to get it done.
I have had 3 other project cars jump ahead of my Challenger because they "didn't have to be done to the same standard as my Challenger". As a result my Challenger keeps getting pushed down the list.
I don't even lock the doors on my Charger when I park it down the street! 

Here is a couple more pics. My little helper is getting keen too!

[redgum78]

Here is a few pics of the work I did before it went into storage. Notice the later indicator light cutouts on the quarters. At the time i could only get the later quarter skins so after fitting the skins i later cut the inserts out of my original quarters and fitted them to the new skins.

[redgum78]

I also had to re-work the rocker sill. The original was badly dinted and someone had slipped a replacement over the top of it! I cut it all out and fabed up a new one and fitted it.

[redgum78]

I did a bit of panel work on the front fender today before running out of shield gas in the welder. Went down to my supplier for more but they had sold out  .
After that I started work on gapping the door and fender, it still needs some work but is a heap better than the original fit up when I got it. Fairly sure it is not the original door but I think I should be able to make it work and look ok.

[340challconvert]

Looks like your work on the Challenger is progressing nicely. I feel your pain in wanting to get your car back on the road and actually drive the car.

My A66 Challenger vert has been in storage since 1984. Owned it since 1979, drove it 5 years, and bought a car to go to work and the Challenger sat.

I'm finally doing the same now, clean it up, fix the body and mechanical s, decent paint job and make a driver out of it.
Best wishes on getting your car on the road.

[redgum78]

Looks like your work on the Challenger is progressing nicely. I feel your pain in wanting to get your car back on the road and actually drive the car.

My A66 Challenger vert has been in storage since 1984. Owned it since 1979, drove it 5 years, and bought a car to go to work and the Challenger sat.

I'm finally doing the same now, clean it up, fix the body and mechanical s, decent paint job and make a driver out of it.
Best wishes on getting your car on the road.

Thanks for the wishes 340, and good luck with yours. Have you got a thread on here so I can follow along?

[Cudakiller70]

I like it, get the paint thing too.

[redgum78]

I like it, get the paint thing too.

thanks

[redgum78]

Got more gas today and finished the metal work on the guard.
I got the guard and door gapped and then stripped them both back to bar metal. They were both in etch primer but have been in storage for so long that a little rust staining was showing through which is why i took them both all the way back to metal. If time permits I'll prep them tomorrow.

Notice the Aussie Mopar in the background, 67 VC Valiant in case anyone was wondering.

Dan

[Chryco Psycho]

Good work !! Step by step .
The Valiant is cool too

[redgum78]

Good work !! Step by step .
The Valiant is cool too

Thank you sir.

No photo worthy work on Challenger in the last couple of days. My Dad cracked the engine block on his diesel Landcruiser so my time was spent doing an engine change on it.

[Chryco Psycho]

All in Good time !!