72-74 Challenger tailight panel color

[lee01]

I want to redo my taillight panel, put better lense etc..., and right now its painted gloss black....look good, but my question is....

From factory....was it painted gloss black or black matte finish?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

I can't answer your question, but I love the way it looks.

[HP2]

I've seen them black, argent, and body colored. The finish would likely depend on the trim or option level of the car as all. It does, IMO, look nicer with black panels on light colored cars and the argent looks good on darker colored cars. Bright colors aren't too bad with either of those or body color.

[burdar]

In 72 it could have been painted two different ways.  73 and 74 were all painted the same.

In 72, if you had a Rallye(JS VIN) the tail panel would be painted with black organisol.  The recessed areas around the tail lights would have been painted argent.  Here is a correctly painted 72 with the original argent paint.
 

In 72 if you had a standard Challenger(JH VIN) the paint scheme was reversed.  The tail panel was argent and the recessed areas around the tail lights was black organisol.  Here is a correctly painted standard Challenger.


72 was the last year for the JS VIN numbers.  In 73 and 74 the Rallye was an option package(code A57) on the base Challenger.  All the tail panels were painted the same.  Argent tail panel with recessed areas around the tail light black organisol. 

[lee01]

In 72 it could have been painted two different ways.  73 and 74 were all painted the same.

In 72, if you had a Rallye(JS VIN) the tail panel would be painted with black organisol.  The recessed areas around the tail lights would have been painted argent.  Here is a correctly painted 72 with the original argent paint.
 

In 72 if you had a standard Challenger(JH VIN) the paint scheme was reversed.  The tail panel was argent and the recessed areas around the tail lights was black organisol.  Here is a correctly painted standard Challenger.


72 was the last year for the JS VIN numbers.  In 73 and 74 the Rallye was an option package(code A57) on the base Challenger.  All the tail panels were painted the same.  Argent tail panel with recessed areas around the tail light black organisol.

Very interesting!
Thank you!....again 
 

[Grec]

"In 73 and 74...  All the tail panels were painted the same.  Argent tail panel with recessed areas around the tail light black organisol."

Are you sure about that?

My 73 Rallye, on which everything else on the exterior was untouched,  is solid black organisol on the tail panel.

Three owner car...

To my knowledge, the original owner didn't change anything on the car. And I say this after spending the last 5 years poking around everything.  Very original.

The owner prior to me was incompetent and did everything half-ass. Lol. I really can't see him taking the time to disassemble the tail panel and correctly re-painting it.

So, one owner who wasn't in habit of changing things and another who shows no sign of being able to do any job correctly...

I conclude that mine left the factory this way.

For one thing... the DODGE letters on my panel do not look like they were ever removed. They still have the original, dry, cracked retainers on the back side.

I could be wrong, but I would be surprised.

I sure hope it's correct. I looks way cleaner than either of those two-tone options. :-)

Note: Just took a closer look... it's textured organisol everywhere except for the areas around the lights which are untextured but still solid black.

[burdar]

Are you sure about that?

Yes, I'm sure.  The organisol isn't heavily textured.  Just a very slight texture.  The picture you posted shows the black painted over the argent.  Organisol isn't that heavily textured.The two paint schemes I described are the only way they came.  The argent started flaking off when the cars were washed.  A lot of people repainted them black.  The original dealership could have painted it black too.

Paint your car how you think it looks best.  I've never really cared for the 72 Rallye look myself.

[Jamiez]

My 74 appears to have a darker argent with the black in the light sockets:




No idea if it's original, obviously my car was repainted at some point in time.

[burdar]

Your tail panel was repainted when the rest of the graphics were done.

The tail light housings came to the factory already painted by the manufacturer.  The organiol was sprayed on the entire part first.  The recessed areas were masked and the argent was sprayed over the black.  The rear panel of the car was sprayed at the factory after the body color was sprayed.  Since the argent on the tail panel wasn't sprayed over a black base, there could have been a mismatch between it and the tail light housings.

If you look close at original tail light housing with the argent still on it, you'll see black showing through.  The argent wasn't sprayed very thick and the masking job was very quick. 

[Grec]

I don't care for it either, but if it's correct, it's correct and I'll prob respray the argent at some point.

Bad call on that one, Chrysler. :-(

[Jamiez]

Your tail panel was repainted when the rest of the graphics were done.

I figured as much  

[bad440]

Am original owner of my yellow blaze 74 Rallye 360, tail panel was argent, don't recall any black in there whatsoever.

[dodj]

My '73 and the other two I disassembled for donor parts were as Burdar says. Argent tail panel with organisol in the tail light recesses.