Thread: 73 charger the saga

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It's been a while since I was inspired to really work on the steaming turd, but last night I dove back in.

I cut the skin off the front corner of passenger side rear quarter, to repair the rot.
This surgical procedure revealed a badly deteriorated inner panel which will have to be repaired first. That way I can do my welding on this side. Very important, since I really can't crawl inside the wheel well. Maybe if I were on a lift, but since I'm on jack stands, It's the way I'll roll.
I'll break out the CAD (cardboard aided design) and template all the little shapes, then weld them in.

The metal is being graciously donated by an old commercial cooler. Turned out, the unit was "re-badged" as a Pepsi cooler. Each side had a metal sign pop riveted over the original artwork. One side is going up if a friend's man cave, the other side is donor steel for fenders.

I have a new phone coming, and it might play nice with photobucket, but until then no pictures: unless someone would post them for me as I can text pictures.

Glad to hear you're back in it. Flip the pics to me and I'll get them posted. mfmike1@verizon.net

CAD (cardboard aided design)

I like it.

.

Heck, I just realized I'm fixing part of a quarter panel that needs to be replaced.

No bother, I haven't wasted time. I got the first patch piece templated, cut, formed, and welded in. I did end up with my head in the wheel well after all. I'll send some pixels toward mike1 to post for me. ( thanks mike1 )

One more patch piece in this front corner and it will ready for a new skin.. I can see that these quarters were replaced once already, and the inners didn't get attended to. But, It's just the outer lip of the inners which is rotted, and I think I can hammer form a strip to replace it.

So I guess i'll put in that next patch piece, and move on to the front fender. Until I get some new skins delivered.

Oh, I forgot to tell ya about the fun part. I guess I put too much heat to it, and the under coating caught fire. Well now I need to recharge the fire extinguisher. That's ok, I got that fire extinguisher fifteen years ago,- I'll call it cheap insurance. Just didn't want to take a chance that the undercoat fire would get out of control. I think I would like a H2O extinguisher for an option to the chemical extinguisher.

Also, this just in. I seem to recall the running boards on this ( and the Vega ) are dented in. Could this justify the nail - welding - dent - pulling kit I've always wanted? Anyone have a favorite kit?

No wait, don't reply yet, there's more!

Today I finally wired on my nice BIG compressor, and made an extension cord for my MIG. Man, that GAS MIG is worlds above my flux core 110 VAC welder. Still, seems even a nice welder can't weld through undercoat, so grind that stuff off!

Also, it was darn nice to have real shop air, that compressor runs good! Not as loud as I was afraid it would be either.

Jes thinking out long here, cause no one's home and I'm tired of talking to myself, but even with my new extension cord, ( 10 AWG stranded SO coed ) I still can't reach to weld in the car port, which would be nice, so I guess I need a 220 drop in the carport.
Well, the steaming turd ain't polished yet, but a whole bunch of other stuff is getting done.

Hey, my new air nibbler doesn't quite work right. It'll eat right in, until It's about an inch deep, then it refuses to cut. Operator error? Do these things have a sweet spot?

Got back on it tonight, cot out more rot. I had just placed the second tack on the patch panel when the starter spool on my welder ran out. I'll get another spool tomorrow.

It sounds like you're making great head way! I feel your pain as I've ran out of wire many times before after hours. Congrats on the new welder and compressor. You don't realize how nice they are until after you have them just a bit. On the nibbler, is it a cheapy? Some of those don't like thicker gauge sheet metal. Or it could use a good oiling. Jaws and internally.

Okay so I got the pics and re-sized only to find out I was un able to log in! Yesterday was a 16 hour purgatory at work..
But I made it! Here's the pics..

Thanks for the pixels! I have my new phone, hopefully I'll figure it out an a day or so, then I can see if it will play well with photobucket.

Tonight I put the new wire into the welder. Looks like I got too large a spool. It doesn't feed as well. I will get better as it gets used up, and thus gets lighter.

I got the patch welded in, but really put myself tough on the patch bottom. I ended up just tacking it along its length.

At this time, I'm wanting to accept the challenge of repair, instead of replacing the whole panel.

The inner wheel housing I going to be a hell of a challenge, to repair without removing the skin. My biggest concern is probably how to weld it in without burning myself.

I'd like to get the side higher for easier access, but I've maxed out my jackstands. Anyone have a nice, safe way to get higher?

Some folks build a cribbing box under the tires. Easy to do as long as you can measure and own a saw of some sort.

This just in from our non roving reporter!