General Lee Replica #23

For this build, a pretty good donor car was found - good being a relative term since quite a bit of sheet metal replacement is needed - but that's normal for these cars.  This was originally a 318 column shift automatic car, bronze exterior and tan interior - pretty bland.  It will be transformed into a fuel-injected 440, floor shifted automatic, 3.55 posi rearend, Hemi-orange with saddle tan interior beauty.  Here's some starting pics...

Stripped down and ready for metal work - getting new floors, trunk, quarters, valences, doors, and decklid - plus a few small patches here and there...

New sheet metal time !!!  First is new floor pan and trunk pan...

Then on the rotisserie for a super cleaning, then time for quarter panels and outer wheelhouses....

Underside is complete undercoated so it stays nice, then lots more sheet metal work; including smoothing the firewall for a custom Vintage Air AC install.  Front suspension is rebuilt with polygraphite bushings, rear springs are replaced and rearend is cleaned up and painted.  Rear window surround is rebuilt and new trunk filler panel in place.  Now it on to the body shop for smoothing and paint...

Now it's fill, sand, smooth, repeat....

Then into the paint booth and ready to become Hemi Orange...

Paint is on and looking good - time to assemble!!!!

Engine gets primered then painted matching Hemi Orange, then into the car it goes.  Aluminum Stealth heads - painted orange for even more stealth effect, Mopar  aluminum intake, ceramic coated headers, accessory drive in place, Edelbrock EFI system installed with remote fuel system tank next to aluminum radiator and electric fans.

Lots more details going into place - dash wiring, console mounted, 4-point roll bar in place, doors, fenders and decklid mounted...

First time out in the sunlight...

Lots of miscellaneous assembly, engine is running and car moves on it's own now!!!  Interior coming together as well...

Getting really close - small list to finish, started test driving - going to be a beast!!!

Finished, and tearing up the hills and backroads of western New York...