Body Work...ARGGGG

OK, so over the past ten days, we managed to get the hood, doors, decklid and the bulk of the shell taken down to metal. The shell is actually really great-better than expected.
The hood had some obvious bondo in it, but it was pretty hammered when we got it stripped. The AWESOME news is that a guy named Kevin contacted me and had an NOS hood in his rafters that he was willing to GIVE to me--if I could get it down here from Washington state. I started asking around and one of Bay Auto Body's old partners was headed down from Seattle, so I was able to make a deal and get that hood coming.
The other crappy spot was the driver's door. It looked good in primer, but MAN it was hammered. I found a bullet hole, several creases and tons of poorly executed bodywork. Turner's Auto Wrecking in Fresno had a driver's door, so that's on the way now. Everything else looks salvageable.
The intake piping got started last weekend, but I ran out of time and this week has been nuts at the shop, so it will be this weekend before I can get back to it.

Its Driving! Check out the first video!

Finally got an hour to get the other axle cut and installed.  Got it going late yesterday.  Now I can get the exhaust done so it doesn't look like I have a BBQ going under the hood.

Bodywork Has Begun!

OK, I have corrected my axle issue and moved on to the next large, daunting task.  The Body.  If you have never seen a Newport, or any other C-Body Chrysler, let me clarify one thing: They are HUGE.  Like, aircraft carrier huge.  This becomes painfully apparent when you set out to sand off 43 years of paint and previous repair work.
Brian Jennings, the future painter of Rattlerod, hooked me up with an 8" DA and an 8" electric buffer/sander.  I managed to get the driver's quarter and most of the passenger's quarter done today.  I will probably be bedridden for a couple of days, but I got it done.  On the plus side, I found no appreciable rust anywhere, and just one poorly repaired crease on the driver's side.  Brian assures me that he can make quick work of the crease with the stinger.
Check out the pics of the sweet patch panel that Bob made also.  Inner and outer fit like a charm and are tacked in, awaiting final welding.
I also got my coolant lines finalized and Danny is working on a custom, sheetmetal intake setup so that we can complete the piping for the intake.  Since we missed Redding, I am now hoping to get it to the GoodGuys show at the end of August.  I'll take it, even if it has to go on a trailer.  I should at least be able to cruise it around the event.

Quick update..

OK, so the brakes fought me for 2 days.  Turns out the Wilwood Prop Valve wasn't allowing any fluid to the rear brakes.  I bypassed it for now and the brakes are good.  Wiring is pretty much done until I get the light harnesses and stereo stuff in.
We keep digging in to the bodywork and everything still looks great.  Bob got one of the quarters tacked in, and I'll have pics of the work on Saturday when he gets the other one done.
Had a minor setback with the transmission, we must have nicked the front seal and it was leaking, so we pulled it and resealed it.
You know the adage "Measure twice, cut once"...well, I did that, unfortunately, my math skills must have been off that day, because I managed to cut one of the axles 1/2" too short..DOH!  The car won't motivate very well with one side of the diff spinning free.  Randy's Ring and Pinion is sending out another on for me today, so by tomorrow night (providing I can measure it correctly) the car will be moving under its own power.

First video of it running!

Minor Update

The shop has been crazy busy and my Mom was in town, so progress has been a bit slow for the past couple of weeks.  The wiring is almost done, and the brake lines are all made.  Still need to weld some studs on the diff housing to hold down the brake T, install the trans dipstick and shifter that should arrive today and mount the battery box.  I hope to have it running sometime this week.

July 16th Update

OK, So I have been slacking on my updates.  We had the NHRDA Diesel Nationals in Redding last weekend, so we were slammed preparing for that.  We have had a record amount of work at the shop, so my time has been slim to work on RattleRod.

The good news is that Danny and Jake have been hard at work on fab projects on the car, so at least some progress is being made.
I finally got the car on its wheels and rolling and it steers so well, I am concerned I might not need the power steering after all...We'll see.
The rear of the car is a little high at the moment, but there is no fuel in the tank, no battery, sub, or amps in the trunk and no top or rear bumper on the car, so I will reserve judgement on the rear height until I get that stuff in the car.

I dropped the front to where I think I want it and the steering geometry looks good.  I have to get it on an alignment rack before I get too excited, but I think its going to be OK. We took 4 inches out of the oil pan, so now its the same level as the front crossmember.  Still pretty low, but its all we have to work with.
We got the mounts made for the intercooler heat exchanger and intercooler, and Danny got all the piping laid out.  Hoover at TurboHoses hooked me up with some nice silicon boots to make it all work, now we need to make support brackets for the piping and an intake solution and we are set.
Chad got the pump timed and my SDX injectors showed up.  The motor is ready to fire as soon as the wiring is done.
I ordered up a Lokar dipstick and shifter since the factory linkage has no room to work.  This wasn't my first choice, but I think it will be cool anyway.

Jake has been hard at work on the trans tunnel and it should be completed today.  I got the brake pedal re-hung and we are able to use the factory throttle pedal as long as we flip the brake pedal pad so we have some extra space between the pedals.


Next week I will start my 6am mornings and get the wiring finished up so that we can test everything out and get it running.  Then its on to brake lines and a test drive.