2019 Dodge Charger

[MostMint]

After I put the oil into a car, there is always a little bit left in the container, so I set them up like that for a while, then drain that last teaspoon into the next can. Those are from a few weeks back just have not gotten around to draining them yet.

[Maverick]

Hope you don't mind a little anecdote on your thread. As a kid I worked in a gas station/garage. We had the old-timey oil cans where you punched a hole with a spout. The oil cans were stored in a stand with a place to put the "empty" cans where they would drain the remaining oil into a bucket. The owner would then sell the residuals for about half the price of a new can. I noticed when he did it, he wasn't careful about putting the last of the oil in a car.

On a more relevant note, I'm amazed with what you're doing with that frame. When I saw the wrecked car, I couldn't imagine how you'd ever get it right. WXO knew you could do it.

[MostMint]

Hope you don't mind a little anecdote on your thread. As a kid I worked in a gas station/garage. We had the old-timey oil cans where you punched a hole with a spout. The oil cans were stored in a stand with a place to put the "empty" cans where they would drain the remaining oil into a bucket. The owner would then sell the residuals for about half the price of a new can. I noticed when he did it, he wasn't careful about putting the last of the oil in a car.

On a more relevant note, I'm amazed with what you're doing with that frame. When I saw the wrecked car, I couldn't imagine how you'd ever get it right. WXO knew you could do it.

Fun story about the oil. I'm figuring why put that oil into a landfill?

And thanks. The damage on the passenger side surprised me a little - did not expect the whole apron to be shifted over like that. Since everything up there is connected I should have known. Wait til you see the next project, it'll make this one look like a door ding!

[MostMint]

• Removed the front clip, prepped all surfaces, Kurt welded everything up

• Cleaned up welds and painted all the repaired surfaces

• Installed a lot of parts on the front of the car: power steering, alternator, A/C compressor and lines, lower radiator support, washer bottle, radiator hose, front bumper, hood latch cable, other small misc

• Cleaned the surface rust on the fenders and hood, and treated them with rust inhibitor
• Straightened some minor damage on the RF – put my newfound knowledge with hammer and dolly to work
• Pulled codes for ABS and electronic stability control
• Fred32v was over today and got the rear plastic seat/belts out and replaced them with the OEM seat and belt

• Removed police wiring harness – this was over 20 lbs of stuff

• Crossed the 100 hour mark on this project

[MostMint]

Updates:

* Radiator, A/C condenser, fan assembly completed and installed. The radiator from the parts car had an issue with the petcock so ended up ordering new radiator. With this done I could add radiator fluid and run the engine to test the cooling system. This uncovered a leak in the thermostat housing which was damaged in the crash. With some speedy dry and a quick trip to the parts car this was fixed.

* Removed seat belts and driver air bags from parts car, and installed them. The connections to the steering wheel airbag melt when it deploys so the clock spring has to be replaced. This requires the wheel to be removed, but is actually quite easy just have to take care to keep the orientation of the wheel and clock spring right - again used a part from the donor car.

* The parts car spent several days in the garage while I was fetching parts. I also chose to hang the old fenders on it to get them out of the way. Now the car is outside alongside the garage where I expect it will sit for some time. In addition I started to throw out a lot of the ruined parts I had removed and been holding in case I needed something.

* While the steering wheel was off I removed the main bezel on the dash to clean up coffee. Coffee is in so many places. Coffee made it past the dash bezel to splash around on the internals like A/C ducting, insulation, dash frame, pretty much everything you don't see. If I ever estimate a coffee spill crash car again I'll add four hours to the estimate for cleanup.

* The control panel for the A/C and radio had quite a few sticky buttons due to coffee so I swapped in the same unit from the parts car. May try to clean the original.

* With the engine running I took the time to let it warm up a little and test things. The trunk release button on the dash does not work, dash lights for ABS, traction control and the airbag system are still on. There is a squeak from I think a pulley on the driver side of the engine.

* To address the squeak I removed the idler and tensioner pulleys from the parts car. To address the airbag system light I removed the airbag control module I'm fairly certain the next step is to send this in for service. This was a royal pain due to it is located on the tunnel above the trans, under the dash, and it has some kind of rubber protective cover so you can't really reach the bolts in back holding it on. Well I had to cut the thing to get the rear bolts - and I question the value of it since there was coffee on the bottom of the module bracket.

Still a ways to go but lots of visible progress

Bonus pic - on the left is the deployed lower airbag. Note the metal casing is deformed from the deployment!

[MostMint]

* The airbag module is out for service, expecting it back within a week
* Sold the light bar for $350
* Replaced upper radiator hose it had a small cut
* Replaced the dust cover for idler pulley - it was dented in the accident

* Assembled the front core support - attaching horns, hood latch and other misc items
* Torque down the front subframe
* Reinstall front clip
* Driveway test drive cleared up the ABS and stability control codes. It's starting to feel more like a regular car
* New battery installed

Car will be sitting out the next few days as Kurt's Vette is getting some attention

[MostMint]

Focus of recent activity has been on the interior/center console
* Found a wire connector in the console area that did not look OEM, so I followed it up behind the glove box, only to find this harness had tapped into the passenger airbag wiring. This is probably why the airbag light did not go out. Best guess is the police computer would allow the officer to override the airbag sensor in the passenger seat, in case they were carrying something over there that would not want to impact the airbag. Anyway with the police computer removed it was just not connected.

* Received the airbag module after reset and installed it - now there are no lights in the dash. Oddly enough the horn and seat belt indicators did not work with the airbag module out.

* Opened up the passenger front door to track down some wires that did not look OEM but were headed in there. Considering the passenger airbag bypass I'm taking nothing for granted. Well it turned out these were for lights that had been attached to the bottom of the mirrors.
* While passenger door panel and glove box were removed they got a good coffee cleaning
* Center console got a good cleaning. It was a junkyard part but it too suffered from at least one good coffee spill. Pic is of the patient on the operating table lol.

* Center console wiring turned out to be a decent size task. The problem was the wiring harness is not compatible with any of the open plugs in the vicinity of the console. Its from a 2018 - I just can't imagine what the engineers were thinking. So I ended up using the wiring harness from the mini-console that had originally come with the car.
- The USB/aux cord port is different dimensions than the one that came with the console, so that needed fabricated.

- The console has 2 USB charging ports in the back, and while the plug is the same as one on the mini console, when I plugged it in the ports did not work. Rather than guessing I ordered a charging port that will fit in the hole and will wire it in.
- I decided that there should be at least two charging ports in the console, so I ordered a charging port for that as well.
- The cup holders have a light around them that should go on with the dash lights. Problem is in the 30+ wires that are in the three wiring sockets, not one of them is connected to the dash light circuit. I found one wire with keyed power so these lights will go on and off with the key, as will the light for the cigarette lighter in the console storage compartment.
- The USB port that is integrated with the stereo system is too far away from where the USB cord comes out from under the dash. Oh there is a cable with the console but the stupid thing has two male ends and won't plug in - luckily this is easily fixed and an extension cable is on order.

The connector is the same - one of these is from the car wiring harness, the other is from the console. Both female, and apparently not intended to be connected.

The passenger side front is all back together and looking normal

Oh yes it has a new battery as well!

[MostMint]

This week's progress

* Center console is done (almost)
Discovered there is a tray with a 12v outlet that I did not get with the console. on eBay this part is like $90! The whole rest of the console was $140
Wired in two USB charging ports - one in the back and one for the little console tray. Each has two USB connections.
Fabricated a mini storage bin to replace the original shifter location. Used a plastic storage bin from the Dave Bales collection.
The unit is installed and all powered items tested and working.
Once the console tray is obtained and installed this will be done

* Rear doors now have functioning handles, locks, window switches (almost)
This car had the door cables and lock mechanisms in the doors, and the door handles in the glove box
Rear door lock buttons were cut, so I fetched the front buttons from the parts car and installed them
Window switches were inoperative. They have circuits in them and the windows will not go down even from the driver door controls unless these are installed. I ordered one and installed it to confirm, and the other is on the way
Rear door handles were quite easy to install.
Once the other rear window switch arrives and is installed this will be done

* All the sticker residue from police decals removed
Rachel had removed a lot of the leftovers on the black part of the car, but we missed the roof decal and also the stripe decals went into the doorjambs.
The silver parts had most of their residue remaining so there was some work there to clean those up

* Removed aftermarket window trim
These parts came off fairly easily, but the two sided tape holding them on took some doing to remove.

* Other misc
- installed plastic ducting behind bumper cover
- installed pigtail for LF corner marker
- confirmed headlights are compatible with this car

The next big items are opening up the headlights to clean the inside of the lenses, and bodywork/paint. The black body panels have just a few minor dings and some scratches, the hole for the spotlight, the RF was repainted and has considerable sanding marks. The bigger challenge is how to paint this car B5 blue without doing all the door jambs and having it look all blue and good when done. There is not a clear break line at the tops of the doors for instance. I really do not want to paint all the jambs, and technically the windows should come out so those jambs can be painted correctly.

Parts car got to move into the garage to obtain the door locks and some interior trim peices

[MostMint]

I haven't painted a whole car in over two decades. Paint technology has changed and the internet is showing me some different ideas about painting.

I have some big questions like

1) does it make sense to paint the panels separately and assemble the car when I'm done? In this case I'm not taking the doors off but the front clip could easily be painted this way

2) In my mind 320 DA sanding is good before putting on the finish coat, but should I go to 400, or finer grit?

3) how much difference is baking the paint make in how chip resistant the finish is?

At minimum I plan to do the bodywork, put all repair work in black urethane primer, cover 100% of the silver panels in said primer, and paint the various underhood and door jamb areas that are in transition places (top of the door for instance) the B5 blue. If my approach is to paint all the panels on the car at the same time I can finish these steps before painting any main body panel exterior surface. If I choose to paint them individually then for the front fenders and bumper cover I can do the finish coat for the jamb areas and the main surface at the same time.

[Maverick]

The Maverick was my first and only full paint job. I used urethane primer and finish. No clear. Urethane is VERY forgiving in that you can sand and buff out imperfections, incl runs. I had a bug in every square inch and a couple doing back strokes in the wet paint. All OK. It's also highly toxic, so please take precautions. I set up a scuba tank plumbed to the center of the ceiling with a rotating boom and air hose to a face mask. Hung plastic to make a sort-of paint booth with no fan or filter. Protect your skin too.

As a first timer, I had lots of prep errors. I just kept redoing till satisfied. Bought a lot of paint! Only problem in the end was spider cracks in the primer 'cause I didn't let it set long enough.

[MostMint]

Latest progress:

* Interior
Obtained center console tray, remove factory 12v plug and replace with USB charging ports, and connected the courtesy light to come on when the doors are open
Did the final assembly of the console
Removed the police spotlight. Obtained replacement A-pillar trim - will install after the A pillar exterior is fixed as I might need to go inside to install patch for exterior
Took another pass at cleaning up coffee - found it on the passenger visor, and in the air duct on passenger side among other places. I am basically done now though I expect it will show up in a few more places before this is over
RR window switch arrived and is installed
The LR interior rocker panel was not installed correctly so that got fixed
Excepting the A-pillar trim the interior work is I believe done.

* Exterior
Removed dealer sticker in back
Fixed the RF fender bracket it was pulled out a bit too far
Reattached the rubber boot to the A-pillar on the passenger side. I had separated it chasing wires into the door but it was not easy to reattach. With the RF fender off this was easier to figure out
Obtained oscillating cutting tool and cut open the front headlights. The inside of the lens has some type of film on it that has dried up and cracked and fogs up the lenses. I cleaned up one of them.
Found a great deal on a new rear wing painted to match ($70). Seller's feedback was not great but it was so cheap I took a chance and it worked out. Rachel liked the wing on the 2013 so this one is the same style.

* Trunk
Obtained and installed temp spare and cargo cover (trunk floor over the spare). The stud holding the spare is different length for the police setup so I had to shorten it 2"

* Learning about paint and developing a plan

Whats left:
- bodywork and paint
- finish repairing headlight lenses
- charge A/C
- inspections and new title

[GMJohnny]

I found a good parts car to help you with your project!


GM

[MostMint]

Updates:

Misc:
- A/C is evacuated, charged and functioning. Was able to recycle most of the refrigerant I captured from the other car.

- Finished cleaning up inside of headlight lenses and reassembled. Used small pieces of wire mesh and newly acquired plastic welding tool (wide end soldering iron) to secure the connection in 5 places, followed up by plastic welding about 2/3 of it for rigidity. Finally followed that up with black silicon to seal it up. This was the last mechanical type thing to do on this car. When it’s done there may be an exhaust upgrade and different rims, but basically from here on in its bodywork.

- A-pillar driver side trim installed
- Rear wing is fitted and installed – then removed in prep for paint

- Learn the process required to get this inspected so it can go back on the road.

Paint prep:
- Remove Charger AWD emblem – made a template for reinstall, also removed the center of the rear lights on the trunk, and the backup camera

- Disassemble front bumper cover, clean all the parts, and clean door and trunk jambs in prep for paint work

- Start sanding on the fenders – scratches from where the police stickers had been carelessly removed
- Fill the holes in the A-pillar from police spotlight. Fabricated some metal pieces, and secured them on the inside of the pillar using metal bonding adhesive. Covered that with fiberglass reinforced body filler. Still need a little more shaping with glazing putty

- There has been a lot of learning, acquisition of equipment and consumables, as well as a new DeVilbiss paint gun to make this happen. Learning also included how to remove door handles and mirror backs.

[MostMint]

Put some color on the bottom of the hood and inner edges of the front fenders

[TireSmoker]

I laughed at the third thumbnail, thinking something was gonna be Saturn Teal. That's B5 Blue?