1970 Duster Tube Chassis

[19duster70]

Chassisworks Eliminator 1 chassis. Removed everything except the heater box and wiper assembly. Those will have to go too. Built X cross braces in the doors. Built 8 jacks from camper jacks. Made the flat sheet metal bottoms and 4 angle iron braces per jack. Leveled car by the rocker panels. Cut out floor pans and trans tunnel leaving what I might use. Stepped in the trunk to start cutting and the car body did a 3 foot wheelie. Stepped out gently and the car came back down on the jacks. The rear 2 jacks were way to short to meet the rear bumper so I didn't use them. So wrong. Balance point was the 2 jacks I put behind the door openings. Coulda dumped a nice body on the floor and even got smashed between the body and the overhead door. Be safe.

 

[19duster70]

Using a Hypertherm 30 Plasma Cutter, (American Made). Everybit as necessary as a welder. 20 times faster than Oxy-Acetylene. Had to move my stainless Smoking/BBQ table with picnic table frame out to get the Duster in. The Mopar inner fenders made a perfect place for the table top for my second hobby. Trial fit rollbar. One of many trial fits. In and out many times.

 

[67Dart273]

I wuz follow'n 'long fine till I got to that bottom photo??

Oh wait........?

. Had to move my stainless Smoking/BBQ table .

 

[19duster70]

Last post rebuild inner rocker panels. Weld in 1/8 inch plate for bar between the rockers. This is where it all starts. Your supposed to mark on the floor the center of your rear axle before you remove it. I didn't. I had to figure the center of the wheel well. Not easy, it is not concentric. The bar between the rockers is 22 inches forward of this centerline to the front of the cross bar. I wanted this car for street and show. We ground the welds for show and that is not acceptable for racing. Now I have to decide on a show car whether I will use all the bars underneath the floor pans. They are extensive. Will have all steel floor pans. The bars that parallel the rockers will have to be cut in the braces that contain the torsion bars and then welded back. The side to side bars I believe are necessary. Not sure how to put in the knee bar. Car was converted to a 4 speed car. Then more BBQ. Four inch 45 degree gussets would have looked better at six inches. Halo bar welded and the diagonal bar in. Make sure you don't put the diagonal bar over the driver. They are usually taller. That's easy to get mixed up when you take the roll bar out and turn it upside down for welding. You cannot weld these bars outside the car on a 2 door post car. You cannot get it back in.

 

[VScamp]

More BBQ! I love it.

 

[19duster70]

Just a note. The halo bar does not get welded in square with the roll bar. Mine was 3/4 inch lower where it met the angle of the roll bar tipped up toward the front windshield. Keep in mind clearance for a headliner if your going to use one. I am. The A pillar bars did not even come close to following the A pillar. Having them made by a buddy with a tube bender. He had to take my 4 link brackets. Said he wanted to study them. Oh yah Motivation, 440 Source 1/2 stroker kit, 543. Their aluminum heads with oversize valves. Comp cams 10 degree locks/retainers. Lunati Voodoo 533 hydraulic cam. I beam rods. Stroker windage tray. Aluminum valve covers. Aluminum pulleys. Holley red fuel pump. Edelbrock single carb intake. Main and head studs. Morroso pan that I probably will have to rework. Gotta get after it. Thanks for all the help. You peeps keep newbies like me motivated.
Just noticed the chain saw. Used an Eastwood angle tubing notcher. Coins well spent. Bud loaned me his Bosch drill. Bought one didn't even bog it down. I already had a 14 inch abrasive cut off saw. Careful I broke a saw blade going too quick. Close to exploding.

 

[19duster70]

Winter slammed the door on me. I hibernated. Time to get back after it. Excuses are like *ssholes everyones got one. Get on it. Get it done. I'm broke but there is a ton I can get done with what I have. Get on my ***. Stay on me. There is no reason not to. OOPS gotta feed the animals.

 

[19duster70]

Other cars and BBQ...

 

[surfer121]

Show Car???? grinding of any welds in the construction of the cage will fail cert --just saying.

 

[inkjunkie]

Show Car???? grinding of any welds in the construction of the cage will fail cert --just saying.

Yep...at least according to the rule book....

 

[Woods74]

H3ll yes! rotest:

 

[pettybludart]

Nice work....now I,m hungry!LOL