Survivor(ish) Resto: MPC '74 Dodge Charger NEW PICS 5/21

[Snake45]

Got this at an estate sale in the early '90s, so it's been in my possession in this condition for 25 years or so. I'd completely forgotten about it until I got an urge to work on the Aston-Marin DB4 and the '71 Cuda I got in the same sale, and rediscovered it in the same box. Seems to be an '80s reissue, molded in red. Here's what it looked like straight from its cardboard tomb in the Snakepit:

 

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This is about as close as I get to a straight-up restoration, in that I didn't add or change anything; I even kept the “Day 2” wheels and tires (for the time being). I blew it apart, cleaned everthing with dishwashing soap and water, sanded the tread on the tires, polished out the glass, and did the window trim with Silver Sharpie (as well as some touchup on the wheels and bumpers). Didn't even change the odd two-tone green interior, much less anything about the engine or chassis. I did detail the taillights with black and white paint, and the grille with black and steel. The black wash didn't come out perfectly and I might re-do that at some point. I painted the side marker lights. There was a nasty black streak on the paint on the left quarter panel which wouldn't come off with rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover, so I had no choice but to try polishing it out with Wright's Silver Cream, which worked well. The paint could have probably stood up to a light polish overall with the Wright's but I didn't want to risk rubbing through anywhere, because I don't have anything close to touch it up with. It has a fairly decent, factory-like gloss that's tolerable. I'll live with it.

I have 4 to 6 hours of work in it, all done in two days.

At some point I might revisit the grille, and replace the wheels and tires with Mag 500s and something closer to stock-sized rubber, but for now, this one goes on the DONE list and and on the shelf.

 

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Edited May 21, 2017 by Snake45

[Hmann68]

Cleaned up really nice!!

[charger74]

Very cool charger !!

[donb]

Cleaned up really nice!!

Same thoughts. Nice job!

[espo]

Very nice restoration. The interior looks almost tan in the pictures.

[oldcarfan]

Looks nice. My dad's friend across the street bought a brand new 1972 in that color when I was little. The only difference I can see was that his had a white vinyl half top. Love it!

[Snake45]

Very nice restoration. The interior looks almost tan in the pictures.

It's actually a light olive or avocado-ish green, with darker, more "emerald green" trim and highlights. I considered giving the whole thing a squirt of semigloss black, but decided to just leave it alone, at least for now.

[Snake45]

Had both the time and the mood, so finally got around to cropping and tweaking the finished pics and re-loading them to Photobucket and replacing the ones in my original post. Hope you can see them better now.

[bbowser]

Nicely done.  That color really suits it and the tweaks you did make it pop.