Arthur Tussik, a popular YouTuberArthur Tussik, a popular YouTuber and Auto mechanic showed off his talent and expertise as he restored a wrecked Dodge muscle car to its former glory. If you’re a fan of vehicle restorations, there’s a chance you have come across at least one of this artist’s satisfying videos. Arthur Tussik posts all his content on his renowned YouTube channel, named after himself. As of today, he has over 750,000 subscribers who love watching him work.
Earlier this month, he posted a video of himself working on a Dodge Challenger. The vehicle had a ruined front-end with missing headlights, and smashed side paneling. Regardless, the work required on this challenger didn’t challenge him. The entire restoration work took 22 hours, and the results were remarkable.
Taking Apart The Dodge Challenger
Arthur began his craft by taking the front end apart. This is the typical step when repairing body issues. The whole process of taking the car apart needs to be procedural and professionally done. Disassembling the car in a haste could lead to a much more painstaking task of putting it back together. And it was clear from the get-go that the YouTuber had been doing this for a long time. He started by unbolting and removing the side rockers. He then used a trolley jack to lift the front end of the car. This gave him access to the vehicle’s front tires, which he then removed. Taking the tires out made it easier to remove the inner fender, and access the entire front-end paneling.
Since much of the front was already damaged, there wasn’t much unbolting work required. Except for parts attached to the frame. After lifting the hood out of the way, the artist removed the damaged paneling. The radiator support also came off, along with a few other smaller fascia components. The front paneling, support structures, and all damaged parts came off. This left the engine and the front part of the frame. At this point, the Challenger looked more like a factory work-in-progress than a wrecked muscle car receiving bodywork. Now the harder part of the gig was about to begin.
He hammered in all the parts of the frame damaged by the crash. It was amazing to watch one man perform something that is usually done by a team of mechanics.
Putting The Challenger All Back Together
After the straightening work, it was time to put everything together. He spray-painted the radiator and headlight support structure and placed it back. The YouTuber then attached the radiator and other front components to it. It was also time to place right side paneling back in place, then flattened out to blend in with the rest of the fascia. He sanded the paneling to achieve a smoother surface. He completely added a new left paneling.
Considering the amount of damaged suffered on the left side, it was simply beyond restoration. The Dodge Challenger also received a new circuit front bumper. These days, such Challenger bumpers retail between $1,109 and $1,550, based on our search on americanmuscle.com. New headlights also went in. While depending on the model year, new Dodge Challenger headlights cost between $177 and $273. As usual, these ranges depend on the number and age of Dodge Challengers available.
After all replacement parts underwent a paint job, the Dodge Challenger finally bore its original, eye-catching look.