Hellcat Dodge Charger Hits the Road

(Narrator)>> Today on Detroit Muscle Marc and Tommy are on the final stretch with Project Hard Charger. They'll be adding some finishing touches to our '69 Hellcat powered Dodge, adding all new interior panels, trim, and some custom seats. We invite an old friend back to the shop to give you some tips and tricks on how to get that show car shine on your muscle car. Then we show you a quick and easy way to get more out of your vehicle's performance.

(Tommy)>> Hey y'all, welcome to Detroit Muscle. We've got our '69 Dodge Charger back in the shop for some finishing touches. Now this ole girl's turning out pretty sweet. She's got that supercharged Hellcat power plant, a six speed, some fancy suspension front and rear, big wheels, big brakes, and I have to say Marc this could be the baddest ride we've put together.

(Marc)>> Without a doubt and for good reason because we haven't cut any corners on this build from the beginning to where we are now. We put hundreds of hours in the body work so we could get that black paint job as slick as it could be. We added that vinyl top, some red accents, and all that shiny stuff from front to back. So as far as the exterior appearance goes we've got our bases covered. Where it lacks though is in here.

(Tommy)>> Now here on the inside we've already done some work. That dash, we restored it a while back and I have to say it was a lot of work but she turned out to be quite the looker. We took the old dash and gave it a good cleaning and slapped on a fresh coat of paint to match our interior, and then dressed it up with new trim and gauges. So the next thing that we needed to install was the headliner. Now I'm not all that good with them. So I called in a favor. Chris from Kiwi Classic and Customs has helped us in the past. So it was a no brainer to give him a ring. This guy has several talents, and hanging out with an old buddy is always a good day. With the dash and headliner done the next thing to install was the carpet. Now with an installation like we were needing it wasn't just some standard run of the mill. So I had to call in yet another favor. Gil with Speed and Design Hot Rod Interiors crushed it on our carpet. Covering our floor had its difficulty due to the new transmission tunnel, but he sure made it look easy. Now with all the hard work done, dash, headliner, and carpet, now it's time for us to install the door panels and front and rear seats. Now a few of you guys out there may be questioning this color choice that we went with, this bright blood red, but I'm here to tell you when we're all said and done against this black beautiful paint it's gonna knock your socks off.

(Marc)>> Now I know Tommy makes it sound like we don't have that much left to do on that interior and that's partly true, but there's a whole lot of small pieces that need to go into something like this to make it look just right. What it boils down to is the details. If we want the quality of the interior to match the exterior it's gonna take a whole lot of new pieces. So we went to Year One. Well they had everything we needed to get this thing dialed in, like these arm rest pads and bases for the front and rear, which you can't really restore, or get some things you could restore like these window cranks, but it just doesn't make sense to do it when you can buy these new. I've got all the hardware and the other small parts to get this thing where we need it to be. Off course the door panels front and rear, but we're gonna work on this thing from the rear moving toward the front, and we're gonna start with the package tray. There isn't much to this piece. It simply slides into place. Now we're gonna drop in our back seat board that hangs from the factory hooks, followed by our edge trim.

Then finally the killer red interior side panel.

Quality parts like these we got from Year One make restoring the interior on our Charger a fun day in the shop because installation is a snap and the eye appeal is plentiful. They also offer these components in several different colors to match your ride's factory specs. The bright work on this old Mopar really adds a bit of class to this interior. Plus it's hard to go wrong with some chrome. We have to trim out a couple of holes for the arm rest and bezel that will attach with the new hardware. Man that looks good. I'm gonna go get those uppers.

(Tommy)>> Nothing complicated about this piece. Just a couple of clips and one screw to hold in place. From the factory this upper panel is foam padded. We wanted a more refined look. So adding the new leather definitely did the trick.

(Marc)>> Man that looks good. Now it's time to move on to the front.

(Tommy)>> Do you have a late model muscle and looking to do that first mod, or maybe you're wanted some more horsepower without breaking the bank. Well you might want to check out the Intech cold air kits from Holley. These kits are made with a one piece intake tube design that provides maximum airflow efficiency, and the slip seal design eliminates the need for those hose clamps at the filter for a seamless installation. Also the bevel style silicone coupler at the throttle body connection improves flexibility. These also install using factory mounting locations. You can find these and other items at Holley's new product waterfall at Holley dot com.

(Narrator)>> Don't go away. Marc and Tommy get ready to put the final touches on Hard Charger's interior adding our custom seats. Plus we give you some helpful advice on how to restore that show car shine on your hot rod or muscle car.

(Tommy)>> Hey guys welcome back to the shop. Well we're making some pretty good progress getting that interior back in our old Charger. While you were gone Marc and I finished putting on the front door panels and accessories that we got from Year One, getting it one step closer to installing the reupholstered seats. The next thing we need to do is install our medallions on these upper door panels. Now that's not very complicated. They just push through and then they have a couple keepers here on the back that hold them in place.

Now it's time for us to install our Charger logo.

For you Mopar experts out there you've probably noticed that our upper door panels aren't chalk mark correct. That's because we had M&M Hot Rod Interior re-cover them in leather to match our seats. M&M was established back in 1982 and has made quite the mark in the hot rod world. With numerous awards and magazine covers we knew they would knock it out of the park on our Charger. They apply their prestigious touch on anything from pre-war rides to muscle cars. On our interior we wanted to elevate the feel but retain that o-g styling. So they used some eye popping red Douglas leather and worked their magic. Now all we have to do is pop it into place.

Need some help?

(Marc)>> Maybe, push on that side?

(Tommy)>> I'm close. It ain't but like an inch off.

(Marc)>> Mine's in. That's it!

(Tommy)>> Looks pretty good!

(Marc)>> I'd ride back there.

(Tommy)>> Got it.

(Marc)>> While Tommy's getting those front seats installed I wanted to show you all this rubber here. We got this from Metro Molded Parts and we've already installed some on the car as we were building it. They gave us everything we needed from front to back to get everything sealed up right and quiet when you close it, like bumpers for the trunk and the hood. We've got the trunk seal here and these pedal pads, which is really all we need to get that interior done. Let's get these on there. [ drill spinning ]

(Tommy)>> We're waiting on you boss.

(Marc)>> I've got a little bit left here and I'll be done. Now with this little thing we can declare victory.

(Tommy)>> Hey guys, on our '69 Dodge Charger we have spent hours and hours on the body work to get this beautiful black paint job. We wanted the effect to look like it was so deep that you could almost scoop it out with a bucket. And whether you're going for a show paint job or a simple respray the tools that gets the job done are basically the same. To build a solid foundation for your paint work you're gonna have to be using some of these, your sanding utensils. Now you can't really paint a car straight. So you're gonna have to sand it straight. These are some common examples that you can find and this one particularly is kind of what I call a semi rigid sanding block. It has enough flex to it that you can get on a curved panel, yet it's flat enough and hard enough that you can work it on a nice flat panel. They make these in several different sizes and shapes depending on the panel that you're trying to work, and if you're working a big panel I always recommend use the largest block that you can get. Now this style has been around for a long time, and it works really well on long flat panels because it's so rigid. You really won't be able to flex this thing, and back in trade school we used to call this thing an idiot stick because if you can't sand it flat with this thing well you understand why it gets its name. If you're gonna be doing some intricate sanding well they have sanding blocks for that as well. Kind of like these little things. They have different foam available with different density in them depending on what you're trying to do. They also have a re-enforcement here on the center that keeps everything nice and flat. I bet your arms are already tired just thinking about the labor it takes to run those things. So you want to grab yourself a machine. I've got four of the common types that you'll find, and two of them are primarily used for shaping filler. This big mama jama is a serious piece of equipment. It has an eight inch sanding pad, and if you're looking to make some dust this is what you want to use. It works really well with shaping filler on flat and semi curved panels. What I like to do is use this thing to get my panel roughed in, and then come back with air file. Now whenever you're sanding on a roof, hood, or trunk this thing works perfect for that because of the pattern that it sands. But if you're sanding something that's basketball shaped you don't want that thing. The next two we're gonna talk about are these. They're both considered d-a and they both do a similar function. This one also is called a palm sander, and it gets its name from the way it fits into your hand. It's ergonomic and it will save you a lot of effort because of its design. This other one it's more of the old school style. It does the same function as the previous but with this one's design it's a lot more awkward. Yeah I know sanding is never a glorious gig but done incorrectly you know it takes a lot of effort to repair and it sticks out like a sore thumb. So just consider it a labor of love cause when you're all said and done you're gonna love that new paint job.

(Marc)>> If you want stronger bolts for your engine or you just want to dress it up then ARP has what you need with its engine and accessory fastener kits. These complete kits come organized with all the bolts for everything from valve covers to oil pan, water pump to fuel pump, header and engine mount bolts, all the accessories, and everything in between. Of course they all carry the strength that ARP is known for. This kit's for a small block Ford but they offer a bunch of others. They come in either choro-moly like this or stainless, and in six or 12 point heads.

(Narrator)>> Coming up we add that show car shine to Hard Charger. Then we give you an easy way to add performance to your late model muscle car.

(Marc)>> Hey folks welcome back. Well we just finished wrapping up the interior on our '69 Dodge Charger. Now this car's about 99.9 percent done. What's that one tenth of a percent that's left? Well you think this muscle car looks buff now wait until we're done with this next process.

(Tommy)>> From where you guys are sitting you're probably thinking that our Charger has plenty of shine on it. Well this ole thing's kinda developed a few bumps and bruises, and even a few scratches from us assembling it. Now with black cars they're notorious for having hologram scratches. Let me show you what I'm talking about. Right here on the top of this fender you can see those micro scratches. To get these things out it takes it a little bit of love and we brought us in a friend to help us out. So I want you guys to meet Michael Pena. He's a master detailer and you might even recognize this guy from our trip whenever we went up to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Now I know you're quite the skilled hand whenever it comes to shinning these cars up. What's the first step to getting this car ready?

(Michael)>> First step we have to access the car Tommy. I know it's fresh paint and you guys built the car. So I need to ensure I have the correct tools to get this car show ready.

(Tommy)>> Now I know you've brought a bunch of polishers. Are they any special type or that kind of a thing?

(Michael)>> All special types. This is the rotary polisher. A lot of the body shops will recognize this tool as the pinnacle of removing sanding scratches. Then down the line from that we have a dual action machine. This further refines the finish and you start getting that luster, that shine, that reflection. And then what I call the free spinning machine is the jeweler, and that is the ultimate mirror shine finishes. This is the tool for that.

(Tommy)>> Well that's definitely what we're looking for. So I guess we should go ahead and get started.

(Michael)>> Let's go check it out.

(Tommy)>> Now we've cut and buffed this car and we quit sanding about 2,000 grit.

(Michael)>> The car looks great. My recommendation is a compounding step, a polishing step, and then a final jeweling will make this car absolutely ready for the show.

(Tommy)>> So there's nothing too serious here?

(Michael)>> Nothing too serious.

(Tommy)>> Well I guess that buffer doesn't require four hands. So I'm gonna let you take over.

(Michael)>> Thank you. The first step I'm going to do is a compounding step. That removes the heavy imperfections, the sanding scratches. Things that are in the paint that are not able to be quickly removed with the d-a. My next step is I've switched machines. I've got the smoother surface beginning to come about, and so to further enhance the paint I'm gonna use a dual action polisher with a medium pad and my Cut Max compound to further refine the finish. In the industry it's accepted to work on smaller portions of the panel when you are working with imperfections, especially types of sanding scratches or building a vehicle. You want to ensure that your results are uniform, and so I choose a smaller work area. Probably like a one by one, or in the industry we say it's three by three. It's three pads by three pads. And so that is our work area. Once I'm happy with those results then I can move on to the next step and the next part of the panel and obtain good results. I love what I do. I love meeting cool people, doing cool stuff, showing my Sonax shine throughout the United States, and then I even get to go to Brazil and do some training classes down there as well. Now I've changed it up a little bit. I'm using my light polisher with a soft pad on the jeweling machine, and you will see incrementally that the reflection and luster of the paint just starts coming up, and it's truly a jeweling effect, and this car will look like a mirror. I love the finished result as I'm progressing through the stages of the detail. The finished result when I step back and say wow that is something I had a hand in, pun intended, of that final result. It is just that's my payoff.

(Tommy)>> Well boss I know you're good at what you do but man this reflection looks killer.

(Michael)>> Thank you Tommy, I appreciate that.

(Tommy)>> This side looks a lot better than that side.

(Michael)>> That side looks better?

(Tommy)>> Um hmm, right through here.

(Michael)>> Yeah I'll bet it does on that reflection. Well I just wanted you to see when you use professional products and you match that with professional techniques you can obtain professional results.

(Tommy)>> Well you did one heck of a job man.

(Michael)>> Well thank you, I appreciate it. Now get your fingers off my paint.

(Tommy)>> Sorry, sorry.

(Narrator)>> If you're wanting to add to the performance of your late model muscle car then stick around for a tuning tutorial.

(Marc)>> Hey folks, welcome back. If you've got a late model performance vehicle, say like this 2014 Camaro SS, there's few things that can give you bang for your buck like a hand held tuner, but with the advancement of technology there's a wide array of those available on the market and they're not all the same. This is the BDX performance programmer from SCT. It delivers street tested dyno proven tune files developed by SCT's expert calibrators to unlock your vehicle's true potential. It's sleek design, full color display, and customizable gauges help track, data log, and adjust powertrain performance to deliver more horsepower and torque when it's needed most. Select one of SCT's multiple tuning levels or load up to 20 custom tunes, and you can also customize your vehicle functions like rev limiter, timing, and even tire and wheel size. So you can customize it to fit your needs. Let's get this thing on the car. Well now that we've got it connected to the car we'll just follow a few simple steps here, get us a tune loaded.

One cool thing about this is that through Wi-Fi it'll actually load updates or even your custom tune. So you don't have to use a computer to do that.

One cool thing I really like about this device is that it gives you lots of options when you're uploading the tune. One of the most basic is fuel octane rating. You can pick 91 or 93 octane, and that's gonna determine how much timing it sends to the engine. Also how much power you're gonna make. Another cool thing it lets you do if you have long tube headers you can select that options or factory manifolds like this car has. And because this car's an automatic it'll let you determine the shift pressure beyond stock. So if you want firmer shifts, which is what we want to do with this one, you can pick five, 10, 15, 20, 25 percent stronger than stock. With our parameters picked the device will now save the factory tune so you'll always have it in case you need to return your car to the factory settings at any time. Then it's time to upload that new tune. Basically this thing walks you through every step of the process. So you really can't mess it up. You just do what it tells you to do on the screen you'll be good to go.

Well that was really easy. That can take you up to about a half hour to accomplish, which isn't that bad and I didn't even break a sweat doing it. So that's my kind of work. I'm gonna take this thing out for a spin. [ engine starting ]

(Tommy)>> We've told you about all the advantages of using Seafoam motor treatment in all your gasoline powered engines but if yours has over 75,000 miles on the clock this might peak your interest. This is Seafoam's high mileage motor treatment, which is specially formulated for engines over 75,000 miles. Just pour it into your fuel and oil like you would regular Seafoam and helps clean the fuel injectors and carb jets. It also lubricates top end components and reduces long term wear so that you can keep that daily driver or hot rod on the road for a long time. If you have questions about what you've seen on today's show go to Powernation TV dot com.