Updates:

Here's the charger just before I tore it apart.

Just a little filler? The entire 1/4 panel had at least 1/4" of bondo on it, more than 1/2" in some places.

Quarter gone, outer wheel well ready for welding after final 1/4 alignment.

1/2/2007

The Charger is down for some serious bodywork. I bought a new drivers rear 1/4 and rocker panel, a new used grille on ebay from Iowa, and found a used front bumper with supports at Carlisle. The rocker isn't as bad as I thought it was but the 'inner rocker' support between the rear of the rocker panel and the wheel well (under the 1/4) was rotted pretty badly and part of my new rocker welded in to replace that very nicely. I need to finish prepping the drivers 1/4 to be welded on. I have the entire lip "stepped" so that the replacement 1/4 sits flush with the old metal, but I still have to trim the replacement a little more to get it to fit perfectly, after that it's time to finalize the alignment and weld.

Soon after, the fenders and doors are coming off and I'm attacking the doors. The drivers door needs serious help in the latch area and the passenger door also needs work on the front edge. Both doors are in desperate need of a proper alignment anyway. The passenger fender is slightly bowed in the center, and I'll see if I can straighten it out. Hopefully I'll send out the front bumper I picked up at carlisle to get rechromed, and thorougly detail my new nearly-pefect grille. While the front fenders are off and the grille and bumper are coming out, why not yank the engine and drop in the 500" stroker I'm dreaming of building using my spare 400 block?

The panel between the roof sails (after the rear glass, in front of the trunk) needs to be replaced and the rear glass channels will see some serious work also. I'm stripping off the vinyl top I put on 2 (3?) years ago because the "vinyl safe" adhesive shows through pretty badly. I'm still debating if I'll put another top on or just paint the roof, but I'm leaning towards paint. The hood has some bodywork on it that's coming through and I'm hoping when I strip it that it won't be too difficult to fix right. I should check the passenger rear 1/4 for the same abomination of bodywork I found when I cut the driver's 1/4 off, but I might put that off until later. After the pass 1/4, doors, fenders, grille and bumpers, rockers, and roof, I'm going to shoot the car in 2 stage black. We just picked up a sweet gun to lay the clear on with, too bad it'll be so long until the charger's ready to see it.

I also picked up a new 4-core 26" radiator from US Radiator and a new clutch fan & shroud. I need to finish fabricating some brackets for the shroud before that job's done.

Plans after bodywork:

- Full black interior.
- Summit bucket seats (Corbeau if I win the lottery)
- New black headliner and carpet
- New black rear seat cover
- Dye or paint kick panels, door panels, A-pillar trim, console
- Paint dash, new black dash pad

- Header-back exhaust (Summit?) hopefully with an X-pipe but we'll see.

- Subframe connectors when I can find the time

- Still haven't decided on wheels, but I'm hunting for some in the 18" range that are lightweight and not junk cast in China.

- Nitto NT555 rubber with 50 series sidewalls and probably 245 / 295 F/R

- Install my newly rebuilt 3.55 sure-grip to swap the 3.91s out

Dreams:
- 500" eddy-headed stroker, (internals from 440source?)
- Gear vendors OD

Painted my grille recently

3/24/2007
Worked on the new radiator fitment, installed the clutch fan and the shroud. It's getting much closer to moving a few garage bays over under its own power and doing final alignment on the 1/4 and welding it on. WHAT WHEELS SHOULD I PUT ON THIS THING? I'm looking for 17x7s or 18x7s for the front and 18x8s or 18x9.5s on the back. I already have my Nitto NT555 tires picked out. I'm looking for something in the 2-400$/ea range! I can't turn $500/wheel and still pay for tuition.