Saturday, June 30, 2012

My Charger video

I decided to inspire myself, so I made this video.
When I first tried to turn on the Charger it wouldn't start. It had been sitting for months so I assumed it was the battery. I used my civic to jump it and it ran for a while, I just let it idle so all the engine parts could get used to moving again. It shut off on its own and wouldn't start again, so I needed to jump it again. After running for a while it shut off on it's own again, this time because it ran out of gas. I went to the gas station and came back, I only put in 4 and a half gallons because I didn't plan on driving it anywhere. Again I had to jump it AND pour some gas down the carberator. I wouldn't suggest letting an old car run out of gas. It eventually shut off again and needed to be jumped again. This was getting old and my idea of letting the alternator charge up the battery didn't seem to be working. I hooked up a battery charger to the battery and after an hour it almost started on its own. I jumped it and let it run for a little while before I turned on the lights which caused it to stall out, not enough juice in the battery just yet. Once again I found myself hooking up the battery charger. It then started on its own finally! I took this video then, since it was getting dark out. The lights work fine and the battery now has enough power to run them. The sound of the V8 and the darkness make my car look so menacing. I added a little preview at the end of this short clip to tell the world that I was going to restore the Charger. I consider this day one.

1974 Dodge Charger Restoration

Monday night I was watching a reality show on a place that restores classic cars and then sells them. They did amazing work and it made me wonder why my charger couldn't be fixed up to be as nice as the GTO they made on tv. I hadn't looked up parts for that car for probably 10 years so my curiosity got the best of me, as it usually does, and I checked out ebay. I was shocked to find all the parts I ever needed, and how low in price they all were. The interent has come along way in the past 10 years, not that 10 years ago it was too shabby, but even then it was much harder to find the parts I needed, and when I did, they usually cost an arm and a leg. Why not restore the charger? Why not? I couldn't come up with a good enough reason NOT to. And so I decided then and there that I would finally restore the charger.
I had given up on that idea years ago and even tried selling this thing a few times, each buyer fell through and now, I'm really glad they did. I plan to sell my 99 Dodge Dakota and my fourwheeler, with all that extra money to put into the charger, I'll be able to do quite a bit.
I'm not looking to take this car to car shows and win, but if I do take it to a car show I at least don't want to be embarassed. And so I'll start my mission to restore the Charger.