Rusty Lee to The General Lee

Patience

2012-01-15T23:39:00.001-05:00

March is the month that will finally have The General rolling down the road. Can't wait for that Maiden Voyage to ANYWHERE!! I've been starting it through the cold season. Will need new plugs and will change oil before launch. Come on March!!!

Sleeping through the winter

2011-12-03T19:18:00.001-05:00

It is wonderful have The General Lee in my garage. We trailered it to my place a few weeks back. I am taking a break on it right now, but I'll get back to it after the holidays. Santa called to ask if he could take my sleigh this year.. I told him I'd think about it. Merry Christmas!!

Introducing.. The General Lee

2011-10-23T18:29:00.001-04:00

As I walked around the car looking at a General Lee in the garage that I know is mine, it dawned on me that the end of this project, and the end of this blog, is drawing closer. With just little things left to accomplish on the car, I feel I don't need to bore the world or the reader of this blog book with minor things. I have one more big thing to do that might come next weekend that I've been waiting for for almost 5 years. To be continued...

2011-10-23T18:22:00.001-04:00

Today we got to play with stickers. The door, and General Lee script went on without a hitch. The rebel flag ended up with some wrinkles that will need to be shrunk. I can live with it since it is on top of the car and not the sides.

Putting the decals on we used the soap and water method. First we taped where the decals needed to be. Then just spray and squeegee.. Spray and squeegee.

Grill & Push Bar

2011-10-22T22:29:00.001-04:00

Today's focus was getting the grill back on the car and the push bar mounted and secured.

When I went to the paint shop and seen the grill was out I was not too happy. Sure I understood that it might have been necessary, but I was just not looking forward to putting it back in. Needless to say we got it after only a few cuss words.

Next was the push bar. We had it already marked from when we tried it before, so we just had to out it back. I welded it into place on the frame and bolts will be in place there too.

Onward!!

Push Bar

2011-10-16T21:36:00.001-04:00

Just prepping the push bar so it is ready when I pick the car up from getting the little touch ups fixed. Expecting a call by Wednesday.

Exterior chrome

2011-10-09T17:01:00.001-04:00

I'm just putting all the exterior trim on the car. Once I get that on there I'll be taking the car back to get resprayed at the paint shop. Winter is closing in, but this weeks projects mid 70's!!

After a couple days

2011-10-02T22:39:00.001-04:00

I've had a few days away from the car and (although it still irks me about the back panels) I am loving seeing the car orange. The Big Bad Orange paint is just great. My boys love it!

I'm putting the chrome back on the car. I can't put the grill back on because I'm taking the car back for another paint spray in a couple weeks. I'm mad that they took the grill out because they snapped a couple plastic connectors on it. I worked my butt off to get that grill looking good and painted things all nice... I found today that there is a lot of over spray and my efforts of painting around that grill was for nothing.

I am painting the drum breaks for a small accent behind the wheels ( hemi orange ). I'm waiting on the lug nuts to come in to put the Vectors back on the car.
Onward!!!!

Let's do the wave!!!

2011-09-28T20:51:00.002-04:00

Big Bad Orange. The car is colored, shiny, and... wavy. I love the fact that the car is painted, I really do. Yet I didn't think the back quarters were that wavy I guess. I went over every inch of that car knowing that some areas were a bit uneven. I was just surprised that the back quarters were the way they were. I felt down the side of the car, primered, sanded, etc. I didn't see the waves in the primer and certainly didn't feel them, yet they are there.

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.” Michael Jordan. My two little boys will not know the car isn't show quality and that makes me happy. One day I'll replace the whole back panels with full 1/4's, but for now I'll drive it. I'm happy it is done, just disappointed in myself that I didn't catch some of that key stuff before paint.

Down Time

2011-09-25T23:57:00.001-04:00

While the car is away I had to find something to work on this weekend or I just wouldn't feel right. I "Mother"-ed the bumpers and other chrome things I could find. Wasn't much, but it was something that needed to be done eventually anyway.

Goodbye for now

2011-09-23T18:24:00.001-04:00

I drove Rusty into the first bay and shut'er off. I had to look back one last time. The next time I'll see the car it will be orange.

Very quiet

2011-09-23T18:22:00.001-04:00

Locked and loaded, Rusty made it's way (with our help ofcourse) to the paint shop. I was still sanding some things on the car even up on the trailer. I guess I just wanted things to be a little better than before.

There is an eerie silence in the garage now. I'm excited and nervous all wrapped up into one.

600 grit

2011-09-22T19:11:00.001-04:00

Time is flying. I have 't been taking to many photos lately. I have been basically sanding and trying to fix the little imperfections. I reworked many areas and eventually got down to the 600 grit. I went over every inch of this car with it. I didn't realize how big this car was!!!! Any who, the car is prepped and ready for the next level. I have done all I can on the body. It's now time to send it in. I've waited for this moment for years now. Now if the weather will cooperate we'll be in business. Glasses up, cheers!! Onward.

Rusty's new chariot

2011-09-05T20:48:00.001-04:00

Dad and I needed a good trailer for different reasons; me for the car, him for his horses' hay. Today we went and bought a nice 2008 model diamond c trailer. We both went in half on it. He will make removable sides for when he needs it and I'll take it when I need it. The ramps slide inside the back of the trailer and the floor is all diamond metal. It was a nice purchase.

Don't sweat the small stuff

2011-09-05T20:44:00.001-04:00

I am going to have to start a checklist here real quick. The goal is to tidy up the outside of the car to get paint on it within the next couple weeks.

I welded the fender back in the wheel well, drilled the fender extensions holes, fixed a couple rough areas on the front of the hood, and tried to align the back trunk lid. We still need to adjust it, but time is moving. Dad also hooked up the new tach as well.
Also the trunk lid can now shut and be opened with the new lock and key.
We did go get paint quotes!! I can't wait.

Door panels

2011-08-28T22:31:00.001-04:00

I hate messing with these panel clips. I mean it, I hate them. I put the top panels on there but I'll have to take the driver's panel off to put the mirror on there.

I did get to drive the car around the yard. My wife got her very first ride in the car too. She didn't ride in it before the fire. I left some peel outs in great granny's yard. Can't wait to drive on the road. It's going to be fun.

On the key

2011-08-28T22:27:00.001-04:00

This weekend dad and I dove into the wiring. Sorting, separating, taping, cutting, aaaaaaaaagh! Nothing has ever worked the first time, I mean, the car burned to the ground the first time!! Well, after all that fun, steering wheel in, dash lights working, I'm happy to say that when I turn the key it fires right up. No more hot wiring for now...

Door Poppers

2011-08-24T22:24:00.001-04:00

One of the plans that we had from the day I bought the car was to keep the handles shaved. We never got to it before the fire. This time we wired them up and ofcourse it didn't work the first, second, or third time. We had to modify the latch a tiny bit and move a couple things, but I. The end everything works good.

SOLD!!!!! Marley

2011-08-21T13:49:00.001-04:00

Well Marley is gone... I got everything I wanted out of her and then some, but in the end she had to go. I would have liked to have kept it to restore it with my son one day, but it would have sat for many many years to come. I placed Marley on eBay and wanted atleast 500 bucks in my mind... She sold for 860.00. I bought Marley for 1900, got the extra fenders, doors, and the important 69 grill (close to 1000 dollar value alone). I sold the back seat and some other interior pieces for 225 on craigslist. 1085 dollars is what I made back out of the 1900 I paid. Not a bad deal for all the stuff I took off of Marley in the end. Great deal. The gentleman I sold her to is going to use her to merge his 70 Charger into one car. He seemed like a nice fellow. Atleast I can say that I owned a 68 and a 69 Dodge Charger at one time, right? Onward!!

Hood and Trunk

2011-08-15T00:13:00.001-04:00

I went ahead and applied a thin coat of filler to the hood and trunk lid to get it more smooth. Glad those puzzle pieces are back.

2011-08-15T00:10:00.001-04:00

In March I believe, I dropped off the hood and trunk lid to get the metal work done by my wife's step father, who is also suppose to paint the car. He is a professional body guy for many many years. He buttered me up the day of the fire saying he was going to help me get the car back together... Long story short on that situation, I had to beg him two different times to just let me come and get the hood and the trunk lid so they would get done. Finally this past week I got them back, with some unexpected surface rust that wasn't there when I dropped them off, but oh well I was just glad I had them back. It took me 1 1/2 hrs to get the metal work done ( welding, cutting, etc..). They are back on the car where they belong. I'm disappointed, frustrated, and hurt by the lack of help that was promised by some people around me. I'm fine with doing the work myself, but don't say one thing and, well, you get the picture. It's funny how people always say after a tragic accident "let me know how I can help, or I will help you in any way" and then they are no where to be found. I'm not looking for pity. You are only as good as your word.

Windshield

2011-08-14T23:56:00.001-04:00

I called a professional glass man to come put the windshield in, and I knew it wasn't going to work almost immediately... He didn't want to use the gasket, then he wanted more metal, then he... well, needless to say I just told him I'm going to wait. In my head I was thinking, he has no clue how to do it. With some Internet research, video tutorials, and more research... my dad and I went to work. The caulk used is tough to push out and extremely messy. It took some patience, but we should be set to go.

Shaved door handles

2011-08-01T20:56:00.001-04:00

This weekend we got to work on the door poppers. We have all the equipment in the door and ready to wire up. We also installed the actual poppers as well. Once we get those all hooked up I can put the door panels on there.

Headrests

2011-08-01T20:53:00.001-04:00

I found some headrests for 15 bucks at a local mopar swap meet. They were originally for a bench seat. The only difference is that the chrome leg pegs are super long compared to bucket seats. I simply measured the legs and marked where a bucket seat leg would stop, then I cut them off. Final step was to pit the legs to a grinder to indent them at the ends so they'll hold. Once that was compete I test fit them. Worked out great.

Once I was done with cutting them I repainted them and put new chrome around them. At that point I just put them in the car with a smile. I really like the looks of the seats. Glad to have the back in the car.

Front Buckets... The Second Coming

2011-07-25T21:34:00.001-04:00

When the fire destroyed the car a couple months back, I was so sad that all that hard work went with it. My wife worked hard on the front and back seats. I put her name on the inside of one of the buckets when she finished...

When I was going through the car after the blaze, I found that first picture of where I wrote the date on the floor. This was the largest piece that was left of the covers.

Fast forward to last week and she started the job again. Although she didn't do it all herself this time, it was nice she helped.

Though the headrests are not there yet, the seats are back where they belong. BUT now I have to switch that seatbelt as I put it in the wrong spot. Grrrrrr

Carpet Sections

2011-07-24T17:09:00.001-04:00

Today's focus was to get the carpet in place. I had to locate the seat belt holes, and cut away around the dimmer switch, gas pedal, and the shifter area. Lastly I crawled under the car and poked a screwdriver through the holes where the seats were attached. My dad was up top marking where I needed to cut.

The little things

2011-07-23T22:47:00.001-04:00

It's funny how all the little things that should just bolt up end up taking the most time. Getting the gunk from the seat tracks that the fire left for me was icky. I lubes it up and eventually things became smooth flowing. I'm still waiting on the headrest chrome, so those are hanging out until then.

I also put the back carpet in, drilled the new seat belt holes and found a couple old ones under the new floor boards.

A couple areas I had to go over again with the sand paper finally got tended to. Tomorrow I hope will bring less frustration with bolts...

Hot Enough

2011-07-21T21:10:00.001-04:00

The last few days here in Michigan have been extremely hot. Heat index was pushing 110 according to the radio. However, I need to keep pushing to get the most out of my summer with the car. I took the last couple days to stay in and complete the seats, and now the console. Looking forward to this weekend to get back to the car itself. Good things are approaching...

Front Buckets

2011-07-20T20:41:00.001-04:00

It was a bit more challenging to hog ring these seats this time. My hog ring pliers broke on the third ring, and then I had to use regular pliers. I danced with the seats for a bit, but got them covered. I still need to repaint the headrest and apply new chrome. It's nice to see them look like a seat again and not a burnt piece of toast.

Back seats and belts

2011-07-18T10:28:00.001-04:00

I had forgotten how many little parts there were when putting the door panels back on. Everything went together, but some of the screws were fussy.

After the panels were in place I bolted down the seat belts and attached the back seats.

Headliner and Back Window

2011-07-17T17:47:00.001-04:00

One of the things I dreaded doing again after the fire was the headliner. Luckily I knew the basics from before, watched a couple videos, and added some heat. I love the way it turned out. Again, not perfect, but pretty tight.

We also prepped the back window area and put in the window itself.

I also started putting the dash components back into the car. I put the front vents along with the apillars back in there.

Time to Stretch

2011-07-07T01:00:00.001-04:00

After making the final sands on the fender, it went to rattle can primer. Car looks halfway normal again with the primer. Hard to tell the car went through a massive fire, unless you look at the stainless steel exhaust pipes.... bummer there. Any-who, the stretching began today. I have to say that this time through is going easier than before. I will work those wrinkles and work those wrinkles....

Photo update

2011-07-06T01:25:00.001-04:00

From sanding the driver fender, putting the lower valance on, headliner insulation, and getting some parts from Marley, the 68... I've been running around with my head cut off. Little things are tying up my time, so to me it feels like nothing big has happened with Rusty. It was nice to drive it out to blow off the dust though. Horn is crazy loud in the garage too.

3/4 the car smooth

2011-06-29T22:51:00.001-04:00

I have been around the car doing little touch-ups for hours on end. I did one final walk around again before grabbing the grill and setting it in the car. It isn't bolted in yet as I need to adjust the horns that sit right behind it. The driver's fender can't be put on yet until we get the door fitting right.

Sanding, and sanding

2011-06-23T20:33:00.001-04:00

One of my former students, Buddy, has been stopping by to look at the car for the past couple years. He loves the car almost as much as I do!! He usually just comes over to chit chat and tell me how good the car looks, and how he can't wait until I get it done. This day I told him no more sitting in his wheel chair, or standing doing nothing with the walker... I put a piece of sand paper in his hand and told him time to chip in!! (kidding ofcourse. He worked long enough for me to snap the photo.

I am almost done with the door and the driver's side, as well as the back channel panels. I'll throw primer on it to help me see the imperfections easier.

Enter... "Sandman"

2011-06-20T12:32:00.001-04:00

Like a wrinkled potato-chip, Rusty is due for a smooth massage. Looks like I'll be working this stuff until my arms fall off, then I'll use my legs... somehow. If I see that fire again I'll kick it right in the mommy-daddy button...somehow.

Check the Grill

2011-06-20T12:24:00.001-04:00

Honestly I didn't realize how many hours it would take to assemble this thing. All the little nuts and bolts on each compartment and chrome. Now that it is done I can say I'm proud if it. I only wanted to throw 5 tools during the build. It is much easier on the eyes now though!!

2011-06-05T23:48:00.001-04:00

Really wanted to hang the doors and start adding filler to the body to make it smooth again. Check. After that I spent hours getting the roof nice and smooth.

2011-06-05T23:43:00.001-04:00

Believe it or not, but the last piece of metal work BEFORE the fire was going be this splash shield. Could have dished out 115 bucks for the whole thing, but felt it was time to try my first fabrication piece. I used the original piece for my tracer and measured things out. We have a complete piece of metal now. Sanded, smooth, painted, snug... Moving on.

Side Windows

2011-06-05T23:37:00.001-04:00

First on the weekend's agenda was to take Marley's side windows and put them into Rusty. Everything went pretty smooth.

Roof fill

2011-05-30T21:37:00.001-04:00

During the in-between work on the doors, my dad began applying the filler on the roof. I want to get the body nice and smooth again... so it begins with the roof.

Door windows

2011-05-30T18:59:00.001-04:00

The driver's door window was crazy stuck.. My dad and I fought to even get this out because of the window. Once we got it out I noticed the green tint of the window (once I cleaned a portion of it. I got to thinking that these windows being tinted won't match the front or back windows. Soooooo, I had to yank the whole vent window system from the passenger side, take both mechanisms and windows from the 68, put them in the 69 doors, make sure they rolled down and everything, and bolt everything back up. I'm so glad both door windows now function properly.

Body Patches

2011-05-29T21:47:00.001-04:00

Today's goal was to get the patches cut from Marley and transferred over to Rusty. Before I could weld the spot on the front vent I had to make a new wall I side of the vent that blocks crud from going into the heater box. I took the grinder to clean up the welds afterwards.

Interior roof paint

2011-05-28T17:51:00.001-04:00

The roof transplant was a huge milestone for me. The moment I pulled the car out of the garage after the fire I knew we would have to scrap my roof. I wasn't happy about that... But onward I went crossing things off the list until it was nice enough to perform the surgery.

The underside still contained the original insulation from Marley. I cleaned that all up first, sprayed Rust O Mort, let it sit, and finally brushed on the black Rustoleum paint.

Roof Transplant

2011-05-22T20:48:00.001-04:00

My back hurts... Why? Well this weekend I made it a goal to take Marley's (68 Charger) roof and transplant it over to Rusty (69 Charger). After getting the marks down to cut on the roof, I took the cutting wheel and went to work. First we put some different braces under the roof. The others were dented and really not straight.

Ofcourse it didn't fit exactly right at first. We were hung up on some staples and screws. After a little more grinding and trimming we were set to spot weld. I then spent the next several moments in and around the car welding.

I moved from welding to grinding which is the start of why my back hurts. Awkward positions, leaning over the car all led to the start of aching.

Next I sanded the top and sprayed Rust O Mort on there and let it sit.

Mother's shine

2011-05-19T21:19:00.001-04:00

The pictures don't give these pieces justice. I used Mother's polish to give me that shine. You see the before and after here. I scrubbed and rubbed my arms off. I'm satisfied with these for now, but I'll come back for more coats later.

Headlights to Frame

2011-05-19T21:13:00.001-04:00

Receiving six lights, 3 high beam, 3 low beam... I was curious if they worked. We hooked them all up to jumpers and sure enough "let there be light". I cleaned them off and then polished the chrome bezels that go around the lights. Hooking them up proved a little more than just popping them in. Everything is cleaned and looking good.

Birthday "Duke" ing it out

2011-05-17T21:53:00.001-04:00

I took the day off today for my birthday so I could get some things done on Rusty. First on the list was to go to Belle Tire to mount the new tires and get the burnt ones off. My cousin, Jay, works there and he hooked me up with FREE service. I was shocked and very happy at the same time. My son Brady screams YeeHaw every time he sees the wheels.

Know we move to the front dash pad. I have met both John S. and Tom W. (Bo and Luke) at local events here in Michigan. Not at the same time... Not even in the same year. Why this is important is because I always kept the dash OFF the car. I'm so glad I did, because it could've been toast. I layered it today with clear spray to protect it before I put it on. I also have the glove box door signed by Cooter and Roscoe, but I might be meeting Daisy and Enos later this summer so I'll have that on stand-by.....

Dash Bezel Paint.. Dash Pad

2011-05-17T21:41:00.001-04:00

I attached the dash and the dash vents first thing today. I then spent time cleaning and repainting the bezels. The only pieces I had saved from the fire is the piece above the glove box and the small right side piece. I lucked out and took them off days before the fire. The radio section came from a Coronet and will match the b body radio that will be in there.

I painted the black a trim satin black. The outer edges are just chrome paint put on with Q-tips. I also did the lettering on the dash cluster there.

Symbolism??? An URN

2011-05-17T21:30:00.001-04:00

Ok, many people know the car burnt to the ground... but does everyone including eBay sellers???!!! I mean, sending me a radio in an URN box?! Yikes.

Dash Pad

2011-05-15T20:28:00.001-04:00

This weekend has been a wash... I have been extremely ill and I couldn't get off the couch. With that said, I could only muster getting up and setting the dash cap.

First I sanded the old dash and the underside of the new dash. Then I cleaned both with window cleaner. I put a steady line of dash glue and clamped it down. Had to let it 2-3 hours and all was nice and tight. Now excuse me while I go pass out on the couch again. My head feels like there is a monkey with a hammer trapped in there...

Marley's Windshield

2011-05-13T23:17:00.001-04:00

Worked around the glass. Didn't take as long as I thought it would. Didn't break... Whew!! I also started taking interior trim out. A lot to get yet. Pieces were in great condition too. Glad the back window trim is good. Just needs a wipe is all.

Marley's Transfer

2011-05-13T15:14:00.001-04:00

Dad came over to load Marley. It is nice having the space in my garage again so I can work on other components of the car.

Just a taste. Rumble.

2011-05-01T21:34:00.002-04:00

The New Sunroof?

2011-05-01T20:34:00.001-04:00

My father in law came to measure, mark, and cut the roof. Wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. We now have to bring Marley over (my 68 parts car) and make the surgery complete. We'll put on new braces too from Marley.

Deck pan

2011-05-01T20:30:00.001-04:00

Hard to tell really in the photo, but the deck pan was warped bad from the blaze. Probably the hardest hit, or the metal was thinner than the car. That is my opinion; the replacement pan was not a 300.00 usual purchase. I got a 100.00 special. I guess it wasn't heat resistant. Can you guess which one I'll be getting this time?? What? The 100.00 one again. I don't plan on driving through fires often.

Door patch

2011-05-01T20:24:00.001-04:00

The window cranks are simply frustrating trying to get everything out and aligned again. I switched the vent window first. Then I moved to fixing the bottom of the driver's door. Wasn't too difficult, just took a few moments.

Driver Fender Patch

2011-05-01T20:17:00.001-04:00

Dad and I went to work on the driver's fender. Being a patch, and not a factory patch, it can get funky with the alignment. We put the door back on for now to line up the body lines. We took half a brace from an older fender and placed it where it needed to go. From this point I can get the filler on next weekend.

Awakened.. First start after fire

2011-04-29T23:56:00.001-04:00

Today, April 29, 2011-- months after I thought all was lost to the fire, we awakened Rusty... It cranked, and it fired.. The mean grumble of that 440 electrified every part of my body. Though brief, it's alive!!!! To be continued...

Dash paint..

2011-04-26T20:18:00.001-04:00

While I'm waiting for the weekend, I'm able to accomplish little things such as spraying some interior pieces that need to be black, assemble the headlights, and specifically paint the dash today. Searching through threads and forums inbound an acceptable paint for the dash. I went with a rattle can; Rustoleum textured black, #7220. I'm not a pro, nor do I have a money pile to pull from.. I think the finish will be ok.

Fuel Cap.. Door Panel

2011-04-25T19:12:00.001-04:00

Fuel cap before and after accent paint. I can't do anything about the pitting of chrome, and I'm not interested in rechrome for big time money right now. Maybe another time.

I had some vinyl paint on the shelf, so I decided to paint the back panels to match my interior.

Sunshine is great!! Heater Core

2011-04-23T23:16:00.001-04:00

A perfect sunny day was a no-brainer to push Rusty outside. The last time the car was outside it was drowning in water from the firefighters hose...

I repainted the heater box, changed a couple hoses, and aquifer some new goodies. I also touched up some more of the engine orange and black brackets. My dad was all hands today as well and we got some of the little things done. We still need to hammer out the body dimples, but it still looks sweet in the sun; even if it's half a car right now.

Spark plug waste.. Dash removal

2011-04-23T23:01:00.001-04:00

Started clean the wires, looked new with a simple swipe of a rag. I got all the way to the last one, and then I see a crack and burn from where it looks like it was sitting on the headers. Bummer!!

I was on my way to the gas tank when I detoured to the dash. I yanked it out... Well, I fought it out. It took some time, but I feel it was necessary. I media sprayed it and applied Rust O Mort. Primer came later. I'll build the whole dash before putting it back in the car.

Fender Tag Reunion

2011-04-12T21:02:00.001-04:00

Exciting news.. for me anyway. The guy I bought Rusty from (and frequent reader on this blog) contacted me after he found the fender tag during a recent spring cleaning venture. After four years this thing pops up!! Love it. Thanks so much Mike!!!

Crud bucket seats

2011-04-10T20:40:00.001-04:00

Oh the front bucket seats... When I walked up to the side of the garage after the fire the first thing I saw to tell me the extent of the damage was the bucket seats. Gone, all gone. That was the first hard punch in my gut. It sucked.

I knew how hard it was to find these the first time around. Time will still tell on the headrests though.

First I took them apart. The best word for the remaining foam would be "gooooooeeeeyyyy". Then I bead blasted them, sprayed Rust O Mort on them, let them sit over-night, then threw some paint on them. Why white? It's what I had in Rust Stop paint.

Today I used some all-purpose wire to establish the factory wiring over springs. Then came the foam. My son Luke wanted to be the first to test them. Have to wait for the covers. Need to save my pennies to get them!!

Restoring Charger Grill Emblem

2011-04-08T21:54:00.001-04:00

First thing... I'm not a professional and yes it is my first emblem restoration. Is it show quality, nope... Is it more colorful? Yup... I believe I lost the Charger arrow in the fire. I can't seem to find it. So, I got this original emblem in the 68 Charger deal. The emblem was off a 69 R/T. If you read my older posts you already know that story... I was just going to keep this on the shelf, but I might as well use it... right?

I first gave the emblem a bath. Cleaned with a brush, dried well. I then used paint thinner to get off what I could. Then I began to shake the paint... vigorously!!! When I researched it, it said to get that paint mixed and thin as can be. I bought the five pack of brushes (1.99 at Kmart). I bought model paint, flat red and flat black. Why these colors? Cause I liked them when comparing others side by side.

The red wasn't too bad to get done. I simply dipped the brush and let it slide onto the surface. The idea is to let the paint fuse together.. no paint strokes needed.

The black edge called for the smallest, sharpest brush I had. This was a bit more nerve racking. Again, I let the paint fuse together. I did make a couple small errors.. See them? On the "R".. I will clean that tomorrow when dry. I couldn't get it today while wet, and I was afraid I would mess it ALL up! Can't wait to get this on the grill.

Engine Touch Up

2011-04-02T21:41:00.001-04:00

Today I spent some time with Rusty and the engine compartment. I picked up some Hemi engine paint and a few paint brushes. It's not done, but better. I need to get craft brushes to paint the bolts black again.

I also took off the headlight containers I need to finish the grill. I cleaned and painted those. The ignition box and coil were getting a cleaning too. If only it would warm up we could start really tearing into the car.

Whew.. 69 Grill Paint Done

2011-03-27T21:28:00.001-04:00

Flashback to yesterday...

And now today.

Ok, first off painter's tape STINKS!!! Getting the tape to stick was the hardest part. It wasn't very hard to get this grill a new coat of paint. However, it took some time. Be ready on this part, cause unforeseen circumstances pop up quicker than a stiffy on prom night...

I was applying two coats of everything throughout the day. It isn't perfect, or show quality for the experienced guys, but it is so awesome to have it done (besides the chrome). I'm in love with this thing. I mean I did basically took a shower with it. It has given me an emotional boost to get rolling even more on the car. As soon as the sun warms the air a bit more my dad and I can really start replacing metal. On the bonus side, the car doesn't really smell like smoke anymore.

(The R/T emblem is just temporary. I can't find my new arrow emblem. Can't remember if it was in the garage and burnt up in the fire..)

Grill 2.. Colors

2011-03-27T00:12:00.001-04:00

The main part of the grill is getting the black first. This is suggested because the grey is easier to tape off I guess. This is my first time restoring a grill ( like the car) so it's all new to me.

The headlight doors here took a shower and were brushed with a toothbrush. Primer will go next for them.

Grill painting

2011-03-26T22:56:00.001-04:00

I would have loved just to slap the grill I have for Rusty on there right away. However, I figured now that I have time I might as well paint it back clean. I searched forums far and even further to find paint that would look good. After many suggestions I bought Krylon Dull Aluminum 1403 for the silver, and Krylon Black Satin 1613 for the black.

I'm so thankful that when I bought Marley (the 68 Charger) the deal came with a 69 grill. It saved me searching and spending a ton more. I love the grill on this car. Can't wait to put it on the car.

Console paint

2011-03-24T22:34:00.001-04:00

After getting the very back piece fixed, it was time to start spraying the rest of the console. Nothing special here, just black paint.

Currently working on front grill paint and clean-up. To be continued....

2 tires get a bath

2011-03-13T19:27:00.001-04:00

Nice brand new tires, two of which get blown out from that blasted fire. The other two, which came from the passenger side away from the main fire, just had some nasty soot. Ofcourse when I bought them they were nice with crisp white lettering. Today started a long process of cleaning the salvageable ones. With some tire bleach spray, warm water, and SOS pads my dad and I went to work. They are not done, but they are on there way.

Air cleaner cleaning

2011-03-13T19:21:00.001-04:00

A bunch of grime clung to the air cleaner there and tried to claim that spot forever. My buddy "steel wool" pushed those plans aside.

The first battle was actually getting the filter off. You would have thought that filter came factory welded after the fire. A simple putty knife and some muscle, (granny muscle really) allowed me to free the filter. Once that was off I scrubbed like crazy with the putty knife again and finished with the steel wool. I really like seeing the clean filter again. It's like seeing a pretty lady (like my wife... *wink*) in a new bra... Gives me just enough to look at to make my blood get excited.

Console repair

2011-03-12T21:29:00.001-05:00

Since the fire I have been frantically trying to locate the big interior items for low money. I continually found the items, but the price tag that came with them didn't include the vasoline... A decent console for the car ranged from 350.00 to 500.00!! After searching I almost just said forget it and go without, but I really liked my console and the way it looked in the car. I did end up finding one on eBay for under 80.00, but the back piece was in pieces. I figured I could just put more elbow grease into this project and save the money. Here is the back part. This was a three day process for the JB Weld to dry. I'll throw some black paint around it and we'll be good.

Driver's door replacement

2011-03-08T23:34:00.001-05:00

Tonight after work I had a few minutes that could devote to Rusty. I took the door handles, mirror, and lock cylinder off. My dad has been a big fan of the shaved door look, so I'll stay true to that.

I had a little more paint to snake off as well. Just to mention, it appears I'll have to exchange the window crank because this one won't jack the window up or down. Ofcourse it wouldn't work like my original Rusty doors. Grrrrrr!!!!

Engine crud

2011-03-07T22:22:00.001-05:00

Man that engine use to look so clean. It's a terrible sight seeing " The Traveller" in this condition. I bought some carb cleaner, brake cleaner, steel wool, and went to work around the top. My dad and I went in and tried to clean everything we possibly could. It was nice to see some of that metal clean again. I'll have to touch up the engine paint and repaint the bolts again, but I want it to be a nice clean engine again.

Front clip primer

2011-03-07T22:14:00.001-05:00

After blasting the front clip I metal prepped it and threw primer on there.

Letting it set for a week til I could work on her again, the gloss paint went on next. I'll get to work on the grill once I get some other things done.

Air Cleaner

2011-02-26T21:28:00.001-05:00

The nasty crud left by "the fire" can make a person puke. However, I don't have time for that. Plus it would be more to clean up. I put a few small items through the bead blast. The air cleaner and valve covers had a chance to meet the scrubber on the air gun. I cleaned first with some steel wool, then finished up with the air scrubber. There is more of that shine now. I did apply some polish as well.

Front Clip

2011-02-26T21:20:00.001-05:00

It's hard to really tell what is smoke black and what is the black I painted black years back. Only thing to do is take everything off. The bead blast was actually working well today. I applied the rust protector and tomorrow I'll paint.

Engine area

2011-02-21T10:49:00.001-05:00

The engine... It really isn't too bad at all. Besides losing my horns in the front, there was hardly any melting of anything. I need to replace the air filter. That is an eye sore.

I removed the fender, front fan, and a couple odds and ends. I cleaned up the glass and crud, then applied some fresh paint. It was as dirty as a teenager looking through his first naughty book behind daddy's back, but it cleaned up. Still much to do.

Front clip

2011-02-14T16:26:00.001-05:00

Every time I opened the door to the garage I just feel sad for the car. Rusty looks like a burnt frown. The melted grill says the whole story. I remember the first time I seen Rusty when I picked it up in Minnesota years back, just falling in love with the front and back of the car. I had to get going on it all ready.

When I bought Marley, the 68, it made me so happy that a complete 69 grill came with it. I can't wait to see that grill on Rusty again.

Sunshine.... On my shoulder, makes me happeeee

2011-02-14T16:19:00.001-05:00

With the temps reaching a blistering 30 degrees, I was able to move outside to work creating a little more space. I spray etched the right fender, cleaned and sprayed the valance, cleaned and sprayed the door. The metal is loaded up in the truck to take to my father-in-law's, Jim, for the body work. I can't wait to put the stuff back on the car. It was a long day, but the show must go on.

More metal clean

2011-02-11T22:50:00.001-05:00

I started this evening with a little more clean-up of the hood. This time I actually had some tools that would eat the paint off instead of just stroking it... With the new sanding attachment, I went to work on the driver's door. The bottom of this door will need attention. For now I wanted to get as much of the paint off as possible. I feel like I've lost some hours just messing with the other tools. Wish I had this three weeks ago. My head is full of fumes tonight from the self-etching primer, but I feel good about getting something else cleaned up. Onward!!!!

Passenger Fender... Again!!

2011-02-05T21:11:00.001-05:00

Forgot to post the painted floor pic from a previous post.

I was ripping my freaking hair out with the tools not working the last month. However, today I found an attachment with a better disc fitment that ripped off that primer like butter. Well, not perfect but better than before. I applied Rust O Mort as this fender did go through the fire. I still have to get the self-etching paint and apply tomorrow.

Back sectional clean

2011-02-05T21:06:00.001-05:00

Spent some of the day in the back section sanding, Rust O Morting, and painting. It's getting easier to look inside Rusty now. They started tearing down my parents' house yesterday. Soon my dad will be able to help me again. It's a little tough and slow doing this by myself. Would love to get it running again by spring, along with the body work in full swing!

Floor... Again

2011-01-29T20:02:00.001-05:00

The biggest difference of cleaning these floors this time around is that I can't see through them. I used the air hose to get the loose particles out and swept atleast three times. There were really only a couple spots that had the surface rust from the firefighters' hose down they gave Rusty. I went over the floor with a wire wheel attached to a drill. I applied Rust O Mort and am letting it sit.

I seeeee youuuuu

2011-01-26T18:43:00.003-05:00

I decided to go into Marley yesterday and see exactly what I had. Practically searching eBay and Craigslist every available moment, I wanted to make sure I didn't buy something I had all ready had in my garage. I cleaned her out and found many goodies. I didn't take pictures of everything... Not even close actually. I went to the dash and seen a glimmer of hope as I reached in to pull the ignition with the key still in it! That was an awesome moment. Rusty's ignition was toast. Then I pulled the glove box to see the fuse box and all the wiring. Very nice to see in good condition.

I took a couple items in to clean. Heavy dust and dirt, but they cleaned up nice. My wife is excited to break more nails re-stitching the visors like before. Glad to see the left hand small dash pad there too. That is 30.00 alone on EBay right now. I think I might use the old original cracked steering wheel for now too until I find another for a decent price.

Dash clean-up

2011-01-25T20:19:00.001-05:00

Surface rust removal. Pulled out a ton of melted wired. Metal prepped it, then applied some black paint. It was nice to see the face back to black. I did get under the dash too real good.

A long day of frustration

2011-01-22T21:21:00.003-05:00

Dirty, filthy, frustrated, tired, and I'll just mention frustrated again for the sake of it. I usually don't mind doing all the work for the car. I enjoyed it when I first started four years ago, but today I hit "the wall". I didn't stop working though. I didn't quite get as far as I wanted to either. I started by finishing the trunk lid. Then I moved to the top of the hood. I metal prepped those and threw primer on there for now. Both pieces will need a little work to make smooth. There are little pin holes around the ends, but I expected that. It was a wind chill of -10 out during the day, and yes I was sanding outside. I told my grandma, which is kind enough to let the Charger stay indoors, that I wouldn't get the garage filthy with the sanding.

After the hood and trunk were done, I moved to the inside of the car. I let the wet vac do most of the work there. The frustrating part here came with the gas pedal and driver seat. One bolt on the driver's seat was stripped and I had to cut it off, which took longer than it should. The exhaust was in the way. The gas pedal bolts had to be removed so I could get the rest of the carpet out. Bolts to that were hidden behind the exhaust as well.

Dash- I really had to work to get that dash cluster out of the car. Wires were everywhere, and if there were any plastic around it melted around them into clumps. I was pulling and cursing all the way through. It's just frustrating seeing the car this way.

Inferior tools to Clean With.. Marley Parts

2011-01-18T13:01:00.005-05:00

Another frustrating piece to this journey is we lost many of the great tools to help us along the way. I found this out quickly when it became time to blast and strip the paint down to bare metal... AGAIN. The air tank that I'm working with now is not up to par with what my dad had. This all equals out to a longer process, which stinks. I lost the big grinder as well, and I don't want to wait for all the replacements, which could be months, to get started.

The hood had mostly surface rust with a couple small rot holes that would be next to the cowl. Not a big deal, we can fix that. The trunk lid had the common pin holes near the end, and it was clear that the former body man just applied a small amount of filler there. We can work with that and fix that as well. The plan is to get these cleaned, metal prepped, with small etching primer and take it down to the shop for the good primer.

Parts parts

2011-01-13T17:30:00.001-05:00

What came with the car? What can I use? Trust me, I inspected the WHOLE deal. I got 2 extra 69 doors, 2 extra 69 fenders, 69 complete grill, all emblems, interior pieces, ( kick panels, headliner bows, window trim, dome light and wiring), all glass I needed is there with extra back glass, the hood is in great shape, back trunk lid is very nice, and I needed a new roof. This car met many needs. I also needed the whole under dash wiring harness... it's there.

A 68 , with a lot of 69

2011-01-13T17:09:00.001-05:00

"The 69 RT is over there". What? An RT? I quickly walked over and there she sat.. "Take whatever you need and can use". The first thing I saw I could use was the rear door top panels. I yanked the visor clips and tried to loosen the seat belts , but to no avail. Needless to say he hooked me up with practically 1/3 of the car.

Finally.... a Donor Car named Marley

2011-01-11T00:17:00.001-05:00

The first thing after the shock of Rusty's flame job I tried to think of how I could save her. I needed to find a good donor car or better foundation to transfer Rusty's good parts over. Well, today was the day I found Marley... Rusty's long forgotten cousin. Ok, not exactly, but Marley is real. 1968 Dodge Charger. My wife, Brady, and me traveled to Darlington, PA to get her. More information and ALL the extra parts that came with her will be listed tomorrow.

Engine Mop Up

2011-01-03T23:10:00.003-05:00

It is sometimes hard to walk into the garage to look at Rusty in this condition. But it's like seeing a loved-one at the hospital. You see the illness, but you act normal and carrying on being strong. Today I removed the battery and cleaned some of the trim that was nasty. While in the engine area I tried to scrub the valve covers and anything else I could reach. I could see a little sparkle under that soot.

And now we clean..

2011-01-02T01:13:00.003-05:00

Where do you start when everything is toast? I decided to clean off the wheels first. I then packed them up and took them to my house. The next step was to lube up everything I could with WD-40 that would or might rust until I get to it. The exhaust pipes, shifter, engine pieces, door hardware...

I saved big money at Menards.. not really. I did purchase a couple drill sanders to start to work off that surface rust. I hate seeing that on the car. We worked the side, trunk, and the back tail for a few hours. it's not done, but it's better. I plan to get all the way around the car and dive into the interior shortly. My dad and I worked pretty hard on it tonight. It has to being somewhere..

Let's get this out of the way

2011-01-02T01:04:00.002-05:00

So ofcourse we will have some comments to try and lighten the mood. I'm hurt, but I understand. Let me see what I might hear...
* You always said you wanted a "hot" rod!
* You sure roasted those tires off..
* Waiting to call on that insurance huh? that back-"fired"
* Dude, your car was hot!!
* I love seeing flames shoot out of headers!
* You just like to burn money don't cha?
* That is smoking!!

Did I cover most of them. Please submit if you have any I might have missed. I would write more, but I have a little work to get done. Boy I'm going to "burn" a lot of calories putting the car back together again! ok, that is good.

Pictures worth more than a thousand words

2011-01-02T00:59:00.004-05:00

Waking up still in the Nightmare

2011-01-02T00:53:00.003-05:00

Day 1... I really didn't want to get out of bed this morning. I still had an ache in my heart. I mustered the energy to get up and get the kids fed. Once they're tummies were full I gathered their things and headed to my dad's. I didn't want to do anything with the car.... I needed to. I called my "body man", which happens to be my father-in-law. We needed a plan and we needed him, Jim, to be our partner in this major resurrection. We are all on the same page and are moving forward to get the car back in shape.

Rusty's end..

2010-12-31T21:58:00.004-05:00

I keep clicking my feet together saying "there is no place like home" in hopes that I return from the nightmare before my eyes. It an unfortunate event this morning, a single bolt destroyed 3 1/2 years of work done by many family members... It's no one's fault, accidents happen. The important thing is that nobody got hurt.

I spent the day going through the car. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours. The interior is completely burned up. From the original steering wheel I went to Kentucky for, to the headliner that gave me headaches, to the seats my wife re-covered for me. The engine seems to be ok, just black from smoke. Tranny is shifting fine, the new stain-less steel exhaust is good at first glance, the gas tank isn't bubbled from what we see. Rims are rolling and dirty, two tires blew out. The hood, driver's door, trunk lid, and deck pan are warped from heat. The worse being the roof, and the trunk lid. All the glass is gone. Cluster is gone. Front grill... gone.

There was no insurance on the car. After speaking with our agency, we decided to wait til spring to put any insurance on it. If I could only re-due that conversation. I don't want the money for the car. I just want the car like it was, the way we built it.

Today a part of me got burned up in that garage. It hurts real bad. I sat in the car two days ago to start it up again and listen to that big block growl. I long for the day that I'll hear Rusty's sound again. From the day I brought Rusty home I was eager to pick up a wrench and strive towards getting the car back to life and on the road. I don't know when that day will come now.

Where do we go from here? I'm going to be honest, I'm devastated. After the smoke had cleared and my family was safe, all I could think about was Rusty. Everything we had been through, and everything we were going to go through. On my way over to my parents' house I was trying to tell myself that it is just a car. As soon as drove down the driveway I couldn't pretend that it was just a car anymore. A father-son project that evolved into a father-son-grandchild project, to a Howard's family project. I could not hold back the tears as I walked up to the garage. We had some great times around that car... I loved that car.

I still love the car.

Storage run

2010-12-18T23:19:00.001-05:00

Even though the car is tucked away through the week, I make sure to spend some quality time hearing that engine growl. It's really cold, but The General fires right up with a touch of the key.