Give Rust Bullet a shot.

I've heard good things about it.

Ready for new parts? It's not much but it's what I had on hand last night -



New dome light lens! The dome light bezel has a bit of rust on it too. Maybe I should get a new one but it's not that bad for now.



New nubbies for the sun visors!



My arm rests. On the left, the rear arm rests. In the middle, the original front arm rests. On the right, repro arm rests from Year One.



The rear arm rests are o.k., except the vinyl has pulled away a little from the base. I'm going to try pulling it back over with screws. I've never had much luck gluing anything to metal, and it's going to take a little force to hold the vinyl in place.

On to the front arm rests -



I've got to say, I was surprised and disappointed at how bad these Year One arm rests (Year One on the right) turned out to be. They are only like the original insofar as they are generally the same shape. As you can see, the grain is waaaaaaay off.



But that's not the worst of it. The shape is also wrong, and they overhang the door panel in the front -



There's no way to pull them in because they butt up against this metal plate -



The best thing I can say about them is, they cover a hole. They're better than a damaged original but if I could do it all over again I'd put the money into having the originals repaired by Just Dashes or a similiar service. Maybe Year One has upgraded to a different supplier by now - I got these a few years ago. If not, don't buy these.



dodgedakotaman - Have you seen the inside of your tank?

Is the Year One tank stainless?

The repro tank is a bit more expensive than a fuel cell, while being heavier, prone to rust, and possibly less safe (?). On the plus side, the repro will bolt right in, and look right. Altogether though I would rather have the fuel cell unless there's a downside I'm not aware of. I'd like to know more about them.

Yes, 2 weeks ago I put a new float on the sending unit. It had a pinhole in it and the guage wouldn't come off empty. The sending unit and the inside off the tank looked very nice and clean. It is a repro tank and not stainless. I only use premium no ethanol gas and I put gas stabilizer in it for winter storage. I've been very happy with the tank and new fuel lines I put on it 7 years ago. Ron.

Thanks. I'll keep it in mind. Things really rust here though.

Cool project man! I have one going like it with my 71 super bee. You can click on my sig to see the thread. If you need any parts let me know i have many extras and would love to try and help you the way that i was helped with my project!

Steve

Thanks. I've read through the first few pages of your thread - it's cool that your car is a Super Bee but wow, it looks like you could have made your life easier by moving the VIN tag and badges of the Bee over to the green donor car. My hats off to you for saving the Bee. Absolutely incredible.

I'm all for people giving me stuff, but I got this car totally complete. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm only the second person to own the car and use it. The guy who sold it to me got it for his son, who didn't want it. The car is so complete, it even has the original spare tire, unused, with feelers on the tread. When I got it, it was running very reliably (made several trips of a few hundred miles going to college), only a couple minor things didn't work . . . I've got everything not pictured bagged away. At the moment the only minor thing I can think of which I don't have is a working wiper fluid pump.

If you see a 71 with those flush side marker lights and otherwise rusted out quarter panels, you might cut them out for me. If the quarters are nice though, leave them for somebody who needs them.

I'd also like a pair of 72 rallye doors if I could get a great deal on them. Or just the scallop part if you see a pair of rusted out doors. If they're pricey though, I've still got a fuel tank to buy. Unfortunately business has not been treating me well the last couple months.

I'm sure I'll put out a more extensive parts call when it comes to the performance stuff.

Looks like you have a nice soild car to work with there. I've been working on my car for the last 15 years. Keep an eye on the swap meet section here for a set of doors or inserts they come up a few times a year, but expect to pay dearly for them. The last pair of doors I had I sold for $1200 cdn. good luck!
Steve

I've been thinking over the Young Guns thread, and I'm wondering if I should bother with the community college and it's auto body classes. I don't have a ton of body work needing done. I've got enough room to paint the car in. I can rig up a home painting booth. I may pull off a panel and jump into it.



What's everyone's opinion on this "rust?" It's been suggested to me that it might actually be a sealant. I've looked at a couple cars in Hemichallenger's thread that have this same pattern - "rust" on the c pillars, fading out towards the floor. Seems kinda strange.

BTW, is there a source for the weather strip on the front of the rear side windows (in the above picture)? I put new weatherstripping on years ago, but the kit didn't include those pieces at the front of the side window. Which were the only pieces I needed . . .

72chrgrally - Thanks. I may have to do a little searching in local yards for those doors, once I get a sense of my project's direction.

I used rust bullet on all the inside like you have there. Its just going to cover the rust, kill it, protect it from future rusting, and look a little better.

The weather strip seals i have info on, ill have to dig it up.

I would go at it yourself and see where it takes you. If your stuck you can always go to the school. Posting on here, trying it out yourself, and keeping your head up would be what i would suggest. The amount you would spend on the schooling would pay for your supplies etc.

Steve

awesome project! 72's are the best year charger

It looks like you have a pretty solid project to start out with and I look forward to watching this thread!

p.s. that engine bay would look great with a big block!

HemiChallenger - What did you use to strip the paint with?

ixelerate - 71 and 72 I don't know why everyone's so obsessed with the unaerodynamic 2nd gen that couldn't win at NASCAR without a big plug on the front bumper And we've got our own show now, Burn Notice. Secret agent > hillbilly farm boys.

I like the power of the big block, and it may get one, but I'd prefer a new small block HEMI. Maybe a turbo at some point . . . We can all dream.

Decent looking project. Looks like a 72 coupe.

Rallye doors are pricey. I normnally see them go for around $300. They are a 1 year only thing. You'll also find that the bulge hood is VERY pricey and so are certain trim peieces.

BTW DO NOT get rid of your C pillar charger emblems! They are a 1 year only thing and VERY hard to find. Originals go for big $$$.

The fender lights are also unique for 71/72 chargers vs. the 73/74's.

My buddy is working on a 72 rallye we trucked home this year. real 400 2 Bbl gold w/ black top. http://gallery.me.com/gschmidt211#100047&sel=0

Good Luck!

It's funny you mention the c pillar emblems. When I got the car, the driver side emblem was about to fall off. I stopped by a garage and a mechanic fixed it for free. It wasn't hard to do, but it was nice of him not to charge me for it.

$300 sounds reasonable for the doors. I like the power bulge hood, but I might be able to find a hood scoop I'd like even better.

Your Rallye looks like a sweet project. Nice glove compartment find LOL.

For tonight's program, we'll take a screwdriver to a car and try to stab holes through the rusty spots 8|

Passenger side, behind the rear wheel



A repair I made a few days after getting the car, at the tender age of 17. I'm pretty sure the rust went all the way through the metal here.







Passenger side, in front of the rear wheel



An odd little hole, previously filled with bondo.

Here's the worst spot on the whole car -



Aw man . . .

Passenger side, behind the front wheel



Passenger side, A Pillar



Driver side, behind the rear wheel







Driver's side, in front of the rear wheel



Driver side, behind the front wheel



Driver's side, in front of the front wheel



Here's a spot of bondo on the hood -



There's also a couple raised lines beneath the Charger emblem on the passenger side c pillar. I scraped off the paint over them and didn't see bondo. Can't explain them yet. Too bad they wouldn't photograph.

That's all I've found so far.

I think I'm going to have to put a lot of time and $ into building up my garage before I can tackle this job.

I scuffed the rust with some 80 grit, then cleaned it to have the best adhesion when applying the rust bullet.

I dont have the quarter seal info with me at school but i noticed these on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Quarter-g...=item3a5431c4ac

Did you get my PM?

Steve

Let's talk compressors -

Here's a few options I've found, from cheapest and leastest to costliest and bestest -

Campbell Hausfeld 1 gallon 100PSI Air Compressor

$40, free shipping.

Campbell Hausfeld 2 Gal Twinstack Air Compressor FP2095

$61, free shipping.

Campbell Hausfeld 3 gallon 100 psi air compressor kit

$68, free shipping

These three are pretty weak, but on the plus side, I don't have to do any garage modifications to support them. Maybe one day I'll need a portable compressor for airbrush work, who knows.

Campbell Hausfeld 60-gallon Woodworking and Auto Restoration Air Compressor

$438

Campbell-Hausfeld 80 Gallon Shop Air Compressor


$800

These are the ones to have, but they're expensive and come with installation issues. I might have to run 220 out to the garage, which I need to do to run a welder anyway. I'd need to clear out a space for it. I don't know if the concrete is strong enough for one of these. It probably is, but I'm not knowledgeable enough about concrete to say for sure.

What do you guys think about this -

Quote:

---

Priming the car really is not something you can do for yourself unless you have your very own spray booth and are set up to shoot modern paints. Long gone are the days when primer can or should be shot in your garage, driveway or even in the shop section of a body shop. I am sure there are still those that shoot primer in an exposed area, but it is a dangerous and stupid thing to do. There are enough toxins in modern paints and primers to drop a carthorse and to expose yourself or any one else to the effects and chemicals contained in them is well beyond foolhardy. A thoroughly modern spray booth is the only place for them to be used, with correct and adequate protection for the user. If etching primers can etch steel, imagine what they can do to your lungs, skin and eyes, the family pets and the kids next door.

---

Link

I didn't realize primers were that bad.

Hey, I had an idea for paint. I got to thinking about the $100 rustoleum paint job - Link. If applied with a spray gun, would a matte or satin Rustoleum finish be distinguishable from a professionally applied matte or satin? Aside from the money saved, the Rustoleum doesn't need primer and is much, much less toxic than professional paint and primer. No paint job is worth putting your health at risk (planning on painting this myself).

I would apply extra fancification by airbrushing detail in the stripes - so I think the end result would impress everyone but the professional painter or the rich car enthusiast who can take five figure paint jobs for granted.

I cant answer that one but if you do go that way i would check 10 times over the entire car before you spray it

How toxic is rust bullet to spray? Have you tried sanding it?

Another tiny bit of restoration progress -



The screw idea worked great for pulling the vinyl over. It may not be concours perfect but, meh, who cares?



It's way better than the repro pads in front. It's too bad the original front pads couldn't be fixed this easily.

Now I'd like to get these rear ash trays cleaned up -



I've heard that brasso and steel wool does wonders on chrome. Sounds like it would scratch up the chrome bad. Maybe there's more to it?



I don't know what to do about this rust down in the bottom. Open to suggestions