Mid Engine Charger...

[vipernbox]

It is the rear frame rail... Basically tying the back of the K frame into the last little section of the charger frame rail... combined with the extensions I had made before... (I think on page 2)

I am trying to do it so it doesn't just look like a back yard tube frame "Here this will work" kinda thing underneath... I plan on having a "trunk" floor at the same height as the old charger floor...(the trunk should end up about 16x16x50 inches)


This could have been done "better" a number of different ways... But ... This seemed like the simplest idea... Suggestions are always welcome around here...

Here is the "before" of that section...

[Turbo224]

Ah, I get it. I appreciate the amount of forethought you have put into this project. I think that's the only way to make sure that you end up with exactly what you want.

[ShadowFromHell]

Ive got to say I am REALLY liking this build. I have toyed with the idea of doing this to my rampage, but using a 3.0 instead of a 2.2. The rampage would have ALOT of room for things like turbos... lol. Do you have anymore pics of how you tied the front of the donor chassis into the L body frame? Id like to see how well the factory frame "rails" line up with the front core support of the donor. Are you going to add a cage to tie it all together a little bit better? That's what I was thinking of doing with the page. Just a 6-point with one hoop behind the cab, two door bars running forward, and then a tube going from the new rear strut tower to the main hoop. I think that would add alot of extra strength.

[vipernbox]

Room for turbos... Are you kidding?? Just look at that last pic... anything that goes in the way is going to be something I have chosen to put there.. Long term I think most of the remaining daytona "firewall is going to disappear and my own creation will show up... I still have a couple options there to say the least... I plan on making the firewalls on both sides removable... but with the Radiator in the front... There is going to be LOTS of room... Enough so... that if you ran a 8v head... You could come up with something that would look like a backseat...


I have not quite come to a conclusion about how I want to tie the front in... Right now I am thinking that I just might redirect the daytona rails and have them meet the charger frame where I want... The way it sits right now the daytona frame rails sit just inside... Literally touching the frame rails one the charger right at the point where the Charger suspension bolts up.. This will also make a perfect location to mount the roll bar hoop... So.. It is just a matter of how to get it done..


Here... a collection of before, after, progress type pictures of that "front" frame area...

oh... and something to note... At this point.. the only steel in the car that was not originally a part of the charger or the daytona is that heavy gauge steel shelving.. (free) and of course the omni fenders... The rest is recycled.. Even that rusty rocker/quarter came from the quarter of the daytona.. The only reason the shelving was used is because I wanted a little more meat right there... and it seemed just about right for the job..




Ok... so the "before" so you can reference the basic path of the original structure..




Chop all that out and end up here... (You just have to love my most accurate and very precise chassis leveling and squaring system floating the car over my lift arms... )




Close up of what is left... This is the suspension mounting point for the charger..










And here we have the daytona core support slid right into the nearly perfect hole... the Charger frame runs at a bit of an angle.. or this would be absolutely perfect...




A little trimming here and there... some hammering... tons of measuring and string lines ect ect ect to make sure everything is square in all directions..





Then a couple whacks with a hammer to fold that lip into the rail... and this is what is currently holding it in place until the rest of the structure is figured out..












Any more questions..

[ShadowFromHell]

So, the daytona front end slid inside the charger frame rails? Thats what I am thinking I am seeing, just want to be sure. As for the more room for turbos comment, I was saying for me I would have more room as I am wanting to put this in a rampage that has a longer wheelbase, and will just be leaving the bed open, so imagine a 3.0 sitting in the bed of a rampage.

[vipernbox]

If I was going to do this to a rampage and wanted a V6 I would use an LH type car donor.(or other similar)... That way you end up with a Longitudinal engine... (stuck with an auto though... but that means less stuff to fabricate) It would just look that much better.... and suspension cradle would be much easier to work with.... and modify for use... I played around with a couple of them at the pick and pull that someone had pulled... and It would have been a pretty easy deal.... But the Masi engine just practically fell in my lap... and well.. without a doubt that is just the right thing to do..

And ya... Not having to build firewalls at all would sure take a couple steps out of the project.. and make lots more room all the time... I keep thinking I may move the dip stick to the back of the engine somehow simply because I don't always want to have to do basic stuff like check the oil from the inside of the car...


Yes... the daytona frame slips right b/t the charger rails where I cut it...


And the Rampage has a longer wheelbase because it rides on a full omni pan.. correct??? The difference in the wheelbase comes out of the backseat footwell area... There is a seam right there on the charger that I am not even sure is in the omni pan... IIRC (and I might be wrong) but the charger floorpan is quite literally a chopped down 4 door pan... A couple people hinted that maybe the Charger wasn't the best candidate because of space issues because of the wheelbase... But the difference in wheelbase really changes nothing as far that goes...

The extra wheelbase would be nice on a Mid engine RWD car for sure... and if I had this one to do over... I would have just stretched it... I was concerned for some silly reason with fitting the wheel into the existing opening... Not knowing exactly how I was going to build the quarter panel flares... But since I basically cut the side of the car off... and have to make the trunk dropoff's, wheelhouse and other inner structure any dang way... It was really silly to have not given myself a little extra distance b/t the wheels... Oh well... I ain't messing with that now...

[rib256]

subsribed. And I love the scoops.

["Top Fuel" Bender]

just saw the rack sticking thru
might want to make a rod on spacers with the ends threaded for the outter rod ends or heim joints
to keep it from moving on you

like the build so far

[vipernbox]

What.. you didn't see the steering wheel mocked up back there.. I am just trying to figure out how to mount the seat for the rear driver........

Naw.... the Rack goes away completely... In fact most of that sheet metal right there is going to disappear... I think you will like what I have in mind The "toe links" are going to be completely adjustable... Right now with just the rack in place, there is a totally unacceptable amount of bumpsteer for my plans..... and it goes the wrong way... The plan is to locate the inner rod so I have zero bumpsteer (really not hard to do) and then work from there... Allowing me to adjust a little bumpsteer in or out as needed to make it handle the way I want.. That may require a tiny bit of toe in as in both compression and droop... But... since I have a nifty plan to make all of that adjustable.... No worries..


Ok... Break is over... Back to work...

[vipernbox]

Alright... I have no idea why some of you guys like to pull and place engines from the top... but I had another car on the lift so I figured I would give it a go... ended up sitting it on my nice engine lift and lifting it back up from underneath to get it in place... But what the heck... maybe with another try I might have it down a little better... but my junky engine hoist I hardly ever use just barely had enough reach.... and that didn't help.... and a helper that I don't ever need going from the bottom would have made a HUGE difference... From the bottom my slick jack allows both hands free... and well... Oh well.. it didn't take that long anyway....


It will be back in and out a couple times probably before it moves under its own power... Still this really make me smile...

[86seeS]

Yes! Its in looking good man

[GLHNSLHT2]

Man I'd like to see a bigger close up photo from that same view but just everything inside the strut towers. I've never seen a full masi exhaust side with the turbo on it and all the associated stuff.

[vipernbox]

I dunno if this help you... But here ya go...


Based on what I have been told... with a little porting the Masi manifold will probably stick around... with an adapter built to mount whatever real turbo I end up using.. and from the looks of the manifold... It looks symmetrical enough that I should be able to flip the manifold over....

But I dunno...



anyway.. here ya go..

[GLHNSLHT2]

It will flip over and slide on the studs. I'm pretty sure that the port holes line up as well. I'm going to see if I can flip it over in my daytona and run the turbo up top. I'm not sure what they did here: http://www.streetfire.net/video/430w...gass_56339.htm but it looks like that's maybe what they did.

[mopargriffin]

Glad I finally found your thread! This is Griffin with the Rampage, (from sdac meeting)! Man I cant wait to see more progress. Its looking great, keep it up!

[vipernbox]

Alright... So no love for "Turbo under Glass"


How's 'bout...


My my my i yi woo
My my my my Charona


Or maybe something simple like a bad 80's version of a Charger Daytona

No wait. This one should be the Plymouth Superturd....

[Turbo224]

Yikes! Please dont put the Daytona nose on there!

[turbokid]

Hey I know Les sent out an email talking about your car, but what I did not realize is that you are local to KC. I would love to come visually check out the car when you have some time. Looks like it is coming along VERY well. We may have met before but I dont remember seeing you at any prior MWSDAC meetings. Hopefully when I come back from college that will change. Progress looks fantastic and keep up the good work!
Q

[vipernbox]

Stop by anytime...

[Reaper1]

It will flip over and slide on the studs. I'm pretty sure that the port holes line up as well. I'm going to see if I can flip it over in my daytona and run the turbo up top. I'm not sure what they did here: http://www.streetfire.net/video/430w...gass_56339.htm but it looks like that's maybe what they did.

Anybody know who's Spirit that is?

I agree that the progress is looking very good!