Project EH-Body - 1976 Plymouth Duster

[Riddler]

Well I got to work a bit today with the help of my brother in law Jim. Jim's great with metal and knows how to weld much better than me. The welding helmet had dead batteries so we only got tack welds done. Everything still needs to be welded in. We started with the RMS Street Linx. Sorry didn't catch a picture of this yet.

We then moved onto the passenger side front floor. This is what the front rails looked like after I used POR-15 a few days ago.


Here's the panel just getting put in, I think there are 2-3 tacks so far.


This picture shows what it looks like tacked in. It doesn't move at all. I need to get some autobody pinch weld clamps so we can have a nice pinch weld.


Another view of the passenger side in.


This is the driver's side panel with the holes for the spot welds. Lots of drilling going on!


While I was drilling the holes in the driver's side panel and waiting for the rechargeable drill battery to recharge, Jim got to work on getting the new Challenger gas door installed.

Fitting the fuel door body ring and measuring a few times before cutting.



After cutting Jim cleaned up all the burrs with a file.


This is the fuel door body ring tacked in with the new fuel door. This was to check to see if it was straight.



Well until next time...

The plan, finish the driver's floor, then do the subframe connectors and maybe relocation boxes.

Riddler

[Riddler]

Well time for a large update. I came home from work and my brother in law Jim came over. Jim takes welding and turns it into an art form. If I could weld and manipulate metal the way he does I'd be light years farther along.

Here's Jim welding the passenger side floor panel in. Remember it was only tacked in before.


Here's the finished panel, just need to use the flap wheel to bust down the welds a little and then seam seal and prime.


Jim then moved to the Street Linx main bar. Welded it in fully. I just need to get some primer now and prime it.


Close up of the welds. It's not easy to weld with the car not high in the air.


While Jim was busy welding the passenger floor pan and also the rear Street Linx, I was getting the front of the car ready for the AlterKtion. RMS states that those brackets are not welded very well, let me tell you, by 1976, they got better at welding, cause they were really on there. Picture of the brackets removed...


Jim then assisted me in bolting the AlterKtion up to the frame and also drilling through and installing the helper plates.


The driver's floor was prepped and Jim set about welding it in. Floors really are a two person job, one to stand on the floor and one to tack it in.


While Jim was welding the driver's floor pan in, I set about building all the peices of the front AlterKtion. QA1 Coilovers...


Here's everything set out on the bench so that I can start assembly. I guess once I know it all fits, I'll send most of it out for powdercoating.


I still have a few things to do for metal work. I have US Car Tool subframe connectors, spring relocation boxes, and the dreaded minitub.

That's it for now.

Riddler

[Riddler]

Well today my brother in law and best friend Jim came over to work on the car. I started work on the hood hinges with gas struts and he started on the Willwood front brakes since I had the front AlterKtion assembled.

Here's the Willwood Dynalite hub and rotor bolted together.


Here's the back of the rotor with the stainless steel safety wire. Jim is a master of this, I'm super happy to have a friend with these skills.


Here's a picture of the front hubs with the bearings packed, the seals installed and ready to be bolted to the spindle.


Here's everything bolted onto the car ready for some wheels.


Now the front wheels. We bolted these down with just a couple of lug nuts since I want to buy some better lugs. These are just cheapy ones.


Close up....



While Jim was working on the front brakes I moved from the hood hinges to the XV front brace. I figured the chassis needed to get finished before I started to do little things. I cut and removed the stock sheet metal and cleaned up the front for welding. Jim welded the brace on for me.



Then I primed the XV brace so it doesn't rust.


So now the front brace was done, I turned my attention to the floor pans. The welds needed to be grinded down and then I needed to seam seal and prime them. The rust was starting....


Now comes the seam sealer..


Here's the floor pans primed. The primer matches the Epoxy Primer used by the media blaster.


Just want to say thanks again to my brother in law Jim.

Riddler

[Riddler]

Large update for today. Jim came over and we tackled the subframe connectors and the relocation boxes.

We started with the subframe connectors. The US Car Tool connectors were older ones and didn't fit perfectly. We were required to massage them in and I still have some very large gaps, which I assume are for the ebrake cables.



Here's the inside floor primer burning and the final burn marks before I primered over them again.




Here's Jim welding away...



Then we moved onto the relocation boxes. Not very hard just time consuming.





That ends another day....

Riddler

[Riddler]

Well I got back to work on Sunday with my brother in law. He completed the last of the welding needed for the relocation blocks. While he did that I drilled and tapped the XV Motorsports front brace for the hood latch.



Then we moved onto the minitubs. While these are not really needed now I'm hoping to purchase wider rims and tires for the rear in the future.

Braces removed...


Then we removed the driver's side...



Lastly we made the passenger side match the driver's...



Of course I just had to stick the rear rims/tires under it to see. Measured the rear also, 54 1/2" mounting flange to mounting flange.


Plan is to be back at this weekend....

Riddler

[Riddler]

Well sort of a large update today. Jim and I and our friend Steve hit up Autorama Detroit this weekend and this really got our car juices flowing. So today we worked like crazy mad men!

Jim went right to work on the the minitubs. He grinded and welded and floor to the frame.



While he was working on that I removed spot welds and then removed the floors from the tubs. After that was done I got snagged on a stud for the rocker trim. Grinded those right off.


Jim and I got both tubs tacked in and solid enough for use to leave them. We were both sick of working in the grinding mess so we cleaned up.





One would think this is all we got completed today. But it was nice out and we worked with the garage door up. We mocked up the RMS Street Linx so I can have the read end cut down.

All laid out on the bench...


Now the mock up shots.






Well that's all for today!

Riddler

[Riddler]

Here's the newest update. I took the rear housing over to Drive Train Specialties in Warren, MI and had them cut down the housing, weld on new ends, weld on the Street Linx parts while it was on a jig and then install the new bolts kit I bought.

I then brought it home, grinded off the welding splatter and other crap and gave the housing a fresh coat of POR15 chassis glass black.





Next I'll assemble the rear axle and finish the minitub.

Riddler

[Riddler]

Here's an update from today. I was able to find some time today to get the rear axle built and into the car.

Layed down a nice bead of Permatex Gear Oil RTV Sealant. Specially made for rear axles!


Bolted on the center section. 45 ft/lbs


Installed the brakes and axles. Not a fun task having to take them on and off 3-4 times. But there finally done and I learned a few tricks!


Rotors and Calipers installed. They look great!


What kind of axles are those? That's right, MOSERS!


Assembled ready to go into the car.


Here's one of the wheels on the car. Studs are too long for the style of lug nuts I have. Plan right now is to cut them down.



So how'd I do?

Riddler

[Riddler]

Well on Saturday, Jim and I made some more progress on the car and finished off the minitubs. The work completed looks amazing and to think we did this with a mig welder and angle grinders is amazing. Just imagine if we had the right tools...

Please bear in mind the heat was killer, 90 degree's with extreme humidity.

These pictures show the first tub completed and tacked in. Afterwards Jim went back and completed stitch welds for strength.






This is the second side. Here you can see the patch panels I made out of sheet metal.


Through the taillight views, driver's side then passenger. While I was going to be seam sealing the tubs I fixed the trunk extension on the passenger side and got it ready for new seal seal.



Inside the car view. As you can see I still need to replace the seatbelt mounts. Any idea if replacement seatbelt mounts are available?



The cross braces for the back seat welded back in.



Now to finally finish the minitubs off, we need to put some better welds on the bottom of the cross braces, replace the seatbelt mounts, and cut the trunk arm braces and reweld them on.

Riddler

[Riddler]

Well I haven't done alot fo work but I did get some stuff done on the weekend.

I seam sealed most of the tubs on the inside of the car. Still have to do the outside and inner wheel wells.


I then put down a good layer of POR15. I'm not even sure I'm going to keep the spare tire area as I might go with a fuel tank that drops in through the trunk.




I've still got to do the inner quaters with POR15. I also have a few holes to weld up as well as tack the trunk hinge braces back to the tubs.

Riddler