I have recently lost my father, a mopar enthusiast. He left me one of his cars, my favorite from the bunch. A 1966 dodge charger. I have always loved this car, since I first rode in it at a very young age. Now I need to learn more about it so I can speak intelligently. In the interim, would anyone be able to help me with a concern? The car is being stored for the winter in its usual spot, an old barn with one stone wall side. We have gotten a few feet of snow and now that its melting, in conjunction with the recent rain, water is coming in and pooling under the car. This can't be good for it and I don't know how to fix it just yet. I vaguely remember my dad getting a full undercarriage sprayed (I hope that's the correct terminology). Is there a way to tell if this car was done? And do I need to act fast or can I wait til spring to fix the stone wall leak? I don't want to let anything damage or jeapordize the currently solid body.

 

First off welcome my uncle had a 66 always liked the look. The water should b fine till u can move the car and properly fix the wall or find another storage space. My buddie stores his stang in a barn he bought a bubble and has the car off the ground on stands. He also has a full pack of dryer sheets in the car throughout the engine compartment to the trunk. As long as the water isnt soaking the car u should b fine. As for the undercarrige just look and see if there is any rust starting anywhere if so por 15 is a good product to coat the underbody even if its been done b4 its always good to b sure.


http://www.por15.com/

 

66 Charger is an awesome car. It should be fine til your able to fix the current barn or move the car somewhere else as long as the water isn't in contact with any metal. If anything is getting wet that can rust then you need to do something fairly soon. Never heard of that por 15, but there is a lot of knowledge to be learned from the guys on this site. Welcome to the site btw.

 

Put a 2" layer of stone down & put a sheet or two of plywood on top of the stone . Then park the car on top of the plywood.. It is not so much the water It is the moisture that will cause the rust. If it is a cement slab Put the plywood on top of a few 2x2s

In the old days before EPA they would spray the under carriage with used oil

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome to the forum.... I can't add much to the answers you have already gotten... I can add the POR 15 is great stuff..... also, while on here be sure to check out the Mopar of the Month contest....

 

welcome

 

welcome to te forum

 

Thank you all for the info and welcomes. I will definitely have to check out the mopar of the month. My dad left us kids w a total of 24 cars!

 

Souper -

TV is correct. If the car is sitting in water, the moisture will cause rust. His solution should help, but a fix for the barn might be as simple as increasing the grade on the exterior. Just take soil and pile it up again the exterior wall perimeter and tamp it down the best you can.

If rust has already started, it really has to be addressed as soon as possible.

Archer

 

Welcome to the forum. I would wait till spring and then check the undercarriage for rust. Por 15 is real good stuff but pricey but so is replacing rusted panels. After the car is out for the summer you can address your water problem. The best place to store a car believe it or not is in a hay barn.The hay draws all the moisture out . But then you also have varmit problems so the stone or gravel is the next best thing the deeper the better. Do you know what engine is in your Charger? what are the other car that Father left? and by the way Im very sorry for your loss and wish you and your family all the best.. Bill

 

Pro-tech, thanks for the advice. The "barn" is a garage plus. Not an animal type barn. There's no standing water in contact with the charger. Just under it. I was afraid of moisture but it sounds like it should be ok til spring. Then ill fix the wall. Thanks for your sympathy too. It's hard but I'm dealing. He has eight '66 chargers & five '67 chargers. One of them is a non running hemi car. Mine has a 318 under the hood. All stock. The other cars consist of a '60 something satellite. '58? Imperial limo (one in godfather movie). '59 dodge custom royals. ?yr? Monoco. An 84 Lincoln town car. An 88 ford pickup. I think I got them all most chargers are parts cars. The rest need work here and there but drive. We kids bring 3 or 4 out to car shows in the summer now cuz that's what he liked to do.

 

Welcome aboard.

 

If that Charger with the Hemi is an original Hemi car it could be worth a lot of money

 

Yes but it's a hemi car without a hemi motor.

 

SM, I didnt think the car was in standing water or that the water was in contact with the car. When you hear of cars that are called barnfinds in perfect condition alot of them are in hay barns, tabacco sheds old garages etc.. but the best finds are in hay barns because the hay keeps the moisture off the car. I read an article about storing cars and it said if put 12" of gravel uder the car it absorbes the moisture and keeps it away from the car the same way the hay does. The best way of coarse to keep a car is in a climate controlled envrionment with low humidity or heated garage. Which is what I do. It is costly but worth it to me when you have an investment/assets like you and I do. Those cars you mentioned are worth alot of money in complete condition. I would have loved to known your Dad it sounds like we have alot in common.