1969 440 Charger (w.i.p)

MoparWoman Jamie · January 29, 2013

Hi you all, I'm starting to work on this project for a family member that doesn't or not aware of it yet. I'm not really going box stock with it. It will have opening doors and trunk lid. I have already cutting the driver side door open. It will also have interior lights plus a dom light too that will work. So far the model will have a vinyl top, met blue for the body, and a either white interior or a golden color one. I will post photos soon.

Edited February 17, 2016 by M0par Jim

MoparWoman Jamie · January 29, 2013

Okay these photos are afew months old, I have afew project going on right now like all us model car builders probably does LOL.

MoparWoman Jamie · January 29, 2013

More from a month ago, just testing afew things out to see what issues I might have before I get really into the project.

So far the light goes all the way through the plastic.. not good LOL.

The LED itself

Here is where I started the routing work for wires. I want them hid and also for the light to site flesh with the interior roof as well an the dom light base to fit over top of it.

OOPs.. but no big deal, I can fix this easy.

Will have some newer and more recent photos either tonight or in the next few days.

MoparWoman Jamie · February 11, 2013

Hi you all, well I been working here on this project as well as on my friend's semi truck one as well, things on that project has slowed down alittled. Anyways on this project I'm replacing the kit frame with a hand made brass one.I plan to do alot of brass work on this project.

Here is one rocker panel piece

MoparWoman Jamie · February 11, 2013

I'm not shure yet about this rocker, it was my 1st attemp.

original kit frame

the kit original piece that I cut out of junk frame I had on hand and then I corrected the frame rail to make a jig

MoparWoman Jamie · February 11, 2013

Dragfreak · February 12, 2013

Very nice brass work!

vintagedragfan · February 12, 2013

nice work Jim, looking forward to more

MoparWoman Jamie · February 13, 2013

Thanks you two! Working on the 2nd frame rail. There wis plans to have alot of brass work done on this one.

Bill, I love your build thread as well man, I been monitoring it and following along on your project as well. Keep up the great work man.

I hope to have an updated posted by tomorrow.

jaydar · February 13, 2013

Please remember i have never done this myself but, i think most LEDs are put under a piece of foil to protect the plastic from heat and serve as a reflector.

Are you concerned about heat???

joe.

freakshow12 · February 13, 2013

In my experience LED lighting gives off very little heat. May I ask why you are doing a brass chassis when this particular kit has a very nice one already? Seems like alot of wasted work.

MoparWoman Jamie · February 13, 2013

Please remember i have never done this myself but, i think most LEDs are put under a piece of foil to protect the plastic from heat and serve as a reflector.
Are you concerned about heat???
joe.

Hi Joe, very good question you ask, the LEDs I use don't as I am aware of generate heat at all, But I'm guessing there is kinds that does? The only heat I am concern for is the heat that my hands get while soldering LOL. But no I'm not concern about the heat at this point yet but I will keep it in mind though.

MoparWoman Jamie · February 13, 2013

In my experience LED lighting gives off very little heat. May I ask why you are doing a brass chassis when this particular kit has a very nice one already? Seems like alot of wasted work.

Hi, well you also ask a good question. While you are correct that the kit frame is very nicly done, there is places on it that is not so great and not well done. I will point them out so you all can understand what I am talking about and why I decided to go a brass frame rount. On the real chargers the rear frame does not go out like the kit ones does ( I own a real 2nd generation 1968 charger 1:1), the rear shock cross member in the kit is not correct, it's missing the sides where it attaches to the frame at, it' more like just hanging in place by the trunk floor pan in the kit frame. Now on the rear frame rails in front of the tires where the frame bends up, it's not straight up on the 1:1 charger either, there is afew bends in the real 1:1 charger rails. Plus one thing I have notice and sticks out to me is the rear leaf hangers, they look nothing like the rear ones as I mean the outer parts the arms bracing off the frame sides does look very very great and I like, it's just the outer part that holds the leafs an what they mount to that turn't me off on them, revell could have went alittle more on that area as well. So I'm kinda building the brass chassis like they did with the real cars. Plus my family member asked me to correct the shock cross member and rear leaf hanger arms. I thought like you did at first about the work being wasted but after alot of thinking, it's what seems like what alot of work wasted really is not but really worth the work in the long run.

freakshow12 · February 14, 2013

very good answer Jim. Being a mostly ford guy I never paid much attention to that stuff on the caharger kit. So are you still using the floor pans and correcting just the rails with brass? I hear what you are saying about the rear spring mounts as most kits are not done properly but in plastic I think it would be a tough thing to mold and still be strong. I want to learn how to use brass so I will be following this. As for your light on the inside, I think once its primed and the headliner painted I dont think it will be an issue with the glowing you have on bare plastic

MoparWoman Jamie · February 14, 2013

very good answer Jim. Being a mostly ford guy I never paid much attention to that stuff on the caharger kit. So are you still using the floor pans and correcting just the rails with brass? I hear what you are saying about the rear spring mounts as most kits are not done properly but in plastic I think it would be a tough thing to mold and still be strong. I want to learn how to use brass so I will be following this. As for your light on the inside, I think once its primed and the headliner painted I dont think it will be an issue with the glowing you have on bare plastic

You ask yet another good question, the floor pans part is still up in the air yet. I might take an try to make a floor pan piece(s) to see if I can do it. I really want to push the box on this project and see what I can do with brass. I agree with you about most kits and there rear leaf spring mounts. but I think with all the kit parts being on the trees I think they could also take alittle more time and add afew extra parts that could be glued onto the chassis like the rear cross members for the rear shocks. So far I am really starting to enjoy working with brass and soldier. You learn as you go along, we all develop our own ways of skills with the stuff. Talking about light coming through after plastic has been primed.. I tried using primer on the semi truck cab (in the truck area under Mack Superliner) that will have over 50+ LEDs on. Just one led light and the light came through the plastic with at least 3 coats of primer on. But then again with the charger project here with both sides the exterior and interior being covered, the light might not though. Then again I could have a lighted/glowing model LOL.

MoparWoman Jamie · February 23, 2013

Working on the rear frame rails jig.

MoparWoman Jamie · July 20, 2013

Hi you all, well, I'm doing 4 projects at one time here now since it's summer time. This one and the General Lee Stunt Car I'm working on side by side. The brass frame rail that is seen in the photos was badly damage by the Mrs's foot by mistake last week when the power went out due to a very bad storm we had. So I'm working at making a few master parts to make stamps of a few of the hard to make parts. I took a lot of photos of my real charger and are using them as ref stuff to make the new stuff more correct. I'm working at making a new from clip and also making new rear end frame rails and cross pieces and a gas tank as well LOL. I'll be posting photos soon as I can.

MoparWoman Jamie · July 20, 2013

Okay first off, the front clip you see in some of the photos or alot of them are of a shell that took a dive off a shelf 5 years ago and on the way down knocked a box over and the box had landed on it smashing it. So I kapt the stuff anyways. Figure it would come in handy down the road like now. It's a stand in front clip for the other part of the build here. I am rebuilding the rad support with more detail to it, plus the grill frame top area as well.

The mock up with kit factory original.

MoparWoman Jamie · July 20, 2013

Now if you look close, you can see I started to mod the support in these photos.

Here I started to adjust the front fenders as well, also if you look close you can also see where I added a new cross brace to the support as well. A much smaller one that looks to me more correct to how big the real ones are on the rear ones. The whole rad support is still in the rough stages yet.

MoparWoman Jamie · July 20, 2013

With the thickness of the plastic, I am trimming things down a little.

Here is the 1969 grill and bumper

I sanded off the incorrect detail that was on top

A test fit and a mock up to see how things looked so far

Hood fit mock up

MoparWoman Jamie · July 20, 2013

Here is one piece that made me laugh. The bolts on this piece are infact on the wrong side and piece. These bolts and fasteners should in fact be on the grill piece not the top plate..