The Dodge Challenger Message Board

WOW! Huge difference there Dave! I like it! Black looks so mean and classy at the same time. I dont know about that paint spot. Maybe it can be localised sanded down, then carefully matched to the rest?

Look's beautiful except for what Eddie mentioned. P.S. I love those little space heater's. I use those in my pantry. And, use those in my garage, in the winter time to keep the Mistress warm and dry.

Looks like a good job on the top Dave. And you now know what takes paint off too.......

I had it masked off as well you know? But removed the masking just to get a little glue up under the edge.

I think it will touch up OK. Something that can wait until after the car is running.

Headliner is next!

I like your pics Dave, looking all good! How do you do in the splice of the winyltop? Do you fold a "doubble" on the piece on top of the other? or do you use a trim of some sort? I think it could be nice putting my hood somwhere else then on the ground... Looks really nice anyhow!

The seam that runs down each side is manufactured into the material.

This is the "wide seam" version of the top. Where the seams run closer to the edges of the roof. This top was originally designed for the SE formal roof only. The other models were to get the top with a more narrow seam.

But in practice on the factory floor they just seemed to have fitted what ever vinal top was to hand. So your Challenger could have come with either.

I have had a narrow seam one fitted in the past. I thought fitting a wide seam version would make a change.

I did have to make one seam though. I made a pleat right in the middle of the thin bit that runs under the rear window. I couldn't get it to fit any other way. I am sure the seams are supposed to run down the outside of the sail panels more. But I couldn't get it to stretch out that way.

It's the best I could do and it don't look too bad. It sure isn't going to get re-done!

That looks pretty good too me Dave. Like the two colours together also.

What type paint did you use on the car? If it were lacquer maybe I could help with the touch-up. Hopefully you retained some additional paint from the original application.

Jon wrote: What type paint did you use on the car? If it were lacquer maybe I could help with the touch-up. Hopefully you retained some additional paint from the original application.

I can't remember the paint type. I know nothing about paint which is why this was the only job I will not do myself.
I will have to ask a friend that knows.
The painter was a bit "funny" with me after i picked the car up. He forgot to give me the left over paint. Then because I noticed a lot of "fish eyes" on top of one fender he went ballistic and the spare paint has now been "lost". A friend re-painted the fender for me.

I am not going to worry about it for now. Getting the car running again is the main priority. Pointless getting the paint pefect while i am still working in a tight space surrounded with parts for it. I might go and damage another bit before I am finished.

Hey Dave. As I said before , the top looks great. I am glad someone else ended up with a middle seam under the rear window. I had my top put on by the guys that painted it. I too have about a 3/4" foldover in the middle of the rear. Really looks like it belongs now. Year One is where I got my top also. When I received it it was in a box that came from the manuf. http://www.keeautotop.com/ is the manuf. I called them just courious about the pricing and I actually got it cheaper from YO. Guess they buy in bulk...........

Glad it was not just me then.

I ended up with more than an inch of fold over at the center so I cut and folded it to make it smaller. It should be water tight when I have finished gluing it. I still have some edges to finish gluing. But I am using a brush so I don't have any more paint mishaps.

Some of you laughed when I said I was going to restore my dirty old seat belts by putting them in the dishwasher!

Well here it is. Half of them anyway. I can't quite find where I have stored the rest at the moment.

Anyway. They were very grey looking. Full of dirt and dust. Some oily bits on there too. The wife used to complain about dirty marks on her clothes when we had been out in the car.

But after being in the dishwasher they are clean as a whistle. Nice and black in the fabric. Amazing difference.

Not easy to show in the photos. But to the naked eye the difference was huge.

dave-r wrote:Some of you laughed when I said I was going to restore my dirty old seat belts by putting them in the dishwasher!

Professionally redone! $300 of added value.

They look great! They stopped laughing when they saw the result, right?

Looks really nice Dave! Youre wife didnt beat you did she?

airfuelEddie wrote:Looks really nice Dave! Youre wife didnt beat you did she?

She was very pleased indeed to come into the kitchen last night and find I had tidied it up and put the dishwasher on.

When I told her what I had done tonight she gave me "that look" but when i said it was either that or $400 for a new set she came around to my way of thinking pretty quick.

Well I take my hat off to anyone that can put a headliner in without making an arse of it.

I have given up! It has got to the point where I have spent enough time and effort. I have done my best and thats all I can do. It will have to stay as it is.




Unless I have another go from the start again at some point.

I wish I had put some sound deadener in there first as well. The roof sounds like the lid of a biscuit tin.

Took the dash to bits this afternoon.

What a mess. Made worse by being full of fire extinguisher dry powder.

Got to start somewhere so decided to clean up the dash frame first.

I vacuumed it. Then wire brushed the rusty bits. Then sprayed it with rust converter.

Tomorrow It should be ready for paint.

That looks like nice progress to me Dave!
That rust converter you use, what is that? Is it removing minor/light rust totally?

Yes. It converts rust completely and seals the metal from oxygen with a tough epoxy clear coat so it cannot rust again.

http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp? ... e=Dinitrol Converust RC900 (400ml)&catID=28&frostCat=Rust&frostSubCat=Dinitrol&subCatID=35

I used a little filler type primer to try and get a slight textured finish when I put the satin black on.

The black bits should be matt black but I just don't like matt anything so everything I paint is satin black on my car.

The end bit went "a bit funny" when I painted it so I did it again.

Dashpad is cleaned up and re-fitted. I have a couple of the nuts that hold the pad to the frame missing. I couldn't find any subtitutes that would fit so did without them. It seems OK without them.

Looks great Dave. Helluva lot better than when you started!

The cardboard glovebox liner was in poor condition so I made a new one from very thin ally plate. Once riveted together and covered in vinyl (spare material that came with the headliner) it is stronger than the original.

I think I will fit a light in there as well. Maybe with a switch that comes on when you open the door so passengers can look in without me putting on the interior light while driving in the dark.

I also covered the rear parcel shelf with a bit of store bought vinyl. It made it look a lot better than it was before.

At the same time I fitted the new speakers for the DAB digital radio/CD player.

Good looking I like what you did with the glove box.

Yeah! That will do at least hundred years more then stock Very stable Dave!

Inspired by 72challengerorange's use of carbon fibre in his Challenger (plus I have been thinking about it for a while anyway) I decided to obtain a large sheet of carbon to do my car with.

This stuff is a sheet 0.4mm thick, formed in a press under high temp, with a high gloss resin on one side.

Not the cheap option. But I was having trouble getting any carbon sheets big enough.

It is like a wood veneer. Only you have to cut it with a diamond abrasive disc in a Dremel.

Only done the centre console for now. Next will be the plates from the inside of the door. last of all I am going to attempt the dash.
That last one is going to be VERY tricky.

Very cool stuff.

nice Dave!

how much do you want for the glove box? looks sweet, i need one im not that good with metal,seriously let me know how much and i might purchase one and a console panel as well!

NIce work there Dave!

drewcrane wrote:how much do you want for the glove box? looks sweet, i need one im not that good with metal,seriously let me know how much and i might purchase one and a console panel as well!

I have enough on my plate trying to finish my own car Drew. I only have a couple of months to get everything done and i keep getting unwell.