so has anybody tried to fit a new challenger grill in an old one??? I found this on the internet....
My buddy just let me have an old set of 70 headlight bezels..looking at using (altering) them to make the trim around the fenders (like the 70/71)...
as far as cost....I have been looking.....
bezels...$340
Grill......$750
fenders...$800-$1000
marker lights and retainers..$200-500?
I know there is a weld in piece to change the rear to a 70 thats like $80
Grill install kit.....$80
rear tail light panel...$250-$400
rear tail lights...seem hard to find...some sets on ebay used for $300+
What else am I missing?
Those prices are ridiculous!!!
I have all the parts to convert the front clip of my '72 to a '71. I did end up paying about $700 for a good '71 Challenger grille (man those are a pain to find), but everything else I bought was about 1/2 the cost of what you have listed. I only have about $500 into the PAIR of '71 fenders I bought, and if you pay $200 for marker lights you'd better be talking about all 4 of them, complete with everything. If it weren't for the grilleI don't think I'd even have $1k into the front clip- fenders, latch panel, hood latch, headlight bezels, marker lights, etc. With everything then I guess I'm into it around $1,700, but most of that is grille. But I'm not converting the rear tail lights, just the rear markers.
As far as the naysayers, you won't get less for a '72 that's been converted to a '70. You'll get
more than you would for a non-numbers, no fender tag '72. No, you won't get as much as if it were a real '70, but that should be obvious. The '72+ Challengers are probably only worth about 50-75% of what an equivalent '70 is worth. Go buy a finished '70 for under $20k. Good luck! I bought my '72 for $11k, drove it home, and have put 50k miles on it since using it as my daily driver. You can buy good condition 72+ Challengers for under 20k all day long, and even the '72+ Rallye's in excellent restored condition rarely go for more than low 30's. Won't see that with a '70 R/T.
If the side markers don't bother you, I have a set of '70 headlight buckets. They were removed from an original set of '70 fenders, and can be spot welded back into a set of '72 up fenders with a little work. They aren't perfect, but they'll work just fine. I managed to find a set of '71 fenders for my car, which will work out better because my '72's fenders have some rust anyway. PM me if you're interested in the buckets.
Oh, and you'll need a new hood latch panel and hood latch. The '72 version is different from the '70 and won't work with the earlier grill.