Joe Dirtier Charger

[shane2290]

Johnny not to far off the mark with saving the roof lol ---forgot about this piece had to do as well as I moved to the drivers side

Car was in previous fender bender and mangled up the drivers striker B post ---so here we go again





was into it pretty good before remembered to take any pics




Had give it lill tug with ratchet strap ---was kind of limited of what I could do since I was unable to move car around





came out ok ----I had just cut it out of full post I ordered



Cheers

 

[markg]

Hobbies are for one to create and get away from "everyday stress". This hobby allows one to have little victories along the pathway to creating a project out in a Shop away from family. By the time our profuse cursing and hurling of tools and pieces of metal, etc. is over, there were no witnesses to ask why we build cars, bikes, etc. By the time I get from the Shop to the house, I'm cooled down and "normal" LOL

Shop work is cheap therapy that will keep you sane!

 

[licensed to kill]

There is a bit of freaky story after buying the Charger ,

My grandfather passed away in 2004 and was a hoarder , being old school never tossed anything out ......may need it one day he always said but that included readers digest from the 50's , newspapers and old auto traders.......... everything. So as we were loading crap in a dumpster I pocketed a old auto trader as it was kinda neat looking back at some of the cars for sale and how much they were. Back in 1992 I bought a Mustang GT from a Italian fella outta downtown TO --same year my wife and I started dating. So last year I needed to put up more shelves in the shop (charger parts) and cleaned out old cupboard I had and there was the old auto trader from my Grandfathers in there , so I started thumbing thru it and...... no way its my old Mustang ad in there but upon a closer look there is Charger in same ad. So I am freaked out and call my wife out to the shop to come and look at this as I think its the Charger sitting in front of me ...she thinks I am nuts .........in the meantime I call guy I purchased Charger from to ask where he had bought it ........guy downtown named Mario back in 92 ---no way cant be really? but ya it is it ---its the car in ad along with my Mustang same wheels and tires were still on it when I bought it as you can see in the first post --has 69-70 stripe on back not 68 --silly trac bars -and same guy " Mario" as in AD and on the used vehicle package that I got when I plated Charger. --Whats the odds me picking up the particular auto trader out of a stack and keeping it all this time only to have purchased both cars at different times ........Mustang sold couple years after bought it , not so practical in winter. Spooky story none the less .....and my Dad had identical option Charger back in the day but not this one --this one came from Sarnia originally --that would have been too crazy if turned out to be his !!

Cheers

View attachment 7457

Wow, that is hard to believe. Not the odds of finding the very same trader but that you went to this "Mario's" place and came home with the 'stang instead of the Charger back then.

 

[shane2290]

Wow, that is hard to believe. Not the odds of finding the very same trader but that you went to this "Mario's" place and came home with the 'stang instead of the Charger back then.

Charger was gone first and knew zero about it when picked up the Mustang .....But Charger wasnt in my budget back then lol

 

[shane2290]

Couldn't not find a full size 1/4 for the drivers side at the time so best I could get was a partial that will have to do. Apparently still not punching panels or very selective I guess ...... ?
Now this is not something I have ever done but seen it done a few times so took a stab at it ...... Prepped it up with some rubber coating like gravel guard on the inside.





Knocked it down and got it prepped ---so earlier I was saying bout making rookie mistake....well one of many lol ......was the outer wheel house on each side I put back on exactly where original ones were before fitting the quarters ----if I had left them loose they are easily clocked to fit the 1/4 panel but these were not so bad but know better now .






slow process ......is hard no to get too far ahead of yourself that's for sure.







came out ok ........... I think lol



Cheers

 

[shane2290]

Not much happening lately .......seems to be all time consuming stuff with more aftermarket panels


had to massage the back window corners to get window and trim to fit decent





and seems to be better now ---both sides were the same ---didnt fit worth a sh*t











trunk latch cage and that was it for welding back here ...........maybe lol ( if ever doing one of these latch assemblies.. they are not center )




Cheers

 

[CDNflatlander]

More great shares from your shop… “not centered…” that would likely put me into spin! Haha, interesting things we find when playing with a tape measure, string lines and a beer. Like many things that are mass produced, the ‘fudge factor” is there, the bigger the production numbers, greater ‘tolerances’. As a machinist, I have a hard time when things are not concentric, symmetrical and balanced.
I appreciate your struggles and bringing them to the table. Thanks again.

 

[shaune]

THAT is a cool story ! You have to keep the charger now for evahhh

 

[James__WC]

Greg: When I was doing my apprenticeship training at N.A.I.T. eons ago, one of the instructors mentioned that the AMC Pacer was not symmetrical.
ie) one door and quarter are different lengths vs the other side. I had a hard time with that concept, but we never ever did have one come in for repairs.....then a few years back, there was one inside, and for sale @ the Quicktimes Swapmeet in Red Deer, so I pulled out my tape measure, and sho-nuff, it's true!! Can't come up with a single reason in my head why that would be a good idea, as the first thing you do when making collision repairs is grab the tape and cross measure stuff, which clearly will not help on a PACER

 

[shane2290]

More great shares from your shop… “not centered…” that would likely put me into spin! Haha, interesting things we find when playing with a tape measure, string lines and a beer. Like many things that are mass produced, the ‘fudge factor” is there, the bigger the production numbers, greater ‘tolerances’. As a machinist, I have a hard time when things are not concentric, symmetrical and balanced.
I appreciate your struggles and bringing them to the table. Thanks again.

Ya no idea why and I may have put it back where " I " thought it should have went but read it somewhere about them being off center , since I am usually retaining useless information I got lucky remembering that tidbit lol


Cheers

 

[shane2290]

THAT is a cool story ! You have to keep the charger now for evahhh

ya crazy stuff for sure Shaune .......... no intentions on selling this one .......yet lol but as I told the wife will be boring to drive compared to the T

 

[shane2290]

Greg: When I was doing my apprenticeship training at N.A.I.T. eons ago, one of the instructors mentioned that the AMC Pacer was not symmetrical.
ie) one door and quarter are different lengths vs the other side. I had a hard time with that concept, but we never ever did have one come in for repairs.....then a few years back, there was one inside, and for sale @ the Quicktimes Swapmeet in Red Deer, so I pulled out my tape measure, and sho-nuff, it's true!! Can't come up with a single reason in my head why that would be a good idea, as the first thing you do when making collision repairs is grab the tape and cross measure stuff, which clearly will not help on a PACER

now thats crazy stuff .............but is a Pacer ---the engineers and design team must have had the best dope back in the day! lol

 

[Scotty]

If I remember correctly, the Pacer passenger door was about 4" longer, to allow backseat passengers better access to the backseat.

 

[shane2290]

Tidied up some stuff at the back is respectful enough to send out atleast-- --get underneath and get that cleaned up ---have to open up diff and check it over and seal it up as it was leaking and get it put back in ........ be back on her wheels !

 

[shane2290]

Was away for a bit but been back at it --8-5 job been getting in the way

Got diff tore down ..... my 3:55 suregrip got demoted to a 3:23 sure grip when opened up ---surprise



had to pull pumpkin as it was leaking a bit --already have enough leaking shit in the garage


tidied up some more stuff underneath Joe Dirtier and sprayed it up since it is NOT a rotisserie car this will do.

still wet tho

 

[shane2290]

back together and in the hole ----bearings were good , new seals and we are good to go figure the 3:23 will suffice for trip out east and can change later if it is a must @ $60 a shot for fluids.





So been awhile since I have had to do rear shocks on anything and ordered these 2 yrs ago when we started ripping it apart and covid was full tilt , ........... we had to get out the flaming axe for some of the tear down like the shock bolts n stuff that were all seized. So bust open the new ones ...nice KYB in the box unopened .......... NO washers NO nuts --SFA ---shaking the box like a stepchild and nothing coming out ..wtf ? On the weekend when everything is closed ...just irritating .

Apparently they do not come with the hardware anymore ---arghhhhh Found set of upper bolts in the shop and washers and nuts as well in a container full of old stuff incase I needed it " someday"

Cheers

 

[shane2290]

Cleaned up the roof and primed it up --came out ok





had to put a patch in fender well above shock brace ........appears will have to do same on drivers side when I get over there



disc brake conversion didn't come with all the components so waiting on some of those parts to complete that and hopefully get that back together this weekend.

Cheers

 

[shane2290]

Been a whirlwind lately so tough getting out to do shit in the shop

Got pass side cleaned up and back together---torching off all that old undercoating crap--50 yr old grease --etc ---welding up and repairing rotten shit .......should have left this car where I found it but getting closer . Didnt put shocks in till get engine bay painted up (fronts came with hardware) FYI after my rant previous about them not coming with anything lol ---rears definatly do not



will have to get flaming axe out again for bushings on drvs side --everything is seized but was getting late and don't like to fire up torches just before I go in for the nite ---upper shock brace will need same love the same as the pass side did with a patch welded in ......stay tuned

Cheers

 

[shane2290]

So back at the Joe Dirtier Charger and finished welding in all the repairs to the inner fender on left side ---still have to tidy up suspension stuff and get her back on her feet ---pull engine and trans ---that I wasnt going to do since was a beater car but we are beyond that now just making it safe. So will make sure what goes back in will be adequate HP Will try not to bore you with trivial repairs but I should have ran far and fast from this project but we are still having fun .....right ? lol

Cheers

 

[shane2290]

So with spending quality time with family over the holidays (lol not so much) ...I did manage to get suspension back in and rolling ....... with a belly full of thinking fluid decided to jerk the 50+ year old drivetrain and get it done ---so much for Joe Dirtier. Is a 383 car but I do have 440 that was for another project that thought maybe should pump that up and stuff in there and then there was a thought of new style hellcat swap cause I love electronics ...kidding but the flick of the key and 8 spd tranny makes ya think ...... So we decided to send out the 383 get spiffed up and stick it back in....for now (wink) Tranny was rebuilt and fresh with a 2400 stall in it so that can stay.




headers are fun on these .....that is a bit of sarcasm. They are wedged in there that's for sure .....no hood and reversed zoomies be easier


so the swiss cheese in this turd is finally coming to a end had to fix rocker behind fender ---nothing real pretty but did the job ----originally was all seam sealer in there anyway and is behind the heel of the fender .




corner of windshield next up ......... this will be a profanity filled event I'm sure !


Cheers Shane