The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Couldn't find my previous post in this section, which either means I'm a sociopath and didn't make one years ago, or that it disappeared when the board switched to Finland.

anyway, I've started restoring my first Mopar, the ragtop Challenger I've had for 13 years.

I had an accident 5 years ago, and stored the car, now it's time to drive with my hair in the wind again (while I stil have a bit of hair left).


Here are a few pics.

When I bought it:


Right after five days of work to strip it and put everything in small ziplock plastic bags :


And when I got it back from blasting :


The cowl is pretty damaged, not much in terms of surface but all along the lower seam (where it joins the firewall), in a kind of 'tear along the dotted line' way.
I'll replace it (and graft the VIN onto the new one).
The trunk floor is pretty much see-through too, and the trunk turn-downs are, of course, completely toast.


A little bit of rust in the lower quarters, and a bit in the front door jamb area.
Framerails are clean as a whistle (looked inside with a borescope, all grey, no brown, no rust!)
Both doors need a little patch in the front lower skin area.

Plans are to rebuild it in a nice medium to dark blue (like the previous color), totally stock-looking (with the exception of the frame connectors).

What are the specs goin to be on this Fabien? All ragtops are cool anyway but knowing you're fondness for track ability I expect it to be something interesting

Adrian Worman wrote:All ragtops are cool anyway but knowing you're fondness for track ability I expect it to be something interesting

No way!!
this is a Convertible (ie a chick magnet bolted on rubber & cardboard chassis. Besides, old american cars only seem to attract bald guys in their mid forties, but I digress).

So, it won't have a huge swaybar, tubular suspension and radiator support, or any of the go-fast stuff I like so much.

What I want for this car :
I want it to be easy to drive (no separate switches for the fuel pump, fan, water pump, etc).
No noise.
Anywhere there can be water will be made waterproof (especially the convertible top drip rail and the insides of the quarter panels).
(Almost) stock-cammed engine, idles like a charm, doesn't wake the neighbours (at least, not more than any of the ****ing diesel-engined cars that seem to be anywhere these days)

Suspension will consist in :
A stock K-frame, rewelded.
Stock upper and lower control arms, possibly with LCA plates welded on. Not sure about this one.
A complete suspension kit including polyurethane for all bushings with a rotating motion (ie LCA bushings), rubber on all others. Haven't spent too many nights on the FirmFeel website, but it will happen...
I'll add a sway-bar in the rear, an OEM 1970 swaybar I removed from my hardtop.

The chassis gets the US Car Tool frame connectors, and I'll repair the rear torque boxes (one has been cosmetically damaged by an ill-placed jack, I suppose).

A complete rust-proofing inside the framerails will be done (right now, theres absolutely no rust there, I checked!)

Body-wise, the cowl will bze replaced, and the trunk floor and extensions too. The other rust spots will be dealt with the old-fashioned way, my body man seems confident.

Interior-wise, the blue interior (damaged beyond repair, most everything was reupholstered in leather 20 years ago, so the new interior will be black. I'll have to come up with a solution to repair and dye/pint/recover in black vinyl the original rear panels, which are not reproduced.
Dash pad is new, as are the door panels. Still have to get kick panels and a 1970 console, some dash trim, etc.

Not sure yet about the seats, either all-vinyl new covers, or have them done in black leather following the original pattern.

Black convertible top (I've had it for 6 or 7 years now) with a glass rear window.

Outside color is not decided yet, but it will be blue, right now I have a modern chrysler color which looks OK.
I'd like to add a bit of depth with small bronze metal flakes in the clear, and a bumblebee stripe (Bronze?Yellow?White? not decided yet). Tests are underway.

I'd like it to look 100% stock under the hood, but I'll make one concession to modern electronics, with an electronic ignition (just like it was when new, with the ECU bracket on the firewall). Ideally, the 440-6pack will be replaced by a 383-4bbl (but there's still time for this, the 440 will be used for some time).
Not very 70-ish, but I'd love to have a thermoquad (small primaries, easy to setup, huge secondaries).

Not everything is stock-looking, I'll use the QA1 adjustable shocks I took off of my hardtop, 1973 front spindles and bearings, OEM disc brakes (11.75 rotors), rear drums, with Rallye wheels and stock-sized tires (or close to stock-size).
Might even spring for a set of body-colored steelies with dog dishes and a set of Polyglas tires (although the price will probably deter me from that option).

I was thinking about sending my instruent cluster to the USA to have it rebuilt, but the instruments look brand new, so that won't be mecessary.
Only the bezel needs some work.

Sounds like a realistic approach to a street car

I had a Thermoquad on my 440 when I got it 25 years ago that turned out to be a 1000cfm performance piece which is now quite sought after for stock class racing.

What trans?

Adrian Worman wrote:Sounds like a realistic approach to a street car

I had a Thermoquad on my 440 when I got it 25 years ago that turned out to be a 1000cfm performance piece which is now quite sought after for stock class racing.

What trans?

Always loved the TQ!
Plastic bowl means no heat soak, small primaries and huge vacuum secondaries are just logical, and serviceable without spilling fuel. The only problem is, I can recognize any part of a Holley but I need some practise with the Carters... Or I could find an original Holley 4160 (List #4368 I believe), that's what 383HP engines came with.

I'd love to find the correct 1970 BB exhaust manifolds too, or good repops.

The trans will be a very plain 727, no overdrive or anything fancy( well, maybe a 2500 stall converter I might have lying around), but I will swap the 3.23:1 rear gears for a 2.94:1 pumpkin I bought recently (which must be somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic at the moment).
That should give me a realistic highway RPM figure, while still moving off the line better than, say, a 2.76 would.

My TQ had a warped body, quite a regular fault apparently, couldn't stop it leaking so an 800cfm Quadrajet stood in for a little while. I must say those spreadbore designs are really good on the street.
Big GM products of all types made em work successfully, I had one on a 400 cube Pontiac on a factory intake that took a 4 speed Firebird to low 13's with 2.76 gears!

I thought you might've been tempted to a later 4 speed o/d auto, Bouchilon Perf do a lot of adaptors for swapping late Mopar engine/trans combos of all types possible.