The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Adrian Worman wrote:A mate of mine imports AMD sheet metal into the UK all the time now, won't even quote for anything else, however he says that the products are still far from perfect.

Yea the stampings they use are from one mold,and the dimensions on these cars are far from perfect from the factory,

for instance the outer wheel well are where it mates up to the quarter panel inside ,on the passenger side they fit very well, on the driverside there was in some places as much as a 2 inch gap and when I did the removal of the undercoat/seam sealer there was enough room in there to throw a cat through , and it was just slathered over with seam sealer,

we had to splice\slice the inner wheel well and ,and fab up another panel just to fill the gap, not really AMD,S fault ,the car was not made well to begin with,
to try to get new panels to mate to the old car is like framing a new addition on an old house , nothing is square on the old house ,so the new addition has to be adjusted to fit the old framing

Adrian Worman wrote:A mate of mine imports AMD sheet metal into the UK all the time now, won't even quote for anything else, however he saya that the products are still far from perfect.

Adrian, I'd like to know your mate's input on Challenger fenders, as I have a choice between restoring old ones (including one with a bad rot at the bottom) and buying a pair of AMD's (I could keep the rather OK driver-side fender, and buy a repop passenger-side fender, or patch the bad one with hand-formed sheetmetal, I think I may have found a good body man now).

Drew, it looks kickass! Nice work, I need to get a extra exhaust hanger on mine as well! Cant wait to see it in the flesh next year!

fbernard wrote:

Adrian Worman wrote:A mate of mine imports AMD sheet metal into the UK all the time now, won't even quote for anything else, however he saya that the products are still far from perfect.

Adrian, I'd like to know your mate's input on Challenger fenders, as I have a choice between restoring old ones (including one with a bad rot at the bottom) and buying a pair of AMD's (I could keep the rather OK driver-side fender, and buy a repop passenger-side fender, or patch the bad one with hand-formed sheetmetal, I think I may have found a good body man now).

Spoke to my mate yesterday, he's getting me a patch panel for the drivers side lower front portion of the rear wheel arch, just noticed some small blisters coming thru, not bad after 20 odd years
My bodyman said go for new panels if they are available for big areas, like a full rear qtr that's rotted all round, but he would still rather fab and weld in his own small repair pieces. He is ex Aston Martin, panel beater by trade, made me a new deck filler panel from scratch! , so maybe I've found a good 'un

Adrian Worman wrote:

fbernard wrote:

Adrian Worman wrote:A mate of mine imports AMD sheet metal into the UK all the time now, won't even quote for anything else, however he saya that the products are still far from perfect.

Adrian, I'd like to know your mate's input on Challenger fenders, as I have a choice between restoring old ones (including one with a bad rot at the bottom) and buying a pair of AMD's (I could keep the rather OK driver-side fender, and buy a repop passenger-side fender, or patch the bad one with hand-formed sheetmetal, I think I may have found a good body man now).

Spoke to my mate yesterday, he's getting me a patch panel for the drivers side lower front portion of the rear wheel arch, just noticed some small blisters coming thru, not bad after 20 odd years
My bodyman said go for new panels if they are available for big areas, like a full rear qtr that's rotted all round, but he would still rather fab and weld in his own small repair pieces. He is ex Aston Martin, panel beater by trade, made me a new deck filler panel from scratch! , so maybe I've found a good 'un

Finding a good body man is they key,.................now I gotta find a good paint man

Adrian Worman wrote:My bodyman said go for new panels if they are available for big areas, like a full rear qtr that's rotted all round, but he would still rather fab and weld in his own small repair pieces. He is ex Aston Martin, panel beater by trade, made me a new deck filler panel from scratch! , so maybe I've found a good 'un

Sounds like the guy I found too, I've seen some of his work on a friend's cuda, he did fab up some parts and it turned out really well. I'll look around and try to find out if the vertical stamped steel reinforcement that's found at the rear of a front fender can be found alone, I have a fender with a rotten one. That and a lower patch panel can save this fender, and I won't have to worry about correct body lines on that one, it's 41 years old....

On the subject of AMD, my pal informs me today that he recently supplied several hard to source panels for a 71 Charger for none other than Princess Anne ............Royal seal of aproval

Adrian Worman wrote:On the subject of AMD, my pal informs me today that he recently supplied several hard to source panels for a 71 Charger for none other than Princess Anne ............Royal seal of aproval

wow cool that

Adrian Worman wrote:he recently supplied several hard to source panels for a 71 Charger for none other than Princess Anne ............Royal seal of aproval

A Charger is not the kind of horse usually used for eventing, though...

I never figured you for a horse snob Fabien

Adrian Worman wrote:I never figured you for a horse snob Fabien

Sure beats curling!!!

Seriously, I don't know much about horses, but I did remember she had something to do with horses a while back.

Yeah i think she was on the Olympic team at one point.

I am guessing it must be her husband interested in Chargers? Not being sexist here. I just can't see Anne restoring old Mopars.

quick update did some test fitting,a little tweaking here and there and the front will be good

That car is looking brilliant, love them pix of a new panel or section ready for final assy, kind of spurs you on a bit when you see just how cool it looks..........................and that car is VERY cool , 71's just stand out from all other fish

Adrian Worman wrote:That car is looking brilliant, love them pix of a new panel or section ready for final assy, kind of spurs you on a bit when you see just how cool it looks..........................and that car is VERY cool , 71's just stand out from all other fish

Thanks Ade, as the car gets further I wonder if the purists will hammer me for changing this car from a 70 to a 71? I just like the 71,s better and this is the way it came from the previous owner.....so a 71 it will be.

I did run in to one minor stumbling block, I used some "duraglass" body filler and it was not warm enough and the second coat did not cure so I had to scrape and grind that off,

and have spent the last week getting some heat in the garage, it seemed warm enough to work but after I checked the label it said it needs to be at least 70 degrees ambient temp. after checking it was only 55 degrees in the garage,plenty warm enough to work, but not warm enough to cure this product

There is a long road ahead on this project and I would like to get alot done this winter so I will have to add heat to the shop and it will be very cozy out there......no excuses

Yes I have had that happen to me before. I left it for 24 hours and it still had not set completely so I scraped it off and started again.

dave-r wrote:Yes I have had that happen to me before. I left it for 24 hours and it still had not set completely so I scraped it off and started again.

Yea I am used to it curing up after 15 20 mins, and after a week it looked like gum,so off if went,easy to overlook,heck I am warm so is everything else right!? a lesson lernt

Smokin deal on some used 71 cuda tail lights

$130.00 for the pair shipped

Ok a some progress, plan B I found some nice LCA,s stock units and ,had to R&R the sway bar mounts and ,also made some steel reinforcements for the arms ,and am waiting for the epoxy paint/primer to cure between coats,so here is a pic

Great looking re-inforcement plates Bro, Those babies wont be flexing any time soon!!!

Well it runs out this fuel tank is rare to bad it is trashed , rusty inside and out, it has 2 fuel senders ,with the GC option it has the fuel gauge, and a low fuel light in the overhead console,

I cant get the tank ,I could cut one but then I cant find a new sender like this,pretty rare part plan b new repro tank and figure something out for the console........perhaps a pucker light for the passengers...................

Got a new tank and plans to install the sending unit in the new tank with reinforcement,.

and I made these reinforcement plated for the K frame/strutrod area , these should help with any weak spots that can turn up later so some cheap insurance if you will


I had Jim do the welding but I fabbed em up with a pilot area and they look kind of cool,

i will get some paint on em and finally get this front end together

drewcrane wrote:Well it runs out this fuel tank is rare to bad it is trashed , rusty inside and out, it has 2 fuel senders ,with the GC option it has the fuel gauge, and a low fuel light in the overhead console,

I cant get the tank ,I could cut one but then I cant find a new sender like this,pretty rare part plan b new repro tank and figure something out for the console........perhaps a pucker light for the passengers...................

Ok I found/figured out what this is now, they installed a S W gauge set up and this is a SW sending unit the hacked on just to get there new gauge working.... so no hacking

drewcrane wrote:Got a new tank and plans to install the sending unit in the new tank with reinforcement,.

and I made these reinforcement plated for the K frame/strutrod area , these should help with any weak spots that can turn up later so some cheap insurance if you will


I had Jim do the welding but I fabbed em up with a pilot area and they look kind of cool,

i will get some paint on em and finally get this front end together

I really like your re-inforcement plates Bro,, I have a question you might be able to answer for me. I am using the thick washers to do my K-member the same way. On both our 'K's do we now have to use the adjustable strut rods due to the 'K''s dimension change? In other words, the weld we put on will lengthen the dimension so the strut rod length should change to maintain the same caster? Just thinking out loud here!

No you dont have to use the adjustable strut rods,but if you do I bought a longer bolt so I have plenty of material,

also my guru was telling me about these stock style UNITS that use the stock bushing and the rest is basically all thread and that makes it adjustable to what ever length you need,

I just cant find the company that makes em. I am a but concerned about the harshness of these strut rods with no bushing, it might be really nice or drive really hard on bumps and pot holes,

so I am looking for the a fore mentioned rods as a plan B

Got some Lizard skin sound deadening on

before http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGoW44bvINQ&feature=plcp

after http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skz131QOkXk&feature=plcp

SWEET! It sure sounds solid Drew, nice job! Can you tell me about that 'Lizard Skin"? Is it 'rust proof' too? I would like to either use a type of Dyna-Mat or spray product ect but I want it to both sound deaden and prevent corrosion on the inside floor pans but not sticky or gummy. Underneath I am going to cover it in Rust Bullet then white then undercoating. Thanks Bro

drewcrane wrote:No you dont have to use the adjustable strut rods,but if you do I bought a longer bolt so I have plenty of material,

also my guru was telling me about these stock style UNITS that use the stock bushing and the rest is basically all thread and that makes it adjustable to what ever length you need,

I just cant find the company that makes em. I am a but concerned about the harshness of these strut rods with no bushing, it might be really nice or drive really hard on bumps and pot holes,

so I am looking for the a fore mentioned rods as a plan B

I am thinking also that the Caster might change when the strut rod starts to wear on the metal bushing. For a Road Racer on a track it might be THE ticket. But on a street car I would think both the harshness and possible geometery changes over time might be too much? Also Drew, does Dick Ross at Firm Feel have what you need? I also have some stock strut rod parts like the beveled washers, rods although they are severely bent, the nuts ectt I will give this to you if you need them. Let me know OK

Yes the Lizard skin is water proof snd when it is dry it is NOT sticky its great stuff ,a abit pricey 400 buck for everything including the spray gun,if you want more I can call you.

and yea I will kind of wait and see with these strut rods for now, I have the old units and also have access to more ..many more

Eddie, Lizard Skin has been around for awhile. Used quite a bit in the hot rod community. As Drew states $$$ though.
www.lizardskin.com