No Limit Challenge - er

[vprace]

Looking fantastic! Very nice job on the sheet metal, and this like most builds on here has giving me more insight into how to handle some of the hurdles facing my build! Looking forward to seeing more!

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

[MoparCar]

Did this car get finished?
Thanks-Wes

[RobNoLimit]

Well, not yet. It was set back na bit. Good news is, it's back in the rotation. I will be posting up more on this in the next few weeks.

[syborg tt]

i'm happy. I enjoy watching your builds

[RobNoLimit]

The transmission has been a big hold-up. but at least we finally have a case. I guess this is the Mopar price you pay. We finally started to fit in the motor/trans, and this brought on a decision I have been struggling with. A) Smooth out the wiper notch, and work with the stock firewall, blending in a larger tunnel, or B) Scrap it all and build a new firewall. I really was hoping to keep the OE feel under the hood, the whole old/new-hemi challenger feel, but, in reality, we can build a better car if start fresh. So be it. I started with the 'cap' of the cowl, cutting back away from the wiper notch and forming a new front edge. I chose to leave some of the OE material for now to help stabilize the work area. Test fitting with the cowl vent and a pattern board hood template to make sure the arc is correct. This will give me a nice even front line to work from. On the underside, the large dimple for the wiper motor was cut out, andthis area will be put back in at the same level as the rest of the lower cowl, which comes forwad to meet the firewall.

[High Plains Mopars]

Nice work!

[RobNoLimit]

Progress!!! Finally got a trans. First hurdle, motor mounts. I have a standard approach, and that is to try and use a standard small block chevy mount whenever I can. They are easy to come by and replace if needed, and prettyu user friendly. After sharpening the old pencis, I took my notes over to the Flowjet and cut some adapter plates. these are 1/4" steel. One hole on the chevy mount needs to be opened up from 3/8" to 12mm - or 7/16" . The chevy mounts are bolted to the plate first, then the assembly is bolted to the block.

[RobNoLimit]

Next was to make a trans slider plate. I'm so happy we have a trans. I like to make the trans mount a seporate entity from any other component. I try to give it only one job to do. The X member will have plenty of other bracing to tie the two sides together. Back to the Flowjet. I made to side mounts to weld in, one on each side of the X member, and a center 'slider' plate. All of the holes are slotted to have front/rr and side/side adjustment. Thslider plate will be flush with the bottom of the frame rails. The rectangle hole cut is for a 2" x 4" tube 'riser' that will be fitted and welded in and set the hieght of the trans mount.

[Rod]

bout time you do some work, and stop all that vacationing stuff

[RobNoLimit]

Ok Ok. Here's some insight to my lack of Mopar knowledge. I haven't been real happy with the cowl work. It looks a bit choppy. But, I have to keep all of the OE shapes so that the cowl vent will fit. Once the eng/trans was moving along, I decided to re-visit the cowl top area. I thought I would mock up the fenders and cowl vent to check the fit and see what the finish shape will show. So off I went. Up on the mezenine to Mopar corner (we only have one mopar build, so this could be Challenger corner I guess). We had the whole car together at one time, so I know we have everything here. Fenders, hood deck lid, valances, grill suround..... can't find the cowl vent. Well, maybe it's in the store room, so off I go. Nope. Hmm, we have a cargo container for overstock storage, maybe out there......Nope. So, I'm getting a little frustrated. Somebody's going to catch hell for this one. I ask everyone at the shop - no, no one has seen it. Argh, where am I going to find a replacement. So, to protect my employees, I walked back over to the Challenger to stare at it, (no one else was working around it - that keeps then safe) As I stare at the car wondering how we lost this part, I noticed that the car on the Barrett Jackson poster is a Challenger. I never noticed the car before, the poster is signed by five or six of the Barrett girls.... nice car though. I leaned in for a closer look. DONG! WELL LOOK AT THAT. THE HOOD GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE WINSHIELD. So I went and got the hood, that I looked at three hours ago, sure enough, no cowl vent on a Challenger. Hey I wont forget that one. After checking the hood/fender fit, I realized, I dont need any of that goofy shaped top panel, so I fixed it. lesson learned - look at the poster in the top right corner.

[RobNoLimit]

A couple of picts of the trans mount

[Ron S]

Looks good Rob, have always loved these cars. Have a 70 Cuda setting out back which is probably next on my list, after I finish my Amx. That flow jet stuff is so cool, man I need one of them. Can't wait for future updates.

[RobNoLimit]

Back to it. To cure some of the Cuda/Challenger door sag issues, we had planned on adding a little strength to the A-pillar. The structure which is fiited from the outer chassis rails and up the A-pillar is 1 3/4" .120 dom. Later we will be connecting this via bolt flanges through the firewall and forward down to the rails. And, a bit farther down the road, the cross bar will be the front connecting point of the interior cage. The crossbar was formed to be higher and farther forward than a straight bar would have been, mostly to create room for the A/C unit, and to be in the right spot for pedal mounts.

[RobNoLimit]

Finally on to the firewall. The motor is back about 4" from the OE placement. I know, (they didn't come with these motors) but I'm going by the eng/trans parting line. So, the firewall needed to go back some. I have a plan for the inner fenders to make the setback of the firewall dissappear, and I got my fingers crossed that it works. The main firewall is one piece that was roughed cut, then the center trans tunnel opening was trimmed out and finished with a 1/2" radius formed edge in the bead roller. Next, we drew out the pattern for some stiffening ribs and rolled them in. Finally, we used a radius brake to form the sides. The toe board bends at the bottom were hand formed on a big fab table. I am happy to say that it fit the first time. The I.D. of the setback has to be kept at the stock width of the inner fenders so that the hood hinge placement will be in the factory location. Anyway, heres a first look.

[72BBSwinger]

I guess I dont understand what the complications were with the trans? Why not just use a T56 Magnum? Anyway this car looks like gonna be super rigid and tough.

[RobNoLimit]

Bits more progress in the last few days. I've tried three sets of headers, and they fit into one of two groups. A) - won't fit at all. B) - hang's too low. - or both. So, it looks like I'll build a set. I also think I'll fab up the center section of the exhaust before the tunnel goes in for good. I was happy to have made the tunnel on the first try, and the fit is really nice. To fit the firewall, which I had put a 1/4 round edge around the opening, I first had to shrink the edge in to get the aproach angle, then used a bead roller to flare out the 1/4 round to meet the firwall.

[DTM Racing]

Very nice. Better put the hammer down, Chris already has his painted!

[Cris@JCG]

Should be @ the So Cal Challenge in Oct...

Very nice. Better put the hammer down, Chris already has his painted!

[Cris@JCG]

Looking forward to letting me take a spin in this one Rob! great work as always...