1969 Dodge Charger R/T: the return to B5 blue
From purple paint and a stripped shell to B5 blue, a rebuilt 440 and a recovered black cabin—bg1767’s restoration reaches its first outings, with finishing work still to do.
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Sixteen years owned, then a bare-shell return
In October 2018, bg1767 introduced a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T owned for sixteen years. The car had worn purple paint; the intended return was B5 blue, a black interior, vinyl roof and rear stripe. The account follows dismantling, stripped metal, refinishing and reassembly through the first test drive and car show in June 2022. Those appearances were milestones, with brake and finishing work still outstanding.
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New metal before B5 blue
After dismantling, the shell went out for blasting and epoxy primer. The trunk floor was replaced with AMD sections. Dented, filler-heavy quarters with perforation along their lower edges were replaced, followed by panel alignment, filler work, high-build primer and repeated block sanding. The engine bay, cabin and trunk were refinished as the work progressed. The exterior used PPG Deltron basecoat; clearcoat problems led to sanding, repainting and polishing rather than a single uninterrupted paint job.
The 440 returns, with fuel injection
Ewing Automotive Machine Service handled the engine machining and long-block assembly. The 440 was bored 0.030 inch oversize and received a mild camshaft, with many existing components reused. The engine returned to the painted bay, joined by an Accurate Exhaust system. A Holley Sniper EFI system and compatible fuel tank were installed. The author later described idle and restart problems and an improvement after changing a fan-output temperature setting; the underlying cause was not established.
Rebuilding the black interior
The stripped cabin was painted before the dashboard, insulation, carpet and seating returned. The dashboard and instruments were restored, including a quartz clock conversion. The headliner was professionally installed after the author was dissatisfied with an earlier attempt. The seats were stripped and recovered using covers kept for roughly twenty years. The final interior update shows the seats installed, while noting that the rear backrest cover might need more padding. The author and his wife also installed the vinyl roof and glass.
Suspension, plumbing and disc brakes
Suspension parts were dismantled, refinished and reassembled, with worn bushings addressed. Front and rear disc-brake kits, stainless brake lines and parking-brake connections followed. This was not the last word on braking: in the June 2022 update the author reported a leak at the master-cylinder connection, which he attributed to a short brake-line flange. The record does not establish that the leak was subsequently repaired.
Back in view, with a finishing list
The assembled Charger appeared in B5 blue with its black vinyl roof, rear stripe and black cabin. The first test drive was followed by an alignment, then a first car-show outing after a quick clean. In that last June 2022 report, the author still had adjustments, the brake leak and a final wet-sand, buff and polish on the list. The photographs document a major restoration reaching its first outings; they do not establish a fully finished or road-ready car.
Kilrbee’s shared paint diagram
Kilrbee contributed a paint-reference diagram to the discussion about darkening the area behind the grille. It is a commenter-supplied reference, not independent verification of every factory specification.
dadsbee’s Super Bee reference
dadsbee showed a door paint-line detail on a Super Bee while discussing the Charger’s door-edge paint. This reference photograph depicts a different car.
DarksideJim’s vinyl-top reference
DarksideJim shared an A-pillar/vinyl-top detail on a different car as a reference. This is not bg1767’s Charger.
Source reply ↗ · DarksideJim