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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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Ok a lil background.....I have owned many many 68, 69 & 70 Chargers over the years. As time went on I started to realize I better hold on to one or two or I may not be able to buy back in again, because as we all know, gone are the days of 500 finds in back yards.
I bought this 69 Yes it IS a 69 Charger about 10yrs ago & decided I was going to make a Daytona Clone. As I go married bought a house & then had my son I realized it would be ALOT of extra time & money that I didnt have. Not to mention something I had not attempted b4.
So the car sat for the 10 yrs I owned at at my moms place in Glendora and as it sat there I had a friend at the time that I bartered with & I gave him the front clip for him doing the body on my 68 Charger. (I was still wanting to do the Daytona & would not need the 69 parts).
So this is why when you see the 1st pix it looks to be a 70. I popped those extra 70 pieces on the car so it didnt look so bad at moms house.
Now I had to start lookin for all the front end pieces one at a time, show by show & man did the prices go UP since the last time I put one of these together!!!!!
Just a heads up .......AS of today the car is not painted yet....... It is CLOSE though! Hope you enjoy
Car leaving my moms in Feb 06
arrives at my house (neighbors were thrilled Im sure LOL
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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Pulled the 318 (pic) in it due to the sitting & put in a 63,000 mile 318 ,motor & trans
Thats about all I got done b4 it got bitter cold out so it sat that winter
Spring came & work started. I decided to dye the interior pieces.
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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As you can see there are 2 shifters! The car had column shift & that was not gonna work for me to I bought a console & brackets & welded them in to mount the console & then removed the coulmn sleeve & put in a console sleeve.
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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also went with the woodgrain wheel
Then I front end replacement. I'll let ya chk these out & then post more pix of the next step I took.
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Joined: 1/1/0001
Posts: 0
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Excellent thread!! I can't wait for the next update!
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Joined: 6/14/2011
Posts: 20
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Very Cool! great write up and pics. Wish I had the knowledge and skill to do all that work myself must be very gratifying. Keep the pics coming as you progress!
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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Thanks guys here some of the next steps I took:
Then I started on body replacement partrs (the whole front end).
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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Took a trip to where rghey filmes the 1st 5 episodes of the Dukes & met alot of the cast over the years. Here is a pic of John Schneider & I last year in GA,.
Here a shot of myself at the original Boars Nest! (its a churcjh now but we had fun with their sign out front)
ok ok back to the car I got lotsa cool pix of the cast & I that I can post elsewhere if ya like
found buckets & then winter hit AGAIN!
Then in Feb last year my bodyman came to pick up the car:
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Awesome Pics and Story Tom. So really the differences in the 500 are cosmetics. The Front fenders, grill and bumper will mount right up?
If you are going to put a real CB in it, let me know. I have a brand new Cobra 29 Classic which I think was the CB they had in the general. I would be more than willing to donate it to this great project.
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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Bodywork starts!!!!
picked up more parts at Carlisle:
This rear panel was so bad & they just started making the rear panel I had to ge tit & the valance:
meanwhile, bodywork has started:
cut both of the back of the 1/4 panels & one front 1/4 off the car to be replaced:
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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JerseyTechGuy wrote
Awesome Pics and Story Tom. So really the differences in the 500 are cosmetics. The Front fenders, grill and bumper will mount right up?
Dave what the differences here are in my shots of the panels that were replaced are from a 1970 front end to a 1969 front end.
In 1970 the Charger R/T & the Charger 500 & are mostly cosmetics emblems & engine sizes. The body stayed exactly the same.
In 1969 The Charger & the Charger R/T & the Charger SE are all the same body but when they went to the 500 this year Thats when they used a 1968 Coronet Grill & mounted it flush with the front fenders & hood. They also put a rear plug into the car which made the rear window mount flush with the roofline & the side sail panels.
Ya'll prolly knew all that so sorry i got all type happy LOL.
I will stop here & post again in a day or so.....Hope ya like. Tom
As for the CB radio Dave I sure wish i knew that b4 I went & bought the Cobra 78X model they used & the right tear drop Antenna, LOL great offer & much appreciated!
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Joined: 1/1/0001
Posts: 0
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This looks like a HUGE project. I give you a load of credit for having the vision to take that on!!!!
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Joined: 6/12/2007
Posts: 165
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Tom,
Thanks for posting the pics and progress. Musclecars never get boring to me. Good luck with the project. If you are looking for any particular parts - maybe you could post them here. I am sure we can all keep an eye out for you. Are Vector rims on the list for the General too? And if you have pictures with Daisy Duke....feel free to post those...LOL
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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Thanks guys, the car is nothing but fun to do & is something to really look forward to. It's cool to see the progress & get in the trenches & bring this car back. When it is done I can only imagine the fun I'll have with it.
If you look at the 1/4's when they are black in the previous pix you will see there are no marker light holes, this is so they can sell 68-69-70 1/4's with a single part# since the only differences are the marker light holes SO.......My bodyguy, Brian had to cut the markers out of the old 1/4's & fabricate them into my new 1/4's. He did great job! Here is a shot of the old marker hole joined with the new 1/4.
As for Catherine Bach, I sorta met her once, but was not about to stand in line for 3+ hours for a minutes of pix. I took my pix from a few feet away instead.
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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NJHEMIR/T wrote
Tom,
Thanks for posting the pics and progress. Musclecars never get boring to me. Good luck with the project. If you are looking for any particular parts - maybe you could post them here. I am sure we can all keep an eye out for you. Are Vector rims on the list for the General too? And if you have pictures with Daisy Duke....feel free to post those...LOL
I bought the "re-bop" Vectors they came out with a few years back, I just need new tires to put on'em.
As for what I am in need of I was looking high & low for a 68-69 Charger hood so if you have connections or know somebody looking to sell let me know. I know they make a re-bop of them now also but at close to $600.00 I aint biting ya know?
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The SwapMeet is at Englishtown this weekend. Not sure if you are going, but if I do decide to go, I'll keep my eyes open for a 69 hood.
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Joined: 1/1/0001
Posts: 0
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Tom, who's doing the bodywork for you? I'm getting very frustrated with the guy doing my impala and I'm looking around for somebody reasonable to send it to if this bozo that has it now don't get off his arse. Great job by the way! I've wanted a General Lee since I was a kid. Can't wait to see it in all it's glory. Keep us in the know.
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Joined: 1/1/0001
Posts: 0
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Hey Tony there is a place where 70 & 37 meet that Fred is taking his hood to, they specialize in restorations. I think it's called Manchester Collission.
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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JerseyTechGuy wrote
The SwapMeet is at Englishtown this weekend. Not sure if you are going, but if I do decide to go, I'll keep my eyes open for a 69 hood.
Dave I know it is this weekend but dont think I will be able to go, so by all means keep yer eyes peeled. call my cell if ya come across a hood let alone a nice one. (PM sent w/#)
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Joined: 8/22/2007
Posts: 176
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Bayville SS wrote
Tom, who's doing the bodywork for you? I'm getting very frustrated with the guy doing my impala and I'm looking around for somebody reasonable to send it to if this bozo that has it now don't get off his arse. Great job by the way! I've wanted a General Lee since I was a kid. Can't wait to see it in all it's glory. Keep us in the know.
His name is Brian & he works a normal 9-5 (doing car mechanical stuff from a-z) then comes home to a 3 car garage & does bodywork. If ya call him make sure ya tell him Tom with the General Lee he is doing sent ya. That goes for anyone else who wold like to contact him. I suggest to do it soon if you want to get your ride in there because when this car comes out people are going to know about him BIG TIME lol.
Oh btw, he is located in Williamstown NJ ........I will find out what # he wants to give out & then its 1st come 1st serve....
OH & he did another car for me b4 this one that I have since sold & is now doing the local south jersey car show circut here is a shot of my old car he did. It was a Coronet I got & made into a clone Super Bee.
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