"Rookie-Touring" '69 Dart
4 days, 6,000+ miles, a good nights sleep, and the first day on a new job (including jet lag) and I can finally get back to updating this thread. So I asked the question (mostly of myself), will I get to my goal of having a roller before I left. The short answer to the question is yes and no. The long answer is, I could have it on the ground as a roller if one of two things, or maybe both, (1) I had a cherry picker Friday afternoon/evening and (2) I chose to take it off the table. The car is to the point where I could have taken it off the table and had a roller, I chose not to. I still have to install my coil-overs and steering rack and I have a few things I want to adjust after having put the quarter panels on. Because of that I chose to keep it on the table for the next 10 months. It was a bummer at first but I also know it was the right decision. There is no sense rushing the car just because I want to see it on the ground. With that said, here are the final pics of what we got finished.
The rear suspension is welded up and bolted on, quarter panels are back on.
Motor mounts are in.
Didn't really get a chance to finish playing with the core support; it was extra-curricular since I didn't plan to tackle that this trip. But I have a good start and know what I want to do with it now (for the most part).
And I put the front end back together (sort of).
I really didn't have a lot of time Friday to work on the car. I had to pick up a bicycle for my wife that I brought back to Switzerland, did the brakes on my sister-in-laws car, had to pack, do laundry, clean the garage, do some shopping for things to bring back to Switzerland that we can not get there, etc. Needless to say, it was more like just a half day. Still, I'm VERY happy with where the car is and what has been accomplished in such a short amount of time, especially considering I'm largely learning as I go. I have learned a TON doing this project already and if I had to do it over again, I'd probably do a bunch of things different so far, but I'm happy and excited about the next steps.
So that begs the question, what's next? Well, I'm going to be purchasing some SelectSeries RideTech coil-over shocks, a Woodward Steering rack, some AMD panels, an AAR hood and decklid (maybe fenders) and if the funds are there, a steering column, all over the course of this year. Next Christmas, I'll be mounting the shocks and rack, finishing my front crossmember, changing the motor mounts (the ones I built make it VERY difficult to remove the engine considering the engines height and setback), adjust the drivers rear suspension a bit (there must have been some warpage I didn't notice until I installed the quarter because there is ALOT of static positive camber built in), build the trans cross member, finish the back brace as well as building in some additional rigidity, then set it on the ground, roll it outside in the snow and take the first picture of the car sitting on the ground in many, many years. After this Christmas, I'm hoping to be in a position and am considering taking the car to a shop and letting them have it for a year to get the body panels hung and aligned all nice and neat then get it in primer. We'll see what happens in 10 months, but I gotta have goals.
I'm sure I have forgotten some things but that's what I've got in my head for now. I appreciate all the encouragement over the last few weeks. I also MORE than appreciate all the help I've had from some friends, Dave, Jeff, and Greg, all of which have been instrumental in their own way to help me get to where I am. This has been an awesome ride so far and after I recover from the exhaustion of working 14-16 hour days on my car, I'll be excited to get back to the U.S. and start in again. Check y'all lata!
4 days, 6,000+ miles, a good nights sleep, and the first day on a new job (including jet lag) and I can finally get back to updating this thread. So I asked the question (mostly of myself), will I get to my goal of having a roller before I left. The short answer to the question is yes and no. The long answer is, I could have it on the ground as a roller if one of two things, or maybe both, (1) I had a cherry picker Friday afternoon/evening and (2) I chose to take it off the table. The car is to the point where I could have taken it off the table and had a roller, I chose not to. I still have to install my coil-overs and steering rack and I have a few things I want to adjust after having put the quarter panels on. Because of that I chose to keep it on the table for the next 10 months. It was a bummer at first but I also know it was the right decision. There is no sense rushing the car just because I want to see it on the ground. With that said, here are the final pics of what we got finished.
The rear suspension is welded up and bolted on, quarter panels are back on.
Motor mounts are in.
Didn't really get a chance to finish playing with the core support; it was extra-curricular since I didn't plan to tackle that this trip. But I have a good start and know what I want to do with it now (for the most part).
And I put the front end back together (sort of).
I really didn't have a lot of time Friday to work on the car. I had to pick up a bicycle for my wife that I brought back to Switzerland, did the brakes on my sister-in-laws car, had to pack, do laundry, clean the garage, do some shopping for things to bring back to Switzerland that we can not get there, etc. Needless to say, it was more like just a half day. Still, I'm VERY happy with where the car is and what has been accomplished in such a short amount of time, especially considering I'm largely learning as I go. I have learned a TON doing this project already and if I had to do it over again, I'd probably do a bunch of things different so far, but I'm happy and excited about the next steps.
So that begs the question, what's next? Well, I'm going to be purchasing some SelectSeries RideTech coil-over shocks, a Woodward Steering rack, some AMD panels, an AAR hood and decklid (maybe fenders) and if the funds are there, a steering column, all over the course of this year. Next Christmas, I'll be mounting the shocks and rack, finishing my front crossmember, changing the motor mounts (the ones I built make it VERY difficult to remove the engine considering the engines height and setback), adjust the drivers rear suspension a bit (there must have been some warpage I didn't notice until I installed the quarter because there is ALOT of static positive camber built in), build the trans cross member, finish the back brace as well as building in some additional rigidity, then set it on the ground, roll it outside in the snow and take the first picture of the car sitting on the ground in many, many years. After this Christmas, I'm hoping to be in a position and am considering taking the car to a shop and letting them have it for a year to get the body panels hung and aligned all nice and neat then get it in primer. We'll see what happens in 10 months, but I gotta have goals.
I'm sure I have forgotten some things but that's what I've got in my head for now. I appreciate all the encouragement over the last few weeks. I also MORE than appreciate all the help I've had from some friends, Dave, Jeff, and Greg, all of which have been instrumental in their own way to help me get to where I am. This has been an awesome ride so far and after I recover from the exhaustion of working 14-16 hour days on my car, I'll be excited to get back to the U.S. and start in again. Check y'all lata!