Press Release Hemi '69 Charger 500, #614 Restoration

Operation #4; well, the day has come.. My 4th 1969 Dodge Charger 500 is actually Charger 500 #5 built, one of the original pilot group of 6 designated for Press Release. Luckily she survives with her original 426 Hemi. As you can see from the fender tag, the VON is 925004.. 500 VON's always start 925xxx.. This car is 925004..
It has been told that 3 of the first were 4speeds and 1 auto known (mine).. Two unknown.. It is highly likely mine is this 500 in Bud Lindermann's road test on the new Dodge Charger 500..

https://youtu.be/wLX1h6jvWYs  <<< Road Test video

Want to give special thanks to Tom, previous owner for over 30+ years, Daniel Liebrandt for connecting us and Dave Points for his assistance on this trip. Kim Cook Hawkes, honey, guess I'll be in the garage of you're looking for me.. 😀

The trip there and back....

Back home..

Wow! Very cool significant car! Love the combo!

Congrats! Cool find!

Very cool Troy, I think I know why it doesn't have it's original trans. anymore!!!!
Ron

No, why?

All those neutral drop burnouts on the video!
Ron

Great car and very cool video

Very cool, congrats.

Awesome! Remember that video from years ago.

Spoke with Diane today at GTS (Galen's place) about my broadcast sheet, they had it nice and secure all these years and it will be coming home to mate up with it's original car. Weird to think that part of my car #5 is actually part of #1, my back seat cushion..

Just got my NOS HEMI badges for the ole C500 today.. Thanks Wayne !!!! Looks good covering those three holes in the door.

Good day today in terms of Mopar here..

Congratulations! Great find!

That is awesome! I've watched that video numerous times and am surprised that it is still intact and exists. I'm curious if the headrests are still missing, the 68 dash bezels are intact, along with the early auto-shift knob?

Operation original-broadcast-sheet to my 69 Charger 500..
After 50 years being separated from the car it belongs to, the original broadcast sheet is reunited to its car, thanks to Richard, owner of Charger 500 #1 for giving it to Galen Govier to hopefully reunite the sheet with the owner of #5, mine.. That was done many many years ago. The Mopar paths finally crossed. I was able to connect the broadcast sheet of #1, which was found in my 500, to owner #1. Thanks to Galen and Diane for their safeguarding of the document and giving it back to me. Turns out Galen had a gig near me and came over for some dinner with the family and some Mopar chatting, along with my broadcast sheet..

Cool picture of broadcast sheet to 110614, #5 found in 110610, #1.

Think I have found who is going to do my 500. Would love Brian, but man that is a long way from home or Hodges. Will go with a firm here locally that did my friend's Superbird.. So soon things will start a'happenin'.

VERY COOL!

Kudos to Galen, that was a classy move.

All,
Well, I have begun Operation C500 Restoration... Had fun last weekend with the help of my bud Dave P. removing the drivetrain from under the car.. I will probably go after the engine compartment next...

Some more..

Time to catch up here with the disassembly....

Glass, door hardware, etc out....

Some cool parts that have shown up recently...

Today I got some Mopar goodies... A big shout-out to Wayne Perkins for giving me the opportunity to attain a NOS rear valance for the 500. Thank you !!! Trying to do the best with the funds I have. Would like to get original end caps at an affordable price..

But with the NOS valance, it will provide a good cornerstone for the corners..
See how I did that? icon_smile_big

Also, Julius came over and sold me a Tony DAgostino restored front sway bar.. Tony, that thing is nice and look forward installing it on a freshly painted car when that day happens in the future. Thank you Julius, saved me shipping costs to and fro...

The Emissions solenoids will be worked out as such.. I will replace the aging cover of the original 426 Hemi solenoid and mounting bracket I have on the Daytona and reuse it on the 500. I'll use the other solenoid on the Daytona and get a mounting bracket from Scott Smith..

Operation rotisserie 4 Charger 500..
Well, thanks to Bob for helping with the adaptor brackets and Dave Points for the rotisserie and help, for the old girl fitted today on the ole rotisserie for the future blasting and paint. It worked !!! Some shots of it and the special hemi-car body components. Now need to get the logistics of the blasting and paint shop.

FYI, leave the plastic plugs in the ends of the rockers while it gets blasted. Getting media back out of there isa ROYAL pain . Trust me.

What media you going to use for blasting ?

Hey Bill,

It is a crushed glass media with high pressure water... I would not have believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes. He did a test for me on another fender I had since the undercoating is the same stuff.. Well, it went right through the undercoating without any problems then he told me to put my hand on the bare metal, it was cold.. Soooo, no worries on heat warping. This sure beats the heat gun and a putty knife in a hot garage over multiple days... Hopefully will get it to him on the 21st... Going straight to the body shop when they will shot the car with epoxy before dissection...

Oh, thanks for the tip on the holes for the framerails... Yes, I guess it would be a PITA to get all that stuff out of it...

Accomplished another milestone this weekend; the blasting and delivering of the car to the body shop.. My last project Superbird took freaking 6 months or so.. This time, a weekend..
The car is pretty much what I expected.. Really solid in places and not so much in others. But, it can all be fixed.

Blaster continue..

Blaster continue #2

Blaster final

Cutting begins...

Went and checked on the progress of the 500, took them my freshly restored hood hinges by RestoRick and go over some items that were discovered during the working (to be expected). Thanks to Robert and Bill Crabtree at AMD for the sheetmetal parts I've needed.. Took the ole Daytona to check it out. The passenger side isn't going to need that much, was just positioned for mocking. It'll just need the bottom surface below the reflector.

Working on the rear valance mock-up and 4speed hump removal and patch complete

More updates... We decided to go ahead and replace the taillamp panel as well.... Heard good things about them and what to look for..

Floor in the interior coming along..

Found nearly perfect Monaco/Polara full wheel covers that most of the Press Release cars came with

Great progress....love the hubcaps!

Should look good with the hubcaps on it.

But I have to ask.
On the inner wheel houses, Why not use the entire replacement part instead of all the cutting and welding it in as a partial

want to keep as much of the original sheetmetal as possible and reduce the number of welds separated/removed....

There's the houses of keep as much original metal and those to replace the whole component....

My school of thought has been to hide your "sins" in places that are not paint finished (ie the wheel house). There are a lot of layers to that onion once you start getting into the rocker panel/wheel house (inner&outter), etc. It usually pretty obvious when from the trunk if someone has worked on the wheel house seams.

Cool car!

Well, the ole girl is in good hands with Brian and Ray Reitz over at RF Customs.. There is a strong momentum forward with the car. They are making sure the moldings and gaps are all good, soon the car will be in primer.. Moving along nicely..

some more... Hopefully in Primer next week with final touches of console brackets to be installed, wire harness tabs and tire jack mounts

Wow - what a fantastic car.

Good stuff right here, Troy! Glad this project is going much smoother.
GG

1st primer
What a big difference when the car is a uniform color. RF Customs shot the first coat of primer on the car yesterday.. Looking great !!!
Have a few items to address like the console brackets and misc wire tabs on the trunk and rear section. Thanks also to Dave Points for removing the original rear valance wire tabs and reconditioning them. Thanks to Brian and Ray Reitz at the shop..

Operation Hemi 500 color continue: 😀
RF Customs is pressing forward.. Overspray on the Charger 500..

Getting ready for exterior sealing and paint.

My favorite body style. Lookin good.

69 Charger 500 visit;
Stretched legs on the ole Daytona to visit Ray Reitz and Brian to see the 500.. Man, she looks good.. Nice to help install the hood. Pictures make the car have an orange hue, but in person she's definitely red.

Jam color...

Well, the whole car is red now, albeit the lighting makes it look like Candy-Apple Red..

I looks great! I can't wait to see it assembled.

What he said!

Me three!!

Some more from today.. I went over to check it out in person and take the black taillamp panel organosol paint... These pictures look more like R4 Charger Red than the other ones.. Monday they will begin cut-n-buff..

more

finally for today..

That looks great!

Operation C500 update;
Brought home the sidemarker bezels after being painted and joined them with the NOS reflector assemblies I have. Have the other red one somewhere in my NOS stash... Look forward in placing them into their permanent home.
Was sent pictures yesterday of the 500.. Looks pretty good from here. I will swing by tomorrow to drop off the "500" stripe. Today the organosol black-out treatment for the taillamp panel should be done.

Operation they-ain't-NOS-anymore; once they get put on the car :2thumbs:

Well, long story here but behind the scenes there was a possibility that the 500, as it was post paint-n-body, was going to find another home. A gent who has made repeated inquiries about the car since I bought it called again right before I took delivery of the car from the shop. Well, in my true nature, I thought "What the Heck".. Ok, I didn't go after anything on this.. 😀
Told him it would be ONLY if I was able to get enough cash to buy a Superbird I know of AND another car he owned in particular. After all, this 500 is NOT your typical Hemi Charger 500. Not that any Hemi Charger 500 is typical. EVERYTHING was in line and I was feeling rather pumped about it.. But, alas, he reached out 2 days after what I thought was wiring the money only to find out he had to pull out of the deal. Oh well, wasn't meant to be.. (granted wasn't too happy and still aren't). Soooo, time for some Mopar-therapy by installing some NOS parts and getting one NOS Monoco/Polara wheel cover. Few things are better than installing new emblems on new paint.

Hi Troy,

I am following along with the build here, as I also am on the BBodiesOnly Forum. That is truly a rare car, congrats on finding it. You said in one of your posts that it is red, I thought it was orange? Please keep us all updated if you have any updates. Hope to hear more on it soon.

pretty sure the car got sold.

Yes I saw that on ForBBodiesOnly he was thinking of selling if he got a great price and a Superbird. Also saw the car on Feebay. That's what I thought but wasn't sure. Ok, that settles that nevermind then

Troy still has it and restoration continues to move forward

I'll amend my comment.
As of last week he still has it. Or at least was still searching for parts for it

The plot thickens. . Sure hope we get some updates soon.

Yes, Still have it and pressing on, albeit it is slow going.... Need to earn green with the restoration of that 1970 Barracuda Gran Coupe convertible at the house here..
But, wanted to keep as many original parts as possible to recondition. Here are the original door handles rechromed (even saved the original gaskets), fuel cap assembly installed along with the fuel tank as of yesterday.

fuel tank

Hi Troy,

Great to hear you still have the car and are continuing to build it. Thanks for the update and photos, looking good.

Operation 69 Charger 500; radiator core support black-out treatment.
Had a bug up my Mopar butt today.. Jumped right in and tried not to over-think this as it should be done. As always, took pictures of the area upon disassembly.

Operation Rookie-mistake on HEMI 500;
Had to tinker with the ole girl.. Put the bumper on and that went real easy, then the lower valance... Then.... Duh !!!!! I forgot to put the lower bumperette brace on the bumper brackets.. Lordy.. So, off comes the lower valance.. Later on this week.. But, she looks great.

Corrected mistake.. :-)

Here are the unique headlamp buckets installed to facilitate the 68 Coronet grille

Operation Hemi C500; front fender fillers.
Yesterday I continued with the mock up of the grille assembly on my 500. This is focused on the unique front fender fillers that were used to cover up the gap left behind with the switching of the production 69 Charger grille with the 68 Coronet. I still need to paint the bezel, it is supposed to be solid black on a 500, not with the hash marks. Also, the leading edge is supposed to have a rubber push-on, just not on right now. Still need to paint the fillers.

Messed with the grille, fender fillers, door and grille emblem attachment.
The fender fillers are sanded, primed and painted them installed with the rubber edge on one side. Then I reinstalled the replated door latches and strikers. Julius and I took our stuff to a local guy.. Did ok, not stellar. Then messed with the Charger and 500 script on the grille. Very unique way of installing. Take the emblem, shove an aluminum tube on it to give the peg extra length to go through the grille and have the ability to install push-on retaining nuts from the backside. Here's my car in the Bud Linderman video for reference. Thanks to Tom Race
at R/T Specialties for having the kit for the 2 emblems.. Unfortunately has to drill out the aluminum extensions to fit over the emblem bag and one didn't survive the drilling. Luckily, brake tubing is pretty much the same diameter. I had some old brake lines just laying around. The steel may be too hard for the push-on nuts, but I will try. May have to go get some aluminum tubing to do it right.

More grille and the unique rubber front trim for the fender fillers for C500s. Middle and right are originals, the left is a reproduction.

A big shout out to Wayne Perkins for getting me a COMPLETE heater box for my 500... AND original 69 Charger 500 front fender filler rubber molding... That is a big one for that original component spirit I am trying to provide for this 500. Big deal to me. Being that I know what they look like it always bugs me when I don't have that. The reproduction rubber strip is on the left and the 2 on the right are original..
Also from Bruce Somer on the restoration of my 3speed wiper, thanks to Tony D'Agostino for finding for the exact date code wiper I needed for my 500..

Operation Heater box
Haven't updated in a while since I have been in a slight hiatus with my Hemi C500....
Pretty much done.. Just have to hook up my cables.. And nope, didn't paint the cable brackets silver.. Just left them natural and coated them after cleaning with a clear anti-corrosion spray..
My little part-number stamp comes in handy again for its purpose..

Operation control arms;
Today spent some time on the restoration it the control arms of my Hemi Charger 500. Using the PST LCA bushing. Still need to install the upper control support collar on each unit. I used Krylon Battery Protector to coat then sprayed with Matte Clear. For me it duplicates the Cosmoline good. Probably a little too thick cosmoline on the uppers.

Here are some pictures of the rear axle housing for my 69 Charger 500. I also include pictures from my friend's 69 Charger R/T SE equipped with a 3.55 sure-grip. I can see where his housing reflects 591, which will be on his broadcast sheet, my stenciling, based on the broadcast sheet should be 592. It is my understanding that would be 3.23 sure-grip.
His third member has quite the paint codes and I am sure all that equates to 3.55 sure-grip. What would the 3.23 equivalent be? He has the white circle with an "X" which, if I recall means the sure-grip or the housing has been filled with gear lube. What's up with the big yellow "B"? What I am basically getting to in the stenciling/markings I would expect on a 3.23 sure-grip on a Hemi Car(not it matters). My friend's axle housing also has some white stenciling on the other tube. What's up with that?

Working on the girl this weekend. Installed the roof jute, seems my kit was missing a third middle section. Routed the dome light harness and reinstalled the rear headliner retaining teeth section around the rear window. As you can see, this is how Creative Industries created a off-the-cuff solution for the modified rear window headliner area due to the modified rear window plug. Simple washers and actually used 2 3" oval head screws with 4 washers on the ends and the ones in between are door sill plate screws and 3 washers.

1st picture is pre-rest0

A little more progress.. Interior sections: Wiper arm assembly, brake pedal assembly and vent box...

1. Restored the parking brake mechanism. Didn't paint the bare metal, don't like that silver look. Just cleaned it with scuff pads soaked in paint degreaser.. Repainted the letters on the pull handle.

Items installed..

door hardware.. Had the original strikers and latches replated, look and operate perfectly.

Finished up with the taillamps once I received the proper attach nuts for the housings.. Installed proper bulbs and used my portable power supply to see what she looks like. Those taillamps haven't been illuminated in probably 35 years...

engine compartment.. Installed the power brake booster assembly. I have installed the proper cap and removed the gasket between the MC and booster and repainted the attach nuts... Looks great there.. The unpainted cap was what was used about mid-year production 1969 (so probably nov-dec 1968). Since my 500 is extremely early, it takes that one. The other one painted is for mid-late 69-up....

Where did you get the strikers and latches re-plated?

Operation drip rail and quarter belt molding;
Installation of molding and voltage regulator stamp resto. All fit nice and snug. Stamp looks good, of course had to practice on a donor regulator cover.

Thanks to Dave Points and his amazing stainless steel polishing skills and Sylvain Gaucher and his stamps for the voltage regulator. My original regulator was long gone, but did the math comparison of a survivor Charger 500 (it's regulator date code versus its SPD from the fender tag). Even found the original wire terminal clamp for the regulator. That put a smile on my mug.

Been awhile..........

Brake calipers, wheel cylinders and carbs restored by Scott Smith at Harms. The brake calipers and wheel cylinders cleaned and powder coated by Mike Ross..

Tried to save/use all my original glass panes, but they each had their share of scratches and such. Obviously, the rear window I have kept and will reuse. The glass I purchased from ECS and we went into detail on the version of the logo, the date codes and if the stenciling was done on the inside or outside of the glass. There doesn't seem to be a pattern in that regard, so we went over every one of the glass sections and noted the information, even the windshield.

Next up.
I was able to secure a proper *549 Hemi alternator from Paul Jacobs. Looks great. It is however about 3 months passed the proper date code I really need, 33rd week or earlier. If someone needs this 36th week of 1968 and have an earlier one, we can trade...

Well, probably after nearly 40 years, these doors hold a power window assembly that actually works.. Wooohooo..
My bud Julius came over today to pick up his windshield for his 68 Charger R/T and while here, helped with the installation of the passenger door glass. Then, I got the rear support guide installed along with the window support for the regulator arm. I was able to save the original front guide felt.. Thanks for Dave Points for polishing the quarter glass seal trim, looks amazing. Now time to clean and button up all the door handle mechanisms for..
The glass is brand new from ECS with the exact Chrysler/PPG logo and date code as the original.

Video of operation;

https://youtu.be/5ZjfsHT0PTE

Back after a little hiatus with the car at the body shop.. Had to repair a bunch of modifications to the passenger side exhaust manifold prior to installation and engine detailing/paint.

Both heat tubes for the choke and air cleaner were welded up with plugs, so, those had to be drilled out and tapped.

1. the air cleaner tube fix

2. Carb choke tube.

Working on the cluster as well this week.
Saved, reused and restored as many components as possible. The one thing I didn't like I will need to address is the instrument cluster bezel where PG Classics has the hole borders not paint, let chrome. They should be black. May price what GCAR will cost and sells these,, or just find the proper black and just paint over the circles..

1. Tear down of the cluster, transfer the other original lens bezel spacer to new lens and cleaning/restoring switches...

Continue of dash cluster... Looking really good. Adjusted the new odometer to match the original.. OK, I was 2-10ths off..

Operation Mopar Collectors Guide- cool;
Nice surprise when I got my latest issue of Mopar Collectors Guide. Wasn't expecting this at this time but I am sure Richard, owner of the 610 car here, is surprised as well. Looked and low and behold that is my Fender tag for 614. Then I turned the pages and saw mine when I just dragged it home.. Unfortunately, didn't live up to the hype of the car getting done by the time the article came out.. Fell sort of that.. 😁

Here they chat about Richard's awesome 500, the twin to mine, but not an identical since his is a 4-gear and mine is an auto. The article goes on to explain how I was able to get Richard's 610 500's broadcast sheet to him and he told me Galen had mine. After 50+ years of being separated at Creative Industries in the notorious back seat misplacement, the broadcast sheets are back together with their car. I will never forget the day I called him out of the blue, him not knowing who I was and leaving him a message on his voicemail, "Hello, my name is Troy, you don't know me.... But, I believe I have the original broadcast sheet to your 500. Call me back if you get this".. 5 minutes later, I get a call... The rest is history.. Both 500s get their original broadcast sheets back and I get a new friend..

Messing with the engine this weekend. Buddy Dave came over and we shot the motor with the proper Hemi Orange enamel from Frank B. at Roger Gibson Restoration. Then got to emptying boxes and putting parts on. Motor is coming together

Operation driver's side door/quarter glass: 69 Hemi Charger 500

Last night and today been working on the driver's side glass.. The door was easy-peasy, the quarter not so. Could NOT get the rear quarter glass aligned.. The top of the front was going too far inboard, no matter what I did. My friend Julius came over this morning to tweak things.. Sometimes it is best to get a different set of eyes.. Plus, J has restored a view Mopars in his day.. 😁

After doing this and doing that we both came to the conclusion that the new date-coded glass from my vendor had too much curvature at the top compared to the original. We placed the original in and after readjusting all we did to compensate for the bad glass it went up fine.. The glass... So I will contact ECS aboit this.. But did clean up the original glass and it was actually probably the best original. All the other glass is ECS. The passenger side is fine.

I left the vintage CAL CUSTOM decal that a previous owner installed during the early part of the car's life. Think it looks cool. I will leave it for now as long as that window stays in.

Some more updates:

Got the dash in with the help of a nifty simple tool, a steel rod with hooks on the end.. Helped alot with holding the dash while I hooked up the heater box cables.

Buttoning up the drivetrain. Still have things to do, but working on it. Hopefully will install the drivetrain in a couple of weeks..

drivetrain