74 to 70 Challenger conversion

[RickyBobby74]

Has anyone here converted a 74 Challenger to a 70? i was wondering what parts i will need and were to get them. are the 70 and 74 fenders the same? i hope that the grill will fit without any major modifications. can someone help me please.

[MJS73]

For the front, you will need '70 fenders (to properly locate the headlights in the grille - the fenders are not the same), '70 fender side markers, '70 grille and removal of the '74 front header.  You will also need '70 bumper brackets to suck the bumper in closer and a '70 bumper to be absolutely correct.

For the rear, removal of the '74 tail panel, '70 tail panel, '70 taillights, lenses and bezels and (I believe) to modify the taillight wiring harness..  Figure $4000+ in parts alone.  Same situation with the bumper brackets and bumper.

Mike

[Moparal]

Welcome to the site   You need to shrink that avatar

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Welcome to the site   You need to shrink that avatar

       

This conversion is tough and expensive. Maybe if you are good at cutting and welding that would save some grief. 


   Mike

[R/T hedkace]

Welcome to the site   You need to shrink that avatar

 
Ok, after five minutes of scrolling down, I finally made it to the bottom of the post 

Try this, it may fit a little better   



As for your conversion?
 This topic has been discussed a few times before, that I can recall.
I'll try to find the link, if I can 

[Super Blue 72]

       

This conversion is tough and expensive. Maybe if you are good at cutting and welding that would save some grief. 


   Mike

   Welcome, RickyBobby!

Yeah, if you can do the work yourself, that might be the best bet or else you'll be looking at $$$ to do the conversion.

Figure out the parts price, then if you're going to have the work done by someone else, get a shop quote.  At that point, depending on how much the total comes out and how much your '74 is worth, you might want to think about selling your '74 and looking to buy a real '70 Challenger.

[Chryco Psycho]

you could make a 74 look like a 70 using parts mentioned above , but to truly do a 70 almost every part on the car is different

[Moparal]

you could make a 74 look like a 70 using parts mentioned above , but to truly do a 70 almost every part on the car is different

   both inside and out.

[Chlngrcrzy]

I had similar thoughts a few monthes back. However I gained a true appreciation of what i really had from members of this site. You have a unique car that most people do not have, or will ever have. I love my 73 challenger, because it is a challenger.  I also really like the looks of the 71, but if i want a car that looks like a 71 , i will buy one. Right now i am restoring(completely) a 73. When it is done, my son will most likely get it and i will move on to my next project. There are a few things that can be done to the 73-74 to improve the look if your interested. Side marker lights are a relatively in-expensive way to improve the looks. Cut-outs can be fabbed in for the 70-71 marker lights, bumpers brackets, to name a few. Good luck with your car. I hope you find what you are looking for.

[Challenger6pak]

I have done it multiple times for people who want the look of a 70.  To make it exact would be insane to do.  It would be cheaper to get a 70.  To start with are you going to do the work or have someone else do it?  The last one I did was cheap because we used a rotted out parts car.  If you do it yourself you may be able to do it for around $3000.  If you have to pay someone else to do it you might as well buy a 70.  If you sell your 74 after it is converted it will still be a 74.  You may loose the extra cost of the conversion.  I would recommend to go get a 70.

[hemiken]

I just saved the picture to do the resize thing aswell as i got cramps trying to scroll around to see what the car was in the avatar.

But Hedkace is on the job again, hey Hedkace what resize system do you use and is it as clear as the resizer i use.  The system i have is called "VSO image resizer".

[RickyBobby74]

Thanks for all the feedback! this is a great forum, i never expected to get this much feedback. i think im going to just stick with the 74 front end, maybe do a little customization to it. the car is at D&M customs in valleycenter Kansas getting new quarters and fresh paint. now i just got to figure out this avatar thing.   

[hemiken]

  You done it once, you can do it again.

Save the picture above by right clicking with your mouse.  Make sure you know where this new picture has gone and then download as your avatar.

Simple.

[Super Blue 72]

However I gained a true appreciation of what i really had from members of this site. You have a unique car that most people do not have, or will ever have. I love my 73 challenger, because it is a challenger. 

  Very well stated Challengercrazy.  As it's true that many of us who don't have a '70 Challenger love the looks of it, the reality of it is that we don't have one but we still have a Challenger.  Sometimes you  just have to look at your car by itself without comparing it to a '70 then you'll find a greater appreciation for it. 

I know that when I look at pics, I like the '70 Challenger more myself, but when I get out into the driveway and see my car without comparing it to anything else, I feel pretty fortunate to have the car that I have because it is mine.  I love the low, wide stance of the car, the cool body lines, which is the same as a '70.  But since it's not a '70, I feel more freedom to make some changes from stock to personalize my car and make it more pleasureable to my eye.

[Challenger6pak]

The 74 actually was the best ,quality build wise, of the 70-74 Challengers.  They lacked the performance of the earlier cars. They were reinforced in the roofs and in other places 70-73 cars were not.  They do not normally rattle like earlier cars. When I have parted 74's I have found a more extensive use of insulation in the cars. They came with disc brakes, electronic ignition, and many times sway bars and air conditioning.  They have their place in Challenger history.  It was a time when Chrysler was converting from straight line performance to an all around solid driver.  Seems that when they pulled the plug on the Ebodys the rest of their car line just went down the drain.