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Documenting a future classic with LOTS of pictures!

12K views 81 replies 32 participants last post by  Hal H 
#1 ·
I am a big fan of Classic Mopars. I've owned almost 30 Darts, Valiants, Dusters and Barracudas and still own a 70 Charger. I've read in magazines how enthusiasts love to comb through a "survivor" classic car to see how the car was assembled many years ago. These guys would love to step back in time to take pictures and notes of all the labels, stickers, part numbers and paper tags the cars had at time of manufacture.
In January of this year, we ordered a Challenger R/T. The restyled grille and release of the B-5 color motivated us to buy new. I had actually considered buying a used SRT and painting it B-5 to suit my tastes.
This was to be the wifes daily driver, so a few qualifiers had to be met: Automatic trans was a must. The rear back-up camera was too. It was her first car with a V8, so we played it safe and went with a base level R/T.
 

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#4 ·
The car was built in mid February right after Valentines day. I see that many of the underbody components are painted. The unpainted areas are starting to flash rust. It isn't harmful, just a bit unsightly. Note the Bilstein shocks/struts as part of the Super Track Pack.
 

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#8 ·
The exhaust in this car is TOO quiet! I noticed that the mufflers look different than I expected. I've seen others with mufflers that look like glass packs: Straight through but larger in diameter than the inlet and outlet. Mine look like traditional car mufflers with an oval case and offset inlets and outlets.
 

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#70 ·
Anyone notice that the factory mufflers are still stamped with the Chrysler star? Its been "retired" as the corporate mark and replaced by "FCA" on the plant signage. But its nice to see it still lingering on, Just like the block "DPCD" stamping (for Dodge Chrysler Plymouth DeSoto) kept showing up on parts 30 years after DeSoto was gone. I think the Chrysler Pentastar was one of the most recognizable, distinctive, and all-around cool logotypes of the entire 20th century.
 
#10 ·
From what I've learned here, the A8 cars got a conventional differential without the "Anti-Spin" feature. The cars that do have it seem to also have the ribbed case. Note the NON ribbed case in this instance.
I have not tried to fry the tires yet, still under 200 miles on the car. The tires have a treadwear rating of 220. I'm sure that means that at best, they will be worn out at or around 30,000 miles!
 

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#11 ·
I love this car. The steering response is tight. The brakes respond instantly. The transmission feels great with ONE exception. When I am slowing down to stop, if the traffic signal changes to green and I lean on the throttle just a little, the trans drops down to 1st and the engine races as if I had floored the gas pedal. Maybe this is the part where the adaptive software "learns" to react to throttle input?

Each time I get into the car, the limited visiblity hits me. I drive a 2007 Ram 1500 regular cab and it is the next thing to driving a convertible as far as open visibility. The wife drove a mini SUV before this car, so it takes a bit to adapt to the blind spots in this car. She loves the way the car drives and with the blind spot monitoring & rear back-up camera, she seems fine with it.

The trunk is huge for a new car. I am used to the classics where you could hide 4 buddies when going to a drive-in movie. (Remember THOSE?) You could probably stuff 2 regular sized guys in this trunk, still pretty good for a new car.
 

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#12 ·
The Finance guy at the dealership was pushing a Mopar extended warranty. In his presentation, he blabbed on and on about how complicated this transmission is.
The transmission isn't even fixed under warranty. They just replace the entire unit.
What about service? I do all my own fluid and filter changes, tire rotations and such.
There is no service to this transmission.
Seriously? What about the filter? The fluid?
It is a sealed unit.

Uhhh... NO it is not. The trans has a plastic removeable pan with a drain plug in it. There is a decal on the right side that states the proper fluid part number to use.
I did not see a dipstick for it though.
Check out that beefy transmission crossmember!
 

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#17 ·
Many of the newer transmissions have a "fill & spill" setup. They're filled from the bottom using a tool that has a pin - goes into the fill valve.

When the level is where its supposed to be, a few drops should spill out and you're done. If over-filled you let the excess drain out and then close it up.
 
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#26 ·
I disagree. The OP has just showed dozens of pics of mechanicals of a car we all (or most on this forum anyways) already have. To what end? You wanna show some pics of your car? Fine. We have a dedicated forum for that. You're proud of you car. I get that. But, be realistic. Do other owners really need to see what a stock Challenger shock or transmission look like? They can just go to their driveway or garage and have a personal look. Looks the same as the pics posted. JMHO. Flame on.
 
#20 ·
I don't have many changes in mind since it is primarily the wifes car. I like the look of the half covers but it looks like the 2015 5.7 has more hoses and stuff to work around. Not sure if anything will be in the way.
We both want the car to have a performance sound, so we are looking to either remove the mufflers or resonators. The A8 with MDS probably means that the resonators have to stay to minimize drone. I like the mod where the headlight plug is removed and the lower section of the airbox is swapped with the Hellcat part. Cool air means more power, right?
I'm going to put stripes on the sides. I'd prefer the Scat pack style but the wife likes the AAR Cuda strobes.
 
#23 ·
This shows that the HID headlight assembly has the same design as the one used in the Hellcat. Note the round flange to attach a duct for "ram Air". Another thread here shows a member that used the lower airbox from a Hellcat, along with the fibrous duct to add a cold air inlet for about half of an aftermarket cold air kit.
 

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#34 ·
Great stuff! Question, though: You say HID Assembly. If this is a base RT, then it shouldn't have HID.

If thorough documentation is what you are working on, check out all of the little paint markers throughout the car (engine bay, under carriage, etc.).

Also, what documentation came with your car (build sheets, shipping manifesto, etc.)

BTW, I love B5!
 
#24 ·
The Super Track Pack lists "Performance 4 wheel anti-lock disc brakes" as one of the features. I'm not sure if that means different calipers or brake pads. The rotors look similar to my buddys 2013 R/T.
 

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#32 ·
Wow, what a a jerk.
I have seen plenty of members show pictures of SRTs or Hellcats, but who has taken the time to document a base R/T ? Who has 24 hour access to a 2 post lift to do this? Laying on your back in the driveway sucks for pictures anyway.
Some looking to buy a Challenger may appreciate knowing what stuff looks like before buying or modifying. Not everyone is a seasoned veteran here. Personally, I have never seen the plastic transmission pan on the A8 cars. I never saw pictures of the Bilstein shocks or the mufflers. I thought the mufflers were a bullet/round style like a glass pack design. Pictures of an unmodified car may be boring to you if you have seen them before, but YOU are only one person. This forum has thousands of members that may appreciate the thread. I certainly did not take the time here to please YOU.
I'm a big fan of concours restored muscle cars of the 60s. While I like to drive mine, I enjoy looking at the attention of detailing and research put into that type of restoration. Who knows if in 20 or 25 years that someone would want to restore one of these cars to that level. But if they do, these pictures will be a big help. I personally enjoy looking at the pics.
 
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