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83 challenger

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 9:36 pm
by Scratchbuilt
The missus has a 83 challenger which has been converted to right hand drive via a 82 scorpion, we fitted the front floor and trans tunnel from our parts car. this arvo. The cars front floor was mostly gone as it had once been gutted to become a drag car with a setback V8. luckily the project was shelved. This afternoon i fitted another 4banger from a 84 sigma with a automatic gearbox but the rubber trans mount seems to be to deep. This makes the X member sit about 30mm - 50mm lower from where it bolts up to the floor. The gearbox has the long output shaft . Is there a thinner mount available plus any idea's on what tailshaft might fit. Mopar or not.

Or do I just have to clearance the tunnel a bit to make the gearbox sit higher. The plan for now is to run the mill stock then switch to something with more HP, when I build it into a gran-tourer.



I'm building a 3tonne 37 dodge piggy back/tilt-tray with a dodge poly mill in it.

Re: 83 challenger

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 5:54 pm
by 75wagon
I read this when I approved it last night.

I'm keen to see some pictures of this just to see the extent of the amount of work you've got to put in.

Dave...

Re: 83 challenger

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:09 pm
by geezer101
I think you'll need to drop the end of the transmission extension housing to ensure the tailshaft is in line between the trans and the diff. You might need to cut the centre out of the transmission crossmember, weld a plate to the underside of it and drill holes for the transmission extension mount. I had to do something similar when I used a Scorpion drivetrain in my Galant wagon (the Galant trans crossmember has a massively thick solid steel brace running through it and required cutting through with an oxy torch - with the steel plate welded to the underside it was still plenty strong enough...)

Re: 83 challenger

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 8:52 pm
by Scratchbuilt
From memory I had to weld a piece to the rear of the gearbox crossmember to extend it back an inch , and I used a different gearbox mount to lower it somewhat. I ditched the two piece tailshaft and used one from a galant instead, i perfect fit with the auto.
I do so many jobs for every one else I often forget where I'm up to on our own projects. I''m also reworking the coupe side bodylines and Cpillar glass lines to take a hint from a early 70's mopar musclecar. Tomorrow I'm off to the wreckers to scope out how to plumb these old mill's , since we have his and hers projects with em.

Re: 83 challenger

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 7:08 pm
by Scratchbuilt
Just about to hook back into the challenger project after a huge break from it. Car is in primer and it has extended fenders and hood on it. Headlights are 5" round quads from a 78 sigma, plus a 70 challenger grille. I wanted taillights that were more musclecar era looking so I used (hahaha) Datsun taillights with trimmed up frames. It almost has a cuda look to it. Rear side windows now have angled up sills and the whole rear 1/4 of the body has a coke bottle effect to it in its body lines. C pillars are altered for more of a 70's flow. Bumpers are narrowed VH valiant fore and aft. Wheels will be 15" Rodlites and big n fat for a nice Rubber Rake. Paint is stealth black.

I made a mopar ram air hood scoop that is only an inch high but about 600mm wide and fairly long and cut from the original hood skin and pieces from a ZB fairlane hood. Car should be NSW rego'd in a few months and doing the rounds of car shows and runs.

Just got the head and taillight wireing to sort out and then paint it.