Driver Side Panel Work

With the weather staying in the mid 70's we have begun working with bondo to smooth the Frankenstein stitches across the body.
Also within this time I have bought many engine parts and new brake lines for the car. I've sold the last few things off the motorhome (tranny, tires) on Craigslist. Things are moving... And now with my summer free they will move quickly more frequently.

Dash Cluster

I can recall when I bought Rusty looking at the dash and wanting to clean it up. It's been about 2 years, but I'm ready to get to work on this part. I had to refer to my Charger Restoration book to know how to take off the cluster. I had to find and dis-connect many wires (labeling them ofcourse) before taking it off. There isn't much room to squeeze even my hand in there, but I got it done.
I went to eBay to get new decals and found the correct paint to match the rest of the dash. I did make the decision to go with WHITE decals instead of original black.

Interior Ceiling

The old headliner has been ripped out, but it's cotton remains are still left to be seen. Taking a wire brush attached to a drill, I spent the day inside the car getting the ceiling ready for some base paint. It was a lot of work for something that will never be seen by anyone else but those around during this process.

Block Party

Before we take The Monster in to be bored and rebuilt, my cousin Larry wanted to make sure everything bolted up correctly. We got her in there but could get the oil pan to correctly line up. It's my job to research what pan will fit correctly so we don't have a problem once I get the block back. The family showed up to help, my brother, my cousin Larry, cousin Dave, my dad, and my son... Everyone here has helped me with the car in some fashion since I got it.

727 Tourqueflite

Last week I got the call to come and pick up the tranny. Karl, charged me a total of $430 to complete the job which was a steal compared to other shops. He works for a dealership but did mine as a favor for my cousin under the table. He also put in a new shift kit as well. Karl wants me to drive it to the shop once it is complete so he can check out the car as well. I can't wait for the day where I can drive it down the drive way!!!!!

Back in Black

After many conversations about the engine and which direction to go with that, I decided to get back to finishing the base paint around the car. I completed the inside floor, the trunk and the engine compartment. I still have plans to go back through to paint the inner fenders and a few odds and ends.

The Monster

440 cubic inches of raw power... Here begins the second part of this restoration, the motor and trans. We have begun dissembling The Monster piece by piece. The 727 Tourqueflite tranny is being rebuilt by a friend of my cousin Larry.
As for us, my cousin Larry, my dad, and myself started taking bolts off and placing parts into boxes. What at first seemed to be huge mound of dirt, now resembles the turquoise engine that came off the factory line many years ago.