The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Any special order I should follow to make the job easier? like fenders,grill,bumper. or is it fenders ,bumper,grill.may seem like a dumb question but I stink at lining everything up.
PS I have just parts no nuts,bolts or screws I think there's someone local.

boy marcus what have you gotten yourself into? i am assuming you are starting at the beginning. *grin* i started at the bottom and went up, did the front end and w/out the fenders on is WAY easier, then the rear,the fuel tank(do check this out and change the tank filter) then the undercoat, the lines (fuel/brake)then did the inside i used por 15 on everything as challengers are rustprone then i put the fenders on this is a major showingpoint and really takes patience and time to get right marking on the body of the car w/a pen before removal can make this easier if you aren't painting over it. i then put all the headlight hardware in and then the grill. then the bezels,and i think i put the lower valance then the bumper, on there are rubber bumper guards that fit into the edges of the bumper dont forget to install these before you put the bumper on, i am sure i forgot some things so refresh my memory when you get done.

Ok Frank so, grill must go on first ,then bumper,then fenders.just don't seem right.fenders have dimples for the end head lights.when I get out there to work I would say fenders first then grill,then bumper and lastly valence.I have no markings i got the car in pieces.Oh.....where can ya get that POR15 without buying the whole 65 dollor repair kit from year one.will they sell it seprate? And the tank filter is inside the tank?

no marcus. fenders go on first then grille then valence.. i think ,then bumpers por 15 is on the web i have their brochure too i would have to find it and they will sell you as much or as little as you want yes tank filter is in the tank you have to remove the float and its attached to that looks a bit like a sock.do you need a reference as to how close the fenders should be to the hood? or was the hood still in place?

wow thanks perfectly clear now...sorry I mis read..Yes any more help in this prosses will be great hood was off and is now loose.I will check out POR15 they say it works good.are the screws and fasteners hard to hard to find?I tried year one fender bolt set....but they where to small.Ill have to visit a hardware store.

boy you chose a hard route*kidding*is the hood in primer or are the marks where the (factory?)paint couldn't get to visible? if so you are in luck if not its harder cause there is ALOT of adjustment for it so what i did is put the hood latch on and close the hood and then went thru the air dam into the engine compartment and marked it w a scribe that narrows it down some, i used 1/4 as a general rule for the space on the hood fender/door trunk ect not always perfect there are some places wider and some thinner but not by much if anyone else knows exactly what it should be i'd like to know, i referenced off of other mopars and none were the same. the same w/the fenders(adjustment).it sounds like you need a challenger service manual expensive but a great source lots of pics, from what i have read it sounds like you have a (rolling?)body that is how mine started and to be honest i didn't know where to start so i just used sense and did one thing at a time and pretty soon it was running/looking great,so much for the pep talk,so are you doing all the work or jobbing it out or? also it isn't cheap to do a resto anymore i was lucky most of the parts i needed were there in bins the last guy had taken off and marked but i did find myself short on nuts and bolts so i used the paddocks underhood/interior kit it isnt bad all the bolts/nuts are numbered as to where they go but for nuts and bolts its expensive i also found a parts car not a challenger but a mopar about the same yr and i use it for reference as to how things should look, i tried the hardware store thing good luck most of the guys i talked to just wanted to look at my car, cant blame them..lol and yes por 15 is good stuff it does what it says as long as the rust isn't flaking, well didn't mean to turn this into a novel hope it helps

This whole series of postings has helped me.... I'm just about to start putting the front end together on mine - the fastener kits will be arriving next week - and as soon as the rear valence arrives I'll getting to the rear end. Mine came to me as a rolling chassis with the engine and trans dropped in but not set up to run, the front fenders were hung on by two bolts each, the front bumper was off and missing a bracket and the front valence is still not on the car, so I am happy to get the pointers. You all are a great resource - many thanks!!

thanks jack.hell i am glad to give any help i can to a fellow moparnut to save them time(i hope.lol) thanks to dave for this great idea.an idea i came up w/but havent seen capitalized on is a video taking you thru a resto start to finish there woulda been alot of editing in my case haha.

Jack, I don't know how I missed this whole thread, but I have a perfectly good rear valence w/o the exhaust cutouts. I was preparing to put it up on Ebay, but if you need it?????

Thanks frank.No the hood is not primmer I could see the wear of the old bolt holes for the hood hinges on the firewall,so thats fine.but the upper part of the bracket to the hood is just loose now.Ill have to check out the paddock fasteners,I got the fender bolt set from year one but i sent it back....They where too small.so theres a challenger service manual? that sounds helpfull,maybe there's some star pattarn to follow,wounder where I can get that.I have a repair manual but it doesn't get involved with the put it together prosses.well all this talk is helpfull but im ready to get out there and start lining things up.wish me luck.

I have scanned some pictures out of my manual hope they help.

last one

wow thanks thats a nice book

wow thats great where can I find a book like that?
Thanks man

Good deal jen this should help marcus,i need to get the ability to send pics. i was thinking about other things i did that saved on time.one was waiting till late in the resto to put in the windshield if you have no windshield in i would wait till you are done putting the wipers,dash frame,wiring,pedals,steering whl,ect in it really helped being able to just stand up to do things as opposed to having to crawl around and bump into things.. saves alot of cussing

I bought a reproduction manual from Atlas Obsolete in Los Alamitos - a little south of Los Angeles. Their email address is AtlasChrys@aol.com and the phone number for those of you who want more prompt attention is 562/594-5560. What they sell is the complete 1970 Dodge passenger car manual for Darts and Challengers. The Challenger models covered are the Challenger and Challenger R/T.

When I bought mine from Year One they claimed to have the exclusive rights to reprint the workshop manual.

I found the manual in a 70 Dart I got. The car was junk but it had a lot of goodies inside. The book is the original 1970 challenger & Dart service manual. It has everything. good luck.

Ya' know Dave, I don't really know about who's got the rights to what. I saw the book I needed on their display rack at a show, so I bought it from them. I am getting tired of people who claim to have a corner on information pertinent to our hobby. A little healthy competition is good for the consumer, I think.

I totally agree Jack but books, like music, have a copyright. It is not the buyer that has to worry about it though. It is up to who ever thinks they have the right to print it to do something about it if they wish. I just thought I would mention it is all.

Dave is all detailed infomation like this in that book that year one has....if so Ill buy it for sure.And guys go to "Inside fender" in this bodywork section I have a UN answerd question there.Thanks guys.

Yes is the same book. This is where all the stuff I have scanned here like the electrical diagrams etc comes from. It is called the factory workshop manual. It is the manual the official Chrysler service stations would refere to in order to service the car. It is very detailed and I would recommend that everyone that intends to do work on their Challenger get one because it makes everything a lot easier. Mine gets used so much it is starting to fall apart.

lol dave the same here...not to mention the smudge marks, marcus be ready for a high price last time i priced these they were 115.00 well worth it though.

holy cow !! 115 bucks.yea but im sure you and dave are right,would be great to own.Im gonna go for it.maybe I will have less topics on this site A? Im sure I won't leave this site I like my challenger buddies to much.Thanks guys.

Well fellas, I have researched the legal niceties regarding Atlas Obsolete's repro manuals. They list them in their catalogue under a notice stating that they are produced under license from Chrysler Corporation. The Atlas part number for the standard Dart/Challenger manual is 840-087 and it sells for $65. The separate TA supplement, part number 840-093, sells for $13.

So much for the Year One rep saying they have sole rights then! I looked it up and they say in print that they have a licence to print but not the sole licence. It makes more sense for Chrysler to sell the rights to more than one company.
Anyway. The Year One price is $55.95 for the 1970 Challenger manual unless it has gone up recently.

They do not have Challenger manuals for 71-74 but do have the 71-74 Dodge body and chassis service manuals at $22.95 for the body manual and $55.95 for the chassis manual or $71.95 for a set of one each.

Hope this helps.

whoops my bad,.... sorry for the heart attack marcus haha