Hey all....I am SSgt Glenn, and I have recently purchased and started the overhaul of a '73 Challenger. I don't have any complete pics, temporarily lost my camera and wasn't willing to put off getting started. Anyhow, here are my first questions: Stock - Era Correct - Resto-Mod ??? How should I go? The car is a 318 auto numbers matching, at least for now, only odd option is its a factory air car....ya I know...pretty run of the mill. I have found a 340 in need of overhaul, thinking about a possible stroked small block. OR...mabey one of the new MPI crate HEMIs? Whats your 2 cents? Right now I have the front stripped out, repairing frame rails, oddest thing.....the pass rail is great.....drivers rail isCOMPLETELYGONE!! I know people won't like it, but im capping the repairs with Safe-T-Caps....tried to find a good set of originals and failed. Sorry purists....I would rather it be flawed and on the street than perfect in the junk heap.

 

This is kinda what I started with, it was whole when I drove it home.

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This is my highly qualified helper, Brooke. Yes, I pay her in gummy bears and ice cream. I dread the day she is old enough to steal my car.....but hey, at least she is helping build it.

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Rust..the start of my panel replacement...trust me...this is just the beginning.

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here is rust in the passenger rail, then the cutout...note I cut as far back as necessary to remove ALL the rust...I don't want surprisses down the road.

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Here are some pics of the welded in replacement panels, I used 1/8 in plate. If anybody wants more/better pics while I do sections just speak up. Sections that are interesting to people, ie requested, will be documented much more indepth....if need be ill email out pics. Just let me know before hand, kinda hard to go back.

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Nice work, keep the progress pics coming, and Welcome to the forum!

 

Friday is over for me, doesn't look like much was accomplished, but belive it or not......i welded and cleaned, welded and cleaned for almost 5 hours. The forward 2/3's of the passenger rail is seam welded (They directed 1/3 stitch, but to me that leaves gaps where dirt and water creat rust.....after this...i don't think so), and the passenger hinge area has the initial plate in.

My advise for anyone looking to do this...buy stock in zinc weldthrough primer...you'll need it

Also while I was under it....somethingi never noticed before. Evedently, someone repaired the drivers floorboard. They replaced it with one from a different car, read not challenger, then sealed it with silicon calk. [:@] I HATE half a$$ed fixes, did anyone elses dad tell them "if its worrth doing, its worth doing right"

If I knew...when I bought the car...what I know now, I wouldn't have paid what I did for it. Well, no going back now, it better love me for it.

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spent all weekend trying to un F the previous owners fixes......always remember....99.99% of the time they did it the most wrong F up way possible. Glad I don't know where he lives..... I would be arrested for arson. Thats ok though, everybody knows people that do that to good cars don't get throughthe pearly gates. I think im done for now, im getting POed and that causes me to do dumb stuff, I started eye balling my cutting torch.....ya, time to stop[:@]

 

Great effort in saving another Chally!

As for your question on direction (resto, stock, etc.), to me that all depends on what you want to do with the car and how much $$$ you want to put into it. If I were in your shoes (you said you wanted input) I'd probably refresh the 340 as you'd probably spend money building up or refreshing the 318 anyway. Keep the 318! I'd hook up the A/C if possible, always cool to see that and probably keep the restomod stuff limited to wheels, white face gauges (if you're into that), etc. I also would paint original color if you re-paint.

...Just my two cents...